Document	Document Title
US08442939B2	File sharing method, computer system, and job scheduler Provided is a computer system including a plurality of computing hosts, which constructs a shared file system dynamically so that job execution efficiency is improved. In the computer system which includes the plurality of computing hosts and executes a job requested, in a case where the job is executed by the plurality of computing hosts, each computing host which executes the job is configured to: share a file necessary for executing the job; access the shared file to execute the requested job; and cancel the sharing of the file after execution of the requested job is completed.
US08442934B2	Query and result rebinding The metadata-based intermediation between two data sources. A computing system accesses a query message (e.g., a query or a query response). The query message is structured to be compatible with the first data source. The computing system uses metadata either directly, or indirectly through the execution of code referenced by the metadata to convert the query message into a semantically equivalent query message that is compatible with the second data source. If the query message were a query, then a query response may be acquired and the metadata may perhaps be used again to convert the query response into a form that is compatible with the first data source. In one embodiment, the conversion using the metadata is performed with the assistance of a framework, making changes to the conversion process as simple as perhaps just editing the metadata itself.
US08442931B2	Graph-based data search Computer based systems and methods for searching data transiting a network using a graph-based search model. A set of rules that describe strings or patterns of data to be identified in the data set, is expressed as a graph. As blocks of the data set are obtained for processing, the state of the graph is updated based upon the value of the received data block. The transition to the next state depends upon both the current state and the received data block. As blocks of data are received and processed, the graph is traversed until one of the rules is identified.
US08442929B2	Predicting item-item affinities based on item features by regression Two items are determined to be similar to each not only based on previous actual user behavior, but also based on the observed relatedness of the characteristics of those two items. A first characteristic and a second characteristic are determined to have some affinity for each other if a high proportion of users who select items having the first characteristics also select items that have the second characteristic, and vice-versa. Two items having characteristics with high affinity for each other are determined to have some similarity to each other, even if very few or no users who selected one of those items ever selected the other of those items. A first item that is determined to be sufficiently similar to second item in this manner may be recommended to a user who has selected the second item as potentially also being of interest to that user.
US08442920B1	Paperless mortgage closings Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing an electronic document processing system, an electronic document generation mechanism, an encrypted digital certificate generator, a tool for coordinating the processing of electronic documents, a packaging mechanism for finalizing and authenticating electronic documents, a tracking log for recording relevant electronic document information, and a transferring protocol for transferring the ownership of electronic documents. The present disclosure also is directed to an electronic authentication system including an electronic document authentication watermark seal or signature line for confirming a document's signing within the view. The present disclosure also is directed to a system, software program, and method for generating electronic documents, coordinating the signing of electronic documents, digitally authenticating and certifying electronic documents, and organizing electronic documents for retrieval and transfer in a mortgage closing and/or other financial services application.
US08442917B1	Energy distribution and marketing backoffice system and method A retail energy provider system comprising a market transaction manager, business rules and requirements processor, usage rater, customer analysis and quality control auditor, customer billing processor and collection manager, customer payment processor, third party sales and marketing application programming interface, customer acquisition and residual income interface, having a wholesale forecaster, interactive voice response system, intranet web services, internet web services and network based external customer service and executive management systems and financial services functions, all said functions and systems interacting with a robust SQL database engine for which the novel database schema is taught herein.
US08442916B2	Digital rights management of content when content is a future live event A method and system for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith including a point of capture system adapted to generate content of a future event when the event occurs, a content distributor adapted to generate a rights label having usage rights associated with content of the future event before the content is created, the rights label having a distribution key for encrypting the content as the content is generated, the distribution key being encrypted with a public key. The system also includes a license server adapted to generate a license associate with the content from the rights label before the content is generated, the license including the distribution key encrypted with the public key, and a content distributor adapted to distribute the license before the content is generated.
US08442914B2	Virtual wallet account with automatic-loading Methods and apparatus for operating a virtual wallet system are described. In an embodiment, the process includes receiving, at a virtual wallet server, a virtual wallet account number and payment transaction details that includes a payment amount, and then mapping the virtual wallet account number to at least one funding account associated with a consumer. The method also includes validating the consumer and the payment transaction details, generating a standard purchase authorization request message and routing it to an issuer of the at least one funding account, and receiving an authorization response approving the payment transaction. The process further includes loading the consumer's virtual wallet account in real time to match the payment amount, and routing an authorization approval message to an originating acquirer. Such a virtual wallet system with automatic-loading capabilities substantially improves the operation of decoupled debit payment account schemes. In addition, the use of a virtual wallet account assigned to a consumer by virtue of a virtual wallet account number (which can be described as a pseudo-primary account number (pseudo-PAN)) allows the consumer to fund payments for multiple PSP accounts from a single funding account while simultaneously protecting personal data and protecting against identity theft.
US08442913B2	Evolving payment device A computer apparatus is provided that comprises processor and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor. The computer readable medium comprises code executable by the processor for implementing a method that comprises receiving a first indication at a computer apparatus that an evolving token has been used in a first transaction. Use of the evolving token in the first transaction provides a first benefit. The method further comprises that in a subsequent transaction after the first transaction, the evolving token changes so that it is associated with a payment account and the evolving token can be used to make payments.
US08442895B2	Report generator for allowing a financial entity to monitor securities class action lawsuits and potential monetary claims resulting therefrom and including loss chart selection Reports are automatically created of securities class action lawsuits customized to show potential monetary claims resulting from the lawsuits for securities purchased or acquired by one or more financial entities. Further, a database stores a plurality of loss charts. Each loss chart is related to a particular security for a particular financial entity and is assigned a unique identifier. The report includes a selection process, such as the selection of a hyperlink on the report, that allows a user to input the unique identifier to the loss chart directly from the report so that the loss chart can be retrieved from the database and presented to the user. A plurality of sets of loss charts are provided wherein each set of loss charts is related to a particular security for a particular financial entity. Each set of loss charts includes a Summary Chart and a FIFO and LIFO loss chart.
US08442890B2	System and method for trading and displaying market information in an electronic trading environment A system and method for trading and displaying market information along a static axis are described to ensure fast and accurate execution of trades. The static axis, whether is a straight axis or a curved one, can be oriented in any direction. Regardless of how the axis is oriented, a first region may display price levels that are arranged along the static axis. A second region, which overlaps the first region, may display one or more indicators for highlighting one of the price levels associated with the lowest offer and one of the price levels associated with the highest bid. Moreover, a third region, which overlaps the first region, may be included for initiating placement of an order to buy or an order to sell the tradeable object through an action of a user input device. Other overlapping regions may also be displayed so that additional market information may be viewed by a trader.
US08442873B2	Order processing system, method and program product An order processing system, method, and program product that generates an order receipt based on an order request. The system, method, and program product include a plurality of request handlers for processing different types of order requests. One of the plurality of request handlers is selected to process the order request based on the type of order request. Once processing is complete, an order receipt is generated.
US08442871B2	Publishing user submissions According to the present invention, there is provided a method to facilitate propagating a plurality of transaction listings to a network-based transaction facility. An input interface is presented at a seller application to receive from a user, a plurality of transaction listings, each transaction listing including an associated start time. Also, a data file is composed at the seller application to include the plurality of transaction listings. Moreover, the data file is propagated, using the seller application, from the client computer to the network-based transaction facility.
US08442869B2	Methods for optimization of business transactions between a selling vendor and a shipping vendor A method is disclosed for optimizing a business transaction between a selling vendor and a shipping vendor. The method includes receiving a query from a selling vendor. The query includes customer order data. The method also includes identifying at least one possible shipping vendor based on the customer order data and determining shipping information for each of the at least one possible shipping vendors. The method further includes selecting a preferred shipping vendor from among the at least one possible shipping vendors and completing the transaction between the selling vendor and the shipping vendor.
US08442868B2	Related party payment system Systems and methods are disclosed herein which that enable a first party, such as a child, to selected one or more items offered by an online retailer and to send a request to a second party, such as a parent or guardian, to request that the second party purchase the item or items for the first party. The systems and methods provide the second party with the ability to view requests received from the first party, to set limits on the number of requests and the amounts of the requests that the first party may make. The second party may also designate the parties to whom the first party may submit purchase requests. The child may also submit request to one or more non-parental contributors who may contribute money toward the purchase the one or more items for the child.
US08442867B2	Providing an announcement about transactions of a target merchant to a consumer An announcement distributor distributes, or auctions an opportunity to distribute, an announcement to an announcement recipient such as a consumer, issuer, merchant, or acquirer within a payment processing system. The announcement is formed when there has been a satisfaction of an announcement condition, such as the consumer being determined to be located within a predetermined spatial zone. The content of the announcement may, in turn, facilitate a subsequent cashless transaction for resources of merchants. Implementations describe various permutations of the content of the announcement, the announcement condition, and the announcement recipient.
US08442861B2	Multi-dimensional price determination A system and method are provided. The method includes establishing a current belief about the multidimensional distribution of buyers' valuations for at least one item, and, based on the current belief, proposing at least one pricing mechanism, each pricing mechanism establishing a price for the at least one item. Observed buyers' responses to at least one of the set of proposed pricing mechanisms are stored. Region censored updates to the belief about the multidimensional distribution of buyers' valuations are conducted, based on the observed responses, to generate a new belief about the multidimensional distribution of buyers' valuations. Based on the new belief, a pricing mechanism establishing a price for the at least one item is proposed, that is expected to improve a seller's welfare under the new belief, relative to the originally proposed mechanism or mechanisms.
US08442855B2	Method of designing and building to a targeted cost for high tech facilities The present invention discloses a methodology and device for predicting the cost of construction of a facility for use especially in conception stages of a project. The method proceeds by identifying a process application to be housed within the facility, identifying specified process equipment, minimum size of the facility, the support utility infrastructure required for all systems which will provide for the needs of the identified process application, and determining associated costs. A variety of other factors may also be examined in determining cost, and by identifying a project budget, the cost or budget itself may be adjusted.
US08442853B2	Targeted equipment monitoring system and method for optimizing equipment reliability An operating strategy for effectively operating a system, such as a boiler system, is provided by quantifying operation of the system based on failure characteristics modeled in a computer processor performing failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to forecast damage mechanisms from operational parameters. One method includes determining operational consequences from inherent damage impact of fixed operational parameters, enabling instruments for operation with the processor for monitoring and diagnosing potential damage mechanisms, forming a graphic component map sufficient for user review of preselected system locations, and developing macroscopic in-service and out-of-service condition monitoring plans for the system. Detailed condition monitoring plans are then created from the macroscopic plans by the processor classifying each damage mechanism as one of active, incipient, incidental and passive, and processing each classified damage mechanism based on industry and local historical data for providing yield indices and propensities as reference for the FMEA.
US08442847B1	Method of making insurance comparisons between different insurance plans A computerized method of allowing insurance customers to make better informed insurance purchases. The invention allows customers, who may be unfamiliar with the chances that various types of losses will occur and/or the true costs associated with these losses, to enter in various insurance loss scenarios and scenario parameters into a computer database which also contains information on various insurance plans. The invention outputs comparative information as to how adequately the various insurance plans perform according to the various customer selected scenarios, and comparative plan costs. The method can be implemented using computerized servers and client devices communicating using standard internet protocols over the internet. The invention may be used for any type of insurance product, and is particularly well suited for situations where consumers may have an unusually low amount of information regarding risks and associated costs, such as online purchase of various foreign coverage medical insurance plans.
US08442845B2	Systems and methods for determining cost of insurance rates According to some embodiments, a current net amount at risk associated with a life insurance policy is determined. The life insurance policy may, for example, have been previously issued to a consumer for a given face death benefit amount. At least one applicable cost of insurance rate may then be automatically selected based at least in part on the determined net amount at risk. The applicable cost of insurance rate can then be applied to the current net amount at risk for the policy. For example, a first cost of insurance rate may be applied to a first portion of the current net amount at risk, and the applicable cost of insurance rate may be applied to a second portion of the current net amount at risk.
US08442844B1	Methods and systems for claims management facilitation The present invention relates to product claims management solutions, and in particular, to methods and systems for maintaining purchase records and product repair, replacement, and refund claims processing. The user experience in performing claims management is simplified and enhanced over existing methods.
US08442843B2	Method and apparatus for controlling a warming therapy device An apparatus and method for controlling a warming therapy device (e.g., incubator, warmer, etc.) is described. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a Graphical User Interlace (GUI) coupled to the warming therapy device for monitoring patient medical information, and for controlling various aspects of the warming therapy device accordingly.
US08442837B2	Embedded speech and audio coding using a switchable model core A method for processing an audio signal including classifying an input frame as either a speech frame or a generic audio frame, producing an encoded bitstream and a corresponding processed frame based on the input frame, producing an enhancement layer encoded bitstream based on a difference between the input frame and the processed frame, and multiplexing the enhancement layer encoded bitstream, a codeword, and either a speech encoded bitstream or a generic audio encoded bitstream into a combined bitstream based on whether the codeword indicates that the input frame is classified as a speech frame or as a generic audio frame, wherein the encoded bitstream is either a speech encoded bitstream or a generic audio encoded bitstream.
US08442836B2	Method and device of bitrate distribution/truncation for scalable audio coding Embodiments of the invention provides a method and device for assigning bitrates to a plurality of channels in a scalable audio encoding/truncation process. Different bitrates are assigned to different channels in the scalable audio encoding/truncation process.
US08442833B2	Speech processing with source location estimation using signals from two or more microphones Computer implemented speech processing is disclosed. First and second voice segments are extracted from first and second microphone signals originating from first and second microphones. The first and second voice segments correspond to a voice sound originating from a common source. An estimated source location is generated based on a relative energy of the first and second voice segments and/or a correlation of the first and second voice segments. A determination whether the voice segment is desired or undesired may be made based on the estimated source location.
US08442824B2	Device, system, and method of liveness detection utilizing voice biometrics Device, system, and method of liveness detection using voice biometrics. For example, a method comprises: generating a first matching score based on a comparison between: (a) a voice-print from a first text-dependent audio sample received at an enrollment stage, and (b) a second text-dependent audio sample received at an authentication stage; generating a second matching score based on a text-independent audio sample; and generating a liveness score by taking into account at least the first matching score and the second matching score.
US08442821B1	Multi-frame prediction for hybrid neural network/hidden Markov models A method and system for multi-frame prediction in a hybrid neural network/hidden Markov model automatic speech recognition (ASR) system is disclosed. An audio input signal may be transformed into a time sequence of feature vectors, each corresponding to respective temporal frame of a sequence of periodic temporal frames of the audio input signal. The time sequence of feature vectors may be concurrently input to a neural network, which may process them concurrently. In particular, the neural network may concurrently determine for the time sequence of feature vectors a set of emission probabilities for a plurality of hidden Markov models of the ASR system, where the set of emission probabilities are associated with the temporal frames. The set of emission probabilities may then be concurrently applied to the hidden Markov models for determining speech content of the audio input signal.
US08442812B2	Phrase-based dialogue modeling with particular application to creating a recognition grammar for a voice-controlled user interface The invention enables creation of grammar networks that can regulate, control, and define the content and scope of human-machine interaction in natural language voice user interfaces (NLVUI). The invention enables phrase-based modeling of generic structures of verbal interaction to be used for the purpose of automating part of the design of such grammar networks. Most particularly, the invention enables such grammar networks to be used in providing a voice-controlled user interface to human readable text data that is also machine-readable (such as a Web page, a word processing document, a PDF document, or a spreadsheet).
US08442808B2	Method of guiding a physical training program using biomarkers of fatigue The present invention provides methods and compositions for identifying a subject in a fatigued state, a subject recovering from a fatigued state and/or a subject having an increased likelihood of performing a physical activity at a sufficient level by detecting and/or quantitating, in a sample from the subject, one or more biomarkers associated with fatigue and/or physical performance capability.
US08442798B2	Hand held pointing device with roll compensation A pointing device includes accelerometers and rotational sensors that are coupled to a processor. The processor samples the accelerometers and rotational sensors to detect gravity and pointing device motion and uses algebraic algorithms to calculate roll compensated cursor control signals. The processor transmits the cursor control signals to a receiver that is coupled to an electronic device that moves the cursor on the visual display.
US08442793B2	System for determining quality of a rotating position sensor system A method for improving a position sensing system which measures a rotating object is presented. In one embodiment, the method outputs the position of the rotating object while the object is rotating, and the method follows an external command on the sensor output line when the object is not rotating to output information other than the position information.
US08442784B1	Adaptive power control based on pre package characterization of integrated circuits A method and system of adaptive power control based on pre package characterization of integrated circuits. Characteristics of a specific integrated circuit are used to adaptively control power of the integrated circuit.
US08442782B2	Method for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium, and corresponding apparatus A method for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium, wherein a mechanically oscillatable unit is supplied with an exciter signal wherein a received signal coming from the mechanically oscillatable unit is received, and wherein the exciter signal is produced in such a manner, that a phase difference between the exciter signal and the received signal equals a predeterminable phase value. A criterion for judging the determining of the phase difference between the exciter signal and the received signal, or a signal dependent on the exciter signal or on the received signal, is established; in the case, in which the criterion for judging the determining of the phase difference is fulfilled, tuning of the phase difference is closed-loop controlled; and, in the alternative case, tuning of the phase difference is open-loop controlled. An apparatus associated with the method is also disclosed.
US08442780B2	Material property identification system and methods The distributive elastic properties in nonlinear structures is characterized using an inverse elastostatic approach of stress analysis using assumed elastic models without knowing the realistic material parameters. Stress distributions are computed independently of strain measurements. A database of pointwise stress and strain data in regions of the nonlinear structure permits the elastic properties of the structure to be characterized point-by-point to provide the property distribution.
US08442776B2	Structure of compstatin-C3 complex and use for rational drug design The structure of C3c in complex with the complement inhibitor, compstatin, and use of this information for rational design or identification of complement-inhibiting drugs are disclosed.
US08442773B2	Protein synthesis monitoring (PSM) A method and a device are disclosed for monitoring the synthesis of proteins by the ribosome, wherein the ribosome is bound to a first label, for example a donor fluorophore, and a tRNA and/or amino acid are is bound to a second label, for example an acceptor fluorophore, wherein the first and second labels together from a FRET pair. As the ribosome mechanism processes the mRNA and tRNA molecules and synthesizes a polypeptide chain, a light source illuminates the ribosome, exciting the donor fluorophores and thereby the acceptor fluorophores whenever these are in sufficient proximity to a donor. The resulting signals are detected and used as a key for database searching and identification of the protein being synthesized.
US08442772B2	Compositions and methods for defining cells Disclosed are compositions and methods for classifying stem cells. The disclosure provides a way to define cells using a computational analysis.
US08442771B2	Methods and apparatus for term normalization Methods and data processing apparatus for normalization of mentions of subcellular entities, such as proteins and/or genes, in a natural language biomedical text document, in which the species of the individual mention of a subcellular entity is determined before an identifier is assigned to the individual mention of a subcellular entity and the identified species is taken into account when assigning an identifier to the said individual mention of a subcellular entity.
US08442767B2	Method of operating a navigation system to provide route guidance A method of operating a navigation system to provide a route guidance message for traveling a route is disclosed. A preferred name of a feature visible from a road segment is obtained from a geographic database associated with the navigation system. A guidance message stating the preferred name of the feature visible from the road segment is determined. The preferred name includes at least one visible descriptor selected from a group consisting of a color of the identified feature, a building material of the identified feature, a shape of the identified feature, an architectural style of the identified feature, and a decorative element of the identified feature.
US08442761B2	Navigation device, display method of navigation device, program of display method of nagivation device and recording medium recording program of display method of navigation device There is provided a navigation device having a current location detection unit for detecting a current location, a current location correction unit for correcting the current location detected by the current location detection unit using map matching and a display unit for displaying a map, switches an operation mode between a normal mode, which is an operation mode based on in-vehicle use, and a pedestrian mode, which is an operation mode based on use when moving on foot, displays the map of the current location by the display unit by arranging a mark indicating the current location based on the current location corrected by the current location correction unit in the normal mode, and displays the map of the current location by the display unit by arranging the mark indicating the current location based on the current location detected by the current location detection unit in the pedestrian mode.
US08442755B2	Systems and methods for preventing motor vehicle side doors from coming into contact with obstacles Systems and methods for preventing a motor vehicle side door from coming into contact with an obstacle are provided. One system includes an outside rear view mirror, a camera coupled to the outside rear view mirror, and a controller coupled to the camera. The camera is configured to detect the obstacle and determine the distance between the side door and the obstacle, and the controller is configured to disable the side door if the obstacle is within a threshold distance of the side door. Another system replaces the camera with an ultrasonic sensor to detect the obstacle and determine the distance between the side door and the obstacle. A method includes determining the distance between a plurality of motor vehicle side doors and the obstacle, and automatically disabling each motor vehicle side door that is within a threshold distance of the obstacle.
US08442753B2	Inverted pendulum vehicle with stability on a slope The gradient of a road surface is estimated with a change in the attitude of a vehicle also taken into consideration. As a result, the gradient of the road surface can be estimated with high accuracy, and this enables the vehicle to stably stop and travel independently of the gradient of the road surface. The vehicle has a drive wheel rotatably mounted on a vehicle body and also has a vehicle control device for controlling the attitude of the vehicle by controlling drive torque applied to the drive wheel. The vehicle control device estimates the gradient of the road surface based on the attitude of the vehicle and corrects the drive torque based on the gradient.
US08442748B2	Method for starting an engine A method for improving starting of an engine that may be repeatedly stopped and started is presented. In one embodiment, the method disengages a starter in response to a first predicted combustion in a cylinder of the engine. The method may reduce one-way clutch degradation of a starter. Further, the method may reduce current consumption during engine starting.
US08442744B2	Compensation for oxygenated fuel use in a diesel engine To partially supplant the use of fossil fuels in diesel engines, oxygen-containing fuels, such as biodiesels, are proposed as blending agents in diesel fuel. Engine calibration coefficients to control EGR rate, timings and quantities of fuel injection pulses, turbocharger boost, etc, can be determined to compensate for the lower energy content of such oxygenate blends compared to diesel fuels. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the fuel quantity of each of multiple injection pulses is increased proportionally to compensate for the impact of oxygenates. An adjustment in the fuel injection quantity is performed in response to a new tank of fuel and the adjustment is applied for that tank of fuel. A fuel compensation factor (FCF) can be determined based on the actual amount of fuel injected compared to the expected amount of diesel fuel at the present operating condition.
US08442742B2	Torque control apparatus and control method for vehicle driving unit The prevention of the occurrence of a shock during acceleration is enabled without impairing acceleration response as to a control apparatus for a vehicle driving unit. By changing a control amount of a specific one or specific ones of the plurality of the control elements when a torque-up request is issued, the output torque of the vehicle driving unit is increased toward a target output torque. In this case, a torque gradient upon changing the control amount of the specific one or the specific ones of the control elements is estimated and calculated on the basis of a current output torque of the vehicle driving unit according to a calculation rule formulated in advance. The control amounts of the respective control elements including the specific one or the specific ones of the control elements are set such that the estimated torque gradient coincides with a predetermined target torque gradient.
US08442737B2	Method for operating a vehicle brake system and vehicle brake system A method for operating a vehicle braking system for motor vehicles including a hybrid or electric drive and hydraulically actutable wheel brakes on the front axle, wherein the wheels associated with the rear axle are driven at least partially by an electric motor that can be operated as a generator to recover braking energy and, in generator mode, exerts a braking force on the vehicle wheel associated with the respective axle, thereby generating a drag torque including the braking torque and the regeneration torque of the electric drive, the drag torque being separately regulatable on the front and rear axles. To prevent overbraking of the rear axle and a loss of driving stability of the vehicle, a regeneration torque acting on the rear axle is controlled or regulated such that the drag torque acting on the rear axle does not exceed a maximum drag torque value associated with that axle.
US08442734B2	Vehicle assist method A control assist method for a vehicle including a power train connected to drive wheels by a clutch. The method updates a clutch curve which connects a position of a clutch pedal and a maximum torque that can be transmitted by the corresponding clutch, as a function of reliability thereof, the reliability being lower when the vehicle is first used and increasing with use of the vehicle.
US08442726B2	Method and device for lessening the consequences of an accident on a vehicle occupant A method and device are provided for lessening the consequences of an accident affecting a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle with an obstruction. Before the collision, the absolute speed of the vehicle occupant relative to the obstruction is reduced independently of the traveling speed of the vehicle by way of a reduction of the vehicle occupant's speed relative to the vehicle, without the vehicle occupant experiencing a first displacement movement against the vehicle movement direction beyond his initial destination-related traveling position.
US08442721B2	Steering controller for movable robot, steering control method using the steering controller and movable robot system using the steering controller A steering controller for a movable robot is provided. The steering controller drives a plurality of motors, each of which is connected to a wheel. The wheels are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction with respect to an axis of a body of the movable robot. The steering controller comprises an input unit, an output unit and a conversion unit. The input unit receives steering signals including velocities of the movable robot according to the moving directions. The output unit outputs driving signals including rotational velocities of the motors. The conversion unit converts the steering signals to the driving signals. The use of the steering controller enables an operator to intuitionally steer the movable robot, making the movable robot convenient to use.
US08442715B2	Apparatus for tracking and recording vital signs and task-related information of a vehicle to identify operating patterns An apparatus is provided for diagnosing the state of health of a vehicle and for providing the operator of the vehicle with a substantially real-time indication of the efficiency of the vehicle in performing an assigned task with respect to a predetermined goal. A processor on-board the vehicle monitors sensors that provide information regarding the state of health of the vehicle and the amount of work the vehicle has done. In response to anomalies in the data from the sensors, the processor records information that describes events leading up to the occurrence of the anomaly for later analysis that can be used to diagnose the cause of the anomaly. The sensors are also used to prompt the operator of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at optimum efficiency.
US08442714B2	Autonomous mobile device, and control device and program product for the autonomous mobile device An autonomous mobile device has its movement controlled by a control device and includes a first sensing unit for sensing an obstacle. The control device includes a first storage unit for storing information as to a temporary positional fluctuation of the obstacle and sets as a virtual obstacle region a region where it is predicted that the obstacle sensed by the first sensing unit travels following a predetermined time passage based on the information as to the temporary positional fluctuation of the obstacle stored in the first storage unit.
US08442688B2	System for monitoring plant equipment A system for monitoring plant equipment is provided. Another aspect provides an automated analysis system wherein software instructions operably compare sensor data to predefined valves and determine mechanical problems in multiple machines. In another aspect, a cement manufacturing system includes sensors for sensing movement conditions of cement making machines. A further aspect provides a central computer connected to vibration sensors associated with cement making machines, where software instructions perform real-time comparisons and machine performance determinations, based at least in part on sensed signals.
US08442684B2	Integrated high-speed torque control system for a robotic joint A control system for achieving high-speed torque for a joint of a robot includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) having a collocated joint processor and high-speed communication bus. The PCBA may also include a power inverter module (PIM) and local sensor conditioning electronics (SCE) for processing sensor data from one or more motor position sensors. Torque control of a motor of the joint is provided via the PCBA as a high-speed torque loop. Each joint processor may be embedded within or collocated with the robotic joint being controlled. Collocation of the joint processor, PIM, and high-speed bus may increase noise immunity of the control system, and the localized processing of sensor data from the joint motor at the joint level may minimize bus cabling to and from each control node. The joint processor may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA).
US08442683B2	Cleaning robot and control method thereof A cleaning robot including a roller unit, a sensing unit, a first control unit and a second control unit is disclosed. The roller unit includes a plurality of rollers. The sensing unit receives a reflection signal and generates a detection signal according to the reflection signal. When the detection signal is less than or equal to a reference signal, the first control unit controls the traveling direction of the rollers according to the detection signal such that a distance between the cleaning robot and a wall is equal to a first distance. When the detection signal is larger than the reference signal, the second control unit controls the traveling direction of the rollers according to the detection signal such that a distance between the cleaning robot and a wall is equal to a second distance larger then the first distance.
US08442682B2	Autonomous robot charging stations and methods A method of charging a robotic device using a charging station is provided. The method includes signaling a controller of the charging station to actuate a moveable barrier of the charging station from a closed configuration to an open configuration. The charging station is recessed into a wall, ceiling and/or floor. The moveable barrier is actuated from the closed configuration to the open configuration thereby exposing an electrical contact of the charging station configured to engage a charging contact of the robotic device for a charging operation.
US08442678B2	Robotic device A robotic device includes a first link portion, a second link portion that moves relative to the first link portion, a first contact load detecting portion that detects a contact load in a contact area of the first link portion, a second contact load detecting portion that detects a contact load in a contact area of the second link portion, and a first link portion control target setting portion that sets a control target for the first link portion. The first link portion control target setting portion sets the control target for the first link portion such that the difference between the detection value of the contact load of the first contact load detecting portion and the detection value of the contact load of the second contact load detecting portion decreases.
US08442674B2	Container-less custom beverage vending invention Methods and apparatus describing a convenience beverage vending machine and its operation are described. An embedded computer interface allows consumers to create their own drinks or choose from a menu of drinks. Drinks are dispensed in a re-usable container. The beverages may be made from hot water, cold water or carbonated water that is mixed with various flavors of syrup, sweeteners and nutritional supplements. Identification may be presented and the computer recognizes the consumer and pulls up that consumer's account to determine funds available and previous drink selections and mixtures. The machine may incorporate an automatic cleaning cycle for both the valves and the dispense area.
US08442663B2	Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to test process control systems Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to test process control systems are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes obtaining user inputs to a first process control system, obtaining process inputs and first process outputs of the first process control system, providing the user inputs and the process inputs to a second process control system to operate the second process control system, obtaining second process outputs of the second process control system operated with the user inputs and the process inputs, and comparing the first and second process outputs to determine whether the second process control system is implemented as intended.
US08442658B2	Crimp-through crimp connector for connecting a conductor cable and an electrode of an implantable cardiac electrotherapy lead An implantable cardiac electrotherapy lead is disclosed herein. The lead may include an electrode on a distal portion of the lead, a conductor extending proximally through the lead from the electrode, and a crimp connector coupling a distal end of the conductor to the electrode. The connector may include a body with an outer surface, an inner surface, proximal and distal ends, a cavity, and at least one splice opening. The inner surface defines the cavity, the proximal and distal ends respectively define proximal and distal openings leading to the cavity, and the at least one splice opening extends from the outer surface to the inner surface and is oriented generally transverse to an axis extending between the proximal and distal openings.
US08442645B2	Device and method for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease A lower esophageal sphincter tightening device for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease which includes an insertion device, an energy source, and an energy transmitting device. The insertion device, by insertion through a body opening, positions the energy transmitting device in the proximity of the lower esophageal sphincter. The energy source generates and transmits energy via the insertion device to the energy transmitting device which directs the transmitted energy onto the lower esophageal sphincter which is comprised largely of collagen. The energy source transmits energy at a level sufficient to cause heating of the sphincter's collagen resulting in a shrinkage of the collagen and a tightening of the sphincter.
US08442642B2	Methods and apparatus for cochlear implant signal processing A cochlear implant processing strategy increases speech clarity and higher temporal performance. The strategy determines the power spectral component within each channel, and dynamically selects or de-selects the channels through which a stimulation pulse is provided as a function of whether the spectral power of the channel is high or low. “High” and “low” are estimated relative to a selected spectral power, for example. The selected spectral power can be estimated by signal average or mean, or by other criteria. Once a selection of the channels to stimulate has been made, the system can decide that only those channels are stimulated, and stimulation is removed from the other channels. The selected channels are the ones on which the spectral power is above the mean of all the available channels. Fewer channels are stimulated at any time and the contrast of the stimulation is enhanced. Also, the temporal resolution increases as the number of channels that must be stimulated on a given frame decreases. This way, the channels which are presented to the patient are fewer in number and contain more temporal information.
US08442632B2	Method and apparatus for affecting the autonomic nervous system A method and apparatus for affecting the autonomic nervous system of a subject using stimuli based on separate analysis of the sympathetic and/or parasympathetic branches of the subject's autonomic nervous system. The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus for affecting the autonomic nervous system, wherein stimuli is applied in coordination with cyclical activities of the subjects body such as respiration or cardiac cycle.
US08442617B2	System for magnetic resonance and X-ray imaging A patient table for a common imaging system including Magnetic Resonance and X-Ray retains the patient stationary in position prior to, during and subsequent to the imaging and includes a base, a patient support portion cantilevered from the base and a mattress. A safety system is provided for controlling the operation of the magnet and MR system and the X-Ray systems to allow effective safe operation and controls the movement of the magnet to the table and the movement of the X-Ray imaging systems to and from the table to locations where they do not interfere with the MR imaging.
US08442616B2	Method and device for monitoring a radio-frequency transmitter device in a magnetic resonance tomography system In a device for monitoring a radio-frequency transmit device of a magnetic resonance system, having a transmitter antenna system that has a number of transmit channels, a reference scattering parameter matrix of the transmitter antenna system is determined in the unloaded state with no subject present, and a subject-specific scattering parameter matrix of the transmitter antenna system is determined in a state loaded with the subject. time-dependent transmitter amplitude vectors are determined that represent the radio-frequency voltage amplitudes on the individual transmit channels. From the subject-specific scattering parameter matrix, the reference scattering parameter matrix, and the transmit amplitude vectors, radio-frequency power values absorbed at particular transmit times in the subject are determined, from which monitoring values are formed that, when reached, cause operation of the radio-frequency transmit device to be limited during acquisition of magnetic resonance data.
US08442615B2	Physiological measuring system comprising a garment in the form of a sleeve or glove and sensing apparatus incorporated in the garment A measuring system for measuring electrocardiogram signals comprises a diagnostic garment with ECG electrodes that may assume the form of a sleeve or glove. A disposable version of the glove can be inflated. By using an inflatable glove, the contour of the body is automatically matched by the contour of the glove. Samples from the ECG electrodes positioned on a diagnostic garment are compensated so that the samples better approximate samples from EEG electrodes that are positioned at classical locations. Also, samples from ECG electrodes are compensated to reduce signal noise resulting from positioning the ECG electrodes on the diagnostic garment.
