| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08028340B2 |
Piracy prevention using unique module translation
A method for providing solidified software in a computing environment includes creating a new reference for a function in a function table; copying an address of the function and associating the address with the new reference; replacing the address associated with an old reference of the function with a dummy address; and substituting each old reference in normal code with the new reference, where injected code is not able to execute in the computing environment. The function table entries can be further randomized by reordering the entries, introducing intermediate mappings, or providing non-operative entries. Alternatively, all or part of the code of the function can be copied and moved to a different storage location and associated with the new reference. The copied code can be further randomized by the insertion of dummy code, utilizing reverse peephole techniques, varying the size of the copied portion, or interleaving non-operative code. |
| US08028338B1 |
Modeling goodware characteristics to reduce false positive malware signatures
A set of likelihood values associated with a set of characteristics associated with the set of goodware entities is determined. The set of characteristics is stored in association with the set of likelihood values as a model. A set of relative information gain values associated with the characteristics of the set of characteristics is generated. One or more characteristics are removed from the model responsive to the relative information gain values associated with the one or more characteristics to produce a revised model. |
| US08028335B2 |
Protected environments for protecting users against undesirable activities
Various embodiments protect against undesirable activities, in at least some embodiments, by combining the protection of a data or message filter with the user's own knowledge and judgment. In at least some embodiments, data or a message that is suspected of being associated with an undesirable activity is identified and indicia is provided to a user that the message is suspect. The data or message is presented to the user in a protected environment that allows the user to access the data or message in full fidelity, but prevents them from interacting with the data or message in a manner which would expose them to the undesirable activity. After reviewing the data or message in the protected environment, the user can decide how the message should thereafter be treated. |
| US08028334B2 |
Automated generation of configuration elements of an information technology system
A firewall rule generation method, a load balancing rule generation method, and a wrapper generation method, for an Information Technology (IT) system, associated computer program products, and an associated processes for integrating computing infrastructure. The firewall rule generation method generates firewall rules allowing data transmission between a computer and a client, and subsequently assigns the firewall rules to firewalls of the IT system. The load balancing rule generation method assigns a load balancing mechanism to a load balanced group to which execution of an application is assigned, wherein the load balanced group has servers therein. For a client and computer having a communication protocol therebetween that is not allowed by a security policy, the wrapper generation method generates a communication protocol wrapper that opens a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the client and the computer such that the TCP connection is allowed by the security policy. |
| US08028328B2 |
System and method for authenticating components in wireless home entertainment system
Configuration information is exchanged between a home entertainment system server and various wireless components by pushing a button on the server and a random button on a remote control device as it is pointed at the devices sought to be authenticated. |
| US08028326B2 |
Federating trust in a heterogeneous network
A check of a processing device is performed. A device may receive a network access request to access a network from a first processing device. A security check may be caused to be performed on the first processing device. Whether to grant the network access request to the first processing device is based on a result of the security check. |
| US08028324B2 |
Method for transmitting policy information between network equipment
A method for transmitting policy information between network equipment, extending protocol types of messages in layer-2, layer-3 or a higher application layer between an IP-uplink broadband user access equipment and a BRAS so as to construct a PITP to bear policy information; a PITP message includes a policy information transmission type field, an operation type field and a policy information content field, and different types of policy information are distinguished by the policy information transmission type field; transmission of the policy information is implemented through a point-to-point means or a broadcast means in layer-2, a unicast or a multicast in layer-3 or a higher application layer. The present invention implements policy information transmission, prevents account intrusions and hacker attacks, makes it convenient for the broadband user access equipment to implement dynamic QoS policy adjustment in terms of different users and makes it easy for integrated managing the online equipment. |
| US08028320B1 |
System and method for providing media to media playback device
Systems and methods for delivering media to media playback devices are provided. When a media playback device requests suspension of a media stream, the media is stored in a storage area associated with the media playback device. A media playback device can then request resumption of the media stream. The media playback device requesting resumption of the media stream can be the same or different from the device requesting suspension of the media stream. |
| US08028319B2 |
Passive video caching for edge aggregation devices
Techniques for delivering video on demand (VOD) channel content via streaming from a first edge aggregation device are provided. The first edge aggregation device receives the VOD channel content from a VOD server, and the streaming VOD channel content from the first edge aggregation device can stream down to a requestor. The streaming VOD channel content from the first edge aggregation device can also stream or up through a metro aggregation switch to a second edge aggregation device to reach the requestor. Techniques for buffering a cache of a video stream are also provided for bursting to a requestor, either after a request is made or before. |
| US08028318B2 |
Remote control unit for activating and deactivating means for payment and for displaying payment status
The invention relates to a remote control unit for intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction systems, comprising storage means, payment means, a sound control circuit, display means and a metal chassis wherein said remote control unit comprises a distant radio frequency transmitter that is associated with a radio frequency receiver connected to the sound control circuit of the audiovisual reproduction system. |
| US08028314B1 |
Audiovisual information management system
A system, may include, at least one of audio, image, and a video comprising a plurality of frames. A preferences description, describing preferences of a user with respect to the use of at least one of the audio, image, and video, where the description normally includes multiple preferences. |
| US08028310B2 |
Optical pickup and disk drive device
An optical pickup includes a moving base moved in a radial direction of a disk-like recording medium mounted on a disk table, and an objective lens drive device disposed on the base and including an objective lens. The drive device includes a fixed block fixed to the base, a movable block including the lens and a lens holder and moved in focusing and tracking directions, supporting springs connecting the fixed and movable blocks, focusing magnets moving the movable block in the focusing direction, tracking magnets moving the movable block in the tracking direction and each having two magnetized poles, focusing coils facing the focusing magnets, and tracking coils facing the tracking magnets and spaced apart in the tracking direction. The north and south poles of the tracking magnet are adjacent in the tracking direction. The boundary between the poles is formed by a line segment not being one straight line. |
| US08028307B2 |
Disk apparatus having disk conveying arms
A disk storage medium processing apparatus includes at least an apparatus body having a disk loading/unloading slot, a traverse unit which is disposed in the apparatus body to conduct at least one of recording, deletion, and reproduction of information onto or from a disk, and a clamper supporting device for supporting a clamper which clamps the disk to the traverse unit. A disk conveying device conveys the disk into the apparatus body when a part of the disk is inserted through the disk loading/unloading slot and ejects a part of the disk through the disk loading/unloading slot from the state that the disk is housed in the apparatus body. A control device controls the disk conveying device. |
| US08028304B2 |
Component integrator
Techniques allow for communication with and management of multiple external components. A component manager communicates with one or more component adapters. Each component adapter communicates with an external component and is able to call the methods, functions, procedures, and other operations of the external component. The component manager associates these external operations with local operations, such that an application may use local operation names to invoke the external operations. Furthermore, the component manager has component definitions and operation definitions that describe the component adapters and operations, including input and output parameters and the like. The component manager is able to receive a group of data including a local operation and a list of input and output parameters and determine from the foregoing information which external operation to call and which component adapter has access to the external operation. |
| US08028303B2 |
Multi-protocol object distribution
The present invention is a multi-protocol object distribution system. The multi-protocol object distribution system can include one or more remote procedure call (RPC) transport protocol stubs; and, a meta-stub configured to select individual ones of the RPC transport protocol stubs through which distributed object services can be provided to requesting clients in the object distribution system. The RPC transport protocol stubs can include both a default RPC transport stub, and at least one other RPC transport stub which the meta-stub can select based upon changing conditions in the object distribution system. Importantly, the meta-stub can automatically select the default RPC transport stub by default. |
| US08028299B2 |
Computer architecture and method of operation for multi-computer distributed processing with finalization of objects
The present invention discloses a modified computer architecture (50, 71, 72) which enables an applications program (50) to be run simultaneously on a plurality of computers (M1, . . . Mn). Shared memory at each computer is updated with amendments and/or overwrites so that all memory read requests are satisfied locally. During initial program loading (75), or similar, instructions which result in memory being re-written or manipulated are identified (92). Additional instructions are inserted (103) to cause the equivalent memory locations at all computers to be updated. In particular, the finalization of JAVA language classes and objects is disclosed (162, 163) so finalization only occurs when the last class or object present on all machines is no longer required. |
| US08028292B2 |
Processor task migration over a network in a multi-processor system
Methods and apparatus for migrating and distributing processor tasks on a plurality of multi-processing systems distributed over a network. The multi-processing system includes at least one broadband entity, each broadband entity including a plurality of processing units and synergistic processing units, as well as a shared memory. Tasks from one broadband entity are bundled, migrated and processed remotely on other broadband entities to efficiently use processing resources, and then returned to the migrating broadband entity for completion or continued processing. |
| US08028288B2 |
System and method for data synchronization for a computer architecture for broadband networks
A computer architecture and programming model for high speed processing over broadband networks are provided. The architecture employs a consistent modular structure, a common computing module and uniform software cells. The common computing module includes a control processor, a plurality of processing units, a plurality of local memories from which the processing units process programs, a direct memory access controller and a shared main memory. A synchronized system and method for the coordinated reading and writing of data to and from the shared main memory by the processing units also are provided. A processing system for processing computer tasks is also provided. A first processor is of a first processor type and a number of second processors are of a second processor type. One of the second processors manages process scheduling of computing tasks by providing tasks to at least one of the first and second processors. |
| US08028286B2 |
Methods and apparatus for scheduling threads on multicore processors under fair distribution of cache and other shared resources of the processors
A thread scheduler identifies a thread operable to be scheduled by a scheduling policy for execution on the chip multiprocessor. The thread scheduler estimates, for the thread, a performance value that is based on runtime statistics of the thread for a shared resource on the chip multiprocessor. Additionally, the thread scheduler applies the performance value to the scheduling policy in order to reallocate processor time of the thread commensurate with the performance value under fair distribution of the shared resource on the chip multiprocessor. The thread scheduler also applies the performance value to the scheduling policy in order to reallocate processor time of at least one co-executing thread to compensate for the reallocation of processor time to the thread. |
| US08028285B2 |
Heterogeneous job dashboard
This disclosure provides a system and method for summarizing jobs for a user group. In one embodiment, a job manager is operable to identify a state of a first job, the first job associated with a first job scheduler. A state of a second job is identified. The second job is associated with a second job scheduler. The first job scheduler and the second job scheduler are heterogeneous. A summary of information associated with at least the first job scheduler and the second job scheduler is determined using, at least in part, the first job state and the second job state. The summary is presented to a user though a dashboard. |
| US08028278B2 |
Method of generating and utilizing debug history
The present invention is generally directed towards providing a method, system and article of manufacture for generating and utilizing debug history to improve the debugging process. By providing facilities to store and retrieve debug history records for given events, the present invention allows developers to debug code more efficiently by allowing them to leverage information stored in a debug history repository. Further, the added functionality, related to the debug history, is available via modules that work in conjunction with existing debugger applications and is provided to users via a variety of interfaces including graphic interfaces and plug-in components. |
| US08028276B1 |
Method and system for generating a test file
A method for generating a test file, that includes parsing annotated test code written in a source language to create a data structure representation of the annotated test code, generating test code in a markup language according to a plurality of testing definitions using the data structure representation, and storing the test code in the markup language in the test file. |
| US08028274B2 |
Integrating loosely coupled tools using contracts and references
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing an integration framework that enables tools to be integrated. The integration framework enables tools participating in the framework to be encapsulated in a manner that hides their implementations, thereby preventing them from taking deep dependencies on each other. The integration framework also enables the tools participating in the framework to carry formal type definitions called service and data contracts that describe the public behaviors they offer. The integration framework also provides support for migrating integration logic from tools into pluggable commands to further reduce coupling between the tools. |
| US08028273B2 |
Program product providing a configuration specification language having clone latch support
Methods, data processing systems, and program products supporting the insertion of clone latches within a digital design are disclosed. According to one method, a parent latch within the digital design is specified in an HDL statement in one of the HDL files representing a digital design. In addition, a clone latch is specified within the digital design utilizing an HDL clone latch declaration. An HDL attribute-value pair is associated with the HDL clone latch declaration to indicate a relationship between the clone latch and the parent latch according to which the clone latch is automatically set to a same value as the parent latch when the parent latch is set. Thereafter, when a configuration compiler receives one or more design intermediate files containing the clone latch declaration, the configuration compiler creates at least one data structure in a configuration database representing the clone latch and the relationship between the clone latch and the parent latch. |
| US08028271B2 |
Patch-aware editor
A system and method for receiving an origin file corresponding to source code, modifying the source code to create a modified source code, creating a modified file corresponding to the modified source code and comparing the modified file to the origin file. A system having an editor for editing source code to create a modified source code and a patch aware editor storing an origin file corresponding to the source code and creating a modified file corresponding to the modified source code, the patch aware editor comparing the origin file to the modified file and displaying conflicts between the files. |
| US08028269B2 |
Compliance management method and system
A compliance method and system. The method includes receiving by computing system compliance data comprising a plurality of compliance rules from a plurality of different compliance domains. The plurality of compliance rules are converted from said text format to a first plurality of program objects. Attributes for the first plurality of program objects are modified. A compliance report comprising an output of the plurality of program objects is generated. An automated compliance verification software tool compares the first plurality of program objects with compliance verification data in order to verify if the first plurality of program objects is in accordance with the compliance verification data. |
| US08028268B2 |
System and method for building software package for embedded system
A method and system for building an embedded software package for a target system including creating a cross-compiling stub in the target system, wherein the stub accesses a compiling tool at a remote location, starting a software package building process at the target system, and intercepting a compiling command coming from said software package building process and forwarding the compiling commands to said remote compiling server using the cross-compiling tool stub so that a source file will be compiled by a corresponding cross-compiling tool in the remote compiling server. The method and system allow a developer of software for an embedded system be able to start a software package building process on the target system as in the native compilation situation, and have the actual compiling of the source file in the software package be performed by cross-compiling tools in another computer with high performance. |
| US08028263B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for implementing incremental placement in electronics design
Disclosed are a method, system, and computer program product for implementing incremental placement for an electronic design while predicting and minimizing a perturbation impact arising from incremental placement of electronic components. In some embodiments, an initial placement of an electronic design is identified, an abstract flow is computed, target locations of various electronic components to be placed are identified, a relative ordering of electronic components is determined, and the placement is then legalized. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the method, system, or computer program product starts with an initial placement of an electronic design and derives a legal placement by using an incremental placement technique while minimizing the perturbation impact or an total quadratic movement of instances. In some embodiments, an augmented or incremental clumping technique based data structure is utilized for rapid and substantially exact perturbation prediction of effects of local incremental placement operations. |
| US08028260B1 |
Determination of most critical timing paths in digital circuits
Methods and computer programs for determining the top most critical timing paths in an integrated circuit (IC) based on a timing graph of registers and combinational nodes in the IC are provided. One method generates the most critical path to each destination register and invokes a function to calculate the next critical path in each destination register a number of times according to the number of top most critical paths desired. The method uses recursion to calculate critical paths on the different nodes by recursively calling a function to calculate the next critical path on a fan-in node, where the fan-in node corresponds to the node which last contributed a critical path. Further, the most critical path to the node is selected in the recursive function. The critical paths are used to determine if the IC is stable under the analyzed clock frequency. |
| US08028258B1 |
Interactive graphical pin assignment
A design tool provides interactive graphical pin assignment. In one embodiment, the design tool identifies layout restrictions of a configurable processing device that includes a plurality of pins. The design tool further provides an interactive visual representation of a pin assignment that accommodates the layout restrictions and a user input. |
| US08028256B1 |
System and method for breaking a feedback loop using a voltage controlled voltage source terminated subnetwork model
A system and method is disclosed for breaking a feedback loop by replacing at least one component in the feedback loop with a model containing two physically disconnected subnetworks that have terminals that are connected to ground with voltage controlled, voltage sources (VCVSs). Dependent source parameters of the VCVSs control lateral signal transfer though the model allowing the feedback loop to be opened or closed. The model maybe used in a software simulation in which a replicate circuit is used to set and maintain a closed-loop bias on the open-loop circuit. Small-signal analysis of the equivalent open-loop circuit allows extraction of transfer functions that yield a return ratio RR(s) corresponding to the modeled component. |
| US08028252B2 |
Technique for determining mask patterns and write patterns
During a method for generating a third mask pattern to be used on a photo-mask in a photolithographic process, first features are added to a first mask pattern to produce a second mask pattern. A majority of the first features may have a size characteristic larger than a pre-determined value, and that the first features are topologically disconnected from second features in the first mask pattern that overlap third features in a target pattern. Moreover, the first features may be added at positions which are determined based on the gradient of a first cost function depending, at least in part, on the first mask pattern and the target pattern. Then, the third mask pattern may be generated based on the second mask pattern, where the photo-mask corresponds to the third mask pattern. |
| US08028251B2 |
Touch screen device and method of selecting files thereon
A touch screen device and a method of operation are provided. The device and method allow for scrolling and selection of files from a file list, and for skipping or reversing an execution order of the selected files simply by performing a drag on a touch screen. The method of selecting files on the touch screen device includes detecting a diagonal drag on a screen, selecting file(s) included within a corresponding range, and skipping file(s) within the range. The method may also include changing an execution order of the selected file(s) when a drag with a return trajectory is detected. The method may also include scrolling through the file list in accordance with a direction and speed of the drag. The device and method allows a plurality of files to be selected and skipped at a time, and a desired file to be rapidly and easily located. |
| US08028250B2 |
User interface having a carousel view for representing structured data
A carousel view is described. In an implementation, a method includes determining a number of items that are included in data. A carousel is then generated for output in a user interface. The carousel has a plurality of bins, each of which representing a corresponding one of the items. The carousel has a radius for display of each of the bins based on the determined number of items. |
| US08028249B2 |
Method and system for browsing large digital multimedia object collections
A display system and method for operating a display and a collection of digital multimedia objects are provided. A first selection set of predefined organizational metaphors is presented and a selection of a first organizational metaphor from the first selection set is received. A second selection set of predefined organizational metaphors other than the first selected organizational metaphor is presented and a selection of a second organizational metaphor from the second selection set is received. A result is presented on the display having one of at least two group icons, each group icon indicating a group of digital multimedia objects chosen from the collection according to rules associated with the selected organizational metaphors and the content of the digital multimedia objects or any metadata associated with the digital multimedia objects. Wherein the group of digital multimedia objects indicated by each group icon are chosen according to result presentation rules. |
| US08028245B2 |
Method and system for operating multiple web pages with anti-spoofing protection
Method and system for operating tabbed browsing with anti-spoofing protection. Tabbed browsing operates to detect pop-up dialogs sent from malicious web pages operating in a background browser. Keystrokes and keyboard messages are prevented from being delivered to background browsers. Unauthorized movement of background browsers are detected. URLs are inspected before being saved or restored. |
| US08028244B2 |
Status processing system, status processor, and status displaying method
A status processor is communicable with a host device via a network. The processor includes a media connecting unit, a status-reflecting filename setting unit, and a server unit. The media connecting unit is capable of connecting a storage media. The status-reflecting filename setting unit sets a status-reflecting filename corresponding to a status of the processor or the storage media. The server unit transmits data indicating an existence of the file having the status-reflecting filename to the host device. |
| US08028239B1 |
Context-based management user interface supporting extensible subtractive filtering
A management user interface can be generated at run time via subtractive extensible context-based filtering. Definitions of user interface elements can include an indication of appropriate contexts for which the user interface elements are to be shown. Context factors can include application state, external state, surface or element definitions, or some combination thereof. The context-based filtering approach allows definition of user interface elements and user interface surfaces so that appearance of additional elements in the appropriate surfaces can be accomplished without programming. For example, a user interface surface definition can specify categories of user interface elements. At run time, those user interface elements of the category can be chosen for display. When new elements relating to the category are added, the new elements appear when the surface is rendered. Other features include heterogeneous type selection and exact number homogeneous type selection. |
| US08028237B2 |
Portal-based desktop
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing a portal-based desktop. A computer-implemented method for providing access to one or more computer programs and information includes receiving a request from a client computer, the request specifying a user. The method includes identifying one or more computer programs and information to which the user has subscribed. The method includes organizing the one or more computer programs and the information according to context. The method includes defining a user interface in which the organized one or more computer programs and information. |
| US08028236B2 |
System services enhancement for displaying customized views
A method for presenting system services can include the step of establishing a multitude of system service profiles. A request for the presentation of system services can be detected. One of the system service profiles associated with the request can be determined. For example, the system service profile can be determined based at least in part upon user identity. The system service profile can also be determined based at least in part upon server identity. At least one system service can be listed in accordance with the determined system service profile. |
| US08028231B2 |
Document management system for searching scanned documents
A method for storing, organizing and providing remote electronic access to documents. A cover sheet including a standard set of identification data characterizing each document is developed and stored. A digital version of each document is created and stored by scanning each contract. Each digital version includes a scanned image and a searchable text file, wherein the text is overlaid with the image. An index of bookmarks identifying sections of the digital version of each document is generated. Selected fields of information are captured from the digital version of the document. The documents are organized and cross-referenced in a database that includes the captured information and additional information related to each document. Designated parties are alerted of critical dates associated with each document. Remote electronic access to the documents is provided over the internet. |
| US08028226B2 |
Document content analysis technology for reducing cognitive load
The present invention provides for analyzing document content for display with reduced cognitive load assists those who are blind, have low vision, or cognitive problems. This present invention also aids those who prefer to receive condensed information orally. Document content is analyzed, a set of salient words and phrases are generated from the document content and the set of salient words and phrases are read. |
| US08028225B2 |
Visual system for visualizing, navigating, and editing attribute lattices within OLAP databases
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for creating and managing a visual representation of OLAP attributes and relationships for a dimension. A visual representation is generated that contains an arrangement of shapes with connections between shapes. One or more sub-elements are contained within at least some of the shapes. Connections between the shapes represent relationships between attributes in an OLAP dimension. The containment of a respective sub-element within a respective shape represents a relationship between an attribute being represented by the respective sub-element and an attribute being represented by the respective shape. Shapes representing OLAP attributes and relationships can be programmatically grouped and ungrouped. When an attribute does not have any outgoing relationships, when an attribute only has one incoming relationship, and when the attribute is not a level in a user-defined hierarchy, a grouping process is performed to put the attribute in an expandable shape belonging to another attribute. |
| US08028224B2 |
Method and system for providing short block length low density parity check (LDPC) codes
