| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08020520B2 |
Method and composition for washing poultry during processing
The present invention relates to compositions including peroxyacetic acid and peroxyoctanoic acid and methods for reducing microbial contamination on poultry. The methods include the step of applying a mixed peroxycarboxylic acid composition to poultry. |
| US08020517B2 |
Integrated system for transporting live poultry
Disclosed herein is a poultry cage transportation assembly including: a plurality of improved poultry cages including: a floor panel; a wall frame connected to the floor panel with an tongue and groove fastener; a protrusion disposed on an edge portion of the wall frame; and a mechanical fastener operable for securing adjacent wall frames, wherein the floor panel, the wall frame, and the protrusions are constructed of unitary a durable polymer material; a light-weight trailer; and a binding system designed to secure the plurality of improved poultry cages to the light weight trailer. |
| US08020512B2 |
Pattern formation device
A pattern formation device includes a conveyance table, a pair of guide rails, a carriage, a plurality of droplet discharge heads, an inspection camera, a camera base, a linear motor, a motor housing case, a moving cable, and a cable housing case. The motor housing case is disposed along the guide rails to accommodate the linear motor and has a guide opening configured and arranged to guide the camera base. The cable housing case is disposed along the motor housing case to accommodate the moving cable and has a window section through which a distal end of the moving cable follows a reciprocal operation of the inspection camera. The cable housing case or one of the guide rails has an exhaust vent to discharge air around the carriage by suction through the window section of the cable housing case or the guide opening of the motor housing case. |
| US08020510B2 |
Coating die having front and back concave surfaces corresponding to narrow central angles of the guide roll
A liquid applicator comprises a guide roll for guiding a sheet, and a slit die, having a slit with an opening extending in an axial direction of the guide roll, for applying a liquid to a surface of the sheet guided by the guide roll. On the rear side of the opening in a rotating direction of the guide roll, the slit die further includes a front lip having a concave surface corresponding to the guide roll. The front lip opposes the guide roll by such a length FA in the rotating direction RD of the guide roll as to have a central angle θ of 0.95° to 3.0° about an axis O of the guide roll. |
| US08020509B2 |
Apparatus, systems, and methods involving cold spray coating
A cold spray coating system comprising, a cold spray coating gun having a nozzle member operative to emit a stream of gas and granules of a coating material from a nozzle opening defined by the nozzle member such that the granules of the coating material impact and bond with a first region of a substrate, and a heat source member operative heat the first region of the substrate. |
| US08020503B2 |
Automated surgical implant sewing system and method
A system and method for assembling a prosthetic heart valve, including a procedure for sewing fabric around a heart valve support stent. The system includes a support stent handling component that works in conjunction with a sewing machine component. The sewing machine has a bobbin, and the system includes a non-contact sensor to monitor the passage of a needle thread loop over the bobbin. The sensor may be a monitoring laser, and a controlling processor receives information therefrom for 100% real-time inspection of each stitch. The occurrence of an unsuccessful stitch may prompt the processor to repeat the stitch at a slower speed. The automation of the fabric sewing procedure greatly enhances manufacturing throughput and reduces ergonomic strain on workers. |
| US08020501B2 |
Sewing machine
A controller of a sewing machine configured to execute a pre-positioning operation including controlling a needle bar driving mechanism, based on a thickness of a workpiece cloth detected by a thickness detection mechanism and a vertical position of a needle bar detected by a needle bar position detection mechanism, to stop a needle bar at a preset position immediately before a tip of a sewing needle pierces the workpiece cloth, controlling a pressure adjustment mechanism to adjust a pressure of a presser foot at a predetermined pressure that allows movement of the workpiece cloth, and controlling a feed dog switching mechanism to switch a feed dog to an inoperative state. |
| US08020499B2 |
Apparatus and method for pyrolysis of scrap tyres and the like
A reactor (107) for pyrolysis of carbonizable plastic and rubber materials is disclosed including at least an earlier stage reaction chamber (401) and a later stage reaction chamber (105), in which the earlier stage reaction chamber receives the materials for pyrolysis, and the later stage reaction chamber receives treated materials from the earlier stage reaction chamber for subsequent pyrolysis, and the reactor (107) includes a three-way valve (407) for directing the gaseous pyrolysis products from the later stage reaction chamber to one of three pathways, each to a different destination. |
| US08020497B2 |
Two-tiered, interlocking, knockdown furniture
A two-tiered, interlocking, knockdown, sturdy furniture article such as a table, stool or stand which is fabricated and assembled easily from sheet-like material. Two (2) table tops are fabricated by being cut from two (2) base members. The lower table top rests horizontally and is vertically supported by a supporting means within inside walls of the interlocked base members. The upper table top is vertically supported by upper table top receiving ends of the assembled base members. The disassembled primary components can be arranged in a compact orientation for storage or transportation. The disassembled lower table top fits flush within the base member it was cut from and the other base member and upper table top can be similarly flatly arranged and stacked on top. |
| US08020493B2 |
Track-switching device and method
The present disclosure provides an apparatus for switching a vehicle from a first track to a second track. The track-switching device may be rotated by a motor, and may have a drive axle and a primary axle. The drive axle may have a barrel located at one end of the drive axle, the barrel having a plurality of switch tracks located thereon and a braking assembly connected to the drive axle and spaced from the barrel. The primary axle may have a flywheel and a clutch assembly. The drive axle may then be driven by the primary axle upon engagement of the clutch assembly via the motor and the energy stored in the flywheel. A method for switching a vehicle from a first track to a second track is also provided. |
| US08020486B2 |
Operating device
The objective of the present invention is to provide a device that accurately communicates a subtle variation of an operation side to an action side. Specifically, in the present invention, an operating device is provided to perform a lock release operation of an extension device. The operating device feeds oil to a valve chamber by pressing a piston. When the flow rate of the fed oil is excessive, the valve is pressed to an opening resisting a biasing force of a compressed spring, thereby a rapid increase in the oil supplied to the action section is suppressed. Further, the supplied oil is suppressed to a very small amount by the throttle section, thereby an increase in the operation amount on the action section side is suppressed while maintaining the supply of the oil. |
| US08020479B2 |
Trimming apparatus
A trimming apparatus includes a base, a ridge portion protruding from the base, a sliding block mounted on the base, a fixing member, and a trimming tool. The base defines a sliding groove. The sliding block is slidably engaged in the sliding groove and defines a holding groove receiving a workpiece to be trimmed. The fixing member is fixes the sliding block in the sliding groove. The trimming tool is arranged over the base. The trimming tool has a main body and a blade facing and aligned with the ridge portion, and moves toward the ridge portion to trim the workpiece. |
| US08020477B2 |
Guide fence for cutting machine, and cutting machine having same
A cutting machine includes a main body in which a rotary blade is included, a base over which a workpiece is to be placed, and a guide fence mountable to the base. The main body is provided above the base in such a manner that the main body is movable upward and downward, and a longitudinal direction of the guide fence is perpendicular to the rotary blade as viewed from top when the guide fence is mounted to the base. The guide fence provides a guide surface that extends in the longitudinal direction of the guide fence and is configured to be rendered perpendicular to a top face of the base when the guide fence is mounted to the base. The guide fence includes a stopper that is configured to project from the guide surface, to be movable upward and downward, and to be fixed at any level. |
| US08020476B2 |
Plate-dividing system for dividing plate-shaped workpieces, and method for the operation thereof
A plate dividing-system includes a first advancing device for moving plate-shaped workpieces, the first advancing device having a first support and a plurality of first gripping mechanisms, the plate dividing-system having a second advancing device for moving plate-shaped workpieces, the second advancing device having a second support and at least a second gripping mechanism. In addition, the plate dividing-system features a feed area that extends transversely to the advancing device, in which feed area the workpieces to be moved are arranged. The second support is arranged laterally outside the feed area and is movable in the direction of feed. |
| US08020471B2 |
Method for manufacturing a drill bit
In one aspect of the present invention, a drill bit has a body intermediate a shank and a working face, the working face comprising a plurality of blades formed on the working face and extending outwardly from the bit body. Each blade comprises at least one cutting element. The drill bit also has a jack element coaxial with an axis of rotation and extending out of an opening formed in the working face. A portion of the jack element is coated with a stop-off. |
| US08020464B2 |
Gear pairs for power transmission in speed increaser or reducer and methods of forming the same
This disclosure relates to a gear pair for power transmission in a speed increaser or reducer and its tooth profile forming method. The tooth profiles of driving gear and driven gear are separately designed from reference points. The upper tooth profiles are composed of conjugate curves, while the lower tooth profiles are composed of smooth convex analytic curves. The reference point of the driven gear is located adjacent the middle of the working depth. The reference point on the tooth profile of the driving gear and the reference point on the driven gear tooth flank are a pair of conjugate points. |
| US08020462B2 |
Ball screw/nut type linear actuator
A ball screw/nut type linear actuator (1) where a ball nut (32) moves in forward-backward directions by rotation of a ball screw shaft (31) connected to a motor (22), wherein the ball screw shaft (31) is connected and fixed, in a small diameter hollow section (22c) of the motor shaft (22), to the motor shaft so that a part of the locus of the movement of the ball nut (32) also enters into a large diameter hollow section (22a) of the motor shaft (22). The construction eliminates the need of a coupling for connecting the motor shaft (22) and the ball screw shaft (31) and enables the ball screw shaft (31) to be supported together with the motor shaft (22) by bearings (27, 28) of the motor. As a result, a support bearing for supporting the ball screw shaft can be eliminated. Thus, a short and light linear actuator is realized. |
| US08020452B2 |
Apparatus for measuring a volume flow rate of a controlled medium in a pipeline
A device for measuring the volume flow rate of the controlled medium in a pipeline comprises first and second transmitting-receiving radiators installed and spaced on the pipeline and alternately fed with ultrasonic signals. Received after they have passed in and counter the direction of the flow, the signals are digitized and stored. Times of signal transmission in and counter the direction of the flow of the medium and the difference of the times are calculated. Providing an additional unit for the time difference calculation, applying a correlation measuring method and increasing the sampling rate enhance the accuracy in measuring the volume. |
| US08020451B2 |
System and method for conditioning and detection of moisture damage in asphalt mixes
An apparatus and method for determination of susceptibility of asphalt concrete materials to moisture damage. An asphalt sample of known bulk specific gravity (density) is placed inside a chamber filled with water, which is capable of heating the sample to a pre-determined temperature. The chamber is pressurized by introduction of air pressure to a flexible membrane that decreases the volume within a chamber containing the sample and water, increasing the pore pressure in the sample. The pressure is then released and allowed to come to ambient pressure. This process is repeated a predetermined number of times (cycles). When a selected number of cycles are complete, the asphalt sample is removed from the chamber and its bulk specific gravity (density) measured again. The difference between the density before and after conditioning is an excellent method of rating the degree at which moisture would deteriorate asphalt samples due to introduction of moisture. The cyclic nature of the increased/decreased pore pressure is observed to significantly decrease bulk specific gravity (density) for poor quality asphalt designs. Furthermore, the sample conditioned by this method can be used for other conventional mechanical test methods, such as tensile strength and modulus determination. Computerized controls are used to automate the procedure and to record and display data from sensors. |
| US08020449B2 |
Pressure sensor with secondary seal
An apparatus for sensing pressure is provided comprising a housing, electronics, a pressure sensor and a secondary seal. The housing comprises an interior bore and a first end, with the interior bore forming an opening at the first end. The electronics may be disposed in the interior bore. The pressure sensor is mounted at the first end of the interior bore. The pressure sensor may be operatively connected to send signals to the electronics in response to external fluid pressure. The pressure sensor may, at least in part, form a primary seal at the first end of the interior bore. The secondary seal may be disposed in the interior bore in between the pressure sensor and the electronics. The secondary seal may be configured to act as a backup seal to the primary seal. The secondary seal provides an added degree of safety from high pressure pipeline contents. The secondary seal also ensures that the important interior electrical components of the apparatus are not damaged upon failure of any component located at the first end. If the pressure sensor or primary seal is damaged, for example, a new pressure sensor or primary seal may be installed without having to replace the entire apparatus. The secondary seal also prevents fluid from a high pressure pipeline that has compromised the primary seal from being ejected from the pipeline. The secondary seal also prevents pipeline media from migrating through the electrical cable to a non-hazardous location. |
| US08020447B2 |
Ultrasonic sensor and self diagnostic method of the same
In an ultrasonic sensor, a first receiving device is configured to be sendable and receivable an ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic wave sent from the first receiving device is transmitted through a vibration-reducing member disposed between the first receiving device and a second receiving device, and the second receiving device detects the ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic sensor self diagnoses whether the second receiving device is operated without malfunction based on a detection signal of the second receiving device. |
| US08020444B2 |
Functional actuator-sensor path optimization in structural health monitoring system
A method for optimizing transducer performance in an array of transducers in a structural health monitoring system includes specifying a plurality of paths between pairs of the transducers on a monitored structure and evaluating the quality of signal transmissions along the paths so as to optimize the gain and frequency operating condition of the transducers. |
| US08020442B2 |
High bandwidth inertial measurement unit
An inertial measurement unit is disclosed which includes a system of gyros for sensing angular rates, a system of accelerometers for sensing angular accelerations, an integrator for deriving gyro-less angular rates from the sensed angular accelerations, and a complimentary filter for blending the sensed angular rates and the gyro-less angular rates to produce a virtual angular rate output for the inertial measurement unit. |
| US08020437B2 |
Method and apparatus to quantify fluid sample quality
The invention relates to fluid sampling in a test that is used to determine physical and chemical characteristics of the fluids in a subterranean reservoir. The method reconstructs the entire pressure history of the fluid parcel that is captured in the fluid samplers during a test. Using this reconstructed pressure history of the samples, the quality of the samples, particularly, whether there is a phase change in the samples during the test, can be accurately quantified. |
| US08020435B2 |
Method of investigating a coated surface of an object
A method of visually investigating a coated surface of an object, the coating comprising a metal or an alloy, in order to determine whether or not the coating is tight. An increasing potential is applied to the object until a desired current level has been obtained or until a maximum potential has been reached. In case the coating is tight this results in a change in color of the coating. This may be due to a polarization of the coating material and/or due to an increase in thickness of a naturally occurring metal oxide layer. In case the coating is tight the desired current level can not be obtained, and the potential is increased to the maximum level resulting in a change in color. In case pinholes are present it is possible to obtain the desired current level, and the increase in potential is stopped before it is high enough to cause the change in color. Provides a dramatic visual effect allowing an immediate determination of whether or not pinholes are present. Need for additional equipment for determining the presence of pinholes is avoided. In case the coating material is or comprises tantalum or an alloy of tantalum, the color is changed into a distinct blue color. |
| US08020426B2 |
Gas sorption tester for rapid screening of multiple samples
An apparatus determines gas sorption properties of a large number of material samples simultaneously. The apparatus includes a switchable manifold of low-volume conduits and an array of sensors, where each low-volume conduit fluidly couples a single sample of gas-sorbing material to a dedicated detector. The switchable manifold is also configured to fluidly couple the samples to a vacuum source or a dosing gas source. Because of the very low internal volume of the conduits, essentially all gas released from a particular sample is accurately detected by the corresponding detector, either through sorption of the released gas, by measuring pressure, or by other means. In this way, a very accurate measurement of the quantity of gas released by the sample is made. In one embodiment, the array of sensors includes hydride-based sensors, which contain a material that forms an optically and/or electrically responsive hydride upon exposure to hydrogen-containing gas. |
| US08020415B2 |
Locking pill bottle
A tamper-resistant pill bottle for securely storing a quantity of medication. The pill bottle includes a receptacle, a cap for fitting over the receptacle, and a combination lock integral with the cap for releasably locking the cap to the receptacle. The combination lock includes a series of combination wheels that partially protrude through a sidewall of the cap and can be rotatably manipulated by a user. The combination for the combination lock can be set by a user upon receipt of the pill bottle. The pill bottle further includes an inconspicuous defeat mechanism integral with the cap for allowing the pill bottle to be opened, preferably by a pharmacist, if a user forgets the combination of the combination lock. |
| US08020412B2 |
Washing machine with odor removal function
A washing machine with an odor removal function includes a cabinet, a tub received in the cabinet and including an intake port and an exhaust port so as to receive and discharge air, and a washing tub rotatably provided in the tub. Here, ambient air flows into the tub through the intake port by a suction force generated when the washing tub rotates and air inside the washing tub flows to the outside, such that odor of laundry is removed. Therefore, a washing machine with an odor removal function capable of easily and quickly removing laundry odor is provided. |
| US08020411B2 |
Method of manufacturing single mode optical fiber
A method of manufacturing a single mode optical fiber formed of a silica-based glass and including a glass part having a central core and a cladding region. The method including heating an optical fiber preform in a heating furnace including a first heater to melt the optical fiber preform, and fiber drawing an optical fiber from the molten optical fiber preform. The method further comprises continuously cooling the drawn optical fiber starting with a meniscus portion in which diameter is decreased from 90% of the preform diameter to 5% of the preform diameter to a portion where the drawn optical fiber has a temperature of 1,200° C. at a cooling rate of 1,000 to 3,000° C. /sec. |
| US08020409B2 |
Apparatus and method for manufacturing plate glass
An apparatus 10 for producing a plate glass, comprising a bath 14 for float-forming for reserving a molten metal 16 for forming a band-shaped plate glass having a predetermined thickness by feeding a molten glass ribbon 20 in a predetermined direction on the molten metal 16, and a pair of partition walls 46 provided substantially above left and right edges 22 of the molten glass ribbon 20 and substantially along the edges 22 to partition a space above a bath surface of the molten metal into an upper space A above a region covered with the molten glass ribbon 20 and upper spaces B above regions not covered with the molten glass ribbon 20; wherein the partition walls 46 each has a vertically dividable structure dividable into an upper partition wall 46A and a lower partition wall 46B, and the lower partition wall 46B is constituted by strip-shaped lower strip members 58 provided continuously to each other in a lateral direction, and the strip members 58 are configured to be removable or openable from the upper partition wall 46A. |
| US08020408B2 |
Separation method and apparatus
Separation method and apparatus for separating a gaseous mixture, for example, air, in a cryogenic rectification plant in which a compressed stream is divided into subsidiary streams that are extracted from a main heat exchanger of the plant at higher and lower temperatures. The two streams are then combined and expanded in a turboexpander to generate refrigeration for the plant. The flow rates of the two streams are adjusted to control inlet temperature of a turboexpander supplying plant refrigeration and to minimize potential deviation of the turboexpander exhaust from a saturated vapor state. Control of the expansion ratio can advantageously be applied to allow variable liquid production from the rectification plant. |
| US08020404B2 |
System and method for liquid air production, power storage and power release
System and method for storing and releasing energy comprising directing air into a vertical cold flue assembly. The assembly has an air inlet at or near the top and an air exit at or near the bottom. The air is cooled and a portion of moisture is removed from the air. |
| US08020402B2 |
Flash tank design and control for heat pumps
A heat pump system of the type which re-circulates refrigerant through a fluid circuit between a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger includes a compressor coupled to the fluid circuit and a vapor injection system including a vessel fluidly coupled to the first and second heat exchangers and to a vapor injection port of the compressor. The vessel is operable as a receiver in a cooling mode of the heat pump system and is operable as a flash tank in a heating mode of the heat pump system. |
| US08020400B2 |
Refrigeration device
A refrigeration device comprising a refrigeration circuit that contains an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, in addition to electronic components for operating the refrigeration device. According to the invention, all the electronic components are combined in an electronic unit. |
| US08020396B2 |
Heat pump system
Embodiments of the invention relate to a heat pump system comprising a heat pump so arranged as to permit the taking up of thermal energy from outdoor air and the giving off of thermal energy to another medium, and an external space adapted to permit heating of the outdoor air by the use of solar radiation, the system being so arranged as to conduct the outdoor air to the heat pump via the external space. The invention is characterized in that the heat pump system comprises means for regulating the flow of the outdoor air to the external space. |
| US08020392B2 |
Refrigerating appliance
A refrigerating appliance comprising a storage compartment, a refrigerant circuit which serves to cool the storage compartment and contains a compressor, and comprising a collecting receptacle for condensed water flowing out of the storage compartment. The collecting receptacle can be heated by a heating device that can be independently operated by the operation of the compressor. |
| US08020390B2 |
Cooling infrastructure leveraging a combination of free and solar cooling
Energy-efficient data center cooling techniques that utilize free cooling and/or solar cooling are provided. In one aspect, a cooling system is provided including a cooling tower; one or more modular refrigeration chiller units; and a water loop that can be selectively directed through the cooling tower, through one or more of the modular refrigeration chiller units or through a combination thereof. Another cooling system is provided including a solar cooling unit; one or more modular refrigeration chiller units; and a water loop that can be selectively directed through the solar cooling unit, through one or more of the modular refrigeration chiller units or through a combination thereof. |
| US08020385B2 |
Centerbody cap for a turbomachine combustor and method
A turbomachine includes a combustor assembly, a cap assembly attached to the combustor assembly, a centerbody within the cap assembly, a wall of the centerbody having a first end, a second end and an intermediate portion, and an external turbulator member in operable communication with the cap assembly. The external turbulator member is spaced from the wall to form a passage defined by a gap between the wall of the centerbody and the external turbulator. The external turbulator member includes a step positioned at the second end of the centerbody. The step defines a radial distance about the second end of the centerbody. The external turbulator member is formed having a step-to-gap ratio relative to the centerbody in a range of about 0.8 to about 1.2. |
| US08020380B2 |
External combustion engine
An external combustion engine alternately repeating a first stroke of making a working fluid evaporate at a plurality of heating portions and making a liquid phase part of the working fluid displace toward an output part side and a second stroke of making the working fluid evaporated at the first stroke condense at the plurality of cooling portions and making the liquid phase part of the working fluid displace toward the side of the plurality of the heating portions and provided with inflow adjusting means for reducing differences in inflows among the plurality of the heating portions, wherein the inflow is defined as the amount of a liquid phase part of the working fluid flowing into the heating portions when the liquid phase part of the working fluid displaces from the output part side to the side of the plurality of the heating portions in the second stroke. |
| US08020379B2 |
Double redundancy electro hydrostatic actuator system
A double redundancy electro hydrostatic actuator system includes two hydraulic pumps; two fail safe valves connected with the two hydraulic pumps, respectively; one dual tandem hydraulic cylinder connected with the two fail safe valves and having a piston rod, wherein the piston rod is moved by switching supply and discharge of the fluid; two switching valves connected with the two fail safe valves; two accumulators connected with the two switching valves and the two hydraulic pumps, respectively; and two chambers connected with the two switching valves, respectively. Each of the two accumulators accumulates the fluid from a corresponding one of the two hydraulic pumps, and sends the fluid to a corresponding one of the two fail safe valves. The two chambers receive the fluid from the two fail safe valves, respectively. |
| US08020375B2 |
Exhaust gas purification system for internal combustion engine
An object of the present invention is to recover the performance of an exhaust gas purification apparatus while suppressing slipping of fuel through the exhaust gas purification apparatus. When the performance of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is to be recovered at a time when the intake air quantity of the internal combustion engine is increasing (S101, S103), an upper limit value is set for the quantity of fuel added through a fuel addition valve provided in the exhaust passage (S104). If a target fuel supply quantity to be supplied to the exhaust gas purification apparatus is larger than the upper limit value (S105), a quantity of fuel quantity equal to the upper limit value is added through the fuel addition valve, and the shortfall of fuel supply is injected by sub fuel injection in the internal combustion engine (S110, S111, S112). |
| US08020374B2 |
Method for operating an internal combustion engine and device for implementing the method
invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, in the exhaust gas section of which is arranged at least one SCR catalytic converter, which is hit with a reagent that contributes to NOx conversion in the SCR catalytic converter, and to a device for implementing the method. At least one measure is calculated for the NOx concentration downstream after the SCR catalytic converter. An NOx sensor, which is arranged downstream after the SCR catalytic converter, generates an exhaust gas sensor signal which corresponds to at least the NOx concentration and optionally, as a result of cross sensitivity, to a reagent slip. A reagent signal, which determines the dosage of reagent, is influenced by a correction signal as a function of the difference and as a function of a measure for the temperature of the SCR catalytic converter. |
| US08020369B2 |
Expanded mixture control for reducing exhaust-gas emissions
In a method and device for mixture control for an internal combustion engine having at least one catalytic converter disposed in an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine and a λ-closed-loop control, a value being ascertained for the loading of the catalytic converter with oxygen and the mixture being changed as a function of the ascertained value, a first mixture change is made in the direction of rich exhaust gas when the ascertained value of the oxygen loading has increased by more than a first predefined measure within a predetermined time span and/or after throughput of a predetermined quantity of exhaust-gas mass; and/or a second mixture change is made in the direction of lean exhaust gas when the ascertained value of the oxygen loading has dropped by more than a second predefined measure within a predetermined time span and/or after throughput of a predetermined quantity of exhaust-gas mass. |
| US08020354B2 |
Roof ditch molding retainer
A molding retainer is provided for securing a molding to a return flange in a roof ditch. The retainer generally includes a throat, a stop, a molding seat and a molding clip. In the case of a discontinuous flange having individual flange coupons, the throat may define a through-hole that fits over each flange coupon. The throat may include a plurality of fingers adapted to snap fit into windows in the flange coupons, with the fingers being mounted at different heights to accommodate variations in the placement of the windows. In the case of a continuous flange, the throat may define a channel that fits over the flange. The stop engages the floor of the roof ditch to provide a reference point for the height of the molding, and the molding clip engages and holds the molding. |
| US08020352B2 |
Pultruded wall framing system
Generally, a structural building system has a header, a header distant from the footer, and a plurality of vertical members spanning the footer and the header. The footer includes two support members, each having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, positioned in an interior space of the footer for additional strength and stability. The header includes a corrugation, or brace member positioned in an interior space for strength and stability that has an upwardly offset central portion between horizontal portions. The vertical members are preferably I-beams that support a wall height at maximum wind loads. The footer and the header include races for ready wiring without drilling or cutting the vertical members. The system is augmented by mechanical fasteners or adhesives. |
| US08020350B2 |
Seamless deck-sealing surround for skylights and roof windows
A seamless surround for a rectangular skylight assembly is provided. Each side of the rectangular surround is characterized as having an obtuse-angled profile having an angle of between greater than 90 degrees and about 100 degrees, the profile including a vertically extending surface and a downwardly sloping surface. The vertically extending surfaces abut curb members attached to the skylight assembly and include apertures therethrough for receipt of a joining element. The downwardly sloping surfaces abut a building rooftop and further include apertures therethrough for receipt of a joining element. The roof-abutting side of the downwardly sloping surfaces includes a barrier material attached thereto. The barrier material may be any suitable air and water barrier, such as a polyurethane foam or a thermoplastic elastomer. A method of installing a skylight having the seamless surround is also provided. |
| US08020346B2 |
Magnetically supported sliding track system
A sliding door or window supporting system has a stationary frame with a bottom track and a sliding portion that slides from a closed position to an open position. The bottom portion of the sliding portion and the upper surface of stationary frame track are provided with one or more magnets having identical magnetic polarity, thereby creating repulsion between the bottom of the sliding portion and the stationary track. Forces produced by magnetic repulsion lift the weight of the sliding portion, creating an air gap. A smooth, low friction sliding and door gliding movement results, which is immune to dirt and debris. The front to back movement of the sliding portion is supported by low friction polymeric knobs attached to a stationary frame and contacting sliding portion. |
| US08020345B2 |
Methods and apparatus for supporting a window glass lift plate
A door module of a vehicle includes: a panel of door glass including an upper peripheral edge and a lower peripheral edge; a lift plate coupled to the lower peripheral edge of the door glass such that a regulator may move the door glass between a full-up position and a full-down position within the door module via the lift plate; and a position block movable within the door module to: (i) a first position below the lift plate such that the lift plate rests on the position block and the door glass is at a position above the full-down position when the door glass is inserted into the lift plate during manufacture, and (ii) after such insertion, a second position that permits the lift plate to move further downward such that the door glass is at the full-down position. |
| US08020342B2 |
AG-wafer product and method of making same
A compressed wafer mulch, the compressed wafer mulch including corn stover fibers, paper fibers, compost or a mixture thereof, and a method of making the same. |
| US08020337B1 |
Automatically setting fishing hook assembly
The automatically setting fishing hook assembly includes two hooks pivotally secured to a common shaft with their bends oriented opposite one another. The shanks of the hooks are offset from the shaft by short arms that pivot on the shaft. A coil spring is installed on the shaft between the hooks, with the opposite ends of the spring engaging the shanks of the hooks to urge the bends of the hooks outwardly from one another. A latch is affixed to the shank of one hook, and engages the shank of the other hook to hold the two hooks together. The latch is disengaged from the second hook when a fish strikes the assembly, with the bends of the two hooks springing apart to automatically set the two hooks in the mouth of the fish to reduce the chance of the fish slipping the hooks and escaping. |
| US08020336B2 |
Trawl net layer-by-layer collecting device
A trawl net layer-by-layer collecting device includes a rectangular cylindrical frame configured to draw a plurality of trawl nets that are arranged in an up and down direction. The frame includes an upper edge to which a net mouth edge of an upper net of the uppermost trawl net is anchored, and a lower edge to which a net mouth of a lower net of the lowermost trawl net is anchored. A pair of vertical bars are disposed on opposed sides of the frame. A slider having opposed ends slidably engaged with the vertical bars, the slider anchoring thereto the net mouth edge of the lower net of the upper trawl net and the net mouth edge of the upper net of the lower trawl net. A net-mouth opening and closing unit is configured to lock the sliders on upper ends of the vertical bars, and unlock the locked sliders one by one; and a controller. |
| US08020334B2 |
Modular mounting systems for rifle accessories, and associated equipment
Accessory mounting structure for securing accessory mounting rails to the barrel or other forward structure of a weapon comprises cooperatively shaped mounting ring halves that are secured to another over the barrel of the weapon. Accessory mounting rails are then secured to the mounting rings. Where the weapon is a grenade launcher, a quick-reload mechanism may additionally be provided. |
| US08020332B2 |
Device and safeguard unit for the storage of a firearm
Device for the storage of a gun with a base, a safety unit for the secure storage of the gun on the base and a controller, wherein the safety unit can be inserted at least partially into the barrel and/or a cartridge chamber of the gun and comprises a first safety section, which can be brought into a safety state, in which the safety unit is secured in the gun, and into a release state, in which the safety unit can be separated from the gun, and the controller brings the first safety section into its release state when a user authorization is received. |
| US08020329B2 |
Versatile decorative object, named the Paired Image Print, having a unique visual effect and a method of making said versatile decorative object
A versatile decorative object having a multidimensional visual effect with a first layer separated from a second layer. The first layer is opaque and has applied on it a decorative image having at least black and white and the second layer (s) is transparent and has applied on it the same decorative image with the white of the image being transparent on the second layer. A preferred embodiment includes the first layer and the second layer(s) to be digitally created to accomplish the removal of white space from the decorative image. During this digital creation, proportions, size, juxtaposition of layers and content of the image is critical in achieving the stated visual effect. |
| US08020328B2 |
Connecting elements for construction
New and unique connecting elements are engage in a versatile manner to construct modular constructions such as construction for exhibition, furniture, platforms, toys, displays etc. The modular construction is mobile and easy to handle. |
| US08020327B2 |
Display over the sleeve
A rollable display (101) is wearable on a sleeve (103). The display (101) is part of a wrist-based device with a “U” shape. A part of the device is on top of the sleeve (103). The display (101) can be rolled out for use as needed. The device itself may be flexible or bendable i.e. have a x-rigid, U-shape or may allow the “U” shape to be folded out, for example by a hinge or sequence of connected segments that can be rotated freely, but which keep their position after being moved. The display (101) may be rolled out from under the sleeve (103) and then over the sleeve (103) along a predefined curve by means of a guiding mechanism. The device is easy to use, allows the use of large displays that may always be visible and allows freedom in the display design with respect to the direction in which the flexible display (101) is rolled out. |
| US08020323B2 |
Drilling tool
The invention relates to a drilling tool comprising: two pairs of rotary drums in axial alignment on parallel axes; a motor mechanism for driving rotation of the drums; a support element; and a support structure on which the drums are mounted to rotate and serving to connect the drums to the support element; the tool being characterized in that the motor mechanism is mounted inside the drums and in that the support structure comprises a plate forming bearings at its bottom ends for the drums; and a mounting pad for fastening to the support element. |
| US08020313B2 |
Method and apparatus for separating volatile components from feed material
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for the separation of volatile components from a feed material. |
| US08020311B2 |
Tape measures
A tape measure having a winding drum or reel rotatably mounted on a support structure, and a measuring tape attached to the drum so as to be coilable thereon. The support structure comprises a handle that extends radially beyond an upper half of the coiled tape and a bottom edge portion that extends radially beyond a lower half of the coiled tape, the bottom edge portion comprising a hand grip. |
| US08020310B2 |
Measuring element comprising a track used as a material measure and corresponding measurement method carried out by means of such a measuring element
A measuring element with a circular or linear track that encompasses a material measure and a number of sensors for scanning the track is disclosed. At least two scanning heads having the sensors are provided for scanning the track. The track of the measuring element has at least one first and a second partial track which are each provided with a first and a second grating period. For each grating period, one of the scanning heads is equipped with a sensor array that is adjusted to the grating period. |
| US08020304B2 |
Power transmission assembly for tool mounted on an elongate pole
A powered apparatus having an elongate pole, a drive at a proximal region of the elongate pole and operable to rotate a first component on the drive, a tool at a distal region of the elongate pole with a second component that is rotatable to operate the tool, and a power transmission assembly for transmitting a drive force generated by rotation of the first component to the second component to thereby operate the tool. The power transmission assembly has a flexible drive link with a flexible length located between the drive and at least one other substantially inflexible drive part that is downstream of the drive link. The flexible length of the flexible drive link is greater than four (4) inches. |
| US08020301B2 |
Method for manufacturing hydro dynamic bearing device
A method for manufacturing a hydro dynamic bearing device is provided for the finishing treatment of lubricating oil after lubricating the hydro dynamic bearing device, specifically for properly and effectively wiping off the lubricating oil adhering to the outside of the housing and adjusting the oil-level height of the lubricating oil filled in the housing. The method for manufacturing the hydro dynamic bearing constructed of an axial member housed in a housing, a radial bearing part for supporting the axial member in a non-contact manner in a radial direction by a hydro dynamic pressure action of the lubricating oil generated in a radial bearing clearance, and a sealing part arranged in an opening part of the housing, has the steps of: applying the lubricating oil to an unlubricated hydro dynamic bearing device; and blowing a gas on the outer peripheral surface of the housing, while sucking the lubricating oil from the sealing space of the sealing part or the vicinity thereof using a suction device that generates a negative-pressure suction force. |
| US08020298B2 |
Method of fabricating a heat exchanger with angled secondary fins extending from primary fins
A method of fabricating a heat exchanger which includes: obtaining multiple coolant-carrying conduit sections, each having a non-circular cross-section, and first and second main surfaces; providing multiple primary folded fins secured to the conduit sections. Each folded fin includes a solid fin surface with multiple bends defining alternating, U-shaped air-passage channels, and a base surface and a top surface. Each folded fin is secured at the base or top surface to a main surface of a conduit section, and the folded fins have leading and trailing edges relative to airflow direction. The method includes forming a plurality of sets of secondary fins, each set extending from the leading or trailing edge of a respective folded fin at an angle other than 0. At least one conduit section has a first folded fin secured to its first main surface, and a second folded fin secured to its second main surface thereof. |
| US08020297B2 |
Method for disassembling boiler
A method for disassembling a boiler supported and suspended by a supporting structure which includes the steps of cutting off a lower part of a furnace unit to provide an enlarged opening; fixing a first support to the furnace unit at approximately same height as a lower end of a heat recovery area; fixing a second support to the lower end of the heat recovery area; providing a first jacking apparatus and a second jacking apparatus under the first support and the second support, respectively; detaching the boiler from the suspending structure; lowering the first support and the second support by the first jacking apparatus and the second jacking apparatus, cutting a lower part of the boiler, repeating the lowering and the disassembling steps until the first support and the second support are lowered to a maximum extent; and disassembling a remaining upper part of the boiler. |
| US08020294B2 |
Method of constructing an expandable packer
A technique involves a packer formed as an expandable packer with an internal expandable bladder. The expandable bladder is formed with a section that is radially enlarged relative to an axial end of the expandable bladder when the bladder is in a relaxed state. The bladder configuration enables use of a reduced expansion ratio while still allowing expansion of the packer to a desired large diameter. |
| US08020293B2 |
Method for machining the bearing seats of the main and rod bearings of crankshafts
