| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07689866B2 |
Method and apparatus for injecting transient hardware faults for software testing
The invention includes a method and apparatus for injecting dynamic faults in a circuit device. The apparatus includes a first register adapted with selection data identifying selected ones of a plurality of outputs of the circuit device and/or selected ones of a plurality of error registers of the circuit device, a second register adapted with dynamic fault data for propagation toward the selected ones of the outputs of the circuit device and/or the selected ones of the error registers of the circuit device, and a controller for applying the selection data to the first register and the dynamic fault data to the second register in a manner for providing a dynamic fault on each of the selected ones of the outputs of the circuit device and/or each of the selected ones of the error registers of the circuit device. |
| US07689862B1 |
Application failover in a cluster environment
Cluster unaware application failover in a clustered environment. A cluster typically includes a shared disk and at least two nodes referred to as an “active node” where the application is processed, and a “passive node” capable of processing the application in the event of an “active node” failure. The method includes identifying active node failures using a cluster manager, activating application resources from the shared disk, transferring the application resource services to the passive node, and processing the application from the passive node. |
| US07689861B1 |
Data processing recovery system and method spanning multiple operating system
A system and method for recovering from a computer system crashing as a result of the storage disk suffering physical damage and/or the corruption of an application, operating system, and/or data. The computer system may be standalone or a part of a communication network. The computer includes a hard disk storage divided into a primary partition containing a unique operating system for executing application programs and a recovery partition containing a unique operating system for executing application programs and for backup data storage. A boot track storing a boot manager, a backup status information file for establishing communication between the operating systems of the primary and recovery partitions, and a status validation file verifying the integrity of the backup status information file. |
| US07689858B2 |
Data-recovery control device
A first storing unit stores therein information on a communication status relating to installing positions of a plurality of storage devices forming a disk array. A selecting unit selects a plurality of storage devices for storing data, based on stored information. A second storing unit stores recovery data recovered from a storage device from which a failure is detected from among the storage devices forming the disk array in selected storage devices in a striping manner. |
| US07689856B2 |
Mesochronous clock system and method to minimize latency and buffer requirements for data transfer in a large multi-processor computing system
A mesochronous clock system and method to minimize latency and buffer requirements for data transfer in a large multiprocessor computing system. A stream of data is transferred from a first clock domain with a first clock signal to a second clock domain with a second clock signal. The first and second clock signals have a mesochronous relationship. The first clock signal is sampled in the second clock domain. In response to the sampling of the first clock signal, a modified version of the first clock signal is formed having a known phase relationship to the second clock signal. A parallel form of the received data is formed under the control of modified version of the first clock signal. In response to the sampling of the first clock signal, a subset of contiguous bits of the parallel data is selected for use in the second clock domain. |
| US07689855B2 |
Clock supplying apparatus and control method thereof
A clock supplying apparatus capable of suppressing a current fluctuation as much as possible when supply of a clock signal to a circuit block is started or stopped. At start or termination of the clock signal supply to the circuit block, the clock signal frequency is temporarily changed to a low frequency lower than a standard frequency. |
| US07689853B2 |
Synchronization of network communication link
Commands are passed between first and second asynchronous clock domains. Unique coded command signals are inserted into a data stream transmitted from the first asynchronous clock domain to the second asynchronous clock domain. They are passed without change from the first asynchronous clock domain to the second asynchronous clock domain through an elastic buffer. The unique coded command signals are then decoded in receiver circuitry in the second asynchronous clock domain. Process circuitry in the second asynchronous clock domain is controlled according to the decoded command signals. |
| US07689851B2 |
Limiting power state changes to a processor of a computer device
One embodiment is a computer device that uses a timer to limit a quantity of changes to different power states that are performed on a processor in the computer device during a predetermined time period. The power states changes each have different operating frequencies for the processor. |
| US07689848B2 |
Power management adapted to compute average length of time that a processor is idle during each processing cycle from synchronization signals
A SIMD processor architecture (2) for processing a stream of data vectors is provided, the architecture comprising a processor array (4) comprising a plurality of processors (PE(0), . . . , (PE(N)), each processor ((PE(0), . . . PE(N)) being adapted to process a data element in each vector, the operation of the processor array (4) being controlled by a local clock signal having a first frequency; a control processor (16) adapted to control the operation of the SIMD processor architecture (2) and generate signals to synchronize the operation of the processor array (4) with the stream of data vectors, the operation of the control processor (16) being controlled by a local clock signal having a second frequency; and power management means (30) for adjusting the frequencies of the local clock signals in response to the synchronization signals generated by the control processor (16), thereby minimizing the power consumption of the SIMD processor architecture (2). |
| US07689845B2 |
Component reliability budgeting system
A system may include acquisition of a supply voltage information representing past supply voltages supplied to an electrical component, acquisition of a temperature information representing past temperatures of the electrical component, and control of a performance characteristic of the electrical component based on the supply voltage information and the temperature information. Some embodiments may further include determination of a reliability margin based on the supply voltage information, the temperature information, and on a reliability specification of the electrical component, and change of the performance characteristic based on the reliability margin. |
| US07689844B2 |
Credit-based activity regulation within a microprocessor based on an accumulative credit system
A technique to control power consumption within a microprocessor. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a technique to control power and performance within one or more microprocessors by enforcing a credit-based instruction execution rate algorithm. |
| US07689842B2 |
Always ready computing device
Systems and methods for producing a simulated off condition in a computing device using a set of software drivers that interact with a system service and the device BIOS. The computing device includes system components such as a power supply, processors and fans that are put into a low power state upon receiving a signal to power off the device. This provides the appearance to users that the computing device is off. The system components, however, remain enabled to run applications when the computing device is in the simulated off condition. If necessary, the device can be returned to a fully on condition to process applications that require the system components to be brought out of the low power state to execute. |
| US07689841B2 |
USB circuit device for preventing reverse current from external device
A USB circuit device prevents reverse current while complying with USB specifications. A USB circuit device includes a connector unit to which a USB device is connected; a power supplying unit supplying power with the USB device through the connector unit; a switching unit flowing current induced into the connector unit from the USB device, into a ground selectively; and a controller controlling the switching unit to flow the current induced into the connector unit, into the ground if a level of the power provided with the USB device by the power supplying unit is less than a predetermined value. Accordingly, there is provided a USB circuit device for preventing reverse current from an external device and capable of protecting the circuit from over current with satisfaction to a USB specification. |
| US07689838B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing for detecting processor state transitions
In some embodiments, the method and apparatus to provide for the detection of processor transition states is described. Some embodiments include at least two threads which provide detection for high and low priority states, which provide for power state transitions by the operating system: The low priority thread runs just prior to entry into an idle or low power state; the high priority thread runs when the idle state is ended or the highest power state is reached. In some embodiments, the use of these threads provides for the detection of processor state transitions and idle times independently of the operating system. Other embodiments are described. |
| US07689836B2 |
Encryption device
An encryption/decryption processing unit performs encryption/decryption processing of data transmitted from a host system, and encryption/decryption processing of key data used for encryption/decryption of the data. A key data buffer temporarily stores encrypted key data. A key data buffer temporarily stores unencrypted key data. An external memory interface controls flash memory attached outside, and reads/writes encrypted key data stored in the key data buffer. |
| US07689834B2 |
Personal authentication apparatus
The present invention provides a personal authentication apparatus that includes a permissibility information file for registering information indicating whether setting an ID common to more than one person is permitted or not. In the apparatus, only if setting of an ID common to more than one person is prohibited, an information registering section refers to the permissibility information file to check whether or not a first ID currently obtained for registration is identical to any of second IDs stored in an information storing section. Then, only if the first ID differs from any of the second IDs, the information registering section registers the first ID and biometric information currently obtained in an information storing section. |
| US07689833B2 |
Method and apparatus for electro-biometric identity recognition
A method and apparatus for electro-biometric identity recognition or verification that produces and stores a first biometric signature that identifies a specific individual by forming the difference between a representation of the heartbeat pattern of the specific individual and a stored representation of common features of the heartbeat patterns of a plurality of individuals; after the producing step, the method and apparatus obtains a representation of the heartbeat pattern of a selected individual and produces a second biometric signature by forming the difference between the heartbeat pattern of the selected individual and the stored representation of common features of the heartbeat patterns of the plurality of individuals; it then compares the second biometric signature with the first biometric signature to determine whether the selected individual is the specific individual. The apparatus and method may be employed as a stand-alone unit or as part of another device pursuant to the many applications described herein. |
| US07689831B2 |
Method and system for securing interface access via visual array paths in combination with hidden operators
A method and system for securing interface access via visual array patterns in combination with hidden operations improves the security of computer systems and dedicated terminals. A hint display is generated in at least a quasi-random fashion that may be an array of numerical digit values. A user input is received that represents selection of a pattern of elements chosen from the hint display and combined in an algorithm using one or more mathematical, relational and/or logical operations. A pre-defined pattern and algorithm are used to generate a token from the hint display that is compared with the user input to verify that the user knows the pattern and algorithm. Further ease of use can be provided by dividing a hint display array into sub-arrays while providing a clue such as color to indicate each sub-array to the user. |
| US07689830B2 |
Communications apparatus and service providing technique using communications apparatus
A communications apparatus configured to provide a prescribed service via a network based on a standardized interface of a prescribed communications protocol is provided. The communications apparatus includes a proof confirmation unit configured to, upon receiving a request message representing a request for call-up of the standardized interface from a user, extract proof information about the user from a header region of the request message and have validity of the user verified based on the proof information; and a service executing module configured to execute a process in accordance with the standardized interface for which the call-up is requested if the validity of the user is verified. |
| US07689826B2 |
Flexibly loading a tamper resistant module
Methods and systems for flexibly loading an application, e.g., a software application, and associated data from an application provider (101) onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) (103) having an I/O buffer (115) and a memory (119). A method embodiment of the invention comprises determining (501) the size of the TRM's I/O buffer (115), segmenting (503) the application to be loaded and its associated data into a plurality of segments, with each segment adapted to be stored in the I/O buffer (115) and the size of each segment being a function of the determined size of the I/O buffer (115), separately transmitting (505) each segment to the tamper resistant module (103), and storing (603) each separately transmitted segment in a selected one of one or more available spaces of the TRM's memory (119), said spaces selected depending upon the size of each segment and upon which of said available spaces has the smallest available area in the TRM's memory (119) in which the segment can be stored. |
| US07689822B2 |
Communication device for providing security in a group communication network
A method and apparatus for providing security in a group communication network provides for receiving an encryption key, encrypting media for transmission to a controller using the received encryption key, the encrypted media being directed to another communication device, and communicating the encrypted media to the controller. In one embodiment, the communicating includes wireless communication. The method and apparatus further provides for receiving encrypted media from a controller and blocking the encrypted media if the communication device is not enabled to receive encrypted-media transmission, or if the media is not encrypted based on an encryption key previously specified by the communication device. In another aspect, the communication device is a push-to-talk (PTT) device. |
| US07689821B2 |
Processor with configurable association between interface signal lines and clock domains
A network processor or other type of processor includes an interface comprising a plurality of signal lines, and interface circuitry adapted to receive clock signals for respective interface clock domains of the processor. The interface circuitry comprises a plurality of sampling registers clocked by respective ones of the clock signals. The interface circuitry is configurable in a variety of different configurations, each providing a different association between designated subsets of the signal lines and the clock domains of the processor. |
| US07689812B2 |
Method and system for restoring register mapper states for an out-of-order microprocessor
A method of restoring register mapper states for an out-of-order microprocessor. A processor maps a logical register to a physical register in a map table in response to a first instruction. Instruction sequencing logic records a second speculatively executed instruction as a most recently dispatched instruction in the map table when the second instruction maps the same logical register of the first instruction. The instruction sequencing logic sets an evictor instruction tag (ITAG) of the first instruction in the map table when the second instruction maps a same logical register of the first instruction. The instruction sequencing logic detects mispredicted speculative instructions, determines which instructions in the map table were dispatched prior to the mispredicted speculative instructions, and restores the map table to a state prior to the mispredicted speculative instructions by utilizing the evictor ITAG to restore one or more A bits in the map table data structure. |
| US07689809B2 |
Transparent return to parallel mode by rampoline instruction subsequent to interrupt processing to accommodate slave processor not supported by operating system
A system comprises a master processor and at least one slave processor. A state of the master processor comprises a first plurality of variables and a state of the slave processor comprises a second plurality of variables. The system comprises a parallel mode of operation wherein data are processed by the master processor and the slave processor and a serial mode of operation wherein data are processed by the master processor. In case of an interrupt or exception occurring in the parallel mode of operation, the system performs the steps of saving at least a portion of the first plurality of variables and the second plurality of variables to a buffer memory and switching the system to the serial mode of operation. If the interrupt or exception is occurring in the slave processor, at least one of the first plurality of variables is set to a value of at least one of the second plurality of variables. A system includes a master processor having a first state, a slave processor having a second state, and a buffer memory. The system is operable to switch from a parallel mode to a serial mode responsive to an interrupt or exception and save the states to the buffer memory. Responsive to the interrupt or exception occurring in the slave processor, the system sets at least one variable in the first state to that of a variable in the second state. Responsive to the interrupt or exception occurring in the master processor, the system saves a first return address from the first state and the second state to the buffer memory and replaces the first return address with an address of a trampoline instruction. The trampoline instruction switches the system to the parallel mode of operation and reads the second state and the first return address from the buffer memory. |
| US07689807B2 |
Mass storage device, mass storage controller and methods for use therewith
A mass storage controller includes a packet filter module for receiving a packet containing an updated sector of a remote file allocation table from a host device. The packet filter module is further operable for scanning the updated sector contents to determine their state. The updated sector is written to a local file allocation table of a local device when the state of the updated sector contents match a first state. An original sector of the local file allocation table corresponding to the updated sector is retained when the state of the updated sector contents match a second state. |
| US07689800B2 |
Partition bus
A method and system are provided for integrating partitions in a virtual machine environment. Specifically, a partition bus is provided, where the partition bus operatively connects partitions in such a way that it functions as a data transport mechanism allowing for data transfer and device sharing between partitions. The partition bus relies on virtualizing software in order to establish itself and to establish channels of communication between partitions and to inject interrupts to partitions where it is appropriate to do so. Furthermore, the partition bus employs such mechanisms ring buffers, transfer pages, and memory map changes to transfer information (requests and data). Furthermore, it uses policy agents to decide when information should be transferred or when devices should be shared among partitions. Lastly, it employs various mechanisms to ensure smooth integration between partitions, which includes remote services that have proxy devices and device versioning functionalities. |
| US07689793B1 |
Buffer management architecture
A network switch may include a buffer management module to manage buffers in a buffer memory. The buffer management module may include an Allocation SRAM and a Reclaim SRAM. Each buffer in the buffer memory may be associated with a corresponding bit in the Allocation SRAM and Reclaim SRAM. A line including bits indicating available buffers in the Allocation SRAM may be written to the allocation register, and the buffer management module may allocate buffers from the allocation register. A reclaim module may age bits in the Reclaim SRAM. The reclaim module may reclaim buffers by searching corresponding lines in the Allocation SRAM and Reclaim SRAM and comparing the values of bits in the two lines. |
| US07689789B2 |
Read-copy update grace period detection without atomic instructions that gracefully handles large numbers of processors
A method, system and computer program product for avoiding unnecessary grace period token processing while detecting a grace period without atomic instructions in a read-copy update subsystem or other processing environment that requires deferring removal of a shared data element until pre-existing references to the data element are removed. Detection of the grace period includes establishing a token to be circulated between processing entities sharing access to the data element. A grace period elapses whenever the token makes a round trip through the processing entities. A distributed indicator associated with each processing entity indicates whether there is a need to perform removal processing on any shared data element. The distributed indicator is processed at each processing entity before the latter engages in token processing. Token processing is performed only when warranted by the distributed indicator. In this way, unnecessary token processing can be avoided when the distributed indicator does not warrant such processing. |
| US07689784B2 |
Methods and apparatus for dynamic linking program overlay
Methods and apparatus provide for loading at least one software program module from a storage medium into a local memory of a processor for execution, the storage medium containing a main module and a plurality of sub-modules of the software program; and updating an address table, copies of the address table being located in at least one of the storage medium and the local memory, and the address table having at least one entry for each of the modules, each entry including at least one of: (i) a destination address representing an address within the local memory of a processor at which the corresponding module is disposed, and (ii) a source address representing an address within the storage medium at which the corresponding module originates. |
| US07689783B2 |
System and method for sharing memory by heterogeneous processors
A system for sharing memory by heterogeneous processors, each of which is adapted to process its own instruction set, is presented. A common bus is used to couple the common memory to the various processors. In one embodiment, a cache for more than one of the processors is stored in the shared memory. In another embodiment, some of the processors include a local memory area that is mapped to the shared memory pool. In yet another embodiment, local memory included on one or more of the processors is partially shared so that some of the local memory is mapped to the shared memory area, while remaining memory in the local memory is private to the particular processor. |
| US07689782B1 |
Processor instruction used to determine whether to perform a memory-related trap
An instruction used by a processor in a determination of whether to perform a trap is disclosed. The instruction includes a first set of one or more bits identifying the instruction, and a second set of one or more bits associated with a first address value used in the determination. The determination does not include performing a memory access that uses the first address value to determine a memory location of the memory access. The determination is based at least in part on more than one of the following: a group of one or more marker bits included in the first address value, a matrix entry located at least in part using one or more bits of the first address value, a Translation Look-aside Buffer entry associated with the first address value, whether the first address value is associated with stack allocated memory, and whether the first address value includes a null value. |
| US07689781B2 |
Access to a collective resource in which low priority functions are grouped, read accesses of the group being given higher priority than write accesses of the group
The invention relates to a functional system comprising a set of functions (F, F′) which are to access a collective resource (RSRC), the system including an interface (INT) arranged to implement an access scheme (AS) including at least one state (I) defined by an order of priority for an arbitration according to which the functions (F, F′) can access the collective resource (RSRC), the state (I) being characterized in that, for at least one set of at least two functions (F), the access possibilities in read mode (F_R) and the access possibilities in write mode (F_W) have different priority levels, the access possibilities in read mode having consecutive priority levels higher than the priority levels of the access possibilities in write mode. |
| US07689775B2 |
System using stream prefetching history to improve data prefetching performance
Computer implemented method, system and computer program product for prefetching data in a data processing system. A computer implemented method for prefetching data in a data processing system includes generating attribute information of prior data streams by associating attributes of each prior data stream with a storage access instruction which caused allocation of the data stream, and then recording the generated attribute information. The recorded attribute information is accessed, and a behavior of a new data stream is modified using the accessed recorded attribute information. |
| US07689770B2 |
Method and system for selectively permitting cache memory access during a cache miss request
A cache memory control circuit allowing an MIB to have information concerning an upper address section of a replace address corresponding to a move-in request and information indicating whether a replace destination is valid or not includes: a first determination section (step S41) that determines whether an index and upper address section of the request address related to the move-in request and those of the request address that is related to a preceding move-in request and has been registered in the MIB do not correspond respectively to each other, a third determination section (step S42) that determines whether an index and upper address section in the address related to the move-in request and those in the replace address that is related to the preceding move-in request and has been registered in the MIB do not correspond respectively to each other; and a tag search section (step S43) that continues the processing for the move-in request in the case where an affirmative result has been obtained both in the first and third determination sections and the replace destination is valid. |
| US07689765B2 |
Control apparatus of storage unit, and method of controlling the control apparatus of storage unit
A control apparatus of a storage unit having a first and a second communication ports for conducting communication with a computer, a first and a second processors that control respectively the first and the second communication ports, first and second storage devices that store respectively a first and a second queues for storing commands sent from the computer respectively to the first and the second communication ports, and a first nonvolatile memory that the first processor accesses, the first and the second processors executing the commands stored respectively in the first and the second queues to thereby control the communications with the computer, comprising a unit causing the second processor to implement execution of the command stored in the first queue; and a unit changing data stored in the first memory while the second processor is being caused to implement execution of the command stored in the first queue. |
| US07689762B2 |
Storage device wear leveling
A reference memory location can be designated in a memory device. A memory location can be designated in response to storing data in the memory device. If the identified memory location is associated with the reference memory location then an allocated memory location can be designated relative to the reference memory location, and the allocated memory location can be leveled. |
| US07689761B2 |
Data storage system with complex memory and method of operating the same
A data storage system and a data storing method for the data storage system are provided. The data storage system includes a host unit, a storage unit, and a first input/output bus functioning as an interface between the host unit and the storage unit. The storage unit includes a non-volatile memory buffer unit and a flash memory unit. The non-volatile memory buffer unit includes a plurality of buffers arranged in parallel. The flash memory unit includes a plurality of data storage devices arranged in parallel to input and output data using a parallel method. In the method, a writing request is first classified into one of a plurality of grades according to a writing request frequency when there is a writing request and the writing requested data is stored in one of the non-volatile memory buffer unit and the flash memory unit according to the writing request frequency. |
| US07689757B2 |
Systems and methods for data transfer
Application Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”) devices, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (“FPGAs”), may be interconnected using serial I/O connections, such as high speed multi-gigabit serial transceiver (“MGT”) connections. For example, serial I/O connections may be employed to interconnect a pair of ASICs to create a high bandwidth, low signal count connection, and in a manner so that any given pair of multiple ASIC devices on a single circuit card may communicate with each other through no more than one serial data communication link connection step. A reconfigurable hardware architecture (“RHA”) may be configured to include a communications infrastructure that uses a high-bandwidth packet router to establish standard communications protocols between multiple interfaces and/or multiple devices that may be present on a single circuit card. Additionally, a communications infrastructure may be established across multiple circuit cards. |
| US07689756B2 |
Apparatus and system for an address translation device
An apparatus, system and method to facilitate I2C communication between a host device and a slave device where the slave device shares a common physical address with another slave device on the I2C bus. The apparatus includes a detection module to detect an incoming address on the I2C bus, a translation module to translate the incoming address to an outgoing address, and a communication module to communicate data between the host device and the slave device where the outgoing address matches the physical address of the slave device. In this manner, the present invention avoids address conflicts between commonly addressed slave devices while reducing costs, components, and complexities traditionally associated with dynamic addressing techniques and other prior art solutions to address conflicts. |
| US07689755B2 |
Apparatus and method for sharing devices between multiple execution domains of a hardware platform
A method and apparatus for sharing peripheral devices between multiple execution domains of a hardware platform are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the configuration end-point devices, bridges and interconnects of a hardware platform including at least two execution domains. When a configuration requests is issued from an execution domain, the configuration requests may be intercepted. Hence, the received configuration request is not used to configure the peripheral end-points, bridges or interconnects of the hardware platform. Configuration information decoded from intercepted configuration request may be stored as virtual configuration information. In one embodiment, configuration information is read from a target of the configuration request to identify actual configuration information. This actual configuration information may be stored within a translation table and mapped to the virtual configuration information to enable translation of domain specific addresses to real (actual) addresses. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07689753B2 |
Method of operating wireless USB apparatus by receiving operation state information and wireless USB apparatus using the same
A method of operating a wireless universal serial bus (USB) apparatus and the wireless USB apparatus using the same. The method including: receiving operation state information from a neighboring wireless USB apparatus in a beacon period (BP); the wireless USB apparatus, which is operating as a host in a first cluster by using the operation state information, identifying a distributed reservation protocol (DRP) corresponding to a second cluster; and the wireless USB apparatus, which is operating as the host in the first cluster, participating in the second cluster as a device by transmitting and receiving data in the DRP corresponding to the second cluster. Accordingly, the wireless USB apparatus which operates as a host may participate in a neighboring WUSB cluster as a device. |
| US07689748B2 |
Event handler for context-switchable and non-context-switchable processing tasks
Embodiments of a system and method for handling interrupts are described herein. In an embodiment interrupts from various client components in a system (also referred to as clients) are processed by an interrupt handler component uniformly. The various clients signal interrupts in different manners. For example, some clients signal interrupts in a level-based manner, and some clients signal interrupts in a pulse-based manner. In an embodiment, all interrupts received by the interrupt handler are formed into an event message according to a uniform format regardless of the manner in which the interrupt is signaled. The event message includes all information necessary for a host processor interrupt service routine (ISR) to service the interrupts without reading hardware registers. Event messages are stored in an event buffer for access and handling by the host. The event buffer is managed by the interrupt handler. |
| US07689747B2 |
Systems and methods for an augmented interrupt controller and synthetic interrupt sources
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to augmented interrupt controllers (AICs) and to synthetic interrupt sources (SISs) providing richer interrupt information (or “synthetic interrupts” or “SIs”). The AIC and SIS provide efficient means for sending and receiving interrupts, and particularly interrupts sent to and received by virtual machines. Several of these embodiments are specifically directed to an interrupt controller that is extended to accept and deliver additional information associated with an incoming interrupt. For certain such embodiments, a memory-mapped extension to the interrupt controller includes a data structure that is populated with the additional information as part of the interrupt delivery. Although several of the embodiments described herein are disclosed in the context of a virtual machine system, the inventions disclosed herein can also be applied to traditional computer systems (without a virtualization layer) as well. |
| US07689744B1 |
Methods and structure for a SAS/SATA converter
Methods and structure for enabling transparent coordination between multiple host systems sharing access to a common SATA storage device to improve bandwidth utilization therebetween in a manner transparent to each of the multiple host systems. The SAS protocol may be utilized by each of the host systems coupled to an SAS/SATA Converter. The storage device coupled to an output path of the SAS/SATA Converter is selectively coupled to one of the multiple host systems each coupled to an input signal path of the SAS/SATA Converter to the shared SATA storage device. Protocol conversion within the SAS/SATA Converter may convert between host SAS protocol exchanges and SATA protocol exchanges of the storage device. Other features within the SAS/SATA Converter may provide queuing or buffering of SAS protocol exchanges from a host system presently non-selected for coupling to the shared SATA storage device. |
| US07689743B2 |
Data copy system apparatus and method
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for copying data. The present invention includes a data storage subsystem that supports fast replication and a host system that communicates a fast replication request to the data storage subsystem, estimates an expected wait time for a pending fast replication operation if the fast replication request is not granted, awaits the expiration of the wait time, communicates an additional fast replication request to the data storage subsystem, and records the data as moved if the additional fast replication is granted. In certain embodiments, the host system moves the data via conventional I/O operations if the expected wait time exceeds an expected duration for the conventional I/O operations. |
| US07689742B2 |
Data output method, data output apparatus and computer program product
A data output apparatus checks data accumulated state in the accumulating unit at a preset check interval, and changes at least one setting among an initial accumulation amount to be used as a basis for starting to output the data accumulated in the accumulating unit, an upper accumulation limit amount to be used as a basis for discarding accumulated data, and a check interval, according to a discarded state of the data based on check results. Therefore, in the data output apparatus such as an IP telephony terminal apparatus, it is possible to prevent sound interruption and limit a lowering of communication quality. |
| US07689739B2 |
Spread spectrum receiver, apparatus and method of a circular buffer for multirate data
An apparatus, spread spectrum receiver, and method of controlling a circular buffer, comprising a circular buffer and a controller coupled thereto. The circular buffer receives first data at a first data rate and second data at a second data rate. The controller determines a first range in the circular buffer based on the first data rate and a first time difference between the first write and first read speed, accesses the first data in the first range, estimates a second range in the circular buffer based on the second data rate and a second time difference between the first write and first read speed, and accesses the second data in the second range, where the second range is larger than and partially covered by the first range. |
| US07689733B2 |
Method and apparatus for policy-based direct memory access control
A computer that operates in a metered mode for normal use and a restricted mode uses an input/output memory management unit (I/O MMU) in conjunction with a security policy to determine which peripheral devices are allowed direct memory access during the restricted mode of operation. During restricted mode operation, non-authorized peripheral devices are removed from virtual address page tables or given vectors to non-functioning memory areas. |
| US07689731B2 |
Exposing the supply state of a shared peripheral device to a remote network resource
Supply state information associated with a peripheral device that is shared over a network while coupled to a local network resource is obtained and a representation of the supply state information is stored in a data repository that is accessible by remote network resources. |
| US07689729B2 |
Method for implementing resets in two computers
A method and computer program for implementing a reset both in a master computer and a slave computer which are both connected to a shared data bus. To allow a different reset configuration of both computers even when the slave computer, in particular, has no possibility of an internal slave-reset configuration, the method provides that the slave computer is configured with a slave-reset configuration which is provided to the slave computer by the master computer, reset-configured beforehand, via the data bus. |
| US07689727B2 |
System and method for automatically updating the memory map of a programmable controller to customized hardware
System and method for automatically updating a memory map coupled to or included in a programmable controller (PrC). A PrC may automatically detect at least one programmable hardware element (PHE) coupled to the PrC. The PHE may provide a customizable interface, i.e., input and output (I/O) interface, between one or more devices and the PrC. The devices may include one or more measurement, data acquisition, signal generation, automation, motion control, and/or analysis device(s), among others. The PHE may perform one or more functions on the data transmitted between the device(s) and the PrC. One or more of the PHEs and/or device(s) may be local or remote to the PrC. The PrC may automatically update the memory map based on a hardware I/O interface of the at least one programmable hardware element, where the memory map facilitates communications between programs executing on the PrC and the programmable hardware element. |
| US07689723B1 |
Virtual cloned device node
A system and method for virtualizing a hardware device node for a network interface circuit or other device. In a clone driver's configuration file, multiple virtual or clone nodes are defined. Their major numbers match the major number of the driver, but a virtual node's minor number for a Style 2 driver is calculated from the hardware driver's major number and the instance or port number of the corresponding hardware node. By creating multiple clone nodes, multiple paths through the protocol stack are created. Each one can be configured differently (e.g., for different MTU sizes), and each may be assigned a different address (e.g., MAC address). The separate addresses may be registered with hardware filters to filter incoming packets at the hardware level. A traffic classifier created in the device driver manages each virtual node's association with a hardware filter. |
| US07689720B2 |
Method for establishing and maintaining a shared view of time in a peer-to-peer network
A shared concept of time, called “graph time,” is agreed upon by all nodes within a graph. Each node maintains its own local delta representative of a difference in the node's system clock and graph time. Upon connecting to a neighbor node in a graph, a node is sent graph time as perceived by the neighbor node. In accordance with an embodiment, the node assumes that the lag time in receiving the graph time from the neighbor node is one-half of the lag time between the request for the connection and the receipt of the graph time. Graph time as sent by the neighbor node is added to one-half of the total delay and the sum is subtracted from the node's system time to calculate the delta for the node requesting connection. |
| US07689719B2 |
Messaging protocol for processing messages with attachments
A message that is to be processed according to an electronic messaging protocol is associated with a sender of the message. The message also includes an attachment from an attaching entity. The attachment is associated with a unique property of the attaching entity. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US07689714B1 |
Load balancing computations in a multiprocessor system
A system and method for load-balancing routing of a computation within a multiprocessor system. The computation includes multiple branches of execution, not just a linear sequence of steps, and thus cannot be efficiently routed by existing minimum-delay routing schemes. The cost of a single step of the computation is calculated, possibly using a ratio of outgoing data rates from the step to the incoming data rate. That cost may then be scaled for different branches of execution of the computation leading to or from that single step. For example, the calculated cost may be multiplied by each branch's probability of being executed. |
| US07689711B2 |
System and method for routing messages between applications
A system and method for enabling the interchange of enterprise data through an open platform is disclosed. This open platform can be based on a standardized interface that enables parties to easily connect to and use the network. Services operating as senders, recipients, and in-transit parties can therefore leverage a framework that overlays a public network. |
| US07689710B2 |
Method and system for a front-end modular transmission control protocol (TCP) handoff design in a streams based transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) implementation
A method and system for handing-off TCP states in a communication network. Specifically, the present invention discloses allows for transferring TCP states between front-end node and a plurality of back-end web servers. The handoff occurs between dynamically loadable modules that wrap around the TCP/IP stack located at a front-end node and a selected back-end web server. A handoff protocol implemented by the loadable modules works within the kernel level of the existing TCP/IP code. As such, no changes to the existing TCP/IP code is necessary. The loadable modules at the front-end are able to select a back-end web server depending on the HTTP request, coordinate handing off TCP states, and forward packets to the back-end web server. Loadable modules at the selected back-end modify response packets going out to reflect the proper TCP state of the front-end node. |
| US07689709B2 |
Native format tunneling
Systems and techniques are disclosed for transmitting a message through an application integration system without having to converting the message from a format that native to both a sending application and a receiving application. A computer-implemented method for transmitting a message from a sending application through an application integration system includes determining a receiving application of the message, and determining a file format used by the receiving application. If the file format used by the receiving application is substantially identical to a file format used by the sending application, the method includes wrapping the message in a markup language file envelope according to a markup language used by the application integration system. The message is then routed in the markup language file envelope to the receiving application. |
| US07689705B1 |
Interactive delivery of media using dynamic playlist generation subject to restrictive criteria
A media delivery scheme distributes a stream of media files to a group of users while allowing individual users to request specific media files. In one embodiment, a media server maintains a playlist of media files to broadcast, and requests for media must satisfy certain restrictive criteria to be added to the playlist. In another aspect of a preferred embodiment, the media server schedules requested media so as to comply with provisions of the DMCA. |
| US07689704B2 |
Methods and arrangements for managing automated switching
A method for automatically creating a complete first data path between a user interface device (UID) and a system device. The UID and the system device are coupled to a set of UID switches. The method includes providing a switch command server (SCS), which is in electronic communication with the set of UID switches. The method also includes receiving at the SCS a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), which is generic with respect to switch-specific command syntax. The SLACI is also received from a SLACI-origination device that is location agnostic with respect to the set of UID switches. The method further includes transmitting, automatically in response to a triggering condition, a first set of switch commands from the SCS to the set of UID switches to connect the UID and the system device connect along an available data path to form the complete first data path. |