US08442609B2	Oral health measurement clamping probe, system and method Devices, systems, and methods determine the health of oral objects by providing objective measurements using a detachable probe body. The detachable probe body may isolate reusable system components (including an electromagnetic signal detection, signal transmission, energy generation, and or energy transmitting components) from the oral cavity, optionally by encasing at least a portion of one or more of these components in a sheath or the like. A window of the probe body maintains sterile isolation and transmits electromagnetic energy to and/or signals from the oral object. Accuracy can be enhanced by a clamp or other structure for engaging a surface of the oral object so as to maintain a fixed alignment between the signal receiver and the oral object.
US08442602B2	Radiation redirecting external case for portable communication device and antenna embedded in battery of portable communication device An antenna or set of antennae for a wireless device is provided by embedding the antennae into the battery case or generally the surface area of a wireless phone. The antenna connections are through the battery's connections to the wireless device. The antenna can be located at the back surface of the battery or the rear surface of a wireless phone, facing away from the user. An RF shielding device can be embedded into the battery and configured in relation to the antenna such that the RF field intensity and the consequent specific absorption rate for the user is lowered while the outgoing signals of the wireless device remain fully adequate for the function of the wireless device. This feature is preserved for a multi-band operation because a digital phase shifter is used between two radiating antennae. An external case is used as a complement to the wireless phone.
US08442600B1	Mobile electronic device wrapped in electronic display Systems and techniques for substantially wrapping a mobile electronic device in a display are provided. A mobile electronic device is described that includes a housing and a flexible electronic graphical display. The housing defines a substantially flat front surface, a substantially flat back surface opposed to the front surface and four sides that connect the front surface to the back surface. The flexible electronic graphical display forms an exterior surface of the housing and extends continuously from the front surface to the back surface and across one of the side surfaces. The flexible electronic display has an outer surface from which information that is generated on the display can be seen, that is convex around the one side surface. The flexible electronic display is operable to pan an on-screen entity in a continuous animation from the front surface of the device to the back surface.
US08442592B2	Wireless communication device capable of achieving a functionality by selecting modules for optimal performance Techniques for adapting a wireless communication device or system to support a desired functionality of the wireless communication system at an optimized performance and economic benefit are discussed. The desired functionality can be determined by defined criteria such as a maximum range of communication with the wireless communication system, quality of a transmission link in the wireless communication system, capacity of the wireless communication system, power consumption of the wireless communication system, protocols supported in the wireless communication system, modulation techniques used in the wireless communication system and processing techniques for combining signals in the wireless communication system. The system can be adapted by varying one or more of modules (e.g., components or processing techniques) used in the wireless communication system.
US08442590B2	Wireless communications apparatus Determining a beamforming vector for a multi-antenna transmitter commences by determining an eigen-beamformer vector from the channel matrix and, for a number of iterations commencing with the eigen-beamformer vector, rotating the vector into a reference direction in vector space such that application of the rotated vector would result in peak radiation being directed in said reference direction, sampling a radiation pattern associated with the rotated eigen-beamformer vector with respect to transmission direction, compressing resultant samples to reduce spatial directivity induced by the vector, developing a rotated candidate beamformer on the basis of said compressed samples and returning said rotated candidate beamformer to the orientation of said vector before said rotating and storing said resultant vector as a candidate vector. Then, the candidate vectors are compared for the iterations and one is selected for use which best meets one or more selection criteria.
US08442585B2	Wireless device grouping via common attribute The present invention enables users of wireless devices to configure a service by automatic connection through the use of a local environmental indication of an identification code such as a barcode. The identification code represents a service that is a labor carried out among a group of two or more devices for the benefit of one or more devices in the group. An indication of an identification code is input to at least one device representing a service over a wireless link among at least a first and second device. At least one service relationship such as sender, receiver, transceiver, or relay is identified for each of a first and second device, and the devices are automatically configured into their respective service relationships utilizing the identification code.
US08442579B2	Distributed adaptive resource allocation to enhance cell edge throughput Embodiments of a system and methods for distributed adaptive resource allocation to enhance cell edge throughput are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08442577B2	Wireless communication apparatus with an antenna shared between a plurality of communication circuits An exemplary wireless communication apparatus includes a first communication circuit, a second communication circuit, an antenna, and a combiner. The first communication circuit is arranged to process signals according to a first wireless communication protocol working at a first frequency band. The second communication circuit is arranged to process signals according to a second wireless communication protocol working at a first frequency band, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is different from the first wireless communication protocol. The antenna is shared between the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit. The combiner has a first port coupled to the first communication circuit, a second port coupled to the second communication circuit, and a third port coupled to the antenna. In addition, the combiner provides a first signal path between the third port and the first port and a second signal path between the third port and the second port.
US08442576B2	Mobile telecommunication device and event processing method using the same A mobile communication terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal, an application driving unit configured to implement a chatting session with the at least one other terminal using the wireless communication unit, a display unit configured to display chatting information according to an operation of the application driving unit, and a controller configured to control the display unit to display a chatting screen including information on an event external to the chatting session that occurs during the chatting session and to maintain displaying the chatting screen.
US08442571B2	Method and apparatus for supporting CSG service in wireless communication system based on access mode A method and apparatus for supporting a closed subscriber group (CSG) service is provided. A user equipment transmit a CSG member indicator to a base station when requesting access to the base station. The CSG member indicator indicates CSG membership of the user equipment. The base station may determine whether the user equipment accesses it as a CSG member or as a non-CSG member.
US08442566B2	Coordinated multipoint (CoMP) joint transmission using channel information feedback and higher rank dedicated beam-forming A subscriber station is provided. The subscriber station comprises a receiver configured to listen for downlink control information for coordinated multipoint (CoMP) joint transmission only from an anchor cell, and to receive the downlink control information for CoMP joint transmission from the anchor cell.
US08442564B2	Inter-modulation distortion reduction in multi-mode wireless communication terminal A multimode wireless communication terminal that communicates using a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT determines whether the first and second RATs are in an active state. When the wireless communication terminal is simultaneously transmitting on the first and second RATs, UCI is transmitted on a PUSCH using the first RAT if there is a scheduled PUSCH transmission or an uplink scheduling grant indicating a periodic CSI report, wherein the UCI would otherwise be transmitted on a PUCCH when the terminal is not transmitting using the first and second RATs simultaneously and there is a scheduled PUSCH on the first RAT.
US08442563B2	Automated text-based messaging interaction using natural language understanding technologies Automated text-based messaging interaction using natural language understanding technologies enables text-based messages to be received from users and interpreted by a self-service application platform so that the self-service application platform can respond to the text-based messages in an automated manner. The characters and strings of characters contained within the text message are interpreted to extract words, which are then processed using a natural language understanding engine to determine the content of the text-based message. The content is used to generate a response message from static and/or dynamic grammars to automate the process of interacting with a user via text-based messages. Multiple text-based message formats are supported, including text messages transmitted using Short Messaging Service (SMS), instant messaging, chat, and e-mail.
US08442554B2	Method for identifying location of mobile device in wireless communication network A method and system for identifying the location of a mobile device in a wireless communication network includes identifying Hierarchical Cell Structure (HCS) priority number of a cell in which the mobile device is currently camped. A first positioning method is selected to identify the location of the mobile device when the HCS priority number is greater than a first predefined number, and a second positioning method is selected when the HCS priority number is smaller than a second predefined number. The method also performs a probabilistic method to select a positioning method from the first posting method and the second positioning method when the HCS priority number is between the first predefined number and the second predefined number.
US08442548B2	Adjustments of IUB load measurements A method may include determining whether a discrepancy exists between scheduling headroom computable by a first device and scheduling headroom computable by a second device, determining one or more load measurements that the second device bases its computation of the scheduling headroom if it is determined that the discrepancy exists, modifying the one or more load measurements, and calculating the scheduling headroom based on the modified one or more load measurements.
US08442545B2	Network-wide inter-cell interference minimization via coordinated multipoint cell scheduling coordination Network-wide inter-cell interference is reduced by aggregating cells (herein, sub-cells) into Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) cells, each having a controller. The CoMP cells are divided into sets, similar to a frequency reuse plan. Scheduling information regarding transmissions scheduled to and from UEs in one set of CoMP cells is transmitted to controllers in sets of neighboring CoMP cells, in advance of the transmissions. Controllers in the receiving sets of CoMP cells schedule transmission to minimize both inter-sub-cell interference and interference with the set of CoMP cells that transmitted the scheduling information, and assuming no interference from other CoMP cells. They then transmit scheduling information to subsequent set(s) of CoMP cells. The order of scheduling information transmission between sets of CoMP cells may be rotated for fairness. The scheduling information may range from bare threshold data indicating at least one transmission, to detailed information such as estimated path gains to each UE.
US08442540B2	Method for allocating resources The present invention relates to a method for allocating resources to a plurality of secondary stations for enabling communication between a primary station and the plurality of secondary stations, comprising the steps of a) grouping the resources into at least a first set of resources and a second set of resources; b) allocating a first resource of the first set of resources to a first secondary station, said first resource having a first index in the first set of resources; c) allocating a second resource of the second set of resources to the first secondary station, said second resource having a second index in the second set of resources being equal to the first index plus an offset based at least partly on other information known to the primary and first secondary station.
US08442539B2	Techniques for supporting low duty cycle mode of base station A Mobile Station (MS) apparatus and method, to search for a Base Station (BS) in a Low Duty Cycle (LDC) mode in a wireless communication system, and a network entity apparatus and method, assist or support the MS, are provided. The method for the MS to search for the BS in LDC mode in the wireless communication system includes obtaining LDC information of one or more BSs in LDC mode, determining the LDC patterns of the one or more BSs in LDC mode based on the LDC information, the LDC patterns comprising at least one of an Available Interval (AI), an UnAvailable Interval (UAI), a starting time of the AI, an ending time of the AI, a length of the AI, a starting time of the UAI, an ending time of the UAI, a length of the UAI, and a cycle of the LDC, searching for any of the one or more BSs in LDC mode during their respective AI, and if a BS is found, performing a follow-up operation based on the found BS.
US08442529B2	Methods and apparatus for making handoff decisions in access terminals capable of operating at different times in best effort and QoS modes of traffic operation Methods and apparatus for making handoff decisions in an access terminal which can support both best effort and QoS traffic, e.g., when operating in a best effort and QoS mode of operation, respectively, are described. The access terminal receives an indicator indicating the fraction of communications resources not utilized for QoS service and information indicating a number of best effort users being supported by the attachment point. During QoS mode operation, connections to attachment points which can support the access terminal's minimal QoS requirements are identified and then from among the identified set, the attachment point which can provide a connect supporting the most best effort traffic from the access terminal is selected. In best effort mode operation the access terminal selects the attachment point connection which will provide the greatest amount of throughput to the access terminal for best effort traffic.
US08442528B2	Automating dial attempts to a telematics or cellular device A system and method of managing communications with a vehicle telematics unit includes determining that a data transmission to a vehicle telematics unit over a wireless carrier system has failed; automatically performing a network registration check with the wireless carrier system to determine the registration status of the vehicle telematics unit based on the data transmission failure; and deciding whether to re-transmit the data to the vehicle based on the results of the network registration check.
US08442527B1	Cellular authentication for authentication to a service An identification system comprises a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to receive from a mobile device a registration request to initiate an access session between the mobile device and a communication network, wherein the registration request comprises a device identifier that identifies the mobile device. In response to the registration request, the communication interface is configured to transfer a packet address to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device transfers a service request for a service on the communication network during the access session, wherein the service request includes the packet address. The communication interface is configured to receive an identification request transferred from an authentication system in response to the service request, wherein the identification request indicates the packet address. In response to the identification request, the communication interface is configured to transfer the device identifier for delivery to the authentication system to authenticate the mobile device for the service using the device identifier.
US08442525B2	Measuring neighboring cell loading in wireless communications Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate detecting cell interference and/or loading by analyzing control data transmitted between devices communicating in the cell. Control data resources can be transmitted related to communication received over data channels, and the control data resources can comprise quality indicators related to the data as well as resource identifiers that specify a resource over the data channel related to the data. Multiple control data resources can be transmitted per communication specifying a beginning and ending resource identifier of related data channel resources. If this control data is decodable at a wireless device, the associated resources corresponding to the resource identifiers can be marked as interfered and/or avoided in subsequent communication or resource allocation requests by the wireless device.
US08442524B2	Methods, systems, and devices for identifying and providing access to broadcast media content using a mobile terminal A method for providing access to broadcast media content includes determining positioning information corresponding to a current location of a mobile terminal. Based on the determined positioning information, a channel list including available broadcast media content channel information for the current location of the mobile terminal is automatically retrieved. Related systems and devices are also discussed.
US08442523B2	Location positioning method in handover between networks A method according to one embodiment includes: transmitting, by a mobile terminal, a secure user plane location (SUPL) position initiation message to a home-SUPL location platform (H-SLP); receiving, by the mobile terminal, a SUPL end message from the H-SLP, the SUPL end message including a parameter indicating that the mobile terminal is outside of a coverage of a visited-SUPL location platform (V-SLP); transmitting, by the mobile terminal, a SUPL triggered start message to the H-SLP, the SUPL triggered start message including a cause for re-sending the SUPL triggered start message; and receiving, by the mobile terminal, a SUPL triggered response message from the H-SLP, the SUPL triggered response message including at least one trigger parameter.
US08442522B2	Detection and report of limited policy and charging control capabilities A method of a Home Policy and Charging Rule Function (H-PCRF) in a telecommunications network having a Home Public Mobile Public Network (HPLMN) and a Visited Public Mobile Public Network (VPLMN) includes the steps of receiving signaling messages at a network interface. There is the step of detecting dynamically from a received message with a processing unit a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) scenario with regard to PCC capabilities of a VLPMN. There is the step of sending a message from the network interface to a Home Application Function (H-AF) notifying the H-AF of the detected PCC scenario so the H-AF can decide whether to progress a service negotiation with regard to a user roaming on said VPLMN or not. A Home Policy and Charging Rule Function (H-PCRF) in a telecommunications network having a Home Public Mobile Public Network (HPLMN) and a Visited Public Mobile Public Network (VPLMN). A method of a Home Application Function (H-AF) in a telecommunications network having a Home Public Mobile Public Network (HPLMN) and a Visited Public Mobile Public Network (VPLMN). A Home Policy Application Function (H-AF) in a telecommunications network having a Home Public Mobile Public Network (HPLMN) and a Visited Public Mobile Public Network (VPLMN).
US08442515B2	Management system for monitoring and controlling remote sites and equipment A monitoring unit for a remote site includes a processor and memory configured to receive definitions of measurements and alarms to be collected at the remote site and to store the definitions of the measurements and alarms, a plurality of port connectors for communicating the processor with downstream collection devices that collect the measurements and alarms at the remote site, and a communication system for reporting the collected measurements and alarms to upstream systems. The definitions for the alarms and measurements can be provided from the port connections, stored script processes, and SNMP proxy. The memory is configured to automatically store a history of the measurements and alarms collected which can be exported to the upstream systems. The processor is configured to collect derived measurements not directly collected from the downstream collection devices.
US08442511B2	Mobile phone control employs interrupt upon excessive speed to force hang-up and transmit hang-up state to other locations The embodiment of a system for remotely controlling a wireless communication mobile phone device senses its space coordinates. GPS and other data is transmitted between mobile phones to alert and/or update a user to the fact that their phone has reached a significant threshold locations, and/or has reached a significant threshold speed of within a given accuracy. A SMS message, and/or voice message, and/or a phone call, and/or a special ring, and/or a special display and/or reset signal, and/or update signal, and/or hang-up signals are cross transmit and received to alert and/or update information of the mobile phone users. This is done for improving security and save lives, controlling classified communications, improving privacy, improving machinery performance, measuring distances and speed between mobile phones, alerting and/or updating personnel of hazardous locations and hazardous speeds, for forcing hang-up of phones at times of hazardous communications, providing space coordinates of missing persons and persons in danger, controlling air shows and car racing, and controlling military, fire and police men movement.
US08442507B2	Methods and apparatus for dynamic source determination of provisioning information on a per-network service basis for open market wireless devices Systems, apparatus and methods are described that provide for dynamic source determination of provisioning information on a per-network service basis for open market wireless devices. Specifically, systems, apparatus and methods provide for the open market wireless devices and/or the users of such devices to acquire provisioning information for network services in instances in which neither the removable module currently associated with the device or the non-removable memory of the open market wireless device store the provisioning information for the desired network service. In this regard, present aspects provide for a prompt, such as a user notification to presented on an output mechanism of the wireless device when the wireless determines first that the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module and, secondly, that the provisioning information is not stored on the non-removable data storage of the device.
US08442501B1	Dynamically configurable IP based wireless devices and networks A wireless communication and control system including a wireless device. There is a central server for storing communication protocols and control protocols and communicating the communication protocols and selectively communicating the control protocols between the wireless device and the central server. A communication protocol configures the system for communication and control protocols configure the system as one of a selection of intelligent appliance controllers. Alternately the control protocols configure the system as one of a selection of Internet terminals. The wireless device is any hand-held communication device, such as a hand-held computing device, wireless telephone, or cellular phone.
US08442500B2	Relevant content delivery Various arrangements for delivery of relevant content to a mobile device of a user are presented. Physiological state data and image data related to the user of the mobile device may be received by a host computer system from a mobile device. The image data may be analyzed to identify a characteristic of the image. The physiological state data may also be analyzed. Content to deliver to the mobile device of the user may be selected at least partially based on the physiological state data of the user and the characteristic of the image. The content may be transmitted to the mobile device.
US08442493B2	Messaging device An apparatus may include a housing that is configured to support a first picture and a second picture, a first sensor that is configured to receive a first input and that is associated with the first picture, a second sensor that is configured to receive a second input and that is associated with the second picture, a communication module that is configured to communicate with a remote device and to retrieve audio messages from the remote device, a speaker that is configured to play the audio messages, an electronics control module that is configured to control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the first picture in response to selection of the first sensor and control playing of the audio messages that are designated as being associated with the second picture in response to selection of the second sensor, and a power module.
US08442486B2	Method, apparatus and computer program product for online charging A method and apparatus for invoking online charging of a service requested via a communications network and to be accessed according to a first protocol, wherein subscriber information is received from a first network element (102) including information for invoking the online charging, and the received subscriber information is interpreted and in response to a service request online charging is invoked from a second network element (103) for the service by means of a second protocol.
US08442485B2	System and method for measuring and reporting service usage Systems and methods for measuring and reporting prepaid service usage are provided. More particularly, monitoring and reporting packet data session usage for purposes of charging for service usage are provided. In some embodiments, layer-3 data packet monitoring is used to determine usage. In other embodiments, the start and end of a packet data session are used to determine usage. The usage can be determined from the duration of the packet data session or from the size or amount of packets sent and received by a mobile node.
US08442482B2	Method and system for an emergency location information service (E-LIS) A method and system for determining and verifying a location of mobile and non-mobile devices in emergency situations. The method and system provide a current physical geographic location for a mobile or non-mobile device (e.g., building address, a building floor, a room on a building floor, campus, enterprise, city, state, region, country, continent, etc.) with and without translation of location coordinates, in an emergency situation such as an accident, fire, terrorist attack, military incident, kidnapping, etc.
US08442468B2	Omni-directional sensing of radio spectra Multiple antennas used for data transmission and/or reception are also used to achieve omni-directional antenna functionality. Signals from the antennas are converted to baseband and stored. Phase shifts are applied to the stored signals to steer the effective reception beam in one of a number of directions. A process of interest (e.g., white space sensing) is applied to the beam to produce a result for the given beam direction. By scanning the beam over a number of representative directions, a spatial receiver range equivalent to that of an omni-directional antenna is achieved.
US08442465B2	Switched capacitor detuner for low noise amplification circuit having bypass path An RF circuit is disclosed having a low-noise amplification (LNA) circuit and a bypass path that provides a bypass around the LNA circuit. In the amplification mode, the bypass path is open and the LNA circuit amplifies the receive signal in accordance within a power gain frequency response. During the amplification mode, the LNA circuit is tuned such that a power gain resonance frequency band of the power gain frequency response is within the receive frequency band. On the other hand, in the bypass mode, the bypass path is closed and the receive signal is not amplified but rather bypasses the LNA circuit. Also, during the bypass mode, the power gain frequency response of the LNA circuit is transposed to reduce or eliminate excessive insertion losses caused by the LNA circuit within the receive frequency band.
US08442460B2	Method for compensating signal distortions in composite amplifiers A method for compensating signal distortions in multiple transmitting branches (3, 5; 43, 45, 46) entering a composite amplifier (1; 1′). According to the invention the method comprises the steps of: —providing (S1) one or more input signals (x) to the composite amplifier. —observing (S2) an output signal (z) from the composite amplifier (1; 1′) for each provided input signal; —deriving (S5) an error in each output signal (z) by comparing the output signal with an ideal output signal, said error being caused by said signal distortions; —deriving (S11) the individual contribution from each transmitting branch (3, 5; 43,45,46) to the error by utilizing a composite amplifier model, said composite amplifier model comprising information about the contribution from each constituent amplifier (23, 25; 103a,103b,103c) to the output signal for each provided input signal: —compensating the signal distortions in the transmitting branches (3, 5; 43,45,46) accordingly.
US08442452B2	Integrated multimode radio transmitter and components thereof An integrated multi-mode radio transmitter includes a multiplexor and a shared front-end. The is operable to select an IF signal of a plurality of IF signals based upon a selection signal that is indicative of a particular operational mode of the one of the plurality of IF signals. The shared front-end is coupled to receive the selected IF signal, wherein the shared front-end converts the selected IF signal into a radio frequency (RF) signal that is modulated in accordance with the particular operational mode of the one of the plurality of IF stages.
US08442451B1	Transmitter and receiver impedence control using shunt switches Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide isolation between receive and transmit circuits in a wireless transceiver. One example provides switches that can be included on an integrated circuit with at least portions of a wireless transceiver. These switches vary the impedance of transmitter and receiver circuits between a termination impedance and a high impedance by inserting or removing components in parallel with matching networks. Signal losses are minimized since these switches are shunt connected to input and output paths on the wireless circuit and are not connected directly in either signal path.
US08442447B2	Method, device and system for detecting the mobility of a mobile device The disclosure is directed to a method, computer program product, or a mobile device configured for obtaining a mobility parameter indicative of a mobility of the mobile device. The mobility parameter may be further utilized to configure the operating state of the mobile device. The mobility parameter is obtained using a multi-sense approach, which utilizes both Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Frequency Offset (FO) measurements. The mobility parameter is based on statistical parameters relating to the distributions of the RSSI and FO measurements. Various configurations of computer program products, mobile devices and systems are also described.
US08442441B2	Traffic interference cancellation A method and system for interference cancellation (IC). One aspect relates to traffic interference cancellation. Another aspect relates to joint IC for pilot, overhead and data. Another aspect relates to improved channel estimation. Another aspect relates to adaptation of transmit subchannel gains.
US08442439B2	Method of allocating radio resources in multi-carrier system A method of allocating radio resources in a multi-carrier system is disclosed, by which a signaling message can be efficiently transmitted according to necessity of a user equipment. In a user equipment of a mobile communication system transceiving data using a plurality of subcarriers, the present invention includes the steps of if the signaling message to be transmitted is generated in the user equipment, generating a preamble sequence according to a user equipment identifier to identify the user equipment, transmitting a preamble signal including the preamble sequence and the signaling message to a base station, and receiving an acknowledgement signal for the preamble signal generated according to the user equipment identifier.
US08442432B2	Terminal mode assignment for a satellite communications system Satellite communications systems, methods, and related devices are described. In one embodiment, a satellite communications system is configured to dynamically allocate bandwidth and frequencies among different beams. Bandwidth request data may be received and compiled from the terminals. The satellite may be configured with different beam coverage areas, and may dynamically allocate bandwidth and particular frequency channels to different beam coverage areas based on the requests. In each of a series of one or more epochs, and according to the bandwidth requests, there may be allocations among carrier groups, traffic classes, and particular terminals. The setup of slot structure and selection of modes for particular terminals is also addressed.
US08442429B2	System for providing audio messages on a mobile device While performing a function, a mobile device identifies that it is idle while it is downloading content or performing another task. During that idle time, it gathers one or more parameters (e.g., location, time, gender of user, age of user, etc.) and sends a request for an audio message (e.g., audio advertisement). One or more servers at a remote facility receive the request with the one or more parameters, and use the parameters to identify a targeted message. In some cases, the targeted message will include one or more dynamic variables (e.g., distance to store, time to event, etc.) that will be replaced based on the parameters received from the mobile device, so that the audio message is dynamically updated and customized for the mobile device. In one embodiment, the targeted message is transmitted to the mobile device as text. After being received at the mobile device, the text is optionally displayed and converted to an audio format and played for the user.
US08442416B2	Process cartridge and image forming apparatus A process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller. The coupling member includes a driven portion, and an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion. The intermediary portion is also configured to be movable relative to the driven portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the driven portion. The coupling member further includes a driving portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for rotating the developing roller. The driving portion is also configured to engage with the intermediary portion, and to be movable relative to the intermediary portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the intermediary portion.
US08442415B2	Color electrophotographic image forming apparatus with shutter member on cartridge supporting member A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material. A plurality of cartridges is detachably mounted to a main assembly of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a cartridge supporting member for supporting the cartridges. The cartridge supporting member is movable between an inside position inside the main assembly and an outside position outside the main assembly. The apparatus also includes a shutter member movably provided on the cartridge supporting member. The shutter member is movable between an open position in which a photosensitive member supported by the cartridge supporting member is exposed and a closed position in which the photosensitive member is protected. The apparatus further includes a shutter moving device for moving the shutter member to the closed position when the cartridge supporting member is moved from the inside position to the outside position and for moving the shutter member to the open position when the cartridge supporting member is moved from the outside position to the inside position.
US08442410B2	Apparatus and method for cleaning a photoreceptor in a printing apparatus An apparatus and method that cleans a photoreceptor in a printing apparatus is disclosed. The method can include setting a voltage bias of an electrostatic cleaning brush in a printing apparatus to a first voltage bias. The method can include generating an image on media using a photoreceptor. The method can include cleaning the photoreceptor using the electrostatic cleaning brush operating at the first voltage bias. The method can include measuring operating conditions of the printing apparatus to determine an expected film accumulation rate on the photoreceptor. The method can include adjusting the voltage bias on the electrostatic cleaning brush to a second voltage bias based on the measured operating conditions.
US08442407B2	Methods, apparatus and systems to control the tribo-electric charge of a toner material associated with a printing development system Disclosed are printing methods, apparatus and systems for developing a latent image recorded on a surface, for example, a photoreceptor with developer material. According to an exemplary embodiment, the development method applies a development field voltage between a development station donor member and a development station transport member as a function of a humidity measurement associated with the developer material, the humidity measurement providing a surrogate tribo measurement of the developer material.
US08442406B2	Filter, coherent receiver device and coherent receiving method The present invention relates to filter, coherent receiver device and coherent receiving method. The filter is used for converting a partial response signal into a full response signal, wherein the filter uses the following transfer function HPre-Filter(z) with respect to a partial response signal having a transfer function H PR ⁡ ( z ) = A ⁡ ( 1 + z - 1 ) m ⁢ ( 1 - z - 1 ) n : ⁢ ⁢ H Pre - Filter ⁡ ( z ) = 1 A ⁡ ( 1 + α ⁢ ⁢ z - 1 ) m ⁢ ( 1 - α ⁢ ⁢ z - 1 ) n , in which A is other item, m and n are integers larger than or equal to 0 but not being 0 at the same time, 0<α<1.
US08442405B2	Multi-stage polarization mode dispersion compensation A polarization mode dispersion compensator that includes two stages, one for reducing or eliminating first order polarization mode dispersion of an optical signal, and second stage for reducing or eliminating higher order polarization mode dispersion of the optical signal. In each stage, the polarization is adjusted so as to reduce polarization mode dispersion. Based on the power levels of various polarization states generated at the second polarization controller, the optical signal to noise ratio may be estimated. Furthermore, based on the amount of adjustment used to control the polarization controllers and the differential group delay, the polarization mode dispersion may be estimated.
US08442404B2	Optical dispersion compensator, optical transmission apparatus, optical transmission system, and method thereof An optical dispersion compensator including a first optical device in which light inputted from a first port is outputted from a second port and light inputted from the second port is outputted from a third port, an optical filter type dispersion compensation device that receives light from the second port of the first optical device and compensates wavelength dispersion with respect to the received light, and a second optical device that includes a fourth port to which light is inputted from the optical filter type dispersion compensation device, and in which the light inputted from the fourth port is outputted from a fifth port and light inputted from a sixth port is outputted from the fourth port.
US08442398B2	Performance monitoring in passive optical networks One embodiment provides a system for performance monitoring in a passive optic network (PON). The system includes an optical line terminal (OLT) and an optical network unit (ONU). The OLT includes an optical transceiver configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from the ONU, and a performance monitoring mechanism configured to monitor performance of the PON based on received optical signals.
US08442391B2	Device for providing heat radiation of a surface A device for providing heat radiation of a surface which is intended to be radiated for softening and removing of old paint, putty or furnish or drying of moisture. The heat radiation from the device is obtained by electric resistance wires forming a heat radiation element arranged in an open box. An arrangement for making the device more resistant to shocks is achieved by attaching the heat radiation element resiliently relatively to the casing. A reflector unit for such a paint removal device for reflecting of heat radiation includes a reflecting surface, at least one heat radiating element and resilient suspension attachments, the reflector unit including a plurality of attachment points for mounting of the resilient suspensions attachments thereto, the at least one heat radiating element being attached to at least two resilient suspension attachment s so as to face the reflecting surface of the reflector unit.
US08442390B2	Pulsed aerosol generation An aerosol generator periodically forms aerosolized fragrance material by repeatedly supplying a liquid fragrance material to a capillary passage via only capillary action and heating the capillary passage, such that the liquid fragrance material at least partially volatilizes and is driven out of an outlet of the capillary passage. A wick feeds the liquid fragrance material to an inlet of the capillary passage by capillary action. An apparatus and method for generating such an aerosolized fragrance material, as well as the methods of heating, are disclosed.
US08442388B1	System and method for recording video content An aspect of the present invention provides a device for use with a stream of video content and a video display. The device includes a receiver, a circular buffer, an output portion, a controller and a second buffer. The receiver receives the stream of video content. The circular buffer stores up to a predetermined first length of the stream of video content as buffered video content. The output portion outputs a first video signal, based on the buffered video content, to the video display. The controller controls the output portion to output the first video signal as one of the buffered video content playing in real time, a paused portion of the buffered video content, and a previously played portion of the buffered video content. The second buffer stores a portion of the buffered video content as stored video content. The output portion outputs a second video signal, based on the stored video content, to the video display. The circular buffer continues to store the stream of video content when the controller controls the output portion to output the first video signal as one of the paused portion of the buffered video content and the previously played portion of the buffered video content. When the circular buffer stores the stream of video content for a second length that is greater than the first length, the controller can further control the second buffer to store a predetermined portion of the second length as the portion of the buffered video content.
US08442387B2	Method and system for displaying a series of recordable events A method and system for displaying identifiers for one or more series of recordable events is described. A system, such as the system of a digital video recorder, may receive a set of recordable events data, such as a listing of all television shows to be broadcast over a two-week period. The system analyzes the set of recordable events data for determining one or more sets of recordable events, where each set includes recordable events having the same title. The system analyzes each set of recordable events to determine sub-sets of recordable events based on relationships between the recordable events of each sub-set. The system displays an identifier for each sub-set of a given set of recordable events when the given set of recordable events is selected for display. A user may select to record a sub-set of recordable events by selecting the identifier that represents the sub-set.
US08442380B2	Information recording method, information recording medium, and information reproducing method, wherein information is stored on a data recording portion and a management information recording portion With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface.
US08442372B2	Hybrid microstructured optical fibre for guidance by means of photonic forbidden bands and by total internal reflection optimised for non-linear applications The microstructured optical fibre comprises a core (4) surrounded by a sheath (1) comprising a base material having a refraction index (ni) and a plurality of at least two different types of inclusion: a first type of inclusion (2) having a refraction index n2 (n2>n1), and a second type of inclusion (3) having a refraction index n3 (n3
US08442365B2	Optical subassembly for coupling light into an optical waveguide An optical subassembly for low-feedback coupling of light from a light source into an optical waveguide such as an optical fiber is described. The optical subassembly has an aspherical lens with surface sag having a rotationally symmetrical sag component without having a cone sag component, and a rotationally asymmetrical helical component for reducing coupling of light reflected from the optical fiber tip back into the laser aperture by causing a significant portion of the reflected light to encircle the laser aperture. The lens shape and the height of the helix are selected so that tight focusing onto the fiber tip is preserved, while the optical feedback is reduced.
US08442360B2	Intrinsically low resistivity hybrid sol-gel polymer clads and electro-optic devices made therefrom A low resistivity hybrid organic-inorganic material may include a proportion of charge traps including a trap element indirectly covalently bonded to a donor or acceptor element. The trap element may include tin. The donor or acceptor element may include indium and/or antimony. Bonding includes cross-linking via oxygen bonds and via organic cross-linkers. The material may be formed as a hybrid sol-gel. The material may have optical transmission and refractive index characteristics. The material may be formed as optical cladding proximal to a non-linear optical layer, and may form a portion of a second order nonlinear optical device. The second order nonlinear optical device may include and electro-optic device including an organic chromophore-loaded modulation layer.
US08442359B2	Image interpolation method and apparatus using reference block based on direction Provided is an image interpolation method and apparatus using a reference block depending on a direction. The image interpolation method may generate a horizontal reference block and a vertical reference block each with respect to an inputted image, and determine interpolation directivity with respect to the inputted image using the generated horizontal reference block and vertical reference block, thereby performing an interpolation on an image based on accurate interpolation directivity. In particular, the image interpolation method may determine whether to verify interpolation directivity depending on an edge intensity of an inputted image, thereby performing a color filter array (CFA) interpolation on an image based on an edge direction without determining the interpolation directivity, when the edge intensity is strong.