The invention relates to a method of machining the bearing seats of main and rod bearings (HL, PL) of crankshafts (1), in which the bearing seats (30) of the main and rod bearings (HL, PL), after the primary forming of the crankshaft (1) by forging or casting, are subjected to the following processing operations: forming by machining with a specific cutting edge, deep rolling all fillets or recesses of the main and rod bearings, straightening of the crankshaft (1), precision machining with an end-milling cutter (12) in each case by high-speed roughing-cut turn-milling and finishing-cut turn-milling, smooth rolling of the bearing seats of the crankshaft after the finishing-cut turn milling, wherein the roughing-cut turn-milling and the finishing-cut turn-milling is effected during in each case an essentially complete revolution of the crankshaft (1) without longitudinal feed and without tangential feed of the end-milling cutter (12). |
| US08020290B2 |
Processes for IC fabrication
The present invention discloses methods and apparatuses for the separations of IC fabrication and assembling of separated IC components to form complete IC structures. In an embodiment, the present fabrication separation of an IC structure into multiple discrete components can take advantages of dedicated IC fabrication facilities and achieve more cost effective products. In another embodiment, the present chip assembling provides high density interconnect wires between bond pads, enabling cost-effective assembling of small chip components. In an aspect, the present process extrudes interconnect wires over a desired location of the bond pads, and then subsequently laser cuts a correct length of the interconnect wires. |
| US08020286B2 |
Electronic component mounting system and electronic component mounting method
One objective of the present invention is to provide an electronic component mounting system and an electronic component mounting method that can prevent a mounting defect due to a positioning error in the direction of the thickness of a substrate, and that can deliver a specific mounting quality. According to an electronic component mounting system, which is constituted by coupling a plurality of apparatuses used for mounting electronic components, the height measurement device 22 of a printing inspection apparatus measures the heights at height measurement points, designated on the upper face of a substrate, and outputs the measurement results as substrate height data. Then, once the substrate has been delivered to an electronic component placing apparatus, the substrate height measurement apparatus again measures the height of the substrate at specific height measurement points to obtain substrate height correction data, and based on the initial substrate height data and the substrate height correction data, updates a control parameter for controlling the component placing operation performed by a loading head. In this manner, discrepancies in the positions of the heights of individual substrates can be accurately corrected, and mounting defects due to positioning errors in the direction of the heights of the substrates can be prevented. |
| US08020282B2 |
Apparatus for producing a coil winding for stators or rotors of electrical machines
An apparatus for producing a coil winding for stators is described, in which each coil turn rests, with one fillet (14) each, in two stator slots, and the two fillets (14) are joined by a head portion (16). A plurality of coil turns are made simultaneously by winding up n parallel wires (10) with intermediate spacing onto a rotatable former (20). To obtain small winding heads, alternatingly in a work step A, one fillet (14) and the wire length of one head portion (16) are made from each of the n parallel wires (10) on the former (20). Then in a work step B, the resultant fillets (14) together with the adjoining first end of the respective associated head portions (16), and the wire guide together with the second end of these head portions (16), are displaced relative to one another along the former (20) by n times the intermediate spacing of the wires (10). |
| US08020280B2 |
Rotor manufacturing method
An object is to provide a rotor manufacturing method capable of reducing a rotor unbalance amount by controlling a magnet arrangement position in a rotor core and improving work efficiency when fixing a magnet to the rotor core by using resin. A lower surface of a rotor core is arranged in a lower mold. A magnet is arranged in a lower mold. A magnet is contained in each of magnet containing holes formed in the rotor core in such a manner that a predetermined space is assumed between an upper surface of the rotor core and an upper surface of the magnet. An upper mold is arranged on the upper surface of the rotor core. The upper mold and the lower mold apply a pressure to the rotor core and a molten resin is supplied with pressure from an internal diameter side via the predetermined space into the plurality of magnet containing holes from respective cylinder arranged in the upper mold. Thus, the magnets are molded by resin while pressing the magnets toward the outer diameter side of the magnet containing holes. |
| US08020279B2 |
Methods and apparatus for forming mesh and link elements
A method of adding a new link element to three or more formed link elements including the steps of: providing three or more formed link elements; and adding a new link element to the formed link elements by moulding a single link element through at least three of the formed link elements. |
| US08020275B2 |
Method for compressing intraluminal prostheses
A method for compressing an intraluminal prosthesis provides a mesh tube having first and second longitudinally spaced tube ends and a hollow tube bore located therebetween. The intraluminal prosthesis is completely inserted into the hollow tube bore. The tube is stretched in a longitudinal dimension, which reduces the tube in a radial dimension and causes the intraluminal prosthesis to radially compress. |
| US08020273B2 |
High humidity crimping process
A method of producing a stent-balloon assembly is disclosed which includes providing a stent having a polymeric component; exposing the stent to a relative humidity of 20% to 100%; and crimping the stent on a balloon of a catheter assembly. The polymeric component could be at least part of the material from which the stent is made or could be a constituent of a coating for the stent, such as a drug delivery coating. In lieu of or in addition to the application of humidity, a plasticizing agent can be applied to the polymeric component. A crimping device is also disclosed which allows the stent to be exposed to humidity during the crimping process. |
| US08020271B2 |
Self-raising form control system and method
A self-raising form control system and method is provided that that may be used to form elevator shafts and other vertical building structures. The apparatus includes one or more form elements for defining an area to receive a formable material, such as concrete. Each element is attached to the form structure. A lift apparatus is provided for lifting the form elements. The lift apparatus comprises a measurement device for measuring the position of said lift apparatus relative to a fixed point. The lift apparatus is connected to the form structure. A control unit is provided for controlling the lift apparatus. The control unit is signal connected to the measurement device and is signal connected to the lift apparatus. |
| US08020269B2 |
Methods and apparatus for fabricating a turbine nozzle assembly
An apparatus enables a turbine nozzle, including at least two turbine nozzle singlets to be fabricated. Each singlet includes inner and outer bands and a vane extending therebetween. The vane also includes first and second sidewalls coupled together at a leading edge and a trailing edge. The apparatus comprises a fixture, and at least two support members extending from the fixture. Each support member has first and second abutment surfaces, wherein a first of the at least two support members contacts at least one of the leading and trailing edges of a first of the vanes. At least two locating features extend from the fixture, wherein a first of the locating features contacts one of the first and second sidewalls of the first vane. At least two biasing members are coupled to the fixture, wherein a first of the biasing members biases the first vane against the first locating feature. |
| US08020268B2 |
Precision roll turning lathe
There is provided a precision roll turning lathe which can machine with high precision a three-dimensional pattern of three-sided pyramids or four-sided pyramids in the surface of a roll. The precision roll turning lather includes: a bed; a headstock, mounted on the bed, having a main spindle for rotating a roll as a workpiece while holding one end of the roll by means of a chuck; a tail stock, mounted on the bed and disposed opposite the headstock, for rotatably supporting the other end of the roll; a carriage including a saddle mounted on the bed movably in the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) of the roll, and a table mounted on the saddle movably in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the roll; a tool swivel mounted on the table; a tool post mounted on the tool swivel and having a plurality of cutting tools attached thereto; a C-axis control means for performing control for carrying out circumferential indexing of the roll and control for continuously rotating the main shaft at a predetermined rotating speed; and a switching means for selective switching between the roll-indexing control and the control of continuous rotation of the main spindle. |
| US08020266B2 |
Method of producing a device
Methods of making an energy harvesting device are described. A case and integrated piezoelectric cantilever to harvest vibration energy from an environment being sensed is produced via a print forming method injection molding method. The cantilever device consists of a piezoelectric material member, and a proof mass of high density material coupled to the piezoelectric member. The print forming method is used to build up the base and walls of the device as well as the neutral layers of the piezoelectric member. Metal layers are printed to form the electrode layers of the piezoelectric member and the electrical contact portions of the device. Passive components can also be formed as part of the layers of the device. The entire assembly can be encapsulated in plastic. |
| US08020265B2 |
Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator
A method for manufacturing a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators includes forming, in the lid substrate wafer, a plurality of cavity recesses forming a plurality of through-electrodes in and through the base substrate wafer; bonding the plural piezoelectric vibration members to the upper face of the base substrate wafer via routing electrodes; overlaying the base substrate wafer and the lid substrate wafer; bonding the base substrate wafer and the lid substrate wafer; and cutting the two bonded wafers into the plural piezoelectric vibrators. Forming the plurality of through-holes includes disposing electroconductive core members having two flat ends and a thickness substantially equal to that of the base substrate wafer, in the plurality of through-holes, and disposing connection members between the core members and the through-holes; and firing the connection members at a predetermined temperature to integrally fix the through-hole, the connection member and the core member to each other. |
| US08020264B2 |
Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator
There is provided a method of manufacturing piezoelectric vibrators 1. The method includes a process for through holes 35 and 36, which pass through a base substrate wafer, so that openings of the through holes are opened to the outside of the recesses for cavities C; a process for patterning a bonding layer 30, pairs of mounting layers, and pairs of extraction electrode layers 33 and 34 on the upper surface of the base substrate wafer with the same conductive material; and a process for electrically isolating the extraction electrode layers 34 in the middle by irradiating a part (area S2) of the extraction electrode layers 34, which are formed between the bonding layer and openings of through holes 36, with laser light after both the wafers are anodically bonded to each other. The bonding layer 30 surrounds the recesses, the pairs of mounting layers are in the recesses, and the pairs of extraction electrode layers 33 and 34 electrically connect the pairs of mounting layers to the bonding layer. |
| US08020262B2 |
Strip of male fastening means, patch cut therefrom, and fastening tape tab comprising such patch
The invention provides a patch of a male fastening means, in particular, a hook patch with decreased bending resistance. The patch according to the invention comprises a backing bearing a plurality of male fastening elements, in particular hook elements. The patch is integral and comprises a plurality of incisions. Said incisions do not extend across the whole width of the patch but preferably leave at least one intact bridge across the cross-direction of the patch. Furthermore, a fastening tape tab having a manufacturer's and user's end is provided, the fastening tape tab comprising a support layer bearing on its major surface of the user's end at least one fastening patch according to the invention. Furthermore, a strip is provided from which a patch according to the invention is cut. |
| US08020253B1 |
Hinge and hinge cover
There is disclosed a hinge (10) which includes a mounting flange assembly (12) pivotally coupled to a strap assembly (15). The mounting flange assembly includes a mounting flange (16) having four mounting holes (17) therethrough, a lower hinge barrel (18) extending from the mounting flange, and an upper hinge barrel (19) extending from the mounting flange. The strap assembly includes a strap (31) extending from a cylinder portion (32). The hinge also includes a main cover (57) covering the strap assembly, an upper flange cover (28) covering the upper hinge barrel, and a lower flange cover (29) covering the lower hinge barrel. |
| US08020252B2 |
Dual motor upright vacuum cleaner
An upright vacuum cleaner having dual cleaning motor and fan units is provided having a cleaning head engagable with a floor and a suction nozzle and a brush roller rotatably mounted therein. A first motor and fan unit is mounted in the vacuum cleaner for producing suction in the suction nozzle and is operatively connected to the brush roller for rotating it. An upright housing is connected to the cleaning head, the housing having a handle for moving the vacuum cleaner along the floor during floor cleaning use. Contained in the housing are a dirt storage container, a passageway leading from the suction nozzle in the cleaning head to the storage container and a second motor and fan unit operatively associated with the storage container for drawing dirt laden air from the cleaning head through the passageway and into the storage container simultaneously with operation of the first motor and fan unit. |
| US08020251B2 |
Vacuum cleaner with collapsible handle
A vacuum cleaner having a base adapted to be moved on a surface to be cleaned, an inlet nozzle disposed on a lower surface of the base, a vacuum source, and a dirt receptacle. A lower handle is pivotally attached to the base at a lower pivot, and an upper handle is pivotally attached to the lower handle at an upper pivot. In one aspect, the vacuum cleaner includes an automatically-operated lower pivot lock that can restrict relative rotation between the lower handle and the base, and a manually-operated upper pivot lock that can restrict relative rotation between the upper handle and the lower handle. In another aspect, the vacuum cleaner includes a telescoping upper handle with electrical controls attached to the upper telescopic section of the upper handle. In still another aspect, the vacuum cleaner includes an exhaust vent located on an upwardly-facing surface of the base. |
| US08020249B2 |
Wiper apparatus
A wiper apparatus includes an arm shank pivotably supported at its proximal end portion on a vehicle and an arm piece mounted at its proximal end portion to a distal end portion of the arm shank and having a wiper blade attached to the other end portion remote from the distal end portion of the arm shank. The wiper apparatus also includes an arm piece cover covering the arm piece having an outer peripheral surface flush with an outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the arm shank. |
| US08020246B2 |
Wiper blade
A non-articulated wiper blade (10), which is constructed of a wiper strip (12) having a wiper lip (14), two spring rails (30, 32) and a connecting device (22), wherein the spring rails (30, 32) engage in lateral longitudinal grooves of the wiper strip (12) that are open towards the outside and are clasped by claw feet (28, 68, 76, 108) of a sheet metal claw (24, 64, 72, 106) of the connecting device (22) from an outer narrow side. The claw feet (28, 68, 76, 108) are bent around the narrow sides of the spring rails (30, 32) during the assembly of the sheet metal claws (24, 64, 72, 106), wherein at least one layer (70) and/or an intermediate layer (48, 84) of plastic are provided between the claw feet (28, 68, 76, 108) on the one hand and the spring rails (30, 32) on the other hand, which layers are manufactured separately from the wiper strip (12) and are adapted to the claw feet (28, 68, 76, 108) as well as have a high coefficient of friction on their surface towards the sheet metal claw (24, 64, 72, 106) and towards the spring rails (30, 32). |
| US08020245B2 |
Rollers and disks for carpet cleaning
The claimed carpet cleaning apparatus incorporates recesses in a rigid surface of a roller, a hand-operated cleaning device, or a rigid disk. The rigid surface compresses the fibers of the soft surface as the device and the recesses decompress the fibers. The repeated compression and decompression, preferably in combination with a cleaning compound, provide the mechanical action necessary for removal of foreign material. |
| US08020240B2 |
Substrate treatment apparatus
A substrate treatment apparatus includes a substrate holding mechanism for holding a substrate, a brush made of an elastically deformable material and having a cleaning surface formed in a shape tapered toward one side in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to one surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism and inclined with respect to the perpendicular direction, a brush moving mechanism for moving the brush with respect to the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism, and a control unit for controlling the brush moving mechanism so that the cleaning surface is pushed to a peripheral area on the one surface and a peripheral end face of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism. |
| US08020239B2 |
Vehicle wheel/tire cleaning device
A tire and wheel washing apparatus for cleaning exterior surfaces of tire and wheel combinations of a vehicle as the vehicle is conveyed past the apparatus. The tire washing apparatus preferably includes a longitudinally-extending cleaning element rotating about a shaft having a longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to the conveyed direction of the vehicle. The cleaning element is adapted to clean the exterior surfaces of tire and wheel combinations of the vehicle, and preferably has an undulating cleaning surface with a repeating pattern of a peak portion followed by a valley portion. Preferably, an intermediate portion located between the peak and valley portions has a substantially curvilinear edge surface. |
| US08020236B2 |
Floor sweeper with cloth cleaning pad
A light weight floor sweeper having a very low profile sweeper head that uses a sweeping brush and cleaning pad to slide across the surface to be cleaned. The floor sweeper head is mounted to an elongated handle by means of a universal pivot or universal joint which allows the floor sweeper head to easily pivot about the handle in any direction to pick up debris under over hanging cabinets or under furniture. A sweeping brush is mounted on the bottom of the sweeper head to provide sweeping action as the floor sweeper is moved in any direction. Furthermore there is a soft cleaning pad releasably mounted adjacent to the brush to entrap dust and particles that the brush does not pick up. The brush is powered by a small electric motor. A removable dust-receiving tray is mounted in the sweeper head to receive debris swept by the brush. |
| US08020235B2 |
Concrete bridge
An improved prestressed concrete bridge having internal and external tensioning tendons which follow approximately similar pathways which are not straight. |
| US08020234B2 |
Counterbalance mechanism for fold out ramp
A ramp assembly includes a ramp portion configured for reciprocating motion between a stowed position, a deployed position, and a neutral position. The ramp assembly further includes a counterbalance that provides a force to bias the ramp portion toward the stowed position when the ramp portion is between the deployed position and the neutral position, and toward the deployed position when the ramp portion is between the stowed position and the neutral position. A shaft rotates in a first direction when the ramp portion moves toward the stowed position, and in a second direction opposite the first direction when the ramp portion moves toward the deployed position. A crank is fixedly coupled to the shaft. A rod is rotatably coupled at a first end to the crank about a first axis and at a second end to a cylinder. The cylinder is coupled for rotational movement about a second axis. |
| US08020232B2 |
System for monitoring ozone and controlling supply of ozone to washing machine
A system for controlling a supply of ozone to a washing machine during operation thereof. The system comprising a washing machine having an internal drum for containing laundry and a quantity of a water. An ozone generator is connected to the washing machine and the ozone generator produces and supplies the produced ozone to the washing machine for ozonating the water. At least one sensor is provided for sensing a quantity of ozone exhausting from the washing machine during operation thereof, and the at least sensor being coupled to the ozone generator for interrupting production of ozone when a quantity of ozone exhausting from the washing machine exceeds a safe level. |
| US08020231B2 |
Control method of washing machine
A control method of a washing machine is capable of safely achieving a tub washing operation control with low power consumption. At the time of performing tub washing, water of which the amount is decided depending on a volume inside a drum and a volume inside a water tub is supplied to the water tub, and the rotation speed of the drum is controlled to be inversely proportional to the volume of the supplied water, thereby efficiently controlling a tub washing operation with low power consumption. Also, the rotation state of the drum is controlled, at the time of performing the tub washing, to maintain the temperature of a motor or a printed circuit board (PCB) to be a predetermined level or less, thereby safely controlling a tub washing operation with low power consumption. In addition, it is determined whether the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the drum rotating at the tub washing operation belong to a resonance band, and the RPM are controlled such that the RPM deviate from the resonance band, thereby achieving a tub washing operation procedure with small noise and vibration. |
| US08020230B2 |
Foam spring mattress with substantially horizontal straps
An aspect of the present invention relates to a method and system of receiving information of a user's support facility comfort requirements; using a software application to determine a proper support facility firmness configuration to match the user's requirement; selecting foam springs with the proper user required firmness as determined by the software application; and configuring the selected foam springs within the support facility to match the user's firmness requirements. |
| US08020228B2 |
Shoulder surgery attachment for a surgical table
A shoulder surgery attachment for a surgical table having an articulated leg section with accessory attachment rails on opposite sides. An upright chair back assembly is supported at its base or bottom end thereof for attachment to the accessory attachment rails and the chair back assembly includes a headrest assembly positioned above a back support. The headrest assembly includes a removable neck support and a head fixation assembly. The headrest assembly is adjustably moveable up and down the chair back assembly. The neck support is positioned below the head fixation assembly and protrudes from the front of the headrest assembly for engagement with the back of the patient's neck. The head fixation assembly includes a forward protruding U-shaped forehead clamp having two distal rearwardly extending free ends that are adjustably secured to the headrest assembly whereby the head clamp may be adjusted for engaging the forehead of the patient to clamp the patient's head against the headrest assembly. |
| US08020226B2 |
Crib safety sheet/blanket
A crib safety sheet and separable blanket with a sheet portion for selectively removing at least the blanket from the sheet, when the sheet is attached to a sleep surface. The separable blanket defining at least two edges for wrapping the blanket about an infant. The blanket may be removed from the sheet by separating the blanket, or by separating a sheet material portion attached to the blanket, from the sheet covering the sleep surface. |
| US08020225B2 |
Side rail pad/panel method for patient support apparatus
Methods and apparatus to occlude openings and spaces of side rails are provided. One embodiment includes a pad body panel having attachment openings each defining a pivot axis. The embodiment includes follower slots in the pad body panel each to receive a bracket pivot of a pivot arm, each follower slot having a configuration centered on the attachment opening of the pivot axis. |
| US08020224B2 |
Internal corner structure for mattress foundations
An internal corner structures for mattress foundations that sit at each corner between the frame and the grid. The rigid member contains a base, body and grid support deck. The base member sits atop the foundation frame and contains two flanges that overlap the frame and guide the positioning of the internal corner structure relative to the frame. The body structure supports the grid deck and has a rounded exterior profile to provide a rounded smooth contour to the mattress foundation corners, and has a plurality of square shaped openings that extend in both a vertical and horizontal direction. The grid support deck sits atop the body structure and provides support to the mattress foundation grid, and has engagement clips that engage and position the grid and an edge guard that functions to disperse a load and protect the engagement clips from impact. |
| US08020222B2 |
Bag dispensing receptacle for plunging apparatus
The field of the invention relates generally to a plunging system including, inter alia, a plunger having a handle and a plunger member, the handle having first and second opposed ends with the plunger member being removably coupled to the second end of the handle; and a receptacle, having a top portion coupled to a body portion, the body portion including first and second recesses defining first and second support regions, the first support region cincturing the first recess and second support region cincturing the first support region and the first and second recesses, with a segment of the top portion in superimposition with the second recess defining a chamber, with the receptacle being coupled to the first end of the handle such that the handle is positioned within the first recess, with the chamber comprising a plurality of bags positioned therein that may be dispensed from the receptacle. |
| US08020217B2 |
Infant wrap and method for use
An infant wrap and a method for using such a wrap are provided. In one example, the wrap includes a main body folded with an outer surface of part of the main body facing itself to form at least a partial pouch. The wrap further includes a neck portion having first and second ends coupled to an upper edge of the main body to define a neck hole for the user, and a hood attached to a lower edge of the main body. Fasteners may be used to removably couple various portions of the baby wrap. |
| US08024816B2 |
Approach method for probe and sample in scanning probe microscope
In detecting a displacement of a cantilever (2) by a displacement detecting mechanism (5) and allowing a probe (1) and a sample (8) to approach each other by at least one of a coarse-movement mechanism (13) and a vertical direction fine-movement mechanism (11) at the same time, an excitation mechanism (4) excites the cantilever (2) with a first excitation condition and the probe (1) and the sample (8) are allowed to approach each other with a first stop condition, and then the cantilever (2) is excited with a second excitation condition different from the first excitation condition, a second stop condition is set, and the probe (1) and the sample (8) are allowed to approach each other by the at least one of the vertical direction fine-movement mechanism (11) and the coarse-movement mechanism (13) until the second stop condition is satisfied. |
| US08024815B2 |
Isolation environment-based information access
In an embodiment of isolation environment-based information access, programs—including operating systems and applications—running on a computing-based device can be isolated in an environment such as a virtual machine. Information including commands and/or data transmitted between the computing-based device and the program(s) being run, as well as information associated with the program(s) and the computing-based device, is accessed without being detected by the program(s). In one implementation, the information includes state information as well as commands and/or data—including sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords. In another implementation, the information can be used to secretly access the program(s). |
| US08024814B2 |
Information display device
An information display device allowing a memory property display screen that continuously displays displayed content as it is even when a power supply is shut off to display information includes a user authentication executing section that performs a user authentication every time a predetermined time elapses; and a display screen control section that puts a display state of said memory property display screen into a display state in which perusal of said information becomes difficult when the user authentication fails. |
| US08024813B2 |
Task initiated account presentation for rights elevation
Systems and/or methods are described that enable a user to elevate his or her rights. In one embodiment, these systems and/or methods detect a task which is not authorized for a user account. Responsive to detecting the task, the embodiment presents a different user account that is authorized to allow the task and information relating to the task. |
| US08024811B2 |
System and method for secure PIN exchange
A system and method for wirelessly exchanging an encryption key between a first device and a second device. The system generally includes: a transmitter, provided to the first device, for transmitting a signal that is strong enough to transmit over a predetermined distance while having a strength that decreases exponentially with distance, for example a magnetic field signal; a receiver, for example a Hall effect switch, provided to the second device, for receiving the signal; and a controller for determining when the first device and the second device are within the predetermined distance and controlling the transmitter to transmit the encryption key based on the determination. |
| US08024810B2 |
Method and apparatus for protecting digital data by double re-encryption
A method and an apparatus ensuring protection of digital data are provided.In addition to re-encrypting the data using an unchangeable key, the data is double re-encrypted using a changeable key. The changeable key is used first and the unchangeable key is then used, or in another case, the unchangeable key is used first, and the changeable key is then used. In the aspect of embodiments, there is a case adopting a software, a case adopting a hardware, or a case adopting the software and the hardware in combination. The hardware using the unchangeable key developed for digital video is available. In adopting the software, encryption/decryption is performed in a region below the kernel which cannot be handled by the user to ensure the security for the program and for the key used. More concretely, encryption/decryption is performed with RTOS using a HAL and a device driver, i.e., a filter driver, a disk driver and a network driver, in an I/O manager. Either one of two filter drivers, with a file system driver between them, may be used. Further, both filter drivers may be used. |
| US08024805B2 |
Method and equipment for verifying propriety of system management policies to be used in a computer system
A policy verification method in an information processing system for verifying whether the policy rule operates correctly. The method verifies the policy in an information processing system including at least one component, using policies describing a series of system management operations to be performed when an event occurs, and automatically executing system management operations according to the policies when the event occurs. The method acquires configuration information on the component constituting the information processing system. The method acquires all the events that may occur in the information processing system from an event list stored in advance and the configuration information acquired, and generates them as a test item. The method executes the test item generated and verifying the propriety of the policy according to the result of the system management operations executed by the policy. |
| US08024804B2 |
Correlation engine for detecting network attacks and detection method
A method for detecting network attacks is provided. In one implementation, the method receives a plurality of attack indications based on data transmitted on the network and applies rules to the plurality of attack indications. Also, the method generates an alert if an application of at least a subset of the rules on the plurality of attack indications indicates a potential attack. In addition, a network device that performs the method and a computer program corresponding to the method are provided. |
| US08024803B1 |
Methods and systems for filtering electronic messages
A computer-implemented method for filtering electronic messages. The method may include identifying a first time period during which a user accesses electronic messages less than during a second time period. The method may also include associating a first filtering level with the first time period and associating a second filtering level with a second time period. The method may further include, during the first time period, setting a spam filter to the first filtering level. The first filtering level may cause the spam filter to perform stronger filtering than the second filtering level. The method may include, during the second time period, setting the spam filter to the second filtering level. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08024799B2 |
Apparatus and method for facilitating network security with granular traffic modifications
An apparatus that facilitates network security for input network traffic includes microcode controlled state machines, each of which includes a computation kernel. Rules applied to a network traffic segment are distributed across the computation kernels. At least two of the computation kernels include condition logic configured by microcode stored in an associated control store to evaluate a unique configured rule in microcode to produce modification instructions. A distribution circuit routes the network traffic segment to each of the microcode controlled state machines. A circuit generates a modification command by combining the modification instructions from each of the at least two computation kernels, and performs a modification of the input network traffic based on the modification command to produce modified output network traffic that facilitates network security. |
| US08024793B2 |
Password generator, system and use thereof
A password generator for use with a detector and a verifier in an encapsulated system is provided, as is a system for generating and verifying passwords. The password generator comprises a support, a sensor for detecting a signal from the detector, a data transmitter for transmitting binary data as pulses, a processor that is initialized by the verifier and that controls the data to be sent, a controller for activating the processor and a connector to releasably connect the password generator with the verifier. The system employs a mouse as the detector. |
| US08024790B2 |
Portable secured computing environment for performing online confidential transactions in untrusted computers
A portable secured computing environment for performing online confidential transactions in an untrusted host computer. The secured computing environment may be loaded from a portable storage device, such as a USB stick, plugged into a peripheral port of the host computer. The secured computing environment may include a virtual machine running under a host operating system of the host computer. A secured operating system may be running in the virtual machine. An online application, such as a web browser in communication with an online service, may be run under the secured operating system. Operation of the online application may be restricted by a security profile. For example, the online application may only access network addresses specifically indicated in a whitelist of the security profile. |
| US08024789B2 |
Communication apparatus, program and method
A communication apparatus comprises a storage unit for storing a first network list indicating plural networks; a receiving unit for receiving a second network list indicating plural networks from an outside by using a first authentication protocol; an operation unit for executing an AND operation by using the first network list and the second network list to create a transmission-use network list; and transmission unit for transmitting the transmission-use network list to the outside. |
| US08024786B2 |
System and methods for secure service oriented architectures
Provided is a method for intercepting a message between a requesting web service and a source web service, validating the message, logging the result of the validations, and adding a security profile to the message. The method may also include examining the message to determine whether a security profile is embedded therein. If the message is valid, access to the message by the requesting web service is permitted. If the message is not valid, access to the message by the requesting web service is prevented. |
| US08024785B2 |
Method and data processing system for intercepting communication between a client and a service
A method and data processing system for intercepting communication between a user and a service. An authentication component receives, from the user, a user request directed to the service. The authentication component adds a user-specific token to the user request to generate a tokenized request. The tokenized request includes the user request and the token. The token includes a unique user identifier that identifies the user. The authentication component sends the tokenized request to a proxy. The proxy sends the tokenized request to the service. The proxy invokes an interceptor plug-in that is plugged into the proxy. The interceptor plug-in ascertains that the unique user identifier in the tokenized request is present in an interception control list of unique user identifiers. The interception control list is accessible to the interceptor plug-in. The interceptor plug-in sends the tokenized request to an interceptor manager who stores the tokenized request. |
| US08024783B2 |
Modular agent architecture
An agent architecture may be provided with base functionality that allows it to run without executing any applications. The base application need not have any modules. When functionality is desired, modules may be added. The agent may receive policies and procedures from a controller, and executes the modules based on the policies and procedures. It may then return and report information. This allows a system to be designed that doesn't have to be recompiled upon changes to individual tasks or applications, which greatly eases development of new tasks and applications. |
| US08024782B2 |
Cumulative login credit
Login credit is monitored over a credit time period. Continuous invalid login attempts decrease the login credit for the duration of the credit time period. Login credit accumulates with time. If the login credit is less than a credit threshold, login processing is precluded. A common invalid login notification for presentation to a user is generated if login processing is precluded or if login processing indicates that the login credentials are invalid. |
| US08024779B2 |
Verifying user authentication
A solution for transparently verifying the authentication of a real user includes a monitor that receives network packets and a collector. The monitor identifies an authentication exchange packet from network traffic, extracts information from the packet and sends it to the collector, which obtains objects from a directory service and determines if the information includes a user name equivalent to a name attribute in an object. If so, authentication is deemed verified. For additional verification, the monitor extracts from the packet a destination address if it is an response packet, or a source address if it is a request packet. Monitor sends the extracted address to the collector, which uses the extracted address to obtain a hostname and determines whether a user account associated with the name attribute is active on a computing device having the hostname. If so, the authentication of the real user is deemed further verified. |
| US08024775B2 |
Sketch-based password authentication
A graphical password authentication method is based on sketches drawn by user. The method extracts a template edge orientation pattern from an initial sketch of the user and an input edge orientation pattern from an input sketch of the user, compares the similarity between the two edge orientation patterns, and makes an authentication decision based on the similarity. The edge orientations are quantized, and each edge orientation pattern includes a set of quantized orientation patterns each corresponding to one of the quantized edge orientations. The number of quantized edge orientations, as well as other parameters such as the dimension of the final orientation patterns and acceptance threshold, can be optimized either globally or user-specifically. |
| US08024773B2 |
Integrated guidance and validation policy based zoning mechanism
A mechanism is provided to automatically retrieve zoning best practices from a centralized repository and to ensure that automatically generated zones do not violate these best practices. A user selects a set of hosts and storage controllers. The user also selects a guidance policy for creating the zone, and also selects a set of validation policies that must be enforced on the zone. If the user selects a guidance policy and a validation policy combination that is incompatible, the mechanism allows the user to change either the selected guidance policy or the set of validation policies. If the user has selected consistent-zoning as a guidance policy, then the mechanism automatically selects a guidance policy that does not violate the known validation policies. |
| US08024770B2 |
Techniques for managing security contexts
Techniques for managing security contexts may be described. An apparatus may comprise a processor and a security management module. The security management module may form a merged security context for multiple concurrent threads, with one of the threads depending on more than one preceding operation from other threads. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08024768B2 |
Broadcasting video content to devices having different video presentation capabilities
Frames of broadcast video received at a device are cropped to produce rendered frames on a display of the device, the cropping being based on both (a) a predetermined value indicating a location within each of at least some of the frames with respect to which the cropping is to be done and (b) a characteristic of the display. |
| US08024767B1 |
Method and apparatus for receiving digital video signals
A method and apparatus for storing a compressed video stream or an uncompressed video stream is disclosed. The uncompressed video stream may be ZOOM VIDEO data. The compressed video stream may be a TRANSPORT STREAM data from a High Definition Television (HDTV) broadcast. A video graphics adapter is configured to properly receive one of the two types of video data. The received data and control signals are monitored to provide a second set of control of data signal which are used by a packer and an window control to provide data of a predetermined width and control to an address generator. The data is buffered within a graphics memory such as a frame buffer. The graphics memory can be written to system memory when full, or accessed by the system memory controller during the fill operation if a multi-ported memory is used. |
| US08024763B2 |
Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion
A system is provided that allows a user to select a pay program for purchase from a program guide. The program guide determines whether the selected program is part of a package of pay programs. If the selected program is part of a package, information regarding the package is provided to the user so that the user may decide whether to purchase the package. If the selected program is part of several packages, information for all packages is provided. The system automatically sets reminders for packages containing repetitive programming. The system monitors whether the user has watched any of the programs in such packages. When the user watches a program from the package, the remaining reminders are cancelled. If a user does not watch any programs in a package of any type, purchase of the package is cancelled and the user is provided with the opportunity to reschedule. |
| US08024759B2 |
Backwards-compatible frequency translation module for satellite video delivery
A frequency translation module for delivering satellite signals to Integrated Receiver Decoders (IRDs). The module comprises at least one input for receiving polarized satellite signals, wherein at least one input is coupled to at least one low noise block amplifier (LNB), at least one legacy output, the legacy output coupled to the input through a multiswitch, wherein each legacy output selects a polarization of a satellite signal based on a Legacy IRD command directly to the multiswitch, and at least one combined output, the combined output coupled to the multiswitch through an interface, wherein at least one new IRD selectively commands the frequency translation module such that each new IRD receives a portion of a satellite signal based on commands received from each IRD. |
| US08024758B2 |
Method for providing a call service and a broadcast service, and digital multimedia broadcasting terminal therefor
While a user uses one service in a digital multimedia broadcasting receiving terminal, there is implemented a function for suspending the service currently being used and enabling a different service to be used when the different service is provided. A function for enabling a call service to be used during a broadcast service is implemented. A call screen is displayed in a state in which a broadcast service connection is maintained, such that the user can use a new call service without stopping the broadcast service currently being used. In this concurrent service, switching between the call screen and a broadcast screen is possible. This display method can prevent images of the respective services from overlapping with each other and can provide one service without stopping another service. |