| US07689701B2 |
Dual-component state token with state data direct access index for systems with high transaction volume and high number of unexpired tokens
Access to state data by a client process such as state data in an Online Transaction Processing arrangement is controlled through generation of and exchanging of a dual-component token. The first component of the token is an Index value which indirectly points to a block of state data assigned to process or user. The second component of the token is a sequence value, such as a Random Unique Sequence value, which is also associated with the block of state data for a process. With each transaction request, a user process provides the token to the OLTP server, which then verifies the sequence numbers of the state data and the token match before allowing access to the data. |
| US07689699B2 |
Method and apparatus for executing web services through a high assurance guard
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of executing web services through a high assurance guard includes transmitting a target service request having routing information from the source security domain to a source one-way high assurance guard (HAG) service, inspecting the target service request in the source one-way HAG service to determine if the target service request violates at least one rule governing communications transmitted from the first security domain, transmitting the target service request to a destination one-way HAG service in the destination security domain via a one-way HAG according to the routing information if the target service request does not violate the at least one rule and discarding the second target service request if the target service request violates the at least one rule, and providing the target service request to the target service. |
| US07689698B2 |
Method of synchronising three or more electronic devices and a computer system for implementing that method
Methods, systems and machine readable media for synchronising three or more electronic devices.In one exemplary method of synchronising three or more electronic devices, said method comprises: a) selecting at least one category of record for synchronisation; b) storing an original value and a changed value of each changed record from a selected record category; c) establishing an electronic connection between at least two devices; d) comparing the records of the selected record categories; e) determining any changed record; f) identifying the updated device with the changed record having an original value the same as the value of the record in the other previous device; and g) changing the value of the record in the previous device to the changed value. |
| US07689697B2 |
Server, reconnection control method, device, reconnection method, program, and record medium
A server connectable to a device through a network is disclosed. The server includes a designation section and a transmission section. The designation section designates a first time interval for which the device repeatedly reconnects the server. The transmission section transmits an information corresponding to the designated first time interval to the device while the server is being connected to the device. |
| US07689695B2 |
System and method for distributed utility optimization in a messaging infrastructure
A system and method which integrates a greedy allocation for consumer admission control with a Lagrangian allocation to compute flow rates and which links the results of the two approaches to allow a tradeoff between consumer admission control and flow rates. The Lagrangian Rates, Greedy Populations (hereinafter, “LRGP”) solution is a scalable and efficient distributed solution for maximizing the total utility in an event-driven distributed infrastructure. The greedy population, consumer portion generates prices used in the LaGrangian rate flow approach. The method is iterative including a regular exchange of information for ongoing optimization, dynamically adjusting producer rates in response to changes to consumer service and dynamically adjusting the service to consumer populations in response to changes in the producer rates. |
| US07689687B2 |
Communication controller with automatic time stamping
Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that automatically time stamps events associated with received and transmitted messages. |
| US07689681B1 |
System and method for facilitating controlled compensable use of a remotely accessible network device
A system and method for facilitating controlled use of a remotely accessible device for compensation is described. At least one device remotely accessible over a network and capable of performing a function ancillary to a primary function performed for a subscriber through use of the at least one device is identified. A subscriber of the at least one device is compensated in exchange for performance of the ancillary function relative to the primary function. |
| US07689680B1 |
Method of modifying a checksuite
A method and apparatus for defining, creating, and applying checks to multiple computers simultaneously is disclosed. In a network comprised of multiple computers capable of being linked together, a number of parameters to be monitored are defined. Then a number of checks corresponding to the one or more defined parameters are created. Each check is a set of computer executable instructions to monitor a defined parameter of the one or more defined parameters. After the checks are created, one or more checksuites that each include two or more of the created checks may be created. One or more checksuites may be designated for deployment and applied to one or more of the multiple network computers. |
| US07689677B2 |
Dynamic power cycling
In a virtualized desktop system, a digital user station communicates with an interfacing module coupled to a target device via a network. The digital user station controls the power of the target device and the interfacing module by determining the power status of the interfacing module and sending a power control packet to the target device the interfacing module is coupled to. |
| US07689676B2 |
Model-based policy application
In accordance with certain aspects of the model-based policy application, each of a plurality of policies is associated with appropriate parts of a model of a heterogeneous system. A deployment agent is invoked to apply each of the plurality of policies to components associated with the parts of the model. An identification of a change to one of the plurality of policies is received, and the deployment agent is also invoked to apply the changed policy to selected ones of the components associated with the parts of the model. |
| US07689675B2 |
System and method for communicating with console ports
In a console server having a user interface and one or more ports, a system and method of accessing devices connected to the ports. A device connected to one of the ports is recognized, wherein recognizing includes recording in a port log information received through a port on a console server from a device that is communicatively coupled to the port and executing instructions that read the information in the port log and determine an operating system that is running on the device from the information in the port log. An application for communicating with the recognized device is selected and the console server communicates with the device using the selected application. |
| US07689673B2 |
Remote creation of printer instances on a workstation
Remotely installing a new printer in a printers folder on a client workstation that communicates via a network with a control point terminal by, in the control point terminal, performing an operation to add the new printer in the printers folder of the client workstation, and in response to the operation being performed, the control point terminal transmitting identification information of the new printer being added to an agent in the client workstation, and in the client workstation, the agent receiving the identification information from the control point terminal, in response to receiving the identification information of the new printer, the agent automatically obtaining printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the received identification information, the agent automatically configuring the printer and installing a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information, and the agent creating a locally managed instance of the printer. The operation may be simply selecting the new printer and the workstation that the printer is to be added to. The printer configuration information and the print driver information may be automatically obtained from a remote device on the network, such as an FTP server, and a port for communication with the printer may be automatically created. The unique identifier may be a network address of the printer, such as an IP address, a printer name, a DNS name or a NetBios name, and the printer may be a virtual printer, rather than an actual printer installed on the network. |
| US07689671B2 |
System and method for multiple IP addresses during domain name resolution
A system, method, and program product are provided that access a network resource by sending, from a client computer system, a first domain name resolution request to a DNS server. The first domain name resolution request includes a first domain name and requests multiple IP addresses. The client computer system receives, from the DNS server, a first multiple IP address response that corresponds to the first domain name resolution request, the first multiple IP address response including a IP addresses that each correspond to the first domain name included in the first domain name resolution request. At the client computer system, one of the plurality of IP addresses is selected by a user. The client computer system sends a request to a server corresponding to the selected IP address. The client computer system then receives responsive data from the server and displays the responsive data on a display screen accessible from the client computer system. |
| US07689667B2 |
Protocol to fix broken links on the world wide web
A protocol for automatically fixing broken hypertext links is described that can save countless hours wasted by World-Wide Web surfers trying to navigate using a broken link or web authors trying to fix broken links to their web pages. A link correction service checks hypertext links in a document by sending messages according to a hyperlink verification protocol (HLVP) to a remote web server indicated by the link. A link checking service at the remote web server, in response to receiving an HLVP message for a link, consults a mapping table to determine if the link is valid, has changed, has been removed, or is unknown. A response code indicating the status of the link is returned to the link correction service to modify the page accordingly. |
| US07689666B2 |
System and method for restricting internet access of a computer
A system for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user includes a computer having a central processing unit, a display, a keyboard and a web browser installed on the central processing unit. The web browser has a list of allowable top level domains (TLDs), and the central processing unit includes a database having a list of allowable uniform resource locators (URLs). The web browser compares the TLD and URL associated with a requested website to respectively determine if they are the same as a TLD or URL in the lists of allowable TLDs and URLs. If either the TLD or URL associated with the requested website is the same as a TLD or URL on the lists, the user is allowed to access the requested website on the computer. If neither the TLD nor the URL associated with the requested website is the same as a TLD or URL on the lists of allowable TLDs and URLs, the user is denied access to the requested website on the computer. |
| US07689661B2 |
Method and system for community data caching
A cache module (26) at a client computer (12) controls a cache portion (28) on a storage device (24). The cache module communicates with other cache modules at other clients to form a cache community (15). The cache modules store World Wide Web or other content in the cache portions for retrieval in response to requests (32) for content from browsers (30) in the cache community. When the requested content is not available in the cache community, the requested content may be retrieved from an origin server (19) using the Internet. |
| US07689660B2 |
Application server architecture
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a system and method for an application server architecture having a common connection manager for at least two heterogeneous application server software suites. One of the software suites is a standards-based application server software suite having a plurality of worker nodes. In one embodiment, the plurality of worker nodes share code and data that is stored in a shared memory. |
| US07689658B2 |
Method for publishing messages from identified, authorized senders to subscribers
Publishing messages over a network includes receiving a message from a sender in a first format, identifying the sender of the message as an authorized sender based on information associated with the message in comparison to data in a sender account using software executing in a central processor, wherein the identifying step is dependent on the first format of the message, receiving a request for at least the portion of the message from a requester, and publishing at least the portion of the message to the requestor over the network only if the software has identified the sender as an authorized sender. The requester can subscribe to receive new messages from one or more senders including the identified sender, and a copy of any new messages from the identified sender can be sent to one or more notification devices associated with the subscribed requestor. |
| US07689652B2 |
Using IP address and domain for email spam filtering
Email spam filtering is performed based on a combination of IP address and domain. When an email message is received, an IP address and a domain associated with the email message are determined. A cross product of the IP address (or portions of the IP address) and the domain (or portions of the domain) is calculated. If the email message is known to be either spam or non-spam, then a spam score based on the known spam status is stored in association with each (IP address, domain) pair element of the cross product. If the spam status of the email message is not known, then the (IP address, domain) pair elements of the cross product are used to lookup previously determined spam scores. A combination of the previously determined spam scores is used to determine whether or not to treat the received email message as spam. |
| US07689651B2 |
Enterprise system having a smart distance among artifacts, and apparatus and method for providing the smart distance among the artifacts
An enterprise system includes a plurality of artifacts (e.g., persons, objects, databases, autonomous elements, intelligent agents, information systems, etc), and a smart distance (e.g., a distance which may optimize the performance of the enterprise system) between the plurality of artifacts. |
| US07689650B1 |
Presence indication configuration methodology
A presence model is maintained for a messaging system to message among a plurality of computing device users. A permission is maintained for providing to a first computing device a presence indication for a user of a second computing device. Based on an indication of a user of the first computing device not being in a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, the permission is maintained to provide only a basic presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device. From the first computing device, a message is caused to be sent to the second computing device. Based on the maintained permission, the basic presence indication for the user of the second computing device is provided to the first computing device and a user interface element is provided via which the user of the first computing device can be added to a messaging list for the user of the second computing device. |
| US07689647B2 |
Systems and methods for removing duplicate search engine results
The present invention is directed toward efficiently locating desired information and, more specifically, to providing a system and method for removing unnecessary multiple references to a common resource such as redundant listed Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that reference the same display URLs (and thus the same Web page) as another listed URL. Consequently, in circumstances where only a smaller, finite number of listed results are immediately used (such as displaying only the twenty most relevant results on the first page presented to a search engine end-user), the finite number of listed results may corresponds to a greater number of unique display URLs than would otherwise occur absent this form of filtering. |
| US07689641B2 |
SIMD integer multiply high with round and shift
Method, apparatus, and program means for performing a packed multiply high with round and shift operation. The method of one embodiment comprises receiving a first operand having a first set of L data elements. A second operand having a second set of L data elements is received. L pairs of data elements are multiplied together to generate a set of L products. Each of the L pairs includes a first data element from the first set of L data element and a second data element from a corresponding data element position of the second set of L data elements. Each of the L products are rounded to generate L rounded values. Each of said L rounded values are scaled to generate L scaled values. Each of the L scaled values are truncated for storage at a destination. Each truncated value is to be stored at a data element position corresponding to its pair of data elements. |
| US07689640B2 |
Method and apparatus for formatting numbers in microprocessors
An apparatus for scaling numbers comprises register means for storing an operand to be scaled, bit shifting means for performing a right shift operation on the operand, rounding means, and decision means to test for the existence of at least one of an overflow and an underflow condition. |
| US07689638B2 |
Method and device for determining and outputting the similarity between two data strings
The present invention discloses a method and device for determining and outputting a similarity measure between two data strings each data string comprising data entities, comprising: receiving a first data string, receiving a second data string, which is characterized by determining consecutively following data entities in the first data string, determining the relative positions of the consecutively following data entities in the first data string, determining similar data entities with the same order in the second data string, determining the relative positions of the determined data entities in the second data string, determining a matching measure by determining how far the relative positions of data entities in the second data string match with the relative positions of consecutively following data entities in the first data string, and outputting a similarity measure which corresponds to the matching measure of at least one comparison result. |
| US07689636B2 |
Generation of a normalized random bit flow
A method and a circuit for normalizing a noise source providing an initial bit flow, including conditioning the state of an output bit to the respective states of the bits of the initial flow examined by words of identical lengths and, upon occurrence of a word of bits of identical states, conditioning the state of the current output bit to the state of at least one previous output bit. |
| US07689634B2 |
Flexible approach to store attribute information (META-DATA) related to files of a file system
A file system designed according to a convention which permits the addition of new attributes (potentially of new types not defined earlier) for any desired set of files. In one embodiment, addition of an attribute for a file requires rewriting of attributes (of other files) stored following the added new attribute. In an alternative embodiment, the convention permits an attribute to point to another location at which the storing of new attributes is continued. |
| US07689632B2 |
Adaptive data dictionary language, extendable for a security system
A system, method and computer program product for storing configuration data for use in configuring a device while a program utilizing the configuration data is undergoing a revision at the device. The method includes a first step of providing a data structure indicating a manner in which configuration data is to be stored, and storing the data structure and current configuration data according to the data structure. Then, a revised software program in the device may identify the data structure and access a particular configuration data, along with its format; and, apply a conversion function that translates the stored current configuration data to a format compatible for use by the revised software. This is accomplished in a manner such that no configuration data is corrupted. The data structure includes data self describing the stored current configuration data, such that a conversion function can easily access the self describing information and render the stored configuration data platform independent. |
| US07689626B2 |
System and method for locating log records in multiplexed transactional logs
A common logging system (a “virtual logging system”) that presents to one or more log clients the appearance that each log client is interacting with a dedicated logging system. In reality, the virtual logging system is multiplexing virtual log streams, including log records, for each log client into a single transactional log. In particular, the invention is directed at a scheme for mapping virtual identifiers that a client uses in connection with the client's own records to physical identifiers that represent the physical location of the client's records in the single transactional log |
| US07689624B2 |
Graph-based search leveraging sentiment analysis of user comments
A search system and method is provided. The method includes constructing a graph-based query that is indicative of a user's preference-levels for different features of a search item (a product, for example). The constructed graph-based query is executed by comparing the user's preference-levels for the different features of the product, which are graphically represented in the query, with information related to sentiments expressed by other users regarding the product. Information related to the sentiments expressed by other users regarding the product can include system-generated product performance graphs constructed from comments regarding the product obtained from the World Wide Web (or other network). Results returned and output upon execution of the graph-based query include system-generated product performance graphs that are similar to the user-submitted query. |
| US07689622B2 |
Identification of events of search queries
Techniques for analyzing and modeling the frequency of queries are provided by a query analysis system. A query analysis system analyzes frequencies of a query over time to determine whether the query is time-dependent or time-independent. The query analysis system forecasts the frequency of time-dependent queries based on their periodicities. The query analysis system forecasts the frequency of time-independent queries based on causal relationships with other queries. To forecast the frequency of time-independent queries, the query analysis system analyzes the frequency of a query over time to identify significant increases in the frequency, which are referred to as “query events” or “events.” The query analysis system forecasts frequencies of time-independent queries based on queries with events that tend to causally precede events of the query to be forecasted. |
| US07689615B2 |
Ranking results using multiple nested ranking
A unique system and method that facilitates improving the ranking of items is provided. The system and method involve re-ranking decreasing subsets of high ranked items in separate stages. In particular, a basic ranking component can rank a set of items. A subset of the top or high ranking items can be taken and used as a new training set to train a component for improving the ranking among these high ranked documents. This process can be repeated on an arbitrary number of successive high ranked subsets. Thus, high ranked items can be reordered in separate stages by focusing on the higher ranked items to facilitate placing the most relevant items at the top of a search results list. |
| US07689614B2 |
Query generation for a capture system
A document accessible over a network can be registered. A registered document, and the content contained therein, is not transmitted undetected over and off of the network. In one embodiment, the invention includes a manager agent to maintain signatures of registered documents and a match agent to detect the unauthorized transmission of the content of registered documents. |
| US07689613B2 |
OCR input to search engine
A method of carrying out a search using a search engine consistent with certain embodiments involves extracting selected text from a video frame containing text by optical character recognition (OCR) processing of the selected text from the video frame; loading the text extracted from the OCR processing as a search string into a search engine; executing the search using the search engine operating on the search string; receiving search results from the search engine; and displaying the search results for viewing on a display. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US07689612B2 |
Handling of queries of transient and persistent data
A query of a meta-object facility repository that includes transient data being modified or processed in memory and persisted data can be received. Thereafter, portions of the received query can be executed on partitions associated with the persisted data and other portions of the received query can be executed on partitions of the repository associated with the transient data to generate a combined correct query result set. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described. |
| US07689610B2 |
Automated grouping of messages provided to an application using string similarity analysis
Messages which are provided to an application are monitored. Similarities between the messages are determined based on a distance algorithm, in one approach, and messages which are similar are assigned to a common group. For example, the messages may be HTTP messages which include a URL, HTTP header parameters and/or HTTP post parameters. The messages are parsed to derive a string which is used in the distance calculations. Additionally, application runtime data such as response times is obtained and aggregated for the group. Further, a representative message can be determined for each group for comparison to subsequent messages. Results can be reported which include a group identifier, representative message, count and aggregated runtime data. |
| US07689607B2 |
Database page mirroring
Systems and methods are presented that facilitate automatic database backup and restore for databases resident in personal computing devices, and which are transparent to a user, utilizing database page mirroring. Modifications to a data page in a data file can be validated and written to a backup, or mirror, database and then subsequently written to an original database after a predetermined time. An I/O latch on a mirrored data page can be limited to a duration of a single I/O write operation to facilitate sequential data page writing to each of the databases while mitigating potential for both databases to be written simultaneously, which can detrimentally affect data quality during a recovery operation. |
| US07689601B2 |
Achieving web documents using unique document locators
A repository server that makes stored copies of Web-accessible documents available at times when the documents themselves are inaccessible via the Web, because the server the document is located on is unavailable, because the server has removed or renamed the document, or because the server has replaced the version of which the stored copy is a copy with a different version. A client of the repository server may register a document in the repository server. The repository server makes a copy of the registered document and returns a repository URL for the copy to the client. The repository URL may be used to fetch the copy from the repository URL. Registration further relates the stored copy to its document URL, to an identifier for the stored copy, to a fingerprint that is a condensed representation of the stored copy's content and to a set of stored copies having similar content. |
| US07689599B1 |
Repair of inconsistencies between data and metadata stored on a temporal volume using transaction log replay
Method, system, and apparatus for maintaining consistent images of metadata and data in a file system or other data journaling software stored on a temporal volume are presented. An intent log is maintained of all data and metadata modifying transactions, which is then relayed either asynchronously or form a last known consistent checkpoint to a requested checkpoint thereby rendering the requested checkpoint data and metadata consistent. |
| US07689595B2 |
Automatic travel content capture tool for address book entries
A method of and system for capturing and updating travel directions in a user's local address book application. The method comprises the steps of determining a current location profile of the user, calculating a user trajectory using that profile and an intended destination, and adding the current location profile and the intended destination into a historical database. The user's local address book is checked for an entry for the address of said intended destination; and if that entry is not in the address book, the entry is created in the address book. That entry is then checked to determine if a direction/map field of the entry contains directions/map information. If the entry does not contain this information, then this information is mined from a network source and added to the address book. This direction/map information is then displayed. |
| US07689592B2 |
Method, system and program product for determining objective function coefficients of a mathematical programming model
A method and system for determining a plurality of coefficients of an objective function of a mathematical programming model. Attributes of the model are identified. A first set of coefficient values determining a first solution and initially representing the plurality of coefficients is determined by employing a specified ranking of the attributes. A prevailing solution is initialized to the first solution. Additional sets of coefficient values are generated, each set determining a corresponding additional solution of the model. The additional solutions are evaluated (e.g., by the Analytic Hierarchy Process) to provide a ranking of the solutions, where the ranking is dependent upon the attributes. The ranking of the additional solutions is used to select a second solution. The prevailing solution is set to the second solution if the second solution exceeds a sum of the prevailing solution and a specified tolerance. |
| US07689591B2 |
Recording apparatus and method, reproducing apparatus and method, recording and reproducing apparatus and method, and program
Disclosed is a recording apparatus for editing data and recording a file which is an editing result. The apparatus is configured by a file generating section for generating a file and a recording section for recording the file which is generated by the file generating section, in a recording medium. The file is composed of a management information block and a data block. The management information block has at least an image management track for storing management information necessary for reproducing image data with respect to each predetermined unit reproducing time, an identifier of the image management track, and a display control track for storing management information of display control data which is composed of a display position of an image which corresponds to the image data. The data block is capable of storing data which is managed by the management information block. |
| US07689588B2 |
Method of syntactic pattern recognition of sequences
This invention relates to the Pattern Recognition (PR) of noisy/inexact strings and sequences and particularly to syntactic Pattern Recognition. The present invention presents a process by which a user can recognize an unknown sting X, which is an element of a finite, but possibly larger Dictionary, H, by processing the information contained in its noisy/inexact version, Y, where Y is assumed to contain substitution, insertion or deletion errors. The recognized string, which is the best estimate X+ of X, is defined as that element of H which minimizes the Generalized Levenshtein Distance D(X, Y) between X and Y, for all X |
| US07689587B1 |
Autorep process to create repository according to seed data and at least one new schema
Generating a repository template of a repository of data for a storage area network (SAN) management tool is disclosed. The repository will hold data describing SAN elements and configurations, and will be stored on a host. A configuration file is updated to include current configuration data for the repository, and includes specifications for a set of new schemas that define structures within the repository. A set of new schemas is created from those specifications. Seed data that defines initial information for the repository is copied to the host. New schemas are initialized with the seed data. A repository template is generated from the created set of new schemas and the seed data, from which one or more repositories may be created to hold SAN data. |
| US07689584B2 |
Hybrid groups
A method and apparatus for managing groups in a directory server is described. In one embodiment, in response to a request for accessing a static group, an action represented by an attribute of an entry of the directory server is dynamically performed. A result of the action is returned as part of a response of the static group. |
| US07689578B2 |
Dealing with annotation versioning through multiple versioning policies and management thereof
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for maintaining annotations for changing source documents are provided. For some embodiments, an annotation system may support multiple policies, with each policy dictating how (or if) an annotation created for a version of a source document should be applied to subsequent versions of the source document. For some embodiments, a user creating an annotation may select from a group of available policies to be applied to the annotation. |
| US07689577B2 |
Rearranging data sections within a page file
Data sections are rearranged within a page file associated with an operating system such that one or more non-contiguous data sections are made to be contiguous. The technology initially accesses a page file which comprises a plurality of data sections. The plurality of data sections within the page file are analyzed. Then, the plurality of data sections are rearranged such that at least one or more non-contiguous data sections are contiguous within the page file. |
| US07689573B2 |
Prefetch appliance server
In a system in which a DB is built in a virtualization environment, a management server obtains DB processing information such as a DB processing execution plan and a degree of processing priority from a DBMS, predicts data to be accessed in the near future and the order of such accesses based on the information, instructs to read into caches of storage devices data to be accessed in the near future based on the prediction results, and reads the data that will be accessed in the nearest future into a cache memory within the management server. |
| US07689572B2 |
Model repository
A model repository is provided for storing selected data models generated by a data mining application. Associated with the model repository is a model repository facility that is preferably integrated into the data mining application and enables operations, such as the exportation of useful models to the model repository. The model repository may also include one or more searchable index data structures for storing attributes of the models within the model repository. These indexes may include a main index that contains attributes of all the models stored in the model repository, and one or more special indexes, such as a tree-type index and mini-index, that contain the attributes of a particular sub-set of the models stored in the model repository. |
| US07689570B2 |
Dynamic sorting of virtual nodes
Properties of real nodes are selected by which to organize the real nodes as leaf nodes in a tree graph. A number of virtual nodes are provided, each representing a value of a selected property for at least one of the real nodes. The virtual nodes and real nodes are organized into the tree graph, the virtual nodes positioned along branches starting at a root node and ending at a real node, the virtual nodes in a unique path from the root node to a real node representing the values of the selected properties for the real node. The tree graph is displayed, and can be reconfigured by dragging and dropping a virtual node to a different level in the hierarchy of the tree graph. |
| US07689565B1 |
Methods and apparatus for synchronizing network management data
A system receives a dataset for storing in a staging database. The dataset contains network management data collected from a managed resource. The system stores the dataset in the staging database, and maintains a changeset identifying changes made to the staging database during the step of storing the dataset. The system synchronizes the staging database and the production database with each other using the changeset. |
| US07689564B2 |
Apparatus and computer-readable media for determining whether an existing map specifies a different content type than the content type that is specified for the specified resource name extension in a web distributed authoring and versioning (WebDAV) request
Various embodiments of the invention are directed to closely integrating functionality between an internet server and a WebDAV tool. Areas of specific focus in this document include delegation of duties between the internet server and the WebDAV tool, efficient management of a resource's content-type, support for segregation of a namespace into separate virtual roots, and determinations of whether to invoke certain processing extensions to handle requests for a given HTTP verb. |
| US07689559B2 |
Document similarity scoring and ranking method, device and computer program product
A device, computer program product and a method for searching, navigating or retrieving documents in a set of electronic documents, including performing a link analysis of the set of electronic documents. The link analysis includes one of analyzing at least two of the set of documents with at least a portion of a similarity graph constructed among the set of documents and analyzing the at least two of the set of documents with the at least a portion of the similarity graph and at least a portion of a hyperlink graph constructed from hyperlinks between the set of documents. Also described is a method for building a similarity matrix. |
| US07689554B2 |
System and method for identifying related queries for languages with multiple writing systems
The present invention relates to systems and methods for identifying one or more queries related to a given query. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a query written according to one or more writing systems of a language with multiple writing systems. A candidate set of queries written according to one or more writing systems of the language with multiple writing systems is identified. A score is calculated for the one or more queries in the candidate set indicating the similarity of the one or more queries with respect to the query received. |
| US07689552B2 |
UDDI metadata query development
A query for data in a UDDI registry is developed. A URI query having parameters that identify the data is provided. A UDDI query having a UDDI specified format based on the parameters in the URI query is generated. The UDDI query is sent to the UDDI registry. |
| US07689547B2 |
Encrypted data search
An indexing value may be determined, transparently with respect to a requester, based on a desired plaintext item of data and a cryptographic key. The indexing value may be used to access an entry in an indexing structure to obtain a corresponding database entry which includes a non-deterministically encrypted ciphertext item. In another embodiment, an indexing structure for a database may be accessed. Positions of items of the indexing structure may be based on corresponding plaintext items. References related to the corresponding plaintext items in the indexing structure may be encrypted and other information in the indexing structure may be unencrypted. A portion of the indexing structure may be loaded into a memory and at least one of the encrypted references related to one of the plaintext items may be decrypted. The decrypted reference may be used to access a corresponding non-deterministically encrypted data item from the database. |
| US07689545B2 |
System and method to enable parallel text search using in-charge index ranges
In registering operation of a document to be searched for, a document identifier management table for managing a range of a document identifier stored for each page and a page identifier of the page is created, and an individual-search-server's search range management table for managing the range of the document identifier in charge of each search server is created. In searching operation of each search server of the document to be searched for, the individual-search-server's search range management table is referred to acquire a range of the allocated document identifier. For each index key forming a query term specified as a query condition, the document identifier management table is referred to to acquire the page identifier storing the document identifier of the allocated range. The searching operation is carried out by referring to a page shown by the acquired page identifier. |
| US07689544B2 |
Automatic indexing of digital image archives for content-based, context-sensitive searching
A method is for automatically indexing multimedia data archives and categorizing the files held therein and also to a client/server architecture in an image retrieval system for content-based searching for relevant files in a particular format and having a particular file structure. The parsed files stored in a data archive managed by the document management system are subjected to a feature extraction algorithm. The features obtained are then used for producing a binary-coded inverted index which includes elements of at least two attributes and holds context information which is held in these files and is needed for content-based image retrieval. If new files or files with an extended or modified content are stored in the data archive, then it involves a parsing algorithm and also an algorithm for automatically extracting features of these files being executed under event control during every storage process, in order to extend the inverted index by individual attributes or in order to update particular elements of already existing index attributes. |
| US07689540B2 |
Collaborative user query refinement
A first query and a second query, both of which were submitted by a first user to identify information that satisfies a single information need of the first user, are received. The first query and the second query are stored in association with one another and based on a chronological order in which the first query and the second query were submitted by the first user to generate a first query reformulation path. A query is received from a user and more than one query reformulation path is accessed. The received query is compared with queries included in the accessed query reformulation paths to identify a relationship between the received query and a query included in a relevant query reformulation path. One or more prevalent end points is determined based on the relevant query reformulation path and at least one of the prevalent end points is presented to the user. |
| US07689534B2 |
Affecting database file performance by allowing delayed query language trigger firing
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for processing database triggers having delay attributes. In general, delay attributes may selectively introduce a delay between the firing of a trigger and the execution of the triggered action. The delay may be based on waiting for a specified time interval, waiting until a specified time, or reaching a predetermined threshold of a measure of system performance. The use of delay attributes may enable greater control over the timing of the execution of the triggered action, resulting in reduced impact on the performance of an underlying system. |
| US07689530B1 |
DFA sequential matching of regular expression with divergent states
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, data structures, computer-readable media, and mechanisms, for identifying matches to a series of regular expressions, with the series of regular expressions including a first regular expression followed by a second regular expression, which avoids the potential overlap of characters used in matching the first and second regular expressions, while allowing individual deterministic finite automata (DFAs) to be used, whether standalone or as a merged DFA, which decreases the number of states required to represent the series of regular expressions. This potential overlap of characters can be avoided by adding marking states in a merged DFA as “divergent” in order to mask (e.g., ignore) a matching of the second regular expression for the potential overlap, or by using another DFA corresponding to the second regular expression for use during this divergent period. |
| US07689529B2 |
System and method for application balanced scorecard optimizer
There is disclosed a system and method for managing an application portfolio. In an embodiment, a system is designed to provide a balanced, cohesive, end-to-end approach to application portfolio management. Taking into account a number of decision drivers for application portfolio management (e.g. business drivers, technology drivers, financial drivers, and staffing/labor drivers), the system attempts to process this information, using one or more fuzzy logic algorithms derived from one or more expert knowledge bases, into an actionable implementation plan and business case. Upon validation of the implementation plan and business case, one or more of the expert knowledge bases may be updated with additional expert knowledge. |
| US07689528B2 |
Method and apparatus for a scalable algorithm for decision optimization
An iterative approach to solving the optimization problem is provided. The invention provides an iteration of four basic operations; determining the segments, balancing the segments, expanding a segment, and solving the segment optimization. The method and apparatus can use any off-the-shelf linear programming (LP) solver, such as Dash Optimization Xpress, by Dash Optimization, during the solve operation. The size of the problem fed into the LP solver remains bounded and relatively small compared to the entire problem size. Thus, the algorithm can solve problems of several orders of magnitude larger. In one embodiment of the invention, the sampling and segmentation techniques are removed to where the problem is solved at the account-level. In the above cases, the solution is produced in a more cost-effective manner and the best possible return is achieved because the doubt of achieving a true global solution is removed. |
| US07689527B2 |
Attribute extraction using limited training data
Techniques are described for reducing the false positive rate of regular expression attribute extractions via a specific data representation and a machine learning method that can be trained at a much lower cost (much fewer labeled examples) than would be required by a full scale machine learning solution. Attribute determinations made using the regular expression technique are represented as skeleton tokens. The skeleton tokens, along with accurate attribute determinations, are provided to a machine-learning mechanism to train the machine-learning mechanism. Once trained, the machine-learning mechanism is used to predict the accuracy of attribute determinations represented by skeleton tokens generated for not-yet-analyzed input text. |
| US07689526B2 |
Knowledge base with clustered data objects