US08442356B2	Methods, systems and computer program products for analyzing three dimensional data sets obtained from a sample Methods of analyzing three dimensional data sets obtained from a sample over time are provided. The methods include aligning first and second volume intensity projection (VIP) images based on at least one landmark in the first and second VIP images. The first and second VIP images are obtained from a first three dimensional data set obtained from the sample at a first time and a second three dimensional data set obtained from the sample at a second time, respectively.
US08442353B2	Incorporation of mathematical constraints in methods for dose reduction and image enhancement in tomography A system and method for creating a three dimensional cross sectional image of an object by the reconstruction of its projections that have been iteratively refined through mathematical transformations and modifications in object space and Fourier space is disclosed. A primary benefit of the method is radiation dose reduction since the invention can produce an image of a desired quality with a fewer number projections than seen with conventional methods.
US08442351B2	Image orientation determination device, image orientation determination method, and image orientation determination program When positive image similarity (degree of training image similarity between input image features and those of positive training image) is higher than a predetermined first threshold, image orientation determination decision section determines input image orientation. When negative image similarity (degree of training image similarity between input image features and those of a negative training image) is not lower than a predetermined second threshold value, the image orientation determination decision section does not determine input image orientation. When the image orientation determination decision section determines the orientation of the input image, image orientation determination section calculates orientation similarity reflecting similarity between input image features and those stored in orientation-specific features storage section. If the calculated orientation similarity satisfies a predetermined condition, the image orientation determination section determines input image orientation according to positive training image orientation related to the image features stored in the orientation-specific features storage section.
US08442350B2	Edge parameter computing method for image and image noise omitting method utilizing the edge parameter computing method An edge parameter computing method for an image, wherein the image includes a plurality of pixels forming a Bayer pattern. The edge parameter computing method comprises: (a) computing an average grey level of at least one specific type pixels in a specific region of the image; (b) computing each grey level difference value between the average grey level and the specific type pixels in the specific region to generate a plurality of grey level difference values; (c) finding a specific pixel with a maximum grey level difference value according to the grey level difference values; and (d) computing a ratio value between the average grey level and the maximum grey level difference value as the edge parameter.
US08442349B2	Removal of artifacts in flash images The present invention relates to a method, a computer-readable medium, a computer program and apparatuses for removal of artifacts in flash images. Image data of a reference image captured using a first level of flash energy and image data of a main image captured using a second level of flash energy that is higher than said first level of flash energy is received. Image data of a third image is then determined based on said image data of said reference image and said image data of said main image, wherein said third image is a representation of said main image with removed artifacts.
US08442346B2	Image processing method and associated apparatus for adjusting an edge pixel An image processing apparatus and an associated method capable of effectively reducing image artifact at an edge of an image without excessively compromising overall system performance. The method includes calculating an intersection point of an edge of the image and a pixel scan line, estimating a relative ratio of the image within a pixel block corresponding to the intersection point to generate an adjustment parameter, and adjusting a pixel value of the pixel block according to adjustment parameter.
US08442343B1	Optimization of staged computations Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for providing one or more optimized functions for image processing and/or signal processing. Some exemplary methods described include receiving a media input and performing a first function of a staged computation on the media input to generate a result, the result comprising a constant value. Using the result, a second function of the staged computation may be compiled. The second function may correspond to inputs between a first value and a second value inclusive of the constant value. The second function may be performed to generate a media output.
US08442333B2	Parallel processing image encoding device with variable length coding The present invention provides an image encoding device which does not necessitate reference of a quantization parameter between consecutive macroblocks across a parallel processing area boundary without forming slices. The image encoding device encodes a macroblock of an encoding target image by parallel processing sequentially from the top of a parallel processing area, and possesses an encoding element for every parallel processing area. When all the quantized orthogonally-transformed coefficients of a top macroblock of the parallel processing area are zero, the encoding element adds a non-zero coefficient to a part of the coefficients, making the coefficients non-zero. Accordingly, generation of a skip macroblock in the top macroblock of each parallel processing area is suppressed. Since slice formation is not necessary, the prediction over a parallel processing area boundary is applied, and encoding efficiency improves. Errors are not generated in decoding and the decoded image quality does not deteriorate.
US08442327B2	Application of classifiers to sub-sampled integral images for detecting faces in images A method for more efficiently detecting faces in images is disclosed. The integral image of an image may be calculated. The integral image may be sub-sampled to generate one or more sub-sampled integral images. A plurality of classifiers may be applied in one or more stages to regions of each sub-sampled integral image, where the application of the classifiers may produce classification data. The classification data may be used to determine if a face is associated with any of the regions of each sub-sampled integral image. The face determination results may be used to modify the original image such that, when rendered, the image is displayed with a graphical object identifying the face in the image. Accordingly, face detection processing efficiency may be increased by reducing the number of integral image calculations and processing localized data through application of classifiers to sub-sampled integral images.
US08442326B2	Signature based registration method and method for signature calculation A method for temporal registration of a first sequence of images and a second sequence of second images is described. The method comprises the following steps for: a) comparing the first parts of signatures of first images with corresponding parts of signatures of second images, b) temporally registering each first image with one of the second images according to the result of the comparison, c) calculating for each first image a value of quality representative of the quality of its registration, d) defining, for each first image for which the quality value is less than a threshold, a first sub-sequence from the first sequence and a second sub-sequence from the second sequence, e) comparing, for each first sub-sequence, second parts of signatures of first images of the first sub-sequence with corresponding parts of signatures of second images of the second corresponding sub-sequence, and b) temporally registering each first image of the first sub-sequence with one of the second images of the second sub-sequence according to the result of the comparison.
US08442323B2	Handwriting recognition device having an externally defined input area A handwriting recognition device includes a main body having a side surface and an operation surface perpendicularly connecting to the side surface, and a first lens module and a second lens module arranged at opposite sides of the side surface. A first optical axis of the first lens module extends to perpendicularly cross a second optical axis of the second camera module outside the side surface. An overlapped area of a view angle of the first lens module and a view angle of the second lens module is defined as an input area. The first lens module is configured to capture a first picture of a handwriting tool in the input area. The second lens module is configured to capture a second picture of the handwriting tool in the input area. The handwriting recognition device calculates coordinates of the handwriting tool according to the first and the second pictures.
US08442319B2	System and method for classifying connected groups of foreground pixels in scanned document images according to the type of marking Methods and systems for classifying markings on images in a document are undertaken according to marking types. The document containing the images is supplied to a segmenter which breaks the images into fragments of foreground pixel structures that are identified as being likely to be of the same marking type by finding connected components, extracting near-horizontal or -vertical rule lines and subdividing some connected components to obtain the fragments. The fragments are then supplied to a classifier, where the classifier provides a category score for each fragment, wherein the classifier is trained from the groundtruth images whose pixels are labeled according to known marking types. Thereafter, a same label is assigned to all pixels in a particular fragment, when the fragment is classified by the classifier.
US08442317B2	Method, apparatus and computer program product for compensating eye color defects Method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided. The method includes computing a first difference image for a first eye region based on a difference of red pixel intensity and green pixel intensity of each of a first set of pixels associated with the first eye region. The method further includes determining a first eye color defect region by computing a neighborhood processed first difference image by processing the first difference image, computing a first central point of the neighborhood processed first difference image based on a weighted centroid of red pixels associated with the neighborhood processed first difference image, and thereafter computing the first eye color defect region based on the first central point, and the red pixels associated with the first difference image.
US08442316B2	System and method for improving color and brightness uniformity of backlit LCD displays Systems and methods for improving color and brightness uniformity of an image displayed on a backlit LCD are disclosed. In one example, a correction map is computed and applied to the LCD pixel values. In another example, the voltage settings of the backlight source components are also corrected in addition to the LCD pixel values. For efficient hardware implementation, corrections are applied using function representation of a grid data transformation relating measured values to corrected values. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the backlight source is provided by a plurality of LEDs. In another exemplary embodiment, the display consists of a plurality of OLEDs wherein the light source and the display panels coincide.
US08442313B2	Image position recognition apparatus, image position recognition method, computer program product, and apparatus for setting correction data for an image display apparatus In an image position recognition apparatus, an image signal acquirer acquires, from an image capture apparatus, red, blue, and green image signals obtained by capturing the picture from an image display apparatus. A position recognition unit uses the acquired red, blue, and green image signals as a basis for recognizing the position in a captured picture corresponding to a given region among respective regions obtained by plurally dividing the picture from the image display apparatus. When the position recognition unit recognizes the position in the captured picture corresponding to the given region of the picture from the image display apparatus, a correction data setting unit sets data for emphasizing the given region as the correction data corresponding to the given region of the red, blue, and green image signals in the image display apparatus.
US08442306B2	Volume-based coverage analysis for sensor placement in 3D environments Coverage of sensors in a CTV system in a three-dimensional environment are analyzed by partitioning a 3D model of the environment into a set of voxels. A ray is cast from each pixel in each sensor through the 3D model to determine coverage data for each voxel. The coverage data are analyzed to determine a result indicative of an effective arrangement of the set of sensors.
US08442302B2	Method and device using rotating printing arm to project or view image across a workpiece The technology disclosed relates to scanning of large flat substrates for reading and writing images. Examples are flat panel displays, PCB's and photovoltaic panels. Reading and writing is to be understood in a broad sense: reading may mean microscopy, inspection, metrology, spectroscopy, interferometry, scatterometry, etc. of a large workpiece, and writing may mean exposing a photoresist, annealing by optical heating, ablating, or creating any other change to the surface by an optical beam. In particular, we disclose a technology that uses a rotating or swinging arm that describes an arc across a workpiece as it scans, instead of following a traditional straight-line motion.
US08442296B2	Check and U.S. bank note processing device and method A check and U.S. bank note processing device configured to process both checks and U.S. bank notes and a method of using the same. The device comprises an input receptacle configured to receive checks and U.S. bank notes and an output receptacle. The device further comprises a transport mechanism configured to transport the checks and U.S. bank notes from the input receptacle past an image scanner. The image scanner is configured to obtain an image of each check and U.S. bank note transported past the image scanner. The device is configured to determine the denominations of U.S. bank notes transported by the transport mechanism. The device further comprises a memory configured to store the images of checks transported past the image scanner.
US08442291B2	Method and apparatus for establishing a position of a phantom in an image quality test In a method and apparatus for establishing the position of one or more constituent elements of a phantom in an image quality test for a medical imaging apparatus, an image of the phantom is obtained, and a landmark pixel or region of the image determined. Values of a given variable at pixels or regions at a predetermined distance from the landmark pixel or region are determined. The landmark pixel or region and the values of the variable are then used to establish the position of one or more of the constituent elements of the phantom.
US08442290B2	Simultaneous dual window/level settings for display of CT colonography images A method for processing and displaying colonography image data. First distance tissue pixels representative of tissue within a first distance of gas pixels representative of gas are processed with a first window/level setting to generate a first setting set of image pixels. Second distance tissue pixels representative of tissue within a second distance of the gas pixels are processed with a second window/level setting to generate a second setting set of image pixels. The second distance is a distance greater than the first distance. A colonography image including both the first and second setting sets of image pixels is then displayed.
US08442283B2	Patient-specific three-dimensional dentition model Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for generating a color-textured three-dimensional dental model that is specific to a patient. According to one embodiment, generating a patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model can comprise obtaining a three-dimensional dental model of a patient. For example, obtaining the three-dimensional dental model can comprise obtaining volumetric image data of a dentition of the patient and generating the three-dimensional dental model based on the volumetric image data. Two-dimensional intra-oral image data of the patient can also be obtained. For example, obtaining the two-dimensional intra-oral image data can comprise obtaining a plurality of photographs. The patient-specific color-textured three-dimensional dental model can be generated based on the three-dimensional dental model and the two-dimensional intra-oral image data.
US08442280B2	Method and system for intelligent qualitative and quantitative analysis of digital radiography softcopy reading The present invention describes a method and system for intelligent diagnostic relevant information processing and analysis. Information associated with a patient is processed via an image reading platform. Based on such processed information, a matrix of diagnosis decisions containing diagnostic related information is generated via a matrix of diagnosis decision platform. A diagnostic decision is made based on the diagnostic relevant information. The image reading platform and/or the matrix of diagnosis decision platform encapsulate information and toolkits to be used to manipulate the information.
US08442279B2	Assessing biometric sample quality using wavelets and a boosted classifier A biometric sample training device, a biometric sample quality assessment device, a biometric fusion recognition device, an integrated biometric fusion recognition system and example processes in which each may be used are described. Wavelets and a boosted classifier are used to assess the quality of biometric samples, such as facial images. The described biometric sample quality assessment approach provides accurate and reliable quality assessment values that are robust to various degradation factors, e.g., such as pose, illumination, and lighting in facial image biometric samples. The quality assessment values allow biometric samples of different sample types to be combined to support complex recognition techniques used by, for example, biometric fusion devices, resulting in improved accuracy and robustness in both biometric authentication and biometric recognition.
US08442269B2	Method and apparatus for tracking target object A method and apparatus for tracking a target object are provided. A plurality of images is received, and one of the images is selected as a current image. A specific color of the current image is extracted. And the current image is compared with a template image to search a target object in the current image. If the target object is not found in the current image, a previous image with the target object is searched in the images received before the current image. And the target object is searched in the current image according to an object feature of the previous image. The object feature and an object location are updated into a storage unit when the target object is found.
US08442267B2	Apparatus and method for detecting upper body posture and hand posture Provided are an apparatus and method which detect a user's upper body posture and the user's hand postures through at least two cameras to configure a user interface such as computers and home appliances. An apparatus for detecting upper body posture and hand posture includes a stereo vision calculation unit, a color pattern categorization unit, a plurality of position detection units, an upper body posture recognition unit, and a hand posture recognition unit. The stereo vision calculation unit calculates three-dimensional distance information from each image provided from at least two cameras. The color pattern categorization unit categorizes each color and pattern from the image to output color information and pattern information. The position detection units extract three-dimensional position information for each subject based on the three-dimensional distance information, the color information and the pattern information. The upper body posture recognition unit recognizes an upper body posture based on the three-dimensional position information. The hand posture recognition unit recognizes hand postures with hand position information of the three-dimensional position information.
US08442265B1	Image selection from captured video sequence based on social components In one embodiment, a mobile device analyzes frames before and after a particular frame of a real-time video to identify one or more social network objects, and selects one or more frames before and after the particular frame based on social network information for further storage in the mobile device.
US08442262B2	Method and system to process a digital image A method and an apparatus to process a digital image is provided. The method may comprise receiving host image data, receiving audio data and embedding the audio data within the host image data to provide an embedded image wherein the audio data if freely recoverable from the embedded image. The method may comprise processing the audio data using a Short Term Fourier Transformation (STFT) prior to embedding the audio data within the host image data. The method may reduce an amount of digital data that represents an audio signal included in the audio data prior to embedding the audio data within the host image. In one embodiment, the method comprises quantizing magnitude data and discarding phase data of the audio signal to provide the audio data for embedding. The method may comprise quantizing the audio data to match a shell of a D4 Lattice.
US08442248B2	Systems and methods for managing wireless communication links for hearing assistance devices Various system embodiments comprise a plurality of devices adapted to wirelessly communicate with each other. The plurality of devices includes a battery-operated hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a person. The hearing aid device includes a signal processing circuitry connected to a microphone and a receiver. At least one of the plurality of devices includes a link quality management device adapted to assess a link quality for a first wireless communication channel, provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed quality for the first wireless communication channel, and adjust wireless communication over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.
US08442243B2	Ribbon microphone A ribbon microphone includes two magnets spaced in parallel and generating a magnetic field therebetween, two ribbon diaphragms arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance in the magnetic field, and a step-up transformer raising the voltages of electric signals generated in response to vibrations of the ribbon diaphragms in the magnetic field and outputs the raised electric signals. The step-up transformer includes two primary windings and two secondary windings corresponding to the two ribbon diaphragms, one of the two ribbon diaphragms and one of the two primary windings of the step-up transformer are connected in parallel whereas the others are connected in parallel, and the two secondary windings of the step-up transformer are connected in series so as to have opposite polarities. The ribbon microphone exhibits enhanced shielding effect without shielding a step-up transformer and does not generate noise caused by electromagnetic induction.
US08442240B2	Sound processing apparatus, sound processing method, and sound processing program A sound processing apparatus includes a power spectrum operation unit obtaining a power spectrum of an audio signal, an envelope component removal unit removing an envelope component of the power spectrum and generating a signal characteristic that represents a peakness of the power spectrum, a filter characteristic calculation unit calculating a filter characteristic suppressing the signal characteristic by using the signal characteristic, and a suppress filter filtering the audio signal by using the filter characteristic.
US08442231B2	Method and system for improving robustness of secure messaging in a mobile communications network A mobile communications network has mobile communications capabilities and supports a secure messaging service, such as an SMS messaging service, that allows a message sender and at least one message receiver (at least one among the message sender and the message receiver being a user of the mobile communications network) to exchange messages encrypted by means of a cryptographic process performed by the message sender, so as to obtain an encrypted message that can be decrypted by a corresponding cryptographic process performed by the intended message receiver. End-to-end security of the exchanged message is thus achieved. A cryptographic algorithm, exploited by the user of the mobile communications network for performing the cryptographic process, is modified by exploiting the mobile communications capabilities of the mobile communications network. Robustness and reliability over time of the end-to-end security messaging is improved.
US08442224B2	Protecting video content using virtualization Generally, the present disclosure provides a system and method configured to prevent unauthorized copying of video content in a mobile device. The method may use virtualization technology to prevent unauthorized copying of the premium video content. A user OS may operate in a virtual machine. A hypervisor may be configured to prevent an application and/or a corrupted OS from reading premium video content from video memory. The hypervisor may be configured to prevent direct memory access to the video content in the video memory.
US08442210B2	Signal line routing to reduce crosstalk effects A signaling system is disclosed. The system includes a transmitter comprising an encoder to encode a data signal such that the encoded data signal has a balanced number of logical 1s and 0s. The system also includes a receiver having a decoder to decode the encoded data signal, and a link. The link is coupled between the transmitter and the receiver to route the encoded data signal. The link comprises three or more conductive lines that are routed along a path in parallel between the encoder and the decoder, and wherein the link comprises segments, each segment comprising a routing change to reorder proximity of at least one pair of lines relative to any adjacent segment, with a sufficient number of segments such that each line has each of the other lines of the link as a nearest neighbor over at least a portion of the path.
US08442208B2	Method and system for transferring an automatic call distributor call A method for transferring an automatic call distributor call includes receiving from a caller a call for distribution to one of a plurality of agents and distributing the call to a first agent of the plurality of agents for handling. The method includes receiving a transfer request to transfer the call to a supervisor and selecting an available supervisor to receive the call. The available supervisor comprises a supervisor not in an uninterruptible state. The method includes transferring the call to the selected available supervisor.
US08442207B2	System and method for observing a communication session An approach is provided for initiating a service observing session by tracking a number of concurrent service observing sessions to an automatic call distributor, and selectively restricting the number of concurrent sessions based on a predetermined restriction criterion. Each of the service observing sessions is established for a user to monitor a voice call involving an agent.
US08442203B2	Identification and determination of non-preemptable calls An active call between two parties can be marked as a non-preemptable call if one of the two parties is an authorized agency that desires to prevent premature termination of the call by a third party. The authorized agency sends a signal to a main switch to indicate that non-preemptable call status is desired. The newly established call status is then propagated to other nodes in the system to prevent premature call termination. Non-preemptable status can also be granted to some calls based on the destination of the called number, such as in 911 calls.
US08442201B2	Telephone device A telephone device comprises an operating device, a call request receiving device, a first identification information determination device and a first positive response sending device. The call request receiving device may be configured to receive a call request. The first identification information determination device may be configured to determine, on a condition that the call request is received by the call request receiving device in a time between a call preparing operation being started and the call preparing operation being ended on the operating device, whether or not telephone identification information corresponding to the call preparing operation is identical to telephone identification information of the source of the call request. The first positive response sending device may be configured to send the positive response in reply to the call request on a condition that a positive determination is obtained by the first identification information determination device.
US08442196B1	Apparatus and method for allocating call resources during a conference call A method and apparatus for allocating call resources during a conference call are disclosed. A conference call between a plurality of clients is conducted on a first conference call. The clients communicate media streams to the first conference call for mixing. A media gateway identifies a second call resource to conduct the conference call and mix the media streams, and transfers the conference call from the first call resource to the second call resource without suspending a plurality of mixed media streams received by the clients.
US08442194B2	Apparatus and method for blocking specific network in mobile communication terminal An apparatus and a method for blocking a specific network in a mobile communication terminal are provided. The method includes adding a first network to a blocked network list, when the first network is the only network available to provide service to a terminal, temporarily removing the first network from the blocked network list and temporarily receiving service from the first network. Thus, the user does not have to pay roaming fees in the unwanted network, suffer from undesired communication quality, or use unwanted additional functions.
US08442191B1	Modifying voice messages stored in a voicemail system A method for removing voice messages in a voicemail system queue. The method includes acquiring data associated with a first call, including a voice message provided during the first call and a unique identifier assigned to the voice message of the first call. The method also includes receiving a second call and acquiring data for the second call, the data including information indicating whether the second call relates to a voice message previously provided to the voicemail system. The method also includes determining if the second call is related to the first call based on a comparison of at least a portion of the data for the second call and at least a portion of the data for the first call. The method also includes modifying the stored data associated with the first call if the second call is determined to be related to the first call.
US08442188B2	Automatic incubation and revival of messages in message systems A computerized message transaction system has an incubation function and a storage repository. In this system a transaction or a version of the transaction may be stored for a pre-specified period of time, and may be revived at the end of the specified time.
US08442185B2	Orthovoltage radiosurgery A radiosurgery system is described that delivers a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. In some embodiments, inflammatory ocular disorders are treated, specifically macular degeneration. In some embodiments, ocular structures are placed in a global coordinate system, based on ocular imaging, which leads to direction of an automated positioning system. In some embodiments, the position of an ocular structure is tracked and related to a radiosurgery system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized for a specific disease to be treated and/or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, a fiducial aids in positioning the system. In some embodiments, a reflection off the eye is used to aid in positioning. In some embodiments, radiodynamic therapy is described in which radiosurgery is used in combination with other treatments and can be delivered concomitant with, prior to, or following other treatments.
US08442180B2	Control rod position detector A control rod position detector including a permanent magnet that is attached on a control rod inserted in a reactor pressure vessel, where the permanent magnet is capable of moving together with the control rod, and a plurality of reed switch mechanisms that are arranged in the reactor pressure vessel at regular intervals in an insertion direction of the control rod. Each of the reed switch mechanisms is provided with a pair of reed switches that are placed so as to overlap with each other in the insertion direction of the control rod. The pair of reed switches are connected to a common wiring. The common wiring is connected to a detector that detects a position of the control rod based on signals from the reed switches.
US08442177B2	Signal receiving apparatus and signal transmitting system A signal receiving apparatus 2 has a memory circuit 22, writing of data contained in a digital input signal transmitted from a signal transmitting apparatus 1 is performed using a clock signal separated and created by a PLL circuit 21 from the digital input signal received, and reading is performed using a reference clock signal with quartz accuracy from a reference clock generating circuit 24. To reproduce the digital input signal by correcting the shift between the clock signal and the reference clock signal, the signal receiving apparatus detects the shift between the two clock signals. When the signal receiving apparatus 2 side lags behind the signal transmitting apparatus 1, the data contained in the digital input signal undergoes thinning out, and when it leads, a signal generated from previous and subsequent digital input signal is interpolated.
US08442175B2	Method, apparatus, and system for time synchronization of XDSL The present invention provides a method, an apparatus, and a system for time synchronization of an xDigital Subscriber Line (xDSL). The method includes: transmitting, by a customer premises equipment (CPE), a first symbol to a central office (CO) equipment, and obtaining time Ts2 indicating the moment that the first symbol is transmitted; receiving, by the CPE, a second symbol transmitted by the CO, and obtaining time Ts1 indicating the moment that the second symbol is received; obtaining, by the CPE obtains time Tm2 indicating the moment that the first symbol is received by the CO and time Tm1 indicating the moment that the second symbol is transmitted by the CO; the CPE calculates an offset between a clock of the CPE and a clock of the CO according to Ts1, Ts2, Tm1, Tm2 and a delay of the CPE; and the CPE adjusts the clock of the CPE according to the offset to achieve synchronization. According to the present invention, by adjusting the time of the clock of the CPE and the time of the clock of the CO, the offset between the clock of the CPE and the clock of the CO can be obtained accurately to effectively achieve time synchronization between the CPE and the CO.
US08442171B2	Digital correction of analog polyphase filters Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, devices and methods for modeling and correcting amplitude and quadrature phase errors generated within analog components of a receiver. A frequency-dependent correction method is employed that closely tracks the frequency dependent nature of the mismatch between the I and Q polyphase filter responses. In particular, digital correction is performed on a signal based on a modeled error function generated during a calibration of the receiver.
US08442168B2	Interference cancellation with a time-sliced architecture Example embodiments include methods of interference cancellation at NodeB receivers of baseband antenna signals including physical channels. The methods include canceling interference from a received baseband antenna signal by removing a reconstructed baseband signal from the processed received baseband antenna signal. The processed reconstructed baseband signal includes users whose physical data channel signals were successfully decoded. Methods also include removing interference from a received baseband signal to form an interference cancelled baseband signal that will be processed by the receiver. The interference cancelled baseband signal is the received baseband antenna signal minus users' signal interference contributions whose demodulated physical data channel signals have a determined user symbol energy value that exceeds a threshold. Methods further include removing interference from a user's signal to be error corrected. The interference is symbol interference from an earlier successfully decoded user's symbols. The user symbol interference is determined by cross correlations.
US08442164B2	Correlation peak location Apparatus for determining a location of a peak in correlation output samples, the apparatus being arranged to receive samples from at least one correlator over a plurality of symbol time periods; combine samples from a period that is longer than the symbol time period into combined samples; and determine the position of a peak in the combined samples.
US08442161B2	Estimation of sample clock frequency offset using error vector magnitude A low complexity system and method for operating a receiver in order to estimate an offset between the actual sample clock rate 1/TS′ of a receiver and an intended sample clock rate 1/TS. The receiver captures samples of a received baseband signal at the rate 1/TS′, operates on the captured samples to generate an estimate for the clock rate offset, and fractionally resamples the captured samples using the clock rate offset. The resampled data represents an estimate of baseband symbols transmitted by the transmitter. The action of operating on the captured samples involves computing an error vector signal and then estimating the clock rate offset using the error vector signal. The error vector signal may be computed in different ways depending on whether or not carrier frequency offset and carrier phase offset are assumed to be present in the received baseband signal.
US08442154B2	Channel sensitive power control A communication receiver which applies signal processing for quantitatively estimating receive signal factors such as communication channel quality, signal characteristics, and overall system received bit error rate (BER) or packet error rate (PER) and which applies a general algorithm for mapping these estimated factors to control receiver performance and minimize power consumption.
US08442153B2	Transmission circuit A transmission circuit (100) according to the present invention includes an RF-IC (110), an EM-IC (120), and a power amplifier (130). The EM-IC (120) includes a DC-DC converter (123), a transistor (124), a low-dropout regulator (121), and a regulator output selector switch (122). After an elapse of a predetermined time from a time when an operation mode of the transmission circuit has switched from a polar modulation mode to a quadrature modulation mode to a time when a power supply voltage for the quadrature modulation mode output from the DC-DC converter (123) stabilizes at a desired value, the regulator output selector switch (122) switches a connection destination of a gate of the transistor (124) to a fixed potential, and outputs as a control voltage the power supply voltage for the quadrature modulation mode output from the DC-DC converter (123).
US08442146B2	Apparatus and methods for reducing channel estimation noise in a wireless transceiver Apparatus and methods for use in a wireless communication system are disclosed for reducing channel estimation noise in a device such as a wireless transceiver. A disclosed apparatus includes a processor that determines a channel activity portion and a noise portion of a channel estimation. The processor also determines a threshold noise level based on channel estimate values in the noise portion of the channel estimation. The processor compares channel estimate energy values in the channel estimation to the threshold noise level and sets each of the channel estimate energy values being less than the threshold noise level to a predetermined value such as zero in order to reduce or eliminate the noise. Similar methods are also disclosed.
US08442145B2	Transmitting terminal and transmit antenna selecting method thereof A transmitting terminal includes a signal processing unit, MS RF units, MT transmit antennas and a switch unit. The signal processing unit has K precoders for precoding K data streams corresponding to K receiving terminals. The MS RF units output MS up-converted transmit signals based on the precoded K data streams. The switch unit is coupled between the RF units and the transmit antennas and controlled by the signal processing unit for selection of the transmit antennas. The signal processing unit sets the MT transmit antennas as a universal set, calculates a plurality of sum rates corresponding to a plurality of subsets, each subset excluding an ith transmit antenna, according to channel state information, selects the subset with a maximum sum rate as the universal set of a next iteration, and then repeats the calculating and selecting steps until the subset with the maximum sum rate remaining MS transmit antennas.
US08442135B2	Process and apparatus for performing initial carrier frequency offset in an OFDM communication system A carrier frequency offset between a base station and a receiver of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex communication system is estimated by maximizing a function depending on the carrier frequency offset. The function is built using a sequence received by the transmitter when the base station emits a pilot sequence, taking into consideration a variance of the noise and a presumed length of the channel.
US08442126B1	Synchronizing audio and video content through buffer wrappers Techniques for synchronizing audio and video content are provided. According to techniques described herein, a data stream represents video frames and audio samples. For each video frame in the data stream, data structures, which refer to the video frame and to corresponding audio samples or parts thereof, and produced. These data structures indicate times at which the video frame and audio samples, or parts thereof, should be presented. As the data structures are passed among modules of a program, the video frames and/or audio samples to which the data structures refer may be processed. The time indicated in each data structure is preserved throughout the processing. Thus, when the data structures are passed to a file writing thread, the file writing thread can determine, from the time indicated in each data structure, the audio samples or parts thereof that should be played when corresponding video frames are displayed.
US08442124B2	Methods and systems for signaling chroma information in video Embodiments of systems and methods for signaling chroma information for a picture in a compressed video stream are provided. One system embodiment, among others, comprises a memory with logic, and a processor configured with the logic to provide a compressed video stream that includes a picture having chroma samples and luma samples, and provide in the compressed video stream a flag for signaling information corresponding to the location of the chroma samples in relation to the luma samples in the picture, wherein a first defined flag value indicates default locations of the chroma samples in relation to the luma samples in the picture, wherein a second defined flag value indicates a presence in the compressed video stream of auxiliary chroma information corresponding to relative locations of the chroma samples to the luma samples in the picture, and wherein the number of chroma samples in the picture implied by the first defined flag value is equal to the number of chroma samples in the picture implied by the second defined flag value. Other embodiments for signaling chroma information for a picture in a compressed video stream are included herein.
US08442120B2	System and method for thinning of scalable video coding bit-streams A system for videoconferencing that offers, among other features, extremely low end-to-end delay as well as very high scalability. The system accommodates heterogeneous receivers and networks, as well as the best-effort nature of networks such as those based on the Internet Protocol. The system relies on scalable video coding to provide a coded representation of a source video signal at multiple temporal, quality, and spatial resolutions. These resolutions are represented by distinct bitstream components that are created at each end-user encoder. System architecture and processes called SVC Thinning allow the separation of data into data used for prediction in other pictures and data not used for prediction in other pictures. SVC Thinning processes, which can be performed at video conferencing endpoints or at MCUs, can selectively remove or replace with fewer bits the data not used for prediction in other pictures from transmitted bit streams. This separation and selective removal or replacement of data for transmission allows a trade-off between scalability support (i.e. number of decodable video resolutions), error resiliency and coding efficiency.
US08442113B2	Effective rate control for video encoding and transcoding The quantization factor for each block of pixels in an image or video encoding or transcoding method is determined. The blocks of pixels are classified according to predefined criteria and the blocks are processed according to the resulting classification. The predefined criteria include, for example, anticipated characteristics of the blocks after quantization, such as the transform coefficients after quantization and/or the total number of non-zero transform coefficients.
US08442104B2	Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method Provided is a signal processing apparatus including: an equalizer circuit that amplifies a predetermined frequency band of an input signal and outputs an output signal; a sampler circuit that samples the output signal amplified by the equalizer circuit with the output signal being offset in an amplitude direction using a multiphase clock system; an area information calculation circuit that calculates area information of an eye opening in an eye diagram of the output signal based on the output signal sampled by the sampler circuit; and a control circuit that controls amplification of the equalizer circuit based on the area information of the eye opening calculated by the area information calculation circuit.
US08442102B2	Chip equalization apparatus and method thereof A chip equalization apparatus and method for selecting cluster signals from broadcast signals being continuously received in multi-path channels for extracting a plurality of cluster signals from among the received broadcast signals and using a plurality of chip equalizers each having a tap coefficient update part for updating the tap coefficients of the selected cluster signals when the equalization outputs are combined to compensate the broadcast signals and provide low power consumption and efficient equalization for use in a satellite broadcasting receiving system.
US08442100B2	Transmission and reception apparatus for digital signals A transmission and reception apparatus includes a transmitter, a receiver and a galvanically isolated interface arranged between the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter, receiver and interface are arranged so as to form a two-level isolated digital channel and the transmitter includes a block adapted to send a clock signal to the receiver. The receiver includes a circuit adapted to synchronize the receiver and the transmitter using the received clock signal and a circuit adapted to memorize information related to the synchronization in a storage element to hold the synchronization while the receiver is receiving the digital data. The transmitter block is adapted to send the digital data signal after the synchronization of the receiver and transmitter.