An approach is provided for generating Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes. An LDPC encoder generates a short LDPC code by shortening longer mother codes. The short LDPC code has an outer Bose Chaudhuri Hocquenghem (BCH) code. According to another aspect, for an LDPC code with code rate of ⅗ utilizing 8-PSK (Phase Shift Keying) modulation, an interleaver provides for interleaving bits of the output LDPC code by serially writing data associated with the LDPC code column-wise into a table and reading the data row-wise from right to left. The above approach has particular application in digital video broadcast services over satellite. |
| US08028220B2 |
Method of determining coordinate values of a position on a printed document with respect to a plurality of patterns printed on the document
A method is disclosed of determining a coordinate value of a position on a printed document having patterns printed thereon. Each pattern represents a sequence having a repeating codeword of a cyclic position code. The method includes sensing the patterns printed on the document, obtaining from each sensed pattern a sub-sequence, mapping each of the sub-sequences to a respective mapped codeword of the cyclic position code, and determining an offset indicative of the position, in the corresponding sequence, between each mapped codeword and the codeword. Also included are the steps of deriving, for each pair of the sequences, a difference between the corresponding pair of offsets, as well as deriving the coordinate value by interpreting the differences as a digit of the coordinate value, and by interpreting the differences as a marker separating the coordinate value from an adjacent coordinate value. |
| US08028216B1 |
Embedded parity coding for data storage
An encoder system includes a receive module that receives a data stream. A parity generation module generates parity bits based on the data stream and a tensor-product code. A parity insertion module combines the parity bits and the data stream to generate encoded bits. |
| US08028214B2 |
Low density parity check codes decoder and method thereof
A low density parity check codes decoder decodes an LDPC code with an arbitrary coding rate by the same configuration. The low density parity check codes decoder enables decoding of an LDPC code constituted by a base matrix of Mbmax rows and Nbmax columns and a permutation matrix as an element of the base matrix. It stores therein Mbmax×Nbmax validity/invalidity flags, shift amounts of valid permutation matrices, a permutation matrix size in a processing target code, and the number of rows of a base matrix in the processing target code, determined depending on a check matrix for the processing target LDPC code, and generates column addresses and a row address to be given to column processing calculation sections and a row processing calculation section that perform calculation in accordance with a BP algorithm by utilizing the stored information, so that it can process an LDPC code for a smaller base matrix than the aforementioned base matrix as well. |
| US08028212B2 |
Parallel scan paths with header data circuitry and header return circuitry
Testing of integrated circuits is achieved by a test architecture utilizing a scan frame input shift register, a scan frame output shift register, a test controller, and a test interface comprising a scan input, a scan clock, a test enable, and a scan output. Scan frames input to the scan frame input shift register contain a test stimulus data section and a test command section. Scan frames output from the scan frame output shift register contain a test response data section and, optionally, a section for outputting other data. The command section of the input scan frame controls the test architecture to execute a desired test operation. |
| US08028209B2 |
Scalable scan system for system-on-chip design
A method and system to facilitate a scalable scan system in the design of a system-on-chip. In one embodiment of the invention, the system-on-chip includes a controller and one or more clock gating units. The clock gating unit is added to each unique clock domain of each function or logic block in the system-on-chip. By having a controller that connects to each clock gating unit and the scan input and output signals in each logic block of the SOC, this allows a scalable scan system in the design of the SOC and allows frequent block level design changes in the SOC without extensive changes to the scan logic in one embodiment of the invention. In addition, the scalable scan system also allows at-speed scan write-through testing of a memory array that can improve the scan test coverage of the system-on-chip. |
| US08028208B2 |
Wireless radio frequency technique design and method for testing of integrated circuits and wafers
Various embodiments are described herein for an apparatus and method for the wireless testing of Integrated Circuits and wafers. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a test unit external from the wafer and at least one test circuit that is fabricated on the wafer that contains the Integrated Circuit. The test unit transmits an RF signal to power the test circuit. The test circuit, comprising configurable circuitry, performs a series of parametric tests at the normal operating frequency of the Integrated Circuit and transmits the test results to the test unit for analysis. |
| US08028205B2 |
System for providing performance testing information to users
A computer system includes server computers, application program storage modules, a communication network, client computers, a database storage module, and a test data presentation module. The database storage module stores event data. The event data logs events that occur in the server computers during performance test runs. The test runs are performed in connection with a plurality of projects. The projects are defined for performance testing the application programs. The test data presentation module generates a test data screen display for rendering by one of the client computers. The test data screen display includes a data table. The data table presents event data relating to events that occurred during test runs for two or more of the projects. |
| US08028204B2 |
Method and system for maintenance of a data-processing apparatus
A method and system for performing one or more preventative maintenance functions for a data-processing apparatus. One or more notifications regarding daily maintenance functions can be generated in the form of a reminder when the data-processing apparatus begins operation. A history of the maintenance functions performed can be stored in a memory through remote data pushes. An email alert can be generated and transmitted to a user regarding incomplete maintenance functions in order to track the maintenance activities. The data-processing apparatus can be monitored in a consolidated manner and the occurrence of fault information stored and then rapidly retrieved to provide notifications indicative of such maintenance data. |
| US08028203B2 |
Exception view with context
A method, apparatus and computer-usable medium for the graphical presentation of the contextual relationship between a reported exception and its related resources and/or contributing factors. An exception view is presented to display an abnormally operating resource and the operational state of its related resources and/or contributing factors. Contextually related processes and resources are graphically depicted in one or more hierarchy trees, topologically-oriented views, or other depictions, with the operational health or condition of each resource indicated. Fault determination and resolution of the reported exception and its related processes and resources can then be facilitated. |
| US08028198B2 |
Devices, methods, and apparatuses for detection, sensing, and reporting functionality for semiconductor memory
Methods, apparatuses and systems are disclosed for a memory device. In one embodiment, a memory device is disclosed that may include a command error module operably coupled to a mode register, a command input, and an address input. The command error module may be configured to detect an invalid command sequence and report an error indication to an output signal. Additionally, the memory device may include a temperature sensor operably coupled to a mode register and a reference voltage. The temperature sensor may be configured to sense a device temperature and report a temperature status. Furthermore, the memory device may be incorporated into a memory module, which may be included in an electronic system. |
| US08028195B2 |
Structure for indicating status of an on-chip power supply system
A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes a system for indicating status of an on-chip power supply system with multiple power supplies, having a power system status register for receiving digital compliance signals, each compliance signal associated with one of the multiple power supplies, and having an associated compliance level, wherein each digital compliance signal indicates whether its associated power supply is operating at the associated compliance level, and wherein the power system status register generates a power supply status signal based on the digital compliance signals indicating status of the digital compliance signals; and an output for outputting the power supply status signal, wherein if a power supply is operating at its associated compliance level, the power supply status signal indicates that the power supply is passing, otherwise the power supply status signal indicates that the power supply is failing. |
| US08028194B2 |
Sequencing technique to account for a clock error in a backup system
A method, apparatus, and system of a sequencing technique to account for a clock error in a storage area network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system of a backup server includes a processing module to examine a data timestamped with a sequence of characters denoting a time according to a clock source, an analysis module to determine that the data has been timestamped at an earlier time than an other data previously received, a substitution module to provide the data an incremental sequence number placed with the data using an algorithm until a new data is received that includes a future timestamp with a later timestamp than the timestamp of the other data, and a storage module to store the data. |
| US08028190B2 |
Computer system and bus control device
The bus control device includes a reset control unit which resets the input and output bus in response to receipt of reset instruction; a reset inhibition unit which inhibits a reset of the input and output bus triggered by a fault occurrence in the input and output bus; a log collection unit which collects log information of an input and output device connected to a fault occurrence section in the input and output bus triggered by the fault occurrence in the input and output bus; and an input and output interface which transfers the log information collected by the log collection unit to the processor. The reset inhibition unit cancels inhibition of the reset after the collection of the log information by the log collection unit has been completed. |
| US08028189B2 |
Recoverable machine check handling
A technique for handling hardware errors in a computing system, such as a data storage facility, while avoiding a system crash. An interface is registered with an operating system of the computing system to process hardware errors. When a hardware error is detected, the interface checks an error register to identify the adapter that likely causes the error, and quarantines, e.g., blocks off, the offending adapter from the computing system. The interface then notifies the operating system that the error has been handled, thereby causing the operating system to bypass a system crash that would otherwise occur. The interface can be provided as a kernel extension of a device driver associated with the operating system. |
| US08028186B2 |
Skew management in an interconnection system
An interconnection system is described where data lanes may be exchanged between lines at intervals along a transmission path so that the differential time delay between bits on a plurality of the lines is reduced when determined at a receiving location. The data lanes may be bound to the lines through the operation of a configurable switch, or by a configurable switch in conjunction with predetermined manufactured connections, or a combination of the techniques. The wiring of a connectorized node module, which may include a memory device, may be configured so that the differential time delay between pairs of input lines of a node, as measured at the output of a node, is reduced. |
| US08028185B2 |
Protocol for transitioning in and out of zero-power state
A processor may comprise one or more cores, where each respective core may comprise one or more state registers, and non-volatile memory configured to store microcode instructions executed by the respective processor core. The processor may further comprise a power management controller (PMC) interfacing with each respective core, and a state monitor (SM) interfacing with the PMC. The PMC may be configured to communicate with each respective core, such that microcode executed by the respective processor core may recognize when a request is made to transition the respective core to a low-power state. The microcode may communicate the request to the PMC, which may in turn determine if the request is for the respective core to transition to a zero-power state. If it is, the PMC may communicate with the SM to determine whether to transition the respective processor core to the zero-power state, and initiate transition to the zero-power state if a determination to transition to the zero-power state is made. |
| US08028183B2 |
Power cap lower bound exploration in a server environment
Disclosed is a computer implemented method, computer program product, and apparatus for determining a safe lower bound for a commonly powered data processing system. A power management module operates the data processing system using at least one nominal operating parameter during an exploration periodicity, with the at least one nominal operating parameter being clock speed. The power management module determines whether a calibration period is occurring. The power management module calibrates the data processing system up to a measurement interval duration expiration. The power management module may repeat operating the data processing system using the at least one nominal operating parameter. |
| US08028182B2 |
Dynamic CPU voltage regulator phase shedding
A voltage regulator phase shedding system includes one or more subsystems to receive a system management interrupt (SMI), gather processor utilization information, determine whether to adjust a performance state, lookup voltage regulator information for new performance state, adjust active voltage regulator phase, and adjust performance state. The voltage regulator phase shedding system can also include one or more subsystems to read a power measurement, calculate throttling requirements, determine whether to adjust a throttling, lookup voltage regulator information for new performance state capacity, adjust active voltage regulator phase, and adjust throttling. |
| US08028180B2 |
Method and system for power conservation in a hierarchical branch predictor
A method and system for power conservation in a hierarchical branch predictor system are provided. The method includes addressing multiple branch predictors, each of the branch predictors having various sizes of hierarchical storage and storing information about previously encountered branch instructions. In response to receiving a first branch prediction from one of the branch predictors, the method includes comparing the first branch prediction with previously stored branch predictions to determine the existence of a branch prediction loop, the branch prediction loop including a sequence of branch predictions that repeat as long as constituent predictions of the branches remain unchanged. Upon determining that a branch prediction loop exists, the method includes associating the branch prediction loop with the branch predictors that provided each branch prediction, and activating power saving to the branch predictors that are not associated with the branch prediction loop. |
| US08028179B2 |
Determining expected exceeding of maximum allowed power consumption of a mobile electronic device
Apparatus and method for determining an expected exceeding of a maximum allowed power consumption of a mobile electronic device is provided, wherein the method includes determining power consumption of the device in a current operating state, determining, for a first process executable by a processor of the device, process-specific power consumption of the device which would be caused by execution of the first process, determining as to whether an expected exceeding of a maximum allowed power consumption would occur for a case in which a new instance of the first executable process would be executed, which is currently not executed, and that possible present instances of the first executable process, which are currently executed, are continued to be executed, and if it has been determined that an expected exceeding of a maximum allowed power consumption would occur, outputting information about the expected exceeding of the maximum allowed power consumption. |
| US08028176B2 |
System and method for modeling a power over ethernet component in a computing device platform using a common information model
A system and method for modeling a power over Ethernet component using a common information model. With the profiling of components based on the common information model, a remote agent can query status/capabilities or configure a power over Ethernet component based on messaging that is consistent with a power over Ethernet common information model schema. |
| US08028170B2 |
Method of authenticating print media using a mobile telephone
A method of using a mobile telephone to authenticate a print medium, the mobile telephone being configured for printing on print media predetermined as authentic. The print media has coded data in the form of a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding a signature fragment. The mobile telephone has a printhead, a processing means, a print path extending past the printhead and a sensor adjacent the print path. The method comprising steps of using the sensor to sense the coded data provided on a surface of the substrate whilst the print medium is moving along the print path, using the processing means to interpret the plurality of coded data portions and determine the signature fragments from each of the coded data portions, determining a signature from the signature fragments, using the signature to assess the print medium authenticity, and using the printhead to print onto the print medium in the event that it is authentic. |
| US08028169B2 |
Electronic document management program, electronic document management system and electronic document management method
It is possible to control electronic documents for partial disclosures and non-disclosures and prove to the third party that information other than non-disclosure part thereof has not been altered and the originality of decrypted information is assured. There is provided a section that controls electronic information for partial disclosures and non-disclosures according to conditions and situations such as viewers, systems and time and also a technological concept for proving to the third party that information other than non-disclosure part thereof has not been altered and the originality of decrypted information is assured, while controlling electronic information for partial disclosures and non-disclosures, by generating partial signature information (to be referred to as piat signature information in the embodiment of this invention which is described hereinafter) apart from the text of electronic information, dividing it for holding and separating the function and the role of electronic information and those of partial signature information (verifying information). |
| US08028166B2 |
Versatile secure and non-secure messaging
A messaging system and method are associated with a first device. The messaging system includes a plurality of credentials and a plurality of authorities. Each authority associates at least one of a plurality of protocol operations with at least one of the plurality of credentials. The messaging system is adapted to receive an initiating message from a second device, which identifies at least one of the authorities, and responsively implements a security protocol for further messages between the first and second devices in accordance with the identified authority. |
| US08028163B2 |
Method of digitally signing data and a data repository storing digitally signed data
A hierarchical digital signature method is provided by which different levels of data elements of a data entry are processed in turn to derive function values (for example hash function values) for data elements in the level which are to form part of the digital signature. All function values for one level are combined in a further function to provide an additional function value, and the additional function value is used in the processing of data elements in the next level nearer to the root. This provides a digital signature which can use only selected data elements of a data entry, and which is not sensitive to the ordering of the data entry structure. |
| US08028160B1 |
Data link layer switch with protection against internet protocol spoofing attacks
A data link layer switch having an associated method and computer program comprises a processor; a plurality of ports to exchange packets of data with a network; a memory to store a switch table; and a packet processor to transfer the packets of data between the ports according to the switch table, the packet processor comprising a classifier to send copies of selected ones of the packets of data to the processor; wherein the processor determines whether an attack upon the data link layer switch has occurred based on the copies of the selected ones of the packets. |
| US08028155B1 |
Initiating an operating system boot from firmware
A computer system firmware stores an operating system boot loader along with accompanying firmware boot driver and a service option ROM. A firmware boot enables the computer system to initiate an operating system boot without necessarily utilizing a hard drive or other peripheral. The service option ROM is installed, indicating to the firmware that a firmware boot is available. When selected the firmware boot copies the operating system boot loader from firmware to main memory and then initiates the operating system boot loader. |
| US08028152B2 |
Hierarchical multi-threading processor for executing virtual threads in a time-multiplexed fashion
A hierarchical microprocessor. An embodiment of a hierarchical microprocessor includes a plurality of first-level instruction pipeline elements; a plurality of execution clusters, where each execution cluster is operatively coupled with each of the first-level instruction pipeline elements. Each execution cluster includes a plurality of second-level instruction pipeline elements, where each of the second-level instruction pipeline elements corresponds with a respective first-level instruction pipeline element, and one or more instruction execution units operatively coupled with each of the second-level instruction pipeline elements, where the microprocessor is configured to execute multiple execution threads using the plurality of first-level instruction pipeline elements and the plurality of execution clusters. |
| US08028151B2 |
Performance of an in-order processor by no longer requiring a uniform completion point across different execution pipelines
A method, system and processor for improving the performance of an in-order processor. A processor may include an execution unit with an execution pipeline that includes a backup pipeline and a regular pipeline. The backup pipeline may store a copy of the instructions issued to the regular pipeline. The execution pipeline may include logic for allowing instructions to flow from the backup pipeline to the regular pipeline following the flushing of the instructions younger than the exception detected in the regular pipeline. By maintaining a backup copy of the instructions issued to the regular pipeline, instructions may not need to be flushed from separate execution pipelines and re-fetched. As a result, one may complete the results of the execution units to the architected state out of order thereby allowing the completion point to vary among the different execution pipelines. |
| US08028150B2 |
Runtime instruction decoding modification in a multi-processing array
A method and system for decoding and modifying processor instructions in runtime according to certain rules in order to separately control processing elements embedded within a multi-processor array using a single instruction. The present invention allows multiple processing elements and/or execution units in a multi-processor array to perform different operations, based upon a variable or variables such as their location in the multi-processor array, while accepting a single instruction as an input. |
| US08028149B2 |
Method of reading the memory plane of a contactless tag
A method of reading a group of memory words from an integrated circuit memory of a contactless tag, comprising the sending by a remote interrogation unit to the contactless tag of a specific command for reading the group of memory words from a given start address, the initialization of an address counter for the contactless tag to the value of the given start address, and the sending by the contactless tag of the memory word at the start address, as well as an iterative process comprising in succession a first step of sending by the remote interrogation unit to the contactless tag of an incrementation marker recognizable by the contactless tag, a second step of incrementation of the address counter for the contactless tag in response to the incrementation marker, and a third step of sending by the contactless tag to the remote interrogation unit of a data frame comprising the memory word stored in the memory at the address pointed at by the current value of the address counter. |
| US08028148B2 |
Safe and efficient allocation of memory
Aspects of the present invention are directed at centrally managing the allocation of memory to executable images in a way that inhibits malware from identifying the location of the executable image. Moreover, performance improvements are implemented over traditional systems that enable relative addressed instruction to be resolved at runtime. In this regard, a method is provided that identifies a randomized location to load the executable image into a memory address space. Then, data that may be used to resolve the relative addressed instruction is loaded and maintained in memory. At runtime when pages that store relative addressed instructions are accessed, an arithmetic operation is performed to resolve the relative addressed instruction. As a result, only those relative addressed instructions on pages accessed during program execution are resolved. |
| US08028146B2 |
Management of temporary and permanent areas in nonvolatile memories of a storage system
The temporary area capacity required to be secured with respect to the whole permanent area is calculated in accordance with the capacity and access frequency of a host computer data permanent area of a disk device contained in the storage system and a disk device of an external storage device that is managed by a storage virtualization function of this storage system. The nonvolatile memory is defined as the temporary area and is used to temporarily store host computer data when a data I/O from the host computer is processed. The required capacity of the temporary area is re-calculated in accordance with an event such as a configuration change in the external storage system. |
| US08028137B2 |
System and method of selective data mirroring in a data storage device
Systems and methods of selective data mirroring are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a device is disclosed that includes a data storage medium and a controller operably coupled to the data storage medium. The controller configured to selectively enable a data mirroring function to copy data in a first data storage location of the data storage medium to one or more second data storage locations of the data storage medium when the one or more second data storage locations do not have valid primary data stored to them. |
| US08028135B1 |
Method and apparatus for maintaining compliant storage
According to an embodiment of the invention, a storage server is mirrored onto a mirroring server. The mirroring server maintains point-in-time images of data stored on the storage server. The point-in-time images have a retention period. During the retention period, the point-in-time images must be maintained to comply with 17 C.F.R. 240.17a-4 (the “Rule”). When a command to delete a point-in-time image is issued, the file system of the mirroring server references a table including a list of point-in-time images and their retention dates. If the current date is greater than the retention date, the point-in-time image is deleted. If the current date is less than the retention date, the point-in-time image cannot be deleted. |
| US08028134B2 |
System and method of imaging a memory module while in functional operation
A memory module (e.g. a hard drive, an optical drive, a flash drive, etc.) associated with a computer system may be imaged without substantial interruption to the operation of the overall system. The imaging may include applying an image to the memory module while execution of one or more operations and/or algorithms that require at least intermittent access to information stored initially in the memory module is ongoing. This may enable a system associated with the memory module to continue with normal, or substantially normal, operation while the image is being applied to the memory module. The image applied to the memory module may, for example, update the system, restore the system to a previous state (e.g., to its state at a previous point in time), or otherwise modify the system with which it is associated. |
| US08028133B2 |
Globally incremented variable or clock based methods and apparatus to implement parallel transactions
The present disclosure describes a unique way for each of multiple processes to operate in parallel and use the same shared data without causing corruption to the shared data. For example, during a commit phase, a corresponding transaction can attempt to increment a globally accessible version information variable and store a current value of the globally accessible version information variable for updating version information associated with modified data regardless of whether an associated attempt by the corresponding transaction to modify the globally accessible version information variable was successful. As an alternative mode, a corresponding transaction can merely read and store a current value of the globally accessible version information variable without attempting to update the globally accessible version information variable before such use. In yet another application, a parallel processing environment implements a combination of both aforementioned modes depending on a self-abort rate of the transaction. |
| US08028132B2 |
Collision handling apparatus and method
The present invention relates to mechanisms for handling and detecting collisions between threads (5, 6, 7) that execute computer program instructions out of program order. According to an embodiment of the present invention each of a plurality of threads (5, 6, 7) are associated with a respective data structure (9, 10, 11) comprising a number of bits (12) that correspond to memory elements (m0, m1, m2, mn) of a shared memory (4). When a thread accesses a memory element in the shared memory, it sets a bit in its associated data structure, which bit corresponds to the accessed memory element. This indicates that the memory element has been accessed by the thread. Collision detection may be carried out after the thread has finished executing by means of comparing the data structure of the thread with the data structures of other threads on which the thread may depend. |
| US08028128B2 |
Method for increasing cache directory associativity classes in a system with a register space memory
In a method of managing a cache directory in a memory system, an original system address is presented to the cache directory when corresponding associativity data is allocated to an associativity class in the cache directory. The original system address is normalized by removing address space corresponding to a memory hole, thereby generating a normalized address. The normalized address is stored in the cache directory. The normalized address is de-normalized, thereby generating a de-normalized address, when the associativity data is cast out of the cache directory to make room for new associativity data. The de-normalized address is sent to the memory system for coherency management. |
| US08028122B2 |
Methods and systems for classifying storage systems using fixed static-IP addresses
