Patents Represented by Attorney Whitham, Curtis & Christofferson, P.C.
  • Patent number: 6952037
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a well region formed in the substrate, a field effect transistor formed in the well region, and a diffused region, formed across the well region and the substrate for applying back gate potential to the well region, and forming a PN junction together with its periphery. The field effect transistor and the PN junction are connected between terminals for absorbing excess current so that an internal circuit connected to the terminals is protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Ishikawa, Atsushi Watanabe, Yukihiro Terada, Akira Ikeuchi, Hiroshi Oya
  • Patent number: 6952769
    Abstract: A system and associated protocols for communication between two entities across a computer network operate such that the identities of the two entities remain concealed from each other, while ensuring that no third party is able to trace the existence of a conversation between them. The two entities correspond to each other through pseudonyms. The protocols are designed with an object to distribute trust so that an identity is not revealed by the compromise of any one agent involved in the execution of the protocol. No one agent can establish a correlation between a pseudonym and a physical address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pradeep Dubey, Charanjit Singh Jutla, Vijay Kumar, Ravindran Sai Anand, Prasanna Ganesan
  • Patent number: 6947868
    Abstract: Complex distributed systems with basic components (B) which have data processing program modules and/or electronic circuit modules that exchange data with each other have their timing behavior analyzed based on the timing behavior of individual basic components (B) and transformation functions derived from event model classes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Technische Universitat Braunschweig Carlo-Wilhelmina Institut fur Datentechnik und Kommunikationsnetze
    Inventors: Rolf Ernst, Kai Richter
  • Patent number: 6947879
    Abstract: It is one object of the present invention to form a conventional mesh as a sample in order to efficiently generate a high-quality mesh for a predetermined shape model. A mesh generation system 10 for generating a mesh used for finite element analysis comprises: a mesh characteristic extraction unit 11 for receiving a conventional mesh and extracting a characteristic therefrom; and a mesh generator 13 for receiving a target shape model for mesh generation, and for generating a mesh for the shape model based on the characteristic of the conventional mesh extracted by the mesh characteristic extraction unit 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Yamada, Keisuke Inoue, Takayuki Itoh
  • Patent number: 6947178
    Abstract: A digital imaging system and method uses a two-stage sigma filter to de-screen color images. This filter does not assume any a priori knowledge about the screening process using to produce the halftone image. The two-stage sigma filter may therefore be used to convert color halftone images into continuous-tone images irrespective of the screening process used. The two-stage sigma filter may be constructed, or emulated in software, using an O (N) algorithm which performs smoothing and preserves edge information simultaneously in the Red/Green/Blue color space. This system and method outperforms conventional approaches which, for example, use a Gaussian blur, because it satisfies the dual criteria of completely eliminating halftone screens while preserving edge information. When combined with halftone segmentation techniques, a complete document processing algorithm for gray-scale and color documents is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chungkui Kuo, Ravishankar Rao, Gerhard R. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6943736
    Abstract: To enable to easily attach an LNA board onto an antenna board without bringing about an increase in fabrication cost or an increase in a number of steps. An antenna unit 3 is mounted on one face of an antenna board 4 and an LNA board 1 is mounted on other face of the antenna board 4. The LNA board 1 is formed with an end face through hole and is soldered to the antenna board 4 at the end face through hole. This soldering enables to attach the LNA board 1 on the antenna board 4 and to electrically connect a GND pattern 4b of the antenna board 4 and a ground pattern 1c of the LNA board 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Noro, Kenichi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 6943305
    Abstract: A switch device includes a base member, an operation member conducting a rotating operation in a first direction and a second direction, a pushing operation in a third direction, and a tilting operation in forward and backward directions, an urging member which urges the operation member constantly so that the operation member is restored to a reference position, a first and a second switches which are operated by the rotating operation of the operation member in the first and second directions, a third switch, which is operated by the pushing operation of the operation member; and a fourth and a fifth switches which are operated by the tilting operation in the forward and backward direction of the operation member. The first, second and third directions is parallel to a surface or the base member. The forward and back ward directions are perpendicular to the surface of the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kawamura, Tetsuya Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6941365