US08442093B2	System and method for receiving time-hopping ultra-wide bandwidths signals A novel receiver structure is proposed for detecting a time-hopping ultra-wide bandwidth signal in the presence of multiple access interference. The proposed structure achieves better bit error rate performance than the conventional matched receiver when operating in multiple access interference. When operating in a multiple access interference-plus-Gaussian-noise environment, the receiver structure outperforms the conventional matched filter receiver for moderate to large values of signal-to-noise ratio. A receiver structure with adaptive limiting threshold is further proposed to ensure the performance of the soft-limiting receiver always meets or surpasses the performance of the conventional UWB receiver for all values of signal-to-noise ratio.
US08442091B2	Microchannel laser having microplasma gain media The invention provides microchannel lasers having a microplasma gain medium. Lasers of the invention can be formed in semiconductor materials, and can also be formed in polymer materials. In a microlaser of the invention, high density plasmas are produced in microchannels. The microplasma acts as a gain medium with the electrodes sustaining the plasma in the microchannel. Reflectors are used with the microchannel for obtaining optical feedback to obtain lasing in the microplasma gain medium in devices of the invention for a wide range of atomic and molecular species. Several atomic and molecular gain media will produce sufficiently high gain coefficients that reflectors (mirrors) are not necessary. Microlasers of the invention are based on microplasma generation in channels of various geometries. Preferred embodiment microlaser designs can be fabricated in semiconductor materials, such as Si wafers, by standard photolithographic techniques, or in polymers by replica molding.
US08442084B2	High performance vertically emitting lasers A semiconductor laser that has a reflective surface. The reflective surface redirects the light of an edge emitting laser diode to emit from the top or bottom surface of the diode. The laser may include a gain layer and a feedback layer located within a semiconductive die. The gain and feedback layers generate a laser beam that travels parallel to the surface of the die. The reflective surface reflects the laser beam 90 degrees so that the beam emits the die from the top or bottom surface. The reflective surface can be formed by etching a vicinally oriented III-V semiconductive die so that the reflective surface extends along a (111)A crystalline plane of the die.
US08442083B2	Systems and methods for stabilizing laser frequency based on an isoclinic point in the absorption spectrum of a gas Systems and methods for stabilizing laser frequency based on an isoclinic point of an atomic or molecular medium are provided herein. A system may include: a transmission cell containing a gas and configured to transmit light from the laser, the gas having an absorption spectrum with an isoclinic point; a photodiode generating an output based on an amplitude of transmitted laser light; and circuitry configured to tune the frequency of the laser to the isoclinic point of the absorption spectrum based on the output. The absorption spectrum may have first and second overlapping peaks respectively corresponding to first and second transitions of the gas, the isoclinic point being a saddle point between the first and second peaks. The first and second peaks may have substantially equal amplitude as one another and/or may broaden substantially equally as each other as a function of a physical parameter of the gas.
US08442081B2	Quantum cascade laser suitable for portable applications A highly portable, high-powered infrared laser source is produced by intermittent operation of a quantum cascade laser power regulated to a predetermined operating range that permits passive cooling. The regulation process may boost battery voltage allowing the use of a more compact, low-voltage batteries.
US08442080B2	Laser operation for survey instruments The performance of a laser scanner is optimized in the field by automatically determining appropriate laser parameters for the scan location. A laser control system uses information such as the environmental temperature to select an appropriate range of start points for various laser parameters, such as pump temperature and laser currents. Test pulses over that range can be used to determine optimal operating parameters.
US08442077B2	Automatically configuring a distributed network analyzer to monitor identified inverse multiplex groups of an asynchronous transfer mode network A method and apparatus of automatically identifying IMA links of an asynchronous transfer mode network and automatically configuring a distributed network analyzer to monitor the identified IMA links. Information is selectively extracted from streams of cell data exchanged across an asynchronous transfer mode network to automatically identify IMA links of the asynchronous transfer mode network, and automatically configuring a distributed network analyzer to monitor the identified IMA links. A graphical user interface is provided to display status information of the automatically identified IMA links of an asynchronous transfer mode network based on monitoring of the identified IMA links using a distributed network analyzer automatically configured to monitor the identified IMA links.
US08442076B1	Precise timing control of TD-SCDMA via an asynchronous serial interface A timing control system includes a counter that is initiated by a time accurate strobe (TAS) signal. A counter value is recorded when a message arrives in a buffer. A baseband integrated circuit (BBIC) calculates an integer number of counter periods and a fraction of a counter period corresponding to a timing correction value received from a base station. The BBIC issues a TAS signal during a counter period that occurs at the integer number of counter periods. At an expiration of the fraction of an ensuing counter period, the first one of a plurality of frame time slots is sent from the buffer to an antenna via a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC). The BBIC calculates, then stores in a memory, timing adjust values for the plurality of frame time slots so that each frame time slot can be time adjusted during message transmissions without an issuance of an additional TAS signal.
US08442072B2	Method of preventing transport leaks in hybrid switching networks by extension of the link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) An apparatus comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a first data structure comprising a first virtual local area network identifier (VID) and a first forwarding type, comparing the first VID and a first forwarding type with a second VID and a second forwarding type in a second data structure, and reporting a misprovisioned data structure if the first VID is the same as the second VID and the first forwarding type is not the same as the second forwarding type. Also disclosed is a method comprising implementing a network protocol to forward provisioning information in a plurality of VID Tables corresponding to a plurality of nodes, and analyzing the provisioning information to detect misprovisioned nodes.
US08442063B1	System and method for scheduling unicast and multicast traffic A system and method for scheduling delivery of packetized data traffic at an output port of a network node featuring a hybrid queue with a unicast subqueue and a multicast subqueue. An interleave indicator for each unicast and multicast entry in the queue is used to toggle the header type field of the hybrid queue. Upon departure, a scheduler selects between the unicast subqueue and multicast subqueue as dictated by the state of the header type field. The disclosed interleave indicator techniques add minimal overhead to the system, allowing ready scaling with increasing port densities. Further, the data structure of the multicast subqueue can be selected to optimize the system and achieve desired performance characteristics.
US08442055B2	Information distribution system and method, terminal apparatus, server apparatus, data reception method, and data transmission method An information distribution system and method capable of averaging a traffic load over time and effectively utilizing communication facilities, wherein a terminal station 30 transmits to a contents server 10 a distribution request for desired information including information of time limit of distribution, and the contents server 10 receives the distribution request, estimates a time band where the traffic load is small in the communications system in the period until the time limit of distribution, pages the terminal station again at that period of time, and, if the terminal station is in a state able to receive the information content, transmits the requested information content to the terminal station 30 through a network node.
US08442045B2	Multicast packet forwarding using multiple stacked chassis A stacked chassis comprising multiple physical switch/router chassis operates without any special stacking hardware or stacking channels. Instead, a stacking LAG is installed between front-end switch ports on the stacked chassis. The chassis controllers negotiate a master, which controls operation of all chassis in the stack. A stacked-chassis-wide port numbering scheme is used to distribute information to all line cards in the system. Each line card processes the information to distill physical-chassis significant information for operation of that chassis in the stack.
US08442044B2	Digital broadcasting system and method of processing data A digital broadcasting system and a method of processing data are disclosed. Herein, additional encoding is performed on mobile service data, which are then transmitted, thereby providing robustness in the processed mobile service data, so that the mobile service data can respond more strongly against fast and frequent channel changes. The method of processing data in a transmitting system includes receiving mobile service data, encapsulating the received mobile service data to a transport stream (TS) packet, and outputting the encapsulated mobile service data as a mobile service data packet, and multiplexing a main service data packet including main service data and the encapsulated mobile service data packet, thereby transmitting the multiplexed data packets to at least one transmitter located in a remote site.
US08442040B2	Modular adaptation and configuration of a network node architecture The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for modularly adapting a network node architecture to function in one of a plurality of potential node types. The architecture includes a configurable switching element, integrated optics, and a plurality of modules that allow a “type” of node to be adapted and configured within the base architecture. The module interfaces may be optical or electrical and be used to construct various different types of nodes including regenerators, add/drop nodes, terminal nodes, and multi-way nodes using the same base architecture.
US08442037B2	System and method for device registration replication in a communication network A system for device registration replication in a packet-based network includes a first call manager and a second call manager that are coupled to the packet-based network. The first and second call managers each control one or more devices and store composite registration information associated with the devices. The first call manager communicates status information to the second call manager in response to a change in the control status of a device controlled by the first call manager. The second call manager updates the composite registration information stored by the second call manager in response to receiving status information from the first call manager.
US08442035B2	Method and device for grandparent media realm for session border controllers A method may include receiving handshake signals to establish a media session between at least two endpoints, determining location information of the at least two endpoints based on the handshake signals, and releasing media exchanged between the at least two endpoints if it is determined that the location information of the at least two endpoints indicates that the at least two endpoints are in a same location.
US08442030B2	Software control plane for switches and routers A Provider Network Controller (PNC) addresses the challenges in building services across Next Generation Network (NGN) architectures and creates an abstraction layer as a bridge, or glue, between the network transport and applications running over it. The PNC is a multi-layer, multi-vendor dynamic control plane that implements service activation and Layer 0-2 management tools for multiple transport technologies including Carrier Ethernet, Provider Backbone Transport (PBT), Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS), Transport MPLS (T-MPLS), optical and integrated networking platforms. Decoupling transport controls and services from the network equipment simplifies service creation and provides options for carriers to choose best-in-class equipment that leverages the PNC to enable rapid creation and management of transports and services. The PNC provides Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) interfaces to abstract transport objects expressly designed to support both wholesale and retail services, and supports service offerings with varied bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, thus achieving enterprise Ethernet economics.
US08442025B2	Methods and apparatus for controlling discontinuous reception Methods and apparatus for controlling discontinuous reception (DRX) in mobile devices are disclosed. An example method for controlling discontinuous reception includes entering a packet transfer mode, receiving a network message that indicates that the mobile station is to utilize an optimized DRX mode, and entering DRX mode immediately upon leaving packet transfer mode.
US08442017B2	Method for transmitting random access channel message and response message, and mobile communication terminal A method for responding to a random access channel message is disclosed, the method includes reading quality measurement information of a downlink channel from a second layer header of a random access channel (RACH) message which is transmitted from a user equipment to an uplink, controlling transmission power of a response message for the RACH message according to the quality measurement information, and transmitting the response message to the user equipment.
US08442015B2	Method and system for an atomizing function of a mobile device Methods and systems for an atomizing function for a mobile device are disclosed and may include discovering available resources via a handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) and assessing respective cost functions for processing tasks by the HWCD and/or the discovered resources. The tasks may be apportioned for local and/or remote execution by the HWCD and/or the discovered resources based on the assessed cost functions. The assessed cost functions may be dependent on factors comprising communication bandwidth, memory space, CPU processing power, and battery power, which may be weighted. The cost functions may be dynamically assessed, enabling dynamic reapportioning of the tasks, which may be apportioned based on latency, quality of service (QoS), priority and/or user preferences associated with the local and/or remote execution. The apportioning of the processing of the tasks may be based on the assessed cost functions, and a priority and/or a QoS associated with the task.
US08442013B2	Analysis and control of traffic based on identified packet control functions A device receives packet control function (PCF) load information associated with a packet data serving node (PDSN), and determines PCF Internet protocol (IP) address information and a number of sessions per PCF based on the PCF load information. The device also receives IP information from an IP network associated with the PDSN, and determines PCF identity information based on the IP information. The device further generates control information based on the PCF IP address information, the number of sessions per PCF, and the PCF identity information, and provides the control information to the PDSN to control operation of the PDSN.
US08442012B1	Selecting wireless access resources based on past wireless activity What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication system, where a wireless access system provides wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices. The method includes receiving a request to initiate a first communication session for a first wireless communication device, processing past dropped communication session information for the first wireless communication device to select a radio configuration type of wireless access resources for the first communication session, and providing the wireless access resources for the first communication session to the first wireless communication device using the selected radio configuration type.
US08442009B2	Method and system for soft handoff in mobile broadband systems The present invention provides a method and system for facilitating efficient handoff and data throughput in mobile broadband communication systems. Methods implemented by a system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention include selectively enabled soft handoff, performing Layer 2 bearer functions at the base station and using the mobile device to coordinate soft handoff and interference avoidance without the need for a centralized coordination function.
US08442001B2	Systems, methods and apparatus for facilitating handover control using resource reservation with frequency reuse Systems, methods and apparatus for facilitating handover control using resource reservation with frequency reuse are provided. In one embodiment, the method can include: transmitting scheduling information for the transmission of information on frequencies corresponding to an unreserved portion of a frequency band. The method can also include transmitting scheduling information for the transmission of information on frequencies corresponding to a reserved portion of the frequency band. A frequency reuse scheme can be employed over the frequencies corresponding to the reserved portion of the frequency band, and the information transmitted on the frequencies corresponding to the reserved portion of the frequency band can be handover signalling information.
US08441998B2	Method of transmitting broadcast information in multiple carrier system A method of transmitting broadcast information by using multiple carriers is provided. The method includes: configuring a superframe for an operation of the multiple carriers; and transmitting the broadcast information through at least one primary carrier selected from the multiple carriers. Accordingly, the multiple carrier system can effectively manage respective carriers, and particularly can effectively use radio resources in transmission of broadcast information.
US08441993B2	Apparatus and method for resumption request of extended real time polling service in a broadband wireless communication system A method of operating a Base Station (BS) in a broadband wireless communication system to resume an extended real-time Polling Service (ertPS) is provided. The method of operating the BS includes detecting a codeword received through a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) channel, and upon receiving a CQI CHannel (CQICH) codeword for requesting resumption of an extended real-time Polling Service (ertPS) connection from a Mobile Station (MS), allocating to the MS an uplink resource corresponding to the largest maximum sustainable traffic rate of at least one ertPS connec established to the MS.
US08441992B2	Apparatus and method for supporting vertical handover on a wireless communication system A broadband wireless communication system is provided. An apparatus for an information server (IS) comprises an event module for determining whether updating the network information of at least one access network (AN) is needed, a generator module for generating at least one Information_Get_Request packet for requesting the network information of the at least one AN when the updating is needed, a communication module for transmitting at least one Information_Get_Request packet to the at least one AN, and a database (DB) module for storing network information within an Information_Get_Response packet received from the at least one AN.
US08441974B2	Method of providing multicast broadcast service The present invention relates to a method of providing a multicast broadcast service. A message for providing an MBS (Multicast Broadcast Service) between network constituent elements is defined by applying a message defined in a wireless channel, and functions and parameters to be performed by the network constituent elements are defined. Therefore, the MBS can be provided in a wideband wireless access network that is a field of a mobile communication system and includes a wire channel.
US08441969B2	Low complexity beamforming for multiple antenna systems Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that utilize the discrete Fourier transform of time domain responses to generate beamforming weights for wireless communication. In addition, in some embodiments frequency subcarriers constituting less than all of the frequency subcarriers allocated for communication to a user may utilized for generating the beamforming weights.
US08441968B2	Physical layer frame format design for wideband wireless communications systems Systems and methods are provided for processing a payload portion of a received signal in a single carrier mode or a multiple carrier mode based on a portion of the received signal. A single carrier signaling portion is received at a first rate, and whether the payload portion of the signal is a single carrier signal or a multiple carrier signal is detected from the received single carrier signaling portion. The payload portion of the received signal is received at the first rate and demodulated in a single carrier mode if the detecting determines that the payload portion of the received signal is a single carrier signal, and the payload portion of the received signal is demodulated in a multiple carrier mode if the detecting determines that the payload portion of the received signal is a multiple carrier signal.
US08441966B2	Active antenna array and method for calibration of receive paths in said array An active antenna array for a mobile communications system is disclosed which comprises a plurality of receive paths in which an individual one of the receive paths is connected between an antenna element and an analogue to digital converter and wherein the analogue to digital converter digitises a receive signal to form a digitised receive signal. The active antenna array further comprises a sounding signal generator for generating a sounding signal in which the sounding signal is supplied to at least two of the plurality of receive paths and a receive signal subtraction device for subtracting a wanted signal from the digitised receive signal.
US08441965B2	Methods and apparatus for reducing data transmission overhead Methods and apparatus for reducing data transmission. In one embodiment, rather than immediately transmitting first data, a first device postpones opening a data connection; any subsequently arriving data is queued with the first data, and transmitted together. Connection overhead is optimized by delaying connection establishment until it is necessary, and in some cases eliminating idle mode operation altogether. Stochastic embodiments are also disclosed for adjusting transmission behavior to maximize one or more desirable outcomes. For example, one such embodiment queues data for a stochastically determined period of time, prior to opening a data connection. The stochastically determined time interval balances the likelihood of efficiently servicing successively arriving data, and overall performance. Mechanisms for receiving and utilizing device user and/or receiver (e.g., base station) feedback are also disclosed.
US08441964B2	Feeding device for smart antenna A feeding device for a smart antenna includes a signal reception terminal, a first antenna feeding terminal, a second antenna feeding terminal, a power divider, and a switching circuit. The signal reception terminal is utilized for receiving a transmitting signal. The first antenna feeding terminal and the second antenna feeding terminal are utilized for outputting feeding signals to the two antennas, respectively. The power divider, having a first input port, a second input port, a first output port, and a second output port, is utilized for distributing energy received by the first input port or the second input port equally to the first output port and the second output port, and making signals of the first output port and the second output port having 90 degree phase difference. The switching circuit performs switching operations to control electrical connections of the power divider according to a control signal.
US08441962B1	Method, device, and system for real-time call announcement A method and corresponding device and system to provide a real-time call announcement to a called device. According to the method, a called device begins receiving call announcement media without having first engaged in session setup signaling to set up a session through which to receive the call announcement media. In normal operation, the device would disregard such incoming media, since no session has been set up for receiving the media. As disclosed, however, the device will also receive at about the same time a call setup request that seeks setup of the underlying call, and the device will treat its receipt of that call setup request as a key to allow playout of the call announcement media even though no session has been set up for receipt of the call announcement media. The called device will then play out the call announcement media as an announcement for the call.
US08441960B2	Method and system for timely delivery of multimedia content via a femtocell Aspects of a method and system for timely delivery of multimedia content via a femtocell are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive data via an upstream path and transmit data via a downstream path. One of the upstream path and downstream path may comprise a cellular path and the other may comprise a non-cellular path. One or both of the upstream path and the downstream path may be audio video bridging (AVB) paths. Data may be stored in the femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of the upstream path and the downstream path. Data may be delivered to the femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and the data may be forwarded by the femtocell with guaranteed quality of service. Resources in the femtocell may be reserved and/or synchronized, utilizing AVB protocols, for communication of one or more data streams.
US08441958B2	Directed acyclic graph discovery and network prefix information distribution relative to a clusterhead in an ad hoc mobile network Each mobile router in an ad hoc mobile network is configured for concurrently attaching to multiple parents advertising respective parent depths relative to a clusterhead of the ad hoc mobile network. The mobile router selects an advertised depth relative to the clusterhead based on adding a prescribed increment to a maximum one of the parent depths, enabling the mobile routers to form a directed acyclic graph relative to the clusterhead. Each mobile router sends to each of its parents a neighbor advertisement message specifying at least one reachable prefix, a corresponding cost for reaching the reachable prefix, and a corresponding sequence identifier that enables the parents to validate the neighbor advertisement message relative to stored router entries. Hence, mobile routers automatically can form a directed acylic graph relative to the clusterhead, and can distribute routing information with minimal overhead.
US08441957B2	Apparatus and method of remote PHY auto-negotiation A communications network includes a management device and a remote device. The remote device includes a physical layer device (PHY) coupled to a link partner. An independent station manager of the remote device provides the bi-directional exchange of management information between the PHY and a serial-to-parallel (S/P) interface connecting the remote device and the management device. A station manager of the management device provides the bi-directional exchange of management information between the S/P interface and a Media Access Controller (MAC) of the management device. The independent station manager and the station manager transmit initiation messages, formatted according to a message template of an Auto-Negotiation (AN) routine of the S/P interface reserved for customization, to reserve an embedded management channel for the transfer of management information. Management information messages, formatted according to a message template of the AN routine, are subsequently exchanged, thereby providing Auto-Negotiation of the PHY.
US08441956B2	Marine wireless communication system A marine wireless communication system is capable of reliably and stably monitoring an outboard engine unit in a watercraft. The marine wireless communication system comprises at least one first wireless device disposed in at least one outboard engine unit secured to a stern of a watercraft, and at least one second wireless device disposed inside the watercraft, the first wireless device communicating with the second wireless device according to a predetermined protocol.
US08441952B2	Dual-band wireless communication apparatus and method for channel allocation using the same A dual-band wireless communication apparatus and a channel allocation method thereof, the channel allocation method of a dual-band wireless communication apparatus including a plurality of wireless communicators includes: receiving wireless environment information via at least one of the wireless communicators; changing, at a wireless communicator not allocated a channel among the wireless communicators, a frequency band according to a received signal strength; and scanning, at the wireless communicator not allocated the channel, channels in the changed frequency band and setting one of the scanned channels to a channel for communicating with an external device. Thus, the dual-band wireless communication apparatus can offer various wireless application services by minimizing interference caused when a plurality of wireless terminals operates within one wireless communication apparatus.
US08441951B2	Configuration measurement time slots for mobile terminals in a TDD system The technology applies to a cellular radio network where each cell area is associated with a radio base station in which mobile terminals communicate with at least one of the base stations over a radio interface. The mobile terminals perform mobility-related measurements on downlink signals received from a corresponding neighbor cell during time slots configured for downlink transmission measurement. A configuration node receives input information, and based on that received input information, determines measurement time slot configuration information. The node provides the measurement time slot configuration information to the base stations so that the base stations may signal the measurement time slot configuration information to mobile terminals.
US08441941B2	Automating identification and isolation of loop-free protocol network problems An apparatus is configured to generate a reference model of a bridged network representing a plurality of nodes in the bridged network, wherein each of the plurality of nodes implements a loop-free topology algorithm; determine an expected data path based on the reference model of the bridged network; receive information pertaining to an actual data path in the bridged network; and compare the expected data path based on the reference model and the actual data path in the bridged network to identify a divergence point.
US08441924B2	Redundant capability in a fiber optic network In one embodiment, a system includes a first gateway router and second gateway router that are communicatively coupled to an optical line terminal. The system further includes an optical network terminal communicatively coupled to the optical line terminal, wherein the optical network terminal is configured to direct communications from the first gateway router to the second gateway router when the operation of the first gateway router meets a predetermined threshold.
US08441916B2	Method of communicating for smart utility network using TV white space and apparatus for the same There are disclosed a method of communicating for a smart utility network using a TV white space and an apparatus for the same. The method of communicating for a smart utility network using a TV white space according to the present invention includes: generating a time domain sequence repeated every predetermined number of samples; generating an OFDM symbol having a cyclic prefix length corresponding to an FFT size divided by a natural number of 2 or more and including samples of a number corresponding to the sum of the FFT size and the cyclic prefix length; and generating an SUN packet to be transmitted through a TV channel band selected in the TV white space by using the time domain sequence and the OFDM symbol. Accordingly, it is possible to satisfy all requirements required by the IEEE 802.15.4g SUN standardization group.
US08441915B2	Method and a device for sequencing the ZC sequences of the random access channel The present invention discloses a method and a device for sequencing the ZC sequences of the random access channel. The method for sequencing the ZC sequences includes the following steps: Step 202, ZC sequences are divided into a plurality of groups according to the cubic metrics of the ZC sequences; Step 204, the ZC sequences are sequenced, according to the maximum cyclic shift supported by the ZC sequences under a high speed circumstance, within each group to form a plurality of sub-groups; and Step 206, the ZC sequences within each of the plurality of sub-groups are sequenced according to the cubic metrics of the ZC sequences, wherein, the adjacent sub-groups in the same group are sequenced in different orders, while the sub-groups at the boundary of the two adjacent groups are sequenced in the same order. Thereby, the sequences could be assigned according to the CMs, and the sequence fragments could be collected for use.
US08441909B1	Disk drive increasing laser power at beginning of write in heat assisted magnetic recording A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, wherein each data track comprises a plurality of data sectors. A head is actuated over the disk, wherein the head comprises a laser operable to heat the disk while writing data to the disk. When a write command is received to write data to a target data sector of a target data track, the head is positioned over the target data track. When the head reaches the target data sector, a power applied to the laser is increased to above a steady state value to compensate for a high fly height of the head. The power applied to the laser is decreased toward the steady state value while writing at least part of the data to the target data sector.
US08441906B2	Information recording medium, information recording apparatus, and information reproducing apparatus An information recording medium (100) of the present invention has a plurality of recording layers (110, 120, 130, and 140) for recording therein data. Each of the plurality of recording layers corresponds to one of a plurality of recording formats. A first recording layer number (SLN) assigned with each of the recording layers in accordance with a disposed position of each of the recording layer and a second recording layer number (LLN) assigned with corresponding recording format are included in the address area (14) for the data, with respect to each of the plurality of recording layer.
US08441903B2	Optical disk playback device with prescan functionality for early detection of surface imperfections An optical disk playback device comprises first and second lasers, an optical assembly, first and second optical detectors, and controller circuitry coupled to the optical detectors. The optical assembly is configured to direct incident light from the first and second lasers so as to form respective leading and trailing scanning spots on a surface of an optical disk, and is further configured to direct corresponding reflected light from the leading and trailing scanning spots on the surface of the optical disk to respective ones of the optical detectors. The controller circuitry is configured to identify a surface imperfection of the optical disk by processing the reflected light associated with the leading scanning spot prior to the trailing scanning spot reaching that surface imperfection.
US08441902B2	Optical information recording/reproducing device, optical information reproducing device, and optical information recording medium The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical information recording/reproducing device and the like that can suppress a decrease in a recording speed even where an optical information recording medium including multiple layers has eccentricity. The optical information recording/reproducing device records information, by treating a predefined area in a second layer corresponding to a position of a first layer at which a defect is detected, as a defect area. The optical information recording/reproducing device reproduces information, by treating a predefined area in the second layer corresponding to a position of the first layer at which a defect is registered, as a defect area. The radial distance of the defect area is preferably greater than a bonding error between the first and second layers.
US08441891B2	Seismic data acquisition and processing quality control The present invention relates to producing a quality control measure for use during data acquisition and/or data processing of, preferably, seismic data. While or after obtaining the data, a surface consistent decomposition of the data is performed. From the surface consistent decomposition, one may compute a decomposed logarithmic spectra, and from the decomposed logarithmic spectra, one may compute one or more residua. An error attribute based on the one or more residua can be formulated, analyzed, and output. The error attribute can be used as a quality control measure or the analysis result can be used to produce a quality control measure.
US08441881B1	Tracking for read and inverse write back of a group of thyristor-based memory cells Method and integrated circuit for tracking for read and inverse write back of a group of thyristor-based memory cells is described. The method includes: reading the group of memory cells to obtain read data, and writing back opposite data states for the read data to the group of memory cells. The group of memory cells includes data cells and at least one check cell for check data, where the check data indicates polarity of the read data. The integrated circuit includes a grouping of memory cells of an array of memory cells including data cells and at least one check cell, and sense amplifiers. The at least one check cell is to track inversion/non-inversion status of the data cells associated therewith, and the sense amplifiers are coupled to obtain read information from the grouping and to write back data states opposite of those of the read information.
US08441878B2	Embedded memory databus architecture A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) having pairs of bitlines, each pair being connected to a first bit line sense amplifier, wordlines crossing the bitlines pairs forming an array, charge storage cells connected to the bitlines, each having an enable input connected to a wordline, the bit line sense amplifiers being connected in a two dimensional array, pairs of primary databuses being connected through first access transistors to plural corresponding bit line sense amplifiers in each row of the array, apparatus for enabling columns of the first access transistors, databus sense amplifiers each connected to a corresponding data bus pair, a secondary databus, the secondary databus being connected through second access transistors to the databus sense amplifiers, and apparatus for enabling the second access transistors.
US08441864B2	Self refresh circuit A self refresh circuit includes a continuous output interrupting unit and a glitch removing unit. The continuous output interrupting unit is configured to receive a delay self refresh signal, transmit a pulse of an internal active signal as a first output active signal and interrupt the transmission of the pulse of the internal active signal during a first time period. The glitch removing unit is configured to generate and output a second output active signal when the first output active signal has a predetermined pulse width.
US08441863B2	Non-volatile memory device with reconnection circuit An electrically programmable non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of lines for selectively biasing the memory cells, reconnection circuitry for reconnecting a pair of selected lines having different voltages, and a controller for controlling the memory device. The reconnection means includes a discharge circuit for discharging one of the selected lines being at the higher voltage in absolute value, an equalization circuit for equalizing the selected lines, a comparator circuit for measuring an indication of a voltage difference between the selected lines, and an evaluation circuit responsive to an enabling signal from the controller for activating the discharge circuit until an absolute value of the voltage difference exceeds a threshold value and for disabling the discharge circuit and enabling the equalization circuit when the absolute value of the voltage difference reaches the threshold value.
US08441862B2	Program method of multi-bit memory device and data storage system using the same Provided is a program method of a multi-bit memory device with memory cells arranged in rows and columns. The program method includes a programming each memory cell of the first group of memory cells to a state within a first group of states according to a verify voltage level of a first group of verify voltage levels within a first range of levels, and programming each memory cell of the second group of memory cells to a state within a second group of states according to a verify voltage level of a second group of verify voltage levels within a second range of levels. The lowest verify voltage level in the second range of levels is higher than the highest verify voltage level in the first range of levels. A first voltage difference between adjacent verify voltage levels within the first range of levels is different from a second voltage difference between the highest verify voltage level of the second group of verify voltage levels and the lowest verify voltage level of the third group of verify voltage levels.
US08441859B2	Flash memory device and method of programming same A flash memory device includes a memory cell array made up of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. A first page of data is programmed in selected memory cells of the memory cell array, and a second page of data is subsequently programmed in the selected memory cells. The first page of data is programmed using a program voltage having a first start value, and the second page of data is programmed using a program voltage having a second start value determined by a programming characteristic of the selected memory cells.
US08441858B2	Apparatus having a string of memory cells Apparatus having a string of memory cells are useful in semiconductor memory. Some apparatus have circuitry configured to program memory cells of the string in a particular sequence. Some apparatus have circuitry configured to program a threshold voltage of a selected memory cell in the string to match a target voltage compensating, at least in part, for a voltage drop across any unselected memory cells in the string on a source side of the selected memory cell during a sensing operation. Some apparatus have circuitry configured to maintain a resistance presented by source-side unselected memory cells of the string the same between a program verify operation and a later read operation.
US08441857B2	Programming a nonvolatile memory device using a bias voltage to a well of a memory block A nonvolatile memory device is provided which includes a plurality of memory blocks, a bias block and a control logic block. The memory blocks are formed in wells, respectively. The bias block biases a well of a selected memory block. The control logic block controls the bias block to pre-charge doping regions of the selected memory block to a junction voltage before word line voltages are applied to the selected memory block in a programming operation.
US08441850B2	Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) layout with uniform pattern A large scale memory array includes a uniform pattern of uniformly sized dummy bit cells and active bit cells. Sub-arrays within the large scale memory array are separated by the dummy bit cells. Signal distribution circuitry is formed with a width or height corresponding to the width or height of the dummy bit cells so that the signal distribution circuitry occupies the same footprint as the dummy bit cells without disrupting the uniform pattern across the large scale array. Edge dummy cells of a similar size or larger than the standard size bit cells may be placed around the edge of the large scale array to further reduce pattern loading affects.
US08441849B2	Reducing programming time of a memory cell The present invention provides methods and apparatus for adjusting voltages of bit and word lines to program a two terminal memory cell. The invention may include setting a first line connected to a memory cell to a first voltage from a first line standby voltage, charging a second line connected to the memory cell to a predetermined voltage from a second line standby voltage, and switching the first line from the first voltage to a second voltage. The voltage difference between the first voltage and the predetermined voltage is such that a safe voltage results that does not program the memory cell. A voltage difference between the second voltage and the predetermined voltage is such that a programming voltage operative to program the memory cell results.
US08441848B2	Set pulse for phase change memory programming A memory device and method for programming the memory device, more particularly a single pulse algorithm for programming a phase change memory cell or array. The single pulse can heat the memory cell to above its melting point and reduce in signal level so that the memory cell is crystallized.
US08441847B2	Programming multi-level phase change memory cells A method and a feedback controller for programming at least one multi-level phase-change memory cell with a programming signal. The method and feedback controller include a sequence of write pulses applied to the multi-level phase change memory cell, wherein the feedback controller adjusts in real time at least one parameter of each write pulse as a function of a determined resistance error of the phase-change memory cell with respect to a desired reference resistance level.
US08441842B2	Memory device having memory cells with enhanced low voltage write capability A memory device includes a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells. At least a given one of the memory cells comprises a pair of cross-coupled inverters and associated write assist circuitry. The write assist circuitry comprises first switching circuitry coupled between a supply node of a device of the first inverter and a supply node of the memory cell, and second switching circuitry coupled between a supply node of a device of the second inverter and the supply node of the memory cell. The first and second switching circuitry are separately controlled such that during a write operation of the memory cell the supply node of one of the devices is connected to the supply node of the memory cell while the supply node of the other device is not connected to the supply node of the memory cell but is instead permitted to float.
US08441840B2	Semiconductor device and data processing system A semiconductor device comprises a memory cell including a capacitor and a select transistor with a floating body structure, a bit line connected to the select transistor, a bit line control circuit, and a sense amplifier amplifying a signal read out from the memory cell. The bit line control circuit sets the bit line to a first potential during a non-access period of the memory cell, and thereafter sets the bit line to a second potential during an access period of the memory cell. Thereby, the data retention time can be prolonged by reducing leak current at a data storage node of the memory cell so that an average consumption current for the data retention can be reduced.
US08441836B2	Sector array addressing for ECC management An addressing scheme for non-volatile memory arrays having short circuit defects that manages the demand for error correction. The scheme generally avoids simultaneous active driving of the row line and column line of the selected cell during write. Instead, only a single row or column line is actively driven at any one time and all other array lines are left floating. In addition, the number of memory cells accessed from a given row or column during a fetch may be limited. The benefits of the scheme include preventing short circuits from drawing excess currents through the array and limiting the frequency of read or write failures caused by short circuits to a manageable number. In one embodiment, the scheme maintains the demand for error correction to within the error correction capability of a flash controller. Exemplary embodiments include phase-change memory arrays.
