Abstract: A plurality of main amplifiers amplifies input audio signals with an adjustable gain. A first selector selects any of the input audio signals. An auxiliary amplifier receives an output of the first selector and amplifies this output with an adjustable gain. A second selector receives n outputs from the main amplifiers and selects any of the outputs. A soft switching circuit receives an output of the second selector at a first input terminal, receives an output of the auxiliary amplifier at a second input terminal, and makes the output transition gradually from one of the input terminals to the other of the input terminals. Output switches are respectively provided for the main amplifiers, an output of a corresponding main amplifier is received at a first input terminal, an output of the soft switching circuit is received at a second input terminal, and one of the outputs is selected to be outputted.
Abstract: A test structure for detecting void formation in semiconductor device layers includes a plurality of active device areas formed in a substrate, a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions separating the active device areas, a plurality of gate electrode structures formed across the active device areas and the STI regions, and a matrix of vias formed over the active device areas and between the gate electrode structures. At least one edge of each of a pair of vias at opposite ends of a given one of the STI regions extends at least out to an edge of the associated active device area.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 17, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A circuit breaker apparatus is provided and includes a trip mechanism which is coupled to an electrical circuit and which is configured to interrupt an operation of the electrical circuit when the trip mechanism is actuated, an electronic trip unit in signal communication with and configured to actuate the trip mechanism when pre-selected conditions are satisfied, and a rating plug coupled to the electronic trip unit and configured to operate in a first mode in response to a receipt of a transmitted control signal at the rating plug, and to otherwise operate in a second mode, the first and second modes being respectively associated with first and second ones of the pre-selected conditions to be correspondingly transmitted to the electronic trip unit by which the electronic trip unit determines whether to actuate the trip mechanism.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 24, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Craig Benjamin Williams, Mark Fredrick Culler, Seshagiri Rao Komaravolu, Remesh Kumar Keeramthode
Abstract: The present invention provides process for synthesis of 8-methoxy-9H-isothiazolo[5,4-b]quinoline-3,4-diones and 8A,9-dihydro-4aH-isothiazolo[5,4-b]quinoline-3,4-diones of the Formula A. The substituents R, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 are defined herein. The invention also provides novel synthetic intermediates useful in the synthesis of 8-methoxy-9H-isothiazolo[5,4-b]quinoline-3,4-diones and 8A,9-dihydro-4aH-isothiazolo[5,4-b]quinoline-3,4-diones.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 4, 2011
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Inventors:
Barton James Bradbury, Jason Allan Wiles, Akihiro Hashimoto, Qiuping Wang, Edlaine Lucien, Godwin Pais, Ha Young Kim
Abstract: A fuel filter is configured to filter fuel for an internal combustion engine and is associated with an electromagnetic wave generator configured to emit high frequency electromagnetic waves operable on the fuel to heat and thereby melt wax crystals suspended in the fuel.
Abstract: Method of and communication system for controlling operation of at least one transmitter and/or one receiver in a communication system, e.g. a system for transmission of control signals, request signals, interrogation signals etc. wherein a signal comprising a message frame transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver comprises a message part indicative of the time of transmission for a later signal.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 26, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
VKR Holding A/S
Inventors:
Martin Sandal Nielsen, Henning Sørensen
Abstract: A memory subsystem with a memory bus and a memory assembly. The memory bus includes multiple bitlanes. The memory assembly is in communication with the memory bus and includes instructions for receiving an error code correction (ECC) word in multiple packets via the memory bus. The ECC word includes data bits and ECC bits arranged into multiple multi-bit ECC symbols. Each of the ECC symbols is associated with one of the bitlanes on the memory bus. The memory assembly also includes instructions for utilizing one of the ECC symbols to perform error detection and correction for the bits in the ECC word received via the bitlane associated with the ECC symbol.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 7, 2007
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Timothy J. Dell, Kevin C. Gower, Warren E. Maule
Abstract: An apparatus and method for audibly annunciating at a device information transmitted over a telephone network. The information is transmitted in the form of a modulated signal to the device wherein the modulated signal is representative of the information. The apparatus includes a receiver for capturing a ring signal and a modulated signal representative of information transmitted over a telephone network during an interval between the ring signal and a subsequent ring signal; a converter in communication with the receiver for converting the modulated signal into a stream of audible signals; and a speaker in communication with the converter for producing audible sounds corresponding to the stream of audible signals representative of the information received over the telephone network.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 25, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
Inventors:
Robert T. Moton, Mark J. Enzmann, Samuel N. Zellner
Abstract: A system, article of manufacture and method is provided for transferring secret information from a first location to a second location. The secret information is encoded and stalls in executable code are located. The executable code is configured to perform a predetermined function when executed on a pipeline processor. The encoded information is inserted into a plurality of instructions and the instructions are inserted into the executable code at the stalls. There is no net effect of all of the inserted instructions on the predetermined function of the executable code. The executable code is transferred to the second location. The location of the stalls in the transferred code is identified. The encoded information is extracted from the instructions located at the stalls. The encoded information may then be decoding information to generate the information at the second location.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 25, 2007