| US08024757B2 |
Digital broadcast receiver and backup method
A digital broadcast receiver capable of reducing time and labor to back-up contents recorded on one recording medium to another recording medium. A digital broadcast receiver extracts the contents recorded, out of order, on a first recording medium by an extracting unit according to the titles or genres recorded in a content list, and automatically rearranges the extracted contents using an arranging unit according to video-recording date-and-hour recorded in the content list, for recording as a content list onto a second recording medium (300). |
| US08024753B1 |
Method and apparatus for parental control
Television converter devices in accordance with present invention determine whether the programming is to be blocked or not, then inserts an appropriate V-code into the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the programming before delivering the programming to one or more V-chip enabled TV where the V-chip blocks the programming as appropriate. Various methods of determining whether the programming is to be blocked are disclosed. |
| US08024750B2 |
Lift device of a slot-in disk drive
The present invention provides a lift device of a slot-in disk drive, which includes two straight slots formed on a side of a sliding component, two sliding pins protruding from a side of base adjacent to the sliding component or protruding from a fixing plate of a casing, a cover covering with the sliding component, two guiding pins protruding from an inner surface of the cover corresponding to the two straight slots for inserting into the two straight slots respectively, an one-humped traverse slot with two ends of different heights formed on a lateral side of the cover adjacent to the sliding bolt whereinto the sliding bolt inserts, and two lifting slots separately formed on the other lateral side of the cover whereinto the two sliding pins insert. |
| US08024749B2 |
Optical pickup and optical disc apparatus with improved slide base
A base of an optical pickup includes a first bearing portion through which one of two guide shafts disposed in parallel to each other is inserted and a second bearing portion through which the other guide shaft is inserted, and is slidable along the two guide shafts. Under the first guide shaft that is inserted through the first bearing portion, a nut hold portion for holding a nut that connects a member of a drive mechanism for driving the base and the base to each other is disposed on the base. The nut hold portion includes an insertion opening that allows the nut to be inserted along a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the first guide shaft. |
| US08024742B2 |
Common program for switching between operation systems is executed in context of the high priority operating system when invoked by the high priority OS
A method of enabling multiple different operating systems to run concurrently on the same computer, which is an Intel or similar Complex Instruction Set Computer architecture, comprising selecting a first operating system to have a relatively high priority (the realtime operating system, such as C5); selecting at least one secondary operating system to have a relatively lower priority (the general purpose operating system, such as Linux); providing a common program (a hardware resource dispatcher similar to a nanokernel) arranged to switch between said operating systems under predetermined conditions; and providing modifications to said first and second operating systems to allow them to be controlled by said common program. |
| US08024739B2 |
System for indicating and scheduling additional execution time based on determining whether the execution unit has yielded previously within a predetermined period of time
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein an execution unit requests additional execution time from a kernel to prevent the execution unit from being swapped out during an execution of a critical section. The kernel determines whether the execution unit has previously avoided yielding execution to other execution units within a predetermined period of time after being allocated the additional execution time in response to at least one previous request for the additional execution time. The kernel allocates the additional execution time to the execution unit, in response to determining that the execution unit has not previously avoided yielding execution to the other execution units within the predetermined period of time after being allocated the additional execution time in response to the at least one previous request for the additional execution time. |
| US08024732B2 |
State separation for application changes
Application states may be stored and retrieved using policies that define various contexts in which the application is used. The application states may define configurations or uses of the application, including connections to and interactions with other applications. Applications that are virtualized may have state that is defined within a usage context and multiple states or configurations may be stored and recalled based on the usage context. Policies may define the context and what parameters are to be saved, and may be applied when applications are operated in a virtualized manner. |
| US08024712B1 |
Collecting application logs
Techniques for locating and collecting application logs are disclosed. Embodiments disclosed herein can be advantageously utilized to collect application logs from a plurality of computers in a network. For example, embodiments disclosed herein can be used to identify and collect application logs from a plurality of host computers in a storage area network. |
| US08024709B2 |
Facilitating assessment of a test suite of a software product
Facilitating assessment of a test suite of a software product. In an embodiment, an inventory is maintained containing the features of the software product and one or more execution flows operative when a feature is provided by the software product. Information related to execution flows for which test scripts are present (in the test suite) is also indicated in the inventory. Various test metrics and views are provided to a user facilitating the user to assess the test suite of the software product. |
| US08024705B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for distributed testing of program code
A system, method, and computer program product for distributed software code testing. When a data processing system is not being actively used, it will download and execute test code, and return the results to a server. This process increases the efficiency of code testing while exploiting otherwise-wasted processing power. |
| US08024704B2 |
Systems and methods for employing tagged types in a dynamic runtime environment
The present invention relates to systems and methods that facilitate dynamic programming language execution in a managed code environment. A class component is provided that declares an inheritance hierarchy for one or more tagged values associated with a dynamic programming language. During execution of the tagged values, a rules component mitigates user-defined types from inheriting or deriving properties from the tagged values in order to support a type safe runtime environment. A bifurcated class tree is provided that defines non-tagged type elements on one side of the tree and tagged type element values on an alternate branch of the tree. The rules component analyzes runtime extensions that help to prevent data from one component of the tree deriving or inheriting properties from another component of the tree. The runtime extensions include such aspects as cast class extensions, test class extensions, and conversion class extensions for converting data types from one class subtype to another. |
| US08024700B2 |
Method and system for understanding social organization in a design and development process
A method and system constructs a socio-technical network representing design and development processes. In one aspect, a network of inter-personal interactions comprising at least a plurality of nodes representing actors in design and development process is established; an artifacts network comprising at least a plurality of nodes representing a plurality of heterogeneous artifact types is established; one or more relationships between the nodes in the network of inter-personal interactions are determined; one or more relationships between the nodes of the artifacts network are determined; and one or more relationships between the nodes in the network of inter-personal interactions and the nodes of the artifacts network are determined. |
| US08024699B2 |
Testing sub-systems of a system-on-a-chip using a configurable external system-on-a-chip
Mechanisms are provided in which a previously verified SoC is coupled to a SoC under test via a communication bus or other type of communication interface. The previously verified SoC is provided with the same test stimuli as the SoC under test and thus, generates expected test results data. The test stimuli are sent to the SoC under test via a peripheral communication interface between the previously verified SoC and the SoC under test. The SoC under test generates actual test results data that is output to the previously verified SoC. The previously verified SoC may then compare the expected test results data with the actual test result data generated by the SoC under test to determine if they match. If the two sets of data do not match, then a mismatch notification may be generated and output. |
| US08024694B2 |
Systematic benchmarking system and method for standardized data creation, analysis and comparison of semiconductor technology node characteristics
One aspect provides a method of standardized data creation and analysis of semiconductor technology node characteristics. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) designing at least one representative benchmark circuit, (2) establishing standard sensitization and measurement rules for delay and power for the at least one representative benchmark circuit and across corners in the technology nodes, (3) performing a simulation by sweeping through a range of values and at predetermined intervals across the corners, (4) extracting data from the simulation and (5) parsing and interpreting the data to produce at least one report. |
| US08024690B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for determining routing of data paths in interconnect circuitry providing a narrow interface for connection to a first device and a wide interface for connection to a distributed plurality of further devices
A system, method and computer program product are provided for determining routing of data paths in interconnect circuitry for an integrated circuit. The method includes the steps of defining a plurality of cells to be provided along the wide interface of the circuitry, further devices being associated with at least one of the cells, and defining the circuitry as an array of blocks formed in rows and columns, with each cell abutting one of the columns. The method includes the steps of: providing a predetermined set of tiles, each tile providing a predetermined wiring layout, and for each block, applying predetermined rules to determine one of the tiles to be used to implement that block, where the rules take into account the location of the block in the array and any association between the further devices and the cells. |
| US08024689B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus with low wiring resistance
It is an object to provide a semiconductor integrated circuit which can easily be designed and has a low wiring resistance, and a method and apparatus for designing the semiconductor integrated circuit.In a semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus according to the invention, a first wiring layer is provided with a plurality of signal wirings having an equal width which is disposed in parallel with each other at a regular interval, and at least two of the signal wirings which are adjacent to each other are electrically connected to each other. |
| US08024688B1 |
Deterring reverse engineering
A method for detecting reverse engineering of a configuration bitstream for an integrated circuit is described. A user design is obtained. It is determined if the user design is a degenerate design. If the user design is a degenerate design, it is determined if a trip point for bitstream generation has been tripped. If the trip point for the bitstream generation has not been tripped, deterrence information is updated and the bitstream generation is allowed to take place. If the trip point for the bitstream generation has been tripped, at least one reverse engineering countermeasure is initiated. |
| US08024687B2 |
Technology mapping for programmable logic devices using replicating logic and parallel computations
The present invention relates to a system for reducing the delay during technology mapping in FPGA that comprises locating and replicating the critical fan-in nodes in the mapping logic. Parallel computation is performed on the replicated nodes followed by selection of the output. The delay reduction approach in the present invention gives a highly efficient logic implementation when delay is the prime concern and area can be afforded to be expanded. The technique relies on replicating logic and performing parallel computation on delay critical LUT's. |
| US08024685B2 |
Delay analysis support apparatus, delay analysis support method and computer product
A delay analysis support apparatus that supports analysis of delay in a target circuit includes an acquiring unit that acquires error information concerning a cell-delay estimation error that is dependent on a characterizing tool; an error calculating unit that calculates, based on the error information and a first probability density distribution concerning the cell delay of each cell and obtained from the cell delay estimated by the characterizing tool, a second probability density distribution that concerns the cell-delay estimation error of each cell; and an linking unit that links the second probability density distribution and a cell library storing therein the first probability density distribution. |
| US08024683B2 |
Replicating timing data in static timing analysis operation
An apparatus, method and program product create multiple copies of a clock signal, or phase, to analyze timing operations within a single timing run of a static timing analysis operation. At least one path comprising logical user defined delay segments and a timing point may be associated with both a common point and no delay. An original clock signal may propagate along the logical path without incurring delay until arriving back at the common point, along with the original signal. All other clocks may be ignored or prevented from propagating long the path. Multiple replicated copies may be accomplished without requiring additional hardware. |
| US08024681B2 |
Hierarchical HDL processing method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
A Hardware Description Language (HDL) processing method is implemented in a computer and processes a HDL file which is written in HDL having a hierarchical structure including three or more hierarchical levels in a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) which supports hardware design. The HDL processing method analyzes the hierarchical structure of the HDL and obtaining an analysis result, and processes the HDL one at a time for each hierarchical level based on the analysis result or, process the HDL one at a time by a parallel distributed processing for each hierarchical level based on the analysis result. |
| US08024677B2 |
Methods and mechanisms for inserting metal fill data
A method for implementing virtual metal fill includes obtaining a layout record for a circuit design, and inserting metal fill data into the layout record based on one or more rules, wherein the metal fill data represents a consolidation of actual metal fill. A method for implementing virtual metal fill includes obtaining a layout record for a circuit design, and inserting metal fill data into the layout record, the metal fill data representing a virtual metal fill having a configuration that is different from a configuration of actual metal fill. |
| US08024676B2 |
Multi-pitch scatterometry targets
The invention can provide a method of processing a substrate using multi-pitch scatterometry targets (M-PSTs) for de-convolving lithographic process parameters during Single-Patterning (S-P), Double-Patterning (D-P) procedures, and Double-Exposure (D-E) procedures used to control transistor structures. The M-PSTs) can have critical dimension (CD) and sidewall angle (SWA) sensitivity to exposure focus variations, exposure dose variations, and post exposure bake (PEB) temperature variations. In addition, the variation can be de-convolved so that the individual measurement process variable contributor can be identified. |
| US08024674B2 |
Semiconductor circuit design method and semiconductor circuit manufacturing method
A computer converts dimensions of design patterns of components of the transistors configuring the semiconductor circuit or component parameters extracted from in-design physical characteristics of the transistors into simulation parameters inputted to the simulator, organize the plurality of transistors included in the semiconductor circuit into a plurality of groups, selects any selection groups from the plurality of groups, sets fixed parameter values as component parameters of the non-selected groups other than the selection groups in the plurality of groups, sets the combinations of the component parameters in the selection groups, acquires circuit characteristics with respect to each combination of the component parameters, selects a group as a next selection group different from the selected groups, and repeatedly executing the setting the fixed parameter values through the selects a group as a next selection group different. |
| US08024670B1 |
Workflow management using live thumbnails
A method for performing a task, which includes generating a user interface with multiple screens where each screen corresponds to a step in a workflow used for performing the task; generating multiple live thumbnails which include miniaturized sections of the screens; displaying a first screen of the multiple screens and the multiple live thumbnails to a user using the user interface; populating a field on the first screen with input data entered by the user; determining a validity of the input data; updating a first live thumbnail of the multiple live thumbnails corresponding to the first screen based on the input data and the validity; receiving a screen selection from the user; displaying a second screen of the multiple screens corresponding to the screen selection; and updating a second live thumbnail of the multiple live thumbnails corresponding to the second screen based on the screen selection. |
| US08024669B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus allows a user to quickly find a changed setting value in a list screen after the user changes the setting value of a desired setting item and returns to the list screen. When a rightward direction button is pressed with the list screen being displayed on a display unit, a setting screen of a drive mode is displayed. When a desired drive mode is selected in the setting screen by using a rightward or leftward direction button, an icon is displayed in a predetermined color for indicating selection. When the setting is activated by a set button, a highlight is displayed on the icon in order to indicate activation. After the highlight is displayed for a predetermined period of time, the screen is changed to the list screen, and the previously set drive mode is highlighted so that the user quickly recognizes the changed drive mode. |
| US08024667B2 |
In-document floating object re-ordering
Techniques are disclosed herein for re-ordering floating objects in an electronic document. An electronic document having floating objects is displayed in a first mode. Each floating object has an x-y location in the document and has a position on a z-order stack. In the first mode the floating objects are displayed in an x-y plane based on the z-order stack. Then, the electronic document is displayed in a second mode in which the electronic document is depicted as x-y plane slices. Each x-y plane slice corresponds to one position on the z-order stack. The x-y plane slices are displayed in particular order to depict the position of the floating objects on the z-order stack. A re-ordering of the x-y plane slices is displayed based on a request. Then, the electronic document is displayed in the first mode again based on the re-ordering of the x-y planes. |
| US08024663B2 |
Composition assisting apparatus and composition assisting system
[Object] To provide communication space for the user to have crossing over of discussions with respect to plural phrases while allowing the discussions to be conducted individually in parallel.[Means for Solution] A module for generating phrase object (FO) data which contain identification information of phrase data and position information of a FO on a chat canvas (CC), a module for generating chat data which contain message text data and display position information on CC, a module for transmitting the chat data to a server, and receiving the chat data distributed from the server, a module for transmitting the FO data to the server and receiving the FO data distributed from the server, and a module for displaying the FO or the message text on the CC based on the FO data or the chat data are provided. The display mode of the message text is determined based on the display mode of the FO located close to the display position of the message text. |
| US08024660B1 |
Method and apparatus for variable help content and abandonment intervention based on user behavior
Method and apparatus for variable help content and abandonment intervention based on customer behavior in computer applications. A pattern detection and intervention mechanism may be provided that may collect usage and possibly other data for the application for a plurality of users of the application and analyze the usage data to determine usage patterns. The collected data and determined usage patterns may then be used by the pattern detection and intervention mechanism to look for and detect deviations from expected behavior and/or patterns of abnormal behavior. Embodiments may provide one or more methods of intervention to provide context-specific help or otherwise assist users for which deviations from expected behavior and/or abnormal patterns of behavior are detected. The detection that users are having difficulty with the application and proactive intervention when such difficulties are detected may help to prevent the users from abandoning the application. |
| US08024658B1 |
Application for designing photo albums
Some embodiments of the invention provide a computer-based application that allows its users to insert their pictures in a variety of different photo album books (called photo books below). Each photo book has several pages that have one or more picture fields for presenting pictures. Different photo books can differ in their size, themes, covers, page designs, page colors, picture-field designs, picture-field layouts, and/or other attributes. In some embodiments, the application also allows the users to modify photo books that they select. For instance, in some embodiments, a user can modify the page design, color, frame design, and/or other thematic aspects of a selected photo books. Also, in some embodiments, the user can add picture and text fields to the photo book. Once the user has completed designing the photo book and inserting pictures in the photo book, the user can order the photo book through an online transaction that is initiated through the application. |
| US08024654B2 |
Providing device usage information through layout diagram
Layout data relating to layout of a user and a device is obtained. Log data relating to usage of the device, such as a job being performed or to be performed by the device, is obtained. A layout diagram illustrating the layout of the user and the device is generated based on the layout data. Line data to be additionally included in the layout diagram is generated based on the log data. |
| US08024650B2 |
Drilling on elements in arbitrary ad-hoc reports
Mechanisms are provided for drilling on data elements in arbitrary ad-hoc reports. Data elements in one ad-hoc report can be examined and then drilled on, in order to obtain other related data elements in other ad-hoc reports. Thus, in one exemplary aspect of the disclosure, when a user selects a data element in an ad-hoc report, another ad-hoc report is generated containing data elements that are obtained as a result of taking into account 1) the original query associated with data element in the ad-hoc report; 2) the context of the selection in the ad-hoc report, and 3) the granularity of the resulting query associated with the resulting ad-hoc report. |
| US08024649B1 |
Information distributing system, information processing terminal device, information center, and information distributing method
An information distributing system for distributing data to at least one information processing terminal device from an information center storing data. The information distributing system is structured such that character data, audio data, and both the character data and the audio data are selectively downloaded from the information center to the information processing terminal device on the basis of request information from the information processing terminal device, so that a user has multiple options for information selection and effective information collection becomes possible. |
| US08024644B2 |
Communication signal decoding
Provided are systems, methods and techniques that use an embedded error-detection code within a received communication signal to determine when to stop iterative decoding of the communication signal. |
| US08024627B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, operating method thereof, and compression test method thereof
A semiconductor memory device including a plurality of banks, each including a plurality of memory cells, a pattern signal generator configured to generate pattern signals having combinations in response to an input signal applied through an arbitrary pad in a compression test mode. Input paths are configured to transfer the plurality of pattern signals to the corresponding banks. |
| US08024626B2 |
Automation of fuse compression for an ASIC design system
A method and system for repairing defective memory in a semiconductor chip. The chip has memory locations, redundant memory, and a central location for ordered fuses. The ordered fuses identify in compressed format defective sections of the memory locations. The defective sections are replaceable by sections of the redundant memory. The ordered fuses have an associated a fuse bit pattern of bits which sequentially represents the defective sections in the compressed format. The method and system determines the order in which the memory locations are wired together; designs a shift register of latches through the memory locations in accordance with the order in which the memory locations are wired together; and associates each of the latches with a corresponding bit of an uncompressed bit pattern from which the fuse bit pattern is derived. The uncompressed bit pattern comprises a sequence of bits, representing the defective sections in uncompressed format. |
| US08024624B2 |
System and method for communicating data over communication channels
A communication system communication system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter inverts multiple bits of first transmission data, serializes the first transmission data to generate second transmission data, and provides the second transmission data to communication channels, in response to an error signal. The receiver inverts multiple bits of first reception data provided from the communication channels, parallelizes the first reception data to generate second reception data, and generates the error signal based on the second reception data, in response to the error signal. |
| US08024623B2 |
Misalignment compensation for proximity communication
In a proximity communication system, transmit elements on one chip are aligned with receive elements on a second chip juxtaposed with the first chip. However, if the elements are misaligned, either statically or dynamically, the coupling between chips is degraded. The misalignment may be compensated by controllably degrading performance of the system. For example, the transmit signal strength may be increased. The bit period or the time period for biasing each bit may be increased, thereby decreasing the bandwidth. Multiple coupling elements, such as capacitors, may be ganged together, thereby decreasing the number of channels. The granularity of symbols, such as images, may be increased by decreasing the number of bits per symbol. |
| US08024622B2 |
Abnormality detection frequency set when it is indicated that abnormality will occur
The invention provides an information processing apparatus including: a plurality of abnormality detection sections provided in each of a plurality of detection target portions, that detect an abnormality caused by high temperature at a predetermined first frequency; an indication detecting section that detects an indication that the abnormality will occur; and a controller that controls to set the detection frequency of the plurality of abnormality detection sections to a second frequency which is higher than the first frequency, when the number of times that the indication is detected within a predetermined period is more than a predetermined number of times. |
| US08024617B2 |
Method and apparatus for cause analysis involving configuration changes
A technique determines which configuration change(s) caused an application invocation failure of a computer application without the need for a knowledge database. To determine which configuration change is the most likely cause, the cause analysis program (121) checks other computers (102) that have experienced the same configuration changes. The cause analysis program checks and counts the application invocation results before and after each configuration change is done. If the same configuration changes are found in the other computers, the program checks whether each configuration change caused or cured the same problem in that computer. The program counts the similar cases for all of the computers. Subsequently, the program calculates the ratio of those instances involving a change from success to failure and the ratio of those instances involving a change from failure to success out of all instances for each configuration change. |
| US08024612B2 |
Remote diagnosis system for medical appliances of modular design
A method is disclosed for determining a configuration for a computer tomograph for the purpose of error diagnosis, a module, a computer tomograph and a system of appropriate design. The computer tomograph includes a multiplicity of detector modules. In at least one embodiment, a respective detector module is designed to have an identification device which is intended to provide a signature, the signature being uniquely associated with the respective module. The detector module transmits the measurement data it captures and its signature. The digital, electronic signature allows remote maintenance of the computer tomograph. |
| US08024611B1 |
Automated learning of failure recovery policies
Described is automated learning of failure recovery policies based upon existing information regarding previous policies and actions. A learning mechanism automatically constructs a new policy for controlling a recovery process, based upon collected observable interactions of an existing policy with the process. In one aspect, the learning mechanism builds a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) model, and computes the new policy base upon the learned model. The new policy may perform automatic fault recovery, e.g., on a machine in a datacenter corresponding to the controlled process. |
| US08024604B2 |
Information processing apparatus and error processing
An information processing apparatus includes a first processing unit, a second processing unit, and a common storage unit that is commonly accessed by the first processing unit and the second processing unit. The first processing unit writes a request in the common storage unit for requesting the second processing unit to perform a certain process, and notifies the second processing unit of the request. The second processing unit writes a notification in the common storage unit indicating the process is completed in response to the request. |
| US08024597B2 |
Signal phase verification for systems incorporating two synchronous clock domains
The present invention implements a mechanism which enables zero-delay verification tools to detect clock domain crossing violations in device under test designs comprising two different clock domains where the fast clock rate is an integer multiple of the slow clock rate by inserting undefined (i.e., invalid) values on slow clock domain signals during the clock periods when the signals are not supposed to be captured. The undefined values are contained in the logic cone and emulate timing uncertainty of the path. Propagation of the undefined values through the capturing latch indicates improper clock domains crossing handling. |
| US08024596B2 |
Personal wireless network power-based task distribution
Apparatus and method for dynamically reassigning between a plurality of personal portable devices in a wireless network one or more task portions of a task that have been distributed among the personal portable devices in response to at least one of the personal portable devices having diminishing access to electric power. A reassignment of a particular task routine among the personal portable devices may he forestalled as a result of it being impermissible to transmit a copy of a task routine associated with a task portion and/or a piece of data associated with that task routine from one of the personal portable devices to another. A task portion reassigned between two personal portable devices may be associated with communications between personal portable devices and its reassignment may result in a changing in topological positions of the two personal portable devices within the topology of the wireless network. |
| US08024595B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit, and method of supplying a clock to internal blocks provided in a semiconductor integrated circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of internal blocks, a supply unit, and a control unit. The supply unit is configured to supply a clock signal to each of the plurality of internal blocks. The control unit is configured to detect power consumption in the semiconductor integrated circuit and to control the supply unit to start supplying the clock signal to each of the internal blocks one by one if the detected power consumption has stabilized. |
| US08024593B2 |
Communication device
A communication device searches for a desired communication device and requests a service, without being conscious of the status of the power supply of other communication devices on a network, and achieves a reduction in power consumption. The communication device includes a main processing unit to process main service provided for other communication devices, a network processing unit to transmit and receive a request packet and a response packet among other communication devices, and an integrated power supply unit to stop supplying power to the main processing unit in a state of being able to supply it again and to supply the power to the network processing unit. The network processing unit is provided with an automatic responding unit to determine whether or not it can respond to the received request packet only by itself and, when the response is possible, to transmit the response packet to the communication device, and a power supply controlling unit, when the response is not possible, to control a main-power supply unit to supply the power to the main processing unit. |
| US08024591B2 |
Method of and apparatus for reducing power consumption within an integrated circuit
An integrated circuit comprising a plurality of processing cores, characterised by comprising electrically controllable switches for controlling the supply of power to one or more of the processing cores, a memory for saving state data from at least one of the processing cores and a controller adapted to control the supply of power to one or more of the processing cores such that processing cores can be de-powered. |
| US08024586B2 |
Determining power requirements by requesting auxiliary powered memory for server's each onboard component's need
By supplying auxiliary power to a blade's optional components, instead of polling the blade for the power requirements of a fully configured module, each installed component can be individually polled and the values summed to produce a more accurate value representing the actual power needs of a blade system prior to booting. |
| US08024582B2 |
Encryption of data to be stored in an information processing system
The aim of the invention is to provide a means of encrypting company-related data which also ensures that the data can be reproduced if the key is lost. To this end, the invention provides a method or an information processing system in which a key for a symmetrical encryption method is allocated to a user (4) for encrypting the data. Allocation information associating the key with the predetermined data to be encrypted and/or the user (4) is stored and can only be accessed by an authorised third party. If necessary, the key used for the particular data can be determined and the encrypted data reproduced, i.e. rendered readable, by this authorized third party. The allocation information, associating a particular key with an element identifying the predetermined data or a user identifier, can be stored in the information processing system in a predetermined manner or be created following a request for the allocation of a key. |
| US08024580B2 |
Transmitting apparatus, receiving apparatus, and data transmitting system
Video data exploitation by alteration of data is prevented. An extractor 111 extracts valid video data in data 110 and predetermined data in the data. An inserter 114 inserts an arithmetic operation result of the predetermined data by an arithmetic operation unit 113 into the valid video data encrypted by an encryptor 112. An output of the inserter 114 is supplied to an extractor 144 through a transmission path 120. The encrypted valid video data and arithmetic operation resultant data of the arithmetic operation unit 113 are extracted. An arithmetic operation unit 143 executes the same arithmetic operation as that of the arithmetic operation unit 113 to data corresponding to the data used in the arithmetic operation unit 113 from the valid video data decrypted by a decryptor 141 and extracted by an extractor 144. A comparator 145 compares an output of the arithmetic operation unit 143 with an arithmetic operation result extracted from data 140. When both of them do not coincide, it is determined that there is a possibility that the transmission data has been altered. An output of an another-output generator 146 is outputted as output data 148. |
| US08024578B2 |
Systems and methods for online identity verification
A system controlling online access to a study course verifies the identity of an individual taking a study course over a global computer network from a first computer at a node of the network. The first computer has a biometric identification program and communicates over the network with a second computer that is at a network node other than a node of the first computer. The second computer includes study program material. The first computer operates a biometric reader, which obtains a first set of biometric data from the individual and a second set of biometric data from the individual while access is granted to course material. The biometric identification program compares the first set of data with the second set of data to make a verification of the identity of the individual and communicates the verification to the second computer. |
| US08024576B2 |
Method and system for authenticating users with a one time password using an image reader
A method and system to authenticate users with a one time password by using a visual communication channel. The method and system may include using a device to capture a sequence of images being displayed and decrypt an encrypted one time password contained in the sequence of images. |
| US08024551B2 |
Pipelined digital signal processor
Reducing pipeline stall between a compute unit and address unit in a processor can be accomplished by computing results in a compute unit in response to instructions of an algorithm; storing in a local random access memory array in a compute unit predetermined sets of functions, related to the computed results for predetermined sets of instructions of the algorithm; and providing within the compute unit direct mapping of computed results to related function. |
| US08024549B2 |
Two-dimensional processor array of processing elements
A data processor apparatus comprises a plurality of data receiving means each for receiving data from a data source; a computational element coupleable to each of said data receiving means for performing an operation on said data; and a controller for controlling the flow of data from each data receiving means to the computational element. |
| US08024544B2 |
Free resource error/event log for autonomic data processing system
System, method, and computer program product for monitoring resources capable of being assigned to different partitions of a data processing system from a free resources pool of the data processing system. A free resources event log is associated with the free resources pool for maintaining a log of events for each resource that is in the free resources pool. When a resource is assigned to a partition from the free resources pool, a log of events for the assigned resource is transferred from the free resources event log to an event log associated with the partition. |
| US08024541B2 |
Packet memory processing system having memory buffers with different architectures and method therefor
An architecture for use in packet processing and supporting compatibility with current BSD implementations for packet processing is proposed wherein two MBUF formats are supported. A first format includes a header portion and a data portion for storing data therein. A second format includes a header portion but is absent a data portion and is for addressing data stored within a cluster and external to the MBUF itself. |
| US08024537B2 |
Storage system, remote copy and management method therefor
A copy source storage controller received write data added with a time and issued from a host computer transfers the write data with the time to a copy destination storage controller. If there are a plurality of copy destination storage controllers, a representative copy destination storage controller compares times of write data copied to the plurality of copy destination storage controllers, and writes the write data in copy destination logical volumes in the sequential order of time. The representative copy destination storage controller judges that integrity of the write data is established, if a communication procedure is established with the copy destination storage controller and if the statuses of the copy source/destination logical volumes are coincident. In remote copy which guarantees integrity of write data and traverses a plurality of storage controllers, it is possible to judge at an optional time point whether integrity of write data can be guaranteed. |
| US08024536B2 |
Method of constructing replication environment and storage system
A management computer collects a usage condition of a volume from a host computer and a storage apparatus at each site, consolidates management thereof, and prevents a volume from duplicating among applications as a copy source. This makes it possible to select a used volume in an application as a copy source without excess or deficiency and to create a copy pair configuration definition without duplication or incompatibility. If a replication environment is constructed in a large-scale storage system, the consolidated management of a usage condition of a volume collected from the host computer and the storage apparatus at each site makes it possible to create a copy pair configuration definition by a task constituted by a plurality of applications. |
| US08024530B2 |
Security erase of a delete file and of sectors not currently assigned to a file
Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten. |
| US08024528B2 |
Global address space management
Methods, systems and computer program products for global address space management are described herein. A System on Chip (SOC) unit configured for a global address space is provided. The SOC includes an on-chip memory, a first controller and a second controller. The first controller is enabled to decode addresses that map to memory locations in the on-chip memory and the second controller is enabled to decode addresses that map to memory locations in an off-chip memory. |
| US08024527B2 |
Partial cache line accesses based on memory access patterns
According to a method of data processing in a multiprocessor data processing system, in response to a processor request to read a target granule of a target cache line of data containing multiple granules, a processing unit originates on an interconnect of the multiprocessor data processing system a partial read request that requests permission to read only the target granule of the target cache line. In response to a combined response to the partial read request indicating success, the combined response representing a system-wide response to the partial read request, the processing unit receives the target granule of the target cache line, supplies the target granule to a requesting processor core, and updates a coherency state of the target granule while retaining a coherency state of at least one other granule of the target cache line. |
| US08024525B2 |
Storage control unit with memory cache protection via recorded log
A “Logging” method and apparatus is provided to protect control unit cached data not yet written to backing storage disk drives. This recording mechanism copies “WRITE DATA” to a log at a target logically external or physically external to storage control units which are connected to a common storage pool and constitute a set. Upon failure of one of the set of control units, the “Log” information is available to insure that pending “write” data is written to the proper location on the disk drives of the storage pool upon a recovery action. One of surviving members of the set assumes control of the storage managed by the failing control unit by utilizing the recorded information to insure that data not written to backing storage (disks) up to the point of failure is then written to the disk backing storage. The surviving member of the set recovering the failing control unit storage (disk set) ownership effects a “flush” of (WRITE) the Journaled WRITE DATA to the backing storage disk drives before allowing normal operations to proceed. |
| US08024524B2 |
Method, system, and program for an adaptor to read and write to system memory
Provided are a method, system, and program for an adaptor to read and write to system memory. A plurality of blocks of data to write to storage are received at an adaptor. The blocks of data are added to a buffer in the adaptor. A determination is made of pages in a memory device and I/O requests are generated to write the blocks in the buffer to the determined pages, wherein two I/O requests are generated to write to one block split between two pages in the memory device. The adaptor executes the generated I/O requests to write the blocks in the buffer to the determined pages in the memory device. |