US08441834B2	Resistive memory element sensing using averaging A system for determining the logic state of a resistive memory cell element, for example an MRAM resistive cell element. The system includes a controlled voltage supply, an electronic charge reservoir, a current source, and a pulse counter. The controlled voltage supply is connected to the resistive memory cell element to maintain a constant voltage across the resistive element. The charge reservoir is connected to the voltage supply to provide a current through the resistive element. The current source is connected to the charge reservoir to repeatedly supply a pulse of current to recharge the reservoir upon depletion of electronic charge from the reservoir, and the pulse counter provides a count of the number of pulses supplied by the current source over a predetermined time. The count represents a logic state of the memory cell element.
US08441833B2	Differential plate line screen test for ferroelectric latch circuits Non-volatile latch circuits, such as in memory cells and flip-flops, that are constructed for reliability screening. The non-volatile latch circuits each include ferroelectric capacitors coupled to storage nodes, for example at the outputs of cross-coupled inverters. Separate plate lines are connected to the ferroelectric capacitors of the complementary storage nodes. A time-zero test of the latch stability margin is performed by setting a logic state at the storage nodes, then programming the state into the ferroelectric capacitors by polarization. After power-down, the plate lines are biased with a differential voltage relative to one another, and the latch is then powered up to attempt recall of the programmed state. The differential voltage disturbs the recall, and provides a measure of the cell margin and its later-life reliability.
US08441824B2	Method and apparatus for regulating AC-DC adaptor for low current drain A method and apparatus for controlling the feed rate of a rectified AC pulses via a gated rectifier in a low DC voltage and current power supply is disclosed. The gated rectifier outputs gated AC pulses to an input capacitor via a current control diode and/or a zener diode and/or a resistor for charging the input capacitor to a voltage level and a charge capacity commensurate with the low voltage regulator and the low DC current drain. A gate capacitor for accumulating incremental charges of rectified AC pulses fed via a divider network is pre-configured to trigger the gated rectifier, timed by discharging the aggregated charge of a predetermined number of charges to the gate. The input capacitor charged by the gated AC pulses at a rate of one per said determined number to the input capacitor feeds the voltage regulator for powering a low DC current consuming device.
US08441822B2	Method of controlling a multiphase power factor correction stage, a power factor correction stage and a controller therefor In order to improve the efficiency of a Power Factor Convertor (PFC) first stage to a AC-DC converter the switching cell is split into two smaller ones (each comprising a switched inductor with an output diode). Below a certain load only one cell is active. The second cell only becomes active, out of phase with the first, but not generally in antiphase, after a predefined load level is surpassed in such a way that above that level the first cell has a fixed on time and the second cell a variable one.
US08441818B2	Method and device for optimizing a space vector pulse width modulation In a method for optimizing a space vector pulse width modulation, a voltage is connected to a load, by combining discrete switching states of a plurality of switches to control the load, the load being switched to zero potential by two of the switching states. In the case the maximum degree of control is increased, during a pulse width modulation period, at least one of the switching states, that switches to zero potential, is omitted.
US08441816B2	Controller for a switched mode power supply (SMPS), a SMPS, and a method of controlling a SMPS According to an example embodiment, a controller for a Switched Mode Power Supply having opto-coupler-based feedback from secondary to primary side, is disclosed, in which the optocoupler current varies inversely with the output voltage over a voltage control range. The converter is thereby enabled to consume less power than do conventional converters, when in lower-power standby mode. Also disclosed are low-voltage startup and over-voltage protection arrangements combined with such a controller. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.
US08441812B2	Series resonant converter having a circuit configuration that prevents leading current A series resonant converter of the present invention includes an inverter circuit having at least a pair of a first and second switching device connected between two input terminals, a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding connected to the inverter circuit, a first and second resonant capacitor connected to a secondary side of the transformer and connected in series to each other between two output terminals, a first and second unidirectional device connected in series to each other, and a resonant induction device that is operated along with the first and second resonant capacitor and resonates in series. The first and second unidirectional device are configured such that current does not flow from the first and second resonant capacitor to the input terminal by preventing electric charge of the first and second resonant capacitor from being discharged to a primary side of the transformer.
US08441792B2	Universal conduction cooling platform Disclosed is an embodiment of a module for insertion between a first shelf and a second shelf of a rack based processing system. The module includes a first thermal plate substantially parallel to a second thermal plate. An inner surface of the first thermal plate faces an inner surface of the second plate and an outer surface of each of the first and second thermal plates faces opposite to the respective inner surfaces. Each thermal plate is configured to thermally couple to one or more component units locatable between the inner surfaces of the first and second thermal plates.
US08441788B2	Server A server including a rack, chassis, a power module, first copper columns, and second copper columns is provided. The rack has a front end and an opposite back end. The chassis are disposed in the rack and suitable for being pulled out from the front end. Each chassis contains a motherboard module. The power module is disposed in the rack. The first copper columns are fixed on the rack, electrically connected to the power module, and are suitable for electrically connecting an external power supply. The second copper columns are fixed on the rack and electrically connected to the power module and the motherboard modules. A high voltage from the external power supply is transmitted to the power module via the first copper columns. The power module converts the high voltage into a low voltage and transmits the low voltage to the motherboard modules via the second copper columns.
US08441786B2	Electronic connectors and form factor adapters for electronic components A system and method for installing a peripheral device on a printed circuit board (PCB) is provided. In the system and method, the PCB has a board connector portion and the peripheral device has a device connector portion. The method includes providing a connector adapter housing enclosing a first mating portion configured for mating with the board connector portion and a second mating portion configured for mating with the device connector portion. The method also includes engaging the second mating portion with the device connector portion to position the first mating portion to extend substantially perpendicular to the surface of the PCB. The method further includes depositing the peripheral on the PCB using a motion substantially perpendicular to the surface of the PCB, the motion engaging the board connector portion and the first mating portion.
US08441774B2	Capacitance element, printed circuit board, semiconductor package, and semiconductor circuit A capacitive element that can efficiently reduce high-frequency noise generated in a circuit is provided. A capacitive element 1 includes a capacitive formation portion 100, which is formed in the shape of a loop to separate the inside from the outside. The capacitive formation portion 100 includes an electrode 110, an opposite electrode 111, and a dielectric layer 120. One or more outgoing terminals (one or more outer circumference outgoing terminals 140, and one or more internal circumference outgoing terminals 130) are provided at the outer and inner circumferences of the electrode 110, respectively. A printed wiring board is made by mounting the capacitive element inside the board or on the surface of the board. A semiconductor package is made by putting the capacitive element 1 on a target semiconductor circuit portion. Moreover, a semiconductor circuit is made by placing the capacitive element on a target functional circuit portion 301.
US08441771B2	Electronic weaponry with current spreading electrode An electronic weapon with an installed deployment unit, from which at least one wire-tethered electrode is launched, provides a stimulus current through a target to inhibit locomotion by the target. The wire tether, also called a filament, conducts the stimulus current. The one or more electrodes, according to various aspects of the present invention, perform one or more of the following functions in any combination: binding the filament to the electrode, deploying the filament from the deployment unit, piercing material or tissue at the target, lodging in material or tissue of the target, focusing an electric field prior to ionization or while conducting a stimulus current, forming an ionized path for a stimulus current across one or more gaps, and spreading a current density with respect to a region of target tissue and/or a volume of target tissue. For an electrode that includes a body, spear, and filament, spreading may be accomplished by an end portion of the filament that extends forward of the body and activates the spear by ionization of air or by conduction through target tissue.
US08441770B2	Voltage spikes control for power converters A novel inductive overvoltage suppression circuit for power converters is presented. High amplitude voltage spikes are generally occurring in high frequency power converters in presence of small parasitic inductances coupled to the power distribution rails, in correspondence of the switching transitions, particularly when high load currents are required. The presented invention proposes active clamps to limit the amplitude of the overvoltage. Furthermore the excess energy in the parasitic inductances is utilized to provide energy and/or a signal to determine when to turn on the next phase power device with the fastest transition possible without incurring in cross-conduction currents in the power stage of the converter, thus improving its overall performance, and circuit reliability in addition to achieving high conversion efficiency.
US08441768B2	Systems and methods for independent self-monitoring An Intelligent Electronic Device (IED), such as a protective relay, may monitor and/or protect an electrical power system by detecting fault conditions using stimulus inputs from the electrical power system. The IED may operate (take protective actions) when fault conditions are detected. A monitoring device may supervise the IED. The monitoring device may detect power system disturbances independently of the IED, using the same stimulus inputs (or a subset thereof) used by the IED to implement its protection function(s). The monitoring device may supervise the IED using hard-coded supervision, soft-coded supervision, and/or user-configurable supervision. The IED may be prevented from operating outside of an operating window defined by the monitoring device. Components of the monitoring device may be separated and/or isolated from the IED, such that a failure in certain IED components may not cause a simultaneous failure or malfunction of the monitoring device.
US08441764B2	Quench propagation circuit for superconducting magnets A quench propagation arrangement for a superconducting magnet comprising a plurality of series-connected superconducting coils, the arrangement comprising: a positive supply line connected to cathodes of first diodes, of which respective anodes are connected to each respective node of the series connection of superconducting coils; a negative supply line connected to anodes of second diodes, of which respective cathodes are connected to each respective node of the series connection of superconducting coils; a number of heaters, respectively thermally connected to each of the superconducting coils and electrically connected between the positive supply line and the negative supply line; and a voltage limiter connected between the positive supply line and the negative supply line, in parallel with the heaters.
US08441761B1	Hard disk drive suspension with reduced PSA change due to humidity and temperature variations In a disk drive suspension circuit, in order to improve stability of the stable pitch static attitude (PSA) over changes in humidity, the suspended portion of the flexible circuit and/or the gimbal support arm are modified to change their response(s) to humidity. In one embodiment, hygroscopic material such as the material of the insulating layer are added to the stainless steel gimbal support arm, so that in response to humidity it bends in the opposite direction as the suspended portion of the circuit. In another embodiment, additional hygroscopic material is added to the circuit, and/or the polyimide insulating layer or the coverlayer are selectively removed, so that the net bend in the suspended portion of the circuit over humidity is reduced, ideally to a condition of zero or close to zero net bending.
US08441759B2	Fluid dynamic bearing unit and disk drive device including the same A first sleeve rotatably extends around a shaft. First and second flanges are fixed to the shaft. A second sleeve extending around the first sleeve is fixed thereto. A first annular member fixed to the second sleeve surrounds the first flange. A second annular member fixed to the second flange surrounds a portion of the second sleeve. A first capillary seal includes a clearance between the first flange and the first annular member. A second capillary seal includes a clearance between the second annular member and the second sleeve. Lubricant is provided in the clearances in the first and second capillary seals. The second annular member and the second sleeve are designed so that the lubricant in the clearance in the second capillary seal can be viewed from a point in a radial position which is outward of the second sleeve as seen in an axial direction.
US08441753B2	Systems and methods for reducing low frequency loss in a magnetic storage device Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for reducing low frequency loss in a magnetic storage device. For example, a data processing circuit is disclosed that includes an amplifier, two filters and a summation element. The amplifier provides an amplified output that is filtered using a first of the two filters to create a first filtered output. The first filtered output is then filtered using the second of the two filters to create a second filtered output. The summation element sums the first filtered output with the second filtered output to provide a pole altered output.
US08441750B1	Method and system for compensating for adjacent tracks during reading of data A storage controller includes a device controller and a read data channel. The read data channel includes a decoder for decoding output of a detector, where the detector is for reading data requested from a storage medium by the device controller, and the storage medium has a plurality of tracks of data thereon. When the device controller requests data from a current track of data on the storage device, the detector reads an adjacent track of data, the decoder decodes data from the adjacent track of data, the detector reads data from the current track, and the decoder decodes the data read from the current track, based on the decoded and stored data from the adjacent track of data. A storage system includes a storage medium having a plurality of tracks of data thereon and a storage controller as described above.
US08441749B2	Shape memory alloy actuation apparatus An SMA actuation apparatus comprises a camera lens element supported on a support structure by a plurality of flexures. An SMA wire at an acute angle to the movement axis and a biasing element are connected between the support structure and the movable element. A component of the force applied by the SMA wire perpendicular to the movement axis compresses the flexures causing them to apply a force to the movable element having a component along the movement axis in the same direction as the SMA wire. An end-stop limits the movement of the movable element, and the moment applied by the end-stop to the movable element about the center of stiffness is equal to the moment applied by the SMA wire about the center of stiffness at the point when the movable element loses contact with the end-stop on contraction of the SMA wire.
US08441743B2	Image pickup optical system and image pickup apparatus using the same An image pickup optical system made of five lenses, includes in order from an object side, an aperture stop, a first lens L1 having a positive refracting power, a second lens L2 having a negative refracting power, a third lens L3 having a positive refracting power, a fourth lens L4 having a positive refracting power, and a fifth lens L5 having a negative refracting power. Moreover, an image pickup apparatus includes this image pickup optical system.
US08441736B2	Lens for projection and projection-type display apparatus A lens for projection substantially consists of a negative first-lens having a concave surface facing the reduction side, a positive second-lens having a convex surface facing the magnification side, a negative third-lens having a concave surface facing the magnification side, a positive fourth-lens having a convex surface facing the reduction side, and a positive fifth-lens, arranged in this order from the magnification side. Further, the following formulas (A) through (D) are satisfied: 1.2Bf/f≦2.5 (A); −3.0≦f3F/f≦−0.8 (B); 1.4≦f5F/f5≦8.5 (C); and 1.0≦d12/f≦2.7 (D), where Bf is a back focus in air of the entire system of the lens for projection, f is the focal length of the entire system of the lens for projection, f3F is the focal length of a magnification-side surface of the third lens, f5F is the focal length of a magnification-side surface of the fifth lens, f5 is the focal length of the fifth lens, and d12 is an air space between the first lens and the second lens.
US08441734B2	Head-up display with optical combination providing protection against solar illumination The general field of the invention is that of head-up display systems HUD, protected from solar illumination. An HUD includes at least one display, an optical system and at least one semi-reflecting plate called a combiner, said optical system and said combiner being arranged so that the image on the display is collimated, the display emitting in at least one first optical spectrum of first spectral width, the display being arranged so as to withstand illumination of a predetermined level. In the display according to the invention, the lateral chromatism of the optical system is sufficiently strong for the level of solar illumination received by the display to be always less than said predetermined level and said lateral chromatism is sufficiently weak for the dispersion of the first spectrum emitted by the display and seen by a user to be less than or equal to the resolution limit of the human eye.
US08441733B2	Pupil-expanded volumetric display A volumetric imaging apparatus has a volumetric image generator with a light source, a light modulator, and a display surface. The volumetric image generator is energizable to form, on the display surface, an image over a range of focal positions at the entrance pupil of an optical system. The optical system is disposed to direct light from the image to a one-dimensional pupil expander. A combiner surface is disposed in the path of output light from the pupil expander for displaying the volumetric image.
US08441731B2	System and apparatus for pixel matrix see-through display panels Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and apparatus directed toward using a contact lens and deflection optics to process display information and non-display information. In one embodiment of the invention, a display panel assembly is provided, comprising: a transparent substrate that permits light to pass through substantially undistorted; a two-dimensional display panel disposed on the transparent substrate, wherein the display panel comprises pixel elements sufficiently spaced with respect to each other to allow light to pass through the display panel assembly; and at least one filter disposed on at least one pixel element. The filter may comprise a bandpass filter that reduces bandwidths of emitted light from the pixel element, or a polarizer filter that limits polarity of emitted light from the pixel element.
US08441730B2	Non-attenuating light collimating articles for graphic arts Various systems and methods are provided for non-attenuating light collimating articles. In one embodiment, among others, a phototool comprises a substrate; and a microstructured surface disposed on a first surface of the substrate, the microstructured surface comprising a plurality of light collimating articles.
US08441720B2	Methods and devices for generation of broadband pulsed radiation Methods and apparatus for non-collinear optical parametric ampliffication (NOPA) are provided. Broadband phase matching is achieved with a non-collinear geometry and a divergent signal seed to provide bandwidth gain. A chirp may be introduced into the pump pulse such that the white light seed is amplified in a broad spectral region.
US08441713B2	Electrophoretic liquid and display device using electrophoretic liquid An electrophoretic liquid is disclosed that includes first particles that have the property of scattering light over an entire visible range and are positively or negatively charged; second particles that have the property of absorbing light of a specific wavelength range in the visible range and scattering light of ranges other than the specific wavelength range and are charged to a polarity opposite to that of the first particles; and a dispersion medium that has the property of allowing the light of the specific wavelength range absorbed by the second particles to pass through and absorbing the light of the ranges other than the specific wavelength range. In the electrophoretic liquid, the first particles and the second particles are dispersed in the dispersion medium.
US08441710B2	Tunable thin-film filter An optical filter is provided, including a first plurality and second plurality of alternating first and second material layers, where the first plurality of layers is at a first angle to incident light and has a cut-on edge, and the second plurality of layers is at a second angle to the incident light and a cut-off edge; where polarization splitting of the first plurality of layers at the cut-on edge and polarization splitting of the second plurality of layers at the cut-off edge do not exceed approximately 1 percent for any first and second angle between approximately 0 and 40 degrees; and the s-stopband wavelength of the second plurality of layers is approximately less than or equal to the cut-on edge wavelength, which is less than the cut-off edge wavelength, which is approximately less than or equal to the s-stopband wavelength of the first plurality of layers.
US08441709B2	Light control device and light control method A light control device 1 includes a light source 10, a prism 20, a spatial light modulator 30, a drive unit 31, a control unit 32, a lens 41, an aperture 42, and a lens 43. The spatial light modulator 30 is a phase modulating spatial light modulator, includes a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, is capable of phase modulation in each of these pixels in a range of 4π or more, and presents a phase pattern to modulate the phase of light in each of the pixels. This phase pattern is produced by superimposing a blazed grating pattern for light diffraction and a phase pattern having a predetermined phase modulation distribution, and with a phase modulation range of 2π or more.
US08441708B2	Electrochromic device and method of manufacturing the same An electrochromic device includes a first electrode, a second electrode disposed opposite the first electrode, a porous electrochromic layer disposed on the first electrode or the second electrode, and an electrolyte disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The porous electrochromic layer includes different sized nanoparticle clusters, and each nanoparticle cluster includes a plurality of nanoparticles and an electrochromic material.
US08441707B2	Variable transmittance optical filter and uses thereof Variable transmittance optical filters capable of transitioning from a light state to a dark state on exposure to UV radiation and from a dark state to a light state with application of an electric voltage are provided. The optical filters comprise a switching material that comprises one or more chromophores that have electrochromic and photochromic properties.
US08441703B2	Method and device for holographically reconstructing a scene A holographic reconstruction device is designed such that visible resolution of the reconstruction of a scene is matched to the resolution capability of the human eye, to the imaging properties of the reconstruction means used or to the resolution capability of the light modulation means used. A grid scale for the object points is generated by system control means in each case in a plane of intersection, which grid scale cannot be used to separately resolve adjacent object points in the plane of intersection, and the compilation of object points of the respective plane of intersection to form an object point group with adjacent object points which can be separately resolved is carried out. In holographic displays, the invention is used to reduce speckle patterns and reduce the number of the holograms of object points of the scene, which are to be calculated and coded, and the calculation complexity.
US08441696B2	Continuous scanning with a handheld scanner A computer peripheral that may operate as a scanner. The scanner captures image frames as it is moved across an object. The image frames are formed into a composite image based on computations in two processes. In a first process, fast track processing determines a coarse position of each of the image frames based on a relative position between each successive image frame and a respective preceding image determine by matching overlapping portions of the image frames. In a second process, fine position adjustments are computed to reduce inconsistencies from determining positions of image frames based on relative positions to multiple prior image frames. Processing of the image frames may allow a scan of an object to be suspended and resumed automatically when a user lifts the scanner, by deleting out of focus image frames and matching subsequent image frames to previously stored image frames.
US08441687B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program An image processing apparatus which may include a grayscale modulator forming a ΔΣ modulator. The modulator may include an adder that adds the pixel value of an image and an output of a feedback arithmetic unit, a quantizing unit that quantizes an output of the adder and outputs a quantized value including a quantization error as the result of ΔΣ modulation, a subtractor that calculates the quantization error, and the feedback arithmetic unit that filters the quantization error and outputs the filtering result to the adder. The filter coefficient of filtering by the feedback arithmetic unit may be determined such that the amplitude characteristics of noise shaping by the ΔΣ modulator in a frequency band that is equal to or more than an intermediate frequency band are the inverse characteristics of the spatial frequency characteristics of the human eye.
US08441686B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a scanning unit which scans a light beam on a photosensitive member in accordance with image data, and a smoothing unit which performs a smoothing for a jaggy of a scan line of a light beam scanned on the photosensitive member by the scanning unit. The smoothing unit does not perform the smoothing when the scanning unit scans a light beam in accordance with image data representing a halftone image.
US08441685B2	Optimal spot color recipes using variable GCR profiles What is disclosed is a novel system and method for obtaining optimum CMYK values for spot colors, with significantly lower computational effort, by using a set of printer profiles with different pre-computed GCR strategies. Various versions are discussed on how to utilize and/or choose among these profiles for each spot color. The present invention is applicable to spot color emulation for CMYK as well as N-color printing, and can be used to optimize one or more image quality attributes, including graininess, mottle, color stability, ink cost, etc. Various embodiments are disclosed.
US08441678B2	Image forming apparatus and method An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface unit to receives an XML paper specification (XPS) file, an XPS file processing unit which converts the XPS file into an output data corresponding to printing paper to print the XPS file using information regarding the height and width of a FixedPage in the XPS file, and a control unit which controls the image forming apparatus to print the output data. Accordingly, even when an XPS file does not include information regarding printing paper, a user can select and print printing paper suitable for the user's demand.
US08441669B2	SG3-to-G3 fax spoof In one embodiment, an originating gateway receives a call menu (CM) signal from an originating fax machine. The CM signal may have been generated in response to an ANSam signal from a terminating fax machine. The originating gateway suppresses the CM signal after a preamble of the CM signal and generates a modified JM signal in response to receiving the CM signal. The modified JM signal indicates that V.34 half-duplex modulation is not an option. The originating gateway transmits the modified JM signal to the originating fax machine, which allows the transmission to continue across an unenhanced T.38 fax relay.
US08441668B2	Permanence estimation and policy enforcement for transient printing A computer-implemented method can include receiving a transient printing policy and enforcing the transient printing policy. Enforcement of the transient printing policy can include receiving a request to print a document and, based on the transient printing policy, providing a printing recommendation for the document.
US08441662B2	Print driver for printing policy-enabled electronic documents using locked printing An approach is provided for printing policy-enabled electronic documents using locked printing. A client device includes a user interface, an application program and a print driver. The application program allows a user to generate an electronic document. The print driver corresponds to a particular printing device and is configured to cause a graphical user interface to be displayed on the user interface. The graphical user interface allows a user to specify one or more access policies to be applied to the electronic document. The print driver is configured to generate print data that includes a plurality of print commands which, when processed by the particular printing device, cause a printed version of the electronic document to be generated at the printing device. The print data includes data that indicates the one or more attributes of the one or more access policies that are to be applied to the electronic document.
US08441657B2	Print job management method and image forming apparatus In a system configured to enable a printing unit to execute another job preferentially to a job not prepared for printing, when no predetermined time has elasped from a timing in which it has been determined that the job was not prepared for printing, it is inhibited to execute the other job preferentially to the job. When the predetermined time has elapsed from the timing, it is permitted to execute the other job preferentially to the job. This configuration can prevent unconditionally executing the another job preferentially to the job not prepared for printing.
US08441655B2	Job-ticket optimized rendering A print controller in a printing system includes a reprogrammable page description language (PDL) processor that defines a page-break function. The print controller also includes a job ticket interpreter. The print controller receives a printable file in the page description language that contains logical pages indicated by page-break indicators. The job ticket interpreter receives a job ticket associated with the printable file and containing layout parameters for the logical pages. The job ticket interpreter re-defines the page-break function in the PDL processor so that the print controller prints a plurality of the logical pages without referencing the job ticket for each page. In some embodiments, the PDL processor is a PostScript processor and the job ticket interpreter is a JDF interpreter encoded as a PostScript program interpreted by the PostScript interpreter.
US08441636B2	Nanoparticle detector The present technology provides a nanoparticle detector that includes a nanoparticle collector that is configured to collect a volume of air that includes nanoparticles and a light source that is configured to transmit light through the volume of air. The nanoparticle detector further includes a first light-receiving element that is configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted light and to detect characteristics of the nanoparticles within the volume of air based on scattering properties of the transmitted light.
US08441629B2	Optical detection system for monitoring rtPCR reaction An optical detection system for monitoring real-time PCR reactions in a plurality of sample chambers with a plurality of optical units is provided. Due to a relative movement, the optical units are relative to the sample chambers, color multiplexing and space multiplexing are combined for optically detecting pathogens in a sample during the process of the PCR and delivering a quantitative result.
US08441627B2	Surface inspection apparatus and surface inspection method A surface inspection apparatus and a surface inspection method aim to securely deal with finer repetition pitch without shortening the wavelength of illumination light. To this end, the apparatus includes a unit illuminating repetitive pattern(s) formed on the substrate surface to be inspected with linearly polarized light, a unit setting to an oblique angle an angle between the direction of an intersecting line of a vibration plane of the linearly polarized light on the substrate surface and the repetition direction of repetitive pattern(s), a unit extracting a polarized light component perpendicular to the vibration plane of the linearly polarized light, from light having been emitted from the repetitive pattern(s) in a specular direction, and a unit detecting a defect of the repetitive pattern(s) according to the light intensity of the polarized light component.
US08441625B2	Laser beam profile measurement A method for characterizing a laser beam profile is provided. The method includes disposing a laser target, moving the surface of the target, directing a laser to emit the beam at the surface, measuring a reflection from the surface as intensities, and averaging the intensities. The target's surface is disposed substantially perpendicular to an incident direction. The surface is reflective at a wavelength corresponding to the laser beam. The travel direction is substantially parallel to the surface. The laser beam travels along said incident direction to the surface. The reflection represents a plurality of intensities having a distribution of positions along the surface and during a temporal interval. The intensities are averaged over the temporal interval for each position of the distribution to produce an analyzed beam profile. Each position corresponds to a speed along the travel direction based on movement of the surface. The surface can be preferably spun along an axis substantially parallel to the incident beam.
US08441620B2	Determining distance between nodes A first node in a wireless network transmits a periodic pilot signal to a second node. The second node receives the periodic pilot signal and retransmits the signal back to the first node. The retransmitted pilot signal includes a phase adjustment in view of an internal processing delay at the second node. The phase adjustment involves matching a phase of the retransmitted pilot signal to a phase of the received pilot signal. The first node measures a roundtrip delay of the pilot signal and the distance between the nodes is computed based at least on the measured roundtrip delay.
US08441617B2	Substrate placement in immersion lithography A method for determining an offset between a center of a substrate and a center of a depression in a chuck includes providing a test substrate to the depression, the test substrate having a dimension smaller than a dimension of the depression, measuring a position of an alignment mark of the test substrate while in the depression, and determining the offset between the center of the substrate and the center of the depression from the position of the alignment mark.
US08441616B2	Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The substrate table and/or the support may be provided with an accelerometer to measure an acceleration of the substrate table and/or the support and the apparatus is provided with a calculator in communication with the accelerometer to calculate an acceleration based position signal from the acceleration measured by the accelerometer.
US08441614B2	Processing apparatus and device manufacturing method A processing apparatus of the present invention processes for a wafer 9. The processing apparatus includes an XY stage 6 which includes a wafer chuck 8 which holds the wafer 9 and an elevating device which rises relative to the wafer chuck 8 to hold the wafer 9, and a wafer conveying robot hand 14 which conveys the wafer 9 from the XY stage 6 at a wafer transfer position 18. The XY stage 6 moves to change a direction at an angle between 30 degree and 120 degree via the wafer transfer position 18 in a state where the elevating device rises relative to the wafer chuck 8. The wafer conveying robot hand 14 has a shape which does not interfere with the XY stage 6 which moves to change the direction at the angle when the wafer conveying hand 14 is positioned at the wafer transfer position 18.
US08441613B2	Projection objective and projection exposure apparatus for microlithography Projection objectives, projection exposure apparatuses and related systems and components are disclosed.
US08441609B2	Lithographic apparatus and a method of operating the lithographic apparatus A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed that includes a substrate table, a positioner, a projection system and a fluid handling system. The substrate table is constructed and arranged to hold a substrate, the substrate having an edge feature. The projection system is configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate. The fluid handling system is constructed and arranged to supply a liquid flow to a space between the projection system and the substrate table and to at least partly confine the liquid to the space. The positioner is configured to position the substrate on the substrate table so that the edge feature lies downstream of the substrate in the liquid flow.
US08441600B2	Display and pixel circuit thereof A display panel is disclosed. The display panel includes a data line, a scan line, a first switch connected to a first voltage, a second switch connected to a second voltage, and a pixel. The pixel is further comprised of a data transistor having a first source/drain electrode connected to the data line, a gate electrode connected to the scan line and a second source/drain electrode, a driving transistor having a first source/drain electrode connected via a first switch to the first voltage, a gate electrode connected via the second switch to the second voltage and a second source/drain electrode, a storage capacitor having a first electrode connected to the gate electrode of the driving transistor and a second electrode connected to the first source/drain electrode of the driving transistor and to the second source/drain electrode of the data transistor, and a lighting device having an anode electrode connected to the second source/drain electrode of the driving transistor and a cathode electrode connected to a third voltage.
US08441596B2	Liquid crystal display device having backlight with reflective member This invention provides a liquid crystal display device where the brightness of the backlight can be prevented from lowering when the liquid crystal display device and its frame are thin. The liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight for radiating light on the rear of the liquid crystal display panel, and is characterized in that the backlight has light emitting diodes LED that are secured on one surface of a flexible printed circuit FPC and a light guide plate for guiding light emitted from the light emitting diodes, the flexible printed circuit has openings in a portion between the light emitting diodes and the light guide plate, which extends partly over the light emitting areas (EA) of the light emitting diodes, and a reflective member is provided on the other surface of the flexible printed circuit so as to cover the openings.
US08441590B2	Active matrix substrate, liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal display unit, liquid crystal display device, and television receiver Disclosed is an active matrix including: a second capacitor electrode (37) electrically connected to a first pixel electrode (17a); and a first capacitor electrode (77) electrically connected to a second pixel electrode (17b), which second capacitor electrode (37) is provided in a layer sandwiched between the first capacitor electrode (77) and the second pixel electrode (17b). A coupling capacitor is formed between the first capacitor electrode (77) and the second capacitor electrode (37) by having the second capacitor electrode (37) overlap the first capacitor electrode (77) in such a manner that a gate insulating film is sandwiched between the second capacitor electrode (37) and the first capacitor electrode (77), and another coupling capacitor is formed between the second capacitor electrode (37) and the second pixel electrode (17b) by having the second pixel electrode (17b) overlap the second capacitor electrode (37) in such a manner that an interlayer insulating film is sandwiched between the second capacitor electrode (37) and the second pixel electrode (17b). With the foregoing configuration, it is possible in an active matrix substrate of a capacitively coupled pixel division mode to increase its aperture ratio.
US08441585B2	Stereoscopic image display device A stereoscopic image display device comprises: a liquid crystal panel for time-divisionally displaying left-eye image frame data and right-eye image frame data; a backlight unit being divided into a plurality of blocks, and sequentially scanned for each block to provide light to the liquid crystal panel; and shutter glasses comprising a left-eye filter transmitting only the light of the left-eye image and a right-eye filter transmitting only the light of the right-eye image, wherein the time period of sequentially lighting the first to the last blocks of the backlight unit is shorter than the period of addressing the left-eye image frame data or the right-eye image frame data from the first line to the last line of the liquid crystal panel.
US08441579B2	Motion judder cancellation in image sequences In a device for processing baseband signal images (BS), a film detector determines whether a same baseband signal image includes both information from a film image and information from a video source image, information from one film image being present in at least two baseband signal images while information from one video source image is present in only one baseband signal image. A processing unit processing the baseband signal images in such a manner that in the presence of both information from the film image and information from the video source image in the same baseband signal image, for each film image only one of the at least two baseband signal images is used to obtain a display signal image (DS).
US08441577B2	Apparatus, systems and methods for synchronization of a video stream and an audio stream Systems and methods are operable to synchronize presentation between video streams and separately received audio streams. An exemplary embodiment receives a first media content stream at a media device, wherein the first media content stream comprises at least a video stream portion; receives a second media content stream at the media device, wherein the second media content stream comprises at least an audio stream portion; delays the audio stream portion of the second media content stream by a duration corresponding to at least one synchronization time delay; communicates the video stream portion of the first media content stream to a visual display device; and communicates the delayed audio stream portion of the second media content stream to an audio presentation device, wherein a visual scene of the video stream portion of the first media content stream is substantially synchronized with sounds of the audio stream portion of the second media content stream.
US08441575B2	Audio clock regenerator with precise parameter transformer It is difficult to implement a conventional phase lock loop circuit in a sink device within an HDMI system because the low frequency input causes the conventional phase lock loop circuit to absorb unnecessary noise during a long waiting period. Therefore, the present invention provides a low jitter clock regenerator comprises: an input clock; a divider to divide said input clock into a slower clock; a phase lock loop circuit to regenerate said slower clock to a reference clock; and a parameter transformer to tune said divider and said phase lock loop circuit to increase the adjustment speed of said phase lock loop circuit. The present invention also provides a method to reorganize parameters in order to create new parameters which are better suitable for a clock recovery circuit in a sink device within an HDMI system.