A knowledge base is first characterized by an association-grounded semantics collapsed language. In response to the receipt of a query of the knowledge base, the collapsed language is used to determine whether there is an indication that the knowledge base contains knowledge requested in the query. Thereafter, the collapsed language can be used to carry out a full search for the knowledge much more efficiently than would otherwise be possible. Related methods, apparatus, and articles are also described. |
| US07689525B2 |
Relationship view
The present invention provides a unique method and user interface that facilitates accessing and browsing objects in which a user begins with a center object (e.g., one or a few focal objects) displayed on a screen and related objects are populated on the screen as well. The related objects can be further organized into clusters whereby each cluster or grouping of objects expands on a particular attribute of the center object. The attributes correspond to metadata. Thus, the objects are populated based upon the metadata of the center object. According to one aspect, the user can access one or more specific objects having a plurality of attributes and then relax at least one of the attributes to see what other objects share at least one attribute with the center object. According to another aspect, the object having the closest match to a search request can be centrally displayed with other close matches arranged by their respective metadata. |
| US07689524B2 |
Dynamic environment evaluation and service adjustment based on multiple user profiles including data classification and information sharing with authorized other users
An intelligent personalized agent monitors, regulates, and advises a user in decision-making processes for efficiency or safety concerns. The agent monitors an environment and present characteristics of a user and analyzes such information in view of stored preferences specific to one of multiple profiles of the user. Based on the analysis, the agent can suggest or automatically implement a solution to a given issue or problem. In addition, the agent can identify another potential issue that requires attention and suggests or implements action accordingly. Furthermore, the agent can communicate with other users or devices by providing and acquiring information to assist in future decisions. All aspects of environment observation, decision assistance, and external communication can be flexibly limited or allowed as desired by the user. |
| US07689523B2 |
Design support method and design support system
In a system according to the present invention, when there occurs a failure or problem phenomenon in a new case example of designing, assembling components (parts, assembling operations and attributes thereof) are input. Failure influence indices are calculated for the assembling components respectively based on assembling operation/attribute coefficients. Assembling components to be improved are extracted, and specific solutions built for the assembling components respectively are displayed on a display so that a specific solution can be selected therefrom. Specific risks expected for the selected solutions respectively are built. The specific solutions and the specific risks are displayed on the display so as to be associated with each other. |
| US07689522B2 |
Method and system of organizing information based on human thought processes
In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system for recording and mapping information and data is described. The system (or intellect map) comprises paths of steps of thought organized into structures comprising two or more paths. The structures each comprise a relatively small number of predefined points of entry and exit wherein the exit and entry points can be but do not necessarily comprise the same intersection points. In some embodiments, a plurality of structures can be connected to each other by way of appropriate entry and exit intersection points with or without intervening connecting paths to form complex structures. |
| US07689521B2 |
Continuous time bayesian network models for predicting users' presence, activities, and component usage
The present invention relates to a system and methodology to facilitate collaboration and communications between entities such as between automated applications, parties to a communication and/or combinations thereof. The systems and methods of the present invention include a service that supports collaboration and communication by learning predictive continuous time Bayesian models that provide forecasts of one or more aspects of a users' presence and availability. Presence forecasts include a user's current or future locations at different levels of location precision and usage of different devices or applications. Availability assessments include inferences about the cost of interrupting a user in different ways and a user's current or future access to one or more communication channels. The predictive models are constructed from data collected by considering user activity and proximity from multiple devices, in addition to analysis of the content of users' calendars, the time of day, and day of week, for example. Various applications are provided that employ the presence and availability information supplied by the models in order to facilitate collaboration and communications between entities. |
| US07689518B2 |
System and method for instant online postage metering
A system and method for instantly printing PC postage before establishing a postage meter account. The method includes the steps of a meter vendor obtaining a first meter license from the Post for a first meter; loaning the use of a first meter licensed in the customer's zip code to a customer; requesting a second meter license for the customer; initializing the first meter for use by the customer; and transferring the first meter to the Customer's meter license when the second meter license is received. Alternatively, when the second meter license is received a second meter is assigned to the customer and the first meter is reassigned to the meter vendor. |
| US07689515B2 |
Power plant life assessment
A method of evaluating a power plant having a design life based on operating the plant within an allowable chemical exposure range includes accumulating a history of a chemical exposure of a steam generating portion of the power plant. The method also includes determining a remaining life of the plant based on the history of the chemical exposure and assuming continued operation of the plant within the allowable chemical exposure range. The method may also include evaluating an economic value of operating the plant based on the remaining life of the plant. |
| US07689514B2 |
Printer transformation service
The present invention provides a method, data processing system and computer program product for providing a data stream transform service, for example for transforming a data stream into a format suitable for printing. A data-stream is divided into one or more work units, each work unit is provided to one or more transform engines to transform the work unit into the required format, and each transform engine is monitored whilst transforming a work unit. By monitoring each transform engine details of, for example, resource usage are obtained which may be used to calculate a fee to charge a client for performing transformation of a data stream, and/or failure of a transform engine can be detected and corrective action taken should a transform engine fail. |
| US07689511B2 |
Method for providing measured values for end customers
In a method for providing measured values for end customers: The measured value for a process variable is recorded using a sensor and is transmitted to a process control system. The number of transmission operations is counted on the basis of the number of transmission operations. The fundamental advantage of the invention is that the end customer no longer pays for the sensor itself, but rather only for that which he actually requires, the measured value. |
| US07689510B2 |
Methods and system for use in network management of content
The present embodiments provide methods, systems and apparatuses for use in managing content on at least a local network. Some embodiments provide a method for use in distributing content that receives a request to deliver premium content over a distributed network; identifies a location relative to where the request is made; determines whether there is a first additional content associated with the location; adds the first additional content to the requested premium content when there is the first additional content associated with the location; and distributes the requested premium content and the first additional content according to the request. |
| US07689506B2 |
System and method for rapid updating of credit information
According to one embodiment, the invention relates to a system and method for evaluating the creditworthiness of an account holder of a credit account comprising the steps of determining, at least once a day, whether a first data set relating to the creditworthiness of the account holder has been received from a credit reporting organization; determining, at least once a day, whether a second data set relating to transaction activity of the credit account has been received; periodically receiving from a credit reporting organization a third data set relating to the creditworthiness of the account holder; periodically receiving a fourth data set relating to the historical activity of the credit account; and using the first and second data sets, to the extent they have been received, and the third and fourth data sets to determine a measure of creditworthiness. |
| US07689505B2 |
Card management system and method
A method of registering a credit card user's credit card information by a credit card management organization. A card user accesses the card management computer system in a computer network. The method provides a user interface whereby the user grants authorization to the card management organization to obtain the card user's credit report from a credit reporting bureau. The method further transmits a request for the user's credit report to a credit reporting bureau and automatically downloads the user's credit report when received. The method further parses the credit report to determine a card issuer for each card on the credit report using a database of card issuer aliases. The method then fully or partially automatically registers each card with the user's account in the card management association and then presents the opportunity to the user to review and edit each card. |
| US07689501B1 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing multiple investment funds and accounts using a common investment process
Described herein is an embodiment for administering two or more funds or one or more funds and one or more separate account portfolios, where each fund or portfolio is managed using a common investment process. The funds may have different management and distribution fees and may have different investor eligibility requirements. The fee structure may be accomplished through a fund of funds or holding company structure. Also described is an embodiment for investment management wherein funds and separate account portfolios using a common investment process exchange their shares or units and baskets of their securities to accommodate entry and exit of investors while protecting ongoing investors from the cost of such entries and exits and to accommodate investors paying different fees and expenses. |
| US07689499B1 |
System and method for displaying market data in an electronic trading environment
A trading interface is provided for displaying market data related to a tradeable object being traded at an electronic exchange. According to one example embodiment, market data related to a tradeable object is displayed in relation to a value axis, such as a price axis. As new market data is received, the displayed market data is updated and may be repositioned so that a trader can view current market conditions in a viewable portion of the interface. The interface also includes a number of market movement indicators that assist a trader in tracking market movement. These viewable references allow a trader to navigate and immediately understand the “real” direction of the market activity despite any underlying adjustment of the viewable area of the trading interface. |
| US07689496B1 |
System and method for providing an improved financial derivative product
New and improved methods and systems for creating collared option financial hedge products enable multiple customers to pool their assets into a single product. In contrast the prior art where such products were ‘tailor-made’ to individual investors, demand is collected across multiple investors and one or more collared option financial hedge products are created. Multiple customers are then permitted to participate in each product. Such hedge products are thus more readily available to a larger group of customers. |
| US07689495B1 |
System and method for processing trades using volume-weighted-average pricing techniques
A computerized system and method electronically conduct trades in securities, display information corresponding to orders, match the orders, and price the matched orders on the basis of volume-weighted-average price (VWAP). Orders are matched of buyers and sellers who wish to trade designated quantities of securities at a price based on the VWAP for the security in question determined with reference to a defined time period, which is set in advance of order matching, and may consist of an entire trading day on the market on which the security is traded or a portion thereof as determined by the trading parties and/or the disclosed system. VWAP trading is facilitated by displaying, over an output device, orders entered on the “buy” side and “sell” side. Trades of matched orders are continuously and/or non-continuously executed and the trades priced after the close of the relevant defined time period at the calculated VWAP. |
| US07689489B2 |
Methods and systems for assisting financial services firms and their representatives
Methods and systems are provided for assisting financial services firms and their representatives in efficiently managing their businesses, and in developing and maintaining strong customer service and loyalty. An integrated, preferably web based browser operated system is provided that uses one or more central databases to store customer, account, accounting, compliance, and other relevant information. Interfaces and tools are also provided for accessing the one or more central databases in a manner that is consistent with and supports how a representative actually works. |
| US07689486B2 |
System and method for banking market analysis
Methods of estimating a fee earned by one or more advisors from various types of investment banking deals and transactions are disclosed. The deals or transactions may be a merger or acquisition, an initial public offering, an offering of convertible securities, a secondary offering, a block trade of securities, an offering of investment-grade debt securities and/or an offering of high-yield securities. The advisors may be investment banks performing on the roles of the various tiers of a syndicate, such as book runner, lead manager, co-lead manager, or co-manager. The method comprises retrieving data regarding the financial deal or deals of interest. The data may include an identification of the one or more advisors, the role of those advisors, and a parameter of the deal, such as the size of the deal, the geographic region for the deal, or the maturity date when the deal involves the issuance of debt securities. |
| US07689484B2 |
Method and system for financing acquisition of vehicles
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for financing acquisition of a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a future interest in a vehicle in consideration for a future interest price upon transfer of a legal title in the vehicle in consideration for a legal title price. |
| US07689481B2 |
Light weight, strong, fire retardant dunnage platform bag and system of loading, dispensing and using bag
The present invention provides a dunnage platform bag that is light weight, strong, made of a fire retardant material and which forms an ultra violet light, weather and dust particle barrier to protect the integrity of the dunnage platforms when not in use. A system and method for supplying, dispensing, positioning, tracking, transporting, forwarding and storing dunnage platforms based on the dunnage platforms bag is disclosed. In an embodiment of the invention, a modified dunnage platform made up of a dunnage platform base and attached legs can be stored in the dunnage platform bag. |
| US07689479B2 |
Product information protecting method and system
A method and system for protecting product information stored in a wireless tag. The product information relates to a product and includes a unique identifier that is unique to the product. The product information is received from the tag. A local identifier is generated according to a predetermined rule such that the received product information corresponds to the local identifier. The local identifier is not unique to the product. The received product information is sent to a product information recording medium physically separated from the tag in order to store the received product information in the product information recording medium. The local identifier is sent to the tag and replaces the product information stored in the tag. |
| US07689475B2 |
Distribution control system and method, and server apparatus and its control method
A manufacturer and retailer, which supply and sell articles such as business expendables or the like, stock articles in considerable quantities in their warehouses. However, such stocks are not always appropriate due to diversity of articles and difficulty in demand prediction, and articles cannot be delivered in a short term. A main server controls stock reserve of a branch warehouse on the basis of the check result of the urgency level of received order information, which is received from a user's information processing apparatus via a communication line, and the comparison result between the order quantity indicated by the received order information, and a non-reserved stock quantity. |
| US07689473B2 |
Method for generating a shopping list using virtual merchandising options
An enhanced shopping system for facilitating grocery shopping and in-store advertising is disclosed. The system utilizes uniquely changes (1) the way grocery retail industry captures and retains customers, (2) how customers organize their shopping efforts in grocery stores, (3) the approach to advertising and reaching customers, and (4) the information available to retailers and merchandisers related to customer (a) shopping patterns, (b) responses to merchandising and advertising, and (c) specific impact of discounting/coupons. |
| US07689472B2 |
Request type grid computing
Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for providing access to a grid computing environment. In one environment, requests include resource specific criteria used to identify a particular grid resource to perform the request. In another embodiment, a request includes a queue criterion used to identify one of a plurality of queues on which the request is placed. |
| US07689469B1 |
E-commerce volume pricing
In the volume pricing methodology, a seller initially establishes a price structure for a product which provides for lower prices as larger quantities of the product are purchased. The price structure is electronically made available to potential buyers of the product. For example, the price structure may be displayed on an Internet site. The sellers further establish an “open session” period during which orders for the product are accepted. During the open session period, multiple buyers are able to place orders for the product up to a maximum available quantity. At the end of the open session, the total quantity of products collectively ordered by all of the buyers is calculated. Based on the total quantity ordered, the final price to all buyers is the lowest price provided from the price structure regardless of whether the lowest price had been reached at the time a particular buyer placed their order during the open session. |
| US07689468B2 |
Purchasing, redemption and settlement systems and methods wherein a buyer takes possession at a retailer of a product purchased using a communication network
Purchasing, redemption and settlement systems and methods are provided wherein a buyer takes possession of a product at a retailer. A purchasing system may communicate with a buyer through a communication network to establish a first price for a product between the buyer and a seller. The purchasing system may also arrange for the buyer to take possession of the product at a retailer, different from the seller, that offers the product for sale at a second price. Verification information, which enables the retailer to authorize the buyer to take possession of the product, is transmitted to the retailer. The buyer provides a payment, based on the first price, to the purchasing system in exchange for the right to take possession of the product at the retailer. In one embodiment, the purchasing system receives a buyer offer, including an offer price, related to the product. In another embodiment, the purchasing system transmits redemption information, including a redemption code, to the buyer. The redemption information may also include information that enables the creation of a voucher to be used when taking possession of the product. The purchasing system may also receive information related to an attempt by the buyer to take possession of the product, including the redemption code, from the retailer. |
| US07689467B1 |
Arrangement for guiding user design of comprehensive product solution using on-the-fly data validation
A computer-implemented method guides a user in designing a product defined by data. The method involves examining (420) items of the data to detect whether each item conforms to rules (106) or violates the rules; performing (431 . . . ) at least one action in response to a detection of a rule violation; displaying (450) the data to the user in a manner emphasizing at least one particular data item that caused the rule violation; receiving (460) any new data input from the user; and repeating the examining, action performing, and displaying steps using the new data. The displaying step may involve displaying data defining a current state of the product in a tabular (spreadsheet) format, including displaying data detected to have caused the rule violation in a first manner that is visibly distinct from displaying other data that is not detected to have caused the rule violation. |
| US07689463B1 |
Multiple supplier system and method for transacting business
A system and method for conducting electronic business between buyers and sellers is provided. The system and method disclose a means for at least one buyer to request and receive online bids from one or more sellers of a particular product according to a price curve or price schedule. A price schedule or curve for a product defining a product's unit price as a function of the volume of product ordered. Upon receipt of a plurality of bids from sellers, a buyer can then select a seller-supplier based at least in part on the price schedule. |
| US07689462B1 |
Computer system and method for providing an on-line mall
An on-line mall system is provided. The on-line mall includes a community allocation system that receives community data, such as “sporting goods” or “apparel,” and associates the community data with one or more items offered by a merchant. A shop allocation system receives shop data, such as “Store X” or “Store Y,” and associates the shop data with the one or more items. |
| US07689459B2 |
Card with embedded bistable display having short and long term information
A transaction card system includes a transaction cared with a display tag for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the display tag and an array of electrical contacts for electrically addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, a contact window through which the contacts are accessible, machine readable data on the card, and long term information printed on the transaction card; a transaction card writer having a reader for reading the machine readable data and having means for updating the short term information displayed on the transaction card; and a central computer connected to the transaction card writer having a data base and a central processor for receiving the information read by the magnetic card reader and generating display commands for the transaction card writer. |
| US07689458B2 |
Systems and methods for determining bid value for content items to be placed on a rendered page
Systems and methods for determining the value of bids placed by content providers for placement positions on a page, e.g., a web page, rendered according to a given context, for instance, the search results listing for a particular query initiated on a search engine web site, are provided. Additionally, systems and methods are provided for determining placement of content items, e.g., advertisements and/or images, on a rendered page relative to other content items on the page based upon bid value. |
| US07689457B2 |
Cluster-based assessment of user interests
Computer-implemented processes are disclosed for clustering items and improving the utility of item recommendations. One process involves applying a clustering algorithm to a user's collection of items. Information about the resulting clusters is then used to select items to use as recommendation sources. Another process involves displaying the clusters of items to the user via a collection management interface that enables the user to attach cluster-level metadata, such as by rating or tagging entire clusters of items. The resulting metadata may be used to improve the recommendations generated by a recommendation engine. Another process involves forming clusters of items in which a user has indicated a lack of interest, and using these clusters to filter the output of a recommendation engine. Yet another process involves applying a clustering algorithm to the output of a recommendation engine to arrange the recommended items into cluster-based categories for presentation to the user. |
| US07689444B2 |
Electronic insurance application fulfillment system and method
A partially-automated system and method of generating insurance pre-applications that reduces data entry and processing errors. Rules-based software applications are used to generate insurance product options for insurance applicants. The fulfillment of each insurance application is outsourced to a service provider which reduces insurance broker involvement in the application process. A central control hub houses computer hardware and software for storing data and transmitting information between the hub and external workstations to facilitate monitoring and completion of each insurance application and placement of insurance policies. Insurance brokers may be partially or wholly reimbursed for the fee associated with each insurance pre-application. |
| US07689442B2 |
Method of generating a graphical display of a business rule with a translation
Methods, systems and carrier media for viewing business rules are disclosed. Components of the business rules may be stored as entries in one or more database tables. A rule editor may access business rule components and assemble the components to form a graphical display of a business rule. The graphical display may allow the user to view, edit and/or create business rules. In some embodiments, one or more human language translations of one or more business rule components may be provided. A human language translation may be substituted for a business rule component in the graphical display. |
| US07689439B2 |
System and method for managing medical data
According to various embodiments of the present invention, a data management process is provided that manages ECG data collection, review, and reporting in an efficient and secure manner by utilizing biometric checks, quality control measures, and workflow control systems that route data based on a variety of factors to efficiently complete the measurement and analysis process. |
| US07689437B1 |
System for monitoring health, wellness and fitness
A method for assisting an individual to monitor, control and modify certain aspects of the individual's physiological status according to a preset physiological status goal comprising establishing the goal according to certain preselected physiological parameters, affixing a physiological monitoring device in proximity to the body of the individual, generating data indicative of one or more measured parameters of the individual using said device, and using the one or more measured parameters to determine status information indicative of the relative degree of achievement of the individual's performance with relation to the physiological status goal and providing the status information to the individual. Alternatively, the method may comprise providing, to the individual, information indicative of a suggested change in the individual's performance to assist the individual in the achievement of the physiological status goal. |
| US07689436B2 |
Peripheral device output job user data processing
A printer driver application is executed to form print data to be output at a peripheral device. User-specific data and the print data are addressed to an address of a queue to be output at the peripheral device. The user data can be an identification of a user requesting the output at the peripheral device, accounting information corresponding to the user, billing information corresponding to the user, a quantity corresponding to the print data, or a cost corresponding to the print data to be output at the peripheral device. |
| US07689435B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating and managing complex business processes
A method and apparatus are disclosed for managing composite business processes that include multiple trading mechanisms, such as requests for quotes (RFQs), auctions and contracts, or repeat passes through a single trading mechanism. The independence of the individual business processes that manage each trading mechanism is maintained, while each individual business process can be connected to other business processes to form a composite business process. Each individual business process that may be followed by another business process to form a composite process must have at least one state labeled as a conversion state with a conversion transition to another business process. A conversion transition spans the gap between an end state of one business process and the start state of another subsequent business process. When a conversion state is entered by an object, a determination is made as to whether the object is being managed by a composite flow, and if so, what business process to use next. Conversion transitions execute any necessary steps to create a new object of the type required by the next business process in the composite process. |
| US07689434B2 |
Satellite based global positioning system for feedlot computer network and method
A computer network and method for feeding animals in a feedlot, in which discretion and direct control over the various suboperations of the feed ration assignment and delivery process are distributed among the individual operators in the system, while the feedlot manager is capable of indirectly monitoring the performance of the various suboperations through use of a satellite based global positioning system. |
| US07689433B2 |
Active relationship management
Methods and apparatus for active relationship management. A computer implemented method for relationship management includes receiving a list of one or more enterprises. The method includes identifying one or more individuals associated with at least one of the enterprises. The method includes receiving information related to a topic of interest. The method includes parsing the received topic information into units of data. The method includes searching the units of data for one or more quotes. The method includes determining whether a found quote is related to any of the identified individuals. The method includes associating, if the found quote is determined to be related to one or more of the identified individuals, the quote found with the one or more individuals. The method includes storing the quote in a database. |
| US07689429B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for bit stream decoding in MP3 decoder
A decoding method for MP3 bit streams, which replaces a buffer required in the decoding process by manipulating the order of data decoding. The decoding method includes reading the head and side information of the current frame, and calculating a main data's start address of the current frame. While decoding the main data, the head and side information of subsequent frames are skipped if the reading of the main data is not yet completed. The start address of the next frame is calculated and directly accessed after finished reading the main data of the current frame. An optimum method for accessing frequency lines utilizes the characteristics of the MP3 frequency line, instead of inserting a plurality of zeros in the rzero zone containing successive zeros, the initial boundary address of the rzero zone is memorized. |
| US07689428B2 |
Acoustic signal encoding device, and acoustic signal decoding device
An acoustic signal encoding device for down-mixing at different ratios to encode a multichannel signal with a small number of channels, and an acoustic signal decoding device for decoding the signal encoded by the acoustic signal encoding device. In these devices, weighting means (103) in the acoustic signal encoding device (100) weights input signals of two channels individually according to a down-mixing coefficient thereby to calculate the level difference of the signals of two channels weighted by a level difference calculation unit (104). A separating unit (202) in the acoustic signal decoding device (200) separates the down-mixed signals into signals of two channels with the level difference information weighted. |
| US07689427B2 |
Methods and apparatus for implementing embedded scalable encoding and decoding of companded and vector quantized audio data
The invention concerns a scalable version of an audio encoder based on lattice quantization of companded audio data, wherein the scalability is achieved using bitplane encoding. In methods and apparatus of the invention, a time-domain to discrete-frequency-domain transformation is performed on an audio signal, creating a plurality of frequency domain coefficients. The frequency domain coefficients are organized subband-wise; scaled; companded; and vector quantized using a lattice quantization method, creating scaled, companded and vector quantized coefficient vectors for each subband. Side information comprising an exponent of the scaling factor and the maximum norm of the quantized vector are generated for each subband. The side information is used to calculate the relative importance of the subbands. The subband frequency domain coefficients are then bitplane encoded in order of subband importance, creating an embedded, scalable bitstream from which the encoded audio information can be recovered at finely scalable bit rates. Decoders operating in accordance with the invention decode the scalable bitstream generally by performing the inverse of the encoding operations at a selected bitrate. |
| US07689425B2 |
Quality of service call routing system using counselor and speech recognition engine and method thereof
A QoS call routing system using a counselor and a speech recognition engine comprises a speech recognition engine for recognizing speech and outputting characters and speech recognition results; a first counselor group terminal for reproducing the client's speech file to a counselor of a first counselor group so that the counselor may recognize the speech when the speech recognition result by the speech recognition engine is less than a reference value; a second counselor group terminal for allowing a counselor of a second counselor group to hear the client's speech so that the counselor may recognize the speech when the recognition by the counselor of the first counselor group has failed; and an IVR server for controlling the engine and terminals to provide information to the client. |
| US07689421B2 |
Voice persona service for embedding text-to-speech features into software programs
Described is a voice persona service by which users convert text into speech waveforms, based on user-provided parameters and voice data from a service data store. The service may be remotely accessed, such as via the Internet. The user may provide text tagged with parameters, with the text sent to a text-to-speech engine along with base or custom voice data, and the resulting waveform morphed based on the tags. The user may also provide speech. Once created, a voice persona corresponding to the speech waveform may be persisted, exchanged, made public, shared and so forth. In one example, the voice persona service receives user input and parameters, and retrieves a base or custom voice that may be edited by the user via a morphing algorithm. The service outputs a waveform, such as a .wav file for embedding in a software program, and persists the voice persona corresponding to that waveform. |
| US07689420B2 |
Personalizing a context-free grammar using a dictation language model
Architecture for integrating and generating back-off grammars (BOG) in a speech recognition application for recognizing out-of-grammar (OOG) utterances and updating the context-free grammars (CFG) with the results. A parsing component identifies keywords and/or slots from user utterances and a grammar generation component adds filler tags before and/or after the keywords and slots to create new grammar rules. The BOG can be generated from these new grammar rules and can be used to process the OOG user utterances. By processing the OOG user utterances through the BOG, the architecture can recognize and perform the intended task on behalf of the user. |
| US07689419B2 |
Updating hidden conditional random field model parameters after processing individual training samples
A method and apparatus are provided for training parameters in a hidden conditional random field model for use in speech recognition and phonetic classification. The hidden conditional random field model uses parameterized features that are determined from a segment of speech, and those values are used to identify a phonetic unit for the segment of speech. The parameters are updated after processing of individual training samples. |
| US07689413B2 |
Speech detection and enhancement using audio/video fusion
A system and method facilitating speech detection and/or enhancement utilizing audio/video fusion is provided. The present invention fuses audio and video in a probabilistic generative model that implements cross-model, self-supervised learning, enabling rapid adaptation to audio visual data. The system can learn to detect and enhance speech in noise given only a short (e.g., 30 second) sequence of audio-visual data. In addition, it automatically learns to track the lips as they move around in the video. |
| US07689412B2 |
Synonymous collocation extraction using translation information
A method of automatically extracting synonymous collocations from monolingual corpora and a small bilingual corpus is proposed. The methodology includes generating candidate synonymous collocations and selecting synonymous collocations as a function of translation information, including collocation translations and probabilities. Candidate synonymous collocations with similarity scores that exceed a threshold are extracted as synonymous collocations. The extracted collocations can be used later in language generation by substituting synonymous collocations for applications such as writing assistance programs. |
| US07689410B2 |
Lexical semantic structure
A lexical semantic structure for modeling semantics of a natural language input on a computer is described. A set of lexical semantic categories is selected to model content of the natural language input. A methodology associates content of the natural language input to one or more categories of the set of lexical semantic categories. |
| US07689405B2 |
Statistical method for building a translation memory
A statistical translation memory (TMEM) may be generated by training a translation model with a naturally generated TMEM. A number of tuples may be extracted from each translation pair in the TMEM. The tuples may include a phrase in a source language and a corresponding phrase in a target language. The tuples may also include probability information relating to the phrases generated by the translation model. |
| US07689403B2 |
Instructions providing new functionality for utilization by a target system program of host system container words during computer system emulation with host word size larger than that of the emulated machine
Two unique instructions for the instruction set of a target 36-bit machine which is emulated on a host 64-bit machine are provided in order to achieve visibility, to an emulated application program, of a “containing” word stored in the memory of the host machine. A “LOAD64” instruction loads the emulator memory location representing an emulated “Q” (supplementary accumulator) register with the “normal” 36-bits of the containing word. At the same time, the “upper” 28 bits of the 64-bit containing word is copied into the emulator memory location representing an emulated “A” (accumulator) register. Thus, the emulated 36-bit machine “sees” and can examine the 64-bit word in its entirety. A “Store64” instruction stores the emulated “Q” register contents into the lower 36-bits of the 64-bit containing word, and at the same time stores the lower 28 bits of the emulated “A” register contents into the upper 28 bits of the 64-bit containing word. |
| US07689402B2 |
Method and apparatus for retrieving application-specific code using memory access capabilities of a host processor
The memory access capabilities of a host processor are used to facilitate the movement of instructions and data to an application-specific component having direct access to memory. Although the component executes code absent direct host processor control, the code may be uniquely tailored to the component's architecture. According to one embodiment, a flow of instructions requested by a host processor from a memory device is monitored. The flow of instructions is routed to an application-specific component in response to identifying code embedded in the flow of instructions targeted for execution by the component. While the instruction flow is routed to the component, a sequence of instructions is directed to the host processor that maintains instruction execution flow in the host processor, e.g., no-op instructions. When the end of the application-specific code is detected, the instruction flow is re-routed to the host processor for execution. |
| US07689397B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for black oil delumping
A method for black oil delumping is disclosed which comprises: converting a black oil wellstream into a compositional wellstream thereby enabling the composition and component molar rates of a production well in a black oil reservoir simulation to be reconstituted. |
| US07689394B2 |
System and method for remotely analyzing machine performance
Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise obtaining and analyzing data from at least one discrete machine, automatically determining relationships related to the data, taking corrective action to improve machine operation and/or maintenance, automatically and heuristically predicting a failure associated with the machine and/or recommending preventative maintenance in advance of the failure, and/or automating and analyzing mining shovels, etc. |
| US07689393B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle computer model
A simulation system (30) for simulating an operation of an automotive vehicle includes an input (34) providing vehicle information and path information and a controller (38) having a vehicle computer model therein. The controller (38) is programmed to determine a rear side slip angle of a vehicle computer model; when the rear side slip angle is greater than a threshold, determine a look ahead scale factor; when the rear side slip angle is greater than the threshold, increase a look ahead point as a function of the look ahead scale factor; determine a steering wheel angle input to the computer model by comparing the look ahead point and the intended path; operate the computer model with the steering wheel angle input; and generate an output in response to the vehicle model and the initial steering wheel input or the first steering wheel input. |
| US07689391B2 |
Data structure relating a device characteristic to a device position in a support structure
A method that comprises generating a first data structure relating a physical interface to a corresponding position in a support structure, generating a second data structure relating the physical interface to an address of a device in the support structure and, using the first and second data structures, generating a third data structure relating a physical characteristic of the device to the position of the device in the support structure. |
| US07689390B2 |
Method of modeling electrostrictive effects and acoustic resonances in a tunable capacitor
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of modeling electrostrictive effects and acoustic resonances in a tunable capacitor, comprising adjusting empirically the characteristic impedances and complex propagation constants to account for actual process variations in manufacturing of the tunable capacitor; adjusting empirically the characteristic impedances and complex propagation constants to account for end-effects in the directions transversal to the wave direction; and modeling the electrostrictive effect by dividing a BST layer of the tunable capacitor into thin layers or slices with each slice's thickness representing a small fraction of an acoustic wavelength and injecting at each junction between slices, an acoustic current proportional to the electrical current through the voltage tunable capacitor. |
| US07689384B1 |
Managing the performance of an electronic device
A performance management system and method for generating a plurality of forecasts for one or more electronic devices is presented. The forecasts are generated from stored performance data and analyzed to determine which devices are likely to experience performance degradation within a predetermined period of time. A single forecast is extracted for further analysis such that computer modeling may be performed upon the performance data to enable the user to predict when device performance will begin to degrade. In one embodiment, graphical displays are created for those devices forecasted to perform at an undesirable level such that suspect devices may be subjected to further analysis. |
| US07689380B2 |
Device and method for sensing a position of a drive unit
The invention relates to a device and a method for sensing a position of a drive unit, in which the position can be sensed by an incremental signal transmitter having a first degree of accuracy which is described by a first travel increment or angle increment, and can be fed to a converter by which the first degree of accuracy of the sensing of the position can be reduced to a second degree of accuracy which is described by a second travel increment or angle increment. |
| US07689377B2 |
Technique for aging induced performance drift compensation in an integrated circuit
An improved compensation circuit that compensates for lifetime performance drifts due to aging of integrated circuits to improve the circuit performance. In one example embodiment, this is achieved by applying a body bias voltage VBB to the integrated circuit to compensate for the lifetime performance drift due to hot carrier and NBTI induced aging. |
| US07689376B2 |
Method of calibrating an actuator system for a variable nozzle of a turbocharger
A method for calibrating an actuator system for a turbocharger variable nozzle, the actuator system comprising an electronically controllable actuator coupled with a variable-geometry member of the nozzle and operable for causing movement thereof, and an electronic controller operable for controlling the actuator, the electronic controller having a memory for storing data. The method comprises (a) supplying a flow of fluid through the nozzle, (b) causing a continuous or stepwise movement of the actuator so as to move the variable-geometry member to cause a continuous or stepwise change in flow rate of the fluid through the nozzle, monitoring the changing flow rate, and recording at least two different points representing two different actuator positions and corresponding flow rates, and (c) storing in the memory of the electronic controller a multi-point calibration representing actuator position as a function of an input parameter designed to achieve a desired flow rate. |
| US07689375B2 |
Position detecting system and method for electronic device