| US08024523B2 |
Opportunistic block transmission with time constraints
A technique for determining a data window size allows a set of predicted blocks to be transmitted along with requested blocks. A stream enabled application executing in a virtual execution environment may use the blocks when needed. |
| US08024518B1 |
Optimizing reads for verification of a mirrored file system
An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and method for optimizing reads in a mirrored file system. The apparatus and method receives a plurality of read request blocks for reading the target regions in disks. The apparatus and method will chain the read request blocks in a first set, where all of the read request blocks in the first set are targeted to a first disk. The read request blocks in the first set are then sent as a read request to the first disk. When each read request block in the first set has completed accessing their respective target regions in the first disk, then the read data is generated from the first disk. Therefore, by chaining the read request blocks in a read request to a single disk, read striping is not performed across multiple disks during a read operation. |
| US08024516B2 |
Storage apparatus and data management method in the storage apparatus
A storage apparatus sets up part of non-volatile cache memory as a cache-resident area, and in an emergency such as an unexpected power shutdown, backs up dirty data of data cached in volatile memory to an area other than the cache-resident area in the non-volatile cache memory, together with the relevant cache management information. Further, the storage apparatus monitors the amount of the dirty data in the volatile cache memory so that the dirty data cached in the volatile cache memory is reliably contained in a backup area in the non-volatile memory, and when the dirty data amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the storage apparatus releases the cache-resident area to serve as the backup area. |
| US08024513B2 |
Method and system for implementing dynamic refresh protocols for DRAM based cache
A method for implementing dynamic refresh protocols for DRAM based cache includes partitioning a DRAM cache into a refreshable portion and a non-refreshable portion, and assigning incoming individual cache lines to one of the refreshable portion and the non-refreshable portion of the cache based on a usage history of the cache lines. Cache lines corresponding to data having a usage history below a defined frequency are assigned to the refreshable portion of the cache, and cache lines corresponding to data having a usage history at or above the defined frequency are assigned to the non-refreshable portion of the cache. |
| US08024509B2 |
Method of managing a multi-bit-cell flash memory
A flash memory is managed by reserving one or more cells as flag cells to represent the number N of bits to store in the cells of a memory block, selecting the value of N from at least three candidates, and programming the flag cell(s) to represent the selected value. A flash memory is managed by selecting a value of the number N>2 of bits to store in the cells of a portion (e.g. a block or page) of the memory, reserving one other cell of the memory as a flag cell to represent how many bits actually are stored in each cell of the portion, and, as the cells of the portion are successively programmed with 1≦n≦N bits, programming the flag cell to represent n. |
| US08024508B2 |
Computer storage control
A flash memory-based storage grouped into memory regions is controlled by determining whether the flash memory is accessed or not. Power to a first of the memory regions is controlled according to the determination result. Power to a second of the memory regions is controlled according to the determination result. Controlling includes enabling provision of power to the first memory region while concurrently denying power to the second memory region. |
| US08024507B2 |
Transaction-safe FAT file system improvements
Concepts for enhancing operation of transaction-safe file allocation table systems are described. The concepts include writing a file to non-volatile memory media and rendering an update of file size to the TFAT storage medium; and receiving a request to locate data in a non-volatile memory having a TFAT file management system, selecting a sector of the memory to parse to locate the data, determining when the selected sector is a first sector of a directory or subdirectory of the memory and when determining reveals that the selected sector is a first sector, skipping reading data from the selected sector. The concepts also include flushing a cache and synchronizing FATs. |
| US08024500B2 |
Universal peripheral connector
A universal peripheral connector apparatus for a mobile device and in communication with the mobile device. The universal peripheral connector apparatus including: at least one universal serial bus (USB) connector providing at least one connection; at least one USB host controller configured to control the at least one USB connection; a microprocessor configured to control the at least one USB host controller, the microprocessor having an operating system; a USB device control interface on the mobile device configured to communicate and control the universal connector apparatus; and a USB driver configured to operate within the operating system of the universal peripheral connector to enable the mobile device to connect to one or more peripherals via the at least one USB connector. |
| US08024497B2 |
Distributing virtual input/output operations across multiple logical partitions
The Distributed Virtual I/O Tool replaces dedicated VIO server LPARs by distributing the virtual I/O functions across several application LPARs connected by a high-speed communication channel. The physical I/O devices are distributed across available LPARs. The Distributed Virtual I/O Tool assigns each I/O request to an appropriate I/O device. The Distributed Virtual I/O Tool monitors each I/O request and reassigns I/O devices when performance drops on a specific device or when a device is no longer available. |
| US08024496B2 |
Enhanced memory migration descriptor format and method
An enhanced migration descriptor migrates a plurality of source sub-pages in a large source page accessible by direct memory access devices. A splitter and selector are integrated into a configuration of a computer. Responsive to a request to migrate a large page containing the plurality of source sub-pages in the source page, the splitter divides a plurality of high order page numbers from a plurality of low order page numbers. The selector selects the high order page number of the large page and creates an enhanced migration descriptor comprising the high order page number and a size of the large page. The selector, by the enhanced migration descriptor, combines the low order page number for a sub-page with the destination address and size of the enhanced migration descriptor to migrate the large page and each of the plurality of sub-pages. |
| US08024491B1 |
Detecting a connection to an unpowered host
A method and apparatus for detecting a connection between a peripheral device and a host device is described. |
| US08024487B2 |
Smart scan for wireless devices
A system and method for discovering and connecting to a preferred remote Bluetooth device by a local Bluetooth device. An inquiry scan cache and a page scan cache are maintained. The inquiry scan cache is updated by way of a periodic inquiry scan. The page scan cache is refreshed by way of an attempt to connect to the preferred remote Bluetooth device. Periodically, and more frequently than the periodic inquiry scan, a list of available remote Bluetooth devices is formed from entries in the inquiry scan cache concatenated with each entry in the page scan cache for which a page scan is successful. In one embodiment, the page scan cache holds a finite number of entries, and an expiration policy is applied to each added entry. In another embodiment, the inquiry scan cache is also updated when a remote Bluetooth device attempts to connect to the local Bluetooth device. |
| US08024484B2 |
Caching signatures
The performance of a network system having one or more requestor nodes, one or more provider nodes, and one or more intermediate nodes is improved by determining the digital signature of a received file, looking up the digital signature in an index of signatures, and forwarding a previously compressed version of the requested file when the digital signature is found in the index of signatures. |
| US08024479B2 |
System and method for distributing information in a network environment
A method for distributing information in a network environment is provided that includes receiving a communication flow and executing a routing decision for the communication flow that directs the communication flow to a selected one of a plurality of servers. The routing decision is based on a selected one or more user-specified parameters and on one or more data segments that reflect feedback associated with one or more of the servers. The feedback indicates one or more conditions associated with one or more of the servers. |
| US08024478B2 |
Identifying network path including network proxies
A method and system for identifying a network path between a source node and a destination node are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a proxy trace message at the source node, transmitting the proxy trace message over the network path towards the destination node, and receiving the proxy trace message at the source node. The proxy trace message follows a path taken by application messages transmitted by the source node and the received proxy trace message includes addresses of the destination node and proxies in the network path. |
| US08024472B1 |
Third party verification using override IP addresses
Techniques for third party verification using override IP addresses is described, including detecting a request header from an endpoint, the request header being associated with a request for a media file, initiating a download of the media file to the endpoint, evaluating the request header to identify an address associated with the endpoint, generating a notification comprising the address, the notification being configured to indicate the address overrides a source address identified by a field in a packet associated with the request header, and sending the notification to report data associated with the media file, wherein the address overrides the source address to identify a source of the request. |
| US08024470B2 |
End-point identifiers in SIP
A system and method for uniquely identifying an SIP device extends the SIP communications protocol with an end point identifier, carried for example in the header of an SIP transmission. The end point identifier is useful for routing, registration, subscription, and authentication. The end point (device) of a given user epid can be uniquely identified by creating a key from an epid and a user's address-of-record (URI). This in turn enables improved connection management and security association management when the connections/IP addresses are transient, such as when HTTPS tunneling is used. |
| US08024469B1 |
System and method for connecting network sockets between applications
A system and method for establishing communication over a network includes devices, instructions, and/or operations for: executing a browser application within a web browser, the web browser including a security mechanism for restricting access to and from the browser application; receiving, by the browser application, a private network address of an endpoint device; establishing a first network socket connection and a second network socket connection between the browser application and an application; and sending loss-sensitive network traffic over the first network socket connection and loss-tolerant network traffic over the second network socket connection. |
| US08024463B2 |
Systems and methods for tracking web activity
Systems and methods of tracking activity over networks and, in particular, tracking web activity over the Internet are described. Exemplary systems and methods may include a receiver for receiving a request from a visitor for a data object, a processor for providing a cookie to track the visitor's web activity, and a transmitter for transmitting the cookie to the visitor in response to the request. The cookie may comprise tracking information for a plurality of web sites visited by the visitor. |
| US08024459B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring a remote network
One embodiment relates to a method for monitoring a remote network over the Internet. In the method, a monitoring request from a client is received from over the Internet at a server. The server transmits a relayed monitoring request over the Internet to a remote network monitor. The remote network monitor is adapted to passively monitor the remote network based on the monitoring request, thereby detecting whether an unfavorable communication condition is met the remote network. |
| US08024449B1 |
System and method for remote administration of computer network through local administration proxy
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for remote administration of a computer network. The system comprises an administration server for remotely managing a computer network. The server deploys administration agents on the computers in the network for performing various administrative tasks. In addition, the server selects a computer with the highest performance rating as a local administration proxy for the network. The server then transmits to the local administration proxy a control signal for performing one or more administrative tasks by administration agents deployed on the computers in the network. The server then establishes, through the local administration proxy, a connection with the administration agents for performing administrative tasks of the computers. |
| US08024446B2 |
MILARRS systems and methods
An add-on module provides extrinsic management functionality to legacy and other devices. Contemplated modules include: (a) a state agent that provides at least one of the MILARRS function, and (b) a product agent that communicates with the device using at least one serial interface. Implementations are contemplated for both legacy devices that natively provide less than complete MILARRS functionality, and newly developed devices for which the developer desires a ready-made implementation of MILARRS functionality. |
| US08024444B2 |
Associating telemetry data from a group of entities
Embodiments of the invention provide an ability to associate telemetry data received from different entities, such as guest and/or host machines residing on one or more particular physical computers (e.g., server computers) executing virtualization software. In some embodiments, telemetry data supplied by each entity includes information that identifies, and preserves the anonymity of, the entity (e.g., the computer(s) on which the guest and/or host machine(s) reside(s)). For example, if the entities comprise guest and/or host machines residing on a single computer, the information may comprise a one-way hash of the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the computer. If the entities are guest and/or host machines residing on a group of computers, the information may comprise a one-way hash of a portion of an FQDN for each computer which is common to all computers in the group. If the group of computers belong to a network domain having a globally unique identifier (GUID) (e.g., as employed by Microsoft Active Directory), the information may comprise a one-way hash of a portion of the GUID. |
| US08024440B2 |
Configuration verification, recommendation, and animation method for a disk array in a storage area network (SAN)
A system and method for establishing a storage area network (SAN) is described. The method includes providing a predefined template for inputting data associated with a SAN. A first tool may utilize the template to validate an entered SAN configuration based on accessing data in a database. A second tool may utilize the template to generate a valid SAN configuration, based on accessing SAN data in a database, if component data is entered. An animated configuration of a valid SAN is generated based on at least one of the input SAN configuration or the input component data. |
| US08024431B2 |
System and method for identifying transient friends
A system and method for identifying transient friends for a social network of a user are provided. A transient friend processing function obtains locations of a number of users or locations otherwise associated with the number of users. In order to identify transient friends for a first user, the transient friend processing function identifies other users associated with locations within a proximate area of the first user. For each of the identified users, the transient friend processing function compares a user profile of the first user to a user profile of the identified user to determine whether to add the identified user as a transient friend of the first user. If the transient friend processing function determines that the identified friend is to be added as a transient friend of the first user, the identified friend is then added as a transient friend of the first user. |
| US08024426B2 |
Non-disruptive data path upgrade using target mobility
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for non-disruptive data path modification using target mobility. A management server is in communication with a switching fabric. The switching fabric is in communication with a host and a data storage element. The management server creates a takeover target based on a primary target, where the primary target is part of a virtual data path between the host and the data storage. The switching fabric, through the direction of the server, modifies metadata associated with the virtual data path to expose the takeover target so that the takeover target becomes part of the virtual data path. The management server unexposes the primary target so that the primary target is no longer part of the virtual data path. The delay between exposing the takeover target and unexposing the primary target is sufficiently small to prevent an error condition from occurring at the host. |
| US08024423B2 |
Maintaining connections between mobile devices and servers
A system, method, and computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for maintaining connections between a mobile device and a server are described herein. In an embodiment, the method operates by receiving a data request from the mobile device, the data request identifying at least a timeout interval. The method comprises sending the data request to a data server and then determining whether the timeout interval has passed. The method also comprises sending a keep alive message to the mobile device indicating that the request has timed out if it is determined that the timeout interval has passed. The method then receives a re post request from the mobile device, the re post request identifying a timeout interval. The method further comprises receiving a response from the data server, the response including at least data requested by the mobile device and then sends the response to the mobile device. |
| US08024410B2 |
Mechanism for facilitating organization and accessing of emails
A mechanism is disclosed for generating a composite email for an email conversation. The composite email includes content automatically extracted from a plurality of the emails in the email conversation, and may be generated in response to a user accessing just one of the emails in the email conversation. A mechanism is also disclosed for discovering and recovering lost emails in an email conversation. A mechanism is further disclosed for automatically moving emails from one container to another after an email has been read. These and other advantageous email generating, manipulation, and organization mechanisms are disclosed herein. |
| US08024402B1 |
Call optimization in meet-me conference calls
One method for joining a meet-me conference call includes establishing a communication channel, in response to a request to join a conference call; receiving, over the channel, information as to whether the conference call is still ongoing; and if the conference call is no longer ongoing, giving notification that the conference call is no longer ongoing. The communication channel can be a non-media-transport-supporting channel. If the information indicates that the conference call is still in progress, a media transport channel can be established. |
| US08024399B2 |
Software distribution over a network
Methods, systems, and computer program products for software distribution include providing and receiving application-specific information, services, and software component elements over a network. |
| US08024396B2 |
Distributed behavior controlled execution of modeled applications
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for distributed behavior controlled execution of modeled applications. Embodiments of the invention facilitate the interoperation of a central data store along with various peer-to-peer functionalities. Thus, distributed applications can be executed in an environment that utilizes advantages of both a central data store and peer-to-peer messaging. A read-only portion of a centralized data store can be used to provide some behavior control over various processing systems during execution of a distributed software application. Thus, embodiments of the invention can be used to form a policy-driven collective of nodes forming a distributed, decentralized run-time for model-based applications. Utilizing a cooperating collective of nodes that comply with centralized polices and execute applications over a peer-to-peer fabric permits a distributed application runtime to accommodate distribution and decentralization on a large scale. |
| US08024395B1 |
Distributed processing multiple tier task allocation
Described is a system and methods for multiple tier distribution of task portions for distributed processing. Essentially, a task is divided into portions by a first computer and a task portion transferred to second participatory computer on the network, whereupon an allocated task portion is again portioned by the second computer into subtask portions, and a subtask portion transferred by the second computer to a third participatory computer on the network, whereby distributed processing transpires, and results collated as required. |
| US08024394B2 |
Dual mode floating point multiply accumulate unit
Included are embodiments of a Multiply-Accumulate Unit to process multiple format floating point operands. For short format operands, embodiments of the Multiply Accumulate Unit are configured to process data with twice the throughput as long and mixed format data. At least one embodiment can include a short exponent calculation component configured to receive short format data, a long exponent calculation component configured to receive long format data, and a mixed exponent calculation component configured to receive short exponent data, the mixed exponent calculation component further configured to received long format data. Embodiments also include a mantissa datapath configured for implementation to accommodate processing of long, mixed, and short floating point operands. |
| US08024393B2 |
Processor with improved accuracy for multiply-add operations
Floating-point processors capable of performing multiply-add (Madd) operations and incorporating improved intermediate result handling capability. The floating-point processor includes a multiplier unit coupled to an adder unit. In a specific operating mode, the intermediate result from the multiplier unit is processed (i.e., rounded but not normalized or denormalized) into representations that are more accurate and easily managed in the adder unit. By processing the intermediate result in such manner, accuracy is improved, circuit complexity is reduced, operating speed may be increased. |
| US08024391B2 |
Modular multiplication method with precomputation using one known operand
A modular multiplication method implemented in an electronic digital processing system takes advantage of the case where one of the operands W is known in advance or used multiple times with different second operands V to speed calculation. The operands V and W and the modulus M may be integers or polynomials over a variable X. A possible choice for the type of polynomials can be polynomials of the binary finite field GF(2N). Once operand W is loaded into a data storage location, a value P=└W·Xn+δ/M┘ is pre-computed by the processing system. Then when a second operand V is loaded, the quotient q^ for the product V·W being reduced modulo M is quickly estimated, q^=└V·P/Xn+δ┘, optionally randomized, q′=q^−E, and can be used to obtain the remainder r′=V·W−q′·M, which is congruent to (V·M) mod M. A final reduction can be carried out, and the later steps repeated with other second operands V. |
| US08024389B2 |
Inverse discrete cosine transform supporting multiple decoding processes
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for providing a programmable inverse discrete cosine transform, wherein the transform coefficients are loaded into a memory area of a core transform device and a variety of coding standards can thereby be handled by the same programmable core device. The core device is configured to process a certain sized data block, and the incoming source blocks are converted to conform to this size. After transformation, the proper sized result can be extracted from the transform device output. A switchable speed-up mode provides for 4-point transforms, rather than 8-point transforms. Alternatively, the invention also provides for dedicated transform hardware to be switchably used in conjunction with programmable transform hardware, depending upon the type of coding being used, and the speed of inverse transform desired. |
| US08024385B2 |
Programmable calculator having guided calculation mode
A programmable calculator includes: a display unit; a calculation processing section configured to perform calculation processing; a calculation screen display control section configured to control the display unit to display a calculation screen; a base state setting section configured to set, as a base state, a calculation state; a base state storing section configured to store the base state that is set together with the calculation screen corresponding to the base state; an operation pattern storing section configured to store an operation pattern of a series of user operations that are input after the base state was set by the base state setting section; and a guide display control section configured to control the display unit to display a calculation screen corresponding to the arbitrary base state stored in the base state storing section, and to display, as guide indications, the stored operation pattern. |
| US08024377B2 |
Anti-item for deletion of content in a distributed datastore
The invention provides an efficient apparatus and method for deleting items within a distributed datastore. Deletion of items is accomplished using anti-items having the same structure as a conventional data item, but for a single tag, flag, or bit which indicates that it is an anti-item, wherein the single tag, flag, or bit but does not affect the location at which a data item or anti-item is ultimately stored within the datastore, thereby ensuring that, upon insertion, the anti-item reaches the same location or locations within the datastore as the original data item. |
| US08024375B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing messages
A memory stores a file attached to a message generated by using a structure language. Data containing an element contained in the message to which information for obtaining type information and a file referred by the element are obtained from the memory is added is constructed. This data has a construction corresponding to an application programming interface for the structured language. |
| US08024374B2 |
Computer object conversion using an intermediate object
A computer-readable medium, computer-implemented method, and system for manipulating an object is provided. In one embodiment, an object which include one or more object references is converted into an intermediate object for serialization. In another embodiment, an object is restored from an intermediate object that has been deserialized so that the object includes one or more object references. |
| US08024373B2 |
Computer-implemented system for producing, processing and managing structured data sets
According to one embodiment, a data management system has a basic function configurator to define a generic basic function, whereby the function to be performed is to be depicted in a basic function by means of descriptive attributes and associated values or value ranges necessary for processing the basic function. The function is to be depicted on a data set to which a distribution rule is allocated. A data set, with its associated distribution rules, defines a generic basic function. The data sets which define the generic basic functions, together with their distribution rules for access by a product template configurator, are contained in a basic function list. The product template configurator combines one or several basic functions and transfers these to a product template, in that the generic basic functions are mutated into specific basic functions for the product template concerned by transferring or restricting the values. A product template comprises one or more basic functions belonging to a product. A product template with specific basic functions serves as a basis for a contractual relationship with a partner. The structure of the product template is stored in a product template list for access by a contract manager. |
| US08024370B2 |
Method and system for defining a pseudo-world
A method for creating a pseudo-world that includes identifying a first pseudo-world file system, wherein the first pseudo-world file system includes a plurality of folders and a plurality of attribute files in a file system hierarchy, wherein the file system hierarchy defines a plurality of parent child relationships between the plurality of folders and the plurality of attribute files, and processing each of the plurality of folders according to the file system hierarchy. Processing a folder of the plurality of folders includes identifying at least one child attribute file of the plurality of attribute files comprised in the folder, wherein the folder and the at least one child attribute file are in a parent child relationship of the plurality of parent child relationships based on the at least one child attribute file comprised in the folder, identifying a parent cell in the pseudo-world, wherein the parent cell is defined by a parent attribute file corresponding to the folder, and generating, in the pseudo-world, a child cell within the parent cell for each of the at least one child attribute files based on the parent child relationship. The method may further include displaying the pseudo-world. |
| US08024368B2 |
Generating XML instances from flat files
In order to parse a flat file to create an XML instance, information about the data and its hierarchy is captured in an XML schema definition. Once the data structure is defined in the Schema, the parsing instructions for the flat file are introduced in the schema so that after producing an XML instance from a schema definition, the instance may be populated with live data from the flat file. |
| US08024366B2 |
System and method for the improved encoding/decoding of binary representations of structured, documents
A schema definition, which is known to the encoder and to the decoder or transmitted from the encoder to the decoder, specifies information for calculating code concerning the elements or data types contained in the name subspace and enabling this information to be clearly assigned in this manner to each code in the name subspace. Only a portion of the entire name space including the number of the elements or data types lacking for the code calculation have to be transmitted for the configuration of a code which generally means a significantly smaller volume of data than the volume of data that would be required for the entire name space. In addition, the code tables are smaller than in entirely known name spaces which requires less storage space in the codec and enables a faster encoding and decoding. |
| US08024365B2 |
Dynamic status tree facility
A dynamic status tree facility for providing status information about one or more systems. The facility includes a tree data structure and methods for manipulating the data structure. The facility is accessible to provider processes using a set of provider interface methods. The facility is accessible to consumer processes using a set of consumer interface methods. The tree data structure is defined by nodes stored in shared memory and attached to by way of a defined data structure made available to the provider and consumer interface methods. The nodes in the tree data structure are defined to have a control block and a variable set of export data. The export data for any one node is specified by a variable in the control block. Certain of the exported data in the tree is representable in a format selected to have one of four defined properties. |
| US08024364B2 |
Method and system to search objects in published literature for information discovery tasks
The present invention relates to the identification, extraction, linking, storage and provisioning of data that constitute the captioned components of published or “print ready” literature for computerized information discovery activities including search, browse and data mining. These components, or objects, include the tabular presentation of data (“tables”) and graphics such as “figures”, “images” and “illustrations” typically used to supplement the textual narrative of the publication. |
| US08024359B2 |
System and method for accessing electronic data via an image search engine
The present invention provides a system and method for accessing electronic data through entry of images as queries in search engine. The system uses various image capturing devices and communication devices to capture images and enter them into image database. Image recognition techniques encode images in a computer readable format. The processed image is then entered for comparison into at least one database populated with images and associated information. Once the newly captured image is matched with an image in the database, the information linked with that image is returned to the user. |
| US08024351B2 |
Query result iteration
Systems and methods for processing an index are described. A pulse in an inverted index refers to a group of items that do not occur in any other pulse in the index. When processing a query against an inverted index in which pulses are present, the query is processed against a single pulse. The end of the pulse is determined based on the characteristics of the pulse and the linked list nodes that comprise the postings lists from which the index was generated. In some embodiments, index updates are applied to the query result obtained from a single pulse to provide an efficient and up to date query result. |
| US08024345B2 |
System and method for associating queries and documents with contextual advertisements
A computer implemented method and system for associating advertisements with a web page comprises: obtaining advertisement keyword meanings associated with the advertisements; indexing the advertisements according to the keyword meanings; disambiguating the page to identify page keyword meanings; expanding the page keyword meanings; searching for matches between the advertisement keyword meanings and the expanded page keyword meanings to identify relevant advertisements; and providing the relevant advertisements in association with the web page. |
| US08024344B2 |
Vector space method for secure information sharing
Presented are systems and methods for securely sharing confidential information. In such a method, term vectors corresponding to ones of a plurality of confidential terms included in a plurality of confidential documents is received. Each of the received term vectors is mapped into a vector space. Non-confidential documents are mapped into the vector space to generate a document vector corresponding to each non-confidential document, wherein the generation of each document vector is based on a subset of the received term vectors. At least one of the non-confidential documents is identified in response to a query mapped into the vector space. |
| US08024343B2 |
Identifying unique objects in multiple image collections
A method of identifying images containing a unique object found in at least two separate image collections of different users comprising identifying the unique object and providing features for the unique object; at least one user identifying at least two separate image collections produced by separate users that potentially have images of the unique object; and using the features to search the at least two separate collections to identify images that contain the unique object. |
| US08024339B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating reports with masked confidential data
A computer readable medium includes executable instructions to receive a query, receive information about the identity of the query requester, send the query to at least one data source, receive data from the at least one data source, and apply confidentiality criteria to the data based on a set of rules to produce masked confidential data. The masked confidential data is returned in a report in response to the query. |
| US08024337B1 |
Systems and methods for determining query similarity by query distribution comparison
A system determines query similarity. The system determines a volume per unit time of an issued first query over a time period and determines a volume per unit time of issued other queries over the time period. The system compares the volume per unit time of each of the issued other queries to the volume per unit time of the issued first query. The system identifies ones of the issued other queries as similar to the first query based on the comparison. |
| US08024336B2 |
System and method for development of search success metrics
A system and method for development of search success metrics. A plurality of search engine result pages are collected and a target page success metric is determined for each page. A plurality of machine learned page success metrics are trained using a first subset of the search engine result pages and each result page's respective target page success metric, wherein each of the machine learned page success metrics is trained to predict the target page success metric for each of the first subset of search engine result pages. A predicted target page success metric is predicted for each of a second subset of the search engine result pages using each of the machine learned page success metrics. The accuracy of each of the machine learned page success metrics in predicting the target page success metric associated with each of the second subset of search engine result pages is then evaluated. |
| US08024335B2 |
System and method for dynamically generating a selectable search extension
A system and related techniques accept user-inputted search terms, for example to perform a search for files or other data or objects. Corresponding matches to those terms may be presented to the user in a “word-wheel”-type breakout list generated on the fly for groupings of hits by attributes or other criteria, as the system searches through the file system at the current level or point in the file system hierarchy. According to embodiments, when the search logic fails to locate a hit on the inputted search term at the current level or point in the file system hierarchy, an extension of the search to different levels or points in the file system hierarchy may be automatically generated, and for instance presented to the user as a selectable search box. That box may for example be highlighted to the user for easy selection. When the user does select the selectable search box, the user's search, for instance for files of type or extension “.doc” or “.memo”, may be seamlessly extended to other files, folders, trees or other points or levels in the file system hierarchy. Search results may be continuously or dynamically updated as the user, for example, enters more characters or other data. |
| US08024334B2 |
System for creating and maintaining a database of information utilizing user options
A system for automatically creating and maintaining a database of information utilizing user opinions about subjects, particularly exceptional experiences. Described is an Internet system assisting/motivating a population of users interested in information about certain categories of subjects to automatically maintain the database content and to improve the usefulness and quality of the database information without any substantial management by the website owner-manager. The user opinions are primarily in the form of both comments and ratings about which natural-language terms best describe a particular subject, enabling user searches of the subject database to be by way of preferred such descriptive natural-language terms, which terms are further preferred to be evaluative and approving. |
| US08024333B1 |
System and method for providing information navigation and filtration
A system and method for information navigation and filtration is provided. One or more query terms are received from a user. A preliminary relevance of one or more objects associated with an enterprise system is determined based on the query terms. The preliminary relevance may be propagated between objects. At least one rating is assigned to the one or more objects based on the preliminary relevance. An overall relevance of the one or more objects is established based on the at least one rating. The one or more objects are ranked according to the overall relevance. Data is provided as search results comprised of the one or more objects according to the ranking to the user. The search results may then be filtered based on at least one selected, dynamically generated filter. The filtered search results may be dynamically generated and provided to the user. |
| US08024332B2 |
Clustering question search results based on topic and focus
A method and system for presenting questions that are relevant to a queried question based on clusters of topics and clusters of focuses of the questions is provided. A question search system provides a collection of questions. Each question of the collection has an associated topic and focus. Upon receiving a queried question, the question search system identifies questions of the collection that may be relevant to the queried question and generates a score or ranking indicating relevance of the identified questions. The question search system clusters the identified questions into topic clusters of questions with similar topics. The question search system may also cluster the questions within each topic cluster into focus clusters of questions with similar focuses. |
| US08024330B1 |
Collaborative incident alert system for mobile devices
An incident alert system enables a plurality of users to participate in a collaborative process to report and be alerted of incidents such as emergencies or hazards. A user uses a networked mobile phone with geo-positioning capability to communicate with a server to report incidents and to inquire about potential incidents of interest based on the user's current geographic position. Reports of incidents are transmitted to the server accompanied by the current position of the user/mobile phone. A user's mobile phone is preferably configured to automatically submit periodic inquiries to the server based on the user's location. Upon receipt of an inquiry from a user, the system queries a database to identify reports of potential interest to the inquiring user. The system analyzes the reports to determine whether to alert the inquiring user of a potential incident of interest. |
| US08024328B2 |
Searching with metadata comprising degree of separation, chat room participation, and geography
Searches can be performed by attaching social contact metadata to a query where the metadata may be related to a degree of separation, chat room participation and geographical information related to an owner's contacts. Searches can then be executed by generalized search engines based at least in part on the metadata. The metadata may include contact identifiers that are unique across one or more social networks, and may include contacts for individual people as well as groups or other affiliations. |
| US08024326B2 |
Methods and systems for improving a search ranking using related queries
Systems and methods that improve search rankings for a search query by using data associated with queries related to the search query are described. In one aspect, a search query is received, a related query related to the search query is determined, an article (such as a web page) associated with the search query is determined, and a ranking score for the article based at least in part on data associated with the related query is determined. Several algorithms and types of data associated with related queries useful in carrying out such systems and methods are described. |
| US08024307B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
This invention has as its object to easily verify alterations etc. of files stored in a folder. To achieve this object, an information processing method of this invention is a method of applying hash processing to files stored in a folder, which includes a designation step of designating a folder; a first generation step (steps S601 and S602) of generating hash data for each of files included in the folder designated in the designation step; a second generation step (steps S603 to S609) of generating one multiplexed hash data by repeating multiplexing each of the hash data generated in the first generation step in turn according to a predetermined order; and a step (step S610) of storing the multiplexed hash data in association with the folder designated in the designation step. |
| US08024303B2 |
Software release validation
Software release validation is disclosed. A plan of record is provided, having entity information for a software application associated with a plurality of platforms, and planning information for a plurality of releases of the software application. A set of rules is provided having at least a first object representing an instance of an entity type, a second object, and an operator for expressing a date dependency between the first object and the second object. An event is detected, and the plan of record is validated against the set of rules responsively to the event. |
| US08024302B2 |
Meta data management for media content objects
Meta data associated with multiple pieces of content (e.g., songs, movies, other audio/video clips, etc.) stored on multiple pieces of media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, etc.) is maintained in a meta data store. The meta data store also includes meta data associated with other pieces of content stored elsewhere, such as songs stored in files on a local hard drive that have been ripped from a CD or DVD. These other pieces of content are associated with the content on the pieces of media, such as being ripped versions of the same song tracks. This association is maintained in the meta data store, so that whenever a change is made to meta data for one piece of content (e.g., for a track on a CD), then the meta data for the associated piece(s) is also changed (e.g., the ripped version stored in a file on the hard drive). |
| US08024299B2 |
Client-driven functionally equivalent database replay