US08441573B2	System and method of transmission and reception of progressive content with isolated fields for conversion to interlaced display Systems and methods of coding progressive content with isolated fields for conversion to interlaced display are provided. Some systems and methods may find use in, for example, digital video compression systems and methods. Film material may be encoded as video material with an intended field polarity and an explicit 3:2 pull-down operation for interlaced display (e.g., a 30-frames-per-second display).
US08441568B2	Image apparatus prioritizing displayed attribute information for recognized people An imaging apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store attribute information about a person and information about a priority of the person with the attribute information associated with the information about a priority, an imaging unit configured to capture a subject to generate image data, and a display unit configured to display attribute information of a person included in an image represented by the image data generated by the imaging unit. When displaying plural pieces of attribute information for a plurality of people with the plurality pieces of attribute information being overlapped, the display unit displays attribute information of a person having a higher priority above attribute information of a person having a lower priority.
US08441563B2	Photoelectric conversion device An electric conversion device may include A/D converters each of which includes a pulse delay circuit and an encoder, the pulse delay circuit including delay units each of which delaying a pulse signal with a delay time based on the difference between a voltage of a pixel signal and a reference voltage, the delay units being connected so that the pulse signal can circulate through the delay units, the encoder outputting a digital value based on the number of the delay units that the pulse signal passes through within a predetermined period of time. The encoder may include a latch circuit that includes latch units storing delay information, the delay information being output when the pulse signal passes through each of the delay units, an encoder unit that outputs the digital value based on the delay information, and a counter unit that counts the number of circulations.
US08441556B2	Image forming optical system and image pickup apparatus equipped with same An optical system including five lens units having, in order from the object side, positive, negative, positive, negative, positive refracting powers respectively. The distances between the lens units change during zooming. The first and third lens units are located closer to the object side at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end of the zoom range. The first lens unit includes a negative lens, a first positive lens, and a second positive lens. The second lens unit includes a plurality of negative lenses and at least one positive lens. The third lens unit includes a plurality of positive lenses and at least one negative lens. The fourth and fifth lens units each include two lenses or less. The refractive indices of the at least one negative lens in the first lens unit, the at least one positive lens in the second lens unit, and the at least one negative lens in the third lens unit are not lower than 1.9. The optical system satisfies a certain condition.
US08441552B2	Photographing apparatus with improved white balance correction and method and recording medium A photographing apparatus and method and a recording medium, the photographing apparatus including: an exposure control value calculator for calculating a first exposure control value for a first image obtained by performing non-flash photographing and a second exposure control value for a second image by performing flash photographing based on light received from a subject; a photographing unit for acquiring the first image by performing photographing based on the first exposure control value and acquiring the second image by performing photographing based on the second exposure control value; an exposure control value difference calculator for calculating an exposure control value difference that is a difference between the first exposure control value and the second exposure control value; and a subject brightness calculator for calculating a first subject brightness of the first image and calculating a second subject brightness of the second image.
US08441543B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program An image processing apparatus includes: a conversion unit converting a first color image signal including a predetermined color space into a second color image signal including a color space having a luminance signal and a color difference signal; a color determination section determining a color of each pixel of the first color image signal or the second color image signal; and a noise removal unit performing a noise removal process by changing a noise removal strength with respect to the color difference signal in accordance with the color determined by the color determination section.
US08441541B2	Control apparatus and control method therefor A control apparatus which controls a capturing device so as to obtain a plurality of captured images including an entire region of an object by capturing the object by a plurality of times while changing a capturing direction of the capturing device, the apparatus comprises: a derivation unit configured to derive a corrected capturing range when at least one of lens aberration correction and perspective correction which are based on a position and the capturing direction of the capturing device with respect to the object is applied to a capturing range obtained upon capturing the object by the capturing device; and a determination unit configured to determine a plurality of capturing ranges which cover the entire region of the object so that two corrected capturing ranges corresponding to two adjacent capturing ranges, respectively, overlap each other.
US08441538B2	Image generation apparatus and image generation method To provide an image generation apparatus that generates a visually-favorable target video sequence in color using input video sequences of color components and that is least likely to have an insufficient transfer rate when obtaining the input video sequences. The image generation apparatus includes: an image receiving unit (101) that receives, as the plurality of input video sequences, a plurality of video sequences that are obtained by shooting the same subject with a phase difference being set between frame exposure periods of the different color components; and a color image integration unit (103) that generates the target video sequence whose frame cycle is shorter than each of the frame exposure periods of the input video sequences, by reducing a difference between a frame image of the input video sequence of each color component and a sum of a plurality of frame images of the target video sequence which are included in a period that corresponds to the frame image of the input video sequence.
US08441537B2	Portable terminal apparatus for capturing only one image, and captured image processing system for obtaining high resolution image data based on the captured only one image and outputting high resolution image An image output apparatus receives a single piece of captured image data from a portable terminal apparatus, and carries out, in accordance with the single piece of captured image data received, a high resolution correction for creating high resolution image data which has a higher resolution than the single piece of captured image data. Then, the image output apparatus carries out an output process in which the high resolution image data created is outputted. This provides a captured image processing system which allows an image output apparatus to output an image captured by a portable terminal apparatus while the image is improving in resolution such as text readability.
US08441533B2	Two-way communication system with integral camera lens A bi-directional communication system is provided for mounting to a partition (e.g., a glass partition or a partition formed of a bullet-resistive material). The system is a self-contained system and is formed of several parts that mount together to form the assembled system. The system is not only a two-way, hands-free audio system that includes working audio components that deliver high-quality audio communication between people separated by the partition (i.e., a security or isolation barrier) but also the system provides high-quality video communication. The video communication is provided by a micro video camera that can be disposed on either or both sides of the partition.
US08441532B2	Shape measurement of specular reflective surface A method of measuring a shape of a specular reflective surface is provided. A pattern displayed on a surface of a target positioned at a target plane is produced from a specular reflective surface positioned at a measurement plane. An image of the reflection is recorded at an imaging plane. Positions of a plurality of points on the specular reflective surface relative to the imaging plane are determined. A first relation between feature positions on the image of the reflection and feature positions on the pattern is determined. The shape of the specular reflective surface is determined from a second relation involving a surface profile of the specular reflective surface and the first relation using the positions of the plurality of points as an initial condition.
US08441531B2	Video inspection method for inspecting welds, structural beams, and underdecks of marine vessels and like structures A method for inspecting a marine vessel underdeck utilizes a video camera such as a digital video camera with a magnifying or telephoto lens. The method produces a magnified image on a monitor for viewing by an inspector that appears to be no more than about 24 inches (61 cm) away. The method includes the step of filming the underdeck of a distance of about 40-70 feet (12-21 m). The lens provides a focal length of between about 15 feet (4.6 m) and 150 feet (46 m). Thus the method is conducted at a workable focal range of between about 15 feet (4.6 m) and 150 feet (46 m). The lens preferably has a focal length of between 30 feet (9 m) and 75 feet (23 m). The method includes the step of scanning the suspect area of the underdeck of a speed of about 1 inch (2.54 cm) per second to three feet (91.4 cm) per second. The preferred method contemplates scanning of the suspect area of a rate of between about 0.5-1 foot (15.2-30.5 cm) per second. The digital video can be focused on a particular area for about 15-30 seconds to create a loop for vetting.
US08441518B2	Imaging apparatus, imaging control method, and recording medium An imaging apparatus includes: a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by an imaging unit; a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the imaged subject after imaging by the first imaging controller; a first determining unit configured to determine whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer; a second imaging controller configured to control imaging with respect to the imaging unit in the case where it is determined by the first determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance; and a three-dimensional image generator configured to generate a three-dimensional image from the image acquired by the first imaging controller and the image acquired by the second imaging controller.
US08441514B2	Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data using mobile terminal A method and apparatus for efficiently transmitting and receiving image data of a drawn sketch using a mobile terminal is disclosed. The method for transmitting data in the mobile terminal includes enabling a data transmission input mode to be selected, and compressing image data up to an allowable text transmission size and transmitting the compressed image data if the data transmission input mode is an image mode. The data may further include time information, and the time information provides a relative time when images are generated. The data may further include an identifier for identifying various transmission modes or reception modes, and malfunction of the system can be prevented by the identifier.
US08441511B2	Surface-emitting laser element including dielectric film selectively provided to control reflectance in emission region, surface-emitting laser array, optical scanner device, and image forming apparatus A disclosed surface-emitting laser element includes a substrate, multiple semiconductor layers stacked on the substrate including a resonator structure including an active layer, a semiconductor multilayer mirror on the resonator structure, and a confined structure where a current passage region is enclosed by at least an oxide generated by oxidation of part of a selective oxidation layer containing aluminum, an electrode provided around an emission region, and a dielectric film provided in a peripheral portion within the emission region and outside a central portion of the emission region to make a reflectance of the peripheral portion lower than that of the central portion. The dielectric film is arranged such that a reflectance of a high-order transverse mode in a second direction is higher than that in a first direction, and a width of the current passage region in the first direction is greater than that in the second direction.
US08441503B2	Lighting period setting method, display panel driving method, backlight driving method, lighting condition setting device, semiconductor device, display panel and electronic equipment Disclosed herein is a lighting period setting method for a display panel which permits control of the peak luminance level by controlling the total lighting period length which is the sum of all lighting periods per field period, the lighting period setting method including the steps of, calculating the average luminance level across the screen based on input image data, determining light emission mode based on the calculated average luminance level, and setting the number, arrangement and lengths of lighting periods per field period according to the setting conditions defined for the determined light emission mode so as to provide the peak luminance level which is set according to the input image data.
US08441495B1	Compression tag state interlock Systems and methods for determining a compression tag state prior to memory client arbitration may reduce the latency for memory accesses. A compression tag is associated with each portion of a surface stored in memory and indicates whether or not the data stored in each portion is compressed or not. A client uses the compression tags to construct memory access requests and the size of each request is based on whether or not the portion of the surface to be accessed is compressed or not. When multiple clients access the same surface the compression tag reads are interlocked with the pending memory access requests to ensure that the compression tags provided to each client are accurate. This mechanism allows for memory bandwidth optimizations including reordering memory access requests for efficient access.
US08441487B1	Bandwidth compression for shader engine store operations Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems and methods for compressing thread group data written to frame buffer memory to increase overall memory performance. A compression/decompression engine within the frame buffer memory interface includes logic configured to identify situations where the threads of a thread group are writing similar scalar values to memory. Upon recognizing such a situation, the engine is configured to compress the scalar data into a form that allows all of the scalar data to be written to or read from the frame buffer memory in fewer clock cycles than would be required to transmit the data in uncompressed form to or from memory. Consequently, the disclosed systems and methods are able to effectively increase memory performance when executing thread group STORE and LOAD operations.
US08441485B2	Method and apparatus for generating video animation The examples of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for generating a video animation, and the method and apparatus relate to the animation field. The method includes: receiving a command sent by a user, determining an action corresponding to the command according to the command, and determining the total number of frames corresponding to the action and a motion coefficient of each frame; calculating an offset of each control point in each frame according to the motion coefficient of each frame, and generating a video animation according to the offset of each control point in each frame and the total number of frames. An apparatus for generating a video animation is also provided.
US08441476B2	Image repair interface for providing virtual viewpoints A system and method for repairing an object in image data of an event. An image of the event is obtained from a camera, and an object is detected in the image. For example, the event may be a sporting event in which the object is a participant. Moreover, a portion of the object is occluded in a viewpoint of the camera. For instance, a limb of the participant may be occluded by another participant. The object is repaired by providing a substitute for the occluded portion. A user may perform the repair via a user interface by selecting part of an image from an image library and positioning the selected portion relative to the object. A textured 3d model of the event is combined with data from the repaired object, to depict a realistic virtual viewpoint of the event which differs from a viewpoint of the camera.
US08441472B2	Method of driving display panel Provided is a method of driving a display panel having a charge trap device and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). The charge trap device includes a nanocrystal layer. The nanocrystal layer includes nanocrystals, which are crystallized and dispersed, and a barrier layer, which buries the nanocrystals. When a program voltage is applied, charges are trapped in the nanocrystals, and the OLED emits light at a predetermined luminance with the application of a read voltage. Data signals are sequentially applied to all pixels of the display panel to express desired grayscales. The pixels of the display panel receive the read voltage and emit light at the same time.
US08441468B2	Image display apparatus The present invention provides an image display apparatus capable of reducing a hold blur in accordance with circumstances. A black inserting process for inserting a black display area into a display screen in a liquid crystal display panel 2 according to at least one of substance of a video signal in an original frame and brightness of viewing environment for user is performed. Concretely, for example, when a video signal in the original frame is a cinema signal (film signal), the black inserting process of inserting a black display area into the display screen in the liquid crystal display panel 2 is performed. More concretely, for example, a backlight driving unit 71 performs switching drive between turn-on and turn-off of a backlight 72 so that the black inserting process is performed on the display screen in the liquid crystal display panel 2.
US08441465B2	Apparatus comprising an optically transparent sheet and related methods An apparatus includes an optically transparent sheet having an electrically conductive layer, an electrode element, and electro-vibration circuitry configured to provide a time-varying voltage signal across the electrically conductive layer and the electrode element so as to cause a user to experience electro-vibration in a first body part of the user when the first body part is moved across an exterior surface of the optically transparent sheet while a second body part of the user is in contact with the electrode element.
US08441458B2	Multi-touch and single touch detection An input device includes a touch sensitive sensor operative to detect finger touch, a controller for controlling the touch sensitive sensor, the controller operative to set at least one area of the touch sensitive sensor for sampling output with a single touch sampling method and to set at least one other area of the touch sensitive sensor for sampling output with a multi-touch sampling method, wherein the multi-touch sampling method is other than a single touch sampling method, and a detection unit of the touch sensitive sensor controllable to apply the single touch sampling method over the at least one area of the touch sensitive sensor and to apply the multi-touch sampling method over the at least one other area of same touch sensitive sensor.
US08441453B2	Contact tracking and identification module for touch sensing Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
US08441445B2	Electrophoretic display keypad structure An electrophoretic display keypad structure utilizes a whole piece of electrophoretic display film to show a plurality of figures for keys. The electrophoretic display film is disposed on a printed circuit board having a patterned electrode and sealed by a sealant or a sealing material applied to entire periphery of the electrophoretic display film for preventing humidity or pollution, thereby to display excellent figures and be made relatively easily. The figures displayed may be changed by selecting a desired mode, and users may accordingly easily choose desired figures for pressing the keys.
US08441440B2	Position information detection device, position information detection method, and position information detection program A position information detection device, method, and program are provided, which are capable of detecting position information with high precision using simple and easily identified discrimination marks. A position information detection device has an image capture portion 203 which captures images of discrimination marks 102 arranged on a display 103, via a camera lens; a discrimination mark extraction portion 206 which extracts geometric figures from images captured by the image capture portion 203; a reference rectangle extraction portion 207 which extracts a reference rectangle image formed by connecting specific points in the geometric figures; a focal length calculation portion 213 which, based on a coordinate system specified by the reference rectangle image, calculates the focal length of the camera lens of the image capture portion 203 relative to the image display region of the display 103; and an indicated position calculation portion 210 which, based on the coordinate system and the focal length, calculates the indicated position of the image capture portion 203 relative to the image display region.
US08441438B2	3D pointing device and method for compensating movement thereof A three-dimensional (3D) pointing device capable of accurately outputting a deviation including yaw, pitch and roll angles in a 3D reference frame and preferably in an absolute manner is provided. Said 3D pointing device comprises a six-axis motion sensor module including a rotation sensor and an accelerometer, and a processing and transmitting module. The six-axis motion sensor module generates a first signal set comprising angular velocities and a second signal set comprising axial accelerations associated with said movements and rotations of the 3D pointing device in the 3D reference frame. The processing and transmitting module utilizes a comparison method to compare the first signal set with the second signal set to obtain an updated state of the six-axis motion sensor module based on a current state and a measured state thereof in order to output the resulting deviation in the 3D reference frame and preferably in an absolute manner.
US08441435B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program, and recording medium An image processing apparatus includes an input unit to which an image of an object picked up by an image pickup device is input, a display device on which the image is presented, an image presenting unit configured to present the image on the display device; a viewpoint detecting unit configured to detect a viewpoint position of a user, and a control unit configured to supply, to the image presenting unit, the image in an area extracted corresponding to an image frame of a display surface of the display device when the image is viewed through the display surface from the viewpoint position of the user detected by the viewpoint detecting unit.
US08441434B2	User operable pointing device such as mouse A user operable device for control of or communication with an electric appliance, in particular a user operable pointing device such as a mouse, including electrical components and circuits including sensor elements, processing elements and wireless communication elements for detecting movements including at least rotational movements of the device, producing data related to the movements and transmitting the data to the electric appliance, is characterized in that the device (1) is essentially a ball (2) including outer surface (2′) for free rolling and for receiving influences of physical effects on the surface and the device, and that the electrical components and circuits (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) are inside the ball (2) in integrated relationship with the ball. The invention concerns also a user interface including the user operable device of the invention.
US08441433B2	Systems and methods for providing friction in a haptic feedback device Systems and methods for providing controlled friction in a haptic feedback device are described. One described device comprises a magnetic target, a magnetic core configured to be in communication with the magnetic target to provide a haptic effect, and a partition. The partition may be configured to maintain a magnetic circuit air gap between the magnetic target and the magnetic core, and to provide friction between the magnetic target and the magnetic core. Such a device may include a processor in communication with the magnetic core for providing a haptic effect.
US08441421B2	Pixel and organic light emitting display device using the same A pixel includes an OLED coupled to a second power supply, a first transistor coupled to a first power supply for controlling current through the OLED, a second transistor coupled between a data line and the first transistor, third transistors coupled between a gate electrode and a second electrode of the first transistor, the second and third transistors configured to be turned on when the scanning signal is supplied to the i-th scanning line, fourth transistors coupled between an initial power supply and the first transistor, and configured to be turned on when the scanning signal is supplied to an i−1-th scanning line, a first capacitor coupled between the first power supply and the first transistor, and a second capacitor with a first terminal coupled to nodes between two of the third transistors and two of the fourth transistors, and a second terminal coupled to the first power supply.
US08441413B2	Apparatus and system for viewing 3D image An apparatus and a system for viewing a 3D image including a synchronization signal receiver for receiving 3D image synchronization signal; a 3D control signal generator for generating left-eye glass control signal and a right-eye glass control signal in accordance with the synchronization signal received; a left-eye glass that opens or intercepts light transmitted to the left-eye glass; a right-eye glass that opens or intercepts light transmitted to the right-eye glass; a central processor that controls operation of the 3D control signal generator and transmits the synchronization signal to the 3D control signal generator; and a power controller that connects or intercepts power supplied to the synchronization signal receiver and the central processor. The power consumption of the apparatus is minimized by supplying power to the synchronization signal receiver and the central processor at a time when the synchronization signal is received and power is intercepted during the rest period.
US08441403B2	Security document A security document (1) in the form of a booklet which has a large number of sheets (11, 12, 13) connected to one another to form the booklet. A first sheet (11) of the security document has a carrier layer (20), an antenna structure (21)—arranged in a first region (41)—for RF communication and an electronic circuit (22)—connected to the antenna structure (21)—with a memory device for storing data, and a communication device—connected to the antenna structure—for communicating data stored in the memory device to a reader via a radio interface by means of the antenna structure (21). A second sheet (13) of the security document has a carrier layer (30) and one or more electrically conductive layers shaped in a second region (43) for the formation of at least one LCR resonant circuit (3). The antenna structure (21) and the at least one LCR resonant circuit (3) are arranged on the respective carrier layer in such a way that, when the booklet is closed, the first region (41) of the first sheet (11) and the second region (43) of the second sheet (13) overlap at least in some regions and the at least one LCR resonant circuit (3) is electromagnetically coupled to the antenna structure (21).
US08441401B2	Vehicle antenna mounting apparatus, systems, and methods Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of apparatus, systems, and methods relating to mounting antenna components, modules, assemblies, etc. to mounting surfaces, such as vehicle roofs, hoods, trunk lids, etc. Other aspects relate to antenna assemblies including the mounting apparatus. An exemplary embodiment generally includes one or more contact parts, a clamping piece, and a fastener. The one or more contact parts, clamping piece, and fastener may be used for mounting an antenna assembly to a mounting surface, such as a vehicle body wall (e.g., a vehicle's roof, hood, trunk lid, etc.).
US08441391B2	Ultra-secure communication methods and apparatus A secure communication topology can be used for communications between a locator and one or more transponders to determine the location of the transponders. An example system may include a locator that is configured to transmit an interrogation signal that is encoded for receipt by one or more of the transponders. When a transponder receives and correlates the interrogation signal with an internally stored reference sequence, the transponder can transmit one or more reply transmissions at precisely determined time delay intervals. The time delay intervals are secretly known by both the locator and the transponder. The reply transmissions can each correspond to previously sampled noise signals that are also secretly known by both the transponder and the locator.
US08441387B2	Continuous ramp generator design and its calibration for CMOS image sensors using single-ramp ADCs Aspects of the invention provide a continuous ramp generator design and its calibration for CMOS image sensors using single-ramp ADCs. An embodiment of the invention comprises controlling a coarse gain, integer gain, and fine gain of the analog-to-digital converter. Gain of the analog-to-digital converter may be calibrated by tuning the integer gain based on reference voltages converted to equivalent digital values.
US08441386B2	Method to reduce voltage swing at comparator input of successive-approximations-register analog-to-digital converters A SAR ADC includes a DAC including a first set of capacitors each having a first end connected to a common node, and a second end, and a first set of switches each connecting the second end of a respective one of the capacitors to a first reference voltage. The SAR ADC further includes a second set of capacitors each having a first end connected to the common node and a second end that receives an input to be converted when the common node is connected to ground. The SAR ADC further includes a second set of switches that selectively connect the second end of a first capacitor of the second set of capacitors to ground when the input is disconnected from the second ends of the second set of capacitors and when the common node is disconnected from ground during a first of a plurality of successive approximations.
US08441385B2	Power digital to analog converter A digital to analog converter having a plurality of power dividers interconnected into a binary tree configuration, each one having an input and a pair of electrically isolated outputs for dividing power of an input signal at the input equally between the pair of outputs. A plurality of amplifiers is coupled between one of the pair of outputs of the one of the power dividers in one stage of the tree and the input of one of the power dividers in a succeeding stage of the tree. A power combiner is coupled between outputs of the amplifiers in a last one of the stages and an output of the analog to digital converter.
US08441372B2	Wireless broadband communications network for a utility A communications network (12) for use by a utility (10) for communication, command, and control of the utility's distribution area for gas, water and electrical services including the utility's distribution system, security, workforce, and asset management. The network includes apparatus for obtaining information and data concerning usage of the electricity, gas, or water by each of the utility's customers, the operation of installations throughout the system, and how electricity, gas, or water is being distributed throughout the system. The information and data from each source (16) is processed to provide an up-to-date overview of the system and its operation to the utility's management and operating personnel. This includes identification of any current problems, including distribution or security, within the system, and asset monitoring and management to identify possible future problems which may occur within a predetermined period of time. Reports generated as a result of processing the information and data, besides providing current status information, also provide management and operating personnel with information as to ways of alleviating any current problems identified within the system, and steps which can be taken to forestall possible future problems which are identified.
US08441362B2	Moisture detection label, moisture detection device, moisture detection method, power shutoff method, and electronics device Provided is a moisture detection device including: a moisture detection label that has at least a pair of detection terminals and a pattern, the detection terminals being provided on a base material with an insulated front surface, the pattern being provided on the surface of the base material and formed between the detection terminals with water-dispersible and conductive paint; and detection circuit which detects an electrical connection state between the detection terminals.
US08441359B2	Fire distinguishing device A fire distinguishing device includes: a detection device which detects an outbreak of a fire; a fire presence/absence distinguishing device which distinguishes the presence or absence of the fire; and a cumulative time determining device which determines the cumulative time required for distinguishing the presence or absence of the fire, in the fire presence/absence distinguishing device. The cumulative time determining device distinguishes an environment type of an environment where the detection device is installed, or a phenomenon type of a phenomenon being detected by the detection device, and further determines the cumulative time according to the distinguished environment type or phenomenon type.
US08441354B2	RFID-based enterprise intelligence An “RFID-Based Inference Platform” provides various techniques for using RFID tags in combination with other enterprise sensors to track users and objects, infer their interactions, and provide these inferences for enabling further applications. Specifically, observations are collected from combinations of RFID tag reads and other enterprise sensors including electronic calendars, user presence identifiers, cardkey access logs, computer logins, etc. Given sufficient observations, the RFID-Based Inference Platform automatically differentiates between tags associated with or affixed to people and tags affixed to objects. The RFID-Based Inference Platform then infers additional information including identities of people, ownership of specific objects, the nature of different “zones” in a workspace (e.g., private office versus conference room). These inferences are then used to enable various applications including object tracking, automated object ownership determinations, automated object cataloging, automated misplaced object alerts, video annotations, automated conference room scheduling, semi-automated object image catalogs, object interaction query systems, etc.
US08441344B2	Vehicle alarm customization systems and methods Vehicle alarm customization systems and methods are disclosed. An exemplary method includes a vehicle alarm customization system providing a user interface configured to facilitate end-user customization of a vehicle alarm, receiving an end-user selection of an audio content instance via the user interface, accessing data representative of the audio content instance, and customizing the vehicle alarm to sound at least part of the audio content instance in response to a vehicle alarm trigger event.
US08441341B2	System, apparatus, and method for PCB-based automation traceability A system, apparatus, and method are provided for using a PCB component as an antenna to allow for RFID communication in the UHF band. The present invention enables supply chain management of a PCB and products containing the PCB by enabling tracking of a PCB at the assembly level such that at each production stage of the board production it is known exactly where the product is and what is its present state of test. One embodiment uses an existing ground plane of a PCB, splitting the ground plane of all the layers of the PCB, allowing for a dipole structure that provides an adequate received energy level to power the circuit to the “on” state thereby allowing RFID/Electronic Product Code transactions. In alternative embodiments, existing or added traces are used in place of the split ground plane as an antenna for the RFID IC. The supply chain management can employ a dedicated RFID interrogator that is connected to an IT network and allows for bill of materials to be fulfilled in an automated fashion throughout the assembly of the PCB. The manufacturer of the end product can also use the RFID IC in an own end product item level supply management system that includes inventory, shipments, and returns.
US08441336B2	System and method for secure shipment of high-value cargo A system for protecting high-value cargo enclosed in a container, while maintaining the container indistinguishable from similar low value shipments, includes an onboard identity module (OBIM) cooperative with an internal locking mechanism (ILM), both of which are externally undetectable. The OBIM can secure the ILM and prevent the container from being opened until a properly encoded unlocking signal from a Security Management System (SMS) is wirelessly received by the OBIM. The unlocking signal can be a composite including a plurality of species of wireless signals such as different frequencies of AM and FM encoded RF and acoustic signals, transmitted simultaneously and/or at specified intervals. In embodiments the OBIM enables remote tracking of the container, and in some embodiments the tracking is double-blind, whereby a Master Number (MN) recorded in shipping documents is associated with a “Random Number” (RN) used for tracking, the association being known only to the SMS.
US08441335B2	Method of trimming a thin film resistor, and an integrated circuit including trimmable thin film resistors Apparatus and methods of trimming resistors are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of controlling the PCR of a thin film resistor is provided. The method includes applying a first current to a resistor so as to alter a property of the resistor, and measuring the property of the resistor. Applying the first current and measuring the property of the resistor can be repeated until the PCR of the resistor is within an acceptable tolerance of a desired value for the property of the resistor.
US08441327B2	Printed circuit board A printed circuit board includes an insulation layer and a signal layer attached to the insulation layer. The signal layer includes a pair of differential transmission lines. Width W of each of the differential transmission lines is changed according to change of space S between the differential transmission lines, based on the following formula: W = C ⁢ ⁢ 1 × H × ( C ⁢ ⁢ 2 × H 0.8 ⁢ W 0 + T ) C ⁢ ⁢ 3 × ⅇ C ⁢ ⁢ 4 × S 0 H - 1 1 - C ⁢ ⁢ 3 × ⅇ C ⁢ ⁢ 4 × S H - 1.25 ⁢ T In above formula, C1=7.475, C2=5.98, C3=0.48, C4=−0.96, H is a thickness of the insulation layer, W0 is an original width of each of the differential transmission lines, and S0 is an original space between the differential transmission lines, and T is a thickness of each of the differential transmission lines.
US08441325B2	Isolator with complementary configurable memory An isolator that includes first and second substantially identical circuitry galvanically isolated from each other and each having at least one communications channel thereon for communicating signals across an isolation boundary therebetween and each of said first and second circuitry having configurable functionality associated with the operation thereof. A coupling device is provided for coupling signal across the isolation boundary between the at least one communication channels of the first and second circuitry. First and second configuration memories are provided, each associated with a respective one of the first and second circuitry. First and second configuration control devices are provided, each associated with a respective one of the first and second circuitry and each configuring the functionality of the associated one of the first and second circuitry. The first and second configurable memories have stored therein complementary configuration information to control each of the functionalities of the first and second circuitry to operate in a complementary manner for communication of signals across the isolation boundary.
US08441324B2	Voltage-controlled oscillator and radar system A voltage-controlled oscillator circuit comprises an output terminal for providing an oscillatory output signal thereat, a first inductor, a varactor, and a negative-resistance element. The varactor's capacitance is a function of a tuning potential applied at a first terminal of the varactor. A bias branch is present for coupling a second terminal of the varactor to a bias potential. The bias branch comprises a second inductor or a transmission line. The bias branch may comprise a transmission line the length of which is one quarter wavelength associated with the resonance frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. A radar system including a VCO circuit is further disclosed.
US08441321B2	Multi-stage amplifier The disclosed multi-stage amplifier (200) comprises several amplifier stages (201-203) which, together with an output network, form different branches. A first branch comprises a first and a second amplifier (201, 202) having their outputs connected to each other via a quarter-wave transmission line. The first branch is connected to a load via a first offset-transmission-line (0.1). A second branch comprises a third amplifier stage (203) and a second offset-transmission line (0.22) which are also connected to the load.
US08441317B1	Tapered-impedance distributed switching power amplifier A distributed power amplifier may include a plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits, and a plurality of connection network sub-circuits, each of the plurality connection network sub-circuits having a characteristic impedance, wherein each of the plurality of connection network sub-circuits combines two or more of the plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits into a parallel or series configuration, wherein the plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits, the plurality of connection network sub-circuits and the characteristic impedance of each of the plurality of connection network sub-circuits are configured to present each of the plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits with a substantially equivalent load impedance.
US08441306B2	Poly fuse burning system This invention provides a poly fuse burning system comprising a poly fuse, a controllable power source supplying power for burning the poly fuse, and a monitor circuit monitoring the burning state of the poly fuse, wherein when a targeted burning state is reached, a control signal is output to shut down the controllable power source to stop the burning.
US08441305B2	Low-leakage diodes and methods of forming the same Low leakage diodes and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment an apparatus includes a designed or parasitic bipolar transistor having an emitter, a base and a collector. The bipolar transistor is configured to operate as a diode, the diode having reverse-biased and forward-biased modes of operation. The emitter and base operate as first and second terminals of the diode, respectively. The collector is configured to receive a collector bias voltage, which is controlled relative to a voltage of the emitter to reduce a diffusion leakage current of the diode when the diode is in the reverse-biased mode of operation.
US08441303B1	Analog switching system for low cross-talk A system includes a voltage pump to generate a first pump voltage from an analog voltage signal. The system further includes switching pad to receive an analog signal from an external source and route the analog signal to analog processing circuitry over one or more analog signal busses based on the first pump voltage and the analog voltage signal.
US08441289B2	Driving circuit, driving device and image forming device Each of a plurality of gate driving parts outputs a first potential (2 V) during a period in which the gates of a plurality of thyristors belonging to the corresponding set are driven (S1N=Low) and outputs a second potential (5 V) that is higher than the first potential at a rising part of the anode driving voltage during a period in which the gates of a plurality of thyristors belonging to the corresponding set are not driven (S1N=High). Each of a plurality of gate driving parts outputs a third potential (3 V) that is lower than the second potential at periods other than the rising part of the anode driving voltage during a period in which the gates of a plurality of thyristors belonging to the corresponding set are not driven (S1N=High).
US08441288B2	Differential current signal circuit A differential current signal circuit is described which includes a voltage to differential current converter circuit that generates a differential pair of current output signals in response to receiving a voltage input signal, where the differential pair of current output signals are linearly proportional to the voltage input signal within a voltage operating range from a minimum operating voltage to a maximum operating voltage. The differential pair of current output signals are linear over a wide range of voltage input signals. A correction circuit is included which eliminates voltage offsets in the voltage operating range due to process and temperature variations. The correction circuit also provides the capability to adjust the minimum operating voltage, and eliminates variations in the minimum operating voltage due to process and temperature variations.
US08441277B2	Semiconductor testing device, semiconductor device, and testing method A semiconductor test apparatus, semiconductor device, and test method are provided that enable the realization of a high-speed delay test. Semiconductor test apparatuses (1a-1c) include: flip-flops (11) each provided with first input terminal SI, second input terminal D, mode terminal SE that accepts a mode signal indicating either a first mode or a second mode, clock terminal CK that accepts a clock signal, and output terminal Q, the flip-flops (11) selecting first input terminal SI when the mode signal indicates the first mode, selecting second input terminal D when the mode signal indicates the second mode, and holding information being received by the input terminal that was selected based on the mode signal in synchronization with the clock signal and supplying as output from output terminal Q; and hold unit 12 that holds a set value and that provides the set value to first input terminal SI.
US08441274B2	Wafer unit manufacturing method for testing a semiconductor chip wafer A manufacturing method of manufacturing a wafer unit for testing includes forming a plurality of test circuits on a circuit wafer, forming a plurality of circuit pads on a predetermined surface of a connecting wafer, forming a plurality of wafer pads on a rear surface of the connection wafer opposing the predetermined surface, forming a plurality of long via holes to electrically connect the plurality of circuit pads and the plurality of wafer pads, and forming the wafer unit for testing, by overlapping the circuit wafer and the connection wafer to electrically connect the plurality of test circuits and the plurality of circuit pads.