A storage system for exchanging data with a host system, the storage system including a plurality of storage devices, each of the storage devices including: a non-volatile memory, wherein a fixed static-IP address resides in the non-volatile memory, the fixed static-IP address being common to two or more of the plurality of storage devices, and the fixed static-IP address providing enablement of a storage-device functionality of the storage device; a physical interface for operationally connecting the storage device with the host system; and a memory controller for: controlling the respective non-volatile memory; and exchanging data, using a communication protocol, via the respective fixed static-IP address. For at least one of the storage devices, the respective fixed static-IP address may be pre-loaded into the respective non-volatile memory during manufacture, or installed in the respective non-volatile memory after manufacture. |
| US08028120B2 |
System with flash memory device and data recovery method thereof
A method is for recovering a block mapping table in a system including a flash memory device, where the block mapping table utilizes address mapping in accordance with a wear-leveling scheme. The method includes reading block arrangement information from the flash memory device for the wear-leveling scheme, restoring the block mapping table with reference to allocation block information included in the block arrangement information and scanning address allocation information included in spare regions of erased blocks of the flash memory device with reference to erased block information included in the block arrangement information and updating the block mapping table in accordance with the scanned address allocation information. |
| US08028118B2 |
Using an index value located on a page table to index page attributes
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for increasing the number of page attributes specified by a page table while minimizing an increase in size of the page table. According to embodiments of the invention, attribute index bits may be included within a page table and may be used to determine page attributes stored within an attribute index. Additionally, embodiments of the invention provide a plurality of new page attributes. |
| US08028116B2 |
Data transfer apparatus and data transfer method
A data transfer apparatus for transferring data between a system bus and a local bus at a high speed is provided. A bus bridge 101 is connected between a system bus 132 and a local bus 137. Data transferred between a CPU 133, an I/O device 136 and a main memory 135 on the system bus 132 are retained in an associative memory 106 via an associative memory control unit 105. When an access to this data from an I/O device 138 on the local bus 137 is generated, the data are transferred from the associative memory 106 to the I/O device 138. Thus, when a data transfer request from the I/O device 138 to the main memory 135 is generated, no bus cycle is generated on the system bus 132 as long as this data are retained in the associative memory 106. Consequently, the data can be transferred at a high speed. |
| US08028111B2 |
Radio communication apparatus, communication control method, and computer-readable program
A radio communication apparatus configured to perform radio communication according to a first radio communication protocol includes an identification information memory unit configured to store first identification information identifying a host apparatus and second identification information identifying the host apparatus based on a second radio communication protocol, the first and second identification information being associated with each other; an identification information reception unit; an identification information acquisition unit; and a connection request transmission unit. |
| US08028109B2 |
Hard disk drive integrated circuit with integrated gigabit ethernet interface module
An IC for a HDD including first and second processors, a HDC module, and a wireline network interface module. The first processor performs processing related to storing data on the HDD. The second processor performs processing related to communication of the HDD via the network interface module. The HDC module controls operation of the HDD. The network interface module includes a medium access control (MAC) module that communicates with the second processor and a physical layer module (PHY) that communicates with the MAC module and an output. The PHY includes first, second, third, and fourth transceivers each communicating with the output. The first processor and the HDC module process packets communicated via the network interface module using a hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP), a peer-to-peer sharing protocol, and an Internet protocol-based small computer system interface standard (iSCSI). The network interface module uses power received from Ethernet to power the HDD. |
| US08028107B2 |
Apparatus and method for serial to parallel in an I/O circuit
A serial to parallel I/O circuit apparatus includes M sequential logic circuits and each of them includes a first D-type flip-flop for receiving one bit of input data, and the output of each the first D-type flip-flop connects to the input of a first D-type flip-flop of a next stage. A second D-type flip-flop receives one bit of enable control signal, and the output of each of the second D-type flip-flops connects to the input of a second D-type flip-flop of a next stage. A multiplexer contains two input terminals and an enable control signal receiving terminal, wherein one input terminal is used to receive the input data received by the first D-type flip-flop, and the enable control signal receiving terminal receives the enable control signal received by the second D-type flip-flop. A D-type latch outputs the data, and the output data is fed back to another input terminal of the multiplexer so as to be selected as a data output when a next set of data are input. |
| US08028105B2 |
System and method for virtual adapter resource allocation matrix that defines the amount of resources of a physical I/O adapter
A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that enables host software or firmware to allocate virtual resources to one or more system images from a single physical I/O adapter, such as a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI-E adapter, is provided. Adapter resource groups are assigned to respective system images. An adapter resource group is exclusively available to the system image to which the adapter resource group assignment was made. Assignment of adapter resource groups may be made per a relative resource assignment or an absolute resource assignment. In another embodiment, adapter resource groups are assigned to system images on a first come, first served basis. |
| US08028097B2 |
System and method for synchronizing audio-visual devices on a power line communications (PLC) network
A method and apparatus for synchronizing streaming media devices within a PLC network. Output synchronization errors exceeding ˜30 ms become noticeable when multiple streaming media devices are outputting an audio stream. The present invention provides a system and method for isochronously sending periodic reference clocks from a master device to client devices coupled to the PLC network. The client devices set their clocks based on the reference clock. In addition the clients adjust their system clock time base in response to the average divergence of the system clock with the reference clock, or a count of the number of clocks between beacon frames. In this way the client clock is adjusted to closely track the server clock so that synchronization is maintained between each of the devices. Streaming audio shared between servers and client devices is thus output across the network with high fidelity due to the accurate synchronization. |
| US08028094B2 |
USB video card and dongle device with video encoding and methods for use therewith
A universal serial bus (USB) dongle device includes a USB interface for receiving a video signal in a first format and for sending a processed video signal in a second format wherein the first format differs from the second format. An encoding module generates the processed video signal based on the video signal. In a further embodiment, A video card includes a video receiver for receiving a video signal in a first format, based on a selection command. An encoding module generates a processed video signal in a second format based on the video signal, wherein the first format differs from the second format. A USB interface transfers the processed video signal to the host device, receives the selection command from the host device and receives a power signal from the host device to power the video receiver and the encoding module. |
| US08028093B2 |
Media processing system supporting adaptive digital media parameters based on end-user viewing capabilities
Systems and methods that adapt media content are described. In one embodiment, a system may include, for example, a first communications device and a second communications device. The first communications device may be disposed in a first location and may be operatively coupled to a network. The second communications device may be disposed in a second location and may be operatively coupled to the network. The second communications device may receive a device profile relating to the first communications device, adapt media content based upon the device profile of the first communications device, and send the adapted media content to the first communications device. |
| US08028090B2 |
Request routing utilizing client location information
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for request routing based on client location information are provided. A content delivery network service provider receives a DNS query from a client computing device. The DNS query corresponds to a resource identifier for requested content from the client computing device. The content delivery network service provider transmits an alternative resource identifier in response to the client computing device DNS query. The alternative resource identifier is selected as a function of client location information. The client location information is obtained from information corresponding to a mapping of at least partial IP addresses to known locations. The client computing device then issues a second DNS query to the same content delivery network service provider. The content delivery network service provider can then either resolve the second DNS query with an IP address of a cache component or transmit another alternative resource identifier that will resolve to the content delivery network service provider. The process can repeat with the content delivery network service provider's network until a DNS server resolves a DNS query from the client computing device. |
| US08028088B2 |
System and method for service assurance in IP networks
A system and method for providing service assurance in a data network is provided. Resource control points are positioned throughout a data network, such as an IP data network. The resource control points obtain network topology information and correlates that information with information associated with a particular service session. The resource control points utilize the correlated information to generate quality service records and to provide status information regarding the network topology and particular sessions. The information collected by the resource control points may also be utilized to provide reports regarding resource management for services within the data network, the path used by the session across the data network, fault information for the session in the context of the network topology and congestion information as concerns the resources in the data network used by the session. |
| US08028087B2 |
System and method for message processing and routing
A message routing system that allows applications at either end of the system to run as-is without modification. The system functions in a multithreaded environment and is capable of handling complex routing rules and message transformation. It is also capable of learning and executing new routing rules and message transformations in formats previously unrecognized by the system. The system enables precise and reliable logging of messages throughout processing and supports publication of enterprise-wide broadcast messages. The system further preferably employs cooperating inbound and outbound transport processes for consuming, routing, processing, safely storing and publishing messages in batches of logical units of work to ensure that the logical units of work are not lost in system transactions. The system also preferably utilizes a replay server for preserving and replaying messages that might otherwise fail to reach their intended destinations. |
| US08028083B2 |
Method and system for remote activation and management of personal security devices
The present invention provides a method for activating and/or managing at least one Personal Security Device PSD (2040) with at least a first Remote Computer System (2050) over a first network (2045) using at least one Client (2010) as a host to said at least one PSD (2040), said method comprising the steps of: a) establishing at least one communications pipe (2075) over said first network (2045) between said at least one PSD (2040) and said at least first Remote Computer System (2050), b) retrieving proprietary information (I) by said at least first Remote Computer System (2050) from a remote storage location (2165), c) transmitting said proprietary information (I) from said at least first Remote Computer System (2050) said at least one PSD (2040) through said at least one communications pipe (2075), and d) storing and/or processing said proprietary information (I) in said at least one PSD (2040). |
| US08028082B2 |
Location based multicast policies
Disclosed herein in an example embodiment is a multicast policy infrastructure that allows administrators to integrate location awareness for a particular multicast stream when it is being forwarded to an intended user. The infrastructure provides more flexibility by allowing multicast call admission control, access control, and other multicast policies to be based on the location or conditions where the host/user is receiving the multicast stream. A multicast policy can also provide additional mechanisms such as transcoding services, compression services, etc. based on the host/user location. As will be demonstrated in example embodiments herein, location awareness can include connectivity media (wired or wireless), physical location of user, and/or signal strength (and/or effective bandwidth). |
| US08028081B2 |
System and method for adaptive segment prefetching of streaming media
Systems and methods are provided for obtaining look-ahead segments for a streaming media item during playback such that the viewer can easily skip to the look-ahead segments without experiencing any substantial interruption or delay in playback. In general, a streaming media source begins streaming a media item to a streaming media client for playback. In one embodiment, the streaming media client selects one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to prefetch from the streaming media source. Then, while the media item is being streamed to the streaming media client for playback, the streaming media client prefetches the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item from the streaming media source. The look-ahead segments are thereafter utilized to enable the viewer to skip ahead in playback without experiencing a substantial interruption or delay in playback. |
| US08028078B2 |
Communications system including protocol interface device providing enhanced operating protocol selection features and related methods
A communications system may include data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols. Further, at least one of the data storage devices may operate using multiple operating protocols. The system may also include mobile wireless communications devices for accessing the at least one data storage device, and each may use at least one of the plurality of operating protocols. Moreover, the system may further include a protocol interface device. The protocol interface device may include a front-end proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols. The protocol interface may also include a protocol engine module for communicating with the data storage devices using respective operating protocols. The protocol engine module may also select a desired operating protocol for communicating with the at least one data storage device from the multiple operating protocols. |
| US08028074B2 |
Obtaining information associated with established sessions
A user agent (UA) is provided. The UA comprises a processor configured to send a message specifying a subset of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Dialog-Info Event package that is to be returned to the UA. A method for a user agent (UA) to manage notifications related to session events is also provided. The method includes sending a message specifying a subset of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Dialog-Info Event package state information that is to be returned to the UA. The method also provides for receiving the subset of the SIP Dialog-Info Event package state information. |
| US08028073B2 |
Mobile meeting and collaboration
A method for coordinating the remote participation of a client device in a meeting within a network comprising the client device and one or more nodes, the meeting involving a multimedia presentation. According to one embodiment, the method includes receiving an invitation for the client device to participate in the meeting, where a user will participate in the meeting using the client device. Temporal information for the meeting is stored. Furthermore, it is determined whether or not to notify the user of the meeting based on the stored temporal information or other information. In the event that the user should be notified, it is determined when to notify the user of the meeting based on the stored temporal information. One or more messages about the meeting are sent for the meeting. In one embodiment, the one or more messages about the meeting includes a reminder to join the meeting. In another embodiment, the one or more messages about the meeting includes an instruction which causes the client device to connect to the meeting without user action. |
| US08028069B2 |
Structure for securing leased resources on a computer
A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design is for securing of leased resources on a computer. The design structure includes a computer for securing resources may comprise at least one processor, a plurality of resources, wherein each resource is associated with configuration data and a programmable logic device connected to each of the plurality of resources. The programmable logic device may be configured for determining whether a resource is leased, reading un-encoded configuration data from a resource, and sending the configuration data to a first unit, if the resource is not leased. The programmable logic device may further be configured for reading encoded configuration data from a resource, decoding the configuration data, sending the configuration data that was decoded to a first unit, and logging use of the resource by the first unit, if the resource is leased. |
| US08028067B2 |
Methods of operating a portable communications device with enhanced security
Methods of operating a portable communications device so as to provide communications security and user identification and authentication. In one embodiment, the method comprises placing the device in communication with an untrusted network, and using its security apparatus for creating associations with one or more security devices on the network. Traffic between the associated devices may be encrypted and protected for e.g., data confidentiality and integrity protection. In one variant, the security apparatus comprises a software entity disposed at least partly within the software stack of a host, and a removable security card. The portable device may be untrusted (e.g., have an untrusted operating system) and also be physically unsecure. |
| US08028062B1 |
Non-disruptive data mobility using virtual storage area networks with split-path virtualization
A system creates a storage area network (SAN) centric storage virtualization layer in front of storage devices. The system allows data mobility and migration without disruption to the one or more host servers attached to the SAN. Specifically, the host servers are not disrupted when switching I/Os between physical and virtual storage, for example, by taking advantage of WWPN spoofing and Fibre Channel VSAN technology. The use of VSANs effectively allow multiple virtual directors and/or switches to be created within a physical director and/or switches, each with their own separate name server, thereby providing complete isolation from one another. The host-storage pathing information is unchanged as the original physical storage port's WWPNs are spoofed by the virtual storage port. The result is two identical WWPNs within the SAN which is normally disallowed; however, by separating the physical port WWPN into one VSAN and the virtual port WWPN into another, the restriction may be circumvented. |
| US08028057B2 |
Computer-implemented method for facilitating ancillary use of a wireless service device for excess transmission bandwidth
A computer-implemented method for facilitating ancillary use of a wireless service device is provided. A multiplicity of wireless service devices interoperable on a service network are discovered. A primary function performable by a subscriber and an ancillary function performable by a non-subscriber through use of each device through arrangement with the service network and based on availability of capacity for excess transmission bandwidth are determined. The devices that includes an available capacity to perform the ancillary function over the service network are identified. The ancillary function is performed using independent processing at least one of the devices. The ancillary function is also performed using distributed processing in conjunction with at least one other of the devices through the combination, modification and integration of data from the two or more such devices. The subscribers are compensated with payment in exchange for the performance of the ancillary function on their respective device. |
| US08028054B1 |
System and method for coordinated bringup of a storage appliance in a cluster configuration
A system and method for coordinated bringup of a storage appliance in a storage appliance cluster. The repaired storage appliance, during its initialization, sets a variety of state values in a predetermined memory location comprising a state data structure, which is detected by a remote direct memory access read operation by the surviving storage appliance. By the use of the RDMA operations, the repaired storage appliance and surviving storage appliance coordinate the bringup and giveback of data servicing functionality. |
| US08028047B2 |
Communication device and method for determining function unit of communication device to be compatible with a computer
A communication device is capable of communicating with a computer, and includes a function unit, a storage unit, a determining module, and a sending module. The storage unit stores a driver of the function unit therein, and the driver is capable of making the function unit compatible with the computer after installed to the computer. The determining module is capable of determining the function unit to be compatible with the computer. The sending module is capable of sending the driver to the computer when the function unit is determined by the determining module. |
| US08028037B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing bookmark information for content stored in a networked media server
A method and apparatus for managing bookmark information of a media server through a network based on the UPnP AV standard is disclosed. If a request for bookmarking a content item is made, a bookmark item is created and the created bookmark item is linked to the content item by adding the ID of the created bookmark item to the property information of the content item and recording the ID of the content item to be bookmarked in the created bookmark item. |
| US08028035B2 |
Shared resource support for internet protocols
Creating a unique identification for each stack in partitions of a host data computer such that a plurality of partitions may share a single adapter card during an Input/Output operation wherein the adapter card is exchanging data between the host and a Local Area Network. The adapter card includes a unique identifier pool for maintaining values of unique identifiers which are available for identifying the stacks. A deleted unique identifier for a stack may be reused by newly created stacks and may be reassigned to a recreated stack, if still available, when the stack had previously been deleted by the operating system, but is then recreated. |
| US08028033B2 |
E-mail synchronization between heterogeneous mail servers
A method or system for synchronizing e-mail messages for a user, particularly for POP3 protocols. E-mail messages addressed to the user are received at an e-mail control at a local server, from an external e-mail server. The e-mail control stores each e-mail message in a consolidated e-mail storage at the local server. The e-mail control stores a message identifier for each e-mail message, in a message identifier storage at the local server. It is determined whether an e-mail message in the consolidated e-mail storage has been deleted from the external e-mail server, and if so, then the e-mail message is deleted from the consolidated e-mail storage.The invention provides for forward and/or reverse synchronization of e-mail messages. Optionally, the step of determining includes comparing message identifiers in the message identifier storage to message identifiers in e-mail received from the external e-mail server. Alternatively, the step of determining includes comparing the message identifiers of e-mail on the external e-mail server to the message identifiers in the message identifier storage, or, comparing the message identifiers in the message identifier storage to the message identifiers of e-mail in the consolidated e-mail storage. |
| US08028032B2 |
Email messages
The described implementations relate to email messages. One technique detects a link to a web-site in an email message. The technique causes content from the web-site to be visualized on a common display area with the email message for a recipient of the email message. |
| US08028031B2 |
Determining email filtering type based on sender classification
Determining email filtering type based on sender classification. Incoming email is accessed and a sender of the incoming email is identified. The reputation of the sender of the incoming email is determined. An email sender classification is made based on the reputation of the sender. A determination of the type of filtering operations to be performed by an email filter on the email is made based on the classification. The parameters of the type of filtering operations to be performed are determined. The parameters of the type of filtering operations to be performed are provided to the email filter. |
| US08028010B2 |
Adjusting log size in a static logical volume
A method, system, and program for adjusting the size of a file system and an inline file system log housed in a static logical volume. A computer system includes a logical volume allocated between an file system and its inline file system log. A request is received to adjust the inline log from a current size to a new size while maintaining the size of the logical volume. Storage space is then allocated from within the logical volume to the inline log according to the storage requirement for the new size. Allocating storage space may require decreasing or increasing the amount of storage formerly allocated to the inline log. Then, the inline log is reformatted to the allocated storage space, such that the storage allocated to the inline log for a file system is adjusted while the size of the logical volume housing the inline log and file system remains static. |
| US08028009B1 |
Incremental garbage collection of data in a secondary storage
A method and apparatus for different embodiments of incremental garbage collection of data in a secondary storage. In one embodiment, a method comprises locating blocks of data in a log that are referenced and within a range at a tail of the log. The method also includes copying the blocks of data that are referenced and within the range to an unallocated segment of the log. |
| US08028008B2 |
System and method for optimizing write barrier in garbage collection
A system and associated method for optimizing a write barrier in garbage collection. The method marks a bit in a bitmap corresponding to a slot when the slot content is modified to refer to a new object. The method also logs the address of the slot when the object referred by the slot is updated. The method pops the address of the slot to clean from the log and clears the bit corresponding to the slot in the bitmap and when the object referred to by the slot is not already marked, marking said object and pushing its address to the mark stack. When the slot is located within an active object range, the method puts the address of the slot in a deferred log for a later processing. |
| US08028005B2 |
System and method for enabling access to a data source through a graphical interface
A system for interfacing with a data source through a graphical interface. The system comprises a data view definitions to enable data display and manipulation for the data source. A user environment index represents descriptive information about a user who is accessing a data view. An access origin index represents a location within the graphical interface from where a request was made to open a data view. A data set index represents a data set requested for a data view. An indexing engine is configured to generate an appropriate data view based on a relationship between the requested data set from the data set index, and an access location within the graphical interface from where the data view was requested as selected through the access origin index, and the descriptive information about a user as selected through the user environment index. |
| US08028002B2 |
Naming service implementation in a clustered environment
A method and system for providing naming operations. Contexts are created and organized hierarchically under an initial context. The hierarchy is retained in a non-persistent storage medium. The objects and contexts created as a result of various naming operations are removed from the naming system responsive to a reboot of a server. In one embodiment, the entire naming hierarchy is represented in nested hash tables with a nesting level of only two. |
| US08027992B2 |
Build automation and verification for modular servers
A system and method for managing and verifying the installation of software on a modular information handling system includes a bar file database and an installation management module. The bar file database stores bar files. The bar files each are related to a component of a modular information handling system. The installation management module is able to receive a bar file and communicate with the bar file database to identify and access each bar file associated with the modular information handling system. |
| US08027988B1 |
Category suggestions relating to a search
A system determines categories for business listings identified in a list of search results and assigns scores to the categories. The system presents one or more high scoring ones of the categories as one or more category suggestions relating to the list of search results. |
| US08027987B2 |
Electronic device having a handwriting input function, and non-transitory medium storing a control program therefor
In a state where the entry word “account” retrieved from a dictionary and its explanatory information have been displayed, when the entry memo “Test point to notice” is input in handwritten characters at a handwriting input unit, the entry memo is caused to correspond to the retrieved entry word “account” and then registered. When the desired entry memo “Test point to notice” is selected from a list of the registered entry memos, the entry word “account” caused to correspond to the entry memo and its explanatory information are displayed immediately. Accordingly, as with a paper dictionary, an entry memo in which handwritten characters have been written as needed is related to the desired entry word and its explanatory information. Using the entry memo data as if it were a sticky note enables the desired entry word to be displayed easily and quickly. |
| US08027986B2 |
Indication-dependent control elements
A method is disclosed for controlling the display of activation elements for tools for editing medical data on a user interface in a computer-based, medico-technical system. In at least one embodiment, the activation elements are displayed in an activation element area, divided into various segments, of the user interface on the basis of the medical context. The doctor is thus able to select the tools clearly on a task- or indication-specific basis without an image data area of the user interface being concealed by the activation elements. |
| US08027979B2 |
Document summarization