A method and apparatus for capturing database system workload and replaying that workload in a database system is provided. According to one aspect, in order to subject a test database system to the same workload to which the production database system actually would be subjected, a database server in the production system captures and records workload that the database server receives from external entities. This captured workload is processed. Processes external to a database server in the test database system send the processed workload to that database server. As a result, the test database system is subjected to the same workload to which the production database system originally was subjected. The foregoing technique permits a database administrator to determine how the production database system will fare if the difference that is present in the test database system is introduced into the production database system. |
| US08024298B2 |
Backing-up and restoring files including files referenced with multiple file names
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for backing-up and restoring files including files referenced with multiple file names. Files to backup are determined. A determination is made from the files to backup files referenced with multiple names. An entry is created for each file to backup in a backup directory indicating file attributes and each name used to reference the file. The determined files and the backup directory are backed-up. |
| US08024292B2 |
Creation of a single snapshot using a server job request
Systems and methods for backing up and/or restoring data. When a backup operation is initiated, systems and methods are provided for creating a single snapshot of the backup items, including backup groupings. The single snapshot is used by a backup/recovery application to perform a save process on each backup grouping. By using the same snapshot, the backup is performed based on the same point in time so that the backed up data across the client system is consistent and synchronized. When a recovery operation is initiated, recovery items (e.g., backup groupings, writers and writer components) are selected from backup grouping of the client. |
| US08024290B2 |
Data synchronization and device handling
In one example, a synchronization server includes logic operable to engage in a first synchronization session with a client device, wherein client modifications and server modifications may be exchanged based, at least in part, on synchronization data stored locally. The synchronization server further includes logic operable to initiate a query of a remote database (e.g., having data associated with the synchronization data) to determine differences between the synchronization data stored locally and associated data stored remotely. The synchronization server is further operable to initiate an exchange of further server modifications based on the differences between the synchronization data stored locally and the associated data stored remotely. In one example, the server may engage in a second synchronization session with the client device to update the client device with differences to the synchronization data stored locally and the remote database. |
| US08024289B2 |
System and method for efficiently providing content over a thin client network
A system, method and computer readable instructions for controlling streaming audio in real time in a thin client terminal server environment that can be used, for example, to provide support for a digital dictation system. A server runs client software, and at least one terminal runs a driver which communicates with the client software to create a virtual channel over which at least one digital dictation file is transmitted in packetized format between the terminal and the server, such that the client software controls operations performed at the terminal pertaining to the digital dictation file. |
| US08024288B2 |
Block compression using a value-bit format for storing block-cell values
Particular embodiments store multidimensional block data using a value-bit format. A block of data is determined that includes a first dimension and a second dimension. The occurrences of unique values in the block of data is then determined. If the number of unique values does not violate a threshold, a value-bit format may be used instead of storing the data in a fully-exploded array. In this case, the value for the unique values is stored with an indication of where the unique values occur in the block of data. When a request for a value at an index position in the array is received, the value-bit format is used to retrieve the value requested. A bit that indicates the value that is associated with the index position in the array is determined and that value is returned. |
| US08024287B2 |
Apparatus and method for dynamically materializing a multi-dimensional data stream cube
A computer readable storage medium comprises executable instructions to generate a stream cube to store data received from multiple data sources. A plurality of multi-dimensional data streams are generated to represent the received data. A materialization strategy is repeatedly determined for the stream cube. The stream cube is materialized according to the materialization strategy to record the multi-dimensional data streams. |
| US08024278B2 |
System for dynamic performance modeling of computer application services using a serial parallel queueing network (SPQN) modeler
A generic queueing network model of a Web services environment is introduced. The behavior of a service is abstracted in three phases: serial, parallel and dormant, thus yielding a Serial Parallel Queueing Network (SPQN) model with a small number of parameters. A method is provided for estimated the parameters of the model that is based on stochastic approximation techniques for solving stochastic optimization problems. The parameter estimation method is shown to perform well in a noisy environment, where performance data is obtained through measurements or using approximate model simulations. |
| US08024275B2 |
Method and system for monitoring a business process
A method and system for monitoring and fine tuning a business process are disclosed. A system for monitoring and fine tuning a business process, according to an embodiment of the invention, includes a process cost definition engine to generate and define a cost definition, or function, for each sub-process that is part of a business process. The system may also include a process cost calculator for calculating the cost for each sub-process that is part of a business process, based on the cost function associated with the sub-process. The system may also include a display engine to display various views and communicate data generated by the system to various users of the system. |
| US08024268B2 |
Altering card-issuer interchange categories
This document describes tools capable of determining ways in which to alter interchange categories assigned to credit-card transactions. In some embodiments, the tools receive parameters for interchange categories and transaction information for merchants that have been charged interchange fees based on some of these categories. The tools may determine, based on these parameters and transaction information, how parameters may be changed to enable similar credit-card transactions to be assigned a lower-cost interchange category and the accompanying potential fee savings. |
| US08024267B2 |
Centralized transaction record storage
Various methods and systems are provided to permit the storage of online transaction records associated with user-merchant transactions facilitated by a payment service provider. In one example, such transaction records may be aggregated by the payment service provider to permit a user to search the records. In another example, such transaction records may be associated with user-selectable links to permit users to reorder previously purchased items referenced by the transaction records. In yet another example, such transaction records may be associated with warranty information to permit users to conveniently view warranty details associated with previously purchased items. In a further example, a client device may be implemented to determine whether a webpage includes transaction information associated with a user-merchant transaction. The transaction information may be captured and passed by the client device over a network in order to facilitate storage of the transaction information in a transaction record. |
| US08024265B2 |
System and method for verifying loan data at delivery
A system for verifying loan data for a loan being delivered by a seller to a purchaser includes underwriting logic that generates a set of underwriting data for a loan and delivery logic that receives a set of delivery data for the loan from the seller and processes the delivery data. The delivery logic includes comparison logic that compares the underwriting data for the loan and the delivery data for the loan to determine any differences. If there are differences between the underwriting data and the delivery data for the loan, yield adjustments and fees may be determined for the loan based on the differences. |
| US08024263B2 |
Macroeconomic-adjusted credit risk score systems and methods
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for automatically compensating an individual's credit risk score for macroeconomic data. In particular, various embodiments provide systems and methods to determine a macroeconomic risk score. In addition, various embodiments provide systems and methods to determine an adjusted credit risk score for an individual based on the individual's credit risk score and a macroeconomic risk score that serves as a scale adjuster to keep overall delinquency and/or loss rates in line as economic factors change. |
| US08024260B1 |
Method for transmitting a code
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting a code to a user in which the user transmits his or her financial account identifier information to a code allocation unit 3, the code allocation unit 3 transfers an amount of money to the financial institution 5 specified by the user and/or transfers an amount of money from the financial institution 5 specified by the user, thereby submitting the account identifier information and the code to be transmitted as additional information with this transfer and/or this debit, and the financial institution 5 forwards a receipt for the transfer and/or debit together with the additional information to the user. |
| US08024250B2 |
Total return asset contracts and associated processing systems
A novel vehicle investment that greatly simplifies ownership and implementation of futures so that the pricing, trading, and risk management characteristics of futures investment are more broadly accessible by investors. Trading and account processing is implemented on a data processing platform that facilitates expanded access and use of risk management via futures contracts. |
| US08024247B2 |
System and method for publishing liquidity replenishment prices in a hybrid auction market
The system and method determines both a sweep liquidity offer price, and a momentum liquidity offer price. If the sweep liquidity offer price is less than the momentum liquidity offer price, the system and method publishes the sweep liquidity offer price. If the sweep liquidity offer price is greater than the momentum liquidity offer price, the system and method publishes the momentum liquidity offer price. In a similar fashion the system and method determines a sweep liquidity bid price and a momentum liquidity bid price, they are compared and the system and method publishes one. |
| US08024246B2 |
Systems and methods for offering and servicing hedge funds
A family of hedge funds, serving as “feeder funds” into underlying single-manager hedge funds, formed to provide smaller investors with the ability to allocate and reallocate assets among alternative strategies, and this basic structure combining interrelated systems and methods for offering, redeeming, exchanging, valuing, reporting and servicing the same is a new approach. The system and methods described herein provide investors having less than ultra-high net worth portfolios with access to hedge funds and the potential valuable diversification to an overall portfolio, and the ability to customize their portfolio of hedge funds to their individual needs and adjust such portfolio over time as seen fit in light of changing financial needs and market conditions. This invention gives a wide range of investors access to hedge funds, creating economic value using a new source of stable investor capital for hedge fund managers, a value shared with investors through reduced costs. |
| US08024242B2 |
System, method, and program product for foreign currency travel account
Systems, program product, and methods for securing or procuring destination currency funds for a traveler to be used for travel in a destination country commencing at a scheduled future travel date, are provided. A system can include a domestic financial institution server including foreign destination currency transaction account program product. The system provides for establishing an interest-bearing foreign destination currency transaction account having a user-selected maturity date coinciding with a preselected travel date, and near, but prior to the preselected travel date, providing to the traveler a travel debit card having access to the balance of foreign destination currency finds including both principal and accrued interest. |
| US08024240B2 |
Account management systems and methods
A method of managing accounts relating to presentation instruments includes receiving at a host computer system information from a client defining an account management rule. The rule includes an event, a condition, and an action to be taken if the condition is satisfied upon the occurrence of the event. The method also includes monitoring a plurality of accounts for the occurrence of the event, upon the occurrence of the event for a specific account, evaluating the condition, based on the evaluation, taking the action, thereby managing the account without human intervention, and providing notification of the action to an individual. |
| US08024239B2 |
Aqua index
A method and system for computing a stable index value of a regulated substance by computing a virtual value of the substance based on the value of a freely marketed product of the substance. Particularly the invention may be applied to develop a stable investment instrument for investing in fresh water. |
| US08024238B2 |
Negative balance management
A system, apparatus, and method for managing account data for accounts having a negative balance. The invention embodiment includes a method, process or workflow for processing data for accounts associated with a debit, credit, pre-paid card or other form of financial instrument that have a negative balance. The data processing includes application of issuer criteria or filters to determine if certain of the accounts having a negative balance are not suitable for chargeback processing and instead may be processed in bulk, thereby reducing administrative and data processing overhead. For each account that is potentially eligible for chargeback processing, the invention embodiment accesses the account data and determines if the data supports initiation of a chargeback procedure for one or more transactions described by the account data. If the account contains one or more transactions that are eligible for chargeback processing, then a provisional credit in the amount of the one or more transactions may be applied to the account. |
| US08024236B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing supply orders in inventory management
A method and apparatus for managing replenishing of an inventory for serviceable equipment that requires fewer orders of replacement parts and resulting shipments from the provider of the parts to the inventory location by tracking parts in accordance with a predefined parameter to estimate current and future needs of the serviceable equipment. |
| US08024235B2 |
Automatic search functionality within business applications
Disclosed herein is an integration of automatic search functionality into a business application. The application is monitored for an instance wherein the user is initiating an activity that involves an expenditure. Upon detection of such an activity, a query is automatically generated based on information related to the expenditure. The query is communicated to a search component, from which corresponding search results are eventually received. Finally, at least some information related to the search results is displayed to the user. In one embodiment, assuming the user's express or implicit approval, auto-generation of data and/or modification of business process flow are facilitated based on the search results. |
| US08024232B2 |
Recording and reproducing apparatus for content
A recording and reproducing apparatus for content detects that the same-already purchased content is present when a user newly purchases a content, and determines, based on information in which a user who previously purchases a content sets whether to open the purchase, whether a message to the effect that the content is purchased in duplicate is displayed to the user who newly purchases the content. |
| US08024231B2 |
Providing image-based product in an electronic marketplace
An automated printing system for producing an image-based product comprises a server computer that receives from a first user a group of one or more copyright protected digital images and price information for image-based product. The price information can be distinct for each group of copyright protected digital images. The automated printing system also includes a computer processor that processes the copyright protected digital images in response to an order from a second user and calculates payment to the first user based on the price information and a digital printer that produces the image-based product in response to the processed copyright protected digital image. |
| US08024225B1 |
Controlling access to services via usage models
Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as in accordance with usage models that are configured for available services by the providers of the services. In some situations, the services are Web services, and an electronic Web service (“WS”) marketplace is provided via which third-party WS providers make their WSes available to third-party WS consumers who purchase access to those WSes via the electronic marketplace based on configured usage models selected by the consumers. Some or all of the one or more usage models configured for an available WS may each have associated use prices and/or non-price use conditions, and if so access to those WSes using those usage models may be provided only if a consumer requesting access provides appropriate payment and otherwise satisfies the specified use conditions for a selected usage model. |
| US08024223B2 |
Customizing and distributing advertisments to mobile devices on a communication network
A method, article and apparatus for advertising via a mobile device. A communication request is received from the mobile device that includes a screen for displaying an ad. One more ad selection criteria are then determined. Such criteria may include a visibility of the ad on the screen; a target audience determined on the basis of information provided from the mobile device; and attributes of the determined target audience. The ad selection is based on the visibility of the ad and the attributes of the target audience. Commands may then be initiated to cause the selected ad to be displayed on the screen of the mobile device. |
| US08024220B2 |
System and method for networked loyalty program
The present invention provides a system for implementing a loyalty program on a network-wide level. The system associates UPC and SKU data on a network level to reward consumers and/or to analyze the data for a variety of business purposes, such as market segmentation analyses and/or analyses relating to consumer spending behaviors or patterns, for example. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the network may comprise any number of participants, including consumers (such primary and supplementary members of an aggregate consumer account), retailers (and any of their employees), manufacturers, third-party providers, and the like. In accordance with one aspect, the system enables participation by supplementary members who are associated with a primary member and, in this manner, facilitates the tracking of supplementary member purchasing behavior, reward points earning behavior, and reward points redemption behavior. In accordance with another aspect, the system permits instant enrollment of consumers at a retailer point-of-sale using information that the retailer has previously gathered from the consumer. In accordance with another aspect, the system facilitates the compilation of a purchaser profile, which may be used for a variety of purposes, including various types of marketing analyses. |
| US08024219B2 |
Systems and methods for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain
Methods and systems are provided for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain. In one implement, a method is provided in which the configurable product has a product dependent characteristic and a product independent characteristic. A data storage system may store data with respect to a plurality of product independent characteristics and product dependent characteristics. A selection of a product to be represented and a particular characteristic to be represented are received. A planning parameter is also selected. Data is loaded from the data storage system into a buffer. A calculation is performed on the data with respect to the product dependent characteristics and the product independent characteristics. A hierarchy of the represented data is modeled in accordance with the planning parameter and used to administer the buffered data. |
| US08024218B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining the product marketability utilizing a percent coverage
Determining product marketability may be accomplished by electronically performing various calculations on related data. The marketability may be determined by a processing device receiving business characteristic terms, industry sub-segment terms and validation terms for each business characteristic term of each industry sub-segment. The processing device calculates one or more criteria terms based on the validation terms and thereupon prioritizes the business characteristic terms based on the criteria data to define at least a first cluster of business characteristic terms. The processing device thereupon calculates a coverage percentage term for each of the industry sub-segment terms based on a comparison of the validation terms for each of the business characteristic terms and the validation terms for each business characteristic term in the first cluster. The coverage percentage term usable for determining product marketability. |
| US08024216B2 |
Computer implemented method and system for computing and evaluating demand information
Computer implemented method and system for improving demand forecasting by estimating the hidden demand at an occurrence of a sellout using a single parameter probability distribution with a parameter assuming a forecasted mean demand value derived from a statistical seasonal causal time series forecasting model of count data on a new data set of sales values excluding truncated sales values at occurrences of sellouts. The present invention also provides for new more accurate performance evaluation techniques together with new performance metrics for evaluating an actual draw and for comparing a recommended draw to an actual draw. |
| US08024209B2 |
Monte carlo grid scheduling algorithm selection optimization
A method for utilizing the Monte Carlo method to determine the most efficient arrangement of schedulers for a grid using a Scheduler Optimization Program (SOP). The SOP obtains the schedulers and scheduler timetable from memory and randomly selects a time period and scheduler to analyze. The SOP then uses the selected scheduler to modify the scheduler timetable. The SOP then runs the ROI calculator to obtain a ROI property for the modified timetable. If the ROI property for the modified timetable is greater than the ROI property for the original scheduler timetable, the SOP replaces the scheduler timetable with the modified timetable. |
| US08024208B2 |
Shipping planning system
The shipping planning system stores price/quantity relationship data for products in advance, calculates additional variable cost for shipping quantity for each product based on available resource and inventory, procured resource amount, procurement lead time, and available facility capability, evaluates relative profit subtracting opportunity loss of other products which shares the resources from a margin profit of the product using the additional variable cost, and determines the product to be shipped which makes the relative profits positive, and a shipping quantity and a price of the product using the price/quantity relationship data. |
| US08024207B2 |
Attribute modeler
A system and process for modeling attributes of a set of observed data. The system and process may include an initialization process providing for a likelihood function, a first order prior function; a calibration data set; a flexible interface module in which the likelihood function, the first order first order prior function, and the second order prior function are written in a programming language; a parameter bounding process in which parameters determined to be too large are interpolated or sequentially locked down; an outlier flagging process which identifies outliers using the gradient of the likelihood function; and an output process which reports information that may include outlier forces, confidence intervals, and other factors that are unique to this modeler and useful in refining the model. |
| US08024206B2 |
Travel
A travel system comprising a universal search feature and a local escapes feature is provided. The universal search feature gives an end user everything in a glance and in an organized fashion; the local escapes feature comprises at-a-glance compilation of things to do for the weekend in a specified area. |
| US08024205B2 |
System and method for calculating damage as a result of natural catastrophes
To calculate expected damage as a result of natural catastrophe events (5) on a multiplicity of insured objects, a plurality of processor units (31, 31′, 31″), are respectively provided with different instruction data comprising details related to at least one portion of the insured objects and their association with a risk type and a geographical risk area for a risk group (L2). The processor units are controlled such that they respectively calculate elemental damage details for the expected damage as a result of one of the natural catastrophe events on the basis of the instruction data provided for them and a damage sensitivity function determined by virtue of the association of the insured objects with a risk type and a geographical risk area. The damage sensitivity functions can be determined and made available directly in the processor units, and the total computation time can be reduced. |
| US08024204B1 |
Systems and methods of automating determination of low body mass risk
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media automate determination of a risk category for low body mass index associated with issuance of a life insurance policy. |
| US08024203B2 |
System for searching and solving for insurance products
A system for evaluating and scoring software products in which illustration engines relating to insurance products are run based on a common set of inputs. The illustration engines output a set of output metrics which are common to all illustration engines. The output metrics of products selected for comparison or evaluation are mathematically combined with each other and with the corresponding metrics of from all other illustration engines to determine a score which can be used to compare quickly and accurately the selected product against all other products in the database. The score may be determined by a weighted average in which the weights assigned to output metrics are adjustable at the user's discretion. |
| US08024201B2 |
Method and apparatus for remote health monitoring and providing health related information
A health monitoring system includes a plurality of remote user sites, each remote user site comprising at least one health monitoring device for collection of user health monitoring data, an interactive video device, and a user interface apparatus; at least one remote computing facility configured for signal communication with, and to receive health monitoring data-related signals from, the plurality of remote user sites; and at least one computer, configured for signal communication with the remote computing facility, wherein the interactive video device is interactively coupled with the remote computing facility. Associated methods are also described. |
| US08024200B2 |
Graphical user interface for clinical order administration scheduling
A user interface provides a visual indication of the time-based parameters surrounding individual scheduling options for a clinical order. The user interface facilitates the display of a graphical representation of one or more scheduling options, providing a clinician with a visualization of the parameters surrounding the options and the ability to select a particular scheduling option for associating with the established order. Each of the options includes a set of display objects presented in a context, such as a time graph, that indicates a date and time for each administration for the substance-based orderable under the respective scheduling option. |
| US08024198B2 |
System and method for providing optimized patient referrals
In particular embodiments, method, apparatus and system for generating a doctor profile based on one or more parameters associated with the doctor treatment information, generating a patient dental profile based at least in part on a weighting of a plurality of orthodontic-related treatment parameters, and providing one or more doctor referrals based on the generated doctor profile and the generated orthodontic patient profile are provided. |
| US08024196B1 |
Techniques for creating and translating voice applications
Embodiments of the present invention include techniques for creating voice applications in different design environments and translating voice applications into any runtime environment. A set of rendering engines creates a translation layer that can convert a voice application into any runtime environment. Each rendering engine receives a voice application and converts the voice application into a runtime-specific voice description. The voice description performs the same or similar functions in the selected runtime environment as the original voice application. Voice applications from different design environments may be stored as metadata and translated through one or more steps into different runtime environments. |
| US08024193B2 |
Methods and apparatus related to pruning for concatenative text-to-speech synthesis
The present invention provides, among other things, automatic identification of near-redundant units in a large TTS voice table, identifying which units are distinctive enough to keep and which units are sufficiently redundant to discard. According to an aspect of the invention, pruning is treated as a clustering problem in a suitable feature space. All instances of a given unit (e.g. word or characters expressed as Unicode strings) are mapped onto the feature space, and cluster units in that space using a suitable similarity measure. Since all units in a given cluster are, by construction, closely related from the point of view of the measure used, they are suitably redundant and can be replaced by a single instance. The disclosed method can detect near-redundancy in TTS units in a completely unsupervised manner, based on an original feature extraction and clustering strategy. Each unit can be processed in parallel, and the algorithm is totally scalable, with a pruning factor determinable by a user through the near-redundancy criterion. In an exemplary implementation, a matrix-style modal analysis via Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is performed on the matrix of the observed instances for the given word unit, resulting in each row of the matrix associated with a feature vector, which can then be clustered using an appropriate closeness measure. Pruning results by mapping each instance to the centroid of its cluster. |
| US08024190B2 |
System and method for unsupervised and active learning for automatic speech recognition
A system and method is provided for combining active and unsupervised learning for automatic speech recognition. This process enables a reduction in the amount of human supervision required for training acoustic and language models and an increase in the performance given the transcribed and un-transcribed data. |
| US08024187B2 |
Pulse allocating method in voice coding
A pulse allocating method capable of coding stereophonic voice signals efficiently. In the fixed code note retrievals of this pulse allocating method, for individual subframes, the stereophonic voice signals are compared to judge similarity between channels, and are judged on their characteristics. On the basis of the similarity between the channels and the characteristics of the stereophonic signals, the pulse numbers to be allocated to the individual channels are determined. Pulse retrievals are executed to determine the pulse positions for the individual channels, so that the pulses determined are coded. |
| US08024186B1 |
System and method for location based interaction with a device
Embodiments of these location-based systems and methods for device interaction may allow a content delivery system to provide certain content to a device, or restrict certain content from being delivered to the device, based on the location of the device. When a user requests certain content the location of the device may be determined and compared against an access control list defining a set or rules regarding that content to determine if the requested content may be accessed from that location. If the content may be accessed from this location the content may be delivered, otherwise an error message, or another option, may be delivered to the device. Similarly, the location of a device may be utilized to tailor the delivery of content to a device, such that content may be provided to a user based on the user's location, in certain cases with little or no stimulus from the user. |
| US08024185B2 |
Vocal command directives to compose dynamic display text
Methods, apparatus, products are disclosed for displaying speech for a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, that include: registering, by the surface computer, a plurality of users with the surface computer; allocating, by the surface computer to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer; detecting, by the surface computer, a speech utterance from one of the plurality of users; determining, by the surface computer using a speech engine, speech text in dependence upon the speech utterance; creating, by the surface computer, display text in dependence upon the speech text; and rendering, by the surface computer, the display text on at least one of the allocated portions of the surface. |
| US08024184B2 |
Speech recognition device, speech recognition method, computer-executable program for causing computer to execute recognition method, and storage medium
A speech recognition device and method configured to include a computer, for recognizing speech, including: a storage location for storing a feature quantity acquired from a speech signal for each frame; storage portions for storing acoustic model data and language model data; a echo speech component for generating echo speech model data from a speech signal acquired prior to a speech signal to be processed at the current time point and using the echo speech model data to generate adapted acoustic model data; and a processing component for utilizing the feature quantity, the adapted acoustic model data, and the language model data to provide a speech recognition result of the speech signal. |
| US08024182B2 |
Rate/diversity adaptation sending speech in first and second packets
Packets of real-time information are sent with a source rate greater than zero kilobits per second, and a time or path or combined time/path diversity rate initially being zero kilobits per second. This results in a quality of service QoS, optionally measured at the sender or the receiver. When the QoS is on an unacceptable side of a threshold of acceptability, the sender sends diversity packets at an increased rate. Increasing the diversity rate while either reducing or maintaining the overall transmission rate is new. CELP-based multiple-description data partitioning sends the base or important information plus a subset of fixed excitation in one packet and sends the base or important information plus the complementary subset of fixed excitation in another packet. Reconstruction produces acceptable quality when only one of the two packets is received and better quality when both packets are received. Reconstruction provides for single and multiple lost packets. |
| US08024178B1 |
Automatic completion of fragments of text
A system offers potential completions for fragments of text. The system may obtain a text fragment and identify documents that include the text fragment. The system may locate sentences within the documents that include at least a portion of the text fragment, identify sentence endings associated with the located sentences, and present the sentence endings as potential completions for the text fragment. |
| US08024176B2 |
System, method and apparatus for prediction using minimal affix patterns
One embodiment generally pertains to a method of prediction. The method includes generating a set of affixes from a selected input sequence and comparing the set of affixes with a predictive set of affixes. The method also includes selecting an affix from the predictive set of affixes. The invention uses various input data sets and allows the ability to perfectly render the original data set and the minimal size of the predictive set of affixes. |
| US08024175B2 |
Computer program, apparatus, and method for searching translation memory and displaying search result
A translation memory system enabling the user to not only narrow down the view range of search result, but also view a surrounding context of a retrieved text. Stored parallel texts include sentence-class and segment-class parallel texts. Parallel texts relevant to a given input text are retrieved and subjected to calculation of match rates with respect to the input text. A downward link is then added to each retrieved sentence-class parallel text, while an upward link is added to each retrieved segment-class parallel text. A search result screen shows a best matching parallel text with an expand button and/or a shrink button. The expand button causes the current parallel text to be replaced with an upper-class parallel text pointed at by a corresponding upward link. The shrink button causes the current parallel text to be replaced with a lower-class parallel text pointed at by a corresponding downward link. |
| US08024174B2 |
Method and apparatus for training a prosody statistic model and prosody parsing, method and system for text to speech synthesis
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for training a prosody statistic model and prosody parsing, a method and system for text to speech synthesis. Said method for training a prosody statistic model with a raw corpus that includes a plurality of sentences with punctuation, comprising: transforming said plurality of sentences in said raw corpus into a plurality of token sequences respectively; counting a frequency for each adjacent token pair occurring in said plurality of token sequences and frequencies of punctuation that represents a pause occurring at associated positions of said each token pair; calculating pause probabilities at said associated positions of said each token pair; and constructing said prosody statistic model based on said token pairs and said pause probabilities at associated positions thereof. With the present invention a prosody statistic model can be trained from a raw corpus without manually prosody parsing tags. And the prosody statistic model can be used in the prosody parsing and further voice synthesis. |
| US08024173B1 |
Computer processes for detecting and correcting writing problems associated with nominalizations
Disclosed are systems and methods for analyzing and improving document readability. For example, a method of text analysis is disclosed that can deal with problems related nominalizations in text. Such a method can include the following steps: ascertaining automatically whether or not at least one sign is present in text, the sign relating to a possible writing problem, the sign comprising a characteristic of nominalizations; and proposing an edit to a user, the edit comprising changing a nominalization if the sign is determined to not be a false positive. Various other rules for improving text are also disclosed. |
| US08024170B2 |
Configuration of reconfigurable interconnect portions
Configuring reconfigurable interconnect resources employing a switch matrix and configuration bit look-up table are disclosed. Reconfigurable interconnect resources include multiplexors to decrease the number of bits needed to load a configuration. Distributed processing resources configure a selected reconfigurable interconnect resource, interconnecting each input of the reconfigurable interconnect resource with a particular output of the reconfigurable interconnect resource using configuration bits scalably extracted from a row of configuration bits of a look-up table. Use of a configuration bit look-up table allows for compression of the bits needed to load the configuration for a reconfigurable interconnect resource. |
| US08024168B2 |
Detecting X state transitions and storing compressed debug information
A method of generating debug data in a simulation environment includes generating a listing of one or more signals that relate to a failure signal; monitoring simulation data of the one or more signals for transitions between a defined state and an undefined state; and generating a waveform of data based on the transitions between the defined state and the undefined state. |
| US08024167B2 |
Simplified data signal support for diagramming environment languages
A computer-implemented method may include defining an input bus signal in a graphical block diagram model by associating the input bus signal with a first group of signals, at least two of the first group of signals having a different data type; defining an output bus signal in the graphical block diagram model by associating the second bus signal with a second group of signals, each of the second group of signals corresponding to one of the first group of signals; defining an input to a non-virtual operation block in the graphical block diagram model as the input bus signal; defining an output to the non-virtual operation block in the graphical block diagram as the output bus signal; and simulating an operation performed on the input bus signal by the non-virtual operation block, the operation being performed on each of the first group of signals and output to each of the second group of signals. |
| US08024166B2 |
Method of estimating the instantaneous engine speed produced by each cylinder of an internal-combustion engine
The invention is a method for real-time estimation of the instantaneous engine speed produced by each cylinder of an internal-combustion engine, from an instantaneous engine speed measurement at the end of the engine transmission system. A physical model, representing in real time the dynamics of the transmission system according to the crankshaft angle and to coefficients of a Fourier series decomposition of the instantaneous speed produced by each cylinder, is constructed. These coefficients are determined in real time from coupling between the model and an adaptive type non-linear estimator. The instantaneous speed produced by each cylinder is then deduced from these coefficients. The mean torque produced by each cylinder can also be deduced therefrom. An application is: engine controls. |
| US08024165B2 |
Locus-interference verification method, apparatus, and recording medium storing locus-interference verification program
A locus-interference verification apparatus and method including generating locus models for the respective objects and storing the locus models, where each locus model represents a locus of at least a position where a maximum size is obtained and is generated by virtually moving model data of a corresponding object in accordance with the data regarding the locus of the corresponding object. The data regarding the locus is stored in a locus data storage and the model data is stored in a model data storage for each of the objects, and an intersection calculation is performed for all of the combinations of the locus models stored in the locus model data storage, and presence/absence of an overlapping model between the locus models is determined, where the overlapping model indicates an occurrence of an interference during a movement and/or a rotation of the objects. |
| US08024161B2 |
Method and system for model-based multivariable balancing for distributed hydronic networks
A method and system for optimal model-based multivariable balancing for distributed hydronic networks based on global differential pressure/flow rate information. A simplified mathematical model of a hydronic system can be determined utilizing an analogy between hydronic systems and electrical circuits. Thereafter, unknown parameters can be identified utilizing the simplified mathematical model and a set of available measurements. Next, balancing valve settings can be calculated by reformulating the simplified mathematical model based on the parameterized model. The sum of pressure drops across selected balancing valves can be then minimized to achieve optimal economic performances of the system. The data can be collected and transferred to a central unit either by wireless communication or manually by reading the local measurement devices. Such a multivariable balancing approach provides a fast and accurate balancing of distributed hydronic heating systems based on a centralized and non-iterative approach. |
| US08024159B2 |
Systems, methods, and tools for proofing a computer-aided design object
Systems, methods, and tools for proofing computer-aided design (CAD) objects (e.g., CAD drawings or models). The objects are implemented with CAD software and represent an apparatus. An exemplary method includes receiving a CAD object representing the apparatus, determining criteria for proofing the CAD object, determining rules, extracting items of interest from the CAD object, and comparing the extracted items with the rules. An example item of interest is a drawing note on the CAD object and an example rule includes a plurality of keywords. |
| US08024157B2 |
Device for detecting voltage disturbance
At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for detecting voltage disturbance. In at least one embodiment the method includes storing the digitized point values of a voltage reference waveform; detecting actual voltage values, and converting the actual voltage values by digitization into point values of the actual voltage which are in one-to-one correspondence with the point values of the reference waveform; comparing the point values of the actual voltage with the corresponding point values of the reference waveform; judging that a voltage disturbance occurs if, for N successive points, the differences between the point values of the actual voltage and the corresponding point values of the reference waveform are all greater than a predetermined disturbance threshold, wherein N is an integer greater than 0. A technical solution of the present invention improves the response speed of the detection, and shortens the response time. |
| US08024155B2 |
Sample data reliability evaluation method and sample data reliability evaluation apparatus