US08441271B2	Contactor and method of production of contactor A contactor includes: a silicon layer composing a part of beam part with a rear end side provided at a base part and with a front end side sticking out from the base part; SiO2 layer as an insulating layer formed on the silicon layer; and a conductive layer formed on the SiO2 layer.
US08441264B2	Station for detecting winding products and method for detecting inter-turn short circuit A detecting station of a winding product and a method for detecting an inter-turn short circuit are provided. The method includes following steps. First, a high voltage pulse is input to two ends of a winding of a winding product. Next, a voltage value of an electrifying process of the winding is extracted for generating an extracting data. Finally, a time-frequency converting operation is performed to the extracting data, and a time-frequency analysis information is generated for indicating whether or not the inter-turn short circuit is occurred in the winding.
US08441263B2	Voltage monitor with self diagnostic function In a voltage monitor, an abnormality detecting unit receives first information outputted from a first obtaining unit and second information outputted from a second obtaining unit, and determines that an abnormality that affects on at least one of first and second diagnostic thresholds arises in the voltage monitor when the first information is different from the second information. The abnormality detecting unit receives a first forced signal outputted from a first forced-output unit and a second forced signal outputted from a second forced-output unit. The abnormality detecting unit determines whether a timing at which the level of the first diagnostic threshold is switched for each step is deviated from a timing at which the level of the second diagnostic threshold is switched for a corresponding step based on a result of a comparison between the first forced signal and the second forced signal.
US08441249B2	High voltage measurement device using poled fibers Two transversely poled fibers are disclosed which can be wound around a holder with their poling directions being anti-parallel. A coupling exchanges the polarization directions of the modes of the fibers. Thermally and mechanically caused birefringence changes can thereby be substantially cancelled, while electrical field induced birefringence changes can be added, to provide a more robust high voltage measuring device.
US08441240B2	Protection circuit for protecting a half-bridge circuit The present invention relates to a protection circuit for protecting a half-bridge circuit. The protection circuit detects an incorrect response of the half-bridge by monitoring the current of a first switch at a series resistor of a second switch. The protection circuit has a detector for detecting the voltage across the resistor and an evaluation circuit which is designed in such a manner that it evaluates an output signal from the detector after the first switch has been switched on and provides a fault signal at an output when the voltage across the resistor is greater than the threshold voltage.
US08441238B2	Zero current detecting circuit and related synchronous switching power converter A zero current detecting circuit is disclosed. The zero current detecting circuit includes a first zero current comparator for determining current variation on an inductor of a synchronous switching power converter so as to accordingly turn off a down-bridge transistor of the synchronous power converter; a second zero current comparator for determining whether the first zero current comparator turns off the down-bridge transistor too early or too late and outputting a comparison result, and a counter coupled to the second zero current comparator for ascending or descending a control bit according to the comparison result.
US08441229B2	System for recharging plug-in hybrid vehicle and control method for the same A system for recharging a plug-in hybrid vehicle and a control method are provided to recharge a battery with exterior AC electricity plugged in. The system includes a motor operated as an electric motor or a generator, a battery in which DC voltage is stored, an inverter disposed between the motor and the battery, a plugged in exterior AC electric power source supplying electrical energy, a single phase inductor disposed between the inverter and the AC electric power source, a switch which electrically connects or disconnects the motor, a current sensor that detects current value supplying to the motor, and a controller which controls the switch to disconnect electric connection between the inductor and the motor and controls the inverter not to supply current to the phase which is not connected to the inductor when the AC electric power source is plugged in.
US08441219B2	Motor control device and electrical equipment provided with the same A motor control device controlling an inverter to control an electric motor, includes a plurality of function sections, a voltage command generating section generating a d-axis voltage command and a q-axis voltage command, a voltage operational processing section, an input current operation section, a speed information generating section estimating a rotational speed of the motor based on at least one of a motor constant, a positional information generating section delivering positional information about a rotor, and a processor executing control software set by a user or a manufacturer. At least a part of the function sections are configured by hardware. The function section configured by the hardware is given at least one parameter retaining section. The parameter retaining section is configured so as to be readable/writable on the processor. The function section is configured by the hardware so as to be operated in a predetermined sequence.
US08441218B2	Electrical regenerative braking This invention relates to an electrical regenerative brake (100) with a rotating brake coil (10) which is mounted on a wheel (14) of a vehicle, whereby a magnetic field (18) is fed in the coil (10). In order to allow effective regenerative braking (100) at low speeds and to provide a significant increase in power saving, this invention proposes that the permanent magnet (13) producing the magnetic field (18) is placed in the inner space of at least one additional coil (11, 12), whereby the brake has an electric circuit (22) which contains the rotating brake coil (10) and the additional coil (11, 12) as elements.
US08441217B2	Oscillator circuit with frequency sweep function With an oscillator circuit with a frequency sweep function, a first counter counts a reference clock for a number of counts that corresponds to a digital first setting signal, and generates a first count completion signal which is asserted on completion of the count. A D/A converter converts a digital second setting signal into an analog control voltage. A VCO oscillates with a frequency according to the control voltage. When the first count completion signal is asserted, the VCO is reset. An output combining unit receives the output signal of the VCO, generates the output signal of the oscillator circuit, and generates the first setting signal and the second setting signal.
US08441216B2	Power supply system for a building An electrical system, which includes a light switch housing and an AC-to-DC converter carried by the light switch housing. The electrical system includes an input power line which provides an AC signal to an input of the converter and an output power line coupled to an output of the converter. An electrical device operates in response to receiving an output signal from the output power line, wherein the output signal is a DC signal.
US08441209B2	Lighting device having variable current source To provide a lighting device in which the luminance of an EL element is maintained even when the EL element deteriorates so that degradation of the lighting device is reduced, the lighting device includes a surface light source portion including an organic EL element, and a control circuit portion provided in a base portion. The control circuit portion counts a lighting time of the organic EL element and controls the luminance of the organic EL element in accordance with the lighting time. Accordingly, the lighting device in which the luminance of an EL element is maintained regardless of degradation of the EL element so that degradation of the lighting device is reduced can be provided.
US08441208B2	Light emitting module and illuminating device To a constant-current power supply whose output current can be variably set, light emitting modules can be connected in parallel. A control unit recognizes connection information outputted from an information output unit provided in each of the light emitting modules and varies the output current of the constant-current power supply. Drive can be controlled in response to a state of the connected light emitting modules such as the connecting number of light emitting modules.
US08441205B2	Dimming apparatus transmitting control signals with AC power line A dimming apparatus transmitting control signals with AC power line (10) is applied to an alternating current power source (20), a light emitting diode driving power unit (40), and a light emitting diode unit (30). The dimming apparatus transmitting control signals with AC power line (10) includes an input voltage detection unit (102), a one-shot signal unit (104), an AND gate unit (106), a pulse width modulation dimming signal unit (108), an inductor unit (110), a first switch unit (114), a dimming signal recovery unit (124), and a second switch unit (122). The input voltage detection unit (102) is electrically connected to the alternating current power source (20), the inductor unit (110), and the one-shot signal unit (104). The AND gate unit (106) is electrically connected to the one-shot signal unit (104), the pulse width modulation dimming signal unit (108), and the first switch unit (114). The dimming signal recovery unit (124) is electrically connected to the light emitting diode driving power unit (40), the inductor unit (110), the first switch unit (114), and the second switch unit (122). The second switch unit (122) is electrically connected to the light emitting diode unit (30).
US08441203B1	Dimming electronic ballast for true parallel lamp operation A dimmable and program start electronic ballast is configured for powering one or more lamps in a true parallel configuration. An inverter driver is coupled to each gate of a pair of inverter switches and is responsive to at least a reference input signal and a feedback input signal to drive the inverter switches. The inverter circuit is effective thereby to generate an output voltage at an inverter output terminal between the pair of switches. One or more tank circuits are coupled in parallel, with a first end of each coupled to the inverter output terminal. Each tank circuit has a switching circuit as well as first and second output terminals on a second end which can receive a discharge lamp filament. A controller is configured to adjust a switching state for each of the one or more switching circuits and thereby enable or disable an associated tank circuit.
US08441199B2	Method and apparatus for an intelligent light emitting diode driver having power factor correction capability The present invention relates to circuits and methods for controlling one or more LED strings. The circuit comprises a programmable controller coupled to one or more detectors, wherein the one or more detectors are configured to detect one or more measurable parameters of one or more LEDs or LED drivers. The controller is configured to receive information from the one or more detectors related to the one or more measurable parameters and use that information to determine the desired drive voltage for the LED strings. The controller is associated with a power supply having power factor correction (PFC) capability. The controller provides the power supply with a control signal indicative of the desired drive voltage for one or more LED strings. The power supply also receives ac voltage and current waveforms as inputs and performs power factor correction and rectified waveforms related to the ac waveforms. The power supply generates the desired drive voltage based on the control signal.
US08441196B2	Multi-color light emitting device circuit The present invention discloses a multi-color light emitting device circuit, which includes: multiple light emitting device strings of different colors, a timing control circuit, a power regulator circuit, and preferably a dark feedback circuit. Each light emitting device string has multiple light emitting devices coupled in series. The number of the light emitting devices of each light emitting device string is determined by an operational voltage of the light emitting device, wherein at least two of the light emitting device strings have different numbers of the light emitting devices, such that voltage drops of the two light emitting device strings are closer to each other than in a case wherein the two light emitting device strings have the same number of the light emitting devices, and the response time of the light emitting device strings are increased.
US08441193B2	Electronic frequency tuning magnetron A highly-reliable electronic frequency tuning magnetron comprises an anode for forming a resonant cavity which is segmented into a plurality of spaces in an inner periphery side of a cylindrical anode shell, a cathode provided at the center of the anode shell along its cylindrical axial direction and an exhausted structure having a coaxial central conductor which is connected to the inside of the cavity of the anode shell and is coupled thereto in a high-frequency manner, wherein the coaxial central conductor is externally led through a wall of the exhausted structure via a through-hole and the through-hole is covered by a dielectric portion placed between an external conductor for constituting the coaxial central conductor and the central conductor, wherein a portion of the led coaxial central conductor is conductively connected to a switching element.
US08441189B2	Dielectric barrier discharge lamp with discharge spaces Two or more separate discharge spaces (8, 9) are provided in the discharge vessel (2) of a dielectric barrier discharge lamp (1), said discharge spaces (8, 9) each being filled with a discharge medium. This provides the possibility of producing radiation with two or more wavelengths which are characteristic of the respectively used discharge media using a single lamp (1).
US08441178B2	Display substrate, organic light emitting diode display device, and manufacturing method thereof A display substrate, an organic light emitting diode display device having the same, and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The display substrate includes a first pixel separating portion and a second pixel separating portion extending from the pixel separating portion and disposed around a pixel portion. Therefore, the number of processes for forming the organic light emitting diode display device can be reduced, and corrosion of a first electrode of the organic light emitting diode display device can be prevented.
US08441176B1	Methods and apparatus for mechanical resonating structures Mechanical resonating structures and related methods are described. The mechanical resonating structures may provide improved efficiency over conventional resonating structures. Some of the structures have lengths and widths and are designed to vibrate in a direction approximately parallel to either the length or width. They may have boundaries bounding the length and width dimensions, which may substantially align with nodes or anti-nodes of vibration.
US08441171B2	Motor device, method of manufacturing motor device, and robot device A motor device comprises a transmission substrate formed with a transmission portion that is wound around at least part of the outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving substrate that has a driving portion which moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released, and is connected to the transmission substrate so that the driving force due to the driving portion acts on the transmission portion.
US08441167B2	Capacitive electric current generator A capacitive generator has a generator circuit (G) and a charge priming circuit (P) that includes variable capacitors (1, 2, 101, 102) all coupled to a mechanical transmission which acts to vary the capacitance of the capacitors and to actuate an array of switches (K). A small residual charge on the priming circuit (P) can thus be amplified and conveyed to the generating circuit (G) where it is used to generate an alternating current between the variable capacitors (1, 2) of the generating circuit. The capacitance of the generating capacitors (1, 2) is varied in antiphase in response to the movement of the transmission. An electrical energy extraction device (8) in circuit with the generator capacitors (1, 2) extracts electrical energy from the circuit in reaction to the alternating current which can then be used to power or recharge a small portable device.
US08441162B2	Multi-phase stator device Disclosed is a stator device adapted to be arranged in an electrical machine, where the electrical machine further comprises a moving device, where the stator device is a multi-phase stator device, where the phases are arranged side-by-side in a direction perpendicular to direction of motion of the moving device, and where each phase comprises a first stator core section having a set of teeth, a second stator core section having a set of teeth, and a coil, and where the teeth are arranged to protrude towards the moving device; and wherein at least two neighboring phases share a stator core section, so that the first stator core section of a first phase and a second stator core section of a second phase is formed as a single unit.
US08441160B2	Inverter-integrated electric compressor Provided is an inverter-integrated electric compressor which is compact, has excellent ease of mounting, can ensure heat resistance reliability, and can reduce vibration and noise. In an inverter-integrated electric compressor where an inverter device having a noise removing filter circuit and an inverter circuit is incorporated in an inverter accommodating section provided on an outer periphery of a housing, the inverter accommodating section consists of an inverter box provided on the outer periphery of the housing and in which the inverter circuit is accommodated and installed, and a junction box integrally coupled to the inverter box and in which a constituent component of the noise removing filter circuit is accommodated and installed, the junction box is coupled to the inverter box with internal spaces opposing each other, and functions as a cover of the inverter box, and the noise removing filter circuit is electrically wire-connected to the inverter circuit.
US08441155B2	Electric timer for controlling power to a fan A fan controller that is capable of switching power to a fan between an “on” state and an “off” state in accordance with one or more programmable schedule. In some cases, fan controller may be programmed to display one or more screens for setting one or more parameters of the fan controller by interacting with a first button and/or a second button. In some cases, when the controller is in an operating mode, depressing a first button, second button, and/or a third button may temporarily override the programmable schedule and, in some cases, override the programmable schedule for a programmable period of time.
US08441153B2	Contactless power transfer system A system comprising a contactless power transfer system is presented. The system includes a primary element, a secondary element, and at least one field-focusing element interposed between the primary element and the secondary element and configured to focus a magnetic field. A partition is disposed between the primary element and the secondary element. The contactless power transfer system is disposed within pressure isolation cavities of a sub-sea assembly and configured to transfer power between a power source and a load.
US08441145B2	Modular power distribution system to drive DC and AC electrical loads, in particular for vehicle or domotics application A modular power distribution system configured to drive DC and AC electrical loads comprises logical units in different locations receiving DC and AC power lines for distribution to respectively DC and AC electrical loads in all of these locations. In each of the logical units, the system comprises one or more physical units, and in each of the physical units one or more power modules for the distribution of DC or AC power to one of the DC or AC electrical loads. Finally, the system comprises at least one master control unit for each of the logical units placed in one of physical units to control the functions of the pertaining logical unit.
US08441134B2	Chip stacking structure A chip stacking structure includes a first chip and a second chip. The first chip includes a surface having a first group of pads formed thereon, and the second chip includes a surface having a second group of pads formed thereon. The second group of pads is bonded onto the first group of pads to define a plurality of capillary passages extending in a same direction. The chip stacking structure further includes an underfill filling up interspaces between the first chip and the second chip. The chip stacking structure is capable of avoiding chip deformation and cracking during a bonding process.
US08441131B2	Strain-compensating fill patterns for controlling semiconductor chip package interactions Generally, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to sophisticated semiconductor chips that may be less susceptible to the occurrence of white bumps during semiconductor chip packaging operations, such as flip-chip or 3D-chip assembly, and the like. One illustrative semiconductor chip disclosed herein includes, among other things, a bond pad and a metallization layer below the bond pad, wherein the metallization layer is made up of a bond pad area below the bond pad and a field area surrounding the bond pad area. Additionally, the semiconductor device also includes a plurality of device features in the metallization layer, wherein the plurality of device features has a first feature density in the bond pad area and a second feature density in the field area that is less than the first feature density.
US08441130B2	Power supply interconnect structure of semiconductor integrated circuit A power supply interconnect structure of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a single borderless stack via electrically connecting power supply interconnects of two different interconnect layers to form a connecting portion of the interconnects, and a multi-stack via functioning as another connecting portion of the interconnects, which electrically connect the power supply interconnects, and having a wide pad portion. The single borderless stack via is located in an interconnect region with high signal interconnect density. The multi-stack via is located in an interconnect region with low signal interconnect density. This increases interconnection efficiency in the region with the high signal interconnect density to improve interconnection characteristics. This enables reduction in an area of a chip and increases compatibility to an EDA tool, thereby improving IR-DROP characteristics.
US08441127B2	Bump-on-trace structures with wide and narrow portions A device includes a package component, and a metal trace on a surface of the package component. A first and a second dielectric mask cover a top surface and sidewalls of the metal trace, wherein a landing portion of the metal trace is located between the first and the second dielectric masks. The landing portion includes a first portion having a first width, and a second portion connected to an end of the first portion. The second portion has a second width greater than the first width, wherein the first and the second widths are measured in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the metal trace.
US08441117B2	Semiconductor device In some aspects of the invention, an insulating substrate fixed onto a metal base plate can include an insulating plate and metal foils. A semiconductor element can be disposed on each of the metal foils. External connection terminals can be fixed to a set of ends of terminal holders, respectively. The other ends of the terminal holders can be bonded to the metal foils, respectively. External connection terminals which are main terminals through which main current flows are disposed on a lid. By preparing a plurality of lids having different layouts of the external connection terminals, in which the external connection terminals are connected to the terminal holders in the resin case, respectively, and exchanging the lids, the positions of the external connection terminals can be easily changed.
US08441102B2	Semiconductor device having a capacitor It is an object to provide a semiconductor device integrating various elements without using a semiconductor substrate, and a method of manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, a layer to be separated including an inductor, a capacitor, a resistor element, a TFT element, an embedded wiring and the like, is formed over a substrate, separated from the substrate, and transferred onto a circuit board 100. An electrical conduction with a wiring pattern 114 provided in the circuit board 100 is made by a wire 112 or a solder 107, thereby forming a high frequency module or the like.
US08441100B2	Capacitor with pillar type storage node and method for fabricating the same A capacitor includes a pillar-type storage node, a supporter disposed entirely within an inner empty crevice of the storage node, a conductive capping layer over the supporter and contacting the storage node so as to seal an entrance to the inner empty crevice, a dielectric layer over the storage node, and a plate node over the dielectric layer.
US08441092B2	Thermoelectric cooler system, method and device A semiconductor thermoelectric cooler is configured to direct heat through channels of the cooler. The thermoelectric cooler has multiple electrodes and a first dielectric material positioned between side surfaces of the electrodes. A second dielectric material, different from the first dielectric material, is in contact with top surfaces of the electrodes. The first dielectric material extends above the top surface of the electrodes, separating portions of the second dielectric material, and is in contact with a portion of the top surfaces of the electrodes. The first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity different than a thermal conductivity of the second dielectric material. A ratio of the first dielectric material to the second dielectric material in contact with the top surface of the electrodes may be selected to control the heat retention. The semiconductor thermoelectric cooler may be manufactured using thin film technology.
US08441090B2	Materials, systems and methods for optoelectronic devices A photodetector is described along with corresponding materials, systems, and methods. The photodetector comprises an integrated circuit and at least two optically sensitive layers. A first optically sensitive layer is over at least a portion of the integrated circuit, and a second optically sensitive layer is over the first optically sensitive layer. Each optically sensitive layer is interposed between two electrodes. The two electrodes include a respective first electrode and a respective second electrode. The integrated circuit selectively applies a bias to the electrodes and reads signals from the optically sensitive layers. The signal is related to the number of photons received by the respective optically sensitive layer.
US08441087B2	Direct readout focal plane array According to one embodiment, an image detector comprises a plurality of photosensitive detector unit cells interconnected to a plurality of integrated circuits by a plurality of direct bond interconnects. Each unit cell includes an absorber layer and a separation layer. The absorber layer absorbs incident photons such that the absorbed photons excite photocurrent comprising first charged carriers and second charged carriers having opposite polarities. The separation layer separates the first charged carriers for collection at one or more first contacts and the second charged carriers for collection at one or more second contacts. The first and second contacts include the direct bond interconnects to conduct the first charged carriers and the second charged carriers from the unit cells in order to facilitate image processing.
US08441083B2	Semiconductor device including a magnetic tunnel junction and method of manufacturing the same To provide a semiconductor device that has an improved adhesion between a bottom conductive layer and a protection film protecting an MTJ element.This semiconductor device includes a bottom electrode formed over a semiconductor substrate, an MTJ element part formed over a part of the bottom electrode by lamination of a bottom magnetic film, an insulating film, a top magnetic film, and a top electrode in this order, and a protection film formed over the bottom electrode so as to cover the MTJ element part, wherein the bottom electrode is formed by amorphized metal nitride and the protection film is formed by an insulating film containing nitrogen.
US08441080B2	Sensing device A sensing device includes: a semiconductor layer of a field effect semiconductor having upper and lower surfaces; a conductive layer formed on the lower surface of the semiconductor layer; and a sensor layer of an insulator formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor layer. The insulator is made from lanthanide-titanium oxide.
US08441079B2	Semiconductor device with gate stack structure A semiconductor device includes a first conductive layer, a first intermediate structure over the first conductive layer, a second intermediate structure over the first intermediate structure, and a second conductive layer over the second intermediate structure. The first intermediate structure includes a metal silicide layer and a nitrogen containing metal layer. The second intermediate structure includes at least a nitrogen containing metal silicide layer.
US08441077B2	Method for forming a ruthenium metal layer and a structure comprising the ruthenium metal layer A method for forming a ruthenium metal layer comprises combining a ruthenium precursor with a measured amount of oxygen to form a ruthenium oxide layer. The ruthenium oxide is annealed in the presence of a hydrogen-rich gas to react the oxygen in the ruthenium oxide with hydrogen, which results in a ruthenium metal layer. By varying the oxygen flow rate during the formation of ruthenium oxide, a ruthenium metal layer having various degrees of smooth and rough textures can be formed.
US08441069B2	Structure and method for forming trench-gate field effect transistor with source plug A field effect transistor includes a gate trench extending into a semiconductor region. The gate trench has a recessed gate electrode disposed therein. A source region in the semiconductor region flanks each side of the gate trench. A conductive material fills an upper portion of the gate trench so as to make electrical contact with the source regions along upper sidewalls of the gate trench. The conductive material is insulated from the recessed gate electrode.
US08441068B2	Semiconductor device and method for forming the same A semiconductor device and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes an active region formed to be sloped or tilted by α° (where 0°<α°<90°) from the bottom of a semiconductor substrate, at least one gate that is formed over the sloped active region and has a surface parallel to the bottom of the semiconductor substrate, and a landing plug that is coupled to the active region and is located between the gates. As a result, the area of the active region is increased thus increasing a channel width, so that the operation of the semiconductor device can be improved as the integration degree of the semiconductor device is rapidly increased.
US08441067B2	Power device with low parasitic transistor and method of making the same The power device with low parasitic transistor comprises a recessed transistor and a heavily doped region at a side of a source region of the recessed transistor. The conductive type of the heavily doped region is different from that of the source region. In addition, a contact plug contacts the heavily doped region and connects the heavily doped region electrically. A source wire covers and contacts the source region and the contact plug to make the source region and the heavily doped region have the same electrical potential.
US08441063B2	Memory with extended charge trapping layer A memory array includes a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines, a gate region, and a charge trapping layer. The charge trapping layer is wider than a word line; the charge trapping layer is extended beyond the edge of the gate region to facilitate capturing and removing charges.
US08441061B2	Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with different doping concentration word lines According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked structural body, a semiconductor pillar, and a memory unit. The stacked structural body is provided on a major surface of the substrate. The stacked structural body includes electrode films alternately stacked with inter-electrode insulating films in a direction perpendicular to the major surface. The pillar pierces the body in the direction. The memory unit is provided at an intersection between the pillar and the electrode films. The electrode films include at least one of amorphous silicon and polysilicon. The stacked structural body includes first and second regions. A distance from the second region to the substrate is greater than a distance from the first region to the substrate. A concentration of an additive included in the electrode film in the first region is different from that included in the electrode film in the second region.
US08441058B2	Memory devices having reduced interference between floating gates and methods of fabricating such devices A memory array comprising transistors having isolated inter-gate dielectric regions with respect to one another. Transistors are formed such that each of the transistors in the array has a charge storage region such as a floating gate, a control gate and an inter-gate dielectric layer therebetween. The inter-gate dielectric layer for each transistor is isolated from the inter-gate dielectric of each of the other transistors in the array.
US08441057B2	Embedded memory device having MIM capacitor formed in excavated structure A method of patterning a metal (141, 341, 841) on a vertical sidewall (132, 332, 832) of an excavated feature (130, 330, 830) includes placing a material (350) in the excavated feature such that a portion (435) of the metal is exposed in the excavated feature above the material, etching the exposed portion of the metal away from the vertical sidewall using a first wet etch chemistry, and removing the material from the excavated feature by etching it away using a second wet etch chemistry. The described method may be used to produce a MIM capacitor (800) suitable for an eDRAM device.
US08441054B2	Driver for driving a load using a charge pump circuit A charge pump circuit includes MOSFETs and MOS capacitors formed on the same substrate. Each of the MOS capacitors has a multiplicity of first electrodes formed in one region of the substrate, insulating layers formed on/above respective substrate regions between neighboring first electrodes, each layer covering at least the respective substrate region, and a multiplicity of second electrodes formed on/above the respective insulating layers. The MOS capacitors have improved frequency response.
US08441040B2	Semiconductor memory device A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes: a cell array block having, above a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of first and second wirings intersecting with one another, and a plurality of memory cells, the first and second wirings being separately formed in a plurality of layers in a perpendicular direction to the semiconductor substrate; and a first via wiring, connecting the first wiring in an n1-th layer of the cell array block with the first wiring in an n2-th layer, the semiconductor substrate or another metal wiring, and extending in a laminating direction of the cell array block. The first via wiring has a cross section orthogonal to the laminating direction of the cell array block. The cross section has an elliptical shape and a longer diameter in a direction perpendicular to the first wiring direction.
US08441033B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing semiconductor device A semiconductor device is provided in which a stress can be effectively applied from a semiconductor layer having a different lattice constant from a semiconductor substrate to a channel part, whereby carrier mobility can be improved and higher functionality can be achieved. In a semiconductor device 1 including a gate electrode 7 provided on a semiconductor substrate 3 via a gate insulating film 5 and semiconductor layers (stress applying layers) 9 formed by epitaxial growth in parts formed by digging down the surface of the semiconductor substrate 3 on both sides of the gate electrode 7, the semiconductor layers 9 are a layer having a different lattice constant from the semiconductor substrate 3, and the gate insulating film 5 and the gate electrode 7 are provided in a state of filling a part formed by digging down the surface of the semiconductor substrate 3 between the semiconductor layers 9. It is supposed that a depth position d2 of the gate insulating film 5 with respect to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 3 is shallower than a depth position d1 of the semiconductor layers 9.
US08441026B2	Red emitting SiAlON-based material The invention relates to a red emitting material of the composition a(MIIN2/3)b(MIIIN)c(MIVN4/3)d1CeO3/2d2EuOxMIVO2yMIIIO3/2 with Cerium and Europium present in the material. This material has been found to have an increased lumen equivalent and absorption efficiency of blue light.
US08441021B2	Display device and manufacturing method thereof To achieve enlargement and high definition of a display portion, a single crystal semiconductor film is used as a transistor in a pixel, and the following steps are included: bonding a plurality of single crystal semiconductor substrates to a base substrate; separating part of the plurality of single crystal semiconductor substrates to form a plurality of regions each comprising a single crystal semiconductor film over the base substrate; forming a plurality of transistors each comprising the single crystal semiconductor film as a channel formation region; and forming a plurality of pixel electrodes over the region provided with the single crystal semiconductor film and a region not provided with the single crystal semiconductor film. Some of the transistors electrically connecting to the pixel electrodes formed over the region not provided with the single crystal semiconductor film are formed in the region provided with the single crystal semiconductor film.
US08441017B2	Schottky barrier diode and method for making the same A schottky diode includes a SiC substrate which has a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface, a semiconductor layer which is formed on the first surface of the SiC substrate, a schottky electrode which is in contact with the semiconductor layer, and an ohmic electrode which is in contact with the second surface of the SiC substrate. The first surface of the SiC substrate is a (000-1) C surface, upon which the semiconductor layer is formed.
US08441006B2	Cyclic carbosilane dielectric films Embodiments of the invention provide dielectric films and low-k dielectric films and methods for making dielectric and low-k dielectric films. Dielectric films are made from carbosilane-containing precursors. In embodiments of the invention, dielectric film precursors comprise attached porogen molecules. In further embodiments, dielectric films have nanometer-dimensioned pores.
US08441002B2	Organic semiconductor composite, organic transistor material and organic field effect transistor The present invention provides an organic semiconductor composite containing a certain thiophene compound and carbon nanotubes, which can be formed into a film by a coating process such as an inkjet process, has high charge mobility and can maintain a high on/off ratio even in air, an organic transistor material and an organic field effect transistor.
US08441000B2	Heterojunction tunneling field effect transistors, and methods for fabricating the same The present invention relates to a heterojunction tunneling effect transistor (TFET), which comprises spaced apart source and drain regions with a channel region located therebetween and a gate stack located over the channel region. The drain region comprises a first semiconductor material and is doped with a first dopant species of a first conductivity type. The source region comprises a second, different semiconductor material and is doped with a second dopant species of a second, different conductivity type. The gate stack comprises at least a gate dielectric and a gate conductor. When the heterojunction TFET is an n-channel TFET, the drain region comprises n-doped silicon, while the source region comprises p-doped silicon germanium. When the heterojunction TFET is a p-channel TPET, the drain region comprises p-doped silicon, while the source region comprises n-doped SiC.
US08440999B2	Semiconductor chip with graphene based devices in an interconnect structure of the chip A semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric material including at least one first conductive region contained therein. The structure also includes at least one graphene containing semiconductor device located atop the first dielectric material. The at least one graphene containing semiconductor device includes a graphene layer that overlies and is in direct with the first conductive region. The structure further includes a second dielectric material covering the at least one graphene containing semiconductor device and portions of the first dielectric material. The second dielectric material includes at least one second conductive region contained therein, and the at least one second conductive region is in contact with a conductive element of the at least one graphene containing semiconductor device.
US08440994B2	Nanotube array electronic and opto-electronic devices Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based devices and technology for their fabrication are disclosed. The discussed electronic and photonic devices and circuits rely on the nanotube arrays grown on a variety of substrates, such as glass or Si wafer. The planar, multiple layer deposition technique and simple methods of change of the nanotube conductivity type during the device processing are utilized to provide a simple and cost effective technology for a large scale circuit integration. Such devices as p-n diode, CMOS-like circuit, bipolar transistor, light emitting diode and laser are disclosed, all of them are expected to have superior performance then their semiconductor-based counterparts due to excellent CNT electrical and optical properties. When fabricated on Si-wafers, the CNT-based devices can be combined with the Si circuit elements, thus producing hybrid Si-CNT devices and circuits.
US08440991B2	Phase change memory device having a heater with a temperature dependent resistivity, method of manufacturing the same, and circuit of the same A phase change memory device having a heater that exhibits a temperature dependent resistivity which provides a way of reducing a reset current is presented. The phase change memory device includes a phase change pattern and a heating electrode contacted with the phase change pattern. The heating electrode includes a smart heating electrode such that the smart heating layer is formed of a conduction material that exhibits an increase in resistance as a function of an increase in temperature, i.e., a positive temperature dependent resistivity.
US08440984B2	Fluoroscopy system Provided is a fluoroscopy system includes a light source device that emits white light and excitation light for irradiation of a subject; a white-light-image generating section that generates a white-light image by capturing the white light reflected from the subject; a fluorescence-image generating section that generates a fluorescence image by capturing fluorescence from the subject irradiated with the excitation light; an intensity-distribution generating section that generates a fluorescence intensity distribution of pixels of the fluorescence image; a peak-detecting section that detects a fluorescence-intensity peak in the fluorescence intensity distribution; a peak-count comparing section that calculates a count of the peak; an image-combining section that generates a combined image by superimposing a display representing a region including a pixel having the fluorescence intensity at the peak on the white-light image or the fluorescence image based on the peak count; and a monitor that displays the combined image.
US08440983B2	Radiation image conversion panel, its manufacturing method, and X-ray radiographic system Disclosed are a radiation image conversion panel, which provides high luminance, an image without white or black defects, an image free from cracks and an image with reduced unevenness, and its manufacturing method. Also disclosed is an X-ray radiographic system employing the radiation image conversion panel. The radiation image conversion panel of the invention comprises a substrate and provided thereon, a reflection layer, a phosphor layer and a protective layer in that order, wherein the phosphor layer is composed of a phosphor crystal in the form of column, and the reflection layer is formed by vapor phase deposition of two or more kinds of metals.
US08440976B2	Method for optimizing step size in a multi-step whole-body PET imaging A method of imaging a region of interest (ROI) in an object, the ROI having an axial extent greater than an axial FOV of a PET scanner. The method includes determining a number of overlapping scans of the PET scanner necessary to image at least the axial extent of the ROI, wherein each scan has a same axial length equal to the axial FOV, and each scan overlaps an adjacent scan by a predetermined overlap percentage of the axial length of each scan. The method includes determining a total amount of excess scanning length of the scans based on the number, the axial extent of the ROI, and the axial FOV, and determining a new overlap percentage so that a new total amount of excess scanning length is zero.