A position detecting system and method for an electronic device used an audio signal input module of the electronic device and a signal receiver to connect to the audio signal input module convert an external position signal into an audio signal. A position detecting software running on the electronic device analyzes the audio signal. Accordingly, the current position of the electronic device is obtained. The audio signal input module of the electronic device is employed as an input port for the external position signal, thus saving the construction cost of the system. Besides, the current position of the electronic device with an ever-changing position can be obtained during a test process, such that the electronic device can start or stop a test item accordingly. |
| US07689373B1 |
USB vibration data acquisition
A system for collecting and analyzing vibration data is provided. The system includes: at least one sensor for sensing vibrations and producing an electrical signal corresponding to the sensed vibrations; a Universal Serial Bus (USB) communication device for receiving the electrical signal corresponding to the sensed vibrations from the at least one sensor and conditioning and sampling the electrical signal to produce a conditioned signal; and a data collector for receiving the conditioned signal and storing the conditioned signal in a data storage device. |
| US07689368B2 |
Systems and methods for early detection of machine component failure
A system for early detection of component failure in a hydraulic system comprises a particle detection device disposed in a fluid flow channel of a machine, the particle detection device configured to monitor a current particle count associated with fluid flowing through the fluid flow channel. The system further includes a condition monitoring system in wireless data communication with the particle detection device. The condition monitoring system is configured to receive data indicative of the current particle count and analyze historic particle count data collected by the particle detection device. The condition monitoring system is also configured to estimate a trend in the historic particle count data based on the analysis. A failure event associated with one or more components associated with the fluid flow channel is predicted if the data indicative of the current particle count deviates from the trend by a threshold amount. |
| US07689363B2 |
Dual standoff resistivity imaging instrument, methods and computer program products
A resistivity imaging apparatus includes: a first sensor electrode disposed on an electrode pad and positioned at a first standoff; a second sensor electrode disposed on the electrode pad and adjacent the first sensor electrode, the second sensor electrode positioned at a second standoff; and a return electrode disposed on the electrode pad, wherein the sensor electrodes and the return electrode are configured for injecting current into a formation and receiving a signal from the formation. Other embodiments, methods and computer program products are disclosed. |
| US07689361B2 |
Driving operation assisting system, method and vehicle incorporating the system
A driving assisting system for assisting a driver in operating a vehicle. The system includes a detection assembly configured to obtain environment information related to an environment around the vehicle. A risk potential calculation device is provided to calculate risk potential associated with the vehicle based on the environment information. A controller causes a reaction force determined based on the calculated risk potential to be transmitted to the driver via an operator controlled input device in response to the calculated risk potential being a first type of risk potential, and causes a pressure force determined based on the calculated risk potential to be transmitted to the driver via equipment of the vehicle in response to the calculated risk potential being a second type of risk potential. The operator controlled input device is used by the driver to control the driving of the vehicle, and the equipment is different from the operator controlled input device. |
| US07689351B2 |
Virtual profilograph for road surface quality assessment
A virtual profilograph is disclosed that can provide measurements indicative of the ride quality of a roadway as the road is being constructed. As a result, a more timely, less costly indication of the ride quality of a roadway is obtained as compared to prior methods. In a first embodiment a Global Navigation Satellite System antenna is attached to a vehicle. When the vehicle travels over a roadway, measurements of the position of the antenna are recorded at different times. A profile of the roadway is created by measuring the elevation of the antenna as a function of the distance traveled from a starting point. In another embodiment, tilt sensors are used to measure the slope of the roadway and the tilt of the vehicle so that a precise orientation of the vehicle and, hence, the contours of the roadway, can be determined. |
| US07689345B2 |
Systems and methods for estimating residual gas fraction for internal combustion engines using altitude compensation
An engine control system comprises a first factor calculating module that calculates a first factor based on intake cam position (ICAM), exhaust cam position (ECAM), engine speed (RPM) and first calibration factors. A second factor calculating module calculates a second factor based on ICAM, ECAM, RPM and second calibration factors. A residual gas fraction (RGF) estimating module estimates a RGF value based on the first factor adjusted for altitude and said second factor. A method comprises calculating a first factor based on intake cam position (ICAM), exhaust cam position (ECAM), engine speed (RPM) and first calibration factors; calculating a second factor based on ICAM, ECAM, RPM and second calibration factors; and estimating a residual gas fraction (RGF) value based on the first factor adjusted for altitude and said second factor. At least one engine operating parameter is adjusted based on the RGF value. |
| US07689339B2 |
Vehicle driving force control apparatus and driving force control method
When a speed ratio, which is the ratio of the turbine speed to the engine speed, is equal to or less than 1, a driving torque converter dynamic characteristic model is used which is set based on a driving torque converter static characteristic in which the torque ratio decreases to 1 with an increase of the speed ratio. When the speed ratio is greater than 1, a driven torque converter dynamic characteristic model is used which is set based on a driven torque converter static characteristic in which the torque ratio is 1 regardless of the speed ratio. |
| US07689337B2 |
Cooperative vehicle control system
A method of cooperative vehicle control in which a high level controller includes a high level algorithm that manages the overall control strategy of the vehicle and decides which vehicle subsystems to control, with what timing and with what authority. Depending on the given situation at hand, including existing or potential conflict between sub-algorithms in the high level controller, the status of the various subsystems and the effectiveness of additional change of these subsystems, desired intervention speed, and environmental repercussions in the total vehicle system, the high level controller may decide to use differing control strategies to meet performance characteristics of the total vehicle system as well as maintain control of vehicle stability, traction characteristics and overall body motions. |
| US07689334B2 |
Engine diagnostic method
A method is provided for diagnosing an engine system. The method may include receiving a request for diagnosing an engine system, delivering a diagnostic module to the requester from a location remote from the engine system, and having the diagnostic module coupled to the engine system. The method may further include diagnosing the engine system based on information received by the diagnostic module, and providing repair assistance based on the diagnosing of the engine system. |
| US07689333B2 |
Diagnostic fault clearing system
A vehicle diagnostics clearing system that detects a clear diagnostic faults flag and clears diagnostic faults from a control module includes a clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module and a clear diagnostic faults module. The clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module periodically monitors the clear diagnostic faults flag in the control module. When the clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module detects that the clear diagnostic faults flag is set, the clear diagnostic faults module clears the diagnostic faults from the control module for a predetermined period. |
| US07689329B2 |
Integrated maintenance and materials services for fleet aircraft using aircraft data to improve quality of materials
Turnkey maintenance of a customer's aircraft fleet is managed by a single management service provider (MSP) controlling integrated maintenance and materials services from a central operations site. The MSP converts data received directly from on-board aircraft systems into information it uses to manage maintenance service providers and parts suppliers. The MSP contracts with and manages maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) who perform the maintenance on the customers' aircraft at line and base stations. The MSP either remotely manages part inventories at the customer's site, or manages suppliers who deliver the parts to the MROs. Maintenance planning, scheduling and execution information is exchanged between the MSP, MROs, part suppliers and the customers through a shared data communication network controlled by the MSP. The MSP charges the customer for the maintenance services based on a flat rate per unit of aircraft flying time. |
| US07689327B2 |
Microserver adapter for an avionics box
A modular adapter is attachable to an avionics box of an aircraft to enable network communication between the avionics box and other avionics boxes or controllers on the aircraft, local computing devices, and/or remote computing devices or remote servers in an external network, such as an Internet. The adapter includes a microserver module having a web-based server, a computer processor and memory, a data-over-power module configured to connect to a power connector that delivers power to the avionics box and transmits data to the microserver module, a connector module configured to plug into a power port of the avionics box such that power delivered by the power connector passes through the adapter to the avionics box, and a test port connector configured to plug into a test port of the avionics box. The test port connector enables the microserver module to access data from and send data to the avionics box. |
| US07689324B1 |
Aircraft capability and hazard zone interface and method
A vehicle operator interface is disclosed. The vehicle operator interface comprises a visual display device. A first indicator which is representative of a vehicle energy target, a second indicator representative of a vehicle energy vector and a third indicator representative of a vehicle capability zone are on the display. |
| US07689321B2 |
Robust sensor fusion for mapping and localization in a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system
This invention is generally related to methods and apparatus that permit the measurements from a plurality of sensors to be combined or fused in a robust manner. For example, the sensors can correspond to sensors used by a mobile device, such as a robot, for localization and/or mapping. The measurements can be fused for estimation of a measurement, such as an estimation of a pose of a robot. |
| US07689315B2 |
Semiconductor equipment control system and method
A semiconductor equipment control system and method is provided. The semiconductor equipment control system preferably includes semiconductor equipment having a process recipe stored therein and a host connected to the semiconductor equipment through a network. The host preferably includes a database in which a reference recipe is stored and is preferably configured to receive and compare a final modification time of the process recipe with a final modification time of the reference recipe. When the final modifications times are equal, the host is preferably configured to instruct the semiconductor equipment to perform a process according to the process recipe. When the final modification times are different, the host is preferably configured to check a recipe body of the process recipe against a recipe body of the reference recipe to determine if the process recipe is within an established tolerance. If the process recipe is within tolerance, the host may instruct the semiconductor equipment to perform the process according to the process recipe. If the process recipe is not within tolerance, the host preferably interlocks the process. Using this semiconductor equipment and control method, unconditional checking of the process recipe body can be eliminated, thereby resulting in significant time savings and a more efficient manufacturing process. |
| US07689312B2 |
Downstream error handling in manufacturing systems
A method, computer program product, and system for handling an error that occurs during processing of a job in a manufacturing system are provided. The method, computer program product, and system provide for determining a first location in the job where a first subsystem of the manufacturing system is currently processing, identifying a second location in the job where a second subsystem of the manufacturing system completed processing before the error occurred at the second subsystem, the second subsystem being connected in series to and downstream from the first subsystem, and providing a controller-generated repositioning instruction for the first subsystem based on the first location and the second location. |
| US07689311B2 |
Model-based planning using query-based component executable instructions
A method for planning machine control for a system includes determining one or more capabilities and one or more capability constraints for each component used to execute a plan for processing a job by the system. The plan is incrementally constructed based on the components, the one or more capabilities, and the one or more constraints. One or more sets of executable instructions are queried with incremental portions of the plan, wherein each set of executable instructions is associated with a different one of the components and represents the actions that are performed by its corresponding component, each incremental portion includes actions that are to be performed by its corresponding component, and each set of executable instructions executes the incremental portion it received. Upon receiving confirmation from each of the queried sets of executable instructions that indicates each of the components is able to perform the actions in the incremental portions, a final plan for processing the job is generated. |
| US07689310B2 |
System and method for manufacturing a dental prosthesis and a dental prosthesis manufactured thereby
A dental prosthesis is made by externally machining successive layers of wax, each of which is formed on a previous prosthesis layer and/or on a coping. Each wax layer is used to form a mold in situ over the previous prosthesis layer/coping, and the appropriate prosthesis material is cast or otherwise molded to conform to the wax layer by the mold. |
| US07689309B2 |
Method for generating an electro-hydraulic model for control design
The dynamic response characteristics of an electro-hydraulic (EH) physical plant is represented by a model. The model includes a series of second order transfer functions, one for each operating point, of the EH physical plant. Command pressure, overshoot, rise time, damping coefficient, natural frequency and gain parameters are determined in developing each transfer function. The model can be used to advance the time in which the design and development of a control system for the EH physical plant can begin. |
| US07689298B2 |
Methods to support process quality and maintenance during control of an industrial process such as welding
A number of methods to support process quality and maintenance during control of an industrial process such as welding are provided. The methods provide, among other things: automatic process limit programming based on runtime data; user-initiated process limit programming based on upcoming data; correlate equipment deterioration based on capability measurement; correlate tip dressers/formers to new; detect electrical deterioration; integrate process data with programmed data for a visual aid; and quantify process variation in welding tools (pareto of stddev of the c-factor). |
| US07689294B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing continuous power to a fixture in a manufacturing process
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and apparatus for providing continuous power and utilities to a fixture in a manufacturing process. In one embodiment of the invention, a system with robot, such as a robotic arm, and a workstation can be deployed in a manufacturing process. A fixture associated with the manufacturing process can include a mount operable for receiving power from the robot or robot arm, and another mount operable for receiving power from the workstation. An associated control device, such as a programmable logic circuit, can selectively provide power via either mount depending on whether the fixture is mounted to the robot or robotic arm, or to the workstation. |
| US07689291B2 |
Lead with fibrous matrix coating and methods related thereto
A lead includes a lead body extending from a lead proximal end portion to a lead distal end portion and having an intermediate portion therebetween, one or more tissue sensing/stimulation electrodes disposed along the lead body, one or more terminal connections disposed along the lead proximal end portion. The lead further includes one or more conductors contained within the lead body extending between the tissue sensing/stimulation electrodes and the terminal connections, and a fibrous matrix coating is disposed onto at least a portion of the lead body and/or sensing/stimulation electrodes. |
| US07689290B2 |
Devices, methods, and systems for shrinking tissues
Devices, systems, and method for treating urinary incontinence generally relying on energy delivered to a patient's pelvic support tissue to selectively contract or shrink at least a portion of that pelvic support tissue so as to reposition the bladder. The energy will preferably be applied to the endopelvic fascia and/or an arcus tendineus fascia pelvis. A variety of devices and methods are provided for applying gentle resistive heating of these and other tissues to cause them to contract without imposing significant injury on the surrounding tissue structures. By applying sufficient energy over a predetermined time, the tissue can be raised to a temperature which results in contraction without significant necrosis or other tissue damage. By selectively contracting the support tissues, the bladder neck, sphincter, and other components of the urinary tract responsible for the control of urinary flow can be reconfigured or supported in a manner which reduces urinary leakage. |
| US07689285B2 |
Multi-layer combination of an electric stimulation electrode and a wound dressing
In order to make available a wound dressing (100) with at least one energy transfer agent (11, 12) and a wound dressing (13), namely a combination of wound dressing and electrode for the stimulation treatment, with which an uniform electrostimulation of the wound can be achieved so that the wound healing process is considerably improved, it is proposed that the energy transfer agent has at least two layers and that the energy transfer agent (11, 12) has at least two adjacent layers (11, 12), a first layer (11)—energy supply—and a second energy—distribution of energy—(12), whereby the first layer (11) has a lower electric resistance and the second layer (12) a higher electric resistance. |
| US07689284B2 |
Pseudounipolar lead for stimulating a digestive organ
A pseudounipolar stimulator lead for anchoring to a digestive organ is provided. |
| US07689280B1 |
Automatic system for determining bi-ventricular pacing responders
A method of predicting a patient's response to multi-chamber pacing by implanting at least three sensing electrodes, measuring across at least two different impedance vectors of the heart via the three electrodes to obtain at least two impedance signals, and evaluating the at least two impedance signals for indications of contractile dysynchrony. Contractile dysynchrony indicates that the patient is likely to have a positive response to multi-chamber pacing. Also an implantable cardiac stimulation device with an implantable housing, a stimulation pulse generator positioned within the housing, at least two implantable leads, and a controller communicating with the pulse generator to induce the generator to deliver therapeutic stimulation to a patient's heart. The leads are arranged to measure a physiological parameter along at least two different spatial orientations. The controller evaluates relative timing of the physiological parameters along the different orientations for indications of contractile synchrony of the patient's heart. |
| US07689277B2 |
Neural stimulation for treatment of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes
Systems and methods are described for treating metabolic syndrome and/or Type 2 diabetes, and/or one or more of their attendant conditions, by neural stimulation. In one embodiment, an implantable pulse generator is electrically coupled to a peripheral nerve, such as the splanchnic nerve. Neural stimulation configured to either block transmission or stimulate transmission of the peripheral nerve may be used to treat metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. |
| US07689276B2 |
Dynamic nerve stimulation for treatment of disorders
A method for the treatment of obesity or other disorders by electrical activation or inhibition of nerves is disclosed. This activation or inhibition can be accomplished by stimulating a nerve using an electrode. Dynamic stimulation through ramped cycling of electrical stimulation, stimulation frequency alteration, and/or duty cycle variance can produce therapeutic benefits. |
| US07689274B2 |
Brain-wave aware sleep management
A system includes a port to receive brain activity data of a user, a processor to detect a beginning time of a user nap based upon the brain activity data, and a user interface to notify the user when a predetermined nap time has elapsed. A method of monitoring a user somnolence level receives brain activity data from a user, and determines a somnolence level from the brain activity data. If the somnolence level is sleep, the system determines if a nap has progressed to a waking point, and if the nap has progressed to a waking point, alerts the user. |
| US07689272B2 |
Method for brain fingerprinting, measurement, assessment and analysis of brain function
Electrical signals originating in the brain are measured and analyzed. In one embodiment, this technology serves to assess brain functioning as a means to evaluate cognitive functioning, to detect cognitive deficits such as those brought about by Alzheimer's, and to assess the efficacy of treatments for cognitive disorders. In another embodiment, which is an improvement on technology previously patented by the inventor, this technology serves to detect information in the brain as a means of detecting participation in specific organizations, acts, or criminal activity. In a third embodiment, this technology serves to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising, educational and training presentations by detecting the attention, information processing, and memory-related responses to these presentations as revealed by brain waves. |
| US07689271B1 |
Non-invasive heart rate and respiration measurements from extremities
The invention determines the heart rate and respiration rate of a patient through the patient's extremities. Heart rate and respiration rate are determined via an energy spectrum, periodogram or histogram using a time series analysis. A patient can stand near the device and lean on it, or stand on a piezoelectric pad. A microcomputer provides calculations to determine heart and respiratory rates using signal processing and time series analysis of data. |
| US07689266B2 |
Medical image diagnosis apparatus
In a medical image diagnosis apparatus which forms a scanogram image of a subject and forms tomographic images under imaging conditions set by using the scanogram image, an imaging condition setting frame 33 independent of the scanogram image 31 is provided on a monitor 14. Desired imaging for which imaging conditions are to be set is designated by inputting a numeric value presenting an ordinal number for imaging in a numeric value input box 40 in the imaging condition setting frame 33. A pointer is set to a frame 41, a mark 42 or a dotted line 43 and dragged, thus enabling imaging conditions indicating the number of instances of imaging and image reconstruction and image reconstruction positions for the designated imaging. Settings in the imaging condition setting frame 33 are reflected in a frame 32A and lines 32B on the scanogram image 31 indicating the number of instances of imaging and image reconstruction and image reconstruction positions. In this way, the frame, lines and so on displayed on the scanogram image and indicating the imaging conditions for the desired imaging can be operated speedily and correctly. |
| US07689264B2 |
Method for producing MR (magnetic resonance) images of a moving object using navigator signals
A method for generating MR (magnetic resonance) images of a moving object with a repeating motion pattern at comparable motion states, wherein for at least one motion state, a set of MR data which is completely encoded for producing an MR image is provided from a plurality of successive individual MR measurements. The method is characterized in that at least one contiguous region of successive data points is used as indicator within the individual MR measurement, wherein this contiguous region is identically repeated for all individual MR measurements within the respective MR measuring sequence relative to irradiated RF (radio frequency) pulses and switched gradients. This provides reliable allocation of the recorded MR data with the associated motion states, wherein completely encoded sets of MR data can be determined within an optimum time. |
| US07689257B2 |
Support structure for portable electronic device
Disclosed herein are structures for supporting a clamshell- or slider-type portable electronic device such as a notebook computer; personal digital assistant; or wireless telephone. The clamshell- and slider-type portable electronic devices typically have at least two assemblies—a first housing assembly, and a second housing assembly containing at least a keyboard. In a clamshell-type electronic device, the first housing assembly and second housing assembly are connected by a hinge and pivot between at least an open position and a closed position. In a slider-type electronic device, the first housing assembly and second housing assembly are connected by a slide connection and slide between at least an open position and a closed position. In portable electronic devices made in accordance with the invention, the keyboard is comprised of a first set of keys and a second set of keys. The keys comprising the first and second sets have touch surfaces configured to receive keystrokes. The touch surfaces of the first set of keys extend above the touch surfaces of the second set of keys. When a portable electronic device having either the clamshell- or slider-type configuration is in a closed position, the combination of the varying heights of the touch surfaces of the keys and cooperating structures in the first and second housings hinders relative movement between the first and second housing assemblies when an external force (for example, due to an accidental drop) is applied to the portable electronic device. The hindering of relative movement helps to protect the portable electronic device from damage. |
| US07689254B2 |
Motor vehicle mobile phone configuration and communication method
A mobile radio configuration for a motor vehicle has a vehicle-mounted terminal that is firmly installed in the vehicle. The terminal has, or is connected to, a mobile radio module linked with an antenna and a Bluetooth module. The system further includes a radio terminal that is provided with a SIM and a Bluetooth module. A Bluetooth connection can be established between the vehicle-mounted terminal an the mobile radio terminal, via which connection the SIM data can be transferred into the firmly installed terminal which then logs onto the mobile radio network using the SIM data. The mobile radio terminal functions as a handset of the vehicle-mounted terminal and the useful data are exchanged via the Bluetooth modules. |
| US07689253B2 |
Vehicle immersive communication system
A vehicle communication system facilitates hands-free interaction with a mobile device in a vehicle or elsewhere. Users interact with the system by speaking to it. The system processes text and processes commands. The system supports Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free use. The system handles telephone calls, email, and SMS text messages. The user can customize the device via a user profile stored on an Internet web server. |
| US07689252B2 |
Method and system for processing information
An information processing system includes an information providing apparatus for providing a service, and a mobile terminal for receiving the service from the information providing apparatus. The information providing apparatus includes a plurality of directional antennas arranged in a predetermined space and forming at least one particular area in which communication coverage areas of the directional antennas overlap each other, and a plurality of data transmitting units for transmitting predetermined data to the mobile terminal in the particular area using the directional antennas thereof. The mobile terminal includes a data receiving unit for receiving in the particular area the predetermined data that the data transmitting unit has transmitted via the directional antenna having the particular area as the communication coverage area, and a data processing unit for processing the predetermined data received by the data receiving unit. |
| US07689248B2 |
Listening assistance function in phone terminals
The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for listening assistance to a user of a phone terminal with a headset or a hearing aid for selective listening of a local acoustic source in a noisy environment by said user utilizing a combination of said phone terminal and said headset. The method for the listening assistance comprises of placing the phone terminal near a desired local acoustic source, switching a mode of the phone terminal to a listening mode, providing to the headset or to the hearing aid a signal (e.g., a wireless signal) generated by the phone terminal in response to an acoustic signal from the local acoustic source, and providing to the user an output acoustic signal generated by the headset or by the hearing aid in response to that signal thus providing said listening assistance to the user. |
| US07689247B2 |
Method and apparatus for radio frequency band assignment in a wireless communication system
A wireless communication system comprises a mobile station in communication with an infrastructure that supports multiple radio frequency (RF) band classes. When the infrastructure receives a request to originate a call from the mobile station via a first radio frequency (RF) band of the multiple RF bands, the infrastructure determines whether to attempt to assign the mobile station to an RF band other than the first RF band. In response to determining to attempt to assign the mobile station to an RF band other than the first RF band, the infrastructure retrieves RF traffic channel decision-related data maintained by the infrastructure before performing further call processing and determines whether the mobile station may be inter-band re-directed based on the RF traffic channel decision-related data. When the mobile station may be inter-band re-directed, the infrastructure re-directs the mobile station to a second RF band of the multiple RF bands. |
| US07689245B2 |
System and method of ubiquitous language translation for wireless devices
A system and method of providing a location-based translation service is disclosed. A wireless device receives from a wireless network an updated priority target language list according to the location of the wireless device. The wireless device and/or wireless network are capable of automatic speech recognition (ASR), text-to-speech (TTS) services and language translation services. A language and location database module associates probable target languages in a given area. The wireless network node receives the location of the wireless device through a network-based location means or through a GPS system and compares the location of the wireless device to the language and location database. The wireless network transmits to the wireless device an updated priority language list based on the data in the language and location database such that the wireless device pre-selects the most likely target language if the user launches the language translation application. When the user launches the language translation application, the selection of the target language is simplified since the most likely target language is pre-selected. |
| US07689244B2 |
Mobile communication terminal
A mobile communication terminal with dedicated keys for controlling an integrated functional component such as an audio player, in which the dedicated keys are situated at convenient positions for use. The mobile communication terminal includes a housing that accommodates parts which enable wireless communications with an external device and has an audio player therein. The terminal includes a control key assembly positioned on at least one lateral side of the housing to enable a user to operate the audio player. The position of the control key assembly assists the user in pressing the keys using his thumb, forefinger, middle finger and third finger. The position of the control key assembly also enables a wide auxiliary display to be positioned on the upper surface of the housing, e.g., on the outer surface of the upper housing. |
| US07689243B2 |
User guidance system, mobile communication terminal, and user guidance method
A user guidance system includes a communication history receiver receiving communication history information of a mobile communication terminal; a traffic information generator receiving resource state information from a base station and generating communication traffic information at the base station; a dissatisfaction calculator calculating a dissatisfaction with a recommended action to a user of the mobile communication terminal, based on the communication history information and the communication traffic information; a recommended action extractor extracting a recommended action for the user to be notified of, based on dissatisfactions with a plurality of recommended actions; and an information transmitter transmitting the recommended action to the mobile communication terminal. |
| US07689242B2 |
Channel estimator for OFDM system
The present invention relates to a device for receiving signals in a wireless cellular OFDM system, in which data symbols are transmitted in frequency subcarriers and timeslots. The present invention further relates to a method for channel estimation in such a device. According to the present invention, a channel estimation on the basis of received pilot symbols is performed, whereby the channel estimation for data symbols between pilot symbols is performed by means of a filter, said filter being selected from a set of filters on the basis of an interference reference value. |
| US07689235B2 |
Unsuitable cell exclusion in wireless communication systems
A method for performing initial cell search in wireless communication system wherein unsuitable cells includes searching stored frequencies exhaustively and initial frequencies non-exhaustively. Initial frequencies may be searched exhaustively in certain circumstances. When performing exhaustive initial cell searches, primary synchronization codes that lead to unsuitable cells are excluded from subsequent initial cell searches performed on the same frequency. |
| US07689234B2 |
Method and system for delivery of short message service messages
A method and device for transmitting at least one short messaging service message to at least one wireless device are disclosed. The method comprises receiving at least one short message service message request associated with a short message service message. The short message service message is destined for reception by a wireless device (106). Prior to receiving the request, a short message service center (114) determines if a wireless device (106) is registered with a registrar (210) associated with a session initiation protocol network for communicating over a packet data network (102). The short message service message is transmitted to the wireless device (106) through the session initiation protocol network communicating over the packet data network (102) in response to the request and with the determination that the wireless device (106) is registered with the registrar (210). |
| US07689233B2 |
Remote switching for handset handsfree speakerphone
A remote switching for handset handsfree speakerphone operation in a telephone system including an “off of shelf” analog half duplex switching speakerphone IC on a base unit and routs handset handsfree signals via a RF link to and from a microphone and a speakerphone of at least one cordless handset. The remote switching provides a handset handsfree feature on any analog and digital platform that is not equipped with DSPs or other digital means for embedded speakerphone algorithms. |
| US07689229B2 |
System and method for dissemination of information in a limited-access environment
A limited-access environment is established to which admittance is controlled by an authority. Carrying of unapproved wireless communication devices into the environment is prohibited. Approved wireless communication devices are distributed, e.g. rented, under the authority's control for use within the environment. Rental fees may be collected for use of the device. The approved device may be specially configured to comply with rules applicable to the environment and/or to provide environment-relevant information, such as scoring and other information in context of a golf tournament event. The device may be specially configured with advertisements or other advertising indicia indicating sponsorship, etc., thereby providing the authority with advertising-related revenues. The device may include global positioning system (GPS) hardware and/or software for determining a physical location of the device relative to the earth, and software for providing information content as a function of such location information. |
| US07689226B2 |
Method and system for signaling in broadcast communication system
A method and a system for providing signaling in cellular telephone system providing broadcast services to fully integrate broadcast services with the services provided by the cellular telephone systems. The signaling method coordinate interaction between an access network and the subscriber station to allowing the subscriber station to decode the broadcast service, to receive paging messages while receiving the broadcast service, to properly transition between operation states, and other functions known to one of ordinary skill in the art. |
| US07689223B1 |
Method and system for delaying retransmission of data traffic to a wireless terminal
A method and system for delaying retransmission of data to a wireless terminal in response to a determination that a communication path to the wireless terminal does not currently exist. For instance, when a server, e.g., a proxy server or an application server, sends data to a cellular base station for transmission to a wireless terminal, the base station could determine that a radio link to the wireless terminal is not currently available. In order to prevent the server from continuously retransmitting the data to the base station due to the absence of an acknowledgement from the wireless terminal, the base station can notify the server to delay retransmission. A benefit of this arrangement is that the base station will not have to receive and buffer many copies of the same data while the base station waits for a communication path to the wireless terminal to become available. |
| US07689222B2 |
Method of managing use of channelization codes during soft handoff
In one embodiment of managing the use of channelization codes during soft handoff of a mobile station from a transferring network station to a candidate network station, a determination is made as to whether a field associated with an existing channelization code used by the candidate network station is unused and meets timing criteria associated with a corresponding field received by the mobile station from the transferring network station. Based on this determination, a channelization code for use by the candidate network station in communicating with the mobile station is assigned. |
| US07689219B2 |
Data-capable network prioritization with reject code handling
Reject code handling is utilized for a more time-efficient selection of data-capable networks. One illustrative method for use in selecting a wireless communication network for communications involves the steps of causing a request for data connectivity to be transmitted through a first wireless network; reattempting the request for data connectivity through the first wireless network one or more times if a reject code comprising a non-critical error is received in response to the request for data connectivity through the first wireless network; and attempting to select a second wireless network for communications without reattempting the request for data connectivity through the first wireless network one or more times if a reject code comprising a critical error is received in response to the request for data connectivity through the first wireless network. |
| US07689216B2 |
Scanning and decoding methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices
In one illustrative scanning and decoding method, a signal strength level of an RF signal on an RF channel is measured for a plurality of RF channels of an RF band. The act of measuring a signal strength level is repeated at least one time to obtain at least one other signal strength level of the RF signal. Subsequently, an averaging function is completed with use of the signal strength level and the at least one other signal strength level for identifying an averaged signal strength level of the RF signal. At least one optimal RF signal is then identified based on the averaged signal strength levels of the RF signals on the RF channels. In between the repeated acts of measuring signal strength levels of the RF signals, and prior to identifying the averaged signal strength levels, control information is decoded on at least one of the RF channels and stored in memory. A wireless communication network is selected for communication with use of the control information stored in the memory which corresponds to one of the at least one optimal RF signal. In this manner, the mobile station expeditiously obtains the control information for network selection or other purposes prior to completing the averaging of the signal strength levels. |
| US07689214B2 |
Efficient sharing of mobile equipment identifiers
In a mobile communication network, the base station is configured to query the mobile station for its mobile equipment identifier if not provided by the mobile switching center before traffic channel setup. The base station may send the mobile equipment identifier to the mobile switching center during call setup. |
| US07689213B2 |
Method for testing embedded wireless transceiver with minimal interaction between wireless transceiver and host processor during testing
A method for testing a wireless transceiver embedded within a wireless data communication system that also includes a host processor with minimal interaction between the wireless transceiver and the host processor during such testing. The wireless signal interface between the wireless data communication system and external test equipment is used to convey test initiation or data signals from the external test equipment to the wireless data communication system, and responsive data or acknowledgement signals from the wireless data communication system to the external test equipment. |
| US07689212B2 |
Mobile communication system exchanging state information and operation method thereof
A system and method for managing calls in a mobile communication system transmits information indicative of an operational state of a first mobile terminal to a second mobile terminal for display. The first terminal may be a called terminal and the second terminal a calling terminal. A user of the second terminal can therefore recognize a reason for a communication blockage if a call between the first and second terminals is lost. |
| US07689211B2 |
Secure login method for establishing a wireless local area network connection, and wireless local area network system
A secure login method for a wireless local area network is implemented using a first wireless terminal that has already been logged in to the wireless local area network and that has obtained a settings value, and a second wireless terminal that has yet to be logged in to the wireless local area network and that has a public key and a secret key conforming to an asymmetric public key technique. The method includes: (A) enabling the second wireless terminal to send the public key to the first wireless terminal; (B) enabling the first wireless terminal to encrypt the settings value into an encrypted text using the public key and to send the encrypted text to the second wireless terminal; and (C) enabling the second wireless terminal to decrypt the encrypted text using the secret key so as to recover the original settings value that serves as a basis for logging in to the wireless local area network. |
| US07689209B1 |
Wireless communication network with software modification locking
A wireless communication network comprises antenna systems, a mobile switching system, and a monitoring system. The antenna systems exchange user communications with mobile user devices in a wireless communication format. The mobile switching system has software to control operations. The mobile switching system routes the user communications between the antenna systems and network communication systems. The monitoring system determines that a software lock should be implemented for the mobile switching system, and in response, transfers a software lock instruction to the mobile switching system. The mobile switching system receives the software lock instruction and subsequently receives a request for a software modification. The mobile switching system denies the request for the software modification in response to the software lock instruction. |
| US07689204B2 |
Method of unlocking a mobile telephone type wireless communication terminal
In a method of unlocking mobile telephones, in particular one using the “SIM-LOCK” method, the user of the telephone submits an unlocking request directly to the manufacturer of the telephone and the manufacturer sends unlocking information to the telephone after verifying with the operator that the user is entitled to unlocking. This simplifies the administration of unlocking requests and makes it more reliable. |
| US07689202B2 |
System and method for providing personal and emergency service hailing in wireless network
A method and system for providing personal and emergency service hailing. A profile database stores profiles with individualized distance thresholds for each of a number of wireless devices. A wireless message proximity request is received from a requesting wireless device. Distances between a location of the requesting wireless device and locations of each of other wireless communications devices is computed and compared to individualized distance thresholds stored for the requesting wireless communications device. A set of wireless devices consisting of wireless devices that satisfy the individualized distance thresholds for the requesting wireless communications device is identified and a wireless message proximity response is sent to the requesting wireless communications device. The wireless message proximity response identifies the set of wireless communications devices that satisfy the at least one individualized distance threshold. |
| US07689200B1 |
Control system for emergency calls placed by mobile communication devices
An emergency call system comprises a control system and a location system. The control system associates emergency call processing parameters with individual ones of a plurality of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). The location system receives a call request for an emergency call placed by a mobile communication device. The emergency call is to be handled by one of the PSAPs. In response to the call request, the location system determines the emergency call processing parameters that are associated the one of the PSAPs handling the emergency call. The location system uses these associated emergency call processing parameters to process the emergency call. |