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method for maximizing overall system performance among a set of computer systems which periodically run a set of jobs. It is known that some allocations of jobs to computer systems are worse than others where “worse” may mean slower or even that certain jobs are not run. What is not known is how to achieve the best or maximized job mix. However, this invention can select the best from a set of job mixes or some solution which comes within a margin of tolerance for some theoretically ideal maximum. The invention takes a novel approach to bin packing in that the items are initially ordered with most difficult to pack items first. Then, the list of items is reordered using one of a set of percolation techniques. Random processes can also be applied to the list so that from a large set of possible orders, some order will be best relative to other orders if no solution is found within the pre-specified tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Wadie Sirgany
  • Patent number: 6941025
    Abstract: Simultaneous vertical spatial filtering and chrominance conversion is achieved with reduced data buffering and simplified filtering circuits by using a single filter stage and hybrid filter coefficients. Data latency is reduced and performance requirements are reduced while avoiding critical signal propagation paths. The filter and buffers are fully compatible with any scan format having consecutively presented lines of image data, including both progressive and interlaced scan formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James D. Greenfield, Agnes Y. Ngai, John M. Sutton, Edward F. Westermann
  • Patent number: 6941001
    Abstract: The present invention combines the functionality of a computer pointing device with a fingerprint authentication system, In the preferred embodiment, by regularly scanning fingerprints acquired from the pointing device touch pad, fingerprint features may be extracted and compared to stored data on authorized users for passive authentication. Furthermore, calculations based upon the acquired fingerprint images and associated features allows the system to determine six degrees of freedom of the finger, allowing the user to control a variety of functions or to manipulate a three-dimensional model or virtual reality system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rudolf M. Bolle, Nalini K. Ratha, Andrew Senior
  • Patent number: 6939814
    Abstract: Enhanced carrier mobility in transistors of differing (e.g. complementary) conductivity types is achieved on a common chip by provision of two or more respective stressed layers, such as etch stop layers, overlying the transistors with stress being wholly or partially relieved in portions of the respective layers, preferably by implantations with heavy ions such as germanium, arsenic, xenon, indium, antimony, silicon, nitrogen oxygen or carbon in accordance with a block-out mask. The distribution and small size of individual areas of such stressed structures also prevents warping or curling of even very thin substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Victor Chan, Haining Yang
  • Patent number: 6933541
    Abstract: A family of emitter controlled thyristors employ plurality of control schemes for turning the thyristor an and off. In a first embodiment of the present invention a family of thyristors are disclosed all of which comprise a pair of MOS transistors, the first of which is connected in series with the thyristor and a second which provides a negative feedback to the thyristor gate. A negative voltage applied to the gate of the first MOS transistor causes the thyristor to turn on to conduct high currents. A zero to positive voltage applied to the first MOS gate causes the thyristor to turn off. The negative feedback insures that the thyristor only operates at its breakover boundaries of the latching condition with the NPN transistor portion of the thyristor operating in the active region. Under this condition, the anode voltage VA continues to increase without significant anode current increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Alex Q. Huang
  • Patent number: 6928551
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for selectively denying access to encoded data. Encryption is used to protect secured data on any of a number of media devices in a system and in which unsecured data is not encrypted. The classified data is encrypted and then transmitted for storage on the medium. The encryption key is stored only in volatile memory on the target device connected to the medium during a mission. The encryption key is known only in a location physically distant from the target device during a mission. Resources are provided for mission personnel to immediately delete the encryption key from volatile memory upon perceiving a threat, as well as causing automatic deletion of the encryption key upon a power loss to the target device in order to make the encrypted data unavailable to any personnel (whether authorized or not) at the location of the target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Larry A. Lee, Robert L. Kilmer, Jr., David R. Menigoz
  • Patent number: 6928202