A sample data reliability evaluation method includes a first calculating step of calculating a representative distance between samples of a same cluster, which is a representative distance between the sample and the sample belonging to the same cluster to that to which the sample belongs, a second calculating step of calculating a representative distance between samples of different clusters, which is a representative distance between the sample and the sample belonging to the different cluster from that to which the sample belongs, a third calculating step of calculating a reliability evaluation index, which is an index for evaluating reliability of the sample data based on the representative distance between samples of the same cluster and the representative distance between samples of different clusters, and an evaluating step of evaluating the reliability of a subset of the sample data set or the whole sample data set. |
| US08024154B1 |
Methods and devices for evaluating material in a pharmaceutical process
A device and a method in processing, such as pharmaceutical processing, is provided. At least one signal is transmitted in a processing structure which is adapted to receive materials. The propagated signal is received and a parameter value thereof is compared with a reference value. The presence of materials or any other geometrical change in the processing structure is evaluated based on the comparison. The signal may be in the form of an electromagnetic wave, e.g. a microwave. Also, a use of a processing vessel, or a pipe connected to such a vessel, is provided. |
| US08024153B2 |
Method for managing wireless devices using lifecycle analysis
An improved solution for managing wireless devices that uses lifecycle analysis is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, the method for managing wireless devices includes obtaining data regarding at least one new wireless device; automatically evaluating a feasibility of redeploying at least one of a plurality of pre-existing wireless devices, based on the data regarding the at least one new wireless device; and identifying a distribution for the at least one of the plurality of pre-existing wireless devices, based on the automatically evaluating. In another embodiment, the distribution may include cascading and/or retiring the pre-existing wireless device(s). |
| US08024147B2 |
Offset compensation circuit and yaw rate sensor equipped therewith
An offset compensation circuit for a yaw rate sensor, having a subtracter, which is provided for subtracting a correction value from an input signal, the correction value being obtainable by dividing each of n measurements of the input signal by the constant n and subsequently integrating a number of n quotients into an integrator. Furthermore, a yaw rate sensor having such an offset compensation circuit. |
| US08024146B2 |
Multi-gas flow sensor with gas specific calibration capability
A multi-gas/gas-mixture or liquid flow sensor apparatus utilizing a specific media calibration capability. The flow sensor can be coupled with an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that incorporates a signal conditioner and a memory module. The signal conditioner provides a high order calibration and signal processing of flow signals from the sensor to a processed signal output representative of the flow. The processed signal output can be stored in the memory module. A correction factor can be calculated and stored in the memory module in response to the stored values of the processed signal output, which tends to linearize the relationship between the flow rate and the processed signal output of a measuring system. The correction factor and/or the processed signal output provided by the signal conditioner can be utilized by the measuring system. |
| US08024145B2 |
Method and system for signal generation via a temperature sensing crystal integrated circuit
Aspects of a method and system for signal generation via a temperature sensing crystal integrated circuit are provided. In this regard, a temperature sensing crystal integrated circuit (TSCIC) comprising a memory and a crystal or crystal oscillator may generate a signal indicative of a measured temperature. The generated signal and data stored in the memory may be utilized to configure one or more circuits communicatively coupled to the TSCIC. The data stored in the memory may characterize behavior of the TSCIC as a function of temperature and/or time. The data characterizing the behavior of the TSCIC may indicate variations in frequency of the crystal or crystal oscillator as a function of temperature and/or time. The data characterizing the behavior of the TSCIC may comprise one or both of a frequency value and a frequency correction value. |
| US08024144B2 |
Surveying instrument and method of providing survey data of a target region using a surveying instrument
A surveying instrument (11) comprises a telescope unit having imaging optics and an array of optical detector elements, orientation sensors detecting an orientation of the telescope unit, rotation drives for rotating the telescope unit about a horizontal and a vertical axis, a controllable distance-measuring unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit comprises a memory storing instructions and calibration data for relating the location of each optical detector element to a sighting direction and a processor for: obtaining target region data; obtaining projection surface data (133) representing a projection surface (135), acquiring a set of pixel data representing a two-dimensional image of a target region, transforming the set of pixel data to a set of projected image data representing a projection of the image to the projection surface using the calibration data, and storing the projected image data as surveying data. |
| US08024140B2 |
Waveform anomoly detection and notification systems and methods
Systems and methods to automatically detect anomalies in waveforms. In addition, the systems and methods alert a human operator of the anomaly and provide suggestions as to the cause of the problem and/or possible solutions to the problem. |
| US08024137B2 |
Method for determining blade mistuning on integrally manufactured rotor wheels
For determining production-inherent mistuning of integrally manufactured rotor wheels (blisks) on the basis of the identification of blade natural frequencies, the individual blades are excited independently of each other and the vibratory response is measured for the calculation of the respective blade natural frequency and of mistuning. During measurement the blades not under investigation are additionally mistuned by temporarily applying an identical extra mass to each of them, such that coupling effects disturbing the measurement of the vibratory response of the excited blade are shifted away from the natural frequency-near range of the blades and hence eliminated. |
| US08024136B2 |
Method for signal processing of measurement signals of a vortex flow transducer
A method for signal processing of measurement signals of a vortex flow transducer for measuring flow of a medium through a measuring tube. The method is characterized by low needs as regards computing power and memory space. The transducer includes a bluff body arranged in the measuring tube and a sensor for registering pressure fluctuations arising at the bluff body and for converting such pressure fluctuations into an electrical measurement signal. In the method, at least a portion of the measurement signal is sampled and digitized, an autocorrelation of the digitized measurement signal is calculated, and the flow is derived on the basis of at least one characteristic of the autocorrelation. |
| US08024135B2 |
Ultraviolet lidar for detection of biological warfare agents
A system and method for detecting airborne agents. The system includes a semiconductor ultraviolet optical source configured to emit an ultraviolet light, a controller configured to generate a pseudo-random code for emission of the ultraviolet light modulated at the pseudo-random code, a telescope configured to focus the ultraviolet light to a distance from the source and to receive elastically backscattered signals and fluorescence signals from the distance, and a sensor configured to detect the elastically backscattered and fluorescence signals. The method generates a pseudo-random code and emits at least one wavelength of ultraviolet light modulated at the pseudo-random code, transmits the modulated ultraviolet light pulses to a distance from the source, receives elastically backscattered signals and fluorescence signals from the distance, and detects the elastically backscattered and fluorescence signals. |
| US08024132B2 |
Method for the efficiency-corrected real-time quantification of nucleic acids
The present invention concerns a method for the quantification of a target nucleic acid in a sample comprising the following steps: (i) determination of the amplification efficiency of the target nucleic acid under defined amplification conditions, (ii) amplification of the target nucleic acid contained in the sample under the same defined reaction conditions, (iii) measuring the amplification in real-time, (iv) quantification of the original amount of target nucleic acid in the sample by correction of the original amount derived from step (iii) with the aid of the determined amplification efficiency. The efficiency correction of PCR reactions according to the invention for the quantification of nucleic acids can be used for absolute quantification with the aid of an external or internal standard as well as for relative quantification compared to the expression of housekeeping genes. |
| US08024131B2 |
Pattern discovery techniques for determining maximal irredundant and redundant motifs
Basis motifs are determined from an input sequence through an iterative technique that begins by creating small solid motifs and continues to create larger motifs that include “don't care” characters and that can include flexible portions. The small solid motifs, including don't care characters and flexible portions, are concatenated to create larger motifs. During each iteration, motifs are trimmed to remove redundant motifs and other motifs that do not meet certain criteria. The process is continued until no new motifs are determined. At this point, the basis set of motifs has been determined. The basis motifs are used to construct redundant motifs. The redundant motifs are formed by determining a number of sets for selected basis motifs. From these sets, unique intersection sets are determined. The redundant motifs are determined from the unique intersection sets and the basis motifs. This process continues, by selecting additional basis motifs, until all basis motifs have been selected. |
| US08024123B2 |
Subterranean formation properties prediction
A method for predicting subterranean formation properties of a wellsite. The method includes obtaining seismic data for an area of interest, obtaining an initial seismic cube using the seismic data, and obtaining a shifted seismic cubes using the seismic data, where each of the shifted seismic cubes is shifted from the initial seismic cube obtaining a shifted seismic cubes using the seismic data, where each of the shifted seismic cubes is shifted from the initial seismic cube. The method further includes generating a neural network using the initial seismic cube, the shifted seismic cubes, and well log data and applying the neural network to the seismic data to obtain a model for the area of interest, where the model is used to adjust an operation of the wellsite. |
| US08024122B2 |
Method for determining formation water resistivity from a wireline pulsed neutron device
A method for estimating resistivity of a formation includes: selecting spectra collected by pulsed neutron instrument disposed down a wellbore traversing the formation, the spectra including capture interactions and inelastic interactions; deconvolving the spectra to estimate an elemental yield; converting the elemental yield to a total concentration value; subtracting a concentration value for drilling mud and a concentration value for the formation from the total concentration value to estimate a concentration in fluid within the formation; and converting the fluid concentration value to a resistivity value. A computer program product and an instrument are provided. |
| US08024117B2 |
Map display apparatus for vehicle
A remaining distance to an intersection regarded as a guide point is calculated based on map matching process. When the remaining distance is decreased to less than or equal to 100 m, an advancement display process is executed to advance a display position of a vehicle mark of the subject vehicle in the forward direction ahead of the map matched position. The vehicle mark is thus displayed, in an enlarged view of the guide point, at a position corresponding to an advanced display remaining distance, which is calculated using a predetermined formula. |
| US08024116B2 |
Vehicle stray determination apparatus and destination guide apparatus
A vehicle stray determination apparatus in a vehicle includes a map database for designating a destination; an in-vehicle GPS unit for detecting a present position of the vehicle; a speed detector for detecting a speed of the vehicle; a parking signal input device for detecting an operation of a device such as a parking brake or hazard lamp switch used to stop or park the vehicle; and a control unit. When the present position of the vehicle is within a predetermined range from the destination, the control unit determines that the vehicle strays near the destination if (i) the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or (ii) an operation of the parking brake or hazard lamp switch is not detected by the parking signal input device even if the speed is smaller than the predetermined value. |
| US08024109B2 |
Abnormality determination apparatus for intake amount control mechanism
An abnormality determination apparatus for an intake amount control mechanism according to the invention includes a control portion which sets an allowable range of an opening amount of a throttle valve which provided in an intake passageway of an internal combustion engine based at least on an index value of an engine operation state, including an operation amount of accelerator, and on a lift working angle of an intake valve, and which determines that an abnormality is present in a state of driving of the throttle valve if an actual opening amount of the throttle valve is outside the allowable range set. |
| US08024106B2 |
Method for regulating a combustion process of an internal combustion engine with exhaust-gas recirculation
In a method for regulating a combustion process of an internal combustion engine with exhaust-gas recirculation, which can be operated with a variable air/fuel ratio, and a fresh-air flow and a recirculated exhaust-gas flow, both the fresh air and the recirculated exhaust-gas flow are metered. The combustion process of an internal combustion engine with exhaust-gas recirculation is regulated, wherein the method makes precise determination of the exhaust-gas recirculating rate possible with a low fault tolerance. |
| US08024101B2 |
Undercarriage for hospital bed
An undercarriage for a hospital bed including at least three wheels (1) while at least two wheels (1) are equipped with a brake (2) with a common control (9) of all the brakes (2). The undercarriage further includes a bed movement sensor (31) that is connected to the central processor unit (32), which is interconnected with an actuating device (33) for control of all the brakes (2). The central processor unit (32) is further equipped with a block (35) for generation of a timeout between stopping of turning of the wheel (1) and automatic applying of the brakes (2). |
| US08024093B2 |
Method of and apparatus for adjusting a motorcycle headlight, and motorcycle incorporating same
A headlight optical axis adjustment apparatus for motorcycle includes an ECU for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight in accordance with a vehicle body attitude. The apparatus includes a center kickstand switch and a side kickstand switch for detecting respective positions of a center kickstand and a side kickstand of the motorcycle. When either of the kickstands is in a deployed position thereof, the ECU is operated to adjust the optical axis of a headlight to a previously set initial direction, regardless of detection outputs from a front vehicle height sensor and a rear vehicle height sensor. The front vehicle height sensor and the rear vehicle height sensor respectively detect the vehicle heights at the front part of the vehicle body and the rear part of the vehicle body. The vehicle heights are represented by compression and decompression amounts of suspensions. |
| US08024091B2 |
Vehicle control device
An FB distribution rule 20 determines an actual vehicle actuator operation control input and a vehicle model operation control input such that a difference between a reference state amount determined by a vehicle model 16 and an actual state amount of an actual vehicle 1 (a state amount error) approximates to zero, and the control inputs are used to operate an actuator device 3 of the actual vehicle 1 and the vehicle model 16. In the FB distribution law 20, when an actual vehicle feedback required amount based on the state amount error exists in a dead zone, then an actual vehicle actuator operation control input is determined by using the required amount as a predetermined value. A vehicle model manipulated variable control input is determined such that a state amount error is brought close to zero, independently of whether an actual vehicle feedback required amount exists in a dead zone. This enhances linearity of a control system and also enhances the robustness against disturbance factors or changes therein while carrying out operation control of an actuator that suits a behavior of an actual vehicle as much as possible. |
| US08024090B2 |
Vehicle steering system
A vehicle steering system includes: a steeling operation member (20) that includes an auxiliary grip portion (154, 156) the position of which is changed between the expected grip position, in which the auxiliary grip portion is expected to be gripped by a driver during a steering operation, and the retracted position, which is reached when the auxiliary grip portion has been retracted from the expected grip position and in which the auxiliary grip portion is not expected to be gripped by the driver during the steering operation; an auxiliary-grip-portion position changing device that changes the position of the auxiliary grip portion between the expected grip position and the retracted position; an airbag device that deploys an airbag toward the driver; and a control unit that controls an operation of the auxiliary-grip-portion position changing device. |
| US08024087B2 |
Method and system for determining a cornering angle of a tyre during the running of a vehicle
A method and a system for determining a cornering angle of a tire fitted on a vehicle during a running of the vehicle on a rolling surface includes the steps of determining the lateral acceleration of a portion of the tire tread spaced apart from the equatorial plane of the tire; determining a rotation speed of the tire; and determining the cornering angle from the lateral acceleration and the radial speed by using characteristic curves of lateral acceleration amplitude versus predetermined values of cornering angle for at least one rotation speed. |
| US08024083B2 |
Cellphone based vehicle diagnostic system
A vehicular diagnostic communications system, and components thereof, are provided for an apparatus and technique for communicating vehicular diagnostic information over a cellphone network. The system includes a code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port. The code reader also has a local connectivity network circuit for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local connectivity circuit. A cellphone is arranged in communication with the local connectivity network for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a cellular telephone network. |
| US08024082B2 |
System and method for optimizing energy storage component usage
A system for optimizing energy storage component usage in a vehicle comprising one of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle, the vehicle comprising a computer programmed to identify if a vehicle position is associated with link data in a database of historical power usage data, the link data comprising measured historical power usage data for a link of vehicle travel. If the vehicle position is associated with the link data, the computer is programmed to obtain the link data of the link from the database, the link data absent terrain information from the database. The computer is also programmed to determine an expected vehicle power usage of the vehicle based on the obtained link data and optimize the energy storage component usage based on the expected vehicle power usage and based on efficiency and life cycle costs of an energy storage component of the vehicle if the vehicle position is associated with the link data. |
| US08024081B2 |
Method and device for controlling a hybrid vehicle drive
A method and a device for controlling a hybrid vehicle drive. The device contains a multiplicity of control parameter sets with different set point charge states for a high performance battery of the electric motor. The set point charge states are assigned to a respective operating mode of the vehicle. A definition device for defining a current operating mode of the vehicle, as a result of which a control parameter set which corresponds to the defined current operating mode of the vehicle can be used to control a charge mode of the high performance battery of the electric motor with a corresponding set point charge state. |
| US08024079B2 |
Wing-body load alleviation for aircraft
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for symmetric and anti-symmetric control of aircraft flight control surfaces to reduce wing-body loads. Commands are sent to symmetrically deploy outboard control surfaces to shift wing air-loads inboard based on airplane state and speed brake deployment. Surface rate retraction on a wing with peak loads is limited to reduce maximum loads due to wheel checkback accompanied by utilization of opposite wing control surfaces to retain roll characteristics. Airloads are shifted inboard on a swept wing to move the center of pressure forward, thereby reducing the tail load required to perform a positive gravity maneuver. In a negative gravity maneuver, speed brakes are retracted, thereby reducing the positive tail load and reducing the aft body design loads. High gain feedback commands are filtered from wing structural modes above one hertz by a set of linear and non-linear filters. |
| US08024071B2 |
Robot, controlling device and controlling method for robot, and controlling program for robot-controlling device
Based upon a force in a vertical direction exerted between an object and a hand and an angle made by the hand relative to a horizontal face, a transporting force estimation unit estimates a transporting force applied in the vertical direction by a person, and based upon the estimated force, a force controlling operation is carried out so as to set a force in the vertical direction of the robot arm of a robot system to a predetermined force. |
| US08024065B2 |
Methods and apparatus for transferring a substrate carrier within an electronic device manufacturing facility
In one aspect, a method is provided for electronic device manufacturing. The method includes receiving a request to transfer a carrier to or from a first substrate loading station of an electronic device manufacturing facility, and assigning one of a plurality of carrier supports to carry out the transfer based on a spacing on either side of the assigned carrier being greater than an acceptable spacing. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US08024063B2 |
Process and system for tracking of mail
A process of tracking mail during postal handling includes an initial step of sorting an incoming stream of mail on an automated sorting machine to a series of pockets based on a sort scheme. During sorting, RFID-tagged, machine-sortable markers are introduced into the incoming mail stream at intervals and the RFID-tagged markers are sorted with the mail into pockets of the sorter. Mail and markers are swept from the pockets into trays, and the markers are introduced such that at least one marker is swept to each of a set of trays containing the sorted mail. The trays containing the mail and markers are then transported away from the automated sorting machine. During a postal operation subsequent to the initial sorting, one or more of the RFID-tagged markers are scanned to identify mail from the initial sorting. |
| US08024051B2 |
Parallel power grid analysis
A method for a power grid configured to supply current to a plurality of elements of a circuit. The method includes representing the power grid as a graph including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, wherein each node of a portion of the plurality of nodes corresponds to an element of the plurality of elements each modeled as a current source, determining a characteristic matrix A of the power grid, wherein transient behavior of the power grid is represented by a set of linear equations of A*v=i, wherein v is a nodal voltage vector representing nodal voltages of at least a portion of the plurality of nodes and i is a current source vector representing currents supplied to at least a portion of the plurality of elements, identifying first and second partitions of the power grid based on a predetermined criterion, identifying first and second current source subvectors of the current source vector according to the first and second partitions of the power grid, identifying a first shell of the first partition based on worst case nodal voltage sensitivity analysis with respect to the first current source subvector, identifying a second shell of the second partition based on worst case nodal voltage sensitivity analysis with respect to the second current source subvector, and generating an analysis result of transient behavior of the power grid by analyzing, concurrently and independently, the first and second shells of the first and second partitions of the power grid, respectively. |
| US08024050B2 |
Lead for stimulating the baroreceptors in the pulmonary artery
An apparatus includes a flexible lead body extending from a proximal end to a distal end, an expandable electrode coupled proximate the distal end, the expandable electrode having an expanded diameter dimensioned to abut a wall of a pulmonary artery, and an implantable pulse generator electrically coupled to the expandable electrode. The expandable electrode includes a plurality of electrode zones. The implantable pulse generator is adapted to deliver a baroreflex stimulation signal to a baroreceptor in the pulmonary artery via the electrode. |
| US08024049B1 |
Spatial-temporal deep brain stimulation methods and systems
Methods, systems, and devices to reduce power demands substantially for current deep brain stimulation DBS using smart technology type applications. The invention uses miniaturized components that allow integration with the implanted probe(s) themselves, and includes a skull-sited housing having all the controls and battery power supply needed. This avoids implanting obtrusive card-deck size batteries in the chest area and the use of vulnerable wire leads under the skin from the chest area to connect with the implanted electrode(s) on the skull, improving comfort. The Generating of non-continuous pulses on demand of conditions such as the occurrence of a tremor occurs, without having to continuously run pulses at all times, substantially increasing life spans over current techniques. Shaped electrodes and their methods further reduce power demands and efficacy by directing electric fields to focus towards specific areas and regions of the brain rather than inefficient 360-degree emission. |
| US08024043B2 |
System and method for RF wake-up of implantable medical device
A telemetry system is presented for enabling radio-frequency (RF) communications between an implantable medical device and an external device in a manner which reduces the power requirements of the implantable device by duty cycling its RF circuitry. A wakeup scheme for the implantable device is provided in which the external device transmits a data segment containing a repeating sequence of special wakeup characters in order to establish a communications session with the implantable device. The wakeup scheme may be designed to operate in the context of a handshaking protocol for collision avoidance. |
| US08024041B2 |
Cardiac resynchronization via left ventricular pacing
The invention is directed to techniques for providing cardiac resynchronization therapy by synchronizing delivery of pacing pulses to the left ventricle with intrinsic right ventricular depolarizations. An implantable medical device measures an interval between an atrial depolarization and an intrinsic ventricular depolarization is measured. In various embodiments, the intrinsic ventricular depolarization may be an intrinsic right or left ventricular depolarization. The implantable medical device delivers pacing pulses to the left ventricle to test a plurality of pacing intervals. The pacing intervals tested may be within a range around the measured interval between the atrial depolarization and the intrinsic ventricular depolarization. One of the pacing intervals is selected based on a measured characteristic of an electrogram that indicates ventricular synchrony. For example, the pacing interval may be selected based on measured QRS complex widths and/or Q-T intervals. The implantable medical device paces the left ventricle based on the selected pacing interval. |
| US08024039B2 |
Subcutaneous cardiac sensing and stimulation system employing blood sensor
Cardiac systems and methods using ECG and blood information for arrhythmia detection and discrimination. Detection circuitry is configured to produce an ECG. An implantable blood sensor configured to produce a blood sensor signal is coupled to a processor. The processor is coupled to the detection and energy delivery circuitry, and used to evaluate and treat cardiac rhythms using both the cardiac electrophysiologic and blood sensor signals. The blood sensor is configured for subcutaneous non-intrathoracic placement and provided in or on the housing, on a lead coupled to the housing, and/or separate to the housing and coupled to the processor via hardwire or wireless link. The blood sensor may be configured for optical sensing, using a blood oxygen saturation sensor or pulse oximeter. A cardiac rhythm may be evaluated using the electrocardiogram signal and the blood sensor signal, and tachyarrhythmias may be treated after confirmation using the blood sense signal. |
| US08024036B2 |
Lumen-traveling biological interface device and method of use
Lumen-traveling biological interface devices and associated methods and systems are described. Lumen-traveling biological interface devices capable of traveling within a body lumen may include a propelling mechanism to produce movement of the lumen-traveling device within the lumen, electrodes or other electromagnetic transducers for detecting biological signals and electrodes, coils or other electromagnetic transducers for delivering electromagnetic stimuli to stimulus responsive tissues. Lumen-traveling biological interface devices may also include additional components such as sensors, an active portion, and/or control circuitry. |
| US08024029B2 |
Techniques for user-activated data retention in an implantable medical device
Apparatus for storing data records associated with a medical monitoring event in a data structure. Upon indication by a patient of a possible manifestation of a neurological event, the implanted device obtains and stores data in the data record in a first data structure that is age-based. Before an oldest data record is lost, the oldest data record may be stored in a second data structure that is priority index-based. The priority index may be determined by a severity level and may be further determined by associated factors. The implanted device may organize, off-load, report, and/or display a plurality of data records based on an associated priority index. Additionally, the implanted device may select a subset or composite of physiologic channels from the available physiologic channels based on a selection criterion. |
| US08024025B2 |
T1-corrected proton resonance frequency shift thermometry
An apparatus and method for correcting magnetic resonance temperature measurements is disclosed. In one aspect, the method identifies monitoring regions of interest outside a therapeutic region of interest. Next, a pulse sequence sensitive to changes in T1 and proton density is used to measure the temperature changes in these regions. Next, the PRFS is measured in these same regions. The PRFS in these regions will be caused both by the desired shift from temperature change, and the undesired shift from background magnetic field changes. Using the measured temperature changes from the T1-method, the component of the PRFS due to actual temperature changes is subtracted from the PRFS method, leaving only the component caused by the unwanted magnetic field changes. This analysis is performed separately for each region. At the end of this step, one has measured the change in background magnetic field within each region. |
| US08024022B2 |
Hermetically sealed three-dimensional electrode array
The electrode array is a device for making electrical contacts with cellular tissue or organs. The electrode array includes an assembly of electrically conductive electrodes arising from a substrate where the electrodes are hermetically bonded to the substrate. The electrodes also include an insulating layer which leaves at least one zone or at least one hole exposed for making focused electrical contact with the tissue. A hole passing completely or partially through the electrode may further provide an anchor to the living tissue, thereby stabilizing the array with respect to the tissue being examined. Also, a method of manufacture of an electrode array and associated circuitry is disclosed. |
| US08024021B2 |
Time-segmented pulse oximetry and pulse oximeter performing the same
To measure oxygen saturation in blood, living tissue is irradiated with a first light beam having a first wavelength and a second light beam having a second wavelength. A first electrical signal is generated from the first light beam reflected from or transmitted through the tissue. A second electrical signal is generated from the second light beam reflected from or transmitted through the tissue. The first electrical signal is divided into a plurality of first segments, each including a part of the first electrical signal for a predetermined time period. The second electrical signal is divided into a plurality of second segments, each including a part of the second electrical signal for the predetermined time period. A gradient of a regression line is calculated between every one of the first segments and an associated one of the second segments, thereby obtaining a plurality of gradients. |
| US08024019B2 |
Portable information terminal
A portable information terminal has a first casing with operating buttons primarily mounted thereupon, and a second casing with primarily an output screen exposed. A sliding supporting member and casing turning supporting member are provided which realize a state wherein the first casing and second casing are overlapped, a state of mutually sliding, and a state wherein the first casing and second casing are turned to do away with any mutually overlapped portions. The sliding supporting members are positioned on both sides of the first casing and the casing turning supporting member is positioned on the central portion of the first casing. Thus, a sliding-type portable information terminal is provided with an expanded operating face and output face by doing away with any overlapped portions. |
| US08024018B2 |
Electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes: an outer case formed of a thin metal plate and having a front plate and side plates surrounding the front plate, the side plate having a protrusion formed by bending an edge of the side plates inward of the outer case to prevent exposing the edge to exterior of the electronic apparatus; a middle member formed of a resin material and formed correspondingly to an inner surface of the outer case, the middle member having a side member that confronts the side plate, the side member having a retaining portion to engage with the protrusion; and a casing having a support portion and configured to confront an inside of the side member to keep the protrusion engaged with the retaining portion by preventing the side member from deflection. |
| US08024011B2 |
Method and apparatus for intercepting signals to change the ring mode of a mobile device
A method for intercepting signals so as to change the ring mode of a mobile device includes the following steps. Initially, a signal about to enter a predetermined area is intercepted. Then, a specific ring mode is added to the signal according to contents of the signal. Next, the signal having the specific ring mode is sent to a mobile device located in the predetermined area. Subsequently, the mobile device uses the specific ring mode as the ring mode of the mobile device upon receipt of the signal. A device applying the method is also disclosed. |
| US08024009B1 |
Communication device
A communication device, such as a mobile phone, which implements a voice communication mode, a digital mirror mode, and an answer rejecting mode, wherein the image retrieved from the camera is displayed in an inverted manner when the digital mirror mode is implemented, and answering to a phone call addressed to the communication device is rejected when the answer rejecting mode is implemented. |
| US08024007B2 |
System and method for a projection enabled VoIP phone
A system and method for projecting information from a phone. User preferences are received for projection. The user preferences indicate information associated with one or more types of communications. A communication is received. A determination is made whether the received communication is one of the one or more types of communications associated with the user preferences. The indicated information associated with the received communication is projected in response to the determination. The indicated information being projected by a projector integrated with the phone onto a display surface. |
| US08024006B2 |
Mobile terminal with cellular and broadcast reception, audio muting and closed captioning
The present invention provides a mobile communication terminal having broadcast reception function, capable of preventing occurrence of a situation in which sound comes out due to the activation of a television function even though the phone's silent mode is set. When the phone's silent mode is set in a television watching state, a CPU 1 determines that it is a television silent mode. Similarly, also when an ON operation is performed on a television function activation key in a state where the phone's silent mode is set, the CPU 1 determines that it is the television silent mode. When the CPU 1 determines that it is the television silent mode, the CPU 1 mutes television sound. |
| US08024004B2 |
Device having display buttons and display method and medium for the device
Provided is a device and a display method and medium for the device. The device includes a sensing unit sensing the acceleration of gravity affecting the device on fixed coordinates with respect to the device, a calculator calculating a tilted figure of the device using the sensing result, a plurality of buttons displaying a plurality of images in response to a control signal, and a controller generating the control signal for commanding to display images indicated by image data corresponding to the calculation result from among prepared image data. |
| US08024003B2 |
Methods and apparatus for supporting communications using antennas associated with different polarization directions
A communications device, e.g., a mobile wireless terminal, includes a plurality of antennas having different polarization directions. The plurality of antennas includes a first antenna and second antenna which are operated in a coordinated fashion. During reception a signal received via the first antenna is subjected to a phase shift operation before being combined with a signal received via the second antenna. During transmission a signal to be communicated is subjected to a phase shift operation and the phase shifted signal is transmitted over the first antenna while the non-phase shifted signal is transmitted over the second antenna. The amount of phase shift is a function of the difference in polarization directions between the first and second antennas. The novel antenna configuration facilitates the use of the horizontal polarization direction communications between the communications device and a base station without the need for directionally positioning one or more electrical antennas. |
| US08024002B2 |
Adaptive array wireless communication apparatus, reception level display method, reception level adjusting method, reception level display program and reception level adjusting program
In an adaptive array terminal, at least one of two antennas (ANT#1, ANT#2) is a movable antenna. A display unit (6) of the terminal displays reception levels of, or level difference between, the two antennas. Thus, it becomes possible for a user to adjust an angle of the antenna such that reception levels of the two antennas come closer to the same level. Alternatively, a control unit (8) of the terminal automatically adjusts the antenna angle so that reception level difference between the two antennas becomes not higher than a prescribed value. |
| US08024001B2 |
Method, system and components for facilitating wireless communication in a sectored service area
Network Allocation Vector (NAV) and “beam access control” (BAC) techniques are provided to address data collision problems in WLANs wherein APs provide wireless network access in a service area defined by multiple sectors via use of a switchable antenna system or the like. Preferably, every time the AP visits a sector and before the AP moves on to the next sector, the AP can set the NAV equal to the time it will take until its next visit. Alternatively, or in addition, a BAC bit is transmitted by an AP to control access to the AP by WTRUs disposed in a service sector in which the BAC is transmitted. |
| US08024000B2 |
Method and apparatus for base station self-configuration
Disclosed is method and apparatus for operation of a base station in wireless communications, including self-configuration of the base station for secure and authenticated communications with other base stations. |
| US08023996B2 |
Cellular terminals and other electronic devices and methods that adjust projected video images to compensate for color, brightness, and/or pattern of a display surface
Some electronic devices project video images onto a display surface that is external to the electronic device, and adjust the projected images to compensate for brightness and/or color of the display surface. An electronic device can include a video generator, a video projector, a camera, a calibration controller. The video generator can generate a video signal, and the video projector can project a video image in response to the video signal onto a display surface that is external to the electronic device to cause reflection of the video image. The camera can sense the reflected video image from the display surface. The calibration controller can adjust brightness and/or color of a subsequent video image that is projected by the video projector to compensate for differences between the video signal and the reflected video image sensed by the camera. |
| US08023993B2 |
Mobile terminal and network unit for multi-wireless technologies
Mobile terminals (2) for transmitting first signaling signals (11) according to first wireless technologies to first networks (3) and for transmitting second signaling signals (12) according to second wireless technologies to second networks (4), which first signaling signals (11) comprise first information for informing the first networks (3), which second signaling signals (12) comprise second information for informing the second networks (4), and which first and second wireless technologies are different from each other, get a better efficiency by letting the first signaling signals (11) comprise the first information and the second information. This way, the power consumption of the mobile terminals (2) is reduced and the signaling efficiency is increased. The first/second information comprises first/second location information and/or comprises first/second paging-response information. |
| US08023986B2 |
Mobile terminal entry based on power control within maximum admitted power range
To perform a network entry of a terminal to a wireless network including a base station, wherein the terminal has a maximum power capability, at least one attempt is performed by the terminal to establish communication with the base station with a power level within a terminal admitted power range. The terminal admitted power range extends up to the maximum power capability of the terminal. In the absence of a response from the base station, one or more repeated attempts are performed with power levels gradually increased over the initial power level within a terminal admitted power range. The admitted power range extends up to the maximum power capability of the terminal. |
| US08023984B2 |
System and method of controlling transmit power for mobile wireless devices with multi-mode operation of antenna
A radio control system in a wireless communication device includes a sensor operable to detect a change in a use mode of the wireless communication device during a communication session according to a pre-determined list of conditions, the use mode being one of a plurality of use modes that the communication device can operate in. The radio control system also includes a power controller connected to the sensor, that is operable to determine a power configuration according to the user mode detected. The power configuration is adjusted to balance the radio frequency coverage of a signal to be transmitted and the SAR. Of the radiation absorption. Each use mode is a different scenario in which the wireless communication device can be used. |
| US08023983B2 |
Methods and apparatus for the immediate acceptance and queuing of voice data for PTT communications
In one illustrative example, methods and apparatus for use in buffering PTT voice communications are described. A mobile station sends a PTT voice communication request in a wireless communication network. Prior to receiving a floor grant in response to the PTT voice communication request, the mobile station receives voice input signals and buffers digital voice data corresponding to the voice input signals, where the digital voice data is produced by encoding and compressing the voice input signals. The mobile station receives the floor grant in response to the PTT voice communication request. Upon receipt of the floor grant, the mobile station retrieves the buffered digital voice data and continues to buffer digital voice data corresponding to the voice input signals, until all of the buffered digital voice data has been sent. |
| US08023977B2 |
Method and apparatus for interactive audience participation at a live entertainment event
The present invention relates to a method for providing interactive audience participation at live entertainment events. The method includes use of an interactive device that presents a promotional message and includes a user interface, broadcasting audio programming to the audience member through the interactive device, querying the audience members, wherein answers to the querying may be entered by the audience member via the user interface of the interactive device, transmitting the answers to a central processor, storing the answers as audience data, processing the audience data into results, storing the results of the processing of the audience data and broadcasting the results of the processing of the audience data. |
| US08023975B2 |
Secondary status display for mobile device