| US07689196B2 |
Timer-based sleep for terminals in wireless communication systems
Techniques for performing timer-based sleep to extend sleep time and thus battery life for a terminal in a wireless communication system. The likelihood of data traffic may be related to recent usage. If recent usage indicates that data traffic is unlikely, then the terminal can continue to maintain the link but monitor the signals from the system at a reduced rate. In one method, the probability of data traffic for the terminal is initially estimated (e.g., based on time since last activity and a particular usage model). A timer value is then determined based on the estimated probability of data traffic. The timer value may be modified based on an event, which may relate to link maintenance, hand-off, and so on. Sleep is then performed for the duration corresponding to the unmodified or modified timer value and may extend past one or more designated paging slots. |
| US07689195B2 |
Multi-protocol radio frequency identification transponder tranceiver
A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector. An automatic gain control (AGC) circuit adjusts a receiver gain according to the received signal strength and controls tuning of magnetic coupling circuitry. |
| US07689194B2 |
Balanced circuit arrangement and method for linearizing such an arrangement
The present invention relates to a balanced circuit arrangement and methods for linearizing and calibrating such a circuit arrangement, wherein linearization is obtained by introducing a load imbalance between the output branches of the balanced circuit arrangement. Thus, a controllable extraneous imbalance is created between the output loads of the balanced circuit arrangement to thereby obtain a linearization by means of even-order non-linearity. |
| US07689193B2 |
Self-aligning resonator filter circuits
An embodiment of a self-aligning resonator filter circuit includes a tunable resonator having a filter output node, an oscillator having an oscillator output node, a resistance element connected between the oscillator output node and the filter output node when the self-aligning resonator filter circuit is in a tuning mode, and a phase detector loop controller coupled between the oscillator output node and the filter output node. The phase detector loop controller is configured to measure a phase difference across the resistance element, and to adjust the tunable resonator in response to the phase difference. |
| US07689190B2 |
Controlling the frequency of an oscillator
A technique includes generating an analog voltage to control a frequency for an oscillator. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal, and the frequency is controlled in response to the digital signal. |
| US07689187B2 |
Dual input low noise amplifier for multi-band operation
A dual input low noise amplifier (LNA) for multi-band frequency operation is disclosed. The dual input LNA (100) simultaneously operates in two amplifier configurations for the two inputs (101 and 103), of a first frequency band and a second frequency band, to produce a common output (113). Matching networks (102 and 104) receive and pass the inputs (101 and 103) to a transistor device (106). The transistor device is coupled to a series resonant circuit (108) at a first input node (107) to ground AC signal energy from a second input node (109) of the transistor device. The grounding causes the transistor device to simultaneously amplify and combine the signals at the first and the second input nodes to produce the common output of the first frequency band and the second frequency band at a common output node (111) of the transistor device. |
| US07689186B2 |
Frequency band allocation device and method
A frequency band allocation device is disclosed. The frequency band allocation device comprises a frequency band selection unit for selecting usable frequency bands from a dedicated frequency band, a registered frequency band and an unlicensed frequency band; and a frequency band allocation unit for allocating a frequency band out of the selected usable frequency bands to a user, so as to satisfy user required QoS and maximize system frequency utilization factor. |
| US07689184B2 |
Method of tuning frequency and apparatus therefor
A method of tuning a frequency and apparatus thereof are disclosed, in which broadcast channel information for bringing up the image of broadcasting is used and by which the frequency corresponding to the broadcast channel information is automatically tuned. The present invention includes the steps of storing a broadcast channel information and a frequency for a specific broadcasting, searching the frequency using the broadcast channel information provided by a user, and tuning the searched frequency. |
| US07689181B2 |
Circuit arrangement for regulating a DC signal component and mobile radio transmitter
In a circuit arrangement for regulating a DC signal component of a signal that is input to a frequency mixer, the regulation comprises a detector which detects the DC component of the input signal. A comparator compares the DC component with a reference value, and drives an apparatus for influencing the DC component based on the comparison. |
| US07689174B2 |
Voice data RF GPS integrated circuit
An integrated circuit (IC) includes a baseband processing module, a GPS receiver, an RF section, and an interface module. The GPS receiver module is coupled to recover a plurality of coarse/acquisition (C/A) signals and a plurality of navigation messages from a plurality of down converted GPS signals. The RF section is coupled to convert an inbound RF voice signal into the inbound voice symbol stream; convert the outbound voice symbol stream into an outbound RF voice signal; convert an inbound RF data signal into the inbound data symbol stream; convert the outbound data symbol stream into an outbound RF data signal; and convert a plurality of GPS RF signals into the plurality of down converted GPS signals. |
| US07689169B2 |
Bluetooth device and method for providing service determined according to Bluetooth PIN
Disclosed herein are a Bluetooth device and method for providing a service determined according to Bluetooth PIN. The Bluetooth device includes a storage unit, a reception unit, a control unit, a key generation unit and a transmission unit. The storage unit stores the types of services and security policies according to Bluetooth PIN. The reception unit receives a link key. The control unit searches for a Bluetooth PIN corresponding to the received link key. The key generation unit creates a security key in accordance with the search results and stored security policies. The transmission unit transmits data associated with a service using the created security key. |
| US07689167B2 |
Methods and apparatus for operating an ensemble of wireless electronic devices based on user activity
Embodiments of methods and apparatus for operating an ensemble of wireless electronic devices based on user activity are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US07689166B2 |
System and method for extension of wireless footprint
A system and method for communicating through a host repeater. Data is received from a remote repeater communicating with a wireless device. The host repeater registers as the wireless device on a wireless network. The data is reformatted for transmission between the wireless devices and the wireless network. |
| US07689164B2 |
Relay apparatus, communication terminal, communication system, and semiconductor integrated circuit
The present invention relates to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication system. Upon a timer unit 108 clocking a predetermined time T after an access point 100 has transmitted a beacon signal 200, a transmission frame control unit 105 generates a CTS frame 301, and transmits an error frame 401 via a transmission frame generation unit 106, a wireless transmission unit 107 and an antenna 109. Accordingly, upon receiving the CTS frame 301, a communication terminal 20 ceases transmitting data for a NAV (Network Allocation Vector, transmission prohibition interval) period in accordance with IEEE 802.11 standard. |
| US07689163B2 |
Transmission apparatus and reception apparatus
Via a mobile communication network, a transmission apparatus receives position information representing a current position of a reception apparatus. Based on the received position information, the transmission apparatus generates notice data indicating that it is necessary to correct preprogrammed program information identifying a program which has been preprogrammed for viewing or preprogrammed for recording and being generated at the reception apparatus, and transmits the generated notice data to the reception apparatus. Accordingly, a transmission apparatus is provided which generates information that allows preprogramming of a broadcast program for viewing or recording to be properly performed at the reception apparatus side, or which generates a correct broadcast program table, and transmits the generated information or program table to the reception apparatus. |
| US07689162B2 |
Adaptive coding and modulation flow control and traffic shaping systems and methods
A process is described to build physical layer frames with a modcode adapted to the signal quality of a destination terminal. Data packets assigned to the same modcode may be sent in the same frame, although packets associated with higher modcodes may be used to complete a frame before switching to the applicable higher modcode for construction of subsequent frames. After an interval, the order of progression is restarted with an out of order packet above a threshold age. Flow control filtering mechanisms and a variable reliability margin may be used to adapt dynamically to the current data traffic conditions. |
| US07689159B2 |
Sheet transport apparatus and image forming apparatus including the same
A sheet transport apparatus includes a pair of rollers for transporting a sheet and a sheet detection device for detecting the sheet transported by the pair of rollers. The sheet detection device includes a flag that is displaceable when urged by the sheet transported by the pair of rollers and a single-chip acceleration sensor attached to the flag to detect the arrival of the sheet. When the sheet is brought into contact with the flag to rotate the flag, the acceleration sensor detects the roll acceleration of the flag so as to determine the timing of stopping the pair of rollers on the basis of a detection signal. |
| US07689157B2 |
Toner container having screw for conveying toner and image forming apparatus having toner container
The invention is to improve a toner diffusing efficiency in a toner container, thereby increasing a toner containing capacity. The toner container includes plural screws which diffuse the toner in plural directions and diffuse the toner in different positions. A toner filling efficiency in the collecting container is improved by providing plural toner diffusing points within the toner container. |
| US07689155B2 |
Cleaning member for photosensitive drum
A cleaning member is for use in contact with a photosensitive member in an electrophotographic process to remove a paper dust adhered to the photosensitive member. The cleaning member includes: a base fabric; and fibers electrostatically implanted on a surface of the base fabric and lying substantially flat along the surface of the base fabric. |
| US07689154B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a heat fixing section and wet fixing section
An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, an image carrying section, a transferring section, a recording material conveying section, a heat fixing section, a wet fixing section, and a recording material supply section. In the image forming apparatus, a surface temperature of fixing roller in the heat fixing section is detected by a temperature sensor and according to a detected result, the recording material conveying section selects either one of the heat fixing section and the wet fixing section as a conveyance destination for a recording material carrying an unfixed toner image. |
| US07689152B2 |
Image forming apparatus with first and second transfer sections
An image forming apparatus may include a first transfer section for transferring a toner image, formed on an image carrier by utilizing a charging section, an exposing section and a developing section, onto a belt shaped intermediate transfer member; and a second transfer section for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto a recording material by applying an electric field between a second transfer roller being provided outside the intermediate transfer member and a backup roller being provided inside the intermediate transfer member, the second transfer roller and the backup roller sandwiching the intermediate recording member and the recording material. The second transfer roller may be grounded and a bias voltage may be applied to the backup roller, and a second charging section for charging a surface of the second transfer roller with a predetermined polarity may be included. |
| US07689151B2 |
Multi-color image-forming apparatus, optical sensor, and method for the same
A multi-color image-forming apparatus having image-forming sections for a plurality of different colors can include an optical sensor having a light-casting section that casts single polarized light and a light-receiving section that receives polarized light different from the cast light. A pattern for detecting toner positions can be used in which toner having high reflectance to a particular light emission wavelength is independently formed. In addition, other patterns in which toner having low reflectance to the particular light emission wavelength are partially formed on a central portion of the pattern of high reflection toner by using the high reflection toner as a foundation. The apparatus can detect each toner pattern by the optical sensor to correct the color shift of each color. |
| US07689146B2 |
Electrophotographic image forming apparatus and process cartridge
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, the apparatus, includes (a) a plurality of mounting portions for detachably mounting process cartridges, respectively, the process cartridges each including, an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer for use by the developing roller to develop the electrostatic latent image, a developer supply opening for supplying the developer to the developing roller from the developer accommodating portion, a sealing member for unsealably sealing the developer supply opening, and unsealing means for unsealing the developer supply opening by removing the sealing member from the developer supply opening; (b) a motor; and (c) driving force transmitting means for selectively transmitting a driving force from the motor to the unsealing means to unseal the developer supply openings of the process cartridges mounted to the mounting portions. |
| US07689145B2 |
Replacement unit, image forming apparatus, and method of attaching replacement unit of image forming apparatus
A replacement unit having a toner bottle and a fixing liquid bottle integrated with each other is attached to a printer main body (image forming apparatus main body). Toner particles accommodated in the toner bottle are allowed to be supplied to a development device of the image forming apparatus main body. A sheet member (sealing unit) of a liquid supplying port of the fixing liquid bottle is broken by an insertion pin provided in the printer main body in synchronization with the attachment of the replacement unit to the printer main body. A toner fixing liquid including a softening agent for softening the toner particles and a solvent for dissolving or dispersing the softening agent is supplied from the fixing liquid bottle to a fixing liquid storage of a fixing device of the printer main body. |
| US07689143B2 |
Pin driver
A device for driving a pin that fastens a printer cartridge drum to a printer cartridge at least on one end of the printer cartridge drum, the device comprising a device body defining a device body recess and a shaft configured to be inserted in the device body recess and to be moved within the device body recess, wherein the movement of the shaft within the device body recess is configured to drive the pin and alter the attachment of the printer cartridge to the printer cartridge at the at least one end of the printer cartridge drum. |
| US07689142B2 |
Image forming apparatus, and processing unit and latent image writing device mounted therein
An image forming apparatus capable of suppressing drop in the write positional accuracy of the optical write while improving the maintenancability of the photosensitive bodies and the peripheral devices thereof, having a printer comprising four processing units each holding, in the inner part thereof, a photosensitive body for supporting a latent image on an endless moving surface, an optical write unit that is movable between an operate position where a write operation is performed for writing latent images on the surface of each of these photosensitive bodies and a retreat position where this write operation is not performed, and a support body for supporting each of the photosensitive bodies of the processing units and the optical write unit, the support body being configured as an integrally molded part by being united at the location for supporting each of the photosensitive bodies of the processing units and the location for supporting the optical write unit from (front-side panel and rear-side panel). |
| US07689141B2 |
Laser printer toner cartridge seal and method
A reassembled laser printer toner cartridge and method of manufacture including a cartridge seal assembly in which the remains of an OEM laser printer toner cartridge's toner hopper pull seal strip(s) is left in position, or a substitute conductive strip is put in the same position to simulate the OEM pull seal strip(s) if the OEM strips have been damaged or are missing in order to enable a repaired or remanufactured cartridge to cooperate with the printer in detecting measuring and displaying the amount of toner consumed from the cartridge and shut the printer down, once the toner cartridge is empty, and a toner cartridge hopper foam seal strip assembly that covers the remnants of the OEM seal strips and provides a seal to prevent leakage of toner from the re-filled toner cartridge. |
| US07689139B2 |
Electrical contact to process cartridge, developer cartridge or image forming apparatus
The pressed area mounted on the developer cartridge case is pressed towards a developer cartridge pressing direction. The developer roller and the photosensitive drum are in contact at a contact position. Electric potential is supplied to the developer cartridge when the electrical connection protrusion connected electrically to the developer roller rotation drive axis and the electrical connection part mounted on the outside of the developer cartridge are pushed together in the electrical connection pressing direction. Here, the electrical connection pressing direction is semi-orthogonal to the pressing action line that connects the pressing position and the contact position. Furthermore, the electrical connection protrusion crosses the pressing action line. |
| US07689133B2 |
Optical signal reception device and method of controlling optical signal reception
An optical signal reception device is disclosed that receives and demodulates an optical signal modulated by DQPSK and performs logical inversion and other controls to transit to the object reception state. The signal reception device includes a front end including a delay interferometer and an opto-electric conversion element that receive the DQPSK optical signal and convert it into an in-phase signal and a quadrature-phase signal, a clock regenerator that regenerates a clock signal based on the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal, a multiplexer that multiplexes the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal, a reception frame processing unit that detects frame synchronization based on the signal multiplexed by the multiplexer and de-maps the received frames, and a controller that, based on out-of-frame-synchronization information (LOF/OOF) from the reception frame processing unit, performs logical inversion control in the clock regenerator, multiplexing timing control in the multiplexer, and controls the delay interferometer in the front end so as to transit to the object reception state. |
| US07689132B2 |
Interference-rejection coding method for an optical wireless communication system and the optical wireless communication system thereof
An interference-rejection coding method for an optical wireless communication system and such an optical wireless communication system are provided. The coding method uses delay modulation, block code techniques and filtering to reduce the low frequency interference from light sources. A plurality of codewords from the block codes are reserved for performing digital data recovery. The invention removes the need of analog clock data recovery circuit, and does not require complex hardware for realization. Therefore, it can be applied to a wide range of applications, such as optical WLAN, data transmission of medical facilities, wireless communication in the aircraft, encrypted data transmission network, and low-priced transmission interfaces. |
| US07689127B1 |
Deformable mirrors for multi-access laser communications terminal
A multi-access laser communications terminal is disclosed. The communications terminal includes a deformable mirror whose surface contour is deformable by one or more actuators. The communications terminal further includes a closed-loop tracking system which controls the one or more actuators to change the surface contour of the deformable mirror in accordance with detected movement of an optical beam in order to keep the optical beam optimally locked on a receiver. |
| US07689123B2 |
Synchronous collapsed ring architecture for real-time signal switching and distribution
A method and system includes at least one interconnect hub, connecting the at least one interconnect hub to a plurality of audio connection devices to form a network of audio connection devices with the interconnect hub at the center of the ring. The audio connection devices are connected to each other through the at least one interconnect hub, and data is synchronously transmitted between at least two of the audio connection devices through the at least one interconnect hub. |
| US07689120B2 |
Source based scheme to establish communication paths in an optical network
A source based scheme to establish communication paths in an optical network. According to one embodiment of the invention, a number of wavelength division multiplexing access nodes of an optical network employ a source based scheme to establish communication paths. Each of these access nodes stores a set of one or more network topology databases based on a set of one or more connectivity constraints. |
| US07689112B2 |
Lens system having a function of displaying an operating direction of a focus operation member for setting a focus in a lens
A lens system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a focus operation member for manual operation of a focus of a taking lens, a focusing direction detecting device which detects a moving direction of the focus for setting a focused state with respect to a present position of the focus, as a focusing direction, an operating direction display device which displays an operating direction of the focus operation member for moving the focus to the focusing direction on the basis of the focusing direction detected by the focusing direction detecting device, and a reversing device which reverses the operating direction displayed by the operating direction display device. |
| US07689107B2 |
Anti-shake apparatus
An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a hand-shake quantity detector and a controller. The hand-shake quantity detector has a first detector having an angular velocity sensor and has a second detector having an angular displacement sensor. The controller performs an anti-shake operation based on a first angular signal from the first detector and a second angular signal from the second detector. |
| US07689103B2 |
Pipeline processing system and information processing apparatus
A pipeline processing system capable of high speed operation and capable of realizing a reduction of power consumption and an information processing apparatus to which this is applied, wherein a decoder/encoder circuit accesses a first memory and a second memory in parallel in accordance with status information at decoding processing to perform decoding processing, stores the data after processing in a tracking memory, then transfers the data stored in the tracking memory to a host apparatus according to a request from the host apparatus, while writes the user data transferred in unit of blocks from the host apparatus in a third memory serving as a tracking buffer to start the encoder processing in the case of the encoding processing, accesses a plurality of memories in parallel in accordance with the status information to perform the encoding processing, and outputs the same to a clock generation circuit. |
| US07689099B2 |
Method and apparatus for programming the playback of program information
A program information player automatically skips over any intermediate channel changes as a result of interrupting a prior recording of a selected program. The program information player includes a program sequence playback information generator. The program sequence playback information generator analyzes selected program identifier information and recorded program history log information and, in response, generates program sequence playback information without user intervention. The program sequence playback information includes a sequence of time stamp information associated with the selected program identifier information. According to one embodiment, the program sequence playback information directs memory to play back the selected program corresponding to the selected program identifier information by, for example, skipping over any intermediate channel changes. For example, the program sequence playback information may represent a read pointer in memory during playback. |
| US07689095B2 |
Electronic device system
An electronic device system includes a plurality of electronic devices each having at least an audiovisual playback device capable of reading one of stored audiovisual content data and received audiovisual content data, and an audiovisual output device capable of outputting desired audiovisual content, a bus establishing connection among the plurality of electronic devices, and a controller capable of controlling the electronic devices connected to the bus. In the electronic device, the audiovisual output device connected via the bus includes a device identifying unit for identifying, under the control of the controller, the audiovisual output device which outputs the desired audiovisual content, and a content output unit for outputting the desired audiovisual content when the audiovisual output device is identified by the device identifying unit. |
| US07689089B2 |
Release latch for pre-terminated cassette
A release latch for a pre-terminated cassette is described. The pre-terminated cassette includes a release latch to allow removal of the pre-terminated cassette from a patch panel, where the patch panel includes a retaining feature for retaining the pre-terminated cassette. The release latch includes a cantilever beam located on the sidewall of the pre-terminated cassette. The cantilever beam has a hinge point that allows the beam to deflect with respect to the sidewall. The release latch further includes a depressing tab provided at the distal end of the cantilever beam and a latch tab protruding from the surface of the cantilever beam between the hinge point and the depressing tab. The latch tab is capable of engagement with the retaining feature of the patch panel when the cassette is installed in the patch panel. |
| US07689088B2 |
Wall mount chassis
A wall mount chassis includes circuitry for telecommunications signals. The chassis includes a rear wall mountable to a vertical wall, and first and second sides. Each side includes a hinged cover. Each cover includes an access window for viewing an opposite side of the cover. On one side of the chassis is positioned signal converter cards for converting between optical and electrical signals. On an opposite side of the chassis are positioned one or more electrical power cards providing an access location for power to the circuitry. A CPU card can also be provided on the same side as the power card. An interior of the chassis includes a back plane positioned between the converter cards and the power and CPU cards wherein the back plane is perpendicular to the converter cards and power and CPU cards. A cable spool is positioned adjacent one of the sides for cable management. Cable clips are provided for securably retaining one or more cables adjacent each of the first and second sides. |
| US07689087B2 |
Method of changing the birefringence of an optical waveguide by laser modification of the cladding
A method of inducing birefringence in an optical waveguide is disclosed wherein the waveguide cladding is irradiated with energy of a sufficient intensity so as to induce a stress in the optical waveguide so as to cause a multitude of spaced stress induced regions within the cladding of the optical waveguide such that there are 10 to 5000 spaced regions per mm and wherein the stress induced regions are proximate the core greater than 2 microns distance from the core-cladding interface. This waveguide has numerous uses, for example a fiber sensor. |
| US07689085B1 |
Large effective area fiber with GE-free core
An optical waveguide fiber comprising:(i) a Ge free core having an effective area of 90 μm2 to 160 μm2, at a 1550 nm wavelength, and α value 12≦α≦25, said core comprising:(a) a central core region extending radially outwardly from a centerline to a radius r0≦2 μm, and having a relative refractive index percent profile Δ0(r) wherein −0.1% ≦Δ0(r) ≦0.1%, and wherein the central core region has a maximum relative refractive index, Δ0MAX,(b) a first annular core region surrounding and directly adjacent to the central core region and extending to an outer radius r1, wherein 4.8 μm ≦r1≦10 μm, and having a relative refractive index percent profile, Δ1(r), and a minimum relative refractive index, Δ2MIN, and the relative refractive index measured at a radius r=2.5 μm being −0.15≦Δ1(r=2.5 μm) ≦0, and Δ0MAX ≧Δ1(r=2.5 μm);(c) a fluorine doped second annular region surrounding and directly adjacent to the first annular core region and extending to a radius 13 μm ≦r2≦30 μm and having a negative relative refractive index percent profile, Δ2(r), with a minimum relative refractive index Δ2MIN being: Δ2MIN<Δ1(r=2.5 μm), and −0.7% ≦Δ2MIN≦−0.28%; and (ii) a cladding surrounding the core and having a relative refractive index percent Δc (r) in % measured relative to pure silica, and Δc (r)=Δ2MIN±0.3%;wherein the relative refractive index profile of the optical fiber is selected to provide attenuation of no more than 0.175 dB/km at the wavelength of 1550 nm. |
| US07689084B2 |
Optical fiber and a method of making
According to one example of the invention an optical fiber comprises: (i) a silica based core, said core having a core diameter greater than 80 μm and a numerical aperture NA≧0.24; and (ii) a silica based cladding in contact with and surrounding the core and having a second index of refraction n2, such that n1>n2; wherein the cladding includes B and F. Preferably the numerical aperture NA is at least 0.3. |
| US07689081B2 |
All-optical logic gates using nonlinear elements claim—set V
An all-optical logic gates comprises a nonlinear element such as an optical resonator configured to receive optical input signals, at least one of which is amplitude-modulated to include data. The nonlinear element is configured in relation to the carrier frequency of the optical input signals to perform a logic operation based on the resonant frequency of the nonlinear element in relation to the carrier frequency. Based on the optical input signals, the nonlinear element generates an optical output signal having a binary logic level. A combining medium can be used to combine the optical input signals for discrimination by the nonlinear element to generate the optical output signal. Various embodiments include all-optical AND, NOT, NAND, NOR, OR, XOR, and XNOR gates and memory latch. |
| US07689079B2 |
Optical fiber interconnection devices and systems using same
Optical fiber interconnection devices, which can take the form of a module, are disclosed that include an array of optical fibers and multi-fiber optical-fiber connectors, for example, two twelve-port connectors or multiples thereof, and three eight-port connectors or multiples thereof. The array of optical fibers is color-coded and is configured to optically interconnect the ports of the two twelve-port connectors to the three eight-port connectors in a manner that preserves transmit and receive polarization. In one embodiment, the interconnection devices provide optical interconnections between twelve-fiber optical connector configurations to eight-fiber optical connector configurations, such as from twelve-fiber line cards to eight-fiber line cards, without having to make structural changes to cabling infrastructure. In one aspect, the optical fiber interconnection devices provide a migration path from duplex optics to parallel optics. |
| US07689072B2 |
Optical device with reduced temperature dependence
Optical apparatus with improved center wavelength temperature stability. In an embodiment, an AWG has a plurality of slots inserted along the optical paths. The slots contain one or more compensation materials which collectively correct for an order Q temperature dependency of the AWG base material. Q>=2 or the number of compensation materials is at least 2 or both. |
| US07689071B2 |
Fiber optic pressure sensor for catheter use
The invention provides a miniature robust fiber optic pressure sensor. The miniature fiber optic sensor comprises a Fabry-Perot chip bonded to an optical fiber. The invention provides a new sensor design that reduces the amount of adhesive required to bond the optical fiber to the Fabry-Perot sensor such that the sensor is less sensitive to moisture. The invention also provides manufacturing methods of the sensor comprising a method based on etching and a method based on using an excimer laser. The invention also provides a chip design that renders the chip less sensitive to thermal changes. The invention also provides a chip design in which a sensor diaphragm has a well-defined thickness. The invention also provides a chip design that protects the chip from etching. |
| US07689070B2 |
High frequency electrical signal control device and sensing system
A high frequency electrical signal control device comprises a transmitter for generating a high frequency electrical signal, a receiver, a transmission line for propagating the electrical signal, and a structure for radiating the electrical signal propagated through the transmission line to the space or receiving a signal from the space. The degree of coupling of the electrical signal between the space and the transmission line provided by the structure can be variably controlled. |
| US07689065B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus for suppressing positional shift image degradation
There are provided an image processing method and apparatus which can reduce the storage capacity required to form low-frequency components having a plurality of resolutions and can suppress any degradation in image quality which is caused by a positional error between image data obtained as a result of image processing. The first luminance component of low resolution is extracted from image data, thereby further extracting the first low-frequency component. The image data is input at the second resolution, the second luminance component is extracted from the image data at the second resolution, and the second low-frequency component is extracted, thereby further extracting the second low-frequency component. Image processing is performed for the image data at the second resolution using the first low-frequency component and second low-frequency component. |
| US07689063B2 |
Information processing apparatus and image processing method
According to one embodiment, there is provided an information processing apparatus capable of processing image data involving a plurality of blocks. The apparatus includes a difference value detection unit which detects a difference value between pixel values of two adjacent pixels that are arranged via a block boundary contained in the image data in a direction perpendicular to the block boundary, and a correction unit which corrects pixel values of a plurality of pixels that are arranged via the block boundary in the direction perpendicular to the block boundary by distributing the difference value detected by the difference value detection unit to the plurality of pixels. |
| US07689062B2 |
System and method for virtual content placement
An apparatus and method for embedding artwork into a video in several phases. Initially, a segment suitable for artwork placement is identified and marked within an original video, and a container is implanted therein to determine the appropriate position and video transformations for future artwork objects. Then, an artwork provider experiments with sending artwork for each container and viewing that artwork placed within the video, until the current artwork is approved for placement. Finally, a final version, which includes the selected artwork embedded within the original video, is rendered, adapted for a distributor, and the end product is distributed and viewed conventionally. The container implantation is relatively labor intensive and therefore expensive, but costs are subsequently distributed over many sessions of different artwork placements within the same container. Typical applications are in advertising, art and fun. |
| US07689058B2 |
Conversion of a sub-pixel format data to another sub-pixel data format
A method of producing a plurality of filter kernels comprised of filter coefficients for use in a sub-pixel rendering operation comprises calculating a plurality of filter coefficients for each filter kernel by dividing a spatial area of an input image that is overlapped by a portion of a spatial rendering area by a total area of the spatial rendering area using floating point arithmetic. The method further comprises multiplying each filter coefficient by a divisor to produce a filter product such that a sum of all filter products produces a filter sum that equals the divisor. Then a binary search operation is performed to find a round off point for the filter sum such that when each filter coefficient is converted to an integer, a sum of the filter coefficients equals the divisor. The filter coefficients are then converted to integers using the round off point. |
| US07689052B2 |
Multimedia signal processing using fixed-point approximations of linear transforms
Close approximations of ideal linear transforms, such as the forward and inverse discrete cosine transformation (DCT), are formed with minimum complexity using fixed-point arithmetic. The transformation is decomposed into a smaller set of transformations (e.g., the LLM decomposition of the DCT). The multiplication factors of the decomposition are then approximated by a fixed-point representation. However, instead of simply applying scaling and rounding operations to produce fixed-point approximations closest to the multiplication factors themselves, fixed-point multiplication factors are chosen that have the effect (after the cascaded operations of the various stages of decomposition) of being the closest feasible approximations of the entries in the resulting complete ideal transformation matrix. |
| US07689050B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method with a histogram of the extracted DC components
An image processing apparatus extracts DC components of an image, generates a histogram of the extracted DC components, and detects a background level of the image based on the histogram. |
| US07689045B2 |
Image capture apparatus
An image capture apparatus generates video data from captured images, and generates a video PES (packetized elementary stream) from the video data. The image capture apparatus converts the video PES into a MPEG-2 program stream, and converts the video PES into a MPEG-2 transport stream. The image capture apparatus records the MPEG-2 program stream on a random-access recording medium, and transmits the MPEG-2 transport stream to an external device. The conversion from the video PES into the MPEG-2 program stream and the conversion from the video PES into the MPEG-2 transport stream are performed in parallel thereby enabling the image capture apparatus to perform the recording of the MPEG-2 program stream and the transmission of the MPEG-2 transport stream in parallel. |
| US07689043B2 |
Image recognition
A camera A produces a 3D natural image B which is re-oriented and repositioned at N to predetermined parameters. Different processes C, D, E extract different features from the image to provide different processed images. The data space occupied by the processed images is reduced, for example by Principle Component Analysis, at F, G, H and the reduced processed images are combined at O to provide an image key I representative of the image B. The image key I is compared at J with stored image keys L of known images, and the output comparison is sorted at K to produce a final list M of potential matches. In a verification process, just a single image key L may be compared. The processed images at C, D, E may alternatively be combined prior to a single subspace reduction and/or optimisation method. 2D data may be combined with or used instead of the 3D data. |
| US07689042B2 |
Method for contour visualization of regions of interest in 2D fluoroscopy images
The invention relates to a method, which assists the doctor in orientation in 2D fluoroscopy images. The invention relates to a method for contour visualization of regions of interest in fluoroscopy images by: firstly generating a 3D raw data set comprising at least one region of interest in which the contour of the at least one region of interest is visible, secondly generating a segmented 3D data set from the 3D raw data set in which the contour in at least one region of interest is clearly delimited, thirdly generating a 2D fluoroscopy image which contains the at least one region of interest, fourthly generating a 2D projection from the segmented 3D data set which is congruent with the 2D fluoroscopy image, fifthly determining the optionally approximated contour of the at least one region of interest in the 2D projection, and finally overlaying the contour with the 2D fluoroscopy image. |
| US07689040B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and program
An image processing apparatus can improve the image quality of images. The image processing apparatus includes a parameter extracting unit that extracts a parameter for expressing the degree of sharpness of each image when a plurality of images are obtained with different degrees of sharpness by decomposing an original image, using input image data, a parameter adjusting unit that adjusts the parameters of the images extracted by the parameter extracting unit so as to make the original image sharp and a generating unit that generates the original image on the basis of the parameters of the images adjusted by the parameter adjusting unit. |
| US07689034B2 |
Learning method for detectors, face detection method, face detection apparatus, and face detection program
In a method of detecting a face in various directions in a target image with use of detectors, a partial image cut sequentially from the target image is subjected to mirror reversal processing and rotation processing in 90 degree increments for generating reversed/rotated images of the partial image. The detectors of predetermined types judge whether the respective images represent face images in predetermined face directions and orientations. Based on combinations of the types of the detectors and the types of the input images, faces in various face directions and orientations can be judged. |
| US07689024B2 |
Systems and methods for creating and viewing three dimensional virtual slides
Systems and methods for creating and viewing three dimensional virtual slides are provided. One or more microscope slides are positioned in an image acquisition device that scans the specimens on the slides and makes two dimensional images at a medium or high resolution. This two dimensional images are provided to an image viewing workstation where they are viewed by an operator who pans and zooms the two dimensional image and selects an area of interest for scanning at multiple depth levels (Z-planes). The image acquisition device receives a set of parameters for the multiple depth level scan, including a location and a depth. The image acquisition device then scans the specimen at the location in a series of Z-plane images, where each Z-plane image corresponds to a depth level portion of the specimen within the depth parameter. |
| US07689022B2 |
System, method, and product for scanning of biological materials
An embodiment of a scanning system is described including optical elements that direct an excitation beam at a probe array, detectors that receive reflected intensity data responsive to the excitation beam, where the reflected intensity data is responsive to a focusing distance between an optical element and the probe array, a transport frame that adjusts the focusing distance in a direction with respect to the probe array, an auto-focuser that determines a best plane of focus based upon characteristics of the reflected intensity data of at least two focusing distances where the detectors further receive pixel intensity values based upon detected emissions from a plurality of probe features disposed on the probe array at the best plane of focus, and an image generator that associates each of the pixel intensity values with at least one image pixel position of a probe array based upon one or more position correction values. |
| US07689020B2 |
Method for examining defect in prestressed tendon and apparatus therefor
A penetrating radiation is used to examine a prestressed tendon in a prestressed concrete. A comparing object is used, whose position and size are known in advance. A magnifying rate of an image size of the comparing object projected on an imaging device is calculated. By using the magnifying rate and by comparing the image sizes of the prestressed tendon and the comparing object projected on the imaging device, the defect size of the prestressed tendon can be figured out. |
| US07689019B2 |
Method and device for registering 2D projection images relative to a 3D image data record
The invention relates to a method and a device for registering 2D projection images of an object relative to a 3D image data record of the same object, in which, from just a few 2D projection images, a 3D feature contained in an object, which is also identifiable in the 3D images, is symbolically reconstructed. The 3D feature obtained in this way is then registered by 3D-3D registration with the 3D image data record. |
| US07689017B2 |
Medical image processing
In one aspect, the invention is a method to reduce a blooming effect of a bright object in a medical image generated from a low-dose imaging system. The method includes characterizing an ideal image as a composition of a first component and a second component. The first component is characterized by a first function and the second component is characterized by a second function. The method also includes minimizing the first function and the second function using a smoothing process and generating the medical image based on the minimizing. |
| US07689016B2 |
Automatic detection of critical dermoscopy features for malignant melanoma diagnosis
Improved methods for computer-aided analysis of identifying features of skin lesions from digital images of the lesions are provided. Improved preprocessing of the image that 1) eliminates artifacts that occlude or distort skin lesion features and 2) identifies groups of pixels within the skin lesion that represent features and/or facilitate the quantification of features are provided including improved digital hair removal algorithms. Improved methods for analyzing lesion features are also provided. |
| US07689012B2 |
Finger sensor with data throttling and associated methods
A finger sensing device may include a finger sensing area to receive a user's finger moved in a sliding motion, a sensor controller cooperating with the finger sensing area for collecting image data therefrom, an image processor, and a communications path for sending image data from the sensor controller to the image processor. The sensing device may use at least one of the sensor controller and the image processor for (i) selecting a reference image data subset based upon reference image data, (ii) selecting a new image data subset, and (iii) comparing the new image data subset to the reference image data subset to develop a matching score, and, if the matching score is above a matching threshold, then not having new image data corresponding to the new image data subset sent over the data communications path, and, if the matching score is below the matching threshold, then having the new image data corresponding to the new image data subset sent over the data communications path. The finger sensing device may be operable at a dynamic scan rate. |