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with automatically summarizing a document are described. One method embodiment includes computing term scores for members of a set of terms in a document to be summarized and computing sentence scores for sentences in a set of sentences in the document. The method embodiment also includes computing a set of entries for a term-sentence matrix that relates terms to sentences. The method embodiment also includes computing a dominant topic for the document and simultaneously ranking the set of terms and the set of sentences based on the dominant topic. The method embodiment provides a summarization item(s) selected from the set of terms and/or the set of sentences. |
| US08027973B2 |
Searching questions based on topic and focus
A method and system for determining the relevance of questions to a queried question based on topics and focuses of the questions is provided. A question search system provides a collection of questions with topics and focuses. Upon receiving a queried question, the question search system identifies a queried topic and queried focus of the queried question. The question search system generates a score indicating the relevance of a question of the collection to the queried question based on a language model of the topic of the question and a language model of the focus of the question. |
| US08027970B1 |
Query translation for searching complex structures of objects
Searching stored content is disclosed. A first mapping is created from an object to one or more stored relational database tables. A second mapping is created from the object to an indexer schema. One or both of the following is done: 1) using the first mapping to translate a search request expressed in an abstract query language to a first query language associated with the relational database; and 2) using the second mapping to translate the search request to a second query language associated with the indexer schema. |
| US08027968B2 |
Data storage method and related device for an electronic device
In order to prevent memory cells from being damaged, the present invention provides a data storage method for an electronic device including dividing a first section of a memory of the electronic device into N blocks, wherein the N blocks is a sequence of blocks from the first block to the Nth block and each block is assigned an index value, rewriting the index value corresponding to the nth block according to index values of the N blocks, and storing an input data in the nth block, wherein N is an integer greater than 1, and 1≦n≦N. |
| US08027964B2 |
Personalized query completion suggestion
Search query processing includes receiving a search query input string from a user of a mobile device and comparing the search query input to a personalized dictionary of the mobile device, determining a suggested completion for each match in the comparison, and providing the suggested completion to the user for selection. The user can select the suggested modification, if desired, and the completed query can be submitted to a search facility. Personalized dictionaries can be generated from analysis of previously submitted search queries. The analyzed search queries may have been submitted by the user, as well as by other users with similar interests. The analysis of search queries may categorize users into clusters or groups of persons having similar interests. |
| US08027962B2 |
Techniques for asynchronous command interface for scalable and active data warehousing
Techniques for asynchronous command processing within a parallel processing environment are provided. A command is raised or received within a parallel processing data warehousing environment. A job or a component of the job is dynamically monitored, controlled, or modified in response to the real-time processing of the command. The job is actively processing within the parallel processing data warehousing environment when the command is received and processed against the job or the component of the job. |
| US08027961B2 |
System and method for composite record keys ordered in a flat key space for a distributed database
An improved system and method for composite record keys ordered in a flat key space for a distributed database is provided. A data schema may be created that defines a composite record key for data records in a canonical form. Composite record keys may then be constructed in canonical form defined by the data schema for each data record in data tables of a distributed database. An ordered index of composite record keys may then be built by inserting the composite record keys in canonical form into the index in sorted order. The index of composite record keys ordered in a flat key space for a distributed database may then be used for efficiently comparing or sorting distributed data records in the distributed database. The composite record keys ordered in a flat key space may be compared or sorted without referencing the data schema of the composite record keys. |
| US08027959B2 |
Information processor arrangement
Irregular links and relationships in a data set may relate to fraudulent actions or identify deception or risk assessment or knowledge generation but may be identified by simple superficially unlinked actions. Thus, for example a claimant may claim through an address using one telephone number but contact the insurer for that claim using a different telephone number. By pooling all the information received, including all telephone numbers, unusual or irregular or fraudulent leads can be identified by establishing telephone numbers or other gateway cluster nodes for each dataset such that supposedly unrelated claims can be matched and therefore be more closely scrutinized. The information processor arrangement may create a cascade of clusters for an as presented data set which can be configured through cluster nodes to allow better identification of suspect activity or for better analysis profiling. |
| US08027952B2 |
System and article of manufacture for mirroring data at storage locations
Provided is a system and article of manufacture for mirroring data. A mirror policy indicating volumes in a first storage system is processed to mirror to volumes in a second storage system and volumes in the second storage system to mirror to volumes in a third storage system. The third storage system is at a first geographical location remote with respect to a second geographical location including the first and second storage systems. A command is transmitted to cause the copying of updates to the volumes in the first storage system to corresponding volumes in the second storage system indicated in the mirror policy. Upon an occurrence of an event, the causing the suspension of the copying of updates to the volumes in the first storage system indicated in the mirroring policy to the volumes in the second storage system. During the suspension of the copying of volumes between the first and second storage systems, causing the copying of updates to the volumes in the second storage system indicated in the mirroring policy to the volumes in the third storage system indicated in the mirroring policy. |
| US08027951B2 |
Predictive algorithm for load balancing data transfers across components
A system, backup components and computer program product are provided to improve the efficiency of the transmission of consistency groups across multiple storage components by ensuring that volume transactions are evenly allocated among backup components. Each volume is initially assigned to a specified backup component. Once a color period begins, volume transactions are transmitted to the assigned backup component. Each backup component accumulates data transfer information for its assigned volumes throughout at least a portion of the color period and calculates a new volume assignment for the next color period. Before the start of the next color period, a captain storage controller transmits any new assignments to the backup components. During a next color period, the process is repeated using the new assignments. |
| US08027950B1 |
Electronic file creation and management systems and methods
A method of file management in an electronic processing system includes defining in the electronic system an electronic file of a selected file type and at least one electronic sub-folder within the electronic file for storing information of a corresponding information type. Roles are defined in the electronic processing system for participants creating and utilizing the electronic file, including a role for an information collector. The information collector is electronically tasked to collect information of the information type, which is uploaded and selectively stored in the sub-folder in the electronic file. Selected participants are allowed to access the electronic file as defined by the corresponding role. |
| US08027943B2 |
Systems and methods for observing responses to invitations by users in a web-based social network
A system and method for selecting a subset of keywords from a set of master keywords found in user profiles in a social network is disclosed. The method includes selecting a first and second group of user profiles including one or more keywords and computing the number of occurrences of each of the master keywords in the first and second group of profiles. A value may be computed for each of the master keywords based on a comparison of the number of occurrences in the first group of profiles and the number of occurrences in the second group of profiles. The computed value may be used for selecting the subset of keywords from the master keywords and/or ranking the master keywords. |
| US08027940B2 |
Classification of images as advertisement images or non-advertisement images
An advertisement image classification system trains a binary classifier to classify images as advertisement images or non-advertisement images and then uses the binary classifier to classify images of web pages as advertisement images or non-advertisement images. During a training phase, the classification system generates training data of feature vectors representing the images and labels indicating whether an image is an advertisement image or a non-advertisement image. The classification system trains a binary classifier to classify images using training data. During a classification phase, the classification system inputs a web page with an image and generates a feature vector for the image. The classification system then applies the trained binary classifier to the feature vector to generate a score indicating whether the image is an advertisement image or a non-advertisement image. |
| US08027938B1 |
Discriminative training in machine learning
Systems, methods, and apparatuses including computer program products for machine learning are provided. A method is provided that includes distributing a parameterized model to each worker of a hierarchy of workers, the parameterized model including a plurality of feature functions and corresponding model parameters, processing a portion of training data at each worker of the plurality of workers according to the parameterized model to calculate updates to model parameters, for each worker at a lowest level of the hierarchy of workers, sending the calculated updates to a next higher level worker, for each other worker in the hierarchy of workers, combining updates of the respective worker with updates received from one or more lower level workers, collecting all updates from the workers at a master to generate real updates to the model parameters, and generating an updated model using the real updates to the model parameters. |
| US08027932B2 |
Systems and methods for modification of service status of geographical delivery areas for common carriers
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for modifying the status for one or more carrier services based on one or more geographical delivery areas. Such embodiments provide an interface module executed by a processor to modify data indicating the status for the one or more carrier services in response to obtaining data indicating the one or more carrier services to be modified, a beginning date for which the status of the one or more carrier services is to be modified, an ending date for which the status will return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified, one or more geographical delivery areas in which the status is to be modified, and a modification for the one or more carrier services. |
| US08027931B2 |
Automated friend finder
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatically connecting individuals. A private profile of an individual may be automatically generated. The private profile of the individual may be automatically compared with private profiles of a set of individuals such that one or more of the set of individuals are identified as matches for the individual, wherein the private profile of the individual includes private data and each of the private profiles of the set of individuals includes private data. The private profile of the individual is not publicly available to other individuals that have access to a public profile of the individual. The individual may be automatically notified that the individual has been matched with the one or more individuals, thereby enabling the individual to initiate communication with the one or more individuals. The similarities between the private profile of the individual and the private profiles of the one or more individuals are not revealed to the individual or the one or more individuals. |
| US08027928B1 |
Dynamic selection of deposit clearing methods based on business rules
In general, this disclosure describes techniques of dynamically selecting deposit clearing methods based on business rules. As described in this disclosure, a financial institution receives checks drawn on other financial institutions as customer deposits. When the financial institution receives a check, the financial institution automatically applies one or more customizable business rules to identify a method to clear the check. The financial institution then uses the identified method to clear the check. |
| US08027924B2 |
Playback apparatus, playback authorization server, program, and system integrated circuit
A playback apparatus judges whether a region code assigned to a BD-ROM matches a region code assigned to the playback apparatus. When the judgment result is in the affirmative, the playback apparatus plays back the content recorded on the optical disc. When the judgment result is in the negative, the playback apparatus does not play back the content, except when an exceptional playback is authorized. The exceptional playback is authorized when a combination of the content identifier of the content to be played back and the apparatus region code satisfies a predetermined condition defined by an owner of the rights of the content. |
| US08027920B1 |
Value transaction systems
A transaction system comprises a plurality of transaction units each for performing a respective type of transaction. The units are interconnected via a serial link, and there is a common controller which has respective protected memory areas storing Java code for controlling the respective units. |
| US08027918B2 |
Micro-payment system architecture
A micro-payment system has buyers, sellers, and a broker. The buyers establish accounts with the broker and provide payment information allowing the broker to invoice the buyers. The sellers establish accounts with the brokers and specify terms for accessing items, including electronic content, available from the sellers. The sellers also provide payment information that allows the broker to credit the sellers for sales of the items. The broker aggregates the buyers' micro-payment purchases and invoices the buyers. The broker also aggregates the sellers' micro-payment sales and credits the sellers. |
| US08027917B2 |
Method for facilitating financial and non financial transactions between customers, retailers and suppliers
A new medium of tender employs both a primary barcode and a merchant specific extension barcode that are both associated with specific consumers. The system operates within preexisting merchant platforms and links merchant systems, POS systems, inventory systems, SKU systems, barcode readers and a server switch. The system allows the ready linking and access of consumer transaction related information including purchase history, credit information, merchandise details and similar information. It further allows for the ready remittance of payment via the ACH network through the eCache computer network or other funding networks based on criteria established by the merchant itself. It further facilitates the administration of consumer rewards or loyalty programs and also facilitates consignment arrangements between suppliers and merchants. |
| US08027913B1 |
Process and device for conducting electronic transactions
A process and a device for conducting electronic transactions provides a more effective and efficient way to make a payment over the Internet. This process and device could be used to pay, for example, a Police Administration Ticket or Police Administration Citation via the Internet. |
| US08027912B1 |
System and method for merchant risk management
Systems and methods for quantifying and managing financial risks related to a processing agent or transaction acquiror's relationship to a merchant are described. Factor analysis may be utilized to determine one or more principal components from data associated with merchant credit transactions, and such principal components may be utilized in the calculation of cumulative distribution functions and the generation of probability values, which may be averaged and compared with predetermined thresholds to provide a quantitative basis for determining whether a risk management event related to one or more particular merchants should be triggered. Net estimated forward-looking liabilities for particular merchants and groups of merchants may be quantitatively assessed and acted upon. |
| US08027910B2 |
System and method for displaying highest and lowest traded prices of tradable objects
A client terminal displays on a graphical interface a first indicator of a price associated with a lowest traded price of a tradable object during a predetermined period of time, a second indicator of a price associated with a highest traded price of the tradable object during the predetermined period of time, along with at least one quantity indicator associated with at least one order to buy/order the tradable object. The first indicator, the second indicator, and the at least one quantity indicator are displayed in relation to a static axis of price, and the client terminal dynamically updates the first and second indicator to new lowest and highest traded prices based on market updates received from an exchange. |
| US08027908B2 |
System and method for chart based order entry
Systems and methods for chart-based order entry are described. According to one example method a chart is used to display historical market data corresponding to a tradeable object. An order entry interface is displayed in relation to the chart. The order entry interface includes a plurality of price objects for selecting price levels to be used for trade orders to buy or sell the tradeable object. According to one example method, the price levels corresponding to the price objects depend on a location of the interface in relation to the chart, and as the interface is moved in relation to the chart, the price levels are automatically updated. Upon selection of the price level on the interface, a trade order to buy or sell is submitted to a matching engine at an electronic exchange. |
| US08027906B2 |
Portrayal of human information visualization
An apparatus and method for displaying viewer reactions to a display object. The display object is divided into a plurality of spatial regions, viewer reactions are collected to an exposure to the display object and correlated with the spatial regions, and the display object is displayed with an aspect of the display of each spatial region being a function of the viewer reactions for the region. |
| US08027902B2 |
System and method for managing relationships between brokers and traders using a messaging format
According to one embodiment, a method of managing messages in a trading network is provided. A set of user relationships between a first user and one or more second users authorized to act on behalf of the first user is stored. A trading message regarding a trading order submitted on behalf of the first user is received from a trading system. The trading message is communicated to the first user. Each of the second users is identifying from the set of user relationships. For each of the identified second users, a carrier message is generated that includes the trading message and routing information associated with that second user. For each of the identified second users, the respective carrier message is communicated toward a user application associated with that second user based at least on the routing information included in the respective carrier message. |
| US08027897B2 |
System and method for optimizing financial performance generated by marketing investments under budget constraints
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for optimizing financial performance. Time series data describing the financial performance generated by corresponding marketing investments is provided to configure an econometric model. Linear coefficients of the econometric model are adjusted in accordance with the qualitative factors received as inputs from experts. The econometric model is transformed into an aggregated non-linear econometric model that includes non-linear factors that cause the financial performance to change at a varying rate as a function of the marketing investments. An allocation of the marketing investments generated by the aggregated non-linear econometric model is adjusted by applying an optimization algorithm to provide an optimized financial performance. |
| US08027896B2 |
System and method for automated documentation for solicited trades
A system and method are provided that allow for automated documentation of all advice interactions between broker representatives on one end and clients, or prospective clients, on the other. This is accomplished by providing a computer system for storing appropriate data for each advice interaction with a client. The advice interaction data can be used to assess compliance with existing regulations, as well as for analytical and training purposes. |
| US08027893B1 |
News induced automated electronic securities transactions
News information is received. It is determined if the news information contains a reference to a company. It is further determined if the news information matches criteria associated with the company. Securities are automatically trade upon determining that said news information contains a reference to the company and determining that said news information matches criteria associated with the company. |
| US08027892B2 |
System and method for automating invoice processing with positive confirmation
An invoice processing system includes a requisition and catalog server (referred to as a Req/Cat Web, or RCW, server), a procurement services system (SAP), and a requester terminal (browser). ReqCat Web allows requesters to input requirements (requisitions) which ReqCat then passes to SAP, which creates purchase orders, sends them to vendors for fulfillment, receives the vendors invoices, and prepares the payments. Commodities may be designated as either receivable or non-receivable, and this designation is stored in ReqCat web and passed to SAP on inbound requisitions. Payments on invoices received for non-receivable items are approved via a positive confirmation process, and payments on invoices received for receivable items are approved via a negative confirmation process. Positive acceptance of an invoice by a requester of commodities triggers automatic generation of a goods received (move) ticket. |
| US08027891B2 |
Interactive online spending analysis tool
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to interactively displaying account activity. An analysis of financial transactions associated with a financial unit can be performed by a spending analysis tool, which can display the analysis via a website. The analysis can include, for example, a spending analysis and a budget analysis. The financial transactions are associated with merchants. At least one of the financial transactions is associated with first merchant, a first merchant category, and a member of the financial unit. The spending analysis tool changes the merchant category associated with the at least one of the financial transactions to another merchant category based on a selection of a user. |
| US08027886B2 |
Program product for purchase order processing
A method of electronic purchase order processing includes receiving an electronic purchase order, applying at least one rule to the electronic purchase order to determine whether the electronic purchase order should be accepted or rejected, and providing the acceptance or rejection of the electronic purchase order. |
| US08027884B2 |
Contextual presentation on electronic catalog pages of information reflective of prior orders
An electronic catalog system, which may be implemented as a web site or another type of interactive system, presents context-sensitive information to customers reflective of their prior orders. In one embodiment, when a customer requests an item detail page for a particular item, the system may supplement the item detail page with information reflective of one or more related orders previously placed by the customer. This information may include, for example, an indication that the customer previously ordered this item or a related item, and may include information, such as status information, regarding such previously placed order(s). If the customer previously ordered a related item, the information provided on the item detail page may include an indication of whether the previously ordered item is compatible or interoperable with the item being viewed. |
| US08027881B2 |
Custom messaging gift card system
The present invention includes a gift card custom messaging system for creating gift card accounts on a database that includes custom messages created by the purchaser for display on receipts of purchase transactions made by the gift card recipient to convey custom messaging information that can include a greeting, celebratory phrase or a commercial message that can include company logos and electronically sounds and animations and also includes the monetary balance remaining on the gift card to allow the recipient to more easily track the balance. The present invention further includes a variety of gift card formats and receipt display methods that allow various methods of delivery to and use by the recipient. |
| US08027878B2 |
Method and apparatus to compensate demand partners in a pay-per-call performance based advertising system
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus to track demand partners in a pay-per call performance based advertising system. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus include assigning at least one telephonic reference to an advertiser, the reference is to be included in an advertisement on a media channel of a demand partner. The advertiser is assessed a charge based at least in part on telephonic connections to the advertiser via the telephonic reference. The demand partner tracked with a predefined tracking model based at least in part on activity related to the telephonic reference. |
| US08027874B2 |
System and method for delivering customized advertisements within interactive communication systems
The present invention is a system and method for delivering customized electronic advertisements in an interactive communication system. The customized advertisements are selected based on consumer profiles. and are then integrated with offerings maintained by different content providers. The preferred interactive communication system interconnects multiple consumer computers, multiple content provider computers and multiple Internet provider computers with an advertisement provider computer. Whenever a consumer directs one of the consumer computers to access an offering existing in one of the content provider computers, an advertising request is sent to the advertisement provider computer. Upon receiving the advertising request, the advertising provider computer generates a custom advertisement based on the consumer's profile. The custom advertisement is then combined with the offering from the content provider computer and displayed to the consumer. The advertisement provider computer also credits a consumer account, a content provider account and an internet provider account each time a consumer views a custom advertisement. Furthermore, the advertisement provider computer tracks consumer responses to the customized advertisements. |
| US08027873B2 |
Travel reward accrual
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary, determining an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment, and outputting, at a time substantially concurrent with the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary. |
| US08027869B2 |
Method and system for monitoring achievement and attainment and calculating compensation via time-based organization hierarchies
A method, system, and article of manufacture for defining and managing instances of time-based organization hierarchies, and for monitoring achievement and attainment, and calculating compensation for individuals and/or groups within instances of the time-based organization hierarchies are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a user may define and/or manage one or more instances of the time-based organization hierarchy via a user interface generated on a client. Moreover, and in response to a sales data input corresponding to a transaction, an achievement and attainment monitoring process may then be executed to accumulate transaction data in one or more achievement containers, and to compile achievement containers from a specified attainment period to calculate a user's attainment. In addition, an embodiment also provides for implementation of a compensation calculation process that may utilize the transaction data accumulated in the achievement containers to calculate an individual's compensation for a specified compensation period. |
| US08027867B2 |
System and method for decision of publishing literary work based on reviewer's satisfaction demographic factors
A system, method, and business model by which literary works are posted for review on publicly accessible networks such as the internet where reader input is used to identify the works likely to succeed in the marketplace, Authors/writers submit works for electronic review. Reader demographics (where possible) and reader evaluations of works are recorded and used to rank submitted works. Top ranked works receive additional reviews until a “market significant” level is reached. All authors are provided feedback and ranking statistics on their works. Top ranked authors are allowed to market their works using the branding of the business or publicly accessible network (e.g., internet site branding). Publishers, agents, and other media representatives are provided access to top ranked authors/writers, their works, work-specific statistics and overall market statistics. This invention may be characterized as a reader-based, electronic, editorial marketplace for literary works, providing services across the publishing industry and other media industries. |
| US08027857B2 |
Rough-cut manufacturing operations for use in planning
An electronic data structure, tangibly embodied in an electronic information carrier, models a manufacturing process, and a computer-implemented method that generates and that uses the data structure. The data structure includes a header structure comprising planned time duration information for a defined manufacturing operation of the manufacturing process. The data structure also includes a resource capacity requirement structure linked to the header structure. The resource capacity requirement structure includes, firstly, planned resource capacity requirement information for a defined resource used in the manufacturing operation, and secondly, planned time refinement information that defines, within the header time duration information, a further refined timeframe during which the defined resource is estimated to be consumed. |
| US08027853B1 |
Systems and methods for self-service vehicle risk adjustment
A user may be identified and authenticated to an institution system and may adjust the annual miles driven estimate for their vehicle. The annual miles driven estimate is used in the determination of the premium for the vehicle insurance for the vehicle. The premium for the vehicle insurance may be revised based on the adjustment by the user to the annual miles driven estimate. In an implementation, the user may reduce the annual miles driven estimate to zero to indicate that they are not driving the vehicle. The user may keep some elements of the vehicle insurance coverage and the vehicle insurance policy may remain active although the annual miles driven estimate is zero. |
| US08027851B1 |
Personalizing eligibility and benefits responses based on user profiles
An eligibility and benefits (EB) personalization engine, metadata storage and a portal Web page are set up on a server. EB personalization profiles are set up and stored in metadata storage that specify, according to useful descriptors, personalized information that identifies the EB data of insurance companies that is relevant to particular health care providers. An EB filtering rules database is created to store the filtering rules of multiple insurance companies, where the rules are categorized by the same descriptors used in the EB personalization profiles. After receiving a provider's specific request for an insurance company's EB data for a patient's treatment, the EB personalization engine receives the full collection of EB data from the insurance company, uses the provider's EB profile and the EB filtering rules to select the correct EB data for the provider, and sends the provider that selected data. |