A secondary display system on a mobile device to allow a user to check the status of mobile device services without having to turn on or otherwise rely upon the primary display of the mobile device. The secondary display presents a count of messages that are waiting to be accessed by the mobile device user. When a new message is received for the user, a summary of the message is displayed to the mobile device user. When a user accesses one of the waiting messages, the count of unopened messages is decremented. The secondary display system may perform queue management to ensure that only counts of recently received messages are displayed. The secondary display system may offer different status modes to highlight the status of different mobile device services or states. The secondary display system may also allow a user to respond to a received message in a limited manner. |
| US08023974B1 |
Lightweight SVM-based content filtering system for mobile phones
In one embodiment, a content filtering system generates a support vector machine (SVM) learning model in a server computer and provides the SVM learning model to a mobile phone for use in classifying text messages. The SVM learning model may be generated in the server computer by training a support vector machine with sample text messages that include spam and legitimate text messages. A resulting intermediate SVM learning model from the support vector machine may include a threshold value, support vectors and alpha values. The SVM learning model in the mobile phone may include the threshold value, the features, and the weights of the features. An incoming text message may be parsed for the features. The weights of features found in the incoming text message may be added and compared to the threshold value to determine whether or not the incoming text message is spam. |
| US08023971B2 |
Method and system to deliver multimedia alerts to a mobile phone
A method and system for transferring content to a communication device or other destination are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a subscription service to create and store subscriptions to a channel; a channel queue to obtain a multimedia message associated with the channel; and a delivery engine to cause an alert notification containing the multimedia message to be delivered to an eligible subscriber's mobile phone. |
| US08023968B2 |
System and method for providing locally applicable internet content with secure action requests and item condition alerts
Optimized delivery of locally applicable Internet content to users. A cache of locally applicable Internet content is maintained in a local content server, based upon a monitoring of locations of users requesting Internet content. Requests for Internet content are received from user equipment through a wireless network base station, and served from the local content server, which is logically proximate to the wireless network base station. The caching of locally applicable Internet content may be maintained on a layered basis. Secure action request receipt and corresponding performance, and item condition alerts are also described. |
| US08023962B2 |
Mobile device and geographic information system background and summary of the related art
The present invention provides a system and mobile device for providing geographic information to a user. The system includes a mobile device that is wirelessly connected to a geographic database. The mobile device includes a plurality of sensors for determining a first location and a first direction. A controller is adapted to provide information requested based on local queries and distal queries. In addition, the controller can respond to thematic queries of each variety, wherein the database search is limited to objects, entities or features that fit within a selected theme. Finally, the controller is adapted to select and order query results based upon two- and three-dimensional query windows. |
| US08023957B2 |
Dynamically managing and reconfiguring wireless mesh networks
A wireless network with multiple subscriber systems in a lobe pool may operate by determining a state of the wireless network, identifying a new condition, the new condition including a new demand condition or a new network health condition, determining whether the new condition has a threshold impact on operations of the wireless network or component subscriber systems of the wireless network, and if the threshold impact exists, reconfiguring the wireless network to accommodate the new condition. |
| US08023955B2 |
Uplink resource allocation to control intercell interference in a wireless communication system
Embodiments of the present invention exploit the reciprocity of radio channels in TDD, and longer-term correlation between average uplink and downlink path losses in FDD wireless communication systems to enable distributed schedulers in an enhanced uplink system to allocate uplink transmission resources while preemptively managing intercell interference levels. Each cell's base station transmits a downlink reference signal at a known transmission power level. A mobile station monitors the received signal strength of the downlink reference signals from multiple base stations. The transmitted and received signal strength levels can be used by the mobile station to estimate the amount of intercell interference that the mobile station's uplink transmissions cause, and the mobile station's uplink transmission parameters are adjusted accordingly. In further embodiments, the received reference signal power levels, or values derived therefrom, are transmitted by the mobile station to its serving base station, where a scheduling algorithm uses the information to adjust one or more transmission parameters relating to a grant of uplink transmission resources to the UE, thereby controlling the intercell interference generated by the mobile station's uplink transmissions. |
| US08023950B2 |
Systems and methods for using selectable frame durations in a wireless communication system
Systems and methods for setting parameters for transmissions of data from a mobile station to a base station in a wireless communications system. One embodiment comprises a method including a network detecting a mobile station entering or leaving soft handoff and responsively modifying a transmission parameter. The transmission parameter may comprise frame duration, wherein if the mobile station enters soft handoff, the frame duration is set to a larger value and if the mobile station leaves soft handoff, the frame duration is set to a smaller value. The network may determine whether the mobile station should enter or leave soft handoff based upon PSMMs and may send handoff direction messages (HDMs) to the mobile station, thereby causing the mobile station to enter or leave soft handoff and to set the transmission parameter accordingly. |
| US08023945B2 |
Method of releasing link connection after handover in multi-mode mobile terminal and terminal thereof
The present invention relates to a method of releasing a network connection with a link of a medium access control layer previously accessed before performing a handover to a heterogeneous network in a mobile terminal configured with a multi-mode (e.g., interface between IEEE802.16 and IEEE802.il, interface between IEEE802.16 and 3GPP/3GPP2 or interface between IEEE802.il and 3gPP/3GPP2). In a multi-mode mobile terminal, the present invention includes the steps of creating a connection with a new link, generating a trigger event indicating a connection creation with the new link, and generating a trigger event instructing a connection release from an old link. |
| US08023942B2 |
Network-based system and method for global roaming
A system and method of mobile communication roaming where a subscriber's home network and a roaming network used by the subscriber do not have a roaming agreement. The roaming network sends a “Send Authentication/Parameters” request to the home network via an intelligent roaming system on or attached to the backbone. The home network sends an authentication response to the “Send Authentication/Parameters” request from the home network to the roaming network via the backbone and intelligent roaming system. The roaming network sends a “Update Location” request from the roaming network to the intelligent roaming system. The visitor locator register (VLR) address in the “Update Location” request is replaced with the VLR address of the intelligent roaming system to create a modified update request. The modified update request is sent from the intelligent roaming system to the home network. The home network sends an update response to the modified update request to the roaming network via the backbone and intelligent roaming system. |
| US08023941B2 |
Method and apparatus for independent and efficient delivery of services to wireless devices capable of supporting multiple radio interfaces and network infrastructure
Independent delivery services to wireless terminals capable of supporting multiple radio interfaces is achieved through the employment of a service management center (SMC). The SMC determines the set of services and parameters based on the capability and service profile of the wireless terminal. |
| US08023938B2 |
Co-sequence interference detection and treatment
Signal properties of a signal section (106) comprising a training sequence are compared with corresponding signal properties of other signal sections (108, 110). At a too large discrepancy, co-sequence interference is concluded to be present. The used signal property can preferably be a signal-to-noise ratio measure or a signal statistics measure. If the existence of co-sequence interference (102) is concluded, measures can be taken to avoid such interference and to mitigate the effects of the interference. A method for mitigating effects of co-sequence interference in channel estimation comprises a joint detection and estimation procedure performed under constrictions assuming presence of co-sequence interference. |
| US08023933B2 |
Radio control method and radio control apparatus
A radio control method is arranged to use a mobile station 10, an active set 20 to perform radio communication with the mobile station 10, and a radio control apparatus 30 for controlling the radio communication between the mobile station 10 and the active set 20, and the radio control method has a determination step wherein in a situation where the mobile station 10, while performing radio communication through A-DPCH with the active set 20, performs radio communication through HS-PDSCH with one radio base station included in the active set 20, the radio control apparatus 30 makes a determination of maintenance to perform a process of maintaining the radio communication through the HS-PDSCH, on the occasion when the mobile station 10 gives a change command to change a configuration of the active set 20 so as to result in failure in maintenance of the radio communication through the HS-PDSCH. |
| US08023932B2 |
Managing subscribers on a cellular network
A method for managing the assignment of addresses in a cellular network is described. Messages are sent to connected, but inactive, subscribers causing them to disconnect and then to reconnect. This occurs without the user knowing of the disconnection. |
| US08023928B2 |
System and method for monitoring an analog data signal
A system and method for monitoring an analog data signal is provided that includes an analog data compression subsystem. The analog data compression subsystem includes a frequency bandpass filter, a rectifier, and an integrator such as a leaky integrator or one that is reset after being sampled. An analog data signal is bandpass filtered by the frequency bandpass filter, rectified, and integrated in the analog domain. The output of the integrator is converted into a digital data value by an analog-to-digital converter circuit that samples the integrator at a desired sample rate or duty cycle. The output of the integrator can trigger an event based upon established criteria. Multiple analog data compression subsystems can be used in parallel to monitor multiple frequency bands-of-interest. |
| US08023925B2 |
System and method for receiving and transferring a telephone directory from one cellular telephone to the same or another
A cellular telephone, system and method are provided which are capable of transferring a portion of or an entire telephone directory consisting of a plurality of telephone numbers to another cellular telephone via a remote central station. The remote central station receives the telephone directory and stores the same in memory for either temporary or permanent storage. The telephone directory can then be transferred from the remote central station to the same or another cellular telephone for storing the telephone directory within a memory of the cellular telephone. An individual, a company, or other entity, utilizing the remote central station, in order to store and transfer a telephone directory from a cellular telephone to the same cellular telephone or to at least another cellular telephone, pays a fee to at least one operator of the remote central station for providing and/or performing the receiving, storing and transferring services. |
| US08023918B2 |
Methods and systems for stereo noise mitigation
Methods and systems are disclosed that mitigate stereo noise in FM broadcast receivers by assessing L−R (left-minus-right) and L+R (left-plus-right) levels within tuned FM channels. These assessments are used to facilitate control of a blend from stereo output signals to mono output signals in order to reduce and mitigate stereo noise and distortion in the audio outputs. The side effects of the disclosed systems and methods are unobtrusive as compared to prior blend-to-mono techniques. |
| US08023912B2 |
Circuits, systems and methods for frequency translation and signal distribution
Circuits systems and methods for frequency translation and signal distribution includes a downconverter circuit having first and second inputs coupled to receive respective first and second input signals, and an output for providing a downconverted output signal. The downconverter circuit includes a mixer circuit, a first switch, and a second switch. The mixer includes a first input coupled to a reference source, a second input, and an output coupled to the downconverter circuit output. The first switch includes a first port coupled to the downconverter circuit first input, and a second port switchably coupled to the mixer circuit second input. The second switch includes a first port coupled to the downconverter circuit second input, and a second port switchably coupled to the mixer circuit second input. |
| US08023906B2 |
Diversity receiver and method for controlling diversity receiving operation
Power consumption is reduced in a diversity receiver. A diversity receiver (10) comprises a condition determination circuit (26) determining whether a predefined condition is satisfied; and a control circuit (28) suspending diversity reception if the condition determination circuit determines that the predefined condition is satisfied. |
| US08023905B2 |
Method for embedding OFDM in CDMA systems
Systems and methods of combining OFDM and CDMA signals are provided. An OFDM packet data channel is overlaid over CDMA transmissions. The channel is scheduled slotwise between multiple users. In some embodiments, there is a CDMA packet data channel which is scheduled together with the OFDM packet data channel. |
| US08023904B2 |
Methods and apparatus for transmitting information between a basestation and multiple mobile stations
Methods and apparatus for scheduling mobile stations (MSs) to download data to and/or to control the rate of downloading to an MS from a base station (BS) as a function of downlink channel condition information are described. Artificial channel variations, which can be measured at the MS, and feedback to a BS for scheduling purposes, are introduced through the use of two or more transmitter antennas at a BS. Each of the antennas transmits a signal at the same frequency having the same information content, e.g., modulated data. However the signals are made to differ with time in their phase and/or amplitude. Multiple signals having the same transmission frequency and information content are received and interpreted as a single composite signal by a receiving MS. |
| US08023898B2 |
Communication systems
An interference mitigation method in a wireless network in which a plurality of nodes share an available frequency spectrum by performing wireless communication on sub-channels defined within the available spectrum. The nodes are grouped into clusters, each cluster having a leader of the cluster. Preferably, every node in the cluster is a transceiver equipped to act as leader and this leader role is rotated around the cluster. |
| US08023897B2 |
Control system and method in a communication system
In a control method of a communication system, a Base Station (BS) receives noise and interference information from at least one neighboring BS in charge of a neighboring cell being adjacent to a serving cell of the BS, calculates a control value of Mobile Stations (MSs) located in the serving cell according to the received noise and interference information, and generates control information according to the calculated control value, and transmits the generated control information to the MSs. |
| US08023896B2 |
Radio communication device, receiver controller of a radio communication device, and method for searching for a radio cell
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to a radio communication device, to a receiver controller of a radio communication device, and to a method for searching for a radio cell. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for searching for a radio cell is provided. The method may include scanning at least one frequency band of a first radio access technology, scanning at least one frequency band of a second radio access technology, wherein the at least one frequency band of the second radio access technology at least partially overlaps with the at least one frequency band of the first radio access technology, wherein at least one frequency sub-band of the first radio access technology is not scanned in the at least one frequency band of the second radio access technology. |
| US08023888B2 |
Blind identification of advanced modulation and coding modes
Methods and apparatuses for acquiring and demodulating a data stream transmitted in a communication system. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises finding a boundary of a physical layer frame (PLFrame) in the data stream, finding a first 26 bits of a Unique Word (UW) associated with the data stream, finding a scrambling code utilizing the UW, and using a decoding procedure to determine a modulation type and code rate used for desired signals within the data stream. |
| US08023883B1 |
Method and apparatus for controlling handoffs in a mobile system
A method of operating a mobile device includes determining a location of the mobile device, determining a local market area for the mobile device in response to the location. The method further includes broadcasting a local market signal for a first network in a first market and a second local market signal for the first network in a first market. The mobile device selects one of the first local market signal and the second local market signal in response to the local market for the mobile device. |
| US08023874B2 |
Image forming apparatus having transfer bias applying section and image forming method having the same for transferring toner image
The present invention teaches and claims an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming portion using a liquid developer having a carrier liquid and toner; an intermediate transfer section which has an endless belt and a plurality of rotating bodies; a second transfer roller which is disposed so that it faces one of the plurality of rotating bodies and abuts the endless belt; a first bias applying section which is connected to the second transfer roller and applies a transfer bias to the second-transfer roller when the second transfer is done and applies a reverse transfer bias having an opposite electric polarity as the transfer bias to the second transfer roller when the second transfer is not performed; and a second bias applying section which is connected to the rotating body facing the second transfer roller and applies a bias to the rotating body facing the second transfer roller. |
| US08023864B2 |
Toner cartridge and developing apparatus
A toner cartridge is described. The toner cartridge may include: a first frame storing a developing agent and having a first opening for passing the developing agent therethrough; a second frame relatively movable with respect to the first frame in a direction orthogonal to a direction of passage of the developing agent through the first opening, and opening/closing the first opening; and a seal member provided on either one of the first frame and the second frame for coming into contact with the other frame to prevent leakage of the developing agent from the first opening. A first edge of the seal member and an edge of the other frame, coming into contact with each other when the second frame opens/closes the first opening, intersect with each other as viewed from the direction of passage. |
| US08023863B2 |
Charging apparatus and image forming apparatus
A charging apparatus is provided in which electrodes can be protected from corrosion induced by water content in the air, ozone, nitrogen oxide and the like and thereby lack of uniformity in charged potential on photoreceptor surface can be prevented, and in which a charged potential on photoreceptor surface can be kept in an adequate range for a longer period of time. As an electrode disposed in the charging apparatus for charging photoreceptor surface, an electrode formed with a protective layer made of nickel and phosphorus for surface protection is used. In the protective layer, phosphorus concentration and thickness proportion are each set to fall within a specified range. |
| US08023861B2 |
Fixing device and image-forming apparatus comprising the same
A fixing device and image-forming apparatus, which provide required glossiness and paper adaptability, and, in addition, feature good operability and excellent durability while achieving optimal pressure-applying force for a variety of requirements. The fixing device has a pressure-applying lever; a pressure-releasing lever; a locking member, the one end of which is rotationally attached to the pressure-releasing lever; and an elastic member which pulls the locking member in a locking direction. The configuration is such that the rotation of the pressure-releasing lever displaces the location of the locking member, thereby enabling switching between a pressure-applying position, in which a fixing member presses against another fixing member, and a pressure-releasing position, in which the one fixing member moves away from the other fixing member. |
| US08023860B2 |
Developing-transferring module and image forming apparatus having the same
A developing-transferring module includes a sub frame which is detachably mounted to a main frame, a plurality of photosensitive units which are disposed inside the sub frame with a predetermined interval and includes a photosensitive body to which a developer is attached, and a intermediate transferring unit which are provided inside the sub frame disposed opposite the plurality of photosensitive units so that the developer of the photosensitive units can be primarily transferred thereto and secondarily transfers the primarily transferred developer to a record medium of the main frame. |
| US08023858B2 |
Material supplying container having sealing member, and image forming unit including same
A material supplying container and an image forming apparatus are provided. The material supplying container includes two or more containers each of which contains a material; supply openings respectively formed in and corresponding to the containers; and seal members that respectively close the supply openings, wherein the supply openings can be opened by simultaneously operating the seal members. |
| US08023855B2 |
Development device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A development device includes a developer carrier configured to carry developer and disposed in a development case, partly exposed from an opening of the development case facing an image carrier, a developer-transporting member configured to transport the developer to the developer carrier, and a discharging member housing a discharging space including a communicating path connecting to an area where the developer carrier faces the developer-transporting member, from which air is discharged into the discharging space, and a discharging port that opens in a longitudinal direction of the developer-transporting member, from which air is discharged from the discharging space. |
| US08023852B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus
Systems and methods are provided for controlling cleaning devices in image forming apparatus electrostatic image forming apparatus. Such systems may include a charge receptor, movable in a process direction, defining a main surface. A toner application device applies toner to the charge receptor, and is configured to place a lubrication stripe including the toner on a portion of the main surface of the charge receptor at a selected time. An influence of at least one corotron on the charge receptor is modified, during the designated rotations of the charge receptor, while the portion of the surface on which the lubrication stripe is formed, or will be formed, is passing the at least one corotron. The lubrication stripe is delivered to a secondary cleaning device including a blade engaging with the photoreceptor surface to lubricate the blade. |
| US08023842B2 |
Methods and apparatus for adjusting printing device power consumption based on usage data
Methods and apparatus for adjusting printing device power consumption based on previously acquired usage data. The printing device has multiple energy consumption states including at least a ready state in which the printing device is ready to commence processing of a print job immediately upon receipt and including at least a low power state where the printing device is not ready to commence processing of a newly received print job. Acquired usage data includes parameters of print jobs submitted during a data collection period of time. The parameters may include time and date of submitted print jobs. Based on the usage data a usage profile is determined. The usage profile identifies one or more high usage periods of time and one or more low usage periods of time. Methods and apparatus then switch the printing device among the multiple energy consumption states based on the usage profile. |
| US08023841B2 |
Fixing controller and image forming apparatus
A fixing controller capable of rapidly detecting an excessive temperature rise, even if an abnormal temperature rise takes place in a state that a rotor of a fixing unit, such as a thin-walled roller or belt, stops rotating. A rotating belt is heated by a coil, a belt temperature is detected by a thermistor, and a drive frequency of a driving circuit for driving the coil is controlled by a control circuit. When the temperature detected by the thermistor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the drive circuit is stopped by an excessive temperature rise detecting circuit. The thermistor is heated such that a difference between the temperatures detected by the thermistor when the belt is rotating and when the belt stops rotating becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined temperature difference. |
| US08023837B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of preventing a sheet jamming during detected abnormal situations
The invention provides an image forming apparatus an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet, a stack portion for stacking a sheet, a discharge portion for discharging the sheet, on which an image is formed by the image forming portion, to the stack portion, a sheet detection portion for detecting a conveying condition of the sheet on which an image is formed, a fully stacked condition detection portion for detecting whether the sheets stacked in the stack portion are in a fully stacked condition, and a determining portion for determining an abnormal condition of the sheet in the stack portion, based, after the detection of a sheet passing by the sheet detection portion, on a result of detection by the fully stacked condition detection portion as to whether the sheets stacked in the stack portion are in a fully stacked condition. |
| US08023830B2 |
Externally modulated laser optical transmission system with feed forward noise cancellation
An optical transmitter for generating a modulated optical signal for transmission over a fiber optic link to a remote receiver including a laser; a modulator for externally modulating the optical output signal with a RF signal to produce an optical signal including a modulated information-containing component; and a phase modulator coupled either to the output of the modulator or directly to the output of the laser for reducing or canceling the noise signals generated in the laser. |
| US08023829B2 |
Demodulation of phase modulated fibre-optic sensor system signals
Demodulation apparatus for demodulating phase-modulated signals comprises a quadrature signal generator (QSG) for generating in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) signals in response to an unmodulated input signal. The QSG provides fast frequency tracking of the input signal and excludes any high-frequency content the input signal. |
| US08023826B2 |
Method and apparatus for using distributed antennas
A distributed antenna system for using distributed antennas provides for locating a plurality of distributed antennas on existing infrastructure such as existing utility poles, traffic lights/signals, streetlights, etc. Each of the distributed antennas is connected to a base station hotel using a fiber optic cable. The distributed antenna system allows users to access wireless services provided by a plurality of carriers and using a plurality of communication technologies using a truly shared network and without having to implement duplicative wireless infrastructure components. |
| US08023821B1 |
Low cost network architecture using thin optical transport layer
This is a method for use in architecting low cost networks using a thin optical transport layer. A long reach hot pluggable interface is inserted onto an electrical switch resulting in a standardization of the optical layer. Standardized parts like the long reach hot pluggable interfaces and standard control planes form the logic that connects components of the low cost optical layer. After the components are in place, provisioning is done at end points only. This ensures an automatic and fast turn-up capacity without the need to visit intermediate sites in the network. |
| US08023820B2 |
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for downloading and maintaining IP stream whitelists on optical network terminals
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products are provided for downloading a whitelist onto a passive optical network including a passive optical network and a management interface communicatively coupled to the passive optical network and configured to provision the whitelist. An optical line terminal also on the passive optical network includes a passive optical network card operable to broadcast the whitelist to optical network terminals which are configured to receive and enforce the whitelist. |
| US08023819B2 |
Method and apparatus for network fault detection and protection switching using optical switches with integrated power detectors
Current network switching architectures require communication with a higher level network control plane, which can be slow to reroute communications, resulting in unacceptable losses of communications for customers. Examples embodiments of the present invention reroute communications faster detecting optical power of an optical signal at optical switches coupled via optical communication paths, and causing at least one optical communication path between a first optical switch and second optical switch to switch to an alternative optical communication path, in part, through physical layer triggering in an event optical power at at least one of the first or second optical switches falls below a threshold level. Switching in response to physical layer triggering may result in reduced switching times and, consequently, faster restoration of communications to customers after a network fault interruption. |
| US08023814B2 |
Zoom lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system
Provided is a zoom lens system including a compact focusing lens unit and having a suppressed change in image magnification at the time of movement of the focusing lens unit. The zoom lens system of the present invention includes, in order from object side to image side, a first lens unit G1 having positive optical power, a second lens unit G2 having negative optical power, a third lens unit G3 having negative optical power, and a fourth lens unit G4 having positive optical power. An aperture diaphragm A is arranged on the object side adjacent to the fourth lens unit G4. Further, the fourth lens unit G4 includes, in order from object side to image side, a lens element L8 having positive optical power, a lens element L9 having positive optical power, and a lens element L10 having negative optical power. |
| US08023813B2 |
Collapsible lens barrel and optical instrument using the same
A collapsible lens barrel includes a first holding frame (2) for holding a first lens group (L1), a second holding frame (5) for holding a second lens group (L2) that is disposed on an image plane side with respect to the first lens group (L1), an actuator (6) for moving the second holding frame 5 in an optical axis direction, and a tubular cam frame (17) including a plurality of cam grooves that are formed at substantially equal intervals around a circumferential direction for moving the first holding frame (2) in the optical axis direction. The actuator (6) is attached to a portion in the cam frame (17) where the cam grooves are not formed. The first lens group (L1) is moved using the cam grooves, and the second lens group (L2) is moved using the actuator (6), so that a faster zooming speed and a lower zooming noise can be achieved. |
| US08023803B2 |
Moving picture recording apparatus
A moving picture recording apparatus comprises an acquisition unit which acquires moving picture data that includes video data and at least two channels of audio data; a first recording unit which records the moving picture data as a moving picture file; an extracting unit which extracts audio data of channels from a third channel onward included in the moving picture data; and a second recording unit which records the extracted audio data of channels from the third channel onward as an audio file different from the moving picture file. |
| US08023799B2 |
Recording control device, recording control method, and program
A recording control device for controlling a recording operation on a first recording medium on which first identification information for identifying the recording medium, first data, and data editing information which is information on an editing result of the first data are recorded includes a reading unit for reading second identification information from a detachable second recording medium on which the second identification information, first small data, and first small data editing information are recorded, a determination unit for determining whether the second identification information read by the reading unit is identical to the first identification information, and an update unit for updating the data editing information recorded on the first recording medium on the basis of the first small data editing information recorded on the second recording medium when the determination unit determines that the second identification information is identical to the first identification information. |
| US08023798B2 |
Recording apparatus, mobile receiver apparatus and data management method
A recording apparatus receives, with respect to an identical program, high image quality digital broadcasting data and low image quality digital broadcasting data, records the high image quality program data and the low image quality program data in a recording medium. When a cellular phone device is connected to the recording apparatus, the recording apparatus transfers the recorded low image quality program data to the cellular phone device via a communication interface. The recording apparatus transmits, to the portable cellular phone device, management information of the end of playback and deletion of the first program data whose program is identical to that of the transferred second program data. |
| US08023796B2 |
Video signal producing system and video signal recording/reproducing device in that system
A video signal producing system includes an imaging device for obtaining progressive imaging signals having various frame rates, a recording device for recording an output signal of the imaging device and a reproduction device for reproducing a recording signal obtained from the recording device. The imaging device includes a frame rate converting portion for converting the imaging signals to an output having a predetermined frame rate and the reproduction device changes a reproduction speed in response to each of the various frame rates so as to generate an output having a substantial number of frames such that the substantial number of the frames assumes a predetermined value. |
| US08023795B2 |
Fiber tip fluid output device
A fiber tip fluid output device is provided for holding a fiber tip in an electromagnetic energy cutting apparatus and for directing water particles over a radiation delivery end of the fiber tip. The fiber tip fluid output device includes a generally cylindrical body having an outer surface, a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The lumen is sized and shaped to accommodate a fiber tip therethrough so that the fiber tip extends through the lumen from the proximal end to the distal end of the generally cylindrical body. The fiber tip fluid output device further includes a plurality of apertures extending around the generally cylindrical body, with each of the apertures of the plurality of apertures fluidly connecting the outer surface to the lumen. Fluid is mixed around the cylindrical body, before entering the lumen through the plurality of apertures for additional mixing. The mixed fluid is then output from the lumen of the fiber tip fluid output device onto the fiber tip, for subsequent interaction with electromagnetic energy in an interaction zone above a target surface. |
| US08023794B2 |
Apparatus and method for establishing an optical path spanning a discontinuity in an optical channel
An apparatus for establishing an optical circuit path spanning a discontinuity in an optical channel supported by a first cable oriented about a first axis on a first side of the discontinuity and supported by a second cable section oriented about a second axis on a second side of the discontinuity includes: (a) a first coupling member coupled with the optical channel on the first side; (b) a first supporting member fixed with the first coupling member in an installed orientation in a clamping relation with the first cable section; (c) a second coupling member coupled with the optical channel on the second side; (d) a second supporting member fixed with the second coupling member in an installed orientation clamped with the second cable section; and (e) a connecting member optically coupling the first coupling member with the second coupling member to establish the optical circuit path. |
| US08023791B2 |
Fiber optic module and system including rear connectors
A telecommunications assembly including a housing and a plurality of modules mounted within the housing. The modules includes a rear face in which is mounted at least one fiber optic connector. Within an interior of the housing are positioned at least one fiber optic adapters. Inserting the module through a front opening of the housing at a mounting location positions the connector of the module for insertion into and mating with the adapter of the housing. The adapters within the interior of the housing are mounted to a removable holder. A method of mounting a telecommunications module within a chassis. |
| US08023788B2 |
Ultra high numerical aperture optical fibers
Various embodiments described include optical fiber designs and fabrication processes for ultra high numerical aperture optical fibers (UHNAF) having a numerical aperture (NA) of about 1. Various embodiments of UHNAF may have an NA greater than about 0.7, greater than about 0.8, greater than about 0.9, or greater than about 0.95. Embodiments of UHNAF may have a small core diameter and may have low transmission loss. Embodiments of UHNAF having a sufficiently small core diameter provide single mode operation. Some embodiments have a low V number, for example, less than 2.4 and large dispersion. Some embodiments of UHNAF have extremely large negative dispersion, for example, less than about −300 ps/nm/km in some embodiments. Systems and apparatus using UHNAF are also disclosed. |
| US08023785B2 |
Laser guide optical fiber and laser guide including the same
A laser guide optical fiber (100) used for transmitting a laser beam includes an optical fiber body (110) including a core (111) and a clad (112), and a quartz chip (120) integrally provided at an end surface on the light entering side of the optical fiber body (110) and including an optical waveguide portion, where at least the optical waveguide portion of the quartz chip (120) is made of pure quartz. The quartz chip (120) includes a light entering surface subjected to surface fusion treatment. |
| US08023783B2 |
Optical device, and virtual image display device
A virtual image display device is provided which displays a two-dimensional image for viewing a virtual image in a magnified form by a virtual optical system. The virtual image display device includes an optical waveguide (13) to guide, by internal total reflection, parallel pencil groups meeting a condition of internal total reflection, a first reflection volume hologram grating (14) to diffract and reflect the parallel pencil groups incident upon the optical waveguide from outside and traveling in different directions as they are so as to meet the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide and a second reflection volume hologram grating (15) to project the parallel pencil groups guided by internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide as they are from the optical waveguide by diffraction and reflection thereof so as to depart from the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide. Some of the parallel pencil groups guided through the optical waveguide being totally reflected different numbers of times for a period from external incidence upon the optical waveguide until outgoing from the optical waveguide. |
| US08023782B2 |
Method and apparatus for demultiplexing optical signals in a passive optical network
Methods and structures are disclosed demultiplexing optical signals transmitted over an optical fiber into a silicon substrate and to multiple detectors. The silicon substrate has two spaced-apart surfaces and a diffractive element disposed adjacent to one of the surfaces. Each of the optical signals corresponds to one of multiple wavelengths. The optical signals are directed into the silicon substrate along a path through the first surface to be incident on the diffractive element. The path is oriented generally normal with the first surface and/or with the diffractive element, which angularly separates the optical signals such that each of the wavelengths traverses through the substrate in a wavelength dependent direction to the first surface. Each optical signal is steered from the first surface towards the second surface to be incident on different optical elements that direct them generally normal to the first surface to be incident on one of the detectors. |
| US08023781B2 |
Broadband wavelength multiplexing and demultiplexing filter and optical splitter with optical signal multiplexing and demultiplexing function
Two Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer circuits are accurately point-symmetrically connected to each other to form a first point-symmetrically connected optical interferometer circuit constituting a light input side circuit. Optical signals having a plurality of wavelengths are input to a light input terminal. A second point-symmetrically connected optical interferometer circuit having the same functional structure as the first point-symmetrically connected optical interferometer circuit is connected to a through port, which is an output terminal of the light input side circuit, as a first light output side circuit. A cross port, which is the other output terminal of the light input side circuit, is connected to a second light output side circuit having at least one of Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer circuits whose transmittance characteristics are different from those of the Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer circuits. |
| US08023779B2 |
Optical touch panel
An optical touch panel 10 includes: a coordinate input region 11; a light-emitting element 12 which emits light in a near-infrared region; a light-receiving element 13 which receives light in visible and near-infrared regions; a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 14 connected to the light-emitting element 12 and having an output end; and a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15 connected to the light-receiving element 13 and having an input end. The output end 14a of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 14 and the input end 15a of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15 are located on opposite sides of the coordinate input region. The light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15 has an organic colored layer 16 provided on at least part of a surface thereof. The organic colored layer 16 has a lower light transmittance in a visible light region than in a near-infrared region. |
| US08023776B2 |
Mach-Zehnder type optical modulator
A Mach-Zehnder type optical modulator includes an optical waveguide formed in an electro-optical substrate, an input section that inputs light to the optical waveguide, a plurality of branch modulation sections that generate branched input light, extend from the input section and modulate the branched input light, an interference photocoupler including a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, the input ports being coupled to the branch modulation sections, and an output photocoupler including a plurality of input ports coupled to the output ports of the interference photocoupler and also including a plurality of output ports. |
| US08023774B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for minimally intrusive fiber identification
A method, apparatus and system for minimally intrusive fiber identification includes imparting a time-varying modulation onto an optical signal propagating in an optical fiber and subsequently detecting the presence of the time-varying modulation in the optical signal transmitting through the fiber to identify the fiber. In a specific embodiment of the invention, a time-varying curvature is imposed on the fiber to be identified and the presence of the resultant time variation in the transmitted power of a propagating optical signal is subsequently detected for identification of the manipulated fiber. |
| US08023772B2 |
Rendering images under cylindrical projections
Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for forming composite images. In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes receiving a set of component images for forming a composite image, defining a projection for the set of images transforming each component image into a projected component image, and rendering the projected component images to form the composite image. The rendering of each component image includes decomposing a rotation of the projection into separate rotations for each axis, rotating the component image along a first axis, separately identifying pixel values for each row and each column of the projected component image, and rotating the image along a third axis to form a rendered component image. |