    Abstract: A package for an optical fiber sensor having a metal jacket surrounding the sensor, and heat-shrink tubing surrounding the metal jacket. The metal jacket is made of a low melting point metal (e.g. lead, tin). The sensor can be disposed in a rigid tube (e.g. stainless steel or glass) that is surrounded by the metal jacket. The metal jacket provides a hermetic, or nearly hermetic seal for the sensor. The package is made by melting the metal jacket and heating the heat shrink tubing at the same time. As the heat-shrink tubing shrinks, it presses the low melting point metal against the sensor, and squeezes out the excess metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Virgina Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Pickrell, Yuhong Duan, Anbo Wang
  • Patent number: 6927744
    Abstract: An antenna 10a equipped on a mobile communication device 1 includes a helical antenna 12 protruding from a casing 2 (key side casing portion 4) of the mobile communication device 1 and a cap 13 covering a surface of the helical antenna 12 and is constructed such that degradation of antenna gain of the helical antenna 12 due to contact of a finger 100 with the helical antenna is prevented by increasing a distance between an outer peripheral surface of the cap 13 and a surface of the helical antenna 12 to at least 1.00 mm by increasing a wall thickness of the cap 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Saito, Keiji Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6925454
    Abstract: Supervised learning is used to develop a computer program that can automatically route or respond to electronic communications assuming the existence of an appropriate formal scheme for categorizing incoming electronic communications. A method is described by which such a categorization scheme for electronic communications can be constructed. The method is based on an analysis of factors having an impact on the categorization scheme from both the business domain and the technology domain. The problem solved by this method is a new one that is only now emerging as automated methods of routing communications based on supervised learning are becoming feasible. Among other uses, this method may be practically employed as a disciplined way of carrying out consulting engagements that call for setting up and maintaining categorization schemes for electronic communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kathryn K. Lam, Frank J. Oles
  • Patent number: 6922715
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a computer system and program product. A computer system including an algorithm for computing a characteristic value of a matrix comprising steps of; providing a first matrix comprising M rows and N columns (M-by-N matrix); providing second matrixes by randomly selecting rows from the first matrix, each of the second matrixes including predetermined numbers of rows smaller than the numbers of rows of the first matrix; computing the characteristic values for the second matrixes; plotting each of the characteristic values with respect to the predetermined numbers of rows; and extrapolating the plots to said number of rows of the first matrix so as to obtain a characteristic value of the first matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mei Kobayashi, Georges Eric Dupret
  • Patent number: 6920525
    Abstract: A local word-line redundancy architecture and method that implements both word-line and match-line steering for semiconductor memories and more particularly for content-addressable memories (CAM) are introduced. According to the present invention, the method of performing local word-line redundancy comprising: testing by using BIST, storing results, comparing failing read address data and failing match-line address data to determine if redundancy is possible and, if so, storing the redundancy repair data pattern and loading that patten upon initialization so that redundancy steering is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas B. Chadwick, Tarl S. Gordon, Rahul K. Nadkarni, Michael R. Ouellette, Jeremy Rowland
  • Patent number: 6919953
    Abstract: A method of measuring a radial index distribution of a rod lens has the steps: (1) the rod lens is processed so that the length is approximately P/2 (where P is pitch length) or an integer multiple thereof and so end surfaces parallel, (2) a patterned surface is set as an object surface in the proximity of one end surface, and an image surface is formed in the proximity of the other end surface by irradiating the patterned surface with condensed monochromatic light, (3) the positions of paraxial focal points and the curves of curvature of field are obtained by observing the image surface, and (4) higher-order index distribution coefficients are calculated back by a fitting process on the basis of the positions of paraxial focal points and the curves of curvature of field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kittaka, Minoru Taniyama
  • Patent number: 6918180
    Abstract: To adhere an actuator unit onto one surface of a diaphragm, a dipping plate is used to evenly cling an adhesive agent to tip ends of a plurality of actuators formed in the actuator unit. The dipping plate is formed with a plurality of grooves corresponding to the respective ones of the plurality of actuators. An adhesive agent is poured into the grooves to the same level and the actuators are dipped into the adhesive pond while maintaining a state in which an imaginary first line that connects the tip ends of said plurality of actuators is in parallel with an imaginary second line that connects borders between immersed and non-immersed portions of the plurality of actuators. The actuators are drawn from the adhesive ponds and adhered to one surface of the diaphragm. An ink channel unit is connected to the opposite surface of the diagram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Koda, Kunihiro Tamahashi, Jun Nagata