| US08027848B2 |
Context managing mobile computing framework for enterprise application
A framework for handheld computing devices comprises a user interface controlling the display, selection and launching of program modules, controls patient context within the program modules, and provides for messaging and sharing of databases between and among program modules. Databases are shared between the program modules by the publishing of XML and metadata identifying the structure of the databases. |
| US08027847B1 |
System and method of refilling a prescription
A system and method of refilling a prescription which uses a pharmacy kiosk. One embodiment of the system includes a touch screen located at a pharmacy, an input device in the touch screen or card reader for recording identification information from a customer, a barcode reader located at the pharmacy for reading a barcode containing prescription information from a previous transaction, a card reader or cash acceptor or check reader located at the pharmacy for receiving payment from the customer, and a computer located at the pharmacy for displaying a prompt to enter the identification information and scan the barcode using the touch screen, for recording the prescription information using the barcode reader, for determining corresponding price information for a refill of the prescription, and for processing payment for the refill from the customer. |
| US08027845B2 |
Business enablement method and system
A business enablement method and system. The method includes identifying and retrieving business management data associated with the business. The business management data is mapped to a structure comprised by a business management model. The business management data is categorized into a standard informational structure. An intranet viewable interactive model of the business management data is generated. The business management data is mapped to key result areas of the business. The business management data is integrated with business computing systems. The business computing systems receive reports comprising the business management data mapped to the key result areas of business. The reports are reviewed to determine a status of the business management data. The business management data is improved and displayed. |
| US08027844B2 |
System and method for processing mail
A method and system for processing postage payments is described. In one configuration a digital pen is utilized to provide an indication of authorization for payment of postage, while the rest of the mail handling is done using existing technology independent of the digital pen infrastructure. |
| US08027843B2 |
On-demand supplemental diagnostic and service resource planning for mobile systems
Enhanced diagnostic service is provided by determining availability of and downloading a supplemental diagnostic function to isolate a failure according to a service signal from a mobile system; coalescing offers for a repair service according to results of the execution of the downloaded diagnostic function; presenting the offers to an operator of the mobile system; executing the diagnostic function by an on-demand computing system wherein transactions provided by the diagnostic function are automatically shared by simultaneously serving multiple customers; differentiating and recording each customer's usage of the diagnostic functions according to one or more parameters included in the transactions, the parameters uniquely identifying each customer and a type of transaction conducted for that customer; and, responsive to a number of simultaneous transactions to any one server exceeding a performance limit of a given server, automatically accessing one or more additional servers to increase capacity and to share workload. |
| US08027842B2 |
Service for providing speaker voice metrics
A method of providing voice metrics over an established telephone call between a user and a subscriber can include receiving voice information from the user over the call and determining biometric information from the voice information for the user. The method further can include encoding the biometric metric information and sending the biometric information to the subscriber over the call. |
| US08027837B2 |
Using non-speech sounds during text-to-speech synthesis
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products are described for producing text-to-speech synthesis with non-speech sounds. In general, some of the pauses or silences that would otherwise be generated in synthesized speech are instead synthesized as non-speech sounds such as breaths. Non-speech sounds can be identified from pre-recorded speech that can include meta-data such as the grammatical and phrasal structure of words and sounds that precede and succeed non-speech sounds. A non-speech sound can be selected for use in synthesized speech based on the words, punctuation, grammatical and phrasal structure of text from which the speech is being synthesized, or other characteristics. |
| US08027836B2 |
Phonetic decoding and concatentive speech synthesis
A speech processing system includes a multiplexer that receives speech data input as part of a conversation turn in a conversation session between two or more users where one user is a speaker and each of the other users is a listener in each conversation turn. A speech recognizing engine converts the speech data to an input string of acoustic data while a speech modifier forms an output string based on the input string by changing an item of acoustic data according to a rule. The system also includes a phoneme speech engine for converting the first output string of acoustic data including modified and unmodified data to speech data for output via the multiplexer to listeners during the conversation turn. |
| US08027835B2 |
Speech processing apparatus having a speech synthesis unit that performs speech synthesis while selectively changing recorded-speech-playback and text-to-speech and method
A speech processing apparatus which can playback a sentence using recorded-speech-playback or text-to-speech is provided. It is determined whether each of a plurality of words or phrases constituting a sentence is a word or phrase to be played back by recorded-speech-playback or a word or phrase to be played back by text-to-speech. When each of the plurality of words or phrases is to be played back in a first sequence using the determined synthesis method, it is selected whether to playback each of the plurality of words or phrases in the first sequence or a sequence different from the first sequence, based on the number of times of reversing playback using recorded-speech-playback and playback using text-to-speech. Each of the plurality of words or phrases is played back in the selected sequence using the selected synthesis method. |
| US08027834B2 |
Technique for training a phonetic decision tree with limited phonetic exceptional terms
The present invention discloses a method for training an exception-limited phonetic decision tree. An initial subset of data can be selected and used for creating an initial phonetic decision tree. Additional terms can then be incorporated into the subset. The enlarged subset can be used to evaluate the phonetic decision tree with the results being categorized as either correctly or incorrectly phonetized. An exception-limited phonetic tree can be generated from the set of correctly phonetized terms. If the termination conditions for the method have been determined to be unsatisfactorily met, then steps of the method can be repeated. |
| US08027833B2 |
System for suppressing passing tire hiss
A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a passing tire hiss noise detector and a passing tire hiss noise attenuator. The passing tire hiss noise detector detects a passing tire hiss noise by modeling the passing tire hiss. The passing tire hiss noise attenuator dampens the passing tire hiss noise to improve the intelligibility of a speech signal. |
| US08027832B2 |
Efficient language identification
A system and methods of language identification of natural language text are presented. The system includes stored expected character counts and variances for a list of characters found in a natural language. Expected character counts and variances are stored for multiple languages to be considered during language identification. At run-time, one or more languages are identified for a text sample based on comparing actual and expected character counts. The present methods can be combined with upstream analyzing of Unicode ranges for characters in the text sample to limit the number of languages considered. Further, n-gram methods can be used in downstream processing to select the most probable language from among the languages identified by the present system and methods. |
| US08027830B2 |
Method and device for a source language to be understood by a listener mastering a target language
The invention concerns a method for source language comprehension designed for a listener mastering a target language, which consists in causing the listener to listen to a statement, consisting of a series of several contents, in the source language and in displaying simultaneously with the listening of the statement a succession of notations marking the succession of contents in the source language, showing a notation marking a content only as from the time when it is being heard and showing, a series of inscriptions in the target language which corresponds to the full statement. The method is characterized in that it consists in showing the whole series of inscriptions before the beginning of the statement. |
| US08027824B2 |
Protein switches incorporating cytochrome C3 in monolayers and method for producing same
A biomolecular electronic switch includes a first electrical contact, a second electrical contact, a programmable monolayer of either cytochrome c or cytochrome c3 or bovine serum hormone sandwiched between the first and second electrical contacts and a substrate. These switches have high current-carrying capacities and are very fast. It appears that these protein materials can be either metals or semiconductors. Because of the high conductivity and tiny size, these globular proteins can be used to develop cost-effective, miniaturized FEDs, molecular diodes and rectifiers for nanocomputer chips. |
| US08027817B2 |
Simulation management within a grid infrastructure
A solution for managing a set of simulations within a grid infrastructure is provided. In particular, a solution is provided in which distinct simulations (e.g., virtual worlds, distributed simulations, and/or the like) and/or simulation instances (e.g., virtual world instances) can be concurrently managed in a single grid infrastructure. |
| US08027816B2 |
Frequency response optimisation of a movement simulator by adaptive sinusoidal reference tracking
The control device of a movement simulator, between its input formed of a control signal and its output formed of a measured magnitude among its speed, its position and its acceleration, by a transfer function B(z−1)/A(z−1) includes a corrector synthesized from the modelling of the movement simulator and equivalent to a RST controller. The controller includes a reference input, a retro-action input whereon is applied the measured magnitude and an output producing the control signal. The transfer function between the reference input of the controller and the measured magnitude is H(z−1)/W(z−1). The device has a reference filter whose input is a sinusoidal reference signal c(t) at a frequency wc and applying at output a filtered reference signal on the reference input of the controller. The reference filter has a transfer function Rr(z−1)/Fr(z−1), whose denominator and numerator are adapted to ensure, for the frequency wc, effective tracking by the movement simulator of the sinusoidal reference. |
| US08027810B2 |
Ad hoc sensor networks
A plurality of mobile sensor devices each periodically measure a property of their environment, and determine the rate of change in that property. Neighboring devices also co-operate to determine the values of the property being measured by each other. If the property is invariant both over time and over a number of neighboring devices, their periodicity of measurement-taking is reduced to conserve power for more significant measurement events. The devices may co-operate to relay their measurements to a data collection point. Each device determines the level of data traffic being carried by one or more neighboring devices, identifies the device that is carrying the least traffic, and puts itself under the control of that device. Any device that determines that it is carrying less such traffic than any of its neighbor assumes control of the data sensing rate for itself and those neighbor, and transmits control data to the said other devices to co-ordinate their data collection rates and stagger their data collection times. |
| US08027807B2 |
DSL diagnosis expert system and method
The present invention relates to diagnostic analysis of DSL circuits. In particular, it relates to methods and devices that use a rule base and automated test initiation, with excellent reduction in test technician involvement in trouble shooting, reduced truck rolls and more accurate identification of probably causes of customer complaints. |
| US08027806B2 |
Method and system for computer-assisted test construction performing specification matching during test item selection
A method and system for constructing a test using a computer system that performs specification matching during the test creation process is disclosed. A test developer determines one or more test item databases from which to select test items. The test item databases are organized based on psychometric and/or content specifications. The developer can examine the textual passages, artwork or statistical information pertaining to a test item before selecting it by clicking on a designation of the test item in a database. The developer can then add the test item to a list of test items for the test. The test development system updates pre-designated psychometric and content specification information as the developer adds each test item to the test. The test developer can use the specification information to determine whether to add to, subtract from, or modify the list of test items selected for the test. |
| US08027803B2 |
Traveling direction measuring apparatus and traveling direction measuring method
The present invention relates to a traveling direction measuring apparatus usable as a pedestrian navigation system in locations where it is difficult to obtain high positioning accuracy such as inside buildings or around multistory buildings where a GPS cannot be used. An acceleration detecting section (1) detects 3-axes acceleration of the traveling direction measuring apparatus, which varies with the walking of the pedestrian. An acceleration data acquiring section (2) obtains 3-axes acceleration data repeatedly by the number of prescribed times or more, said 3-axes acceleration data varies with the walking of the pedestrian. A first gravity acceleration calculating section (3) calculates, when the pedestrian is walking with holding the traveling direction measuring apparatus in a generally fixed attitude, gravity acceleration by averaging acceleration data sets during several steps obtained by the acceleration data acquiring section (2). A first moving direction estimating section (4) estimates the moving direction of the pedestrian from frequency components corresponding to the duration of one step of the acceleration data sets projected on a plane perpendicular to the gravity acceleration calculated by the first gravity acceleration calculating section (3). |
| US08027802B1 |
Method and apparatus for verifying two dimensional mark quality
A method and system for applying a two dimensional mark on a first surface of a component and assessing mark quality, the method comprising the steps of positioning a component with a first surface at a first station, applying a two dimensional mark to the first surface at the first station wherein the applied mark is intended to codify a first information subset, obtaining an image of the applied two dimensional mark at the first station, performing a mark quality assessment on the obtained image and performing a secondary function as a result of the mark quality assessment. |
| US08027797B2 |
Methods and apparatus for determining a switching history time constant in an integrated circuit device
Techniques for inline measurement of a switching history time constant in an integrated circuit device are provided. A series of pulses is launched into a first stage of a delay chain comprising a plurality of delay stages connected in series and having a length greater than a decay length of at least an initial one of the series of pulses, such that the at least initial one of the series of pulses does not appear at a second stage of the delay chain. An amount of time between the launching of the initial one of the series of pulses and the appearance of at least one of the series of pulses at the second stage of the delay chain is determined. The switching history time constant is calculated as a function of a number of stages traversed by the at least one pulse, the determined amount of time, and the decay length of the at least initial one of the series of pulses based at least in part on a switching history of the integrated circuit device. |
| US08027795B2 |
Load model generation for estimating a load value from a base load value in a system
A method and system for establishing a load model (120) that utilizes a measurement from a second monitor (140) to estimate a value taken by a first monitor (150). A base load value associated with a load (160) is collected. The load model (120) is applied to the base load value, yielding an estimated load value. The estimated load value is representative of at least one measured load value for the load (160). |
| US08027790B2 |
Interpretation and mapping of electromagnetic survey data
A structured computer-implemented method (1000) based on graphical user interfaces for interpretation and mapping of data from a controlled-source electromagnetic survey, featuring capability to store electromagnetic data in layers (1004), each layer having the same internal structure for ease of comparison, editing, display and other manipulation by an assortment of software tools (1005) useful to an interpreter. Thus, different layers might contain actual data (1001) from different surveys and simulated results (1002) based on different resistivity models or inversion results (1003), all pertaining to the same subterranean survey region. |
| US08027789B2 |
Wireless locating and monitoring system
A wireless tracking device located in a vehicle, the device including a positioning system to periodically determine a location of the device, a processor connected to the positioning system to receive a vehicle sensor input indicating the vehicle status, a scanner to scan for an available wireless area network access point, and a wireless radio connected to the processor to transmit data to the available wireless area network access point. |
| US08027786B2 |
Method and apparatus for editing electronic flight plans
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing a flight plan for an aircraft. A set of projected flight plan parameters are displayed associated with a waypoint presented on a display of an aircraft data processing system. User input is received to form a set of actual flight plan parameters. A set of variances between the set of projected flight plan parameters and the set of actual flight plan parameters is displayed on a map in association with the waypoint. |
| US08027785B2 |
Homing display system and method
A relative positioning system enabling a user to return to a starting position or some other point on the user's path. The system may include an array of accelerometers. The output from the accelerometers may be integrated to quantify movement of the array. The various movements of the array may be reconstructed to determine a net two or three dimensional translation. The current location of the array may be compared to a reference point to derive at trajectory directing the user to the reference point, such as an originating point. The trajectory may be continuously or periodically updated. Applications may include various displays presenting images, numbers, pointers, paths, vectors, or data by digital screens, watch faces, or other devices integrated with or remote from the processor calculating the vector back to the point of origin. |
| US08027779B2 |
Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine having lambda control
When the lambda controller is active (LAM ACT), in the cold operating state (STATE COLD) and in the presence of a predefined first condition, a present cold adaptation value (AD COLD AV) is determined and the present cold adaptation value (AD COLD AV) is assigned a valid cold adaptation value (AD COLD VLD). When the lambda controller is active (LAM ACT), in the warm operating state (STATE WARM) and in the presence of a predefined second condition, a present warm adaptation value (AD WARM AV) is determined and assigned a valid warm adaptation value (AD WARM VLD). In addition, the valid cold adaptation value (AD COLD VLD) is adapted in the presence of a predefined third condition as a function of a difference (AD WARM DELTA) between the valid warm adaptation value (AD WARM VLD) and the present warm adaptation value (AD WARM AV). |
| US08027778B2 |
Torque delivery
A system for controlling a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders with electronically actuated valves (EVA) is presented. The system is designed to improve the torque delivery of an EVA engine that operates a portion of cylinders in an HCCI combustion mode. |
| US08027772B2 |
Power transmission gearbox presenting a modifiable speed of rotation at its outlet, and a corresponding method of operation
A power transmission gearbox for rotorcraft for transmitting rotary movement from at least two engine members to a main shaft, wherein the gearbox presents at least two transmission systems for imparting rotary movement to the main shaft, each of the transmission systems including: an inlet shaft designed to be driven in rotation by an engine member; at least two reduction stages presenting different reduction ratios; a first gearwheel connected to the inlet shaft via a declutchable freewheel, the gearwheel meshing with a first toothed wheel secured to an intermediate shaft defining at least a first reduction stage; a second gearwheel connected to the inlet shaft via a simple freewheel, the second gearwheel meshing with a second toothed wheel secured to the intermediate shaft defining the second reduction stage; a main freewheel mounted on the intermediate shaft to rotate a complementary toothed wheel secured to the main shaft; and a clutch mechanism for the declutchable freewheel. |
| US08027770B2 |
System for selective treatment of plants in a row
A system for selective treatment of plants arranged in rows extending along a first direction includes a camera arranged along the first direction over a row of plants and a set of treatment units arranged at a first distance behind the camera along the first direction and over the row of plants. The camera is configured to move along the first direction while obtaining images of a target area that includes one or more plants that are to be treated. The set of treatment units is also configured to move along the first direction behind the camera while maintaining the first distance. The system generates a map of digitized unitary spots covering the target area based on the obtained images, and then sends the generated map to a computing unit, where a plant treatment application adds spot-specific plant treatment instructions to the generated map. The system synchronizes the set of treatment units to treat each of the unitary spots in the target area according to the spot-specific plant treatment instructions at the time when the set of treatment units is positioned over each of the unitary spots. The set of treatment units includes a plurality of individually controllable treatment units arranged consecutively along the first direction. Each individually controllable treatment unit consecutively applies a fraction of the entire spot-specific plant treatment instructions to each unitary spot in the target area until the entire spot-specific plant treatment instructions for each unitary spot are fulfilled. |
| US08027752B2 |
Network for changing resource consumption in an appliance
A network includes a smart coupler having a processor, a memory with software, and a power source to energize the processor and the memory, and an appliance configured to perform an operation on a physical article. The appliance is one that consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation. The network also includes a source of information about the resource. The smart coupler is in communication with the appliance and the source, and the processor and memory operate to request a change to the operation of the appliance in response to a resource parameter or a request communicated by the source. |
| US08027751B2 |
Fluid delivery system
A fluid delivery system for delivering a metered dose of fluid from a supply tank (28) to a downstream chamber or vessel (10), comprises a pump apparatus (20) comprising a pump plunger (32) which is operable to perform a pumping stroke under the control of an electromagnetic actuator (36), including a solenoid (36a), to effect delivery of the fluid and a control unit (24) for supplying an input signal (58) to the solenoid (36a) to initiate a current flow to the solenoid (36a) and thereby initiate movement of the pump plunger (32). An electronic device (54) provides an output signal to indicate that movement of the pump plunger has stopped at the end of the pumping stroke, and a timer determines a time difference between the input signal (58) being supplied to the solenoid (36a) and the output signal being output by the electronic device (54). A processor (26) compares the time difference with a predetermined time difference and determines, as a result of the comparison, whether or not the pump plunger (32) has performed a valid pumping stroke in which an intended volume of fluid is displaced. |
| US08027750B2 |
Robot control apparatus
A robot control apparatus (3) for controlling tasks to be executed by a plurality of robots which are capable of moving. The robot control apparatus (3) includes: a battery level determination device (330) which determines a battery level of each robot from a predetermined plurality of battery levels based on a remaining amount of charge in a battery of each robot; a task manager (340) which sets a task executive plan to be executed by each robot for the plurality of robots and rearranges the task executive plan for one or more tasks registered in the task executive plan in accordance with a process predetermined for each battery level; an executive instruction generator (350) which generates executive instructions requesting the robots to execute the tasks that are set in the task executive plans; and a transmitter which transmits the executive instructions to the robots. |
| US08027747B2 |
Method for register correction of a processing machine, and a processing machine
A method for the register correction of a processing machine for processing a continuous material, in particular a shaftless printing press, with which the continuous material is processed by at least two processing units with at least one compensator for adjusting the length of the continuous material in the continuous material section being provided upstream of each of the at least two processing units. In order to adjust the register of a first processing unit, the length of the continuous material of the continuous material section upstream of the first processing unit is adjusted by the compensator provided in this first continuous material section. To adjust the register of the first processing unit, the length of the continuous material of the continuous material section upstream of a second processing unit is also adjusted by the compensator provided in this second continuous material section. A related processing machine carries out the inventive method. |
| US08027737B2 |
Lead extension with input capabilities
A lead extension useful in deep brain stimulation treatment includes a body portion having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the proximal end receives a stimulation signal from a generator. A lead interface is disposed at the distal end to send the stimulation signal to a brain stimulation lead. The lead extension also includes a sensor interface disposed at the distal end to receive an input signal from a sensor that is detached from the stimulation lead and send the input signal to the generator. |
| US08027721B2 |
Balanced charge waveform for transcutaneous pacing
External pacemaker systems and methods deliver pacing waveforms that minimize hydrolysis of the electrode gel. Compensating pulses are interleaved with the pacing pulses, with a polarity and duration that balance the net charge at the electrode locations. The compensating pulses are preferably rectangular for continuous pacing, and decay individually for on-demand pacing. |
| US08027718B2 |
Regional anesthetic
A method and apparatus are disclosed for anesthetizing a region of a patient's body. The method includes identifying a target nerve which, upon activation, anesthetizes a region of a patient's body including a surgical site. The target nerve is located and an active site of a nerve blocking apparatus is placed in proximity to the nerve. The nerve blocking apparatus is activated to block neural propagation along the nerve. The activation of the nerve blocking apparatus is maintained during a surgical procedure at the surgical site. |
| US08027717B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring the sedation level of a sedated patient
A method and an apparatus for monitoring the sedation level of a sedated patient during anaesthesia, in particular during a pre-surgical phase. The method comprises the steps of providing a skin conductance signal measured at an area of the patient's skin, calculating a derivative signal of said conductance signal with respect to time, and establishing said sedation level based on said derivative signal. |
| US08027716B2 |
System and methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments
The present invention involves systems and related methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments, including the use of neurophysiology-based monitoring to: (a) determine nerve proximity and nerve direction to surgical instruments employed in accessing a surgical target site; (b) assess the pathology (health or status) of a nerve or nerve root before, during, or after a surgical procedure; and/or (c) assess pedicle integrity before, during or after pedicle screw placement, all in an automated, easy to use, and easy to interpret fashion so as to provide a surgeon-driven system. |
| US08027715B2 |
Non-linear correlation models for internal target movement
A method and apparatus to track non-linear internal target movement based on movement of an external marker. |
| US08027712B2 |
Elongated markers for soft tissue volume identification
The present invention is related to an interstitial marker for localizing an organ, tumor or tumor bed within a mammalian body wherein said marker has a proximal end, a distal end, and a continuous intervening length, at least a portion of the intervening length of said marker being visible under at least one imaging modality and having a flexibility such that said marker follows movements and changes of shape of said organ, tumor or tumor bed. |
| US08027709B2 |
Radiation probe and detecting tooth decay
A probe assembly for examining a sample, the assembly including a probe, a fiber optic cable for communicating signals to and/or from the probe, an emitter for emitting radiation to irradiate the sample and an electro-magnetic radiation detector for detecting radiation which is transmitted or reflected from the sample. The emitter includes a frequency conversion member which emits radiation in response to being irradiated with input radiation which has a different frequency to that of the emitted radiation. At least one of the emitter or detector is located in the probe. The probe is particularly for use as an endoscope or for imaging teeth. The invention also extends to a method of imaging teeth, and apparatus for imaging diseased teeth, for example, teeth with caries or suffering from periodontal disease. |
| US08027707B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing standby power consumption of a handheld communication system
A method for managing operation of a device is disclosed and may include performing the following using one or more processors and/or circuits in a handheld multistandard communication system, the one or more processors and/or circuits comprising a control device and one or more other devices: receiving from the control device, one or more power setting signals indicative of a desired power level setting. The handheld multistandard communication system may operate utilizing a NORMAL power level setting or a standby setting. The standby setting may include a LOW power level setting and a sleep mode setting. One or more corresponding power adjustment signals may be generated based on the received one or more power setting signals. Power supplied to the control device and/or the one or more other devices may be adjusted based on the generated one or more corresponding power adjustment signals. |