| US08023771B2 |
Adjusting left-to-right graphics to a right-to-left orientation or vice versa using transformations with adjustments for line width and pixel orientation
The present invention discloses a solution for adjusting a horizontal orientation of a graphic. The solution can include a step of identifying a graphic object having a first horizontal orientation, which is to be changed to an opposite horizontal orientation. A determination as to whether the graphic object has an odd number of pixels along an x-axis can be made. When determination results are positive only, a pixel shift can be applied to the graphic object. A matrix transform can be applied to the software object regardless of the determination results. The software object can be visually presented upon a display after the applying step. |
| US08023769B2 |
Apparatus and method for selectively outputing image frames
An apparatus and method for selectively outputting image frames are provided. The apparatus includes a main topic frame extractor which extracts a main topic frame, which expresses a main topic selected by a user, from continuous image frames; a composite image frame creator which extracts a key object to realize the main topic from the main topic frames, and estimates a background object with respect to the key object to create a composite image frame using the key object and the background object; a wide-angle image frame creator which creates a wide-angle image frame, which includes the composite image frame and an image frame having common information to the composite image frame, among the continuous image frames; an attractive region setting unit which sets an attractive region with respect to the wide-angle image frame; and an output unit which outputs the attractive region. |
| US08023768B2 |
Universal front end for masks, selections, and paths
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for editing a digital image with automatic conversion of region modalities. Input comprising an instruction to perform an operation on a first portion of the digital image may be received. The first portion of the digital image may comprise data defined by a first region modality. The operation may be applicable to data defined by a second region modality. In response to receiving the input, the first portion of the digital image may be automatically converted from the first region modality to the second region modality. The operation may be automatically performed on the converted first portion of the digital image (i.e., as defined by the second region modality). |
| US08023767B1 |
Method and apparatus for 3D metal and high-density artifact correction for cone-beam and fan-beam CT imaging
A 3D metal artifacts correction technique corrects the streaking artifacts generated by titanium implants or other similar objects. A cone-beam computed tomography system is utilized to provide 3D images. A priori information (such as the shape information and the CT value) of high density sub-objects is acquired and used for later artifacts correction. An optimization process with iterations is applied to minimize the error and result in accurate reconstruction images of the object. |
| US08023766B1 |
Method and system of processing an image containing undesirable pixels
In a method of processing an image containing undesirable pixels, a coarse identification of a location of the undesirable pixels is received. The coarse identification includes identification of at least one undesirable pixel and at least one desirable pixel in the image. An area in the image to be analyzed for undesirable pixel values is automatically determined according to the coarse identification received. In addition, in the area determined to be analyzed, the pixels are automatically classified as one of undesirable and desirable and the classifications of the pixels are stored. |
| US08023764B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and a program, for removing low-frequency noise from image data
This invention provides an image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program, which can visually remove low-frequency noise contained in image data. Image data containing low-frequency noise is input from an input terminal (201). A window unit (202) designates a window made up of a pixel of interest, and its surrounding pixels. A pixel selector (204) selects a selected pixel to be compared with the pixel of interest from the window, and a pixel value determination unit (206) determines a new pixel value of the pixel of interest on the basis of the pixel values of the selected pixel and pixel of interest. New image data is generated by substituting the pixel value of the pixel of interest by the new pixel value. |
| US08023760B1 |
System and method for enhancing low-visibility imagery
A method includes the steps of selecting an image filtering technique, receiving an image from an image source, processing the received image to provide a processed image, and displaying the processed image to a user. Processing the received image includes the steps of adjusting the received image to provide an adjusted image, filtering the adjusted image according to the selected image filtering technique to provide a filtered image, and adjusting the filtered image. The image filtering technique may be selected from histogram equalization, band-pass filtering, adaptive enhancement filtering, or other techniques. The method may be used in an image processing system having memory, a processor, and a display. |
| US08023757B2 |
Fingerprinting digital video for rights management in networks
Systems and methods generate video fingerprints for video data streams. A collection of sub-fingerprints constitute a fingerprint block. The size and temporal position of the block is chosen to represent the video that is being served. The video server has prior information about the video semantics. Based on this information, the server generates control codes that identify which blocks, based on time/byte offsets, in the sequence best represent the video object. The video receiver is equipped with facilities to generate these fingerprint blocks. The block(s) are sent back to the server. The server is equipped with facilities to verify and record the mismatches with respect to references. The mismatch statistics may be archived for use in a number of applications. |
| US08023751B1 |
Method and apparatus for progressively deleting media objects from storage
A system for managing storage space on an electronic storage medium is provided in which a file format for stored data allows for progressive deletion of low-significance data, for example in a video or audio file, while allowing the remaining portions of the file to be subsequently retrieved. The file format allows for the ready deletion of low-significance data without having to open, edit and subsequently rewrite the data. Furthermore, rules-based algorithms for the deletion of low-significance data allow a user to store and progressively delete such low-significance data in accordance with time parameters, available storage space and the like, without having to delete the full file. |
| US08023750B2 |
Apparatus and method for encoding digital image data in a lossless manner
A method of losslessly compressing and encoding signals representing image information is claimed. A lossy compressed data file and a residual compressed data file are generated. When the lossy compressed data file and the residual compressed data file are combined, a lossless data file that is substantially identical to the original data file is created. |
| US08023747B2 |
Method and apparatus for a natural image model based approach to image/splicing/tampering detection
Embodiments of the invention are directed toward methods for an effective blind, passive, splicing/tampering detection. The methods of the various embodiments of the invention use a natural image model to detect image splicing/tampering with a model that is based on statistical features extracted from a given test image and multiple 2-D arrays generated by applying the block discrete cosine transform (BDCT) with several different block-sizes to the test images. Experimental results have demonstrated that the new splicing detection scheme outperforms state-of-the-art methods by a significant margin when applied to the Columbia Image Splicing Detection Evaluation Dataset. |
| US08023746B2 |
Systems and methods for decoding an image to determine a digital identifier
A method is provided for decoding an image of a pattern on an object to determine a digital identifier. An image of a pattern on the object is received. The image includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels having an optical attribute with a corresponding value. The image is divided into a plurality of tiles, each of the tiles containing a contiguous plurality of the pixels of the image. A digital bit is assigned to each of the tiles based on the values of the optical attribute of the pixels in the tile. A digital identifier is determined based on the digital bits assigned to the tiles. |
| US08023741B2 |
Methods and systems for detecting numerals in a digital image
Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for determining the location of numerals in an electronic document image. |
| US08023739B2 |
Processes, data structures, and apparatuses for representing knowledge
Processes, data structures, and apparatuses to represent knowledge are disclosed. The processes can comprise labeling elements in a knowledge signature according to concepts in an ontology and populating the elements with confidence values. The data structures can comprise knowledge signatures stored on computer-readable media. The knowledge signatures comprise a matrix structure having elements labeled according to concepts in an ontology, wherein the value of the element represents a confidence that the concept is present in an information space. The apparatus can comprise a knowledge representation unit having at least one ontology stored on a computer-readable medium, at least one data-receiving device, and a processor configured to generate knowledge signatures by comparing datasets obtained by the data-receiving devices to the ontologies. |
| US08023737B2 |
Method and device for the segmentation of regions and related computer program product
A method for segmentation of locally-defined regions is provided. The input data obtained for the image region under investigation is separated into a foreground mask and a background mask, two different filter operations are applied to the input data to determine segmentation starting points, the resulting data sets are subtracted and the image regions viewed as segmentation starting points, a filter operation is applied to generate a less restrictive mask for the input data, the resulting data subjected to a threshold value reduction, the less restrictive mask subjected to a labeling with regard to determination of the local values for generation of a restrictive mask, the mean values determined, segmentation starting points not obtained in the less restrictive mask are removed, a growth into all regions of the restrictive mask is carried out and the regions obtained in the restrictive mask are viewed as the segmented brightness regions. |
| US08023735B2 |
Image processing apparatus for extracting representative characteristic from image data and storing image data to be associated with representative characteristic
Image data is displayed on an image display unit. An information input unit specifies a characteristic extracting range corresponding to the image data. An image-characteristic extracting unit extracts a representative characteristic from the specified range within the image data. The extracted representative characteristic are associated with the image data and stored in a storage device. The representative characteristic associated with the image data are also retrieved when retrieving the image data. |
| US08023734B2 |
3D general lesion segmentation in CT
A general purpose method to segment any kind of lesions in 3D images is provided. Based on a click or a stroke inside the lesion from the user, a distribution of intensity level properties is learned. The random walker segmentation method combines multiple 2D segmentation results to produce the final 3D segmentation of the lesion. |
| US08023725B2 |
Identification of a graphical symbol by identifying its constituent contiguous pixel groups as characters
A method for identifying a predefined graphic symbol having a plurality of graphical characters. The method comprises the following steps: a) receiving a digital image having a plurality of pixels depicting a scene, b) identifying a plurality of first groups of contiguous pixels in the proximity of one another, members of each one the first group having a first common pixel defining property, and c) identifying at least one of the plurality of first groups as one of the plurality of graphical characters, thereby detecting the predefined graphic symbol in the digital image. |
| US08023722B1 |
Radiography test system and method
A system and method for monitoring degradation of a device having a metal layer and a composite layer, such as a vehicle-mounted boom arm. The system can include a collar mounted on an outer surface of the device, a radiography device movably coupled to the collar, and a monitor. The radiography device can include a source of radiography signals positioned to direct radiography signals through at least a portion of the device and a detector to detect radiography signals that have passed through the device. The monitor can be connected to the detector to display an image of the device generated from the detected radiography signals. Anomalies in the device image can represent degradation in the device. |
| US08023718B1 |
Method and system for linking front and rear images in a document reader/imager
A method for linking front and rear images in a document processing system involves linking the front and rear images by a magnetic ink character code line. The document processing system includes an imaging device and a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) reader. The method comprises capturing a first image and first MICR waveform for the front side of the document, and capturing a second image and second MICR waveform for the rear side of the document. A forward recognition algorithm is applied to the first waveform to produce a first code line. A reverse recognition algorithm is applied to the second waveform to produce a second code line. The reverse recognition algorithm considers the second waveform as resulting from the document being read from the rear side of the document when processing the second waveform. |
| US08023716B2 |
Synchronization of image capture settings
A tool may be provided that may allow a first party (e.g., a sending bank) to synchronize its image scan settings with unknown image assessment standards of a second party (e.g., a recipient bank). However, such a tool may be used within a single party that performs both scanning and image assessment, and is not limited for use between two or more parties. |
| US08023714B2 |
System and method for assessing image interpretability in anatomic pathology
A portion of imagery data is obtained from a digital slide and a protocol of image analysis/diagnostic tasks is performed on the portion of imagery data by a pathologist or an image analysis module. The result of each task (e.g., success or no success) is recorded and a score is determined for the portion of the imagery data. Multiple portions of imagery data from the digital slide are analyzed and scored and the various scores from the multiple portions of imagery data are calculated to determine an overall score for the digital slide. Regions of the digital slide can be scored separately. Multiple rounds of scoring (by different pathologists and/or different image analysis algorithms) may be employed to increase the accuracy of the score for a digital slide or region thereof. |
| US08023711B2 |
Method for vessel enhancement and segmentation in 3-D volume data
A method is disclosed for the segmented representation of vessel-like structures of an object under examination, on the basis of tomographic data, wherein a three-dimensional tomographic volume data record of the object under examination is generated and a segmentation is carried out which enhances the vessel-like structures in the representation of the tomographic data. According to an embodiment of the invention, for each voxel, the probability with which the voxel is located in a vessel structure is determined from the environmental data of the voxel with the aid of a vessel-specific filter of a spatial dimension which corresponds to the tomographic volume data record, on the basis of Gaussian functions, and these determined probabilities are additionally used as criterion for the presence of a vessel in the segmentation process for the representation of vessel structures. An embodiment of the invention also relates to a tomography system, with a device for scanning an object under examination, preferably a patient, and at least one computer system for editing tomographic image data records containing a memory for storing program code and a processor system for executing the programs, wherein program code is stored which executes the method steps of an embodiment of the method. |
| US08023710B2 |
Virtual colonoscopy via wavelets
Various techniques can be used to improve classification of colon polyps candidates found via computed tomographic colonography computer aided detection (CTCCAD). A polyp candidate can be classified as a true positive or a false positive. For example, a two-dimensional projection image of the polyp can be generated from a three-dimensional representation and classified based on features of the projection image. An optimal viewpoint for the projection image can be found via techniques such as maximizing viewpoint entropy. Wavelet processing can be used to extract features from the two-dimensional projection image. Feature extraction can use a piecewise linear orthonormal floating search for locating most predictive neighbors for wavelet coefficients, and support vector machines can be employed for classification. The techniques can be useful for improving accuracy of CTCCAD techniques. |
| US08023708B2 |
Method of segmenting anatomic entities in digital medical images
For each of a number of landmarks in an image an initial position of the landmark is defined. Next a neighborhood around the initial position, comprising a number of candidate locations of the landmark is sampled and a cost is associated with each of the candidate locations. A cost function expressing a weighted sum of overall gray level cost and overall shape cost for all candidate locations is optimized. A segmented anatomic entity is defined as a path through a selected combination of candidate locations for which combination the cost function is optimized. |
| US08023707B2 |
Evaluation method for mapping the myocardium of a patient
The invention relates to an evaluation method for mapping the myocardium of a patient, in particular the automated, functional evaluation, for instance the heart perfusion, in angiographic series with the steps: recording a series of angiographic recordings directly after administering a contrast agent to the patient; determining a reference area in an angiographic recording; determining a trend pattern of the contrast agent as a reference curve within the reference area from the series of angiographic recordings; obtaining trend patterns of the contrast agent from all areas of the angiographic recordings; determining the correlation between the trend patterns and the reference curve as a measure for the interrelationship between statistical variables, comparison with stored reference curve; comparison of the correlation coefficient with a threshold value; and reproduction of a marker identifying the myocardium. |
| US08023706B2 |
Automatically determining landmarks on anatomical structures
An automatic landmark determining device, includes a storage device for storing at least one anatomical sample image and at least one anatomical landmark, the at least one anatomical landmark corresponding to a characteristic location within the at least one anatomical sample image, The automatic landmark determining device also includes an input device for inputting an anatomical patient image, and a transformation device. The transformation device is configured to apply an image-adapting transformation to the at least one anatomical landmark, said image-adapting transformation corresponding to a transformation that converts the at least one anatomical sample image to the anatomical patient image. |
| US08023704B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting report creation regarding images of diagnosis targets, and recording medium having program for supporting report creation regarding images of diagnosis targets recorded therefrom
Case images and report text models, each of which is a text model derived from a report text of each of the corresponding case images by making at least certain words/phrases within the report text changeable, are stored in association with each other in a case report storage unit. A case image which is similar to a diagnosis target image is retrieved from the case images stored in the case report storage unit by a similar image retrieval unit. Input of a word/phrase corresponding to the diagnosis target image is accepted in a changeable word/phrase section of the report text model by a report creation unit, thereby a report text of the diagnosis target image is created. |
| US08023700B2 |
Apparatus, method, computer program and user interface for enabling access to functions
An apparatus including a memory for storing information associating a fingerprint input with a function of the apparatus; a user input device including a device for detecting a multi-fingerprint input, the multi-fingerprint input including a plurality of fingerprints where each fingerprint is associated with a different function of the apparatus; and a processor configured to identify the plurality of fingerprints within the multi-fingerprint input and, in response to the identification of the plurality of fingerprints, determine a function associated with the multi-fingerprint input and enable access to that function, wherein the function associated with the multi-fingerprint input is a combination of the functions associated with the plurality of fingerprints within the multi-fingerprint input. |
| US08023697B1 |
System and method for identifying spam in rasterized images
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for detection of spam in raster images. In one example embodiment, a method comprises identifying objects in the raster image; tracing contours of identified objects; computing, angles of inclination of tangents at plurality of points on an object contour; determining, based on the computed angles of inclination, one or more attributes of the object contour, including lengths of line segments of the contour, angles between the line segments, lengths of arcs the contour and radii of curvature of the arcs; generating object signatures containing one or more attributes of the object contours; comparing object signatures of the image with known spam image signatures; and determining that the image contains spam if the number of object signatures that are substantially similar to the known spam image signatures exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US08023696B2 |
Printing media and methods employing digital watermarking
Stationery, or other printable media, is encoded with a digital watermark. The watermark is not conspicuous to a human observer of the media, yet conveys plural bits of auxiliary information when optically scanned and digitally processed. The watermark can be formed by ink-jet printing, or otherwise. The encoded information can be used for various purposes, including authenticating the document as an original, linking to associated on-line resources, and distinguishing seemingly-identical versions of the same document (document serialization). |
| US08023689B2 |
Robust signature for signal authentication
A method, system and computer readable medium for the authenticating of an audio-visual signal, such as digital images or video comprising the generation of a robust image signature with variable size. In a preferred embodiment DC-values of blocks of a digital image are calculated and areas with similar DC-values are merged into regions. The signature is based on said regions and of variable length, depending on the desired localization ability or an allowable signature length. The resulting signature bits are robust to compression and other allowable image operations. The hierarchical solution provides both robustness and tampering localization. |
| US08023688B2 |
Ultra low frequency transducer and loud speaker comprising same
An ultra low frequency transducer or subwoofer for automotive speaker systems with a polygonal, concave diaphragm. The periphery preferably is sized to be substantially coextensive with the front of the speaker housing or cabinet. In this way, air displacement in the subwoofer is maximized for a given size of enclosure, and thus so is the loudness of the speaker. The transducer typically includes a frame or basket with a polygonal front for supporting the periphery of the diaphragm. The preferred diaphragm includes a convex surround with pleated corners. For increased durability, trusses are formed in the diaphragm. |
| US08023686B2 |
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker includes a basket defining a center hole therethrough, a conduction wire board fixed to the bottom surface of the basket, a magnet placed on the basket, a diaphragm arranged on the basket and above the magnet, and a voice coil. The conduction wire board defines a core hole corresponding to the center hole, and two welding foils on the bottom surface. The magnet defines a through hole corresponding to the center hole. The voice coil is wrapped around the magnet and fixed to the bottom of the diaphragm. The voice coil has leading wires, which bend inward at the top and downward pass through the through hole of the magnet, the center hole of the basket and the core hole of the conduction wire board, and then extend toward two sides of the rivet for being welded on the corresponding welding foils. |
| US08023684B2 |
Speaker/bracket assembly
The present invention discloses a speaker/bracket assembly. The speaker/bracket assembly comprises a speaker and a bracket for supporting the speaker thereon. The speaker defines a slide groove at a back face thereof. The bracket comprises a latching mechanism configured to be loosened to adjust and tightened to set the speaker position. The latching mechanism comprises a brake, a pair of latch hooks disposed on the brake, and a drive mechanism interposed between the pair of latch hooks. A spring is secured on the drive mechanism. The pair of latch hooks is loosened to set the speaker position and snaps into the slide groove to lock the speaker into the set position when the spring is pushed in and drawn back out the brake by the drive mechanism. |
| US08023682B2 |
Portable electronic device with spatial module
A portable electronic device includes a housing, a circuit board, a speaker and a spatial module. The housing includes a bottom wall and a circular wall extending from the bottom wall. The bottom wall defines a sound-emitting hole. The bottom wall and the circular wall define a receiving cavity. The circuit board is positioned on the circular wall to cover the receiving cavity and includes a first surface and an opposite second surface and defines a through hole running through the circuit board. The through hole is in communication with the receiving cavity. The speaker is electrically fixed to the first surface and received in the receiving cavity with the sound-emitting surface thereof facing the sound-emitting hole. The spatial module positioned on the second surface defines a groove in communication with the through hole. |
| US08023680B2 |
Mounting bracket and speaker unit
The speaker unit 1 includes a speaker 2 and a mounting bracket 3. The mounting bracket 3 includes an attachment 16, a connecting part 17, and an elastic part 18. The attachment 16 is attached to the speaker 2. The connecting part 17 is linked with the attachment 16. The elastic part 18 is linked with the connecting part 17. A biting projection 23 and the interfering projection 24 are formed on the elastic part 18. The biting projection 23 and the interfering projection 24 project from the elastic part 18. The biting projection 23 bites an inner surface of a hole of a dashboard. The interfering projection 24 interferes with a projection formed on the inner surface of the dashboard, and is disposed at a deeper side of the hole than the projection. |
| US08023676B2 |
Systems and methods to provide communication and monitoring of user status
An electronic and transducer device can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a two-way communication assembly. The device contains a motion sensor to detect external forces imposed on the user such as an explosion, for example. The information is stored for medical treatment, among others. In another embodiment, the device provides an electronic and transducer device that can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a medical tag containing patient identifiable information. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure. |
| US08023675B2 |
Systems and methods for in situ cerumen removal from hearing devices
Various embodiments provide systems, methods and assemblies for in situ removal of cerumen from hearing devices positioned in the ear canal. One embodiments provides a fitting for in situ cerumen removal comprising a top portion shaped to be removably coupled to a hearing device component surface and a plurality of leg members extending axially from a perimeter of the top portion. The top portion has a plurality of openings and at least one flexible retaining element configured to releasably engage a retaining feature on the hearing device. The leg members are configured to fit over another surface of the hearing device component. The fitting is configured to remove cerumen obstructing a feature on the device component and can be removed from the device component without removing the hearing device from the ear canal. The fitting can also include a removal loop that has a non-deployed state and a deployed state. |
| US08023667B2 |
Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) capacitive sensing circuit
The present invention discloses a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) capacitive sensing circuit wherein two input nodes of a fully differential amplifier are separately connected to a MEMS capacitive sensing device and a matching capacitor, which both contain similar capacity value and connect to a bias node, and two resistors separately connect the MEMS capacitive sensing device and the matching capacitor to ground (zero voltage). Thus, the present invention could effectively eliminate the bias noise in the circuit without any discrete capacitor and capable for designer to integrate all circuit devices into an IC. |
| US08023662B2 |
Reverberation adjusting apparatus, reverberation correcting method, and sound reproducing system
The present invention provides a sound reproducing system capable of accurately analyzing a reverberation characteristic of amplified sound including an arrival direction of a reverberation component, which is more natural, and has higher realistic sensation. A surround system 100 has a speaker system 130, a signal processing apparatus 120 for recognizing a reverberation characteristic of a listening room 10 and adjusting a reverberation component of sound source to be amplified on the basis of the recognized reverberation characteristic, and a microphone array 140 constructed by a plurality of microphones M disposed in the listening room 10 and having the same characteristics, and in which distances among the microphones M are determined in advance. In the case where sound source is amplified and output from the speaker system 130 to the listening room 10, the microphone array 140 collects amplified sound in a specific listening position in the listening room 10. |
| US08023654B2 |
Securing multimedia network communication
A method for securing human to human communication over a network includes receiving, by a first computer, an incoming authenticated data stream from a second computer over a first communication channel, the incoming authenticated data stream having been computed using an incoming digital experiential data stream and a first imprint, and extracting the first imprint from the incoming authenticated data stream. The incoming authenticated data stream is then presented for sensory experience by a human. An outgoing digital experiential data stream is then input and the method computes a second imprint associated with the first computer and computes an outgoing authenticated data stream using the outgoing digital experiential data stream and the second imprint. A second communication channel is then secured from the first computer to the second computer using the first imprint, the second communication channel suitable for sending the outgoing authenticated data stream to the second computer. |
| US08023653B2 |
Media key-transformation obfuscation in advanced access content system
A modified media key used to decrypt protected media content stored on an optical disc, such as an HD-DVD or Blu-ray disc, is created through application of a transformation using a constant value which is programmatically generated by procedural code that runs on a player. The transformation is obfuscated through application of a random value to the constant value through a logical XOR operation. The programmatically-generated constant, called Soft Key Conversion Data (“SKCD”) is used by a security layer to derive the modified media key, called a Soft Media Key. At the player, a conventionally calculated media key is used to decrypt the first title, while the Soft Media Key is used to decrypt subsequent titles. Optionally, the SKCD may be updated one or more times so that the Soft Media Key is repeatedly transformed and respectively applied, for example, on a title-by-title basis, or to groups of subsequent titles. |
| US08023645B2 |
Circuit arrangement for and method of performing an inversion operation in a cryptographic calculation
In order to further develop a circuit arrangement for as well as a method of performing an inversion operation in a cryptographic calculation, wherein only inversion modulo an odd number is allowed, it is proposed that the inversion operation is performed modulo at least one even number. |
| US08023644B2 |
Multimode block cipher architectures
An architecture for a block cipher, where the architecture includes functional units that are logically reconfigurable so as to be able to both encrypt clear text into cipher text and decrypt cipher text into clear text using more than one block cipher mode based on at least one of advanced encryption standard and data encryption standard. |
| US08023628B2 |
System and method for auditing a telephone number inventory of a telecommunications carrier
A system and method for auditing telephone number records of a telecommunications company. The process may include querying at least one database managed by a telecommunications carrier to obtain first data records associated with telephone numbers owned by the telecommunications carrier. A database external from the telecommunications company may be queried to obtain second data records associated with telephone numbers owned by the telecommunications carrier. At least one parameter of the first and second data records may be compared and, a subset of data records of the first and second data records that have discrepancies with the at least one parameter may be determined. A report including the subset of data records may be generated. |
| US08023623B2 |
Call control element constructing a session initiation protocol (SIP) message including provisions for incorporating address related information of public switched telephone network (PSTN) based devices
A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message adapted for use by a multi-media services provider system to form a multi-media communication path between at least a calling communication device adapted to operate using a first protocol (e.g. SIP) and at least a destination communication device adapted to operate using a second protocol, such as Integrated Services Digital Network User Part (ISUP). The SIP message includes a header region having a number of header fields, a first body region having Session Description Protocol (SDP) information related to the calling communication device and a second body region having ISUP related addressing information associated with the destination communication device. |
| US08023622B2 |
Technique for call context based advertising through an information assistance service
In providing an information assistance service in a call by a user, the context of the call is ascertained. Context information is derived from information exchanges during the call. Inferences as to types of advertisement pertinent to the user location, event, etc. are drawn based on the context information. Pertinent advertisements, which may be further individualized based on personal preferences, are provided to the user at the conclusion of the call, or otherwise transmitted to the user via voicemail, SMS, email, WAP, paging, facsimile, instant messaging, text messaging, picture phone, video phone, etc. |
| US08023616B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting a dynamically adjustable position of an imaging system
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for setting a dynamically adjustable position of an imaging system for providing an optimum view onto a moving object during a medical intervention. A time-resolved at least three-dimensional data record of the moving object is generated. A position of the imaging system for each period of time is determined from the time-resolved data record from which the optimum view onto a structure of interest of the moving object is produced and automatically setting a calculated position of the imaging system in real-time so that the optimum view onto the structure of interest can be shown at any time. Optionally prior to determining the position of the imaging system, a structure of interest of the moving object can be segmented with this structure being segmented for each period of time from the time-resolved data record. |
| US08023615B2 |
Medical X-ray CT apparatus
In a medical X-ray CT apparatus, a rotary portion is rotated, and a wind is produced inside the apparatus by the rotation of the rotary portion. An expanded cover portion is forced to vibrate by the wind, and noise is produced. The expanded cover portion is provided with at least one curved member including both ends. The curved member is arranged to extend along a virtual projection line obtained by geometrically projecting a virtual straight line connecting, to each other, the two ends fixed to an outer peripheral edge of an opening of the expanded cover portion onto a surface of the expanded cover portion, and the vibration of the expanded cover portion is reduced. |
| US08023613B2 |
Shift register circuit and gate signal generation method thereof
A shift register circuit includes a plurality of shift register stages for providing plural gate signals to plural gate lines. Each shift register stage includes an input unit, a first pull-up unit, a second pull-up unit, a pull-down unit and an auxiliary pull-down unit. The input unit inputs a first gate signal generated by a preceding shift register stage to become a driving control voltage. The first pull-up unit pulls up a second gate signal according to the driving control voltage and a first clock signal. The second pull-up unit pulls up a third gate signal according to the driving control voltage and a second clock signal. The auxiliary pull-down unit is employed to pull down the driving control voltage according to a fourth gate signal generated by a subsequent shift register stage. The pull-down unit pulls down the first and second gate signals according to the driving control voltage. |
| US08023612B2 |
Shift register with dynamic entry point particularly useful for aligning skewed data
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-storage media, mechanisms, and means associated with a shift register with a dynamic entry point, which may particularly useful for aligning skewed data. The dynamic entry shift register typically includes a series of storage elements, with multiplexers distributed between the storage elements. Each of the multiplexers is configured to select between: (a) the output signal of a previous storage element, and (b) the input signal. A control is configured to configure the multiplexers for a data signal applied as the input signal to induce an appropriate delay of the data signal as the output signal. The dynamic entry shift register can be scaled to accommodate a longer delay while still using only 2:1 multiplexers between stages in the dynamic entry shift register(s). |
| US08023611B2 |
Shift register with embedded bidirectional scanning function
The present invention relates to a shift register having a plurality of stages electrically coupled to each other in series. Each stage includes a first and second TFT transistor. The first TFT transistor has a get electrically coupled to the output of the immediately prior stage, a drain electrically coupled to the boost point of the stage, and a source configured to receive one of the first and second control signals. The second TFT transistor has a get electrically coupled to the output of the immediately next stage, a drain and a source electrically coupled the drain and the source of the first transistor, respectively. |
| US08023610B2 |
Semiconductor device and shift register circuit
A dual-gate transistor formed of two transistors connected in series between a first power terminal and a first node is used as a charging circuit for charging a gate node (first node) of a transistor intended to pull up an output terminal of a unit shift register. The dual-gate transistor is configured such that the connection node (second node) between the two transistors constituting the dual-gate transistor is pulled down to the L level by the capacitive coupling between the gate and second node in accordance with the change of the gate from the H level to the L level. |
| US08023607B2 |
Frequency synchronization method and apparatus
A frequency synchronization method comprise a first step of detecting a frequency error which occurs when a high-frequency receiving signal is converted into a digital signal of a base-band, performing rounding or discarding processing and generating a local oscillation signal depending on the converted analog signals, a second step of generating a digital signal whose frequency depending on a discard component obtained by the rounding or discarding processing when the rounding or discarding processing is performed, and a third step of canceling a frequency component of the digital signal which is generated by the second step from a frequency component of the digital signal of the base-band. |
| US08023605B2 |
Oversampling circuit and oversampling method
A multiphase delay unit causes different delay times to a reference clock to generate a multiphase clock with different phases. A multiphase sampling unit samples the input signal using the multiphase clock, and outputs multiphase sampling data. A phase selecting unit detects a phase relation of the multiphase clock using the multiphase sampling data, and selects output data from the multiphase sampling data based on a result of detecting the phase relation. |
| US08023601B2 |
Weight generation method for multi-antenna communication systems utilizing RF-based and baseband signal weighting and combining
A method for processing signals is disclosed and may include performing using one or more processor and/or circuits in a receiver that uses a plurality of antennas: receiving via a channel, a plurality of RF signals by one or more of the plurality of antennas. The plurality of received RF signals may be weighted utilizing one or more corresponding RF weighting values to generate a plurality of weighted RF signals. The one or more corresponding RF weighting values may include a frequency-independent weight coefficient that is constant over the channel. At least a portion of the plurality of weighted RF signals may be combined to generate one or more combined RF signals. The one or more corresponding RF weighing values may be selected to maximize an output signal-to-noise ratio of the channel. The output signal-to-noise ratio may be averaged over the channel. |
| US08023597B2 |
Methods for selecting a coarse frequency offset estimation for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulated signal
The present invention provides methods for selecting the coarse frequency offset estimation in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system that may include: searching within a predefined subset for a set of frequency offset candidates; selectively searching outside the predefined subset for additional frequency offset candidates; and combining one or more ICDC method and CIR based method to select the coarse frequency offset. |
| US08023594B1 |
Asynchronous biphase mark signal receivers and methods of operating same
A biphase mark signal receiver includes a data and clock recovery circuit. The data recovery circuit may include a coarse recovery stage and a fine recovery stage. The coarse recovery stage is configured to detect repeating occurrences of a first preamble (e.g., Y-preamble) within a biphase encoded data stream received by the data recovery circuit. The fine recovery stage is configured to generate a recovered data stream, in response to estimating a plurality of timing decision points (e.g., 3UI, 2UI and 1UI) from the repeating occurrences of the first preamble detected by the coarse recovery stage. |
| US08023586B2 |
Inductive power and data transmission system based on class D and amplitude shift keying
A rf signal transfer link is described which uses amplitude shift keying (ASK) to transfer rf data pulses. The link minimizes state transition time at the end of each data pulse. |
| US08023585B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting or receiving data
A bit adding part acquires RSSI as measured by an RSSI measuring part, and adds “1” to each bit of protected audio data of an audio vocoder, if the acquired RSSI is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. If the acquired RSSI is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value, the bit adding part adds the bits of additional data to the respective bits of the protected data of the audio vocoder. A frame recovery part separates upper and lower order bits of deinterleaved data, and determines, based on CRC, whether eight data parts as obtained by combining the lower order bits as separated are valid. If so, the frame recovery part combines the eight data parts as the additional data to recovery additional information. In this way, additional data can be efficiently transmitted, while error correction being performed in accordance with communication environment. |
| US08023583B2 |
Method and/or system for estimating phase noise error
Embodiments of methods and/or systems for estimating phase error noise are disclosed. |
| US08023574B2 |
Method and apparatus to support scalability in a multicarrier network
A multicarrier communication device can vary the number of subcarriers being used to carry on multicarrier communication within a network, based on a predetermined criterion (e.g., traffic load, etc.). |
| US08023567B2 |
Film grain simulation technique for use in media playback devices
Simulation of a block of film grain for addition to a block of an image occurs by first establishing at least one parameter at least in part in accordance with an attribute of the image block. At least one at least one block of film grain is simulated from at least one film grain pattern generated in accordance with the at least one parameter. In particular, the film grain pattern is generated using a bit accurate technique. |