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a storage medium having instructions for a method for facilitating supply chain collaboration in a network environment, said supply chain including an enterprise and at least one supplier. The method includes generating and transmitting an unconstrained forecast to a supplier; receiving a supplier capability statement in response and generating a constrained forecast utilizing the supplier capability statement. The constrained forecast is transmitted to the supplier which responds with a formal commitment to product a needed supply indicated in the constrained forecast.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 17, 2009
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Roberto Ayala, Michael P. Murray, Mauricio Alejandro Villalobos
Abstract: Systems, methods and computer products for generating calculation context classes from a relationship between structured data and a calculation procedure, the context classes having parent-child relationships. Exemplary embodiments include a method including searching the calculation procedure for a first data definition, generating a first context from a first scope applied to the first data definition, tracing back the calculation procedure to obtain a second data definition for calculating the first data definition and to which the first scope is applied, copying the calculation procedure into the first context until the second data definition is obtained, obtaining a second scope applied to the second data definition, obtaining a second context generated from the second scope, determining an existence of an order comparison of the first scope with the second scope and obtaining order from the structured data.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 2, 2007
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Mari Fukuda, Jun-Jang Jeng, Teruo Koyanagi, Yohsuke Ozawu
Abstract: Methods, computing devices, and computer program products for regression from interval target values are provided. Training data having an interval output are read. An initial model is estimated. Representative values for the interval output are assigned using the initial model. A regression model is estimated using the representative values for the interval output. A determination is made whether the regression model converges. The step of assigning representative values for the interval output is iterated and the step of estimating the regression model using the representative values for the interval output iterated, in response to the regression model not converging. In response to the regression model converging, the regression model is output.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 9, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A method of implementing optical deflection switching includes directing a tuning operation at a specific region of coupled optical resonators coupled to an input port, a first output port and a second output port, the coupled optical resonator including a plurality of cascaded unit cells; wherein the tuning operation interrupts a resonant coupling between one or more of the unit cells of the coupled resonators so as to cause an input optical signal from the input port to be directed from the first output port to the second output port.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 18, 2007
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
William M. Green, Fengnian Xia, Yurii Vlasov
Abstract: A method for adjusting a seat that includes one or more adjustable physical features includes for each person within a plurality of persons, calibrating the seat by determining a preferred setting for each of the one or more adjustable physical features of the seat; utilizing the determined preferred settings to determine a cluster from among a plurality of clusters within which each of the plurality of persons is placed; identifying one of the persons; and for the identified person, adjusting each of the one or more physical features of the seat to the preferred setting depending on the one of the plurality of clusters that the identified person is placed in.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 5, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: An apparatus separating a polarizable analyte using dielectrophoresis includes a vessel including a membrane having a plurality of nano- to micro-sized pores, the membrane disposed inside the vessel, electrodes generating spatially non-uniform electric fields in the nano- to micro-sized pores of the membrane when an AC voltage is applied to the electrodes, and a power source applying the AC voltage to the electrodes, wherein a sectional area of the pores varies along a depth of the pores. A method of separating a polarizable material uses the apparatus.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 29, 2007
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Inventors:
Yoon-kyoung Cho, Su-hyeon Kim, Chin-sung Park, Kyu-sang Lee, Jeong-gun Lee
Abstract: A memory buffer, memory system and method for power-on initialization and test for a cascade interconnect memory system. The memory buffer includes a bus interface to links in a high-speed channel for communicating with a memory controller via a direct connection or via a cascade interconnection through an other memory buffer. The interface is operable in a SBC mode and a high-speed mode. The memory buffer also includes a field service interface (FSI) slave for receiving FSI signals from a FSI master. In addition, the memory buffer includes logic for executing a power-on and initialization training sequence initiated by the memory controller.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 1, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Peter L. Buchmann, Frank D. Ferraiolo, Kevin C. Gower, Robert J. Reese, Eric E. Retter, Martin L. Schmatz, Michael B. Spear, Peter M. Thomsen, Michael R. Trombley
Abstract: The invention relates to two-component coating systems comprising as component (a) one or more polyisocyanates, as component (b) one or more oligomeric and/or polymeric compounds that are reactive with component (a), and as component (c) one or more phosphonates selected from the group of phosphonic diesters and diphosphonic diesters, where (i) component (b) comprises all oligomeric and/or polymeric compounds that are present in the two-component coating system and are reactive with component (a) and (ii) component (b) contains not more than 15% by weight, based on the total weight of component (b), of oligomeric and/or polymeric compounds which carry isocyanate-reactive amino groups. Additionally provided by the invention are a process for preparing the two-component coating systems, and the use of these coating systems as a clearcoat, more particularly for multicoat automobile finishing.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 20, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignees:
BASF Coatings Japan Ltd., BASF Coatings GmbH
Inventors:
Hitoshi Taniguchi, Eishi Tsukamoto, Hiroyuki Takagi, Andreas Poppe, Sabine Holtschulte, Julia Melzer, Petra Wagner, Bjoern Feldmann