| US08027702B2 |
Combined omni- and directional- communications in high-frequency wireless networks
In a wireless communication network, specific portions of the communication may combine directional transmission with omnidirectional reception. In particular, sector-level directional transmission may be established through sector sweeps, followed by antenna training for more directionality. In some embodiments, collisions during the exchange may be reduced by having different network devices use different sub-channels or different time slots. In some embodiments, each network may restrict its network communications to a single sub-channel that is different than the sub-channels used by adjacent networks. |
| US08027701B2 |
Mobile phone for checking the presence of an integrated circuit card
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile phone including: a first timer configured to output a first time out signal representing that a first processing is to be executed by starting a system when a first given time period has elapsed; a starting unit configured to start the system; a second timer configured to determine whether time out is brought about when the system is started from a sleeping state without determining whether the time out is brought about when the system is sleeping and output a second time out signal representing that a second processing is to be executed when it is determined that a second given time period has elapsed from a time counting start time point when the system is activated; and a second processing unit configured to execute the second processing when the second time out signal is received. |
| US08027698B2 |
Communication method
For lack of a unique, specific and detailed specification for information on status of a mobile station to be notified by a mobile station to a fixed station, an operation may be varied from one mobile station to another in a communication system, thereby posing a problem for an efficient uplink scheduling. A communication method includes a transmission process multiplexing a transport channel for transmitting data from a high-order layer on a physical data channel and transmitting the multiplexed result to the fixed station, a status notification process notifying status information containing information on a transmission power headroom used for scheduling, and a transmission control process receiving the scheduling result and controlling the transmission process. The status information notification process includes notifying an index attached to each predetermined transmission power headroom level classified between upper and lower limit values of the transmission power headroom as the status information. |
| US08027696B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating channel resources in a wireless communication system
Disclosed is a method for dynamically allocating channel resources in a wireless communication system. A request for a channel resource by a new talkgroup call is received. Whether the new talkgroup call is associated to an associated communication based upon an operational relationship of the new talkgroup call to the associated communication is determined. The channel resource for the new talkgroup call based upon the operational relationship is allocated. |
| US08027695B2 |
Method and system for the prevention of unwanted wireless telecommunications
A method and system for filtering unwanted wireless telecommunications includes structure and steps/function for monitoring traffic associated with roaming subscribers, the traffic being carried via inter-network Internet Protocol links. Structure and steps/function are also provided for intercepting a send-routing-information message from an originating node within the traffic, and initiating a response to the originating node so as to direct the originating node to send a short message service (SMS) or Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) associated with the send-routing-information message to a SPAM-filter via an SMS or MMS delivery message. Structure and steps/function are further provided for receiving the SMS or MMS at the SPAM-filter, and determining, at the SPAM-filter, whether the SMS or MMS constitutes an unwanted message. Also, structure and steps/function are provided for invoking an action for managing the SMS based on results of the determining process. |
| US08027691B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing position profiles in mobile value-added services
A method and apparatus for providing position profiles in mobile value added services is disclosed. Users define, manage and use position profiles with mobile value-added services and utilize the personal position profile in context sensitive value-added services. The method includes defining at least one location profile associated with a user of a mobile terminal and storing the at least one location profile remote from the mobile terminal. A system for providing location profiles includes a mapping service provider, a node in a wireless network for providing location services to a user of a mobile terminal and an interface between the server and the mapping service provider, where the user defines at least one location profile and causes the at least one location profile to be stored at the node. |
| US08027687B2 |
Method of determining an access mode of cell in a wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and UE providing wireless communication services, and a method of determining the operation mode of a base station, that is, the connection mode (access mode) of a cell, based on which UE's connection is allowed by a base station in an evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) that has evolved from a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, and it may be an object of the present invention to provide a process of determining the connection mode of a cell by checking the existence of a subscriber group identity if it is determined that the connection mode of a cell is not allowed for one or more UEs belonging to a particular subscriber group. |
| US08027683B2 |
Handover between radio networks
A communication system comprises a first radio network supporting a first air interface standard and a second radio network supporting a second air interface standard. The second radio network comprises a network interface 401 which receives a handover request message from the first radio network to hand over a remote station 101 to the second network. A handover preference processor 405 receives a handover preference message including a preference indication for a radio network for the remote station. A load processor 409 determines a load indication for the second radio network and a load threshold processor 407 determines a handover load threshold for the remote station in response to the preference indication. A handover evaluation processor 403 determines whether to accept the handover in response to a comparison of the load indication and the handover load threshold. |
| US08027677B2 |
Automatic network selection methods and apparatus using a steered PLMN
Methods and apparatus for automatically selecting a wireless communication network by user equipment using a “steered” PLMN are disclosed. A home network identification, a list of prioritized roaming network identifications, and a steered network identification are stored in memory (e.g. a SIM or USIM) of the user equipment. In an automatic network selection procedure, a scanning operation is performed to receive one or more network identifications corresponding to one or more available wireless communication networks in a coverage area. The user equipment attempts to select a wireless communication network in the coverage area by comparing the received network identifications from the scanning operation with the steered network identification. If a match between a received network identification and the steered network identification is identified, a wireless communication network corresponding to the received network identification that matches the steered network identification is selected and registered with by the user equipment. This procedure is performed in lieu of use of the list of prioritized roaming network identifications of the user equipment. By setting the steered network identification via an over-the-air programming procedure when necessary (e.g. on a per region basis), a home network operator may “steer” user equipment to any desired network immediately and efficiently. |
| US08027676B2 |
Radio network controller and radio communications method
A radio network controller can set up a connection with a mobile station located in a specific cell under control of the radio network controller. The radio network controller includes a connection setup request transmitter configured to transmit a connection setup request for request to set up the connection to the mobile station located in the specific cell; and a judger configured to judge whether or not to need to acquire information of the mobile station located in the specific cell. The connection setup request transmitter is configured to transmit the connection setup request to the mobile station located in the specific cell, when the judger judges to need to acquire the information of the mobile station. |
| US08027675B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling registration of mobile identification number of mobile communication terminals
An apparatus and method for controlling registration of a mobile identification number (MIN) of a mobile communication terminal. A memory stores a table in which MIN groups uniquely assigned to common carriers are stored, and a MIN of a mobile communication terminal. An input device inputs a MIN to be stored in the memory. If the MIN stored in the memory is a default MIN, a controller replaces the MIN stored in the memory with the MIN input from the input device. If the MIN stored in the memory is not the default MIN and the input MIN belongs to a MIN group assigned to a common carrier corresponding to the stored MIN, the controller replaces the stored MIN with the input MIN. |
| US08027674B2 |
Method and system for improved beacon acquisition performance with time slot and antenna sector reuse
A wireless multi-cell communication system, such as a time division duplex (TDD) system, includes at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a plurality of base stations which broadcast beacon signals into a plurality of sectors of a cell of the system. Beacon channel acquisition performance is enhanced by reducing beacon channel mutual interference. Each of the base stations broadcasts a beacon signal into at least one of the cell sectors in a first time slot and to at least another one of the cell sectors in a second time slot different from the first time slot. The WTRU determines, at a particular position, which one of the beacon signals has the best signal quality, acquires the one beacon signal and establishes communications via the base station that generated the one beacon signal having the best signal quality. |
| US08027672B2 |
System and method for dynamically configuring wireless network geographic coverage or service levels
A system and a method for facilitating communication between a remote station and a service network are disclosed. A remote station is associated with a first communicator configured to communicate over a first communication network and a second communicator configured to communicate over a second communication network. A communication controller associated with the remote station and coupled with the first communicator and the second communicator is operable to transmit a first set of signals using the first communicator a second set of signals using the second communicator. A mobile network access point is directable to within a communication range of the second communicator of the remote station when the remote station is outside of an existing communication range of the second communication network and the first set of signals includes a resource request for the second communication network. |
| US08027669B2 |
Optimized transmission of text sample format description for streaming timed text
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting formatted text from a streaming server 100 to a mobile client 101 using an RTP protocol in a mobile communication system. The formatted text comprises at least one text sample having an associated text sample format description. Further; the present invention relates to the streaming server 100 transmitting the formatted text, the mobile client 101 receiving a streamed formatted text and to a streaming system. To reduce the transmission overhead of conventional systems when transmitting streamed text in a wireless communication system, such as UMTS, using RTP, the streaming server 100 transmits only text sample format descriptions that are not already provided for a earlier text samples to the mobile client 101 when processing a text sample to be transmitted. The server maintains information on the text sample format descriptions transferred to the client in order to determine which of the text sample format descriptions have already been provided. |
| US08027665B2 |
System and method for protecting data in a synchronized environment
A system includes a mobile device providing a plurality of applications and an agent providing first and second authentication procedures for authenticating a user of the mobile device to first and second applications running on the mobile device. A first application is enabled by authenticating a user through a first authentication procedure, and a second application is enabled by authenticating a user through a second authentication procedure. The agent authenticates the user to the first application following the first authentication procedure, and the agent authenticates the user to the second application following the second authentication procedure. |
| US08027662B1 |
Parental monitoring via cell phones with media capture and location reporting
A method for obtaining media at a first communications device (e.g., that of a parent) from a wireless communications device (e.g., one being used by a child), includes steps of receiving a message from the first device at the wireless communications device, the message causing the wireless communications device to display a prompt for the user to capture media (e.g., photo, voice sample, or biometrical sample) with the device, obtaining current location information for the wireless communications device; and automatically transmitting the media from the second device to the first device along with the current location information. |
| US08027661B2 |
Traffic shaping of cellular service consumption through modification of consumer behavior encouraged by cell-based pricing advantages
Changes in wireless service user behavior are encouraged and produced to shape utilization patterns among cells within a rate plan region by using shaping rules which define potential discounts from a standard charge rate under certain cell-specific utilization conditions, analyzing the shaping rules and utilization statistics of a cell upon service initiation, generating a discount from the standard rate for underutilized cells. The user is notified of these discount opportunities using text messages, icons, or other means. Over time, the users learn that at certain places and times, significant discounts are offered, and thus changes their behavior to take advantage of those discounts, thereby shaping traffic in a manner desired by the service provider. |
| US08027660B2 |
Architecture for managing prepaid wireless communications services
The present invention is directed to a system and method for managing a prepaid wireless account for voice and data communications services. According to one embodiment the communications system, having a prepaid architecture for managing a plurality of prepaid wireless accounts for communication services, wherein each prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber comprises a wireless network including a mobile switch, in communication with a wireless device, the wireless device for remotely managing at least one of the prepaid accounts. The communications system also comprises a wide area network including a prepaid account database for storing records assigned to subscribers of prepaid communications services; a prepaid application module for initializing and updating the prepaid accounts; a credit card transaction server, coupled to a credit card database, for checking available credit; and a prepaid server coupled to the prepaid account database and the prepaid application module. The communications system also includes a gateway in communication with the mobile switch of the wireless network and in communication with the wide area network. |
| US08027655B2 |
Receiver apparatus and method for tracking and rejecting transmit signal in wireless communication system
A receiver apparatus for tracking and rejecting a Transmit (Tx) signal in a wireless communication system and an operation method thereof are provided. The receiver apparatus includes a controller for receiving channel frequency information of the Tx signal and for controlling an operation for tracking and rejecting a frequency of the Tx signal; a phase locked loop for generating an oscillation frequency by generating a control voltage according to the channel frequency information of the Tx signal under the control of the controller and for filtering a signal corresponding to the oscillation frequency among signals input to a low noise amplifier; and the low noise amplifier for amplifying power while minimizing noise of a signal filtered by the phase locked loop. |
| US08027654B2 |
Digital broadcasting receiving apparatus
When a power source of a digital broadcasting receiving apparatus is turned on, a microprocessor executes reading of a Read Data with specifying a Read Slave Address which is set by applying a prescribed electrical potential to an Address Select (AS) terminal, if the microprocessor confirms that an A/D converter (ADC) bit which is contained in the Read Data from a Mixer Oscillator PLL (MOP) IC is a ADC bit which is set by applying a prescribed electrical potential to an ADC terminal, the microprocessor transmits a tuning data of a format which corresponds to the MOP IC in which target channel is specified with specifying a Write Slave Address which is set by applying a prescribed electrical potential to the AS terminal. |
| US08027653B2 |
Signal receiving apparatus and control method thereof
A signal receiving apparatus includes: a tuning unit which has at least one tuner; a communication unit which communicates at least one external device; and a controller which divides an entire channel frequency band to be assigned to the tuning unit and a tunable device, and controls the tuning unit and the communication unit to tune the assigned channel frequency bands if the tunable device is present among the external devices. |
| US08027652B2 |
Radio front end
A radio front end utilizes at least one band pass filter to pass only the appropriate frequency band. Once the desired frequency band has been isolated it is converted to a digital format in an analog to digital converter and a digital signal processing device interprets the signal. |
| US08027647B2 |
Broadcasting receiving apparatus and method thereof
Provided are a broadcasting receiving apparatus and a broadcasting receiving method using the same. The broadcasting receiving apparatus including: a low noise amplifying unit low-noise-amplifying an RF signal received from an antenna; an RF attenuating unit attenuating the received RF signal to output the attenuated RF signal; a supply unit supplying a DC voltage to the low noise amplifying unit; and a control unit controlling an output of the DC voltage depending on a change of an electric field strength of the received signal. |
| US08027642B2 |
Transmission canceller for wireless local area network
A frequency translating repeater (200) for use in a wireless local area network includes a cancellation unit. Canceller (402) is controlled by control (401) to provide an injection signal for canceling leakage in a receive signal path. Reference coupler (403) provides a reference signal from the transmit signal, injection coupler (404) injects a correction signal, and sample coupler (405) provides a sample for feedback. A processor (510) receives the sample signal through a detector (415). Although the present invention is intended for a frequency translating repeater, it has broad applications in radio transceivers in general. One specific application is with frequency division duplex (FDD) handsets or base stations utilizing CDMA technologies such as W-CDMA and IS-2000 or 1XEV-DV/DO. |
| US08027640B2 |
Acoustic suppression using ancillary RF link
Methods and systems are described in which the feedback between a transmitter and collocated receiver is reduced so that the overall feedback loop gain is less than 0 dB. Audio is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver through a primary RF link while RSSI or TOA information to determine the separation between the end devices is exchanged using an ancillary RF link. The total loop gain is calculated using the gain of each end device and the separation. If the distance is less than a threshold distance, the gain of one or more components in the transmitter and/or receiver is reduced. |
| US08027632B2 |
Systems, devices, and methods for selectively preventing data transfer from a medical device
Systems and methods provide for the selective prevention of data transfer from a medical device to allow the patient to have privacy when desired. These systems and methods provide medical devices that can be instructed in various ways to stop recording data and/or transmitting data to external devices and systems. These systems and methods also provide external repeater devices that can also be instructed in various ways to stop recording data being received, stop forwarding data that is being or has already been received, and/or to stop soliciting data from the medical device. These systems and methods also provide for a blocking device that may be separate from the medical device and repeater to provide instruction to the medical device and/or repeater to prevent data transfer such as by stopping the recording or transmission of data. Further, the blocking device may be alternatively configured to provide a jamming signal to prevent data transmissions from being successfully communicated between the medical device and the repeater. |
| US08027631B2 |
Song practice support device
A technique of enabling a singer to auditorily recognize how to change the way of singing is provided. The CPU (11) of a karaoke device (1) associates model voice data stored in a model voice data storage area (14c) with inputted learner voice data in a time axis direction. Then the CPU (11) shifts the pitch of the learner voice data so that it may coincide with the corresponding pitch of the model voice data according to the result of the association, compresses or extends the section (mora) of the learner voice data in the time axis direction so that the section length of the learner voice data coincides with the corresponding section length of the model voice data, and outputs the resultant learner voice data to a voice processing section (18). The voice processing section (18) converts the learner voice data supplied from the CPU (11) into an analog signal and generates the sound from a loudspeaker (19). |
| US08027628B2 |
Cleaning device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A blade, including: a cut surface provided by obliquely cutting a part of a tip surface to set an angle forming a tip ridge portion of the blade as an obtuse angle, wherein the tip ridge portion is configured to be pressed to a surface to be cleaned. |
| US08027621B2 |
Developer supply case and image forming apparatus
A developer supply case which is detachably attachable to an inserted portion of an image forming apparatus body includes a case body which stores a developer in its inside; an engaging portion which causes an inserting load W when engaged with an engaged portion provided in the image forming apparatus at completion of insertion of the developer supply case into the inserted portion; and a load causing portion which is provided so as to abut part of the inserted portion in insertion of the developer supply case into the inserted portion and causes an inserting load P1 before the engaging portion is engaged with the engaged portion, wherein the inserting load W and the inserting load P1 satisfy the following relation: P1≧W. |
| US08027615B2 |
Tandem photosensitive-member unit having grip part
An image-forming device includes a main body and a tandem photosensitive-member unit. The tandem photosensitive-member unit includes a unit frame, a plurality of photosensitive members, a front-side grip part, and a rear-side grip. The unit frame is configured to be slidably installed to and removed from the main body in a predetermined direction. The unit frame has a leading side and a trailing side with respect to the predetermined direction. The plurality of photosensitive members is provided corresponding to a plurality of colors and is supported by the unit frame. The front-side grip part is provided at the leading side of the unit frame. The rear-side grip part is provided at the trailing side of the unit frame. |
| US08027614B2 |
Image forming apparatus including separation member for separating photosensitive member from endless belt
An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of photosensitive members, an endless belt, and a separation mechanism. The photosensitive members are arranged in parallel with and spaced from one another and correspond to respective colors. The plurality of photosensitive members includes a first photosensitive member and at least one second photosensitive member. Each of the photosensitive members has a first end portion and second end portion that is opposite to the first end portion in a longitudinal direction of each of the photosensitive members. The endless belt contacts the photosensitive members. The separation mechanism is configured to swing the second photosensitive member around the first end portion of the second photosensitive member as a fulcrum between a contact position at which the second photosensitive member contacts the endless belt and a separated position at which the second photosensitive member is separated from the endless belt. |
| US08027611B2 |
Detachable holding portions in an image forming apparatus
There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image carrier carrying an image; a charging roll charging the image carrier; a cleaning member configured to be brought into contact with the charging roll for cleaning the charging roll; a first holding portion detachably provided in an apparatus main body for holding the image carrier; and a second holding portion provided within the apparatus main body independently from the first holding portion, for holding the cleaning member. |
| US08027610B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method for printing without a margin
An image forming apparatus according to this invention which allows double-sided printing can reduce the toner consumption amount by decreasing the size of a developer image on the second page as compared with the size of a developer image printed on the first page in margin-less printing. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a setting unit adapted to set, when images are to be formed on both surfaces of a printing material without margin, a size of a developer image on a second page of the printing material smaller than a size of a developer image on a first page of the printing material. |
| US08027607B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The image forming apparatus, in the case where image forming is performed on a recording medium whose size covers a position of a second temperature detection element perpendicularly disposed to the recording medium conveyance direction, when the detected temperature rises to a predetermined temperature during execution of the first power supply control, a first power supply control is switched to a second power supply control. In the case where image forming is performed on a recording medium whose size does not cover a position of the second temperature detection element, when the detected temperature rises to a predetermined temperature during execution of the first power supply control, a conveyance control portion executes a control for extending the conveyance interval of the recording medium. Thus, an unduly large temperature rise in the non-sheet passing portion is prevented, and a good quality image can be provided without glossy unevenness in one sheet. |
| US08027606B2 |
Image forming apparatus with condition setting for manual duplex mode
Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming section forming images on image forming faces of a recording medium, a condition setting section individually setting an operating condition of the image forming section for forming the image on a first image forming face of a recording medium and another operating condition of the image forming section for forming the image on a second image forming face of the recording medium opposite to the first image forming face in the manual duplex mode, and a control section controlling the image forming section on the basis of each operating condition set by the condition setting section. |
| US08027601B2 |
Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium; a heater to heat the fixing roller; an alternating current (AC) power source to generate an AC electric power such that the heater heats the fixing roller according to the AC electric power; a unit interposed between the heater and the AC power source to selectively supply the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater so as to control the heater to heat the fixing roller; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the unit and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point; the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from AC power source to the heater and the power control switch; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed on a DC power supply line between the DC power supplier and the relay coil to control the supply of the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the unit according to an temperature of the fixing roller. |
| US08027598B2 |
Image forming method with renewal of toner residual amount
When copying control (copying/printing job) is finished, the main CPU checks whether the scanner control is being executed in the scanner portion. If the scanner control is not being executed, the main CPU checks whether there is any scanner control executing request. If there is no scanner control executing request, the main CPU locks a scanner control resource, reads out a count value of a toner residual amount stored in a non-volatile RAM, renews the control information of EEPROM of the toner cartridge through an interface, releases the lock of the scanner control resource and finishes the copying operation. |
| US08027595B2 |
Method and apparatus to store information on amount of toner used, and image forming device using the same
A method and apparatus to store information on an amount of toner used. The method includes determining whether a customer replaceable unit monitor (CRUM) memory to store information on an amount of used toner is included in a cartridge of an image forming device; storing the information on the amount of used toner in a non-volatile memory of the image forming device when the CRUM memory is not included in the cartridge of the image forming device; and storing the information on the amount of used toner in the CRUM memory when the CRUM memory is included in the cartridge. |
| US08027593B2 |
Slow chirp compensation for enhanced signal bandwidth and transmission performances in directly modulated lasers
The frequency chirp modulation response of a directly modulated laser is described using a small signal model that depends on slow chirp amplitude s and slow chirp time constant τs. The small signal model can be used to derive an inverse response for designing slow chirp compensation means. Slow chirp compensation means include electrical compensation, optical compensation, or both. Slow chirp electrical compensation can be implemented with an LR filter or other RF circuit coupled to a direct modulation source (e.g., a laser driver) and the directly modulated laser. Slow chirp optical compensation can be implemented with an optical spectrum reshaper having a rounded top and relatively large slope (e.g., 1.5-3 dB/GHz). The inverse response can be designed to under-compensate, to produce a flat response, or to over-compensate. |
| US08027584B2 |
Sensing a disturbance