US08440972B2	Radiation detector with microstructured silicon A radiation detector includes material for absorbing incident radiation, and for providing a response to heating caused by the absorption of photons from the incident radiation. The radiation detector may include multiple pixels, each with one or more layers of absorbing material. The absorbing material may include black (microstructured) silicon, which has the advantage of being a good absorber of radiation in the short wave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths (as well as ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and visible light wavelengths). The radiation detector may include multiple pixels, each separately responding to radiation incident on that pixel, and each including black silicon (as well as possibly other absorptive materials). The pixels of the detector may each have cantilevered attachment to a frame of the detector, with differences in coefficient of thermal expansion of materials of the pixels causing deflection of parts of the pixels due to heating from absorption of radiation.
US08440969B2	Method and apparatus for acquiring simultaneous and overlapping optical and charged particle beam images This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for producing multiple pixel-by-pixel simultaneous and overlapping images of a sample in a microscope with multiple imaging beams. A scanning electron microscope, a focused ion-beam microscope, or a microscope having both beams, also has an optical microscope. A region of interest on a sample is scanned by both charged-particle and optical beams, either by moving the sample beneath the beams by use of a mechanical stage, or by synchronized scanning of the stationary sample by the imaging beams, or by independently scanning the sample with the imaging beams and recording imaging signals so as to form pixel-by-pixel simultaneous and overlapping images.
US08440967B2	Mass spectrometer A device for separating ions according to differences in their ion mobility as a function of electric field strength is disclosed. The device comprises an upper electrode, a lower electrode and a plurality of intermediate electrodes. An asymmetric voltage waveform is applied to the upper electrode and a DC compensating voltage is applied to the lower electrode.
US08440965B2	Sampling system for use with surface ionization spectroscopy The invention provides for efficient collection of analyte ions and neutral molecules from surfaces for their subsequent analysis with spectrometry. In an embodiment of the invention, a ‘multiple desorption ionization source’ includes a tube which can contain ions for subsequent sampling within a defined spatial resolution from desorption ionization at or near atmospheric pressures. In an embodiment, electrostatic fields are used to direct ions a plurality of tubes positioned in close proximity to the surface of the sample being analyzed. In an embodiment of the present invention, either narrow inside diameter capillary tubes or wide diameter tubes can be used in combination with a vacuum inlet to draw ions and neutrals into the spectrometer for analysis. In an embodiment of the invention, a dopant is introduced into a tube to analyze the sample. In an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of ionization sources is used to analyze the sample.
US08440959B2	Method and apparatus for automated spectral calibration A method and apparatus for automated spectral calibration of a spectroscopy device. A method for simultaneous calibration and spectral imaging of a sample by: simultaneously illuminating the sample and a calibrant with a plurality of illuminating photons; receiving, at the spectrometer, a first plurality of photons collected from the sample and a second plurality of photons collected from the calibrant; forming a calibrant spectrum from the first plurality of collected photons and a sample spectrum from the second plurality of collected photons; comparing the calibrant spectrum with a reference spectrum of the calibrant to determine a wavelength-shift in the calibrant spectrum; applying the wavelength-shift to the sample spectrum to obtain a calibrated sample spectrum.
US08440954B2	Solid-state image pickup device with a wiring becoming a light receiving surface, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device, including: a plurality of pixels each composed of a photoelectric conversion element formed in a semiconductor substrate for generating and accumulating signal electric charges corresponding to a light quantity of incident light, and an electric charge reading portion formed on a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate for reading out the signal electric charges generated and accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element; a wiring for a substrate potential formed on a back surface side, becoming a light receiving surface, of the semiconductor substrate for supplying a desired voltage to the semiconductor substrate; and a back surface side contact portion through which the wiring for a substrate potential and the semiconductor substrate are electrically connected to each other.
US08440952B2	Methods for optical amplified imaging using a two-dimensional spectral brush An apparatus and method for ultrafast real-time optical imaging that can be used for imaging dynamic events such as microfluidics or laser surgery is provided. The apparatus and methods encode spatial information from a sample into a back reflection of a two-dimensional spectral brush that is generated with a two-dimensional disperser and a light source that is mapped in to the time domain with a temporal disperser. The temporal waveform is preferably captured by an optical detector, converted to an electrical signal that is digitized and processed to provide two dimensional and three dimensional images. The produced signals can be optically or electronically amplified. Detection may be improved with correlation matching against a database in the time domain or the spatial domain. Embodiments for endoscopy, microscopy and simultaneous imaging and laser ablation with a single fiber are illustrated.
US08440951B2	Wavelength conversion laser light source having dual optical receiver and a temperature control unit, and projection display device, liquid crystal display device and laser light source provided with same A wavelength conversion laser light source includes: a fundamental light source for outputting fundamental light; a wavelength conversion element with a nonlinear optical effect for converting the fundamental light into harmonic light of a different wavelength; a first optical receiver for receiving light of a specific polarization direction contained in the fundamental light output from the fundamental light source and converting an amount of light thereof into an electrical signal; a second optical receiver for receiving the harmonic light output from the wavelength conversion element and converting an amount of light thereof into an electrical signal; a temperature holding unit for holding a temperature of the wavelength conversion element constant; a fundamental light control unit for performing first control of controlling an amount of light of the fundamental light output from the fundamental light source based on the electrical signal from the second optical receiver, and second control of controlling an amount of light of the fundamental light based on the electrical signal from the first optical receiver; and a temperature control unit for performing third control of controlling a holding temperature of the temperature holding unit based on the electrical signal from the second optical receiver.
US08440938B2	Multi pole battery with improved interplate leakproofing Double pole battery comprising three electrochemical cells stacked along a longitudinal axis, each cell consisting of an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte placed between the anode and the cathode, a current collector plate electrically connecting an anode of a cell and a cathode of an adjacent cell, a current collector plate on the anode of a cell located at a first longitudinal end of the stack, a current collector plate on the cathode located at a second longitudinal end of the stack, an electrolyte-proof lateral wall surrounding each cell between each pair of successive collector plates, wherein the lateral walls of two adjacent cells are offset transversely one relative to the other relative to the longitudinal axis, in such a way they are not superposed one on the other.
US08440936B2	Welding power supply A welding power supply (1) for supply of current to a welding electrode (2), and a method and a computer program for controlling such a welding power supply is described. The welding power supply (1) comprises an output (3) for output of current from the welding power supply (1), and a control unit (9) for controlling the welding power supply (1). The control unit (9) is arranged to control the welding power supply (1) to supply current to the output (3) in the form of a series of alternating positive current pulses (11), having a positive top value (Imax+), and negative current pulses (12), having a negative top value (Imax), and to lower the current in the current pulses from the negative top value (Imax) and the positive top value (Imax+) to a negative switch value (Ix−) and a positive switch value (Ix+), respectively, before switch between a positive current pulse (11) and a negative current pulse (12). The control unit (9) is arranged to control, in dependence of the current from the output and a first set point, the welding power supply (1) at least with regard to one of the point of time for lowering of the current in the current pulses and the level for at least one of the negative switch value (Ix−) and the positive switch value (Ix+).
US08440935B2	Automatic welding equipment A welding control unit has a common power section for detecting contact of a welding material and for welding. A material contact detector for detecting contact of the welding material and a workpiece, and a power controller are built in the welding control unit. This stabilizes a bead shape in starting welding. The number of components can also be reduced, resulting in more inexpensive equipment. In addition, only a space for installing the welding control unit is needed without any additional space.
US08440934B2	Arc start control method To start consumable electrode arc welding, an initial current is supplied to a welding wire after causing the welding wire to contact a base material and retracting the welding wire from the base material. Thereby, an initial arc is generated. The welding wire is retracted continuously for an initial arc lift period Ti with the initial arc maintained. Afterwards, the initial arc is switched to a steady arc. A predetermined weld pool formation period Tp is set after the initial arc lift period Ti. In the weld pool formation period, a weld pool formation current greater than the initial current is supplied with the initial arc maintained and the welding wire is caused to proceed and fed to the base material. In the weld pool formation period, a weld pool is formed by the initial arc without allowing the welding wire to release droplets and contact the base material.
US08440933B2	Systems and methods for enhanced control of laser drilling processes Systems and methods are provided for monitoring and/or controlling laser drilling processes based on atomic emission spectral emissions that are collected in real time during laser drilling. The systems and methods may be used to monitor and control laser drilling operations across a range of materials, e.g., metals (including alloys) and ceramics, and may be used to identify spectral characteristics that signify hole completion and to manage/discontinue laser drilling operations based thereon. The ability to precisely monitor for hole completion provides the important advantage of reducing unnecessary laser pulses, which otherwise could reduce manufacturing efficiency and/or increase thermal or mechanical damage to the component material. The systems and methods may also be employed to control laser drilling operations so as to enhance hole quality and/or to implement corrective action when/if necessary to ensure that laser drilling operations yield high quality drilled holes.
US08440929B2	Vacuum switch including an insulating body having a number of transparent portions made of a single crystal alumina A vacuum switch includes a vacuum envelope; a fixed contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope; and a movable contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact assembly and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact assembly. The vacuum envelope includes an insulating body having a number of transparent portions made of a single crystal alumina for viewing the fixed contact assembly and the movable contact assembly within the vacuum envelope.
US08440909B2	Data cable with free stripping water blocking material A data cable with free stripping water blocking material includes a first conductor substantially surrounded by a first foam, a second conductor longitudinally adjacent the first conductor and substantially surrounded by a second foam, a solid coat substantially surrounding the first foam of the first conductor, a filler material, a shielding member, a water swellable tape, and a jacket. The first conductor with the first foam and the solid coat and the second conductor with the second foam are substantially placed within the filler material. The shielding member is placed substantially around the filler material. The water swellable tape is placed substantially around the shielding member. The jacket is placed substantially around the water swellable tape.
US08440907B2	Solar cell, solar cell string and solar cell module A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric converting portion, a first electrode formed on a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second electrode connected to the first electrode on the first main surface. The first electrode includes a plurality of first connecting portions to be connected to an interconnector and a first non-connecting portion not connected to an interconnector. The first non-connecting portion is arranged between first connecting portions to electrically connect the first connecting portions together. The first connecting portion and first non-connecting portion are coupled forming an angle larger than 90° and smaller than 180°. A solar cell string and a solar cell module employ the solar cells.
US08440902B2	Interactive multi-channel data sonification to accompany data visualization with partitioned timbre spaces using modulation of timbre as sonification information carriers Interactive data sonification for representing multidimensional numerical information with a plurality of variable-timbre channels for use complementing data visualization is described. The method includes generation of a plurality of variable-timbre audio waveforms, each having an audio frequency parameter and at least one timbre modulation parameter having an adjustable value that affects the timbre of the audio waveform. The method includes associating aspects of multidimensional numerical data with the timbre modulation parameter of each audio frequency waveform using a mapping element. The mapping element varies values of timbre modulation parameters responsive to selected values from the multidimensional numerical data. Each audio frequency waveform can be positioned within a sonically-rendered sound field, associating information with positions within the sound field. Mapping elements can vary the positions responsive to selected values from the multidimensional numerical data. In an implementation, a cursor moves over visualized data as associated multidimensional numerical data values are sonified.
US08440897B1	Guitar with high speed, closed-loop tension control A guitar is played during performance by rapid change in the tension of its strings. In one embodiment, rapid, accurate, and repeatable tuning is obtained by a two-step process of adjusting the tension of the string to a stored value which may be then be corrected according to the pitch of the string obtained at later various times during the performance.
US08440896B2	Keyboard device This key structure includes rotating shaft sections 12, 16, and 20 which are respectively provided in the rear end of key bodies 11, 15, and 19 arrayed in parallel, and serve as rotation fulcrums for rotations of the key bodies 11, 15, and 16 in an up and down direction, and connecting sections 14, 18, and 22 which respectively rotatably connect the rotating shaft sections 12, 16, and 20 along a key array direction. Therefore, the key bodies 11, 15, and 19 can be integrally formed by the connecting sections 14, 18, and 22, and the rotating shaft sections 12, 16, and 20 can be independently rotated. Additionally, as a result of the rotating shaft sections 12, 16, and 20 being evenly arrayed, the spacing between the keys and the key alignment can beheld evenly, and the key bodies 11, 15, and 19 can be stably rotated when depressed.
US08440895B2	Pedal for drum To provide a drum pedal with a suppressed deflection and no fluctuation in beat timing or beat force of a beater, which allows the player to perform with a desired well-modulated tone, and to obtain the direct feeling, which is a sense of the depressing force being directly transferred to the beater attained by the good operability and the maintained stable attitude of the entire pedal, without inviting an increase in weight or material cost.A drum pedal includes at least: a pedal frame 2 having a base portion 20, a right and left pair of strut portions 21 and a heel portion 22; a rotation shaft 3 to which a beater 5 that beats a drumhead is mounted, and that is horizontally pivotally supported between respective top end portions 21a of the strut portions 21; and a foot board 4 that has its base end side rotatably supported by the heel portion 22, and that rotates the rotation shaft 3 through a coupling member 40 extending from its tip end side in accordance with the depressing operation of the player.
US08440892B2	Rice cultivar CL 181-AR A rice cultivar designated CL 181-AR is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice cultivar CL 181-AR, to the plants of rice CL 181-AR, to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing the cultivar CL 181-AR with itself or another rice variety, and to methods for controlling weeds in the vicinity of plants of rice cultivar CL 181-AR, which comprises increased resistance to acetohydroxyacid synthase-inhibiting herbicides. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar CL 181-AR with another rice cultivar.
US08440891B2	Rice cultivar CL 142-AR A rice cultivar designated CL 142-AR is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice cultivar CL 142-AR, to the plants of rice CL 142-AR, to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing the cultivar CL 142-AR with itself or another rice variety, and to methods for controlling weeds in the vicinity of plants of rice cultivar CL 142-AR, which comprises increased resistance to acetohydroxyacid synthase-inhibiting herbicides. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar CL 142-AR with another rice cultivar.
US08440881B2	Plants having enhanced yield-related traits and a method for making the same The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing various economically important yield-related traits in plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a Harpin-associated Factor G polypeptide (hereinafter termed HpaG″). The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding an HpaG polypeptide, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs comprising HpaG-encoding nucleic acids, useful in performing the methods of the invention. The present invention also provides a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants relative to control plants, by modulating (preferably increasing) expression in a plant of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a SWITCH 2/SUCROSE NON-FERMENTING 2 (SWI2/SNF2) polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a SWI2/SNF2 polypeptide, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in performing the methods of the invention.
US08440878B2	Insulin-like gene in prawns and uses thereof The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding an insulin-like factor of the androgenic gland of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (M. rosenbergii). The present invention further relates to methods of silencing the expression of the insulin-like factor gene in decapod crustaceans order, particularly in M. rosenbergii, useful for producing male monosex populations.
US08440875B1	Method and apparatus for high acid content feed for making diesel and aviation fuel A method of making a diesel fuel from a renewable feedstock is described. Ammonia or an amine compound is used to neutralize the organic acids in the renewable feedstock. The ammonia or amine compound is removed from the product mixture before the isomerization zone so that it does not affect the isomerization catalyst.
US08440874B2	Olefin isomerization and metathesis catalyst A process for the production of propylene, the process including: contacting ethylene and a hydrocarbon stream comprising 1-butene and 2-butene with a bifunctional isomerization-metathesis catalyst to concurrently isomerizes 1-butene to 2-butene and to form a metathesis product comprising propylene; wherein the bifunctional isomerization-metathesis catalyst comprises: a catalyst compound may include at least one element selected from tungsten, tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, osmium, iridium, rhodium, vanadium, ruthenium, and rhenium for providing metathesis activity on a support comprising at least one element from Group IA, IIA, IIB, and IIIA of the Periodic Table of the Elements; wherein an exposed surface area of the support provides both isomerization activity for the isomerization of 1-butene to 2-butene; and reactive sites for the adsorption of catalyst compound poisons. In other embodiments, the catalyst compound may include at least one element selected from aluminum, gallium, iridium, iron, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, osmium, palladium, phosphorus, rhenium, rhodium, ruthenium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, and vanadium.
US08440865B2	Process for the manufacture of alkenones Process for preparing an alkenone, which comprises the following steps: (a) providing a halogenated precursor of the alkenone; and (b) eliminating the hydrogen halide from said precursor to form the alkenone by a thermolysis treatment selected from the group consisting of flash thermolysis, vacuum thermolysis, and thermolysis under stripping with inert gas.
US08440856B2	Method for treating residues from the production of isocyanates This invention relates to a process for working up residues from production of isocyanates. This process involves hydrolyzing residues from production of at least one isocyanate with water to form a hydrolysis product, and processing the hydrolysis product within an extruder or a kneader having a heat transfer surface, to form a mixed product containing at least one amine and water. The amine and the water are separated from the mixed product to form an amine/water mixture, which is then separated to obtain the water and the amine. The process may also involve separating all or part of the water from the hydrolysis, or separating part of the amine from the hydrolysis, prior to the processing of the hydrolysis product.
US08440854B2	Antioxidant inflammation modulators: oleanolic acid derivatives with amino acid and other modifications at C-17 This invention provides, but is not limited to, novel oleanolic acid derivatives having the formula: wherein the variables are defined herein. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions, kits and articles of manufacture comprising such compounds, methods and intermediates useful for making the compounds, and methods of using the compounds and compositions.
US08440851B2	Spatially-defined macrocyclic compounds useful for drug discovery Novel spatially-defined macrocyclic compounds containing specific conformational control elements are disclosed. Libraries of these macrocycles are then used to select one or more macrocycle species that exhibit a specific interaction with a particular biological target. In particular, compounds according to the invention are disclosed as agonists or antagonists of a mammalian motilin receptor and a mammalian ghrelin receptor.
US08440850B2	Polyarylacetylenes containing siloxane, silane, and carborane moieties Disclosed herein are the compounds shown below. Each R is an organic group, Cb is a carborane group, and —C6H4— is phenylene. The value of each m is a nonnegative integer, q is 0 or 1, with the proviso that if q is 0 then m is 0 or 1, p is a positive integer, r is a positive integer, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 10. Also disclosed are methods of making and crosslinking the compounds. —{SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m-[Cb-SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m]p—C≡C—C6H4—C≡C}— —{SiR2—(O—SiR2)m—C≡C—C6H4—C≡C}n—; —{SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m—[C≡C—C6H4—C≡C—SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m]p-Cb-[SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m-Cb]r}-
US08440844B2	Process for the preparation of β-amino alcohol A high-yielding enantioselective synthesis of the bioactive (S)—N-(5-chlorothiophene-2-sulfonyl)-β,β-diethylalaniol (7.b.2), a Notch-1-sparing γ-secretase inhibitor metabolite (with EC50=28 nM) effective in reduction of Aβ production in vivo, has been realized starting from readily available 3-pentanone. The key steps of the synthesis are proline-catalyzed α-aminooxylation and α-amination of aldehyde; the latter contributing an overall yield of 50-75% and 90-99% enantiomeric excess.
US08440839B2	Dinitropyrazole derivatives, their preparation, and energetic compositions comprising them The present invention provides: dinitropyrazole derivatives of formula (I) in which: R═NO2, NH2, NF2, NHOH, OH or NHNH2 and R′═H when R═NH2, NF2, NHOH, OH or NHNH2 or R′═H, NH2 or a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl group, optionally substituted by at least one hydroxy and/or one fluoro group, when R═NO2; other than 4-amino-3,5-dinitropyrazole; and also the salts of said derivatives of formula (I) in which R′═H; the preparation of said derivatives and of their salts; and energetic compositions comprising at least one of said derivatives and/or at least one salt of such a derivative.
US08440836B2	Heterocyclic alkanol derivatives The present invention relates to novel heterocyclic alkanol derivatives, to processes for preparing these compounds, to compositions comprising these compounds and to their use as biologically active compounds, in particular for controlling harmful microorganisms in crop protection and in the protection of materials and as plant growth regulators.
US08440830B2	Tetrahydro-fused pyridines as histone deacetylase inhibitors The compounds of formula (I), wherein ring D and ring E together form a fused ring system selected from formula (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VI), (VII), and the salts of these compounds are novel, effective inhibitors of histone deacetylases.
US08440829B2	PI3 kinase/mTOR dual inhibitor The present invention provides an imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-2-one compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, that inhibits both PI3K and mTOR and, therefore, is useful in the treatment of cancer.
US08440814B2	Derivatives of cyclodextrins, process for their preparation and their use in particular for solubilizing pharmacologically active substances The invention relates to a compound corresponding to general formula (I) wherein n is a whole number from 1-6, m is a whole number equal to 5, 6 or 7, R1 is an OH group, all R1 s are identical, Z is an NHX group, X is a hydrogen atom, and R is a hydrogen atom or a bioidentification element, with the proviso that the compound wherein n=1, m=6, Z=NH2 and R1=OH is excluded.
US08440805B2	Algal desaturases Provided herein are exemplary isolated nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides having desaturase activity, which utilize fatty acids as substrates.
US08440803B2	Tetrahydropyran nucleic acid analogs The present disclosure describes tetrahydropyran nucleoside analogs, oligomeric compounds prepared therefrom and methods of using the oligomeric compounds. More particularly, tetrahydropyran nucleoside analogs are provided, having one or more chiral substituents, that are useful for enhancing properties of oligomeric compounds including nuclease resistance and binding affinity. In some embodiments, the oligomeric compounds provided herein hybridize to a portion of a target RNA resulting in loss of normal function of the target RNA.
US08440800B2	Compositions for reducing cell adhesion to bubbles Compositions and methods for reducing gas-cell surface interface damage include a protective composition having at least sugar moiety where the sugar moiety provides a hydrophilic component to the protective composition.
US08440796B2	Lenalidomide and thalidomide immunoassays Novel conjugates and immunogens derived from lenalidomide and antibodies generated by these immunogens are useful in immunoassays for the quantification and monitoring of thalidomide and lenalidomide in biological fluids.
US08440785B2	Compositions, methods and polymers A composition comprising a homopolymer or a copolymer comprising bithiophene units for use in, for example, low band gap materials including uses in organic photovoltaic active layers. The band gap and other properties can be engineered by polymerization methods including selection of monomer structure and ratio of monomer components. In addition, a dimer adapted for making alternating copolymers further comprising one first monomer moiety comprising at least one bithiophene moiety compound covalently linked to one second monomer moiety comprising a different bithiophene moiety or at least one moiety that is not a bithiophene. The composition can be copolymerized to form an alternating copolymer that can be further processed to form a polymeric film used in a printed organic electronic device. A series of novel copolymers are designed that would allow fabrication of materials with tailor made electronic and/or mechanical properties that can be easily manipulated through molecules chemical structure and potentially result in long term stability under ambient conditions that can be advantageous for use in organic electronics (e.g., OPVs, OLEDs, OFETs). Improved methods are disclosed for making monomers comprising a benzo[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene moiety that are useful as electronics materials.
US08440784B2	Process for producing polyarylene sulfide Provided is a production process by which polyarylene sulfide can be obtained at a low temperature and in a short time, which production process is a process for producing polyarylene sulfide, comprising heating a cyclic polyarylene sulfide in the presence of a zero-valent transition metal compound. Examples of zero-valent transition metal compounds include complexes comprising, as metal species, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, ruthenium, rhodium, copper, silver, and gold, and heating is preferably carried out in the presence of 0.001 to 20 mol % of the zero-valent transition metal compound based on sulfur atoms in the cyclic polyarylene sulfide.
US08440772B2	Methods for terminating olefin polymerizations Catalyst deactivating agents and compositions containing catalyst deactivating agents are disclosed. These catalyst deactivating agents can be used in methods of controlling polymerization reactions, methods of terminating polymerization reactions, methods of operating polymerization reactors, and methods of transitioning between catalyst systems.
US08440768B2	Low amidine content polyvinylamine, compositions containing same and methods Low amidine content poly(N-vinylformamide-co-vinylamine) (PVAm), is described, as well as processes of making and providing same in fresh or aged formats, and the usage of such polymer to increase papermaking retention and drainage rate and enhance paper dry strength, and other applications.
US08440765B2	Nanostructured polymer membranes for selective alcohol transport The present invention relates to copolymer compositions for alcohol-selective membranes and methods of selectively separating an alcohol such as ethanol from an aqueous solution using such membranes. The copolymer compositions may be block copolymers of polystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene (hereafter “SBS”) having cylindrical morphologies; graft diblock copolymers synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of two cycloalkene monomers, wherein at least one of the cycloalkene monomers is substituted with one or more polydialkylsiloxane groups; or triblock copolymers comprising a middle block comprising a polymerized cycloalkene monomer and two end groups. The synthesized graft and triblock copolymer compositions may have a spherical, lamellar, cylindrical, double diamond, or gyroid morphologies. The copolymer compositions may contain a structural block that imparts essential mechanical properties to the membrane (e.g., polystyrene) and may also contain an alcohol transporting block (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane or polybutadiene). The copolymer compositions may have a domain spacing and a flux, where the flux increases as the domain spacing increases. The copolymer compositions may also have an alcohol separation factor that increases as the domain spacing increases. The separation method may be carried out using pervaporation or vapor permeation techniques.
US08440762B2	Polymer compositions, method of manufacture, and articles formed therefrom Disclosed herein is a thermoplastic composition comprising, based on the total weight of the composition: (a) from 10 to 80 wt. % of a polybutylene terephthalate; (b) from 10 to 80 wt. % of a copolyestercarbonate component, comprising a first copolyestercarbonate having a number average molecular weight of 15,000 to less than 28,000 Daltons, and a second copolyestercarbonate having a number average molecular weight of more than 28,000 to 40,000 Daltons, wherein a weight ratio of the first polyestercarbonate to the second polyestercarbonate is 95:5 to 20:80; (c) from 3 to 30 wt. % of a particulate filler; (d) from 0.1 to 10 wt. % of a fluoropolymer; and (e) from 3 to 25 wt. % of a polymeric impact modifier. A method of making the composition and an article comprising the thermoplastic composition are also disclosed.
US08440761B2	Lighting elements composed of polyesters Lighting elements composed of thermoplastic molding compositions comprising A) from 10 to 99.9% by weight of at least one thermoplastic polyester, B) from 0.1 to 50% by weight of at least one terpolymer, obtainable from b1) at least one vinylaromatic monomer, b2) at least one C1-C4-alkyl (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylonitrile, and b3) from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the components b1) to b3), of at least one monomer which comprises an α,β-unsaturated anhydride, and C) from 0 to 60% by weight of other additives, where the total of the percentages by weight of components A) to C) is 100%.
US08440735B2	Method for making contact lenses The instant invention pertains to a method and a fluid composition for producing contact lenses with improved lens quality and with increased product yield. The method of the invention involves adding a phospholipid into a fluid composition including a lens-forming material in an amount sufficient to reduce an averaged mold separation force by at least about 40% in comparison with that without the phospholipids.
US08440720B2	Methods of use of antiviral compounds The present invention relates, in part, to methods of treatment, prevention, and inhibition of viral disorders. In one aspect, the present invention relates to inhibition of the M2 proton channel of influenza viruses (e.g. influenza A virus) and other similar viroporins (e.g., VP24 of Ebola and Marburg viruses; and NS3 protein of Bluetongue). The present invention further relates, inter alia, to compounds which have been shown to possess antiviral activity, in particular, inhibiting the M2 proton channel of influenza viruses.
US08440713B2	[1]benzothieno[3,2-B][1]benzothiophene compound and method for producing the same, and organic electronic device using the same A [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene compound expressed by General Formula (I): General Formula (I) where X and Y are each independently a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; or a functional group having a straight or branched aliphatic alkyl group optionally having a halogen atom, a functional group having an alicyclic alkyl group optionally having a halogen atom, a functional group having a straight or branched aliphatic alkenyl group optionally having a halogen atom, a functional group having an alicyclic alkenyl group optionally having a halogen atom, a functional group having a carboxyl group, or a functional group having a thiol group, as a partial structure; and X and Y are the same or each independently different, provided that at least one of X and Y has a straight or branched aliphatic alkenyl group, an alicyclic alkenyl group, a carboxyl group or a thiol group, as a partial structure.
US08440709B2	Polymorphs and amorphous forms of 5-amino-1-[2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-[(trifluoromethyl)sulfinyl]-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile The present invention relates to novel crystalline polymorphs, solvate pseudomorphs and amorphous form of 5-amino-1-[2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-[(trifluoromethyl)sulfinyl]-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile (fipronil). The present invention also provides methods for preparing the novel polymorphs, pseudomorphs and amorphous form, as well as insecticidal or pesticidal compositions comprising same, and methods of use thereof as pesticidal agents.
US08440706B2	Inhibitors of serine proteases The present invention relates to compounds of formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or mixtures thereof that inhibit serine protease activity, particularly the activity of hepatitis C virus NS3-NS4A protease.
US08440700B2	Substituted aryloxazoles and their use The present application relates to novel substituted aryloxazole derivatives, to processes for their preparation, to their use for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases and to their use for preparing medicaments for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, preferably for the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
US08440696B2	Method of using diketopiperazines and composition containing them The invention provides a method of inhibiting the effects of platelet activating factor (PAF). For instance, a disease or condition mediated by PAF (particularly inflammation) can be treated or platelet aggregation can be inhibited. The invention also provides a method of inhibiting the production and/or release of interleukin 8 (IL-8) by cells. The effects of PAF and the production and/or release of IL-8 are inhibited according to the invention by a compound of the formula: wherein R1 and R2 are defined in the application, or a physiologically-acceptable salt thereof. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds.
US08440693B2	Substituted isoquinolinones and quinazolinones The invention relates to substituted nitrogen containing bicyclic heterocycles of the formula (I) wherein Z is CH2 or N—R4 and X, R1, R2, R4, R6, R7 and n are as defined in the description. Such compounds are suitable for the treatment of a disorder or disease which is mediated by the activity of MDM2 and/or MDM4, or variants thereof.
US08440688B2	Compounds, formulations and methods for reducing skin wrinkles, creasing and sagging Methods, compounds, and topical formulations for reduction of skin sagging, creasing and/or wrinkling are disclosed. The methods comprise topically applying a composition comprising an α2 adrenergic receptor agonist. Amelioration of skin sagging, creasing and/or wrinkling begins within minutes after topical application of a disclosed composition. A single application can significantly reduce skin sagging, creasing and/or wrinkling for at least about 8 hours.
US08440683B2	Pharmaceutical preparation for treating demyelinating diseases of the nervous system; preparation promoting restoration of the myelin sheath of nerve fibers; and a method for treating demyelinating diseases of the nervous system The invention relates to a pharmaceutical remedy used to treat demyelinating diseases of the nervous system. The remedy contains stephaglabrin sulfate that contributes to the restoration of the myelin sheath of nerve fibers. A method for treating demyelinating diseases of the nervous system is also disclosed.
US08440681B2	2-biphenylamino-4-aminopyrimidine derivatives as kinase inhibitors The invention provides novel pyrimidine derivatives of formula (1) and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods for using such compounds. For example, the pyrimidine derivatives of the invention may be used to treat, ameliorate or prevent a condition which responds to inhibition of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1R) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).
US08440679B2	Bicyclic compounds and their uses as dual c-SRC / JAK inhibitors The present invention relates to substituted aromatic bicyclic compounds containing pyrimidine and pyridine rings of formula (I) having the structure as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds of the present invention are useful as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, preferably SRC family kinases (SFKs) inhibitors, in particular as multi SFK/JAK. kinases inhibitors and even preferably as dual c-SRC/JAK kinases inhibitors, thereby inhibiting the STAT3 activation and therefore abnormal growth of particular cell types. Notably, the compounds of the present invention are useful for the treatment or inhibition of certain diseases that are the result of deregulation of STAT3.
US08440677B2	Atropisomers of 2-purinyl-3-tolyl-quinazolinone derivatives and methods of use The invention provides compounds, compositions and methods to treat certain inflammatory conditions and/or oncology by administering a compound that inhibits PI3K isoforms, particularly the delta isoform. It further provides specific stereoisomers of a compound useful for these methods. In particular, the compound is an optically active atropisomer of 2-((6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl)methyl)-5-methyl-3-o-tolylquinazolin-4(3H)-one.
US08440675B2	Potentiator of radiation therapy To provide a radiation therapy potentiator, which, when employed in combination with cancer radiation therapy, can reduce radiation dose and can mitigate adverse effects.The invention provides a radiation therapy potentiator containing, as an effective ingredient, a uracil derivative represented by formula (1) (wherein R1 represents a halogen atom or a cyano group; and R2 represents a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group having 1 to 3 nitrogen atoms and optionally having as a substituent a lower alkyl group, an imino group, a hydroxyl group, a hydroxymethyl group, a methanesulfonyloxy group, or an amino group; an amidinothio group in which a hydrogen atom attached to a nitrogen atom may be substituted by a lower alkyl group; a guanidino group in which a hydrogen atom attached to a nitrogen atom may be substituted by a lower alkyl group or a cyano group; a lower alkylamidino group; or a 1-pyrrolidinylmethyl group) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08440670B2	Pyridopyrazindione derivative and its use as an antiulcer drug The invention relates to the fields of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and medicine and concerns a novel compound which can be used as an antiulcer agent. The compound is 9 -(quinony-2)-2-p-ethoxyphenylethyl-4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11-octahydropyrido [1,2-a]pyrazindione-1,4 of formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable complex derivatives thereof. The compound can be used as an antiulcer agent.
US08440663B2	4-aryl-2-amino-pyrimidines or 4-aryl-2-aminoalkyl-pyrimidines as JAK-2 modulators and methods of use This invention relates to certain pyrimidine derivative inhibitors of JAK-2, having Formula (I): wherein D, E, L, Z, R1, R2, R25, and n1 are as defined in the specification, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of use thereof.
US08440659B2	Termite-proofing agent and its application method The present invention is a composition comprising a neonicotinoid-based compound having a high degree of insecticide activity, an organic solvent and a surfactant. The present invention is also a method that allows the obtaining of lumber that does not require termite-proofing treatment following production of lumber by injecting this composition into a tree trunk and allowing the chemical to circulate and disperse within the tree trunk.

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