| US07689011B2 |
Extracting features from face regions and auxiliary identification regions of images for person recognition and other applications
Method, apparatus, and systems for extracting features from face regions and auxiliary identification regions of images are described. In one aspect, a face region containing at least a portion of a person's face is detected in an input image. An auxiliary identification region outside the face region is identified in the input image. Facial features characterizing the face region are determined. Auxiliary identification features characterizing the auxiliary identification region are calculated. An indexing datum is derived from the facial features and the auxiliary identification features. The indexing datum is stored in association with the input image. |
| US07689009B2 |
Two stage detection for photographic eye artifacts
An image acquisition device includes a first speed-optimized filter for producing a first set of candidate red-eye regions for an acquired image; and a second analysis-optimized filter for operating on the first set of candidate red eye regions and the acquired image. |
| US07689005B2 |
Apparatus and method for biometric database management system
A method and system for constructing a database management system for managing biometric data is disclosed. The disclosed system receives data from another database or from and enrollment process, encodes the data with an encoding plug-in, and stores the encoded data in a biometric data storage. The data may be enhanced before being stored. Incoming target data likewise is encoded using an encoding plug-in and may be pre-processed, and is sent to a matching algorithm that is either built-in or a plug-in algorithm. Further processing may occur after application of the matching algorithm. The disclosed database management system can be used not only for biometric database, but also for other similar types of data management. |
| US07689002B2 |
Method of detecting bends on a road and system implementing same
The invention concerns a method of detecting from a vehicle a bend in a road comprising a surface and road edges, comprising the following operations: taking an image of a road scene unfolding in front of the vehicle and at least partly illuminated by the vehicle, determining, for each pixel in the image a light decrease gradient, analysing these decrease gradients and determining an image of the road edges, mathematically discriminating the gradients from the image of the road edges, analyzing this discrimination and determining edges, and an angle of the bend. The invention also concerns a system for implementing the method of the invention comprising a camera mounted in the vehicle, an image processing unit and a neural network. |
| US07688998B2 |
Adjustable marker arrangement
The invention relates to a reference star adapter and a method of re-calibrating a previously registered body using the reference star adapter. The reference star adapter includes a first fixing element for coupling the reference star adapter to a body, and a second fixing element for coupling the reference star adapter to a plurality of markers. At least one joint is coupled between the first fixing element and the second fixing element, and at least one position detector is operatively coupled to the at least one joint, wherein the at least one position detector provides data describing a position or a geometry of the at least one joint. |
| US07688996B2 |
Adaptive prediction filtering for digital watermarking
A watermarked signal is pre-filtered based on an analysis of signal characteristics that identify filter parameters that yield better correspondence between the filtered watermarked signal and the digital watermark. The watermark detection method computes signal characteristics of a host digitally watermarked signal, and analyzes the characteristics to determine an extent to which the signal characteristics correspond to characteristics of the digital watermark. The method adapts parameters of digital watermark prediction applied to the watermarked signal based on the extent to which the signal characteristics correspond to the characteristics of the digital watermark. In one embodiment, different filters or filter parameters are selected to match different signal characteristics of the watermarked signal with the characteristics of the digital watermark. |
| US07688995B2 |
System and method for quality assurance for distributed computer aided diagnosis solutions
A method for associating a computer aided detection/diagnosis result with an image including the steps of providing one or more digitized images, each image comprising a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points on an N-dimensional grid, performing a computer-aided detection/diagnosis of intensity data of a first image, calculating a hash signature of intensity of a second input image, storing said computer-aided diagnosis results, and storing said hash signature, wherein said hash signature verifies said second image when said second image is displayed with said computer-aided diagnosis result. |
| US07688993B2 |
Software and method for embedding data in two color images
A method of embedding watermark data in a two-color image includes assessing the suitability of each of several candidate pixels to embed a bit of watermark data. Candidate pixels for which one pixel directly above, directly below, and immediately to the left and right of the candidate pixel have different colors, are identified. In one embodiment, only a single candidate pixel in each 2×2 block is identified. Suitability of each candidate pixel may be determined based on a relationship of coefficients computed from a binary wavelet or binary lifting transform formed from the image. Data is embedded by inverting suitable pixels. A recipient of the image may assess which blocks contain watermark data, by assessing the suitability of each 2×2 block in the image to embed data and extract data without further information about the data's location. |
| US07688989B2 |
Method and system for processing sound signals for a surround left channel and a surround right channel
The invention describes a method for processing sound signals for a surround left channel (SL) and a surround right channel (SR). Thereby, a continually varying delay between the resulting signals of the surround right (SR) and surround left channels (SL) is generated. Furthermore the invention describes a delay management unit, a sound processing system, an acoustic system comprising such a sound processing system, a mixing unit for such an acoustic system and a studio system comprising such a sound processing system. |
| US07688988B2 |
Particular image area partitioning apparatus and method, and program for causing computer to perform particular image area partitioning processing
It is detected whether or not a face image is included in an image represented by applied image data. When the face image is detected, an image area including the detected face image is cut out. A plurality of rectangular projection information creating windows are set radially from the center of the cut image. With respect to each of image portions within the plurality of projection information creating windows, projection information is created and the projection information is converted into data representing the distance from an ideal skin color. With respect to each of the image portions within the plurality of projection information creating windows, a boundary position between a skin color image and an image other than the skin color image is determined on the basis of the distance data for each unit pixel position. |
| US07688987B2 |
Electret microphone buffer circuit with significantly enhanced power supply rejection
A microphone buffer circuit being adaptable for connection to a power source is disclosed. The microphone buffer circuit includes an input transistor operably connected between an input and an output for buffering an input signal. The microphone buffer circuit includes a means for reducing power supply noise capable of being coupled to the input transistor wherein the means being operably connected to the input transistor and the power source. |
| US07688983B2 |
Method and apparatus for objective assessment of in-ear device acoustical performance
A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests. |
| US07688982B2 |
Protected return path from digital rights management dongle
A method, apparatus, and system for providing secure communication between a tamper resistant device (404) and a sink device (406) is disclosed. Encrypted content is received from a source device (402) at the tamper resistant device (404), wherein the content has been encrypted using a first key. The content is decrypted using the decrypted first key. A second key is received at the tamper resistant device (404) from the sink device (406), wherein the second key is encrypted using the public key of the tamper resistant device (404). The second key is decrypted using the private key of the tamper resistant device (404). The content is re-encrypted using the second key. The re-encrypted content is transmitted to the sink device (406). |
| US07688979B2 |
MIMO air interface utilizing dirty paper coding
A transceiver comprising a data processing module, a security processing module, a medium access control (MAC) module, a dirty-paper-coding (DPC) module, and a smart antenna processor. The data processing module provides user data streams to the MAC module and channel state information to the smart antenna processor. The security processing module generates security data and provides the security data to the MAC module. The security module also provides security policy data to the smart antenna processor. The MAC module determines data transmission rates for the user data streams and the security data. In addition, the MAC module allocates the data streams and security data to transmission channels for transmission. The DPC module encodes the security data onto the user data streams. The smart antenna processor generates pre-coding coefficients used by the DPC module and transmits the security encoded data streams. |
| US07688978B2 |
Scene change detection
In certain embodiments, a method of detecting a scene change in a digital video signal involves examining a slice of the digital video signal; determining if the slice contains a greater amount of data than a threshold amount of data; and if the slice contains a greater amount of data than the threshold, determining that the slice forms a part of a scene change. This abstract should not be considered limiting since embodiments consistent with the present invention may involve more, different or fewer elements. |
| US07688975B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic generation of symmetric encryption keys and exchange of dynamic symmetric key infrastructure
A method and apparatus for dynamically generating data encryption keys for encrypting data files and for decrypting encrypted data files via a key exchange method is provided. A dynamically generated an encryption key is generated for each encryption event, so that the key cannot be produced or reproduced. A key exchange component of the invention ensures that only an intended recipient has the means to decrypt a file encrypted with the dynamically generated symmetric encryption keys. |
| US07688974B2 |
Rijndael block cipher apparatus and encryption/decryption method thereof
A rijndael block cipher apparatus including an operational unit that efficiently performs a round operation for encrypting/decrypting a rijndael block cipher and an encryption/decryption method thereof are disclosed. The rijndael block cipher apparatus is mounted in a mobile terminal such as a cellular phone and a PDA or a smart card, which requires a high-rate and small-sized cipher processor, and can encrypt and decrypt important data that requires security at high speed and perform the round operation with respect to upper 64 bits and lower 64 bits which are divided from 128-bit input data. Thus, the cipher apparatus can reduce the time required for encryption/decryption of the rijndael block cipher and the size of the apparatus. |
| US07688972B2 |
Method and system for implementing FO function in KASUMI algorithm for accelerating cryptography in GSM (global system for mobile communication)GPRS (general packet radio service)edge(enhanced data rate for GSM evolution) compliant handsets
In a wireless communication system, a method and system for implementing an FO function in a KASUMI algorithm for accelerating cryptography in GSM/GPRS/EDGE compliant handsets are provided. An efficient implementation of the FO function may comprise circuitry provided for a pipeline state machine, an FI function, a controller, a pipe register, and an XOR operation. Signals may be generated to control each round of FI processing and to indicate when each round is complete. The pipeline state machine may provide data input and subkey to the FI function for processing. A first and a second round FI processing outputs may be transferred to the pipe register. The second round output may be clocked from the pipe register to generate a portion of the FO function output and may also be XORed with a third round output of FI processing to generate the remaining portion of the FO function output. |
| US07688968B1 |
Adaptive analog echo/next cancellation
An adaptive analog echo/near-end crosstalk (NEXT) cancellation system includes a selector that outputs a first error control signal when a first receive signal does not include a remotely transmitted signal and a second error control signal when the first receive signal includes a remotely transmitted signal. An echo/NEXT cancellation module communicates with the selector and generates an estimated echo/NEXT signal based on the first error control signal and a first transmit signal when the first receive signal does not include a remotely transmitted signal and based on the second error control signal and the first transmit signal when the first receive signal includes a remotely transmitted signal. A summing module receives the first receive signal and the estimated echo/NEXT signal and generates an echo/NEXT filtered receive signal by subtracting the estimated echo/NEXT signal from the first receive signal. |
| US07688967B2 |
Dynamic speed dial number mapping
A method of facilitating a telephonic response to an electronic message is described. The method includes determining at least one telephone number from a received electronic message, and assigning the determined telephone number dynamically to a button on the telephone to provide a speed dial button on the telephone. Determining the telephone number may include comparing an electronic mail address in an address field of the electronic message with a telephone directory to determine a telephone number associated with the address. If the electronic message is a text or a voice message, determining the telephone number may include parsing a body of the message to determine a telephone number, if present, which has been included into the body of the text message. |
| US07688965B2 |
Predictive dialing by monitoring progress of agent script
A call center includes a plurality of agent workstations, each agent workstation comprising means for entering information obtained from a telephone respondent in response to questions prompted by a script displayed on the display of the workstation, and means for producing status signals indicative of the progression of the agent through the script. A predictive dialling system receives status signals from each agent station and predicts from the status signals and statistical information regarding the number of calls previously made, how many new calls should be dialled to enable agents who have finished their previous call by the time the calls are answered to take the new calls. |
| US07688964B2 |
Communications module for controlling the operation of a private branch exchange
A communications module for communicating between a computer network (1, 2, 3, 4) and a private branch exchange (5), where the communications module is arranged and adapted so as: a. to receive commands from the computer network (1, 2, 3, 4) (computer network commands 13)); b. if necessary to translate the computer network commands (13) into a form suitable for input into the private branch exchange (5) (private branch exchange commands (14)); and c. to send the private branch exchange commands (14) to the private branch exchange (5); to effect programming of the private branch exchange (5). |
| US07688959B2 |
Method for remotely connecting to a secure telephone network
A system and method for allowing remote callers to access a secure telephone network maintains a registry (i.e. a database) of all remote callers that have access to the network. The registry contains an electronic serial number (ESN) and a personal identification number (PIN) for each remote caller. The ESN is typically the serial number of the callers cellular telephone. Alternatively, the ESN is a phone number of the remote caller's telephone. To establish a connection, the remote caller calls a private branch exchange (PBX) of the secure network. Upon receiving the call, the PBX compares the ESN and PIN of the remote caller with the ESN and PIN stored in the registry. If a match is found, the PBX authenticates the remote caller and allows the connection. The remote caller may have full access or access limited by a connection policy. |
| US07688957B2 |
Information service system, information service method, and information service program
There is provided an information service system, an information service method, and an information service program, the information service system comprising an interactive system 31 that implements an interactive control apparatus 3103 for providing information or executing processing according to an interactive script in response to a request that has been made by a service user through voice or push button operation; an interactive log management apparatus 32 that manages an interactive log related to the usage of the interactive system 31; and a call charge burden ratio calculation apparatus 33 that calculates the ratio of the burden of call charges associated with the telephone information service between an information service provider and service user based on the interactive log managed by the interactive log management apparatus and call charges information associated with a use of the interactive system. |
| US07688956B2 |
Method and apparatus for validation of facsimile communication
Methods and system for validating facsimile communications by ensuring that each detected facsimile calling tone is actually a facsimile calling tone that was generated by a sending facsimile device. The method can include establishing a connection between a sending facsimile device and a receiving facsimile device, which was initiated by either the sending facsimile device or the receiving facsimile device. The connection can be utilized for at least one of facsimile communication, voice communication, and a combination of facsimile communication and voice communication. The method can also comprise switching the receiving facsimile machine from a voice-capable mode to a facsimile mode once at least one facsimile calling tone is detected after a first facsimile calling tone is detected while the receiving facsimile device in the line monitoring mode. |
| US07688953B2 |
Rate control in communications systems
Communications rate control is described. The rate control includes receiving a message addressed to a client device of a user. A determination is made as to a category of the message. Data of the message is synchronized between a server and the mobile device in response to one or more of the category and one or more user actions at the client device. |
| US07688952B2 |
System and method for obtaining equipment status data over a network
A portable status sentry comprises a portable memory device, an interface adapted for connecting the portable memory device to a computing device, and auto-run instructions. The auto-run instructions comprise status instructions and are executed by the computing device when the portable memory device is installed in the computing device. Upon execution of the status instructions the computing device is adapted for accessing a query network, acquiring status data from a status file accessible to the query network and associated with a monitored device, and processing the status data to produce a status measure relating to a status of the monitored device. |
| US07688950B2 |
X-ray diagnostic apparatus
When distance compute unit 81 received the instruction of the moving destination at the center of the exposure field 4a from center transfer operation unit 74, calculates the moving amount. Operating information processing unit 8 sends beam-limiting control unit 62 the calculated moving amount. Upside beam-limiting control unit 63 to right side beam-limiting control unit of beam-limiting control unit 62 makes the moving amount at the center of the exposure field 4a prescribed-times ((H1/H2) times in FIG. 3), calculates the moving amount of each diaphragm blade unit 51 in the upper part, the lower side, and the left part and the right part respectively. |
| US07688948B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating radiation in the wavelength range from about 1 nm to about 30 nm, and use in a lithography device or in metrology
A method and an apparatus generate radiation in the wavelength range from about 1 nm to about 30 nm by an electrically operated discharge, which can be used in lithography or in metrology. A working gas is provided between two electrodes. Plasma is ignited in the working gas to generate radiation which is forwarded via an opening for further use. Debris particles are produced in at least one region of at least one of the electrodes. To retain the debris particles, the region is arranged with respect to the opening in such a way that movement paths of the debris particles run at least predominantly outside an area delimited by the opening. |
| US07688946B2 |
Method and device for measuring bond energy
The adhesion between two layers, in particular two thin layers of a microelectronic device, is a data item of importance. It was found that the closure ratio of the interface could be used, in non-destructive manner, to determine a measurement of bond energy. A method and a device using a magnitude characteristic of this length are described, in particular using low incidence X-ray reflection and electronic density at the interface. |
| US07688941B2 |
Method for determining the set relative position of a patient in dental panorama X-ray apparatus
The invention relates to a method for determining the set relative position of a patient in a dental panorama X-ray apparatus during which the curvature of a front area of a dental arch of a patient is determined. Set position coordinates for the patient are calculated based on this curvature and on a projection arch surface. In addition, the curvature of a middle area and/or of a rear area of the dental arch is determined and is taken into consideration during the calculation of the position coordinates. During a method for determining the set path of a diagnostic unit, the curvature of a front area of a dental arch of a patient is determined and is fixed at a location in the X-ray apparatus located within the space scanned by an X-ray source and by a detector unit. In addition, the curvature of a middle area and/or of a rear area of the dental arch is determined and a set path curve for the diagnostic unit is calculated based on the measured curvatures. The invention also relates to a device suited for carrying out the aforementioned method. |
| US07688938B2 |
Method and apparatus for low dose computed tomography
A computed tomography machine (1) provides for improved dose efficiency by calculating an optimized set of beam intensities to produce the desired image quality. Determination of the beam weights is based on an a priori modeling (53) of the properties of the patient being imaged. |
| US07688937B2 |
Three dimensional electron beam computed tomography
An electron beam computed tomography system is provided that uses a cone beam geometry to generate truly three-dimensional images. The required cone beam projections can be obtained using a single sweep of the electron beam along the target ring (20). The target ring (20) is non-planar and shaped roughly like a ⅝th segment of the boundary curve of a saddle. The resulting source trajectory satisfies Tuy's completeness condition with respect to a sizeable volume of interest around the isocenter of the system. The detector (28) has a large area and is built from a plurality of small, brick-shaped detector modules (32), which are placed side by side along a detector trajectory that is a mirror image, through the isocenter, of the source trajectory. Owing to the special shapes of the target ring and the detector strip, a cone-beam of x-rays starting from the target ring and heading towards the opposite segment of the detector strip is not blocked by other portions of the detector. |
| US07688936B2 |
Method and apparatus of multi-energy imaging
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of multi-energy data acquisition. An imaging system is also provided and includes a number of HF electromagnetic energy filters. The filters include at least a first and a second filter wherein the first filter is positioned in a path of HF electromagnetic energy when an HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to a first voltage and the second filter is positioned in the path of HF electromagnetic energy when the HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to a second voltage. |
| US07688935B2 |
Method and apparatus of multi-energy imaging
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of multi-energy data acquisition. An imaging system is also provided and includes a number of HF electromagnetic energy filters. The filters include at least a first and a second filter wherein the first filter is positioned in a path of HF electromagnetic energy when an HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to a first voltage and the second filter is positioned in the path of HF electromagnetic energy when the HF electromagnetic energy source is energized to a second voltage. |
| US07688934B2 |
Shift register and shift register unit for diminishing clock coupling effect
A shift register and a shift register unit for diminishing clock coupling effect are introduced herein. Each stage shift register unit includes at least one pull-up driving module, a pull-up module, at least one pull-down module and a pull-down driving module. Before a waveform of either a first clock signal or a second clock signal employed by the pull-up module transits into a rising edge, the pull-down driving module employs a first periodic signal to turn on the pull-down module in advance for a specific period, and/or before the waveform of the first or second clock signal employed by the pull-up module transits into a falling edge, the pull-down driving module employs a second periodic signal to turn off the pull-down module in advance for a specific period. Accordingly, the pull-down module can gain a sufficient capability against the clock coupling effect so as to optimize the waveform outputted from the shift register unit. |
| US07688933B2 |
Shift register circuit and display drive device
A shift register circuit includes plural stages of signal holding circuits which are cascade-connected to hold a signal based on a supplied input signal, to output an output signal based on the held signal, and to supply the output signal as an input signal to a subsequent stage. Each of the plural stages of signal holding circuits includes an output circuit which is supplied with two types of clock signals consisting of a first clock signal and a second clock signal. A timing of the second clock signal is delayed by a predetermined delay time with respect to a timing of applying the input signal, which is supplied with a signal at a timing delayed by the delay time of the second clock signal from the timing of applying the input signal, and which outputs the output signal at a timing responsive to the first clock signal. |
| US07688931B2 |
Space and power efficient hybrid counters array
A hybrid counter array device for counting events. The hybrid counter array includes a first counter portion comprising N counter devices, each counter device for receiving signals representing occurrences of events from an event source and providing a first count value corresponding to a lower order bits of the hybrid counter array. The hybrid counter array includes a second counter portion comprising a memory array device having N addressable memory locations in correspondence with the N counter devices, each addressable memory location for storing a second count value representing higher order bits of the hybrid counter array. A control device monitors each of the N counter devices of the first counter portion and initiates updating a value of a corresponding second count value stored at the corresponding addressable memory location in the second counter portion. Thus, a combination of the first and second count values provide an instantaneous measure of number of events received. |
| US07688928B2 |
Duty cycle counting phase calibration scheme of an input/output (I/O) interface
In one embodiment a control unit of a communication system exchanging a multiple-phase time-interleaved data includes a first Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) to generate a set of un-calibrated multiple-phase signals of a first-clock; a second-PLL, a pulse generator, a pulse-width measurement unit and a phase calibration engine to evaluate adjustments required in a temporal location of a logically critical voltage transition edge in each signal in the un-calibrated set; and a phase adjustment unit to adjust the temporal location of the logically critical voltage transition edge in each signal in the un-calibrated set to generate a set of calibrated multiple-phase signals of the first-clock such that each signal in the calibrated set includes the logically critical voltage transition edge which is time skewed in a predetermined amount from the logically critical voltage transition edge in other signals in the same set within a predetermined accuracy. |
| US07688922B2 |
Transmitting apparatus and transmitting method, receiving apparatus and receiving method, transceiver apparatus, communication apparatus and method, recording medium, and program
A transmitting apparatus, a transmitting method, a receiving apparatus, a receiving method, a transceiver, a communication apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program in which high quality voice can be decoded. A cellular telephone outputs coded voice data and also supplies uncoded voice sample data to a switching center while a telephone call is not made. Based on voice data used for the previous calculation processing and newly input voice data, the switching center performs calculation processing for quality-improving data for improving the quality of voice to be output from a cellular telephone that receives the coded voice data. The switching center stores the optimal quality-improving data as a user information database in association with the cellular telephone. The cellular telephone decodes the coded voice data based on the optimal quality-improving data supplied from the switching center. |
| US07688918B2 |
Recursive phase estimation for a phase-shift-keying receiver
In one embodiment, a receiver of the invention has a detector coupled to a digital processor. The detector is adapted to mix the received PSK signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal having a time-varying phase offset with respect to the carrier frequency of the PSK signal to produce a digital measure of the PSK signal. The digital processor is adapted to: (i) estimate a frequency offset between the carrier frequency of the PSK signal and the LO signal; (ii) remove from an angular component of the digital measure a component corresponding to the frequency offset to generate a frequency-offset-adjusted signal; (iii) for each time slot of the PSK signal, estimate the phase of a respective PSK constellation symbol based on an angular component of the frequency-offset-adjusted signal and an angular component of a recursive function; (iv) estimate a phase differential for a PSK-symbol transition based on two consecutive phase estimates; (v) map each estimated phase differential onto a phase increment corresponding to a symbol transition in the PSK constellation; and (vi) recover a data sequence encoded in the PSK signal based on the mapping results. |
| US07688917B2 |
Configurable all-digital coherent demodulator system for spread spectrum applications
A configurable all-digital coherent demodulator system for spread spectrum digital communications is disclosed herein. The demodulator system includes an extended and long-code demodulator (ELCD) coupled to a traffic channel demodulator (TCD) and a parameter estimator (PE). The demodulator also includes a pilot assisted correction device (PACD) that is coupled to the PE and the TCD. The ELCD provides a code-demodulated signal to the TCD and the PE. In turn, the TCD provides a demodulated output data signal to the PE. The PACD corrects the phase error of the demodulated output data based on an error estimate that is fed forward from the PE. Accumulation operations in the ELCD, TCD, and PE are all programmable. Similarly, a phase delay in the PACD is also programmable to provide synchronization with the error estimate from the PE. |
| US07688913B2 |
Radio transmitting apparatus, radio receiving apparatus, and M-ary modulation communication system
P/S conversion section 302 performs parallel/serial conversion of data sequences #1 through #4 input in parallel, in accordance with control by assignment control section 303, so that data to a higher-priority communication terminal is assigned to an upper bit in one symbol; M-ary modulation section 304 performs M-ary modulation on the data that has been subject to parallel/serial conversion; S/P conversion section 305 converts a symbol that has been subject to M-ary modulation to parallel form; multipliers 306-1 through 306-4 execute spreading processing on the symbols output in parallel; multiplexing section 309 multiplexes the symbol that has been subject to spreading processing with an assignment notification signal that has been subject to spreading processing; and radio transmitting section 310 transmits the multiplex signal. |
| US07688912B2 |
Data pulse spectrum control
The present invention reduces adjacent channel interference for a wireless peripheral device. A direct digital synthesizer generates a waveform having intermediate angular changes during a transition time between symbol intervals. After the transition time, the direct digital synthesizer generates the waveform with an angular value that corresponds to the symbol being transmitted. In an exemplary embodiment, a generated waveform is characterized by one of two designated frequencies in response to a value of an input information bit. The waveform is further characterized by at least one intermediate frequency during a transition time between a change of the designated frequency. Another embodiment of the invention utilizes phase changes rather than frequency changes during reduce adjacent channel interference. With another aspect of the invention, methods are provided to determine waveform parameters for reducing adjacent channel power (ACP) to a maximum level of interference. |
| US07688911B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing alternating quadratures differential binary phase shift keying modulation and demodulation arrangements
Methods, apparatus, and systems for alternating quadratures differential binary phase shift keying (AQDBPSK) modulation and demodulation radically increase overall energy efficiency of a communication system due to the combined effect of efficient utilization of transmitter power, high noise immunity of modulation and demodulation, fast synchronization, and simple implementation. Efficient utilization of transmitter power is achieved because radical reduction of side lobe regeneration provided by AQDBPSK allows operation of all amplifiers of the transmitter analog signal path, including power amplifiers, in energy efficient nonlinear mode (for example, they can operate as class C amplifiers) without causing interchannel interference. AQDBPSK radically reduces side lobe regeneration by limiting phase transitions between adjacent in time modulator output symbols to .+−.90.degree and smoothly executing the transitions. |
| US07688910B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication method, and computer program
Disclosed is a wireless communication system which carries out spatial multiplexing communication forming multiple spatial channels between a pair of a transmitter with multiple antennas and a receiver with multiple antennas, having the transmitter and the receiver. In the system, the multiple spatial channels are divided into one or more groups, the transmitter transmits reference signals corresponding to spatial channels in succession in a time-division manner for each group, and the receiver acquires a channel matrix whose column vectors are transfer functions of the spatial channels obtained from the reference signals for each group and spatially demultiplexes a receive signal using a receive weight obtained based on the channel matrix. |
| US07688909B2 |
Radio communication system, radio communication method, radio transmitter and radio receiver
A radio transmitter includes an orthogonal transformation unit for carrying out an orthogonal transformation on pilot signals having orthogonal relation to each other between transmission antennas and a pilot multiplexing unit multiplexing the pilot signals and transmission data, and a radio receiver includes a channel estimation unit obtaining a channel estimate of a directive multibeam for each of reception antennas, an inverse transformation unit carrying out an inverse transformation of the orthogonal transformation on the obtained channel estimate and a received signal processing unit selectively conducting first processing based on the beam channel estimate in the first mode or second processing based on the channel estimate obtained by the inverse transformation unit in the second mode. This commonizes a common pilot for MIMO (second mode) and individual pilots for AAA (first mode), thus realizing the coexistence of MIMO and AAA without leading to a reduction of throughput. |
| US07688907B2 |
Method for channel estimation in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system and device thereof
A method for channel estimation in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system, including: a transmitter determining a distribution density of pilot OFDM symbols according to the maximum Doppler frequency shift supported by the system, and transmitting pilot OFDM symbols and data OFDM symbols based on the distribution density of the pilot OFDM symbols; a receiver estimating frequency-domain channel information of the data OFDM symbols according to the received pilot OFDM symbols. The invention solves the problem of a large performance loss at a high-delay channel and a system with rapidly varying channel. The invention offers a better performance of channel estimation while the channel environment is varying rapidly, enhances the performance of a high-delay channel, makes a data communication system more suitable to a changing environment and makes better performance to the practical channel estimation, so that the data transmission efficiency of the system is increased. |
| US07688903B2 |
Multicarrier transmission apparatus and method
A bit-power distribution ratio calculation unit measures several times an SNR of periodic noise occurring on a communication line to calculate several times, according to the measurement results of the SNR thus measured, a bit distribution ratio to be assigned to each carrier for data transmission for each measurement result. The calculation unit compares the calculated bit distribution ratios with each other to detect a minimum bit value of each carrier to calculate, according to the detected minimum bit values of the respective carriers, a minimum bit distribution ratio including the minimum bit value of each carrier. The calculation unit delivers the minimum bit distribution ratio to a demapping unit and a mapping unit, which conduct data transmission using the minimum bit distribution ratio. Therefore, a multicarrier transmission device can efficiently conduct multicarrier transmission even at occurrence of non-periodic noise. |
| US07688900B2 |
Interleaver decorrelation in data transmitting and receiving devices
A data transmitting device for transmitting data on a channel within a CDMA system may simultaneously convey data with a plurality of other data transmitting devices on one channel. The data transmitting device includes an interleaver that receives an interleaver pattern parameter, generates a respective interleaver pattern in accordance with the received parameter, and interleaves a source data stream using the generated interleaver pattern to produce an interleaved data stream. The generated interleaver pattern has interleaver characteristics that differ from the interleaver characteristics of at least one other data transmitting device that simultaneously transmits data on the channel. |
| US07688890B2 |
Image data compression device, encoder, electronic equipment and method of compressing image data
An image data compression device includes a quantization part quantizing image data with a quantization step that varies based on a quantization parameter, a FIFO buffer part buffering quantized data of a plurality of frames, a coded data formation part reading out the quantized data from the FIFO buffer part asynchronously with a writing to the FIFO buffer part and generating coded data by encoding the quantized data, a rate control part controlling a data size of the coded data by changing the quantization step and a frame skip part skipping a generation process of the image data. The rate control part calculates the quantization parameter by using a predicted data size of the coded data of a previous frame which is calculated from a data size of the quantized data of the previous frame. The frame skip part performs the skip process if a frame, in which the quantization parameter becomes larger than a skip threshold, appears consecutively in a number of times which is equal or more than the number of a skip succession threshold. |
| US07688887B2 |
Precision adaptive equalizer
In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for a precision adaptive equalizer. A variable gain equalizer may be used to apply a variable gain to an input signal to generate an equalized output signal. A phase and pattern detector circuit may be coupled in a feedback loop with the variable gain equalizer. The phase and pattern detector circuit may be used to identify a high frequency data pattern in the equalized output signal and compare the high frequency data pattern with a clock signal to detect a high frequency phase error. The phase and pattern detector circuit may be further operable to generate an automatic gain control signal as a function of the high frequency phase error, the automatic gain control signal being fed back to the variable gain equalizer to control the variable gain applied to the input signal. |
| US07688885B1 |
Efficient blind equalization for quadrature amplitude modulation
Methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a signal transmitted with a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellation. In an embodiment of the invention, a blind equalization algorithm can be performed to equalize the signal, and a constellation recovery algorithm can be performed to identify a constellation index corresponding to the QAM constellation. The blind equalization algorithm can be altered based on the identified constellation index. The invention advantageously allows for relatively efficient and relatively reliable equalization of signals transmitted with an unknown QAM constellation. |
| US07688882B2 |
Time-tracking for clustered demodulation elements in a spread spectrum system
An apparatus, such as a subscriber unit or a base station within a spread spectrum communication system, provides advanced control over the time-tracking of demodulation elements when unresolvable multipath situations arise. The apparatus provides merge protection that prevents clustered demodulation elements from contracting beyond a minimum time span. In addition, the apparatus provides a master/slave feature for synchronizing the time-tracking of the demodulation elements when clustered around a multipath signal. |
| US07688880B2 |
Method and apparatus for reduced noise and carrier feedthrough in multimode transmitter
A high dynamic range low noise direct conversion transmitter within a multimode apparatus having multiple transmit and receive operating modes is described. The direct conversion transmitter can include a digital baseband coupled to a low noise direct conversion stage. A high dynamic range current folding digital to analog converter can be used to convert the digital baseband signals to analog representations. A wide dynamic range variable gain baseband amplifier couples the baseband signal to the direct conversion stage. A controllable passive attenuation stage operates to provide further gain control. Carrier feedthrough can be substantially eliminated using a carrier feedthrough cancellation loop that selectively utilizes one of a plurality of receivers configured for one of the multiple receive modes. |
| US07688878B2 |
Method and device of peak detection in preamble synchronization for direct sequence spread spectrum communication
A spread-spectrum preamble synchronization peak detection system performs multiple statistical tests based on instant and time-averaged channel condition measurements to identify the synchronization peak. In a normalized peak-to-average test, a peak-to-average ratio measurement is normalized by a signal-to-noise ratio measurement to form a new statistical measure which effectively eliminates the impact of the wide dynamic range of the signal-to-noise ratio of the received samples. A transition SNR test is used to eliminate potential false alarms caused by spurious PARN peaks during the transition period at the onset of preamble arrival. Code-phase aligned time-averaging is used to estimate the signal and noise levels over a sliding window. The code-phase alignment of samples effectively separates signal and noise samples in the averaging process, and resulting in more accurate signal and noise measurements. In estimating noise levels, the system takes multi-path interference into account by excluding both the peak signal and the side-lobe signals caused by multi-path wireless channels, resulting in more accurate estimation of noise level. |
| US07688877B2 |
Laser machining apparatus
Provided is a laser machining apparatus. The laser machining apparatus includes: a laser oscillator emitting laser beams; a first dividing means on which the laser beams emitted from the laser oscillator are incident to be selectively divided so that the incident laser beams progress along at least one path from among a pair of first paths; a second dividing means on which the laser beams that passed through any one of the first paths are incident to be selectively divided so that the incident laser beams progress along at least one path from among a pair of second paths; a third dividing means on which the laser beams that passed through the other one of the first paths are incident to be selectively divided so that the incident laser beams progress along at least one path from among a pair of third paths; four pairs of scanners on which the laser beams that passed through the first, second, and third dividing means are incident to each be deflected onto desired positions on a substrate so as to be processed; and a scan lens on which the laser beams that passed through the four pairs of scanners are incident to be collected on a spot having a predetermined diameter and irradiated onto the substrate. |
| US07688874B2 |
Semiconductor laser driving device, optical head, optical disk device, and semiconductor laser driving method
A semiconductor laser driving device includes a current supply unit supplying current to a semiconductor laser; a first control unit controlling the current supply unit to supply a first current which is half or less of a lasing threshold of the semiconductor laser; and a second control unit controlling the current supply unit to supply a second current which is larger than the lasing threshold after a first time is passed from an edge of a clock signal. |
| US07688873B2 |
Laser chips and vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers using the same