The present invention relates to a system for sensing of a disturbance on an optical link. Data traffic from an optical source with a short coherence length is transmitted along the link to a receiver station on one or more of a plurality of time-division-multiplexed channels. One of the channels is used to transmit encoded phase information relating to the phase characteristics of the optical source output. At the receiver station, the actual phase characteristics of the arriving light from the optical source is compared with the encoded phase information. Since a physical disturbance of the link is likely to alter the actual phase characteristics of the arriving light but not the encoded phase information, it is possible to determine if a physical disturbance has occurred. The system can conveniently be used to monitor an optical link carrying communications traffic. |
| US08027577B2 |
Camera
A camera comprising a location sensor, a first recorder, a first calculator, and a first motor, is provided. The location sensor detects the present location of the camera. The first recorder records a past location. The past location is a location where an image was photographed at a previous point in time. The first calculator compares the present location of the camera with the past location. The first calculator calculates a first difference between the present location of the camera and the past location. The first monitor displays the calculated first difference. |
| US08027575B2 |
Heater contact assembly for volatile liquid dispenser
Disclosed herein are heaters for dispensing volatile air treatment chemicals. Semi-circular electrical contacts are provided in a ring-type heater, and alignment and anchoring features are provided to facilitate use of a spring to accommodate thermal expansion. |
| US08027572B2 |
Dialysis machine having multiple line voltage heater
A dialysis machine having a multiple line voltage heater includes first and second heater elements, first and second switching devices connected electrically to the first and second heating elements, first and second power lines, and a control element configured to provide a first switching device state in which power at a first voltage is supplied via the first and second power lines to both first and second heater elements via both first and second switching devices and a second switching device state in which power at a second voltage is supplied via the first and second power lines to the first heater element only via the first switching device. |
| US08027570B2 |
Disk unit-integrated display and disk unit-integrated television
A disk unit-integrated display capable of increase in conveyance efficiency and reduce in conveyance cost of a disk unit, a holding member and a first circuit board unitized with each other can be obtained. This disk unit-integrated display includes the disk unit having a drive portion, the holding member for supporting the disk unit, the first circuit board arranged between the disk unit and the holding member and having an opening at a position corresponding to the drive portion of the disk unit. |
| US08027568B1 |
System capable of playing a seamless version from within a motion picture
A method of selecting video segments and programs from a program database (“programbase”), such as may be constructed from a collection of news, educational programs, and motion pictures, in which available segments of programs are assigned descriptors responsive to subject matter (e.g. news), content levels (e.g. “Highlight”, “Summary”, “Condensed”, and “Detailed”), and levels of explicitness (e.g. “None”, “Implied”, “Explicit”, and “Graphic”) in each of a range of content categories (e.g. “Inclusion”, and “Violence”), according to the content of the segments of the program. The programbase being accessible by a plurality of video retrievers, and the selection of video segments and programs being responsive to the subject matter preferences and content preferences of a video retriever. |
| US08027566B2 |
Recording medium, reproduction device, recording method, and reproduction method
A BD-ROM playback apparatus for selecting and playing back one among text subtitle streams together with a moving picture. PSR 48-61 store Decode Capability flags whose set values indicate, for each language, whether or not a decode capability is present. Procedure executing unit 20 judges whether each text subtitle stream can be displayed, by referring to each set value of flags. Stream selection unit 17 selects a text subtitle stream judged as being able to be decoded. Here, the decode capability for a language being present indicates presence of rendering capability for converting character codes of the language into bitmaps, and support capability for supporting properties of the language. The b16 to b23 in PSR 30 includes a permission flag indicating whether stream selection unit 17 is permitted to select an unsupported language for which rendering capability is present but not support capability. |
| US08027564B2 |
Recording medium, method and apparatus for providing management information
A recording medium, method and apparatus for providing management information are provided. According to an embodiment, the method includes grouping data of a digital stream into a plurality of object units, and grouping one or more object units into an object; and creating management information for accessing the data, the management information including map information and indication information, wherein the map information includes an object unit index table associated with the object units, and the object unit index table includes object unit information associated with the object units, and wherein the indication information indicates whether the data of the digital stream are grouped into the object units on a basis of a predetermined time period or an entry point information included in the digital stream. |
| US08027554B2 |
Thermo-optic phase shifter and method for manufacturing same
The thermo-optic phase shifter (200) according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes: a substrate (201); a sacrificial layer (202) formed above the substrate (201); a first cladding layer (203) formed above the sacrificial layer (202) and having a film density higher than that of the sacrificial layer (202); an optical waveguide core (204) formed above the first cladding layer (203); a second cladding layer (205) provided over the first cladding layer (203) to cover the optical waveguide core (204); a heat-generating heater (206) provided to a region of the second cladding layer (205) directly above the optical waveguide core (204); and a groove (207) formed in a side face region of the optical waveguide core (204) and extending from the surface of the second cladding layer (205) to the surface of the substrate (201). |
| US08027553B2 |
Connected body and optical transceiver module
An optical element amounted structure includes an optical element having an electrode such as a bump formed on a surface thereof, and a substrate having an electrode that is joined to the optical element formed on the surface. The structure of the electrode of the substrate has a substantially ring configuration or a substantially ring configuration a part of which is notched, and the optical element and the substrate are joined to each other in a configuration where a joining material such as a bump is inserted into an opening portion. |
| US08027551B2 |
Reconfigurable image processor and the application architecture thereof
A reconfigurable image processor for image processing includes an arithmetic module, a first memory unit, a bus control module and a connecting module. By setting different configurations or configuring connections among arithmetic units via the connecting module, the operations of arithmetic units are reconfigured to include different functions. The present invention provides an application architecture including a sensor module, a display module, a second memory unit and a reconfigurable image processor. |
| US08027549B2 |
System and method for searching a multimedia database using a pictorial language
A system and method for searching multimedia databases using a pictorial language, input via an iconic interface and making use of trained ontologies, i.e., trained data models. An iconic graphic user interface (GUI) allows a user to specify a pictorial query that may include one or more one or more key-images and optional text input. Similarities between the query key-images and images in a multimedia database based on a pictorial edit distance are used to select the images that are the closest match to the query. The result images are returned to the user in order of their relevance to the query. |
| US08027547B2 |
Method and computer program product for compressing and decompressing imagery data
Techniques are provided for compressing and decompressing image data which may reduce the distortion that may otherwise be created by the compression of data values representative of null posts, overlays or other features that differ from the underlying image. In compression, at least one coefficient generated by a forward wavelet transform may be replaced with respective replacement coefficients. The transformed image data is then subjected to an inverse wavelet transform to generate modified image data in which the data values which differ from the underlying image have been replaced by interpolated or extrapolated values. The modified image data may be compressed in accordance with wavelet-based image compression. Alternatively, wavelet image compression may be applied directly to the coefficients resulting from the modified forward wavelet transform. In decompression, the compressed image data may be decompressed and data values representative of null posts or other features may be replaced with their original values. |
| US08027543B2 |
Method and system for searching a database of graphical data
A method and system for searching a database of graphical data are described. Embodiments of the invention use accelerated image-comparing techniques based on an adaptation of the Levenshtein algorithm for matching or searching one-dimensional data strings for use with recognizing pre-selected targets in graphical contents of 2D images. |
| US08027542B2 |
High speed video action recognition and localization
An apparatus for detecting an action in a test video. In an illustrative embodiment, the apparatus includes a first mechanism for receiving a query for a particular action via a query video. A second mechanism employs motion vectors associated with the test video to compute one or more motion-similarity values. The one or more motion-similarity values represent motion similarity between a first group of pixels in a first frame of a query video and a second group of pixels in a second frame of the test video based on the motion vectors. A third mechanism uses the one or more similarity values to search for the particular action or similar action in the test video. In a more specific embodiment, another mechanism aggregates the similarity values over a predetermined number of frames to facilitate estimating where the particular action or version thereof occurs or is likely to occur in the test video. |
| US08027539B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining an orientation of a document including Korean characters
A method and apparatus for determining an orientation of a document including Korean text are presented. A binarized pixel image is created from the document image. Contiguous pixels are grouped and labeled using a bounding box. A spanning stroke may be detected from a group of the contiguous pixels. The orientation of the document is determined by comparing counts associated with spanning strokes in the left, right, top, and bottom halves of the bounding boxes. |
| US08027536B2 |
System and method for image fog scene detection
The subject application is directed to a system and method for image fog scene detection. Electronic image data is first received and divided into image regions, with each region consisting of a plurality of pixels. Next, a comparison matrix is generated corresponding to each image region based upon a comparison of minimum intensity values associated with corresponding pixels to a threshold value. An entry of at least one of the comparison matrices is then tested for a preselected value. The received electronic image data is then identified as inclusive of a fog scene based upon the output of the test on the entry of the comparison matrix. Based upon the identification, fog scene detection data representing an identified fog scene is then generated. |
| US08027535B2 |
Image processing method and image processing apparatus
This invention relates to an image processing method and image processing apparatus for improving the image quality of the boundary part of an image cutout or deletion area. According to this method, an area specified by a user as a cutout or deletion target area is slightly reduced or enlarged to eliminate an undesirable background area. In image cutout, the cutout image side is shaded off. In image deletion, the background image side is shaded off. This increases the image quality at the joint between the boundary part of the cutout image and an image to be composited. The image quality between the remaining background image and the deletion part also improves. |
| US08027534B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing apparatus comprising: background generation means for generating, on each of corresponding pixel positions of more than one input image, a pixel value involved in a predetermined distribution among pixel values of the input images as a background pixel value in the pixel position; degree-of-difference generation means for generating, on each of the pixel positions, a degree-of-difference indicating a degree to which each input image pixel value has a difference from the background pixel value; and output image generation means for generating, on each of the pixel positions, an output image pixel value by reflecting the input image pixel values depending on the degree-of-difference. |
| US08027528B2 |
Method for calculating height of chuck top and program storage medium for storing same method
A method is for calculating a height of a chuck top. A height of the top surface of the chuck top which corresponds to an arbitrary position specified on the XY coordinate plane by a computer is calculated in each of the four quadrants based on a coordinate transformation formulas. The method includes setting, by using the computer, a conical model in which two adjacent points other than the center point of the chuck top which correspond to the specified coordinates in a predetermined quadrant of the XY coordinate plane are obtained on a circumference having the center point of the chuck top as the origin and specifying an arbitrary point in the predetermined quadrant by using the computer and calculating a height of the arbitrary point of the chuck top based on the conical model, the coordinate transformation formulas and the specified coordinates. |
| US08027523B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing apparatus includes a face detector detecting face images from still-image frames successively extracted from a moving-image stream in accordance with image information items regarding the still-image frames, a face-feature-value calculation unit calculating face feature values of the face images in accordance with image information items regarding the face images, an identity determination unit determining whether a first face image in a current frame and a second face image in a previous frame represent an identical person in accordance with at least face feature values of the first and second face images, and a merging processor which stores one of the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image represent an identical person, and which stores the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image do not represent an identical person. |
| US08027522B2 |
Image recognition system and recognition method thereof and program
A task is to correctly classify an input image regardless of a fluctuation in illumination and a state of occlusion of the input image.Input image sub-region extraction means 2 extracts a sub-region of the input image. Inter-pattern distance calculation means 3 calculates an inter-pattern distance between this sub-region and a sub-region of a registration image pre-filed in dictionary filing means 5 for each sub-region. Region distance value integration means 10 integrates the inter-pattern distances obtained for each sub-region. This is conducted for the registration image of each category. Identification means 4 finds a minimum value out of its integrated inter-pattern distances, and in the event that its minimum value is smaller than a threshold, outputs a category having its minimum distance as a recognition result. |
| US08027521B1 |
Method and system for robust human gender recognition using facial feature localization
The present invention is a method and system to provide a face-based automatic gender recognition system that utilizes localized facial features and hairstyles of humans. Given a human face detected from a face detector, it is accurately localized to facilitate the facial/hair feature detection and localization. Facial features are more finely localized using the geometrically distributed learning machines. Then the position, size, and appearance information of the facial features are extracted. The facial feature localization essentially decouples geometric and appearance information about facial features, so that a more explicit comparison can be made at the recognition stage. The hairstyle features that possess useful gender information are also extracted based on the hair region segmented, using the color discriminant analysis and the estimated geometry of the face. The gender-sensitive feature vector, made up from the extracted facial and hairstyle features, is fed to the gender recognition machines that have been trained using the same kind of gender-sensitive feature vectors of gallery images. |
| US08027519B2 |
Imaging module for biometrics authentication, biometrics authentication apparatus and prism
An imaging module for biometrics authentication comprises: a light source irradiating a living body with light capable of passing through the living body; a prism having an incidence surface including an incidence area for taking in light emerging from the living body, two or more reflecting surfaces for reflecting the light taken in through the incidence area, and an outlet surface for outputting the light reflected by the reflecting surfaces; and a camera module including a lens for focusing the light emerging from the outlet surface of the prism and an image pickup device for converting the light focused thereon by the lens into an electric signal and outputting the electric signal. |
| US08027516B2 |
Image forming apparatus including position detector
An image forming apparatus includes a movable member that moves cyclically in synchronization with an image forming process and a position detector. The position detector includes a scale, an image sensor, a signal processor, and a position computing unit. The scale is attached to the movable member and includes a plurality of optical marks formed in line at a substantially constant interval. The image sensor captures data relating to at least one optical mark at a time. The signal processor computes a coordinate of the optical mark with respect to a reference position. The position computing unit computes a distance traveled by the optical mark based on a number of the optical marks that pass the reference position and the coordinate of the optical mark with respect to the reference position. |
| US08027515B2 |
System and method for real-time calculating location
Provided is a system and method for providing location information of robot in real time using an artificial mark. The system includes: an image processing module for obtaining an image signal by photographing artificial marks installed at a predetermined space with a space coordinate and detecting an image coordinate of artificial mark from the obtaining the image signal; a location calculating module for calculating a current location by comparing the image coordinate of detected artificial mark and a pre-stored space coordinate of artificial mark; and an artificial mark identifying module for updating current location information by selectively using one of an artificial mark tracing process and an image coordinate estimating process. |
| US08027514B2 |
Apparatus for recognizing object in image
An object recognition apparatus sets each of keypoints extracted from a typical image and one of keypoints extracted from an input image, having scale invariant features similar to each other, as a typical corresponding point and an object corresponding point matching with each other, and produces a position vector directed from a typical reference point of the typical image to each typical keypoint. The apparatus determines a position of an object reference point in the input image from a position of each object corresponding point and the vector of the typical corresponding point matching with the object corresponding point. When the positions of the object reference point are concentrated, the apparatus judges that an object picture having the object corresponding points in the input image matches with the typical image, and the apparatus recognizes the picture as an object indicated by the typical image. |
| US08027513B2 |
Bitmap tracker for visual tracking under very general conditions
System and method for visually tracking a target object silhouette in a plurality of video frames under very general conditions. The tracker does not make any assumption about the object or the scene. The tracker works by approximating, in each frame, a PDF (probability distribution function) of the target's bitmap and then estimating the maximum a posteriori bitmap. The PDF is marginalized over all possible motions per pixel, thus avoiding the stage in which optical flow is determined. This is an advantage over other general-context trackers that do not use the motion cue at all or rely on the error-prone calculation of optical flow. Using a Gibbs distribution with a first order neighborhood system yields a bitmap PDF whose maximization may be transformed into that of a quadratic pseudo-Boolean function, the maximum of which is approximated via a reduction to a maximum-flow problem. |
| US08027511B2 |
System for virtually distributing mailpieces
A method of enabling mailpieces to be distributed and consulted in electronic form, including the steps of scanning each of the mailpieces and transmitting the images of the mailpieces to a first server; displaying the images on a first viewing screen associated with the first server, and assigning each of the images to a recipient by “dropping ” the image into one of the pigeonholes of a virtual sorting rack associated with the recipient and displayed on the first viewing screen or on a second viewing screen also associated with the first server; and displaying a dynamic dialogue box on at least one consultation screen of a final recipient. |
| US08027508B2 |
Interactive gaming objects
A method for operating an electronic gaming system captures an image of a gaming object, extracts identifying information from the image of the gaming object, and uses the extracted identifying information to reference a database to determine a behavior associated with the identifying information. The method returns data to the gaming system to execute or control the behavior of the gaming system in response to the gaming object. Various system configurations for this method as well as unique applications of it are also disclosed. |
| US08027507B2 |
Method and apparatus for embedding auxiliary information within original data
This patent application is generally related to watermarking and steganography. One claim recites a method of transmarking a media signal previously embedded with a first digital watermark using a first digital watermark embedding method. The method includes: utilizing a programmed electronic processor, detecting the first digital watermark in the media signal; converting the media signal to a different format; utilizing a programmed electronic processor, embedding detected message information from the first digital watermark into a second digital watermark in the converted media signal such that the second digital watermark is adapted to robustness or perceptibility parameters associated with the new format. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided as well. |
| US08027505B2 |
System and method for providing simulated images through cosmetic monitoring
An automated cosmetic applicator uses wide-angle cameras, a high-resolution camera, and a differential lighting process to capture images of a body. Software analyzes these images to identify large and small features of the subject and to use these features as landmarks to create in computer memory a corresponding map that is highly accurate and data rich with pixel-level data about the subject's color, light value and texture characteristics. The rich images may be used for tracking the device on the skin, for making accurate corrections to skin, for simulating possible cosmetic enhancements and selecting a desired correction, and for use in other applications such as video games and animations. |
| US08027503B2 |
Diaphragm for speaker device, speaker device and mobile phone
A diaphragm of a speaker device, formed into an elongated configuration, has a recessed shape and includes a voice coil arrangement part extending in its longitude direction. The voice coil arrangement part has a gap with a constant width in its lateral direction and includes a voice coil supporting part for supporting a voice coil and an expanded part provided at a position along it. |
| US08027502B2 |
Speaker device and mobile phone
A speaker device includes a magnetic circuit which includes a magnetic gap, a diaphragm which has a recessed part arranged in the magnetic gap and extending in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to an extending direction of a magnetic flux in the magnetic gap, and a voice coil which is formed into an annular shape and has a first parallel part extending in one direction and a second parallel part extending in a direction in parallel with the first parallel part and opposite to the first parallel part with a constant space. Particularly, the first parallel part and the second parallel part are arranged in a direction in parallel with an extending direction of the recessed part, respectively. The first parallel part is arranged in the recessed part to be positioned in the magnetic gap, and the second parallel part is positioned above the recessed part. |
| US08027499B2 |
Portable audio system with changeable functionality
A portable audio system includes a housing, battery, wiring harness, speakers, and two or more audio controllers, each including at least one audio functionality different from at least one other. The functionality of the portable audio system may be reconfigured as desired by removing one audio controller and installing a different audio controller. A quick-detach connector on the wiring harness facilitates the swapping of audio controllers, which are preferably automotive audio controllers. The portable audio system includes external power and speaker connectors, with the internal power and speakers being switchably disconnectable. Thus, the portable audio system may also be used as a fixed, or home, audio system. |
| US08027493B2 |
Biplane line array speaker with arcuate tweeter array providing controlled directivity
A biplane line array speaker includes a line array of tweeters mounted substantially directly in front of a line array of woofers. The tweeter line array is arcuately shaped to provide controlled vertical dispersion above and below the boundaries of the speaker cabinet. The woofers are displaced from the tweeters in stepped manner. The speaker cabinet is a rectangular box, allowing efficient wall mounting in single or multiple unit columns. In multiple unit columns, the individual units acoustically couple to each other. |
| US08027491B2 |
Contact speaker
A tactile sound speaker transmits sound-generated vibrations to a user through a touchpad to provide a tactile sound experience. The tactile sound speaker can include a speaker driver, a speaker cone, and a touchpad. The touchpad can be coupled to the speaker cone by transmission shafts that transmit vibrations generated by the speaker driver's output. A user may experience tactile sound by contacting the touchpad with a hand, foot, or other body part while listening to music or other sound. |
| US08027489B1 |
Multi-voltage biasing system with over-voltage protection
A multi-voltage biasing system with over voltage protection has an amplifier with a stage including at least one output device and one cascode protection device having a predetermined maximum recommended voltage; a biasing network is selectively responsive to a plurality of different supply voltages at least one of which is higher than the maximum recommended voltage for providing to the stage a bias voltage to operate the cascode device and output device below their maximum recommended voltages. |
| US08027485B2 |
Multiple channel audio system supporting data channel replacement
An audio processing system which allows a surround sound system to utilize the transmission bandwidth efficiently by adaptively transmitting a supplementary data from a secondary source in addition to the audio signals of a primary source. The system consists of a transmitter component, capable of transmitting audio signals from a primary source and adaptively inserts supplementary data of the secondary source in the reserved communication bandwidth. The transmitter inserts headers in the channels used by the supplementary data to allow the receivers to identify the channel allocation between the primary source and the secondary source. Another part of the audio processing system is that of a receiver component which is capable of discriminating between data from the primary source and data from the secondary source. The primary source may comprise of audio signals from mono, stereo or surround sound music source, or voice signals such as that of a television channel while the supplementary data may comprise of advertisements, community information, public service information or even computer data. |
| US08027481B2 |
Personal hearing control system and method
A personal hearing control system includes a microphone located within a user's sealed ear canal, a speaker having a diaphragm which directs sound into the ear canal, and a controller which drives the speaker such that the system emulates the acoustics of the user's open ear canal. Also provided are a microphone located on the outer ear side of the sealed ear canal, which is coupled to a handheld interface unit having multiple inputs and operating modes. A user-selected input is processed by the interface unit, and the processed signal is coupled to the speaker. In one operating mode, the output of the outer ear mic is processed so as to cancel sound that leaks from the outer ear to the inner ear side of the seal. |
| US08027480B2 |
Multichannel spectral mapping audio apparatus and method
A method and circuit for deriving a set of multichannel audio signals from a conventional monaural or stereo audio signal uses an auxiliary multichannel spectral mapping data stream. Audio can be played back in stereo and multichannel formats from a conventional stereo signal on compact discs, FM radio, or other stereo or monaural delivery systems. The invention reduces the data rate needed for the transmission of multichannel digital audio. |
| US08027479B2 |
Binaural multi-channel decoder in the context of non-energy conserving upmix rules
A multi-channel decoder for generating a binaural signal from a downmix signal using upmix rule information on an energy-error introducing upmix rule for calculating a gain factor based on the upmix rule information and characteristics of head related transfer function based filters corresponding to upmix channels. The one or more gain factors are used by a filter processor for filtering the downmix signal so that an energy corrected binaural signal having a left binaural channel and a right binaural channel is obtained. |
| US08027474B2 |
Method and system for secure data aggregation in wireless sensor networks
A method for transmitting sensed data in a wireless sensor network including multiple sensors, includes: encrypting the sensed data with an encryption key and a verification key to generate encrypted data in each of the multiple sensors that senses data; wirelessly receiving the encrypted data from the multiple sensors; determining that the sensed data from one of the multiple sensors is different from the sensed data from others of the multiple sensors without decrypting the encrypted data; and transmitting the encrypted sensed data determined to be different. |
| US08027470B2 |
Video slice and active region based multiple partial encryption
A selective encryption decoder for decrypting and decoding a selectively encrypted digital video signal has a demultiplexer that receives packets of digital video, certain of the packets being unencrypted and certain of the packets being encrypted. Certain of the encrypted packets carry data representing an active region of a video frame. The unencrypted packets have a first packet identifier (PID) and the encrypted packets have a second packet identifier (PID). A decrypter receives the encrypted packets having the second PID and decrypts the encrypted packets using a first encryption method to produce decrypted packets. A PID remapper changes at least one of the first and second PIDs so that the unencrypted packets and the decrypted packets have the same PID. A decoder decodes the unencrypted and decrypted packets to produce a decoded video signal. This abstract is not to be considered limiting since other embodiments can include more, fewer or different features than those described in this abstract. |