Example embodiments may provide an increased efficiency laser chip and/or a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) using the same. Example embodiment laser chips may include a substrate; a DBR (distributed Bragg reflector) layer on the substrate, an active layer on the DBR layer having multiple quantum wells excited by a pump beam to generate light, and/or an upper coating layer on the active layer by alternately stacking first and second layers each having different refractive indexes. Thicknesses of the first and second layers may be substantially equal to a quarter of a wavelength of light generated by the active layer. |
| US07688870B2 |
Optical amplifier-integrated super luminescent diode and external cavity laser using the same
Provided is a super luminescent diode having low power consumption due to low threshold current and a high output power in low-current operation, which is suitable for an external cavity laser. The super luminescent diode for use in the external cavity laser is divided into a super luminescent diode (SLD) region and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) region to provide a light source having a low threshold current and a nearly double output power of a conventional SLD.A super luminescent diode-integrated reflective optical amplifier includes a substrate that has a super luminescent diode (SLD) region and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) region for amplifying light generated from the SLD region, an optical waveguide that has a buried heterostructure, the buried heterostructure including an active layer extending over the SLD and SOA regions on the substrate and tapered in the SOA region; a current blocking layer formed around the active layer for blocking a current flow to layers other than the active layer, the current blocking layer including a stack of semiconductor layers having different conductivity types; and a clad layer formed on the optical waveguide and the current blocking layer. |
| US07688869B2 |
Serial line circuit, an apparatus implemented with a serial line circuit, and method thereof
In one embodiment, the invention relates to a serial line circuit that comprises a serial information (SI) bus and at most two isolators interposed between a pair of programmable devices. In the TRANSMIT direction, a first programmable device is configured to multiplex serial data received from a plurality of serial UARTs and to route such data to the second programmable device over the SI bus and through a first isolator. In the RECEIVE direction, the second programmable device is configured to sample data from a plurality of serial interconnects and to route the sampled data to the first programmable device. The sampled data is routed over the SI bus and through a second isolator. The data transmission over the SI bus is in accordance with a proprietary serial transmission protocol described below. |
| US07688868B2 |
Information transmitting apparatus and method, information receiving apparatus and method, information transmitting and receiving system and method, recording medium and program
An original blanking period of a video signal is shortened to a set blanking period, and audio data is multiplexed into a resulting superimposing period. Table distinguishing data indicating the length of the superimposing period is inserted into the period as a blanking signal. With this configuration, it is possible to enable transmission and reception of an audio signal in a system capable of transmitting and receiving a video signal. |
| US07688867B1 |
Dual-mode network storage systems and methods
A dual-mode network storage controller integrated on a chip is connected to a first set of hosts over a block-level storage area network (SAN), and to a second set of hosts over a metadata Ethernet/IP network. The dual-mode storage controller is also connected to one or more storage devices, such as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). The storage controller comprises dedicated-hardware metadata translation logic for translating metadata (e.g. file-level) storage commands into block-level storage commands. The storage controller can also include block translation logic for translating logical block-level storage commands into physical block-level storage commands. The storage controller further comprises multiplexing logic for sequentially transmitting to the storage device(s) block level storage commands derived from the commands received from the first set of hosts and the second set of hosts. The storage controller allows the first set of hosts and the second set of hosts to share a single storage device. |
| US07688858B2 |
Method and system for pre-fetching network data using a pre-fetching control protocol
A method and system for pre-fetching network data using a pre-fetching control protocol is described. The method includes dividing a data transmission into a first data set and a second data set at a source, transmitting the first data set to a destination and the second data set to an intermediate location, and transmitting the second data set to the destination from the intermediate location. |
| US07688855B2 |
Multi-rate multi-receiver multi-response aggregation
A method for sending a multi-rate multi-receiver message containing a multi-receiver multi-response aggregate. The multi-rate multi-receiver aggregate is transmitted until a multi-receiver multi-response aggregate embedded within the multi-rate multi-receiver aggregate is encountered. Transmission of the multi-rate multi-receiver aggregate is suspended for a predetermined time period. After the expiration of the predetermined time period, transmission of the multi-rate multi-receiver aggregate resumes. |
| US07688850B2 |
Media independent out-of office manager
A method is disclosed that enables a user to set their “away” or auto-reply messages for two or more communications services (e.g., e-mail, voice mail, etc.) in one action. Separate actions are required in the prior art to change each outgoing message for every distinct communication service. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a method that enables a user to change the auto-reply message for multiple communication services with less effort than was required for multiple services in the prior art. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a text auto-reply message intended for e-mail is automatically converted into an abbreviated form for instant messaging and wireless text services and into audio for services like telephony. Furthermore, the illustrative embodiment enables the automatic translation of messages into different natural languages, and can apply rules so that the resulting messages are used appropriately. |
| US07688848B2 |
Optimizing bandwidth of DSL connections
An arrangement is provided for optimizing the bandwidth of DSL connections. A DSL connection is established via a customer premise equipment, a copper line connecting to the customer premise equipment, and a DSL access multiplexer connecting to the copper line. The DSL connection is operated at a transmission rate that is adaptively optimized through a DSL connection optimizer based on dynamic transmission environment. |
| US07688846B2 |
Cooperative CSMA mode identification in clustered networks
In one embodiment, a sensing device (200) can include a transceiver (202) to monitor a communication signal, and a controller (203) communicatively coupled to the transceiver to receive from a Cluster Head (140) a schedule comprising a listening period and an active sensing period. During the listening period, the sensing device can monitor an occupied communication channel of the communication signal. During the active sensing period the sensing device can transmit in the occupied communication channel a test signal. The sensing device can increase a duty cycle of the test signal during repeated transmission, and calculate a correlation between a duration of the occupancy caused by an incumbent transmitting a communication signal in the communication channel and a duration of the test signal. A negative correlation can indicate the presence of an incumbent Carrier Sensing Multiple Access (CSMA) node transmitting a communication signal in the network. |
| US07688845B2 |
Method and arrangement of arranging traffic in telecommunications system
A method and arrangement in a telecommunications system comprising a data transmission path (8), the arrangement comprising devices (1, 21, 221 to 22n) and data being transmitted on the data transmission path between the devices in messages (4, 9) cyclically, whereby one or more of the devices (1, 221 to 22n) are arranged, during one or more first turns, respectively, to set the timing of their own cyclic traffic between cyclic traffic detected on the data transmission path; and one or more of the devices (1, 21, 221 to 22n) are arranged, during a second turn, to transmit a message not belonging to the cyclic traffic to the data transmission path on the basis of at least one determined occurrence time slot of the cyclic traffic such that the message does not collide with messages of the cyclic traffic which occur in the determined at least one occurrence time slot. |
| US07688838B1 |
Efficient handling of work requests in a network interface device
A method for communication includes inputting from a host processor to a network interface device a sequence of work requests indicative of operations to be carried out by the network interface device with respect to a plurality of the connections. The device looks ahead through the sequence in order to identify at least first and second operations that are to be carried out with respect to one of the connections in response to first and second work requests, respectively, wherein the second work request does not immediately follow the first work request in the sequence. The device loads the context data for the one of the connections from a host memory into a context cache, and performs at least the first and second operations sequentially while the context data are held in the cache. |
| US07688837B2 |
Methods and system for fast session establishment between equipment using H.324 and related telecommunications protocols
Methods of establishing multimedia telecommunication (a multimedia “call”) between equipment (“terminals”). More particularly, the invention provides methods for reducing the time required to establish calls between terminals that implement the ITU-T H.324 Recommendation and other Standards and Recommendations derived from or related to this such as the 3G-324M recommendation developed and adopted by the Third Generation Partnership Projects (3GPP and 3GPP2). More specifically, it relates to (i) a method and apparatus for concatenating the H.245 messages that are required to pass between the terminals at the start of the call to establish the capabilities of both terminals and agree on the type and format of media and data to be exchanged (ii) a method and apparatus for using non-standard H.245 messages or standard H.245 messages with non-standard fields to accelerate such establishment and (iii) a method and apparatus of informing each terminal of the capabilities of the other and proposing the type and format of media and data to be exchanged by means of any user-defined fields that are inserted in the call signaling protocol that is used for bearer establishment prior to the start of the H.324 stage of the call. |
| US07688836B1 |
Method and system for establishing a cross-carrier, multilayer communications path
A method and system is provided for establishing a secure intercarrier, interlayer communications path that can allocate bandwidth on demand. Using the present invention, one network carrier uses the resources of another carrier to communicate with an otherwise unreachable target component. As bandwidth capacity is reached, the intercarrier connection can be dynamically migrated to a lower network layer. Transmissions of the upper layer are mapped into the lower layer to satisfy the additional bandwidth requested by the connection. |
| US07688833B2 |
Synchronous transmission network node
In order to enable nodes with a single protocol switch core to be used in a synchronous transmission network carrying both SDH and SONET traffic then one option is to convert traffic between protocols at the various network nodes. For example, if the network node has a switch core arranged for SONET, then when SDH traffic arrives at that node it can first be converted to SONET before being processed by the switch core and then converted back to SDH again if required. Known methods of converting between SONET and SDH are not suited for use at egress points of network nodes where pointer alignment processes do not occur. A new method of converting between SONET and SDH is described which overcomes these problems by reordering the position of stuff columns. |
| US07688829B2 |
System and methods for network segmentation
A routing mechanism provides network segmentation preservation by route distribution with segment identification, policy distribution for a given VPN segment, and encapsulation/decapsulation for each segment using an Ethernet VLAN_ID, indicative of the VPN segment (subnetwork). Encapsulated segmentation information in a message packet identifies which routing and forwarding table is employed for the next hop. A common routing instance receives the message packets from the common interface, and indexes a corresponding VRF table from the VLAN ID, or segment identifier, indicative of the subnetwork (e.g. segment). In this manner, the routing instance receives the incoming message packet, decapsulates the VLAN ID in the incoming message packet, and indexes the corresponding VRF and policy ID from the VLAN ID, therefore employing a common routing instance over a common subinterface for a plurality of segments (subnetworks) coupled to a particular forwarding device (e.g. VPN router). |
| US07688828B2 |
Downstream remote physical interface for modular cable modem termination system
A modular Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) includes a packet shelf operating a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) Media Access Control (MAC) framer. One or more downstream Physical Interface (PHY) shelves receive DOCSIS data from the packet shelf over a packet switched network and modulate the DOCSIS data for sending on a downstream path of a cable plant. One or more upstream PHY shelves send DOCSIS data received from an upstream path of the cable plant over the packet switched network to the packet shelf. By separating the PHY components from the MAC and from the system software, the PHY components for a Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) plant may be replaced with different PHY components for other access technologies such as wireless, Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), Ethernet-to-the-Home, Fiber-to-the-Home, or fiber Passive Optical Networks (PONs). |
| US07688826B2 |
Methods to suppress and expand packet header information in a wireless communication system
Data packets transmitted over a wireless network are suppressed by hardware at the transmitting end and expanded on the receiving end. This conserves bandwidth as well as reduces the processing resource requirements in both the subscriber station and the base station. An extended header element is added to a data packet that is to be transmitted over the wireless network. The extended header element contains an index that is used along with an identifier to access a rule. The rule is used to determine which bytes are to be suppressed at the transmitter and expanded at the receiver. |
| US07688824B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for suppression index reuse and packet classification for payload header suppression
A cable modem method, system, and computer program product are provided for payload header suppression in which a limited number of suppression indices is used to map suppression rules to data streams. Network resources are conserved by implementing precise classification algorithms to correctly identify incoming packets at the cable modem as belonging to a particular data stream, which ensures that a minimum number of suppression indices are utilized. Additionally, network resources are conserved by utilizing sophisticated algorithms for reusing suppression indices when new data streams are detected by the cable modem. One such reuse algorithm involves recycling the suppression index that has been least recently used in transmitting a packet with a suppressed payload header. |
| US07688823B2 |
Efficient mechanism for wire-tapping network traffic
An efficient mechanism for wire-tapping network traffic is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a primary forwarding lookup process and a secondary forwarding lookup process are performed in parallel and independently of each other. The primary forwarding lookup process determines the output interface to which the packet is to be routed regardless of whether the packet is to be intercepted. The secondary forwarding lookup process determines whether the packet is to be intercepted and also determines the output interface to which a copy of the packet is to be routed. Because the lookup processes are performed independently and in parallel, normal packet forwarding can be performed at line rate or near line rate while the packets are intercepted. |
| US07688814B2 |
Methods of conveying information using fixed sized packets
Communication protocols, systems, and methods that facilitate communication between disaggregated elements, and also to devices adapted to function as such disaggregated elements, particularly across peer-to-peer (masterless) and include one or more unique features such as packet atomicity, blind ACKs, NAT bridging, locking, multicast spanning and mirroring, and authentication. |
| US07688811B2 |
Hierarchical data collection network supporting packetized voice communications among wireless terminals and telephones
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc. |
| US07688806B2 |
Method and system for a gigabit ethernet IP telephone chip
Methods and systems for processing Ethernet data are disclosed and may comprise receiving packetized data by an Ethernet switch integrated within a single gigabit Ethernet IP phone chip. A first portion of the received packetized data may be switched within the single gigabit Ethernet IP phone chip, between a first on-chip port that routes data internally for processing within the single gigabit Ethernet IP phone chip and a second on-chip port that routes data externally for off-chip processing. The packetized data may be received by a 10/100Base Ethernet physical interface transceiver (PHY) integrated within the single gigabit Ethernet IP phone chip. The packetized data may be received by a gigabit Ethernet PHY. The received packetized data may be communicated from the gigabit Ethernet PHY to the Ethernet switch integrated within the single gigabit Ethernet IP phone chip for switching. |
| US07688804B2 |
Method of providing fault tolerance in a SIP based contact handling environment
A method and apparatus are provided for processing a contact with a client within a contact distributor. The method includes the steps of providing a primary SIP back-to-back user agent and an associated secondary SIP back-to-back user agent for each resource of a plurality of resources of the contact distributor and setting up a communication connection between the client and a resource of the plurality of resources through the provided primary back-to-back user agent of the resource. The method further includes the steps of an availability server monitoring the communication connection between the client and the resource, the availability server detecting a failure of the primary back-to-back user agent and the availability server transferring the connection from the primary back-to-back user agent to the associated secondary back-to-back user agent of the resource when the primary back-to-back user agent fails. |
| US07688797B2 |
Method and transmission device for transmission of data in a multi-carrier system
The present invention relates to a method for the transmission of data in a multi-carrier system, provided with a frequency band, the carrier frequencies of which are distributed in a sub-carrier band, dividing the frequency band. On the transmission side, dependent on current transmission properties, an adaptive pre-emphasis of the transmission signal is carried out for a part of the carrier frequencies in the sub-carrier band. The transmitter thus has the capacity to determine current transmission properties as well as adaptive pre-emphasis of a part of the carrier frequencies in the sub-carrier band of the transmission signal. |
| US07688794B2 |
System and method for diverting a printing job to a proximal networked device
A printing system is provided including a plurality of printing devices. Each printing device includes an associated radio frequency identification (RFID) device. The RFID device associated with a first printing device of the plurality of printing devices is operable to sense the presence of an RFID device associated with a second printing device of the plurality of printing devices for sensing the presence of the second printing device. |
| US07688789B2 |
MIMO communication system and method capable of adaptive user scheduling
A MIMO communication system capable of adaptive user scheduling. The MIMO communication system comprises a transmitting terminal, which sends data frames containing at least channel estimation signal and user data, and at least one receiving terminal, which recovers the user data and generates corresponding feedback information. The feedback information comprises an optimal transmitting antenna set dedicated to the receiving terminal, the achievable channel capacity by each antenna within the antenna set, and the degradation factors caused by each of other unselected antennas to each of the selected antennas. Depending on the feedback information, the transmitting terminal generates scheduling information based on which the adaptive user scheduling is conducted. The scheduling information comprises the scheduled users, number of data streams supported by each scheduled user, and the corresponding transmitting antenna for each of the data streams. The MIMO system can achieve the optimal channel capacity through adaptive user scheduling. |
| US07688787B2 |
Method and apparatus for distributing data to a mobile device using plural access points
A system and method for providing connectivity between mobile devices and access points of a network without redundant solicitation of communication by the mobile device at each access point is described. The method involves receiving a data packet at a first access point in a control group; transmitting the data packet from the first access point to the mobile device; determining if the mobile device acknowledges receipt of the data packet; responsive to determining that the mobile device failed to acknowledge receipt of the data packet, forwarding the data packet to a second access point; and transmitting the data packet from the second access point to the mobile device. |
| US07688786B2 |
Avoiding data loss and reducing registration overhead in packet networks
Techniques for avoiding data loss and reducing registration overhead in a wireless packet data communication system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile station adds each connection to a connection list following registration with the PCF. The mobile station need not reregister a connection included in the connection list when it again enters the PCF's coverage area. In another embodiment, a PDSN maintains a connection table, with one or more connections for each mobile station. The PDSN transmits data to the mobile station along one of the connections. In yet another embodiment, a PDSN transmits on an active connection, if one exists. In yet another embodiment, connections in a connection list or connection table are removed when a corresponding inactivity timer expires. Various other embodiments are also presented. Benefits include allowing mobile stations to travel between PCFs without re-registering, which reduces registration overhead and increases system capacity, and avoidance of data loss from network initiated data directed to a mobile station, resulting in timely delivery of the data and reduction of system resources allocated to retransmission of data. |
| US07688785B2 |
Context transfer in a communication network comprising plural heterogeneous access networks
The present invention relates to a method for a context transfer in a communication network comprising a plurality of heterogeneous access networks, (220, 221, 222) wherein a mobile terminal is attached to one of the access networks. Further, the present invention relates to a context transfer manager performing the method (220, 600). Moreover, the present invention relates to a mobile terminal specially adapted to perform the provided method for a context transfer. To facilitate a context transfer between heterogeneous access networks, the present invention introduces a context transfer manager generating at least one context based on capabilities and parameters associated to the mobile terminal and capabilities and parameters of the neighboring access networks taking into account the respective access technology (FIG. 5). Further the context transfer manager is common to the heterogeneous access networks in the communication network and performs the context transfers related to a particular mobile terminal. |
| US07688784B2 |
Simultaneous operation of wireless LAN and long-range wireless connections
A method for communication includes establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station. A signal is sent from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval including one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station. During the interval, a second connection is established between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol. |
| US07688783B1 |
Mixing basic service set (BSS) traffic and mesh forwarding traffic
A method and apparatus for mixing Basic Service Set (BSS) and mesh traffic is presented. A same channel or a same radio is shared for mesh traffic and BSS traffic. The sharing of the channel including reserving a channel for BSS traffic by a Mesh Access Point (MAP), the reserving comprising sending a CC-RTS or a CC-CTS addressed to the MAP and/or blocking use of the channel by a BSS stations when the channel is not reserved for BSS traffic, the blocking use of the channel comprising the MAP sending a frame setting a NAV in the BSS. The shared radio is switchable between serving the BSS traffic and serving the mesh traffic. |
| US07688780B2 |
Data packet transmission for channel-sharing collocated wireless devices
Interference between collocated wireless devices sharing the same RF channel is avoided or minimized by a new header format provided for the first data packet in an RF transmission. By inclusion of an invalid pulse in the header of each isolated data packet, an FM receiver that “captures” a desired signal from a closest device, midstream of processing an undesired signal (pertubation) from a more distant collocated device, is caused to abort the invalid packet and reinitialize. The receiver is then able to properly process the first packet in the desired transmission (from the closest device). |
| US07688775B2 |
Management of guaranteed timeslot usage in wireless networks
Embodiments of guaranteed timeslot usage management in wireless networks are described. |
| US07688770B2 |
Method for allocating transmission period in a wireless communication system
A method is provided for allocating a transmission period in a wireless network system. An access point (AP) transmits a PSMP frame indicating a downlink period and an uplink period allocated to each station (STA), and at least one sub PSMP frame indicating an allocated downlink period for at least one of a retransmission of downlink data and a transmission of an ACK indicating successful receipt of uplink data. After exchanging data with the AP in the downlink and uplink periods indicated by the PSMP frame, an STA receives the each sub PSMP frame, and performs at least one of a reception of the retransmitted downlink data and a reception of the ACK in the downlink period indicated by the each sub MAP frame. |
| US07688766B2 |
Modulation scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems or the like
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, bit and power loading may be utilized to select a modulation rate and subcarrier power scaling based on channel state information. As a result, a higher data rate may be utilized for a given signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining a constant bit error rate. |
| US07688764B2 |
Method and apparatus for speaker arbitration in a multi-participant communication session
A communication system provides in-band speaker arbitration in a multi-participant communication session by use of RTP floor control messages that include a speaker arbitration command embedded in a data packet header extension. |
| US07688757B2 |
Method and apparatus for assessing sourced elements
The invention includes a method and apparatus for assessing an available version of a sourced element. The method includes obtaining a description of an available version of the sourced element, identifying a plurality of evaluation items for the sourced element by evaluating the description using at least one evaluation category including a plurality of evaluation parameters, and determining an overall assessment of the available version of the sourced element using the identified evaluation items for the sourced element. The overall assessment is indicative of a value associated with the available version of the sourced element. The method may further include generating overall assessments of other available versions of a sourced element or generating overall assessments of available versions of other sourced elements, and prioritizing the available versions of the sourced elements using the overall assessments of the available versions of the sourced elements. |
| US07688754B2 |
Triple play services tester
A portable tester for testing mutual effects of multiple services received via a shared network access link includes service signaling means for simulating user premises devices. In one embodiment, the tester is a triple play services tester supporting three IP addresses at the same time. |
| US07688752B2 |
Scheduling method and system for guaranteeing real-time service quality of WiBro CPE
Provided are a scheduling method and apparatus for guaranteeing real-time service quality of Wireless Broadband (WiBro) customer premises equipment (CPE). The scheduling apparatus includes: a real-time protocol (RTP) packet monitoring unit for monitoring an RTP packet passing through a local area network (LAN) section and detecting a bandwidth of real-time service; and a queue managing unit for determining a window size corresponding to the bandwidth of real-time service checked by the RTP packet monitoring unit and generating/changing a real-time service queue. The scheduling method and apparatus monitor an RTP packet and adjust a real-time service queue, thereby ensuring real-time service quality of terminals. |
| US07688747B2 |
Sub-frame synchronized residual ranging
A method of ranging between nodes is provided. The method includes synchronizing two or more nodes with a frame preamble. Exchanging data and ranging schedule between the nodes without an additional frame preamble. Starting a schedule clock in each node in response to a switch point and exchanging one or more range signals between nodes based on the ranging schedule. |
| US07688746B2 |
Method and system for dynamic resource allocation
Embodiments of the present invention provide a dynamic resource allocator to allocate resources performance optimization in, for example, a computer system. The dynamic resource allocator to allocate a resource to one or more threads associated with an application based on a performance rate. Embodiments of the present invention may further include a performance monitor to monitor the performance rate of the one or more threads. The dynamic resource allocator to allocate an additional resource to the one or more threads, if the thread is performing above a performance threshold. In embodiments of the present invention, the dynamic resource allocation strategy may be decided based on, for example, optimizing the overall system throughput, minimizing power consumption, meeting system performance goals (e.g., real time requirements), user specified performance priorities and/or application specified performance priorities. |
| US07688745B1 |
Communication system and method providing a mode selection procedure
The invention relates to a method and a communication system comprising at least one first network element connectable to a second network element. At least one of the first and second network elements use one of two or more selectable modes for communicating with another network element. One or both of the network elements, or a third network element, which is connectable with the first and second network elements, performs a mode selection procedure for selecting the same mode for bidirectional communication between the network elements. The modes preferably are different codec types, channel-coding schemes, or radio interface protocol types. The first and/or second network elements may be portable terminal equipments and the third network element preferably is a support node or a means providing a support function such as a CSCF. The mode selection ensures use of one and the same mode, such as a codec, in uplink and downlink directions enabling IP telephony in UMTS using SIP protocol. |
| US07688742B2 |
System and method for monitoring end nodes using ethernet connectivity fault management (CFM) in an access network
A system and method for monitoring end nodes using Ethernet Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) in an access network. In one embodiment, a broadband access server (BRAS) is operable to generate an Ethernet CFM frame that includes a query message with respect to a particular end node. An interworking function (IWF) entity associated with an access node that services the particular end node is operable to interpret the Ethernet CFM frame and construct a corresponding query message in a native protocol compatible with the particular end node. Upon receiving a reply message from the particular end node, the IWF entity constructs a suitable reply Ethernet CFM frame for transmission to the BRAS, wherein the reply Ethernet CFM frame includes a response corresponding to the reply message from the end node. |
| US07688738B2 |
Adaptive router architecture
A router architecture with one or more network interfaces, processing, switching and forwarding elements, each which has one or more processing units capable of processing network traffic to provide at least a portion of a network service. The switching element is capable of acting as a proxy to the processing elements while each of the forwarding elements are capable of receiving network traffic on the network interface and are capable to delegate processing of network traffic toward processing elements through at least one switching element. |
| US07688732B2 |
System and method for the automatic setup of switched circuits based on traffic prediction in a telecommunications network
An optical network is configured so as to dedicate a first portion of lightpaths to high priority traffic and leave a second portion of lightpaths available for low priority traffic. The high priority traffic entering the high priority lightpaths is monitored. In case of detection of a burst in high priority traffic, at least one of the low priority lightpaths is torn down, so as to make available network resources within the network. Then, a new temporary lightpath is set up using the available network resources, and high priority traffic is routed on the temporary lightpath. |
| US07688726B2 |
Broadcast reception apparatus, TS packet reproduction apparatus, broadcast reception method and program
According to one embodiment, a broadcast reception apparatus includes a reception unit which receives a broadcast signal, and outputs a transport stream, a first determination unit which receives the transport stream as TS packets, and determines whether a PES header exists in each TS packet, a second determination unit which determines whether the PES header is normal, when the first determination unit detects the PES header, a search unit which detects a payload start position by searching the TS packet sequentially from the rear end, when the second determination unit determines the PES header to be abnormal, a separator which separates payloads at and after the payload start position, and a decoder which decodes the separated payloads of the TS packets, and outputs video and audio signals. |
| US07688724B2 |
Call admission control for mobility-capable telecommunications terminals
As is reflected in the disclosed method and apparatus, the present invention is a technique to account for the variation in channel occupancy of a particular terminal or terminals during the call admission process. Instead, a channel utilization manager accounts for the probabilistic nature of the call admission decision by using a pre-determined, statistically justified value to represent the channel occupancy. The “per-call” channel occupancy value is determined by a number of factors, including the shared-communications channel data rate. Channel occupancy is incorporated into one or more cumulative distribution functions (CDF), which are evaluated by the channel utilization manager as part of the call admission process. In turn, each channel-occupancy CDF of a shared-communications channel can be generated from a CDF of the terminals' data rates on that channel, which data rates can be determined analytically or empirically. |
| US07688718B2 |
Variable-sized packet support for enhanced synchronous connection oriented links over a USB interface
A system for enabling data packets of variable size to be used on Bluetooth communication links over Universal Serial Bus (USB) is provided. A host device is configured to identify a target device with Bluetooth capabilities. The host device may determine a USB alternate setting for Bluetooth communication having data packets of variable sizes and establish a Bluetooth connection link with the target device having the determined USB alternate setting. Data packets are provided to the target device with variable sizes up to a maximum size associated with the alternate setting. In one implementation, the USB alternate setting is a new setting that is added to an existing Bluetooth SIG specification. |
| US07688717B2 |
Transport network restoration method supporting extra traffic
To restore a failed working path (WP) in a transport network, a restoration request is relayed between adjacent network elements (NE1, NE2) and the path set up hop by hop over spare resources by establishing local crossconnections (CC1, CC2) conforming to the request according to routing information locally stored within the network elements. During failure free operation, a low priority path (LPP A) for extra traffic with different signal structure is allowed on the spare resources and pre-empted in the case of a failure. The restoration request is forwarded using the old signal structure of the extra traffic path. Only after reception of a confirmation sent back by the peering node (NE2) using the new signal structure, the I/O port (211) is also reconfigured to the new signal structure. |
| US07688716B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for improving ethernet ring convergence time
One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a method that includes detecting a failure in a ring network and transmitting a multicast message across the ring network that includes information regarding the failure. Additionally, a new ring master of the ring network is designated. Furthermore, a ring port coupled to the failure is blocked. |
| US07688715B2 |
Apparatus for providing shelf manager having duplicate ethernet port in ATCA system
An apparatus for providing duplicated shelf managers in an ATCA system is provided. The apparatus for providing duplicated shelf managers includes a hub/switch in a control backplane to allow a manager to access the duplicated shelf managers all the time from an external network while maintaining the switch configuration defined of the ATCA specification. The hub/switch connects Ethernet ports of the duplicated two shelf managers and Ethernet ports of the two switches at the same time, and connects the two shelf managers and the two switches to the Internet. |
| US07688710B2 |
Adaptive time diversity and spatial diversity for OFDM
An adaptable orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing system (OFDM) that uses a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) to having OFDM signals transmitted either in accordance with time diversity to reducing signal fading or in accordance with spatial diversity to increase the data rate. Sub-carriers are classified for spatial diversity transmission or for time diversity transmission based on the result of a comparison between threshold values and at least one of three criteria. The criteria includes a calculation of a smallest eigen value of a frequency channel response matrix and a smallest element of a diagonal of the matrix and a ratio of the largest and smallest eigen values of the matrix. |
| US07688706B2 |
Method of transferring data with respect to an optical information medium having a lead-in area
A method relative to an optical information storage medium including a lead-in area, a lead-out area, and a user data area between the lead-in and lead-out areas and in which user data is recorded. Pits are formed in the lead-in area, the user data area, and the lead-out area, and a track pitch in all or a portion of the lead-in area is different from a track pitch in the remaining area of the optical information storage medium. |
| US07688705B2 |
Information recording medium, recording apparatus, reproduction apparatus, recording method, and reproduction method
An information recording medium is provided, which comprises a plurality of recording layers and a first disc information area for storing parameters relating to access to the plurality of recording layers and formats relating to the plurality of recording layers. The first disc information area is provided in a first recording layer which is one of the plurality of recording layers. |
| US07688701B2 |
Objective optical system and optical pickup apparatus
An objective optical system according to the present invention is provided for use in an optical pickup apparatus for recording or reproducing information on an information recording surface of a first optical information recording medium using a first light flux emitted from a first light source. The objective optical system is provided with: a first lens with a positive refractive power including plastic; a second lens with a positive refractive power including plastic; and a first phase structure. A wavefront aberration change amount of the objective optical system when a wavelength of the first light flux changes, and a wavefront aberration change amount of the objective optical system when an ambient temperature of the objective optical system satisfy the predefined condition. |
| US07688699B2 |
Holographic recording/reproducing apparatus having relative speed controller and method
A holographic recording and reproducing apparatus comprises: a pickup for moving an objective lens that focuses a coherent light beam along a recording track on a holographic recording medium and for detecting reflected light from the recording track to perform focus- and tracking-servo control; a relative velocity determination unit for determining a relative velocity of a converging position of the objective lens with respect to the holographic recording medium; a driving unit for changing a relative position of the objective lens with respect to an optical path of the coherent light beam so as to make the relative velocity fall within a predetermined range at least during a predetermined period; and a control unit for performing recording or reproduction for a recording layer during the predetermined period. The holographic recording medium includes a plurality of markers used for positioning an optical interference pattern of the coherent light beam. |
| US07688695B2 |
Method of writing multi-level data using adjusted recording waveform
A method of writing multi-level data to a recording medium is disclosed. The multi-level data is written by the emission of light beam. The method is characterized in that a write waveform that controls the emission of the light beam includes a first top pulse, an off pulse, and an erase pulse. The method is further characterized in that, if the value of the multi-level data falls in a predetermined range, a second top pulse is inserted between the first top pulse and the erase pulse of the write waveform that controls the emission of the light beam to write the value. |
| US07688688B2 |
Information recording medium having a wobbling groove structure
An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3≧0.1, T4≧0.1 and 1.5≧T3/T4≧0.5. |
| US07688687B2 |
Timing extractor, and information playback apparatus and DVD device using the timing extractor
In a feedforward timing extractor for extracting timing information from a playback signal, a frequency ratio calculation section 2 calculates the ratio between the frequency of the playback signal and the frequency of the output clock of a frequency synthesizer 6 by utilizing a specific pattern and a specific pattern appearing interval in the playback signal. A control section 4 controls the frequency dividing rate of the frequency synthesizer 6 in such a manner that the frequency ratio calculated by the frequency ratio calculation section 2 has a set value. Thus, as compared with a case in which the output clock of the frequency synthesizer 6 is a high-frequency fixed-rate clock, it is not necessary to operate the digital circuits at high speeds. Consequently, even in cases where the playback frequency (the playback rate) of the signal changes with time, the decimation rate at which pulses of a fixed clock are eliminated is constant, thereby reducing power consumption. |
| US07688684B2 |
Heat-assisted magnetic recording head and recording apparatus including the same
A heat-assisted magnetic recording head and a recording apparatus including the same are provided. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a recording portion which produces magnetic field for recording information to a magnetic recording medium, and a waveguide which transmits light therethrough disposed to be adjacent to the recording portion and which emits the light toward the magnetic recording medium, wherein the waveguide comprises a light incident surface; a tapered portion having progressively narrower sections along the transmission direction of the light incident on the light incident surface and entering the waveguide; and a light-emitting surface which emits the light after the light is transmitted through the tapered portion. |
| US07688675B2 |
Underwater biomass assessment device and method
A system for assessing underwater biomass that comprises a frame that can float and hold the system on a body of water; a transducer that emits and receives wave signals; a motor box, that positions the transducer below a water line; a control unit to allow a user to operate the system and view results obtained from the system; an electronics housing that receives a CPU board that communicates with and relays information to and from, the control unit; and a communication device to facilitate communication between the control unit and the CPU board. |
| US07688674B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing moving checkshots
Methods and apparatus for creating a velocity profile of a formation surrounding a borehole by checkshot measurements while moving the tool along the borehole. A conveyance and a sensor section are configured to move the sensor section in the borehole. At least one receiver is configured to detect signals generated at or near the surface while the sensor section is moving in the borehole. |
| US07688671B2 |
Semiconductor memory chip with on-die termination function
A semiconductor memory chip with an On-Die Termination (ODT) function is disclosed, which comprises a delay locked loop (DLL) circuit, a synchronous circuit, an asynchronous circuit, a select signal generator, and a selector. The DLL circuit is configured to produce a local clock signal in response to a clock signal when a clock enable (CKE) signal is asserted. The DLL circuit has a predetermined boost time. The select signal generator is configured to assert a select signal in consideration of the predetermined boost time. The selector is configured to select an output of the asynchronous circuit until the select signal is asserted but to select another output of the synchronous circuit after the select signal is asserted. |
| US07688668B2 |
Controlling power supply to memory cells
A semiconductor memory storage cell and a memory comprising an array of these storage cells is disclosed. The storage cell comprising: a feedback loop comprising two devices for storing opposite binary values; data input and output for inputting data to and outputting data from said two devices; and each of said two devices comprising a power source input, such that each device can be powered independently of the other. |
| US07688665B2 |
Structure to share internally generated voltages between chips in MCP
Embodiments of the invention generally provide an apparatus and technique for sharing an internally generated voltage between devices of a multi-chip package (MCP). The internally generated voltage may be shared via a conductive structure that electrically couples the devices and carries the internally generated voltage. |
| US07688661B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, and method of controlling the same
An internal voltage generator when activated, generates an internal voltage to be supplied to an internal circuit. Operating the internal voltage generator consumes a predetermined amount of the power. In response to a control signal from the exterior, an entry circuit inactivates the internal voltage generator. When the internal voltage generator is inactivated, the internal voltage is not generated, thereby reducing the power consumption. By the control signal from the exterior, therefore, a chip can easily enter a low power consumption mode. The internal voltage generator is exemplified by a booster for generating the boost voltage of a word line connected with memory cells, a substrate voltage generator for generating a substrate voltage, or a precharging voltage generator for generating the precharging voltage of bit lines to be connected with the memory cells. |
| US07688660B2 |
Semiconductor device, an electronic device and a method for operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes circuitry coupled to a plurality of memory cells with transistors. The circuitry is configured to change a potential of a body of the transistor to a degree depending on a charging state of the body. A gate electrode of the transistor is maintained in a non-addressed state. |
| US07688656B2 |
Integrated circuit memory having dynamically adjustable read margin and method therefor
A method for dynamically controlling sense amplifier differential margin of a memory during operation, in an integrated circuit, including a plurality of addressable units, is provided. The method includes setting the sense amplifier differential margin corresponding to the plurality of addressable units to a first value. The method further includes if a read data error occurs when data is read from a set of the plurality of addressable units, then setting the sense amplifier differential margin corresponding to the plurality of addressable units to a second value, wherein the second value is greater than the first value. |
| US07688655B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and test method therefor
Disclosed is a semiconductor memory device, in which the refresh period of a fail cell or cells is set so as to be shorter than that of the normal cells, comprises a control circuit for exercising control in such a manner that, if, when refreshing the cell of a first address, generated responsive to a refresh command, with an input control signal being of a first value, a second address, differing as to the value of a predetermined bit from the first address, is determined to correspond to a fail cell, based on the information ore-programmed in a refresh redundant ROM, the cell of the second address is refreshed, and also in such a manner that, if, with the input control signal of a second value, the second address, differing as to the value of a predetermined bit from the first address, is determined to correspond to a fail cell, based on the predetermined information, only the cell of the second address is refreshed, without refreshing the cell of the first address, generated responsive to the refresh command. |
| US07688651B2 |
Methods and devices for regulating the timing of control signals in integrated circuit memory devices
A method of regulating timing of control signals in an integrated circuit memory device includes generating a pulse signal having a pulse width representing a time period between a rising edge of a first control signal and a rising edge of a second control signal that is activated after the first control signal. Based on the pulse width of the pulse signal, it is determined whether a timing margin between activation of the first control signal and activation of the second control signal is within a predetermined range, and the timing margin is adjusted responsive to the determination. For example, the pulse signal may be a timing measurement signal including a first pulse signal representing a first timing margin between a word line enable signal and a bit line sensing enable signal, a second pulse signal representing a second timing margin between a column select line enable signal and a first read pulse signal, and a third pulse signal representing a third timing margin between a word line disable signal and a bit line equalizing signal. Related devices are also discussed. |
| US07688643B2 |
Device and method for controlling solid-state memory system
A memory system includes an array of solidstate memory devices which are in communication with and under the control of a controller module via a device bus with very few lines. This forms an integrated-circuit mass storage system which is contemplated to replace a mass storage system such as a disk drive memory in a computer system. Command, address and data information are serialized into component strings and multiplexed before being transferred between the controller module and the array of memory devices. The serialized information are is accompanied by a control signal to help sort out the multiplexed components. Each memory device in the array is mounted on a multi-bit mount and assigned an array address by it an array mount. An A memory device is selected by an appropriate address broadcast over the device bus, without requiring the usual dedicated select signal. A reserved array particular mount multi-bit configuration is used to unconditionally select the device mounted thereon. A reserved predefined address broadcast over the device bus deselects all previously selected memory devices. Read performance is enhanced by a read streaming technique in which while a current chunk of data is being serialized and shifted out of the memory subsystem devices to the controller module, the controller module is also setting up the address for the next chunk of data to begin to address the memory system. |
| US07688641B2 |
Method of depressing read disturbance in flash memory device
A method of reading a NAND flash memory device includes a cell string having a drain selection transistor, a plurality of memory cells and a source selection transistor which are in series connected to each other. The method comprises the steps of applying a first voltage to a gate of the drain selection transistor in order to turn on the drain selection transistor, applying a read voltage to a gate of a selected memory cell among the plurality of memory cells, and applying first and second pass voltages to gates of unselected memory cells of the plurality of memory cells, wherein the first pass voltage of a relatively high level is applied to the gates of the unselected memory cells which are adjacent to the selected memory cell and wherein the second pass voltage of a relatively high level is applied to the gates of the unselected memory cells which are not adjacent to the selected memory. |
| US07688640B2 |
Flash memory device and method for driving the same
Provided are a flash memory device and a method of driving the same for reading set information and stably storing the read set information in a latch. The method of driving the flash memory device includes applying power to the flash memory device, which includes a memory cell array for storing set information used to set an operating environment of the flash memory device. An initial read operation of the memory cell array is performed to read the set information. The set information read in the initial read operation is stored in a latch. It is determined whether the set information is normally stored in the latch based on set data input to the latch and set data output from the latch. |
| US07688634B2 |
Method of operating an integrated circuit having at least one memory cell
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to a method for writing at least one memory cell of an integrated circuit; a method for writing at least two memory cells of an integrated circuit; and to integrated circuits. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for writing at least one memory cell of an integrated circuit is provided. The method includes determining a writing state of at least one reference memory cell, depending on the writing state of the at least one reference memory cell, writing the at least one memory cell, and writing the at least one reference memory cell to a given writing state. |
| US07688631B2 |
Flash memory device for variably controlling program voltage and method of programming the same
Provided is a method of programming the flash memory device including setting increments of program voltages according to data states expressed as threshold voltage distributions of multi-level memory cells. An Increment Step Pulse Programming (ISPP) clock signal corresponds to a loop clock signal and the increments of the program voltages and is generated in response to program pass/fail information. A default level enable signal is generated by performing a counting operation until reaching the increments of the program voltages, in response to the loop clock signal. An additional level enable signal is generated by performing a counting operation until reaching the increments of the program voltages, in response to the ISPP clock signal. The program voltage is increased by 1 increment, in response to the default level enable signal. The program voltage is increased by 2 increments, in response to the additional level enable signal. |
| US07688628B2 |
Device selection circuit and method
Embodiments of the invention take advantage of an unused state of an interface protocol (or specification), such as the ONFI specification, to control a selector circuit to assert one of a plurality of relatively localized device selection signals (e.g., chip enable signals). |
| US07688626B2 |
Depletion mode bandgap engineered memory
Memory cells comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a source region and a drain region disposed below a surface of the substrate and separated by a channel region; a tunnel dielectric structure disposed above the channel region, the tunnel dielectric structure comprising at least one layer having a hole-tunneling barrier height; a charge storage layer disposed above the tunnel dielectric structure; an insulating layer disposed above the charge storage layer; and a gate electrode disposed above the insulating layer are described along with arrays and methods of operation. |
| US07688625B2 |
Circuit arrangement and method for operating a circuit arrangement
A circuit arrangement includes a nonvolatile memory cell having a continuously variable characteristic that can be read out. A programming unit is coupled to the memory cell and designed to apply an analog signal to the memory cell in order to vary the characteristic, if the characteristic lies within a predetermined range of values, in such a way that the characteristic lies outside the predetermined range of values. A supply voltage unit is provided for providing a supply voltage. A changeover unit is coupled to the supply voltage unit and to the programming unit and designed to trigger the application of the analog signal to the memory cell if the supply voltage is interrupted. |
| US07688623B2 |
Magnetic memory cell and magnetic memory device
The present invention aims to reduce heat fluctuations of a memory cell and thereby provide a stable writing operation when a magnetization reversal process not involving a reversal magnetic field is used for writing into the memory cell. The magnetic memory cell has a structure where first and second magnetization pinned terminals are connected, with a space therebetween, to one surface of a non-magnetic region, and a magnetization free terminal is connected to the other surface. Magnetization directions of the first and second magnetization pinned terminals are anti-parallel to each other. Writing is performed by controlling a polarity of a current flowing between the first and second magnetization pinned terminals through the non-magnetic region and thus reversing magnetization of the magnetization free terminal. Reading is performed by detecting a magnetic resistance attributable to a change in relative magnetization direction between the first magnetization pinned terminal and the magnetization free terminal. |
| US07688620B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and related methods of operation
In a nonvolatile memory device, a program operation is performed on a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells by programming data having a first logic state in a first group among a plurality of selected memory cells selected from the plurality of nonvolatile memory cells during a first program interval of the program operation, and thereafter, programming data having a second logic state different from the first logic state in a second group among the selected memory cells during a second program interval of the program operation after the first program interval. |
| US07688617B2 |
MRAM and operation method of the same
An operation method of an MRAM of the present invention is an operation method of the MRAM in which a data write operation is carried out in a toggle write. The operation method of the present invention includes: (A) reading a data from a data cell by using a reference signal which is generated by using a reference cell; (B) performing an error detection on the read data; (C) correcting the data stored in the data cell, when an error is detected in the read data; (D) reading the data from the data cell as a first re-read data after the (C), when the error is detected in the read data, (E) performing the error detection on the first re-read data; (F) correcting the data stored in the reference cell, when an error is detected in the first re-read data; (G) reading the data from the data cell as a second re-read data after the (F), when the error is detected in the first re-read data; (H) performing the error detection on the second re-read data; and (I) correcting the data stored in the data cell again, when the error is detected in the second re-read data. |
| US07688616B2 |
Device and method of programming a magnetic memory element
Thus, the present disclosure provides a method of programming a memory array. At least one memory cell including a magnetic element is provided. At least one current source coupled to the magnetic element is provided. A unipolar current is supplied from the at least one current source to the magnetic element at a plurality of non-zero current levels. |
| US07688615B2 |
Magnetic random access memory, manufacturing method and programming method thereof
A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and a manufacturing method and a programming method thereof are provided. The magnetic random access memory comprises a first magnetic tunnel junction structure and a second magnetic tunnel junction structure. The second magnetic tunnel junction structure is electrically connected with the first magnetic tunnel junction structure, and the volume of the second magnetic tunnel junction structure is smaller than that of the first magnetic tunnel junction structure. |
| US07688614B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device can prevent memory characteristics from deteriorating due to IR drop on word or bit lines in a cross-point type memory cell array. The device comprises a word line selection circuit selecting a selected word line from word lines and applying selected and unselected word line voltages to the selected and unselected word lines, respectively, a bit line selection circuit selecting a selected bit line from bit lines and applying selected and unselected bit line voltages to the selected and unselected bit lines, respectively, and voltage control circuits preventing voltage fluctuation of at least either one of the word and bit lines, wherein at least either one of the word and bit lines are connected to the voltage control circuits at a voltage control point positioned at a farthest point from a drive point connected to the word line selection circuit or bit line selection circuit. |
| US07688613B2 |
Method and system for controlling multiple electrical fuses with one program device
A fuse circuit comprising one or more one-time programmable electrical fuses; one or more unidirectional conductive devices each coupled to one of the fuses; a programming device coupled to the unidirectional conductive devices; and a selection module coupled to the electrical fuses for selecting a predetermined electrical fuse, wherein upon a selection by the selection module, a programming current is introduced through at least one selected electrical fuse, wherein the selection module is an N-to-one multiplexer selecting one of the N number of electrical fuses to be programmed, and the unidirectional conductive devices not coupled to the selected electrical fuse to prevent the programming current from interfering with the remaining electrical fuses. |
| US07688609B1 |
Content addressable memory having dynamic match resolution
A content addressable memory (CAM) architecture. For one embodiment, the CAM architecture includes a plurality of rows of CAM cells, each row configured to generate match results on a corresponding match line, a number of comparand lines, each coupled to a corresponding CAM cell in each of the plurality of rows of CAM cells, a plurality of timed storage circuits, each having a data input coupled to a corresponding match line and having an enable input coupled to an enable signal line, a timing generator configured to generate an enable signal on the enable signal line, and a plurality of load elements. |
| US07688608B2 |
Reference voltage change in a digital power supply
An example disclosed method to handle a reference voltage change in a digital power supply includes receiving a first value associated with a first reference voltage having a first voltage magnitude at a digital signal processor of a digital power supply, comparing the first reference voltage to an output voltage of the digital power supply, controlling the digital power supply based on the comparison between the first reference voltage and the output voltage, receiving a second value associated with a second reference voltage having a second voltage magnitude, determining that the first voltage magnitude is different than the second voltage magnitude, in response to determining that the second voltage magnitude is different than the first voltage magnitude, determining a voltage profile, and controlling the digital power supply based on the voltage profile. |
| US07688607B2 |
Voltage regulator with inductor banks
A voltage regulator coupled to an unregulated DC input voltage source by an input terminal, and to a load by an output terminal is disclosed. The voltage regulator converts an input voltage at the input terminal to an output voltage at the output terminal. The voltage regulator includes one or more slaves, and each slave includes a switching circuit which serves as a power switch for alternately coupling and decoupling the input terminal to an intermediate node. The voltage regulator also includes a filter coupled to the slaves, the filter including one or more inductor banks each of which having a predetermined number of inductors. |
| US07688606B2 |
Power supply control device and precharge processing method
Upon receiving a start instruction, a control device turns on first and third system main relays, and performs precharge processing for charging a capacitor. Here, a limiting resistor for preventing an inrush current into the capacitor in a discharged state at the time of start is not provided in a load drive device. The control device controls a gate voltage of a power MOSFET of the third system main relay such that the power MOSFET operates in a saturation region, in a range not exceeding a maximum rated power. |
| US07688604B2 |
AC voltage output apparatus and hybrid vehicle including the same
A first inverter control unit includes a harmonic generation unit. The harmonic generation unit generates a harmonic voltage instruction having a phase opposite to a harmonic generated at a neutral point of a motor-generator when the motor-generator revolves, based on motor revolution number of the motor-generator. A PWM signal generation unit generates a signal based on a voltage instruction obtained by superimposing an AC voltage instruction from an AC output control unit and the harmonic voltage instruction from the harmonic generation unit onto each voltage instruction of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase from a conversion unit. |
| US07688603B2 |
Arrangement for monitoring a frequency converter
An arrangement and method for monitoring a frequency converter, the frequency converter being a voltage-controlled PWM frequency converter provided with a control unit and having an uncontrolled or a main-frequency controlled main bridge connectable to an alternating-current source (UL1, UL2, UL3), a direct-voltage intermediate circuit and a controlled load bridge for producing a variable-frequency multi-phase output voltage (UU, UV, UW), which direct-voltage intermediate circuit of the frequency converter is provided with a small-capacitance direct-voltage capacitor, the main bridge being connected to the load bridge directly without a large-capacitance direct-voltage capacitor functioning as an intermediate energy storage, and the arrangement includes a measuring unit for measuring the direct voltage of the intermediate voltage circuit. In the arrangement, the measuring unit measures at least one quantity of the intermediate-circuit direct voltage, and the control unit determines on the basis of the aforesaid quantity at least one input voltage value and/or a failure situation of the frequency converter or its load circuit. |
| US07688602B2 |
Synchronous rectifier control circuit and method
Circuit and method for controlling a synchronous rectifier. A circuit for monitoring the drain to source voltage of an SR transistor in a secondary side circuit of a voltage converter is disclosed, having a circuit for generating a gate control circuit for the SR MOSFET; the circuit preventing subsequent gate control signals until a primary turn on detection signal is received. In another embodiment a circuit for generating the primary turn on detection signal is provided. A method for controlling an SR transistor is disclosed comprising monitoring the drain to source voltage of the SR MOSFET, generating a gate control output, and preventing subsequent gate control output signals until a primary turn on detection signal is received. In another method embodiment a method for generating the primary turn on detection signal is disclosed. An SR embodiment incorporating the control circuit embodiments is disclosed. |
| US07688600B2 |
Multi-Resonance converter
In a multi-resonance converter for converting a first DC voltage into a second DC voltage, wherein the output of a half-bridge comprising semiconductor switches is connected through a resonance capacitor to the primary winding of a transformer and the secondary winding of the transformer, together with rectifier elements, an output inductor and an output capacitor, forms a current output, it is proposed that a controller, which can be supplied which the voltage across the output capacitor and a reference voltage, should control the semiconductor switches alternately so that one of the semiconductor switches is respectively turned on at a predetermined time after the other semiconductor switch is turned off. Preferably, the frequency is controlled in an upper range of the drawn power while in a lower range of the drawn power, the mark-space ratio is controlled for selected respectively constant frequencies. |
| US07688598B2 |
Substantially continuous layer of embedded transient protection for printed circuit boards
The protection of sensitive components on printed circuit boards by using planar transient protection material in one or more layers of a printed circuit board stackup is disclosed. |
| US07688587B2 |
Cooling device for cooling a heat-generating component, and electronic apparatus having the cooling device
A cooling device comprises a heat radiating portion, heat-transferring component, such as a heat pipe, a fan and a support member. The heat radiating portion radiates the heat generated by the heat-generating component. The heat-transferring component transfers the heat generated by the heat-generating component, from the heat receiving portion to the heat radiating portion. The fan applies cooling air to the heat radiating portion. The fan is coupled to the heat radiating portion. The support member includes a first part to hold the heat radiating portion, and a second part to hold the fan. |
| US07688585B2 |
Fan mounting apparatus for heat dissipation
A fan mounting apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic device, the mounting apparatus includes a bracket (50) and a fan module (40). The bracket defines an opening (57), two vertical slots (59) at opposite sides of the opening and two fixing holes (58) under the slots and aligned with the respective slots. The fan module includes a fan (10) and a pair of clamping members (30). The pair of clamping members respectively attached to opposite sides of the fan, an engaging portion (35) formed on each clamping member for engaging with the corresponding slot of the bracket, and each engaging portion has a sliding portion (351) and a clamping portion (353), wherein each sliding portion is capable of being received in the corresponding slot, and the clamping portion engaging with the fixing hole. |
| US07688582B2 |
Electrical device cooling structure in vehicle
In a power supply unit disposed below a floor behind a seat, battery modules are disposed in a lower position, and a DC/DC converter and a motor driving inverter are disposed side by side in a vehicle width direction above the battery modules. Thus, cooling air flowing from the front side to the rear side of a vehicle body is divided into upper and lower portions to cool in parallel the DC/DC converter and the motor driving inverter on the upper side and the battery modules on the lower side. Thus, it is possible to simplify a passage of the cooling air to reduce the size of the entire power supply unit, and improve mountability of the power supply unit on the vehicle body. Also, it is possible to apply low temperature cooling air, before heat exchange, to the battery module, the DC/DC converter, and the motor driving inverter. |
| US07688576B2 |
Disk drive mounting system
A disk drive holder for removably receiving a disk drive to removably mount the drive on a drive mounting cage, comprising a first structure configured to engage a first corner edge of the disk drive housing that is located at a juncture of the front end and the first side of the drive housing. The holder may also include a second structure configured to engage a second corner edge of the disk drive housing that is located at a juncture of the rear end and the second side such that opposite corner edges of the drive housing are engaged when the drive housing is positioned in the holder. The holder further includes a connecting structure connecting the first structure and the second structure together. A mounting cage may receive the holder, and may have an aperture engaged by an engaging tab on the holder to resist removal from the cage. |
| US07688575B2 |
Display device and information processing apparatus
A display device includes: a display panel unit having a display screen on which information is displayed; and a housing having a front housing section that covers the edge of the display screen of the display panel unit and a back housing section that covers the back of the display panel unit. One of the front housing section and the back housing section covers an exterior of the other when the front housing section and the back housing section engage each other at a flank of the display panel unit, the one has a projection formed inside thereof, and the other has an opening in which the projection is engaged. |
| US07688573B2 |
Enclosure and cover assembly therefor
A cover assembly is provided for an enclosure, such as an electrical enclosure. The enclosure includes a panel member and a plurality of sides extending outwardly from the panel member to define an interior. The cover assembly includes an inner cover, at least one fastening mechanism fastening the inner cover to the enclosure, a trim member at least partially overlaying the inner cover, and at least one biasing assembly coupling the trim member to the inner cover. The at least one biasing assembly biases the trim member toward the inner cover, and is structured to bias the trim member toward an exterior surface of a structure, such as a building wall, to which the electrical enclosure is coupled. |
| US07688571B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a base substrate, a capacitor element, a metal cap, an extractor terminal and an insulating member. The base substrate has electrical conductivity. The capacitor element is provided on the base substrate. The metal cap is coupled to the base substrate and covers the capacitor element. The extractor terminal passes through the base substrate, is coupled to an anode of the capacitor element, and includes a first conductive member acting as a core member and a second conductive member covering the first conductive member. The insulating member is provided between the base substrate and the extractor terminal. Electrical conductivity of the first conductive member is higher than that of the second conductive member. Thermal expansion coefficient of the second conductive member is less than that of the insulating member. |
| US07688570B2 |
Capacitor with nanotubes and method for fabricating the same
A capacitor with nanotubes and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The capacitor includes: a lower electrode including a patterned conductive layer and a plurality of nanotubes formed on the patterned conductive layer in the shape of whiskers without using a catalytic layer; a dielectric layer formed on the lower electrode; and an upper electrode formed on the dielectric layer. The method includes the steps of: forming a conductive layer for forming a lower electrode; forming a nanotube array including a plurality of nanotubes formed on the conductive layer without using a catalytic layer; forming a dielectric layer on the nanotube array; and forming an upper electrode on the dielectric layer. |
| US07688559B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protective circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit using the same
An electrostatic discharge protective circuit including an ESD protective circuit which has a trigger terminal and forms a discharge path from a first node to a second node when trigger signals are supplied to the trigger terminal, a trigger circuit included in a circuit to be protected which is connected between the first and second nodes, the trigger circuit having a first MOS device, and which functions as a part of the circuit to be protected at the time of normal operation when ESD voltage is not applied, and forms a conductive path between a drain and source of the MOS device when ESD voltage of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first node during a normal operation, and supplying the trigger signals to the trigger terminal of the ESD protective circuit when the first MOS device becomes conductive. |
| US07688554B2 |
Digital magnetoresistance sensor
A digital MR sensor with a high magnetoresistance ratio is provided. The MR sensor includes a first magnetic element; and a second magnetic element at least a part of which is resiliently deformable so as to contact with or be separated from the first magnetic element according to a direction of a magnetic force generated between the first and second magnetic elements while the second magnetic element is magnetized under influence of an external magnetic field. |
| US07688547B2 |
Mechanism for read/write device, read/write device, and method of cleaning read/write head
A head cleaning mechanism for a read/write device includes an arm with serially connected arm members that supports a cleaning component. The arm members fold as the arm is wound about a shaft formed on a guide plate which guides a stud attached to the arm as it is wound in a dead space of a corner of the device. |
| US07688545B1 |
Recording head writer with high magnetic moment material at the writer gap and associated process
A magnetic recording head with an overall planar design and tight dimensional control of throat height and notch width is achieved below the gap. Writer poles include very high magnetic moment material on both sides of the writer gap. Additionally the pole tips are shaped to provide high field with good spatial gradient for optimal writing conditions, thereby extending the capability of longitudinal recording heads for high density and high frequency applications. |
| US07688544B1 |
Magnetic heads disk drives and methods with floating pole tip or shunted pole tip for reduced pole tip erasure
A write head includes a write return yoke, a write yoke connected to the write return yoke, conductive coils surrounding the write yoke, a write pole tip, and a non-magnetic spacer connecting the write pole tip to the write yoke. The non-magnetic spacer allows for reducing a magnetization of the write pole tip due to a remnant magnetic field in the write yoke. In another embodiment, the write head comprises a write shield, a write return yoke, a write yoke, conductive coils, a write pole tip, and a saturable yoke shunt connecting the write pole tip and the write shield. The saturable yoke shunt directs a limited amount of magnetic flux from the write pole tip to the write shield, such that when there is a remnant magnetic field in the write pole tip, the magnetic flux is directed to the write shield rather than to a disk. |
| US07688542B2 |
Method to identify short spirals
A method for writing servo onto a disk of a hard disk drive with a servo writer. The method includes writing a plurality of spiral servo signals onto a disk. The spiral servo signals include a plurality of short spirals separated by unequal distances. The short spirals are detected by determining the unequal distances and used to write a plurality of servo patterns. The unequal distances provide information of the short spirals at different quadrants of the disk. The distances between a bank of odd short spirals is different than a bank of even short spirals which allows the servo writer to determine whether the bank is odd or even without switching banks. Either the even or odd bank of short spirals can be used to locate a starting reference point from which the servo writer can count spirals and write A, B, C and D servo bursts. |
| US07688540B1 |
Disk drive selecting TPI profile by estimating head geometry
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk and a head actuated radially over the disk. The head is positioned over a first radial location, and a first data tracks per inch (TPI—1) is selected for data tracks recorded near the first radial location. The head is positioned over a second radial location, and a second data tracks per inch (TPI—2) is selected for data tracks recorded near the second radial location. The head is positioned over a third radial location, and a third data tracks per inch (TPI—3) is selected for data tracks recorded near the third radial location. A geometry of the head is estimated in response to TPI—1, TPI—2 and TPI—3. |
| US07688538B1 |
Disk drive comprising a disk surface having track addresses of varying width
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk surface having a plurality of servo sectors for defining a plurality of servo tracks, and a head actuated radially over the disk surface. A first servo sector defines a first servo track comprising a first track address having a first width, and a second servo sector defines a second servo track comprising a second track address having a second width substantially less than the first width. In one embodiment the servo sectors are written using an external servo writer or media writer, and in another embodiment the servo sectors are self-servo written by the disk drive. |
| US07688537B2 |
Thin-film magnetic head with heating element for adjusting magnetic spacing and control method of magnetic spacing
A thin-film magnetic head that the protrusion response of the write head element due to the heat generated from the heating element can be set to the same level as that due to the heat generated from the write coil layer in order to adequately resolve the deficiency in the writing performance during the starting period of writing, is provided. The head comprises: at least one write head element including a magnetic pole layer; and at least one first heating element generating a heat to expand the at least one write head element thermally, the at least one first heating element being contacted with the magnetic pole layer. |
| US07688528B2 |
Mount for optical component having independent multi-axial control
A mount for an optical component is disclosed that provides the flexibility of independently adjusting the position and orientation of the optical component along and about one or more axes. In an exemplary embodiment, the mount includes a support element for supporting the optical component; one or more rotational adjustment elements for rotating said support element independently about one or more axes, respectively; and one or more linear adjustment elements for moving said support element independently along one or more axes. The adjustment elements may be manually adjustable and/or may be adjustable by an actuator. In the latter case, the actuator may be electronically controlled by a controller. The optical component may be a reflective, transmissive, or reflective/transmissive optical device, such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, beam splitters, and others. |
| US07688527B1 |
Inclined reading magnification stand
A portable magnification stand includes an upper planar lens unit that holds a lens for magnifying objects. Swingable extensions to the upper planar lens unit shaped as trapezoidal planar materials can be used in lieu of adjustable arms to provide the appropriate magnification in a more compact and lighter weight design. These extensions are longer in the front portion of the stand compared with the back portion of the stand causing the magnification of objects to appear greater near the front portion of the upper planar lens unit compared with objects near the near the back portion of the upper planar lens unit. |
| US07688523B2 |
Image pickup lens
An image pickup lens is provided for forming an image of an object on a photoelectrical converter of a solid-state image pickup element. The image pickup lens includes, in order from an object side thereof: an aperture stop; a first lens having a positive refractive power; a second lens having a negative refractive power and including a concave surface facing an image side of the image pickup lens; a third lens including an aspheric surface; and a fourth lens including an aspheric surface. The image pickup lens satisfies predetermined conditions relating to a curvature radius of the surface of the second lens facing the image side and a refractive power of the third lens. |
| US07688522B2 |
Lens and optical system
A lens has a convex or concave shaped smooth non-spherical surface or non-circular curve which is formed of a medium indicating negative refraction. |
| US07688518B2 |
Fluid lens lateral shifting
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of constructing a fluid lens is provided. The method comprises establishing a generalized sidewall profile function and converting the generalized sidewall profile function to a plurality of lens sidewall contact angle functions defined by different combinations of sidewall profile parameters. Thereafter, the method comprises determining respective degrees of operational linearity of the lens sidewall contact angle functions over a range of positions along the x axis by assessing derivative uniformity of each of the lens sidewall contact angle functions within an established slope flatness metric ε. The respective degrees of operational linearity of the lens sidewall contact angle functions are then evaluated to identify an optimized sidewall profile. A fluid lens is then constructed by forming the fluid lens reservoir having at least one sidewall with the optimized sidewall profile. |
| US07688508B2 |
Diffusion sheet, rear projection screen provided with diffusion sheet, method of manufacturing mold for diffusion sheet, and method of manufacturing diffusion sheet
In a diffusion sheet, a plurality of approximately trapezoidal columnar unit lens portions are disposed such that the long-axis directions thereof are in parallel with each other, and all the surfaces of the unit lens portions, which correspond to the long bottom segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections of the unit lens portions are disposed on a light-incident-side flat surface. Further, light absorbing portions are disposed in the grooves between adjacent unit lens portions to absorb and/or shield external light incident from a light outgoing side. In the diffusion sheet arranged as described above, light incident on the unit lens portions from a light incident side is totally reflected on the surfaces corresponding to the side segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections vertical to the long-axis direction of the unit lens portions and outgoes from the light outgoing side. |
| US07688507B2 |
Diffusion sheet, rear projection screen provided with diffusion sheet, method of manufacturing mold for diffusion sheet, and method of manufacturing diffusion sheet
In a diffusion sheet, a plurality of approximately trapezoidal columnar unit lens portions are disposed such that the long-axis directions thereof are in parallel with each other, and all the surfaces of the unit lens portions, which correspond to the long bottom segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections of the unit lens portions are disposed on a light-incident-side flat surface. Further, light absorbing portions are disposed in the grooves between adjacent unit lens portions to absorb and/or shield external light incident from a light outgoing side. In the diffusion sheet arranged as described above, light incident on the unit lens portions from a light incident side is totally reflected on the surfaces corresponding to the side segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections vertical to the long-axis direction of the unit lens portions and outgoes from the light outgoing side. |
| US07688505B2 |
Simultaneous observation of darkfield images and fluorescence using filter and diaphragm
An annular diaphragm and filter used for the simultaneous observation of darkfield images and fluorescence. The diaphragm has a variable diameter controlled by a lever and a removable filter. The diaphragm is used to adjust the amount of unfiltered incident light which produces darkfield images when directed on a sample. The removable filter is used to filter light to a particular frequency for producing fluorescence images. An Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter, or other such tunable filter may be used with the diaphragm. A method of using the diaphragm and filter is also disclosed. |
| US07688504B2 |
Optical scanning microscope
Microscope, in particular an optical scanning microscope with illumination of a specimen via a beam splitter, which is arranged in an objective pupil and includes at least a reflecting first portion and at least a transmitting second portion, whereby the reflecting portion serves to couple in the illumination light and the transmitting portion serves to pass the detection light in the detection direction or the transmitting portion serves to couple in the illumination light and the reflecting portion serves to couple out the detection light, with a first scanning arrangement. Means are provided in the detection light path for the overlay of at least one further scanning arrangement for illumination and detection. |
| US07688503B2 |
Microscopy system and microscopy method for plural observers
A microscopy system allows to superimpose a light optically generated microscopic image of an object with an electronically generated image. The electronically generated image is composed of two input images, one of which is independent of optical settings of an ocular tube, such as a rotational position and a magnification thereof, and the other input image is dependent of the optical setting. |
| US07688498B2 |
Optical amplifier and optical monitor circuit
An optical amplifier of the present invention comprises: an optical amplifying circuit which amplifies a signal light; an optical reflection medium which is disposed on an optical fiber connected to the optical amplifying circuit and is capable of reflecting a noise light which exists in a predetermined wavelength range outside a signal band, among noise lights generated in said optical amplifying circuit, to radiate the reflected noise light to the outside of a core of the optical fiber; a light receiver which receives the noise light reflected to be radiated to the outside of the core of the optical fiber by the optical reflection medium, to detect the power of the noise light; and a computation circuit which computes the total power of the noise lights generated in the optical amplifying circuit based on the detection result of the light receiver. Thus, it is possible to provide at a low cost an optical amplifier provided with a monitoring function capable of detecting high accurately, with a simple optical circuit configuration, the noise light power and the like generated when the signal light is amplified. |
| US07688496B2 |
Display medium, display device and display method
The invention provides a display medium having a dimmer layer which comprises at least two kinds of charged mobile fine particles. Each of the at least two kinds of the charged mobile fine particles respectively has different coloration and a different mobility, and the charged mobile fine particles of at least one kind of the at least two kinds show coloration when in a dispersed state. The invention further provides a display device having an electric field forming unit and the dimmer layer. The invention further provides a display method which uses the display medium and includes putting the charged mobile fine particles of at least one of the kinds being dispersed while having other charged mobile fine particles not being dispersed. |
| US07688495B2 |
Thin-film coatings, electro-optic elements and assemblies incorporating these elements
Electro-optic elements are becoming commonplace in a number of vehicular and architectural applications. Various electro-optic element configurations provide variable transmittance and or variable reflectance for windows and mirrors. The present invention relates to various thin-film coatings, electro-optic elements and assemblies incorporating these elements. |
| US07688494B2 |
Electrode and interconnect materials for MEMS devices
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device is presented which comprises a metallized semiconductor. The metallized semiconductor can be used for conductor applications because of its low resistivity, and for transistor applications because of its semiconductor properties. In addition, the metallized semiconductor can be tuned to have optical properties which allow it to be useful for optical MEMS devices. |
| US07688493B2 |
Non-fourier pulse-shapers including a combined pulse-shaper and pulse-compressor
A pulse-shaper for temporally shaping an optical pulse includes a prism or a grism arranged to disperse the optical pulse into a diverging fan of spectral-component rays. The fan of spectral-component rays is collimated by a lens or another grism. The collimated spectral-component rays are selectively modulated by a spatial-light-modulator (SLM). The modulated rays from the SLM are either recombined to form the temporally shaped pulse by another lens and another prism, another two grisms, or by the same lens and prism or the same two grisms. |
| US07688488B2 |
Image reading device and image forming apparatus including the same
An image reading device including a plurality of image sensors configured to read image data of an original document, each of which having a reading range overlapping in a main scanning direction with an adjacent image sensor among the plurality of image sensors, and a gamma correction mechanism configured to conduct gamma correction to correct linearity of respective output characteristics of the plurality of image sensors, based on gamma correction data produced according to an output characteristic of a reference image sensor selected from the plurality of image sensors. The reference image sensor and the adjacent image sensor read identical input data, and the gamma correction mechanism compares the results, obtains a difference between the results, and adjusts the output characteristic of the adjacent image sensor to the output characteristic of the reference image sensor. |