| US08027469B2 |
Video slice and active region based multiple partial encryption
A television set-top box has a receiver receiving a digital television signal comprising, a plurality of unencrypted packets; and a plurality of encrypted packets. The encrypted packets are of at least one selected packet type and the at least one selected packet type has at least one of the following: packets containing a video slice header appearing in an active region of a video frame, any packet carrying data describing an active region of a video frame, I Frame packets, packets containing motion vectors in a first P frame following an I Frame, packets having an intra_slice_flag indicator set, packets having an intra_slice indicator set, packets containing an intra_coded macroblock, packets that carry data for a slice containing an intra_coded macroblock, packets containing data from a first macroblock following the video slice header, packets containing video slice headers, packets containing anchor data, and P Frame packets for progressively refreshed video data. A decrypter decrypts the encrypted packets; and a decoder decodes the unencrypted packets and the decrypted packets to produce a signal suitable for play on a television set. This abstract is not to be considered limiting since other embodiments can include more, fewer or different features than those described in this abstract. |
| US08027464B2 |
Holding apparatus for accommodating a mobile telephone
The invention relates to a holding device provided with a receiving system for receiving a mobile telephone (30, 30′), said holding device comprising a housing (1). The receiving system is formed by at least two lateral jaws (3) projecting from a rear wall of the housing (1), at least one of said jaws being laterally displaceable and both of said jaws being provided with padding (5) that can be compressed by from lateral housing walls of the mobile telephone (30, 30′). The distance between the jaws (3) can be adjusted to the width of the mobile telephone (30, 30′) by means of an adjusting device (11) provided in the rear wall (2). The adjusted jaws (3) remain fixed for the insertion and the removal of the mobile telephone (30, 30′), and the mobile telephone is fixed in the holder exclusively by means of a friction connection produced between the compressible padding (5, 6) and the mobile telephone (30, 30′). The aim of the invention is to create a universal holding device for different types of mobile telephones (30, 30′). To this end, the adjusting device (11) comprises a rotatably arranged plate (15) that is connected to the two jaws (3), and can be fixed in the rotary position thereof by means of a centrally arranged screw. The screw head (14) can be actuated on the rear wall (2) and covered by the inserted mobile telephone (30, 30′). |
| US08027456B1 |
Method and system for providing call tones service in a system with multiple media content providers
A carrier providing wireless services provides ringback media such as call tones via one or more call tones content providers. In one aspect, a service entity (e.g., SCP or application server) is provisioned with data unique to ringback media service subscribed to by the subscriber. The service entity provides routing instructions to a mobile switching center identifying a ringback media server (e.g., content provider platform) to render ringback media to the caller. In another aspect, a caller can exercise control over the play of ringback media, e.g., by inputting DTMF tones, which responsively cause a ringback media server to change the play of ringback media, e.g., stop it or play a different selection. In another aspect, when a subscriber initiates a call to called party that subscribes to a competitor carrier, the carrier limits exposure of the subscriber to the ringback media of the competitor carrier. In one possible configuration, the carrier inserts its own ringback media. |
| US08027455B2 |
Ringbacks based on extrinsic information
An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a first user of a telecommunications terminal to receive, upon placing a call to a second user, a ringback signal that is based on information that is extrinsic to the telecommunications system that handles the call (i.e., information that is independent of the state of the telecommunications system). Such extrinsic information might include: entries in a user schedule (e.g., from a groupware application such as Lotus Notes® that is hosted on a server, from a personal digital assistant [PDA] calendar, etc.); environmental parameters at the first and/or second user's terminal (e.g., temperature, ambient sound pressure, ambient luminosity, etc.); physiological parameters of the first and/or second users (e.g., heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature, brain activity, etc.); stock ticker information; weather forecasts; sports scores; updated election results; and so forth. |
| US08027454B1 |
Trunk sparing
A method is provided for reserving trunks on a trunk group for designated class of service calls. The trunks available for a denominated class of service is specified, and the trunks remaining are enumerated and designated as of no class and available for all calls. When the no class trunks are in use and a new call is a denominated class of service, it is allocated to a trunk and the trunks available is reduced accordingly. If the no class trunks are in use and a new call is not of a denominated class of service, the new call is allocated to a further trunk group. When a call is released and the number available is reduced below a specified number, the number of available trunks increases. If the number of trunks available is not reduced below a specified number, the released trunk is made available for all calls. |
| US08027453B2 |
System and method for an online speaker patch-through
Systems and methods described herein may be incorporated into a “service marketplace” system that matches users with potential information or service providers and establishes a real-time communications connection between the user and a selected information provider. In one embodiment, an alternate is selected for the user when the service provider that the user is trying to connect with cannot be reached. In an alternative embodiment, the alternates can be used in conjunction with the service provider that does connect with the user in order to provide a second opinion or possibly deeper background information. In one embodiment, the service providers can either be a live person at the other end of the connection or a recording. |
| US08027444B1 |
Ringback tones management for phones having a profile specifying both organizational and personal ringback tones
A call tones management platform provides a facility for configuration of a user profile. The user profile specifies the circumstances under which organizational call tones (such as a call tone of an employer of the subscriber using the phone) or a personal, non-organizational tone should be rendered to a calling party. When a call is placed to the subscriber, the profile is consulted and an instruction for rendering a call tone in accordance with the profile is sent to a call tones content provider or run time site generating call tones during the time of a call. The call tones management platform implements logic for resolving potential scheduling conflicts between organizational call tones and private call tones, such as, for example, a rule in which the organizational call tone trumps personal call tones for calls are made to the subscriber telephone during business hours. |
| US08027440B2 |
System and method for facilitating call routing
A telecommunications system utilizes a central database to determine characteristics for international calls, to facilitate call routing for international calls, or both. The central database includes termination information for telephone numbers in multiple nations outside the North American Numbering Plan. In one aspect, an interexchange switch receives a termination number for an international call from a local exchange carrier and uses information from the central database to help complete the call. In another aspect, the central database receives a telephone number from a remote user such as interexchange carrier (IXC) and, in response, transmits termination information to the remote user to identify whether the telephone number uses wireless termination. The remote user may then charge a customer for wireless termination, if appropriate, possibly even before the remote user receives an invoice that reflects wireless termination charges from a foreign wireless carrier. |
| US08027439B2 |
Self-calibrating fraud detection
A method for dynamically updating a model is described. The method includes accessing a model that specifies expected characteristics for a transaction. The model includes variables associated with fraud. The method also includes receiving at least one value for each of the variables while monitoring transactions, and updating a distribution of values for each variable based on the received value. The received value is compared with the updated distribution to determine a deviation from a threshold value associated with a percentile of the updated distribution that is indicative of fraud. |
| US08027437B2 |
System and method for improving message delivery in voice systems utilizing microphone and target signal-to-noise ratio
A method for delivering a message to a recipient in an environment with ambient noise includes the steps of recording the ambient noise in the environment at a certain time interval, analyzing the recorded ambient noise to obtain an average power Pnoise or a RMS amplitude Anoise of the ambient noise, providing a predetermined desired SNRdesired, calculating an average signal power Psignal or a RMS amplitude Asignal of the message to be delivered based on the Pnoise or Anoise and the desired SNRdesired, and adjusting a volume of the message to be delivered according to the Psignal or Asignal. Alternatively, the actual SNRactual will be computed and the message will be repeated if the SNRactual falls below the SNRmin. Systems for delivering a message to a recipient in an environment with ambient noise and computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the methods are also provided. |
| US08027432B2 |
Radiography control apparatus and radiography control method
A radiography control apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire data of image-capturing mode and a change unit configured to change the number of times a correction image is captured, the correction image being used to correct a radiographic image in accordance with the acquired image-capturing-mode data. |
| US08027431B2 |
System and method for dynamic strobe arc therapy
Some embodiments include receiving a radiation treatment plan for delivering at least a portion of a prescribed radiation dose to a target volume in a series of individual treatment beams, each individual treatment beam defined by a segment including start angle and a stop angle, and delivering a portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume over each of the segments, the segments arranged in a contiguous manner on an arc. |
| US08027429B2 |
Device and method for real-time mark of substance identification system
Disclosed are a method and a device for real-time mark for a high-energy X-ray dual-energy imaging container inspection system in the radiation imaging field. The method comprises the steps of emitting a first main beam of rays and a first auxiliary beam of rays having a first energy, and a second main beam of rays and a second auxiliary beam of rays having a second energy; causing the first and second main beams of rays transmitting through the article to be inspected; causing the first and second auxiliary beams of rays transmitting through at least one real-time mark material block; collecting values of the first and second main beams of rays that have transmitted through the article to be inspected as dual-energy data; collecting values of the first and second auxiliary beams of rays that have transmitted through the real-time mark material block as adjustment parameters; adjusting the set of classification parameters based on the adjustment parameters; and identifying the substance according to the dual-energy data based on adjusted classification parameters. The method according to the invention simplifies the mark procedure for a substance identification subsystem in a high-energy dual-energy system while improves the stability of the material differentiation result of the system. |
| US08027425B1 |
Asynchronous loadable down counter
The disclosed embodiments relate to an asynchronous down counter, which can be loaded with any value N and then decrement exactly N times. The counter comprises an array of cells, wherein each cell is configured to hold a digit in a redundant base-k representation of a number contained in the array of cells. Each cell further comprises a finite state machine that defines state transitions between states, where these states are held on wires and state transitions are synchronized between neighboring cells. Each cell is further configured to asynchronously borrow, if possible, from a more significant adjacent cell to increase a value of a digit in the cell. This asynchronous borrowing improves performance by ensuring that a decrement operation, which decrements a digit in a least significant cell in the array, will borrow from an adjacent more significant cell, without having to wait for the completion of a rippling sequence of borrows from more significant cells. |
| US08027424B2 |
Fuel element for a boiling water reactor
A fuel assembly for a boiling-water reactor has a water channel and a fuel assembly base, made from a sieve plate and a frame section enclosing the same. The water channel supports a plug with a bore running therethrough, at the lower end thereof, to which the fuel assembly base is fixed. The fuel assembly further comprises an opening through the sieve plate, a skirt, formed on the underside of the plug, surrounding the bore, extending into the opening in the sieve plate, a bush, provided with a first and a second longitudinal section, whereby the first longitudinal section extends from the underside of the sieve plate into the opening in a rotationally-fixed manner and a radial shoulder is provided between the two sections which contacts the underside of the sieve plate. A threaded section of a screw extends through the bush which engages in a thread in the bore in the plug. |
| US08027423B2 |
Synchronizing apparatus, synchronizing method, synchronizing program and data reproduction apparatus
A synchronizing apparatus, which controls, by a PLL circuit, a sampling clock to be used to sample input data and synchronizes a phase of the sampling clock with a target phase that is desirable for sampling the input data, includes: phase error detection means for detecting a phase error from sampling data and the sampling clock, the sampling data being sampled from the input data at timing of the sampling clock; frequency error detection means for detecting, based on a differential coefficient obtained as a result of detecting the phase error, a frequency error; and frequency correction means for correcting a frequency of the sampling clock such that the detected frequency error becomes close to zero by adding a frequency correction value to an integral term of a loop filter of the PLL circuit, the frequency correction value being calculated based on the frequency error. |
| US08027422B2 |
Symbol timing recovery circuit
An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter samples an input signal with a first clock. An finite impulse response (FIR) filter generates data at a zero-crossing point/data decision point from the sampled data. A decimation circuit decimates an output of the FIR filter 2 with a second clock. A phase comparator detects a phase error of the output signal of the decimation circuit. An Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO) (A/D) generates a phase signal by integrating the phase error. A tap coefficient computing unit generates tap coefficients of the FIR filter in accordance with the phase signal. In the NCO, if the phase signal exceeds “π”, “2π+the phase error” is subtracted from the phase signal. |
| US08027420B2 |
Apparatus and method for transferring a signal from a fast clock domain to a slow clock domain
A circuit is provided for transferring a signal from a fast clock domain to a slow clock domain. The circuit includes a fast clock domain configured to receive an input signal and, responsively, transfer an intermediate signal. The circuit also a slow clock domain configured to receive the transferred intermediate signal from the fast clock domain and, responsively, generate an output signal. The circuit further includes a first synchronizer disposed in the slow clock domain and a second synchronizer disposed in the fast clock domain. The first synchronizer, operating with a slow clock, is configured to receive the intermediate signal and, responsively, provide the output signal as a transferred signal which is synchronized to the input signal. The second synchronizer, operating with a fast clock, is configured to receive a feedback signal from the first synchronizer for acknowledging synchronization of the output signal to the input signal. |
| US08027416B2 |
Structure for data communications systems
A machine-readable medium thereupon stored a design structure; the design structure includes a receiver for a data communications system. The receiver includes a data path for receiving a data signal from a data channel, the data path comprising an automatic gain control (AGC) loop; and, a signal detector for generating a data valid signal indicative of the validity of the data signal in response to detection of the data signal on the channel exceeding a threshold and in dependence upon gain information from the AGC loop in the data path. |
| US08027415B2 |
Data communications systems
A receiver for a data communications system comprises: a data path for receiving a data signal from a data channel, the data path comprising an automatic gain control (AGC) loop; and, a signal detector for generating a data valid signal indicative of the validity of the data signal in response to detection of the data signal on the channel exceeding a threshold and in dependence upon gain information from the AGC loop in the data path. |
| US08027413B2 |
Ultratight coupling prefilter detection block
An observation lock detector block receives I&Q correlations and generates error measurement vectors, each including phase, frequency, code, pseudorange, and covariance residual estimates, and generates validity indicator and confidence indicator vectors, one of which error measurement vectors is an output as a selected error measurement vector with a respective validity indicator and confidence indicator vector, both of which selected vectors are communicated to a navigation solution processor in a ultratightly coupled navigation system for providing improved estimations of a navigation solution, the indicators indicating the usefulness of measurement errors, the prefilter detector block comprising discriminators, sequential filters, observation lock detectors and a measurement selector for selecting measurement vector based on phase, frequency, and code discriminations, the measurement errors being residual estimates that are indicated as valid or invalid for dynamic propagation of the residuals in a navigation receiver for improved performance, especially in low signal-to-noise environments, such as, for use in an ultratight GPS navigation system. |
| US08027408B2 |
ASK modulator
An ASK modulator for reducing the difference in the On/Off ratio due to the difference in the envelope frequency components without deteriorating an adjacent wave leakage power is disclosed. The ASK modulator includes a Manchester encoder that generates Manchester-encoded signals by applying Manchester encoding to an input signal sequence, a waveform shaping unit that generates band-limited encoded signals from the Manchester-encoded signals, and detects and limits minimum values of waveforms of the band-limited encoded signals to generates shaped signals, and a modulating unit that modulates carrier waves based on the shaped signals. |
| US08027407B2 |
Method and apparatus for asynchronous space-time coded transmission from multiple base stations over wireless radio networks
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for asynchronous space-time coded transmission from multiple stations. In one embodiment, the method comprises one or more terminals and at least two base stations wirelessly communicating information-bearing signals to the one or more terminals using orthogonal space-time block codes. In one embodiment, the proposed codes maintain “orthogonality” at the receiver even in the presence of asynchronous signal reception among signals transmitted from distinct transmit base stations. |
| US08027406B2 |
Transmitter
A transmitter processes signals to be transmitted. The transmitter reduces the peak power generated in a transmission signal, even when many peaks exist. In the transmitter, the peaks of the transmission target signals are detected, and a peak suppression coefficient for suppressing the detected peaks is generated. The levels of the transmission target signals are suppressed using the peak suppression coefficient generated. |
| US08027405B2 |
Data communication using constant total current
A data communication system, comprising at least three signal conductors and a first and a second power supply terminal, for supplying currents of mutually opposite direction to the signal conductors respectively. A driver circuit establishes respective combinations of currents through the signal conductors from a selectable set of combinations, which includes combinations with currents from the first supply terminal and to the second supply terminal, so that a sum of the currents through the signal conductors substantially has a same value for each combination and at least one of the conductors in operation does not merely function in a differential-pair relation with another one of the conductors, the driver circuit determining which of the combinations from the set are established depending on information to be transmitted. |
| US08027404B1 |
Limiting candidates for symbol detection in a MIMO communication system
A circuit detects symbols communicated between multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas (MIMO). Distance blocks are coupled in a sequence according to an ordering of the transmitting antennas. The respective distance block associated with each transmitting antenna determines a distance value for each pairing of one or more candidates and a symbol in a constellation. A respective selector block is coupled between each successive pair of distance blocks in the sequence. The respective selector block selects the one or more candidates for the successive distance block as a limited number of the pairings having smaller ones of the distance values. A limit block coupled to the selector blocks provides the limited number to each selector block. An identifier block selects the pairing having a smaller one of the distance values from the last distance block in the sequence. |
| US08027403B2 |
Equalising structure and method with maximum likelihood detection
The present invention relates to an equalizing structure (10) and method for a receiving device of a wireless communication system, in which two or more information signals are transmitted in parallel from one or more transmitters, wherein for the information signals transmit information is modulated onto carrier signals according to a modulation scheme, whereby all possible data symbols are represented as constellation points in the signal constellation of the modulation scheme and whereby the equalizing structure (10) performs, for each information signal, a maximum likelihood detection in order to determine a constellation point with a minimum Euclidean distance to a received signal vector as a most likely received signal vector by searching over the whole set of possible transmit signals, Sm, the equalizing structure (10) comprises means (11) for detecting channel estimation information in the information signals and means. (31) for calculating the product of channel matrix, H,n, and transmit signal vector, sm, based on the channel estimation information detected by the detecting means (11), wherein the calculating means (31) calculates the product of channel matrix, Hm, and transmit signal vector, s,n, in at, least two steps, wherein in the first step a partial product of channel matrix, Hm, and transmit signal vector, sm, based on at least one or a part of the channel estimation information detected by the detecting means (11) is calculated. The reference signals used for channel estimation are sent from the different transmitter antennas with time offset from each other. |
| US08027397B2 |
Apparatus for creating, demodulating, transmitting and receiving orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol
The present invention relates to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal transmitting and receiving device, in which a peak to average power ratio characteristic is improved without reducing a data transmission speed. The OFDM signal transmitting device separates a digital modulated symbol as a real part and an imaginary part, and performs discrete cosine transform (DCT) and discrete sine transform (DST) operations respectively for real and imaginary part symbols, performs an inverse fast Fourier transform operation, and generates an OFDM symbol. The OFDM signal receiving device performs a fast Fourier transform operation for the OFDM symbol, and performs an inverse DCT operation and an inverse DST operation, performs a digital demodulating operation, and generates a final binary data symbol. |
| US08027387B2 |
Moving picture coding apparatus utilizing a DCT coefficient for performing intra-coding
In a moving picture coding apparatus, a first determining section determines whether the parameter is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold and a first measuring section, for each divided blocks, measures time duration while the first determining section is determining that the parameter is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold. After that, a second determining section determines whether the time duration comes up to a predetermined condition. Then, a coding control section forcibly sets intra-coding for a block, if the second measuring section determined that the time duration has come up to the condition. |
| US08027384B2 |
Scalable MPEG video/macro block rate control
A scaleable macro block rate control method particularly well-suited for MPEG video. There is provided a method to easily derive a quantization parameter (QP) value using information such as bit usage, previous QP values and SAD values from the past encoded and future frames. The method utilizes quantization estimation techniques based on statistical relationships between different intensity measures, such as distortion intensity, absolute difference intensity and mean of absolute difference intensity. The method is well-suited to applications utilizing MPEG video such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, JVT/H.264 standards and so forth. |
| US08027381B2 |
Robust mode staggercasting user controlled switching modes
A method and apparatus for staggercasting includes encoding a set of signals representing content. The set of encoded signals is capable of being decoded to produce a corresponding set of decoded signals, each having a quality which is different from the qualities of the decoded signals corresponding to the other encoded signals. A composite signal is generated which includes the set of encoded signals, staggered in time. The set of encoded signals extracting from the composite signal. Errors in the set of extracted encoded signals are detected to produce a subset of available extracted encoded signals which are not erroneous. A content representative signal at a selectable desired quality is then decoded. |
| US08027380B2 |
Method and apparatus for fast nearest neighbor search for vector quantizers
A method comprises identifying a component k of a codevector from a codebook C having one or more codevectors, the component k introducing highest variance for an input vector; allowing ordering of codevectors in the codebook C; and searching for a best match vector for the input vector using ordered codevectors. |
| US08027375B2 |
Shared filter design for pilot symbol averaging in rake fingers in WCDMA systems
A rake receiver having a shared moving average filter that is operable in a multiplexed manner to receive and filter outputs from a plurality of pilot signal correlators. |
| US08027371B2 |
Combine time multiplexed pilot (TMP) derotation with descrambling and despreading in data correlators used by rake receivers
The invention provides a code modification circuit for receiving a descrambling/dispreading code at a first input pair thereof and a pilot derotation code at a second input pair thereof, and arranged to combine the codes to form a combined code for providing to a correlator such that the correlator can recover data or a pilot signal from an input sequence supplied thereto. |
| US08027366B1 |
Technique for reducing physical layer (PHY) overhead in wireless LAN systems
A physical layer (PHY) packet aggregation technique may be used to reduce the percentage of PHY overhead in data transmission in order to achieve better PHY efficiency and higher throughput. Higher layer packets in an upper layer data queue may be fragmented into appropriate small-size sub-packets, which include a body encapsulated by a MAC header and an FCS field. The sub-packets are then concatenated to form the data field of an aggregated PHY packet. Since each of the sub-packets contains its own MAC (Media Access Control) header and FCS (Frame Check Sequence) field, the receiver can identify and flag erroneous sub-packets on an individual basis. The receiver may transmit a block ACK, which includes the acknowledgement status for each of the sub-packets in the aggregated PHY packet, to the transmitter. The transmitter may resend only the erroneous sub-packet(s). |
| US08027361B2 |
Class-based bandwidth allocation and admission control for virtual private networks with differentiated service
A method and apparatus for establishing a virtual private network (VPN) session for a priority request. The method and apparatus includes identifying a priority request from a plurality of VPN session request classes. Reserved bandwidth is allocated to the priority request if a nominally allocated bandwidth is insufficient to satisfy the priority request. Once the allocated bandwidth is assigned, admission control is applied to the priority request. |
| US08027358B2 |
Dynamic link width modulation
Techniques for dynamically adjusting point-to-point link width based, at least in part, on link conditions. When operating at full power and at the highest performance level, the full width of a point-to-point link may be utilized to transmit data between the end points. If the link is not fully utilized, a portion (e.g., one half or one quarter) of the link may remain active for communication purposes. |
| US08027357B2 |
Broadband wireless communications using multiple contention channels
a communication system comprises a plurality of downstream transmission systems configured to transmit downstream wireless communications to an area having a plurality of sectors over a plurality of downstream channels to a plurality of users in the plurality of sectors and a plurality of upstream receiver systems configured to receive upstream wireless communications over a plurality of upstream channels from the plurality of users in the plurality sectors. In an embodiment, the plurality of upstream channels comprise multiple contention channels associated with each of the plurality of sectors and a plurality of bearer channels associated with each of the plurality of sectors and the plurality of upstream receiver systems are further configured to receive a plurality of requests from the plurality of users over the multiple contention channels for access to the plurality of bearer channels. |
| US08027354B1 |
Network consolidation for virtualized servers
Techniques are disclosed for virtualized server kernel and virtual networks consolidation. The network consolidation allows a data center to migrate from an infrastructure that uses multiple dedicated gigabit Ethernet Network Adapters to manage system virtualization and migration to an infrastructure using consolidated, redundant, 10 gigabit Ethernet adapters. Different priority classes may be defined for different classes of network traffic such as hypervisor management traffic, inter-host virtual machine migration traffic, virtual machine production traffic, virtualized switching control plane traffic, etc. Further, an enhanced transmission standard may be used to specify a minimum bandwidth guarantee for certain traffic classes. Thus, the hypervisor management and inter-host virtual machine migration traffic may be transmitted, even the presence of congestion. |
| US08027352B2 |
Gateway apparatus and data managing method
A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between a plurality of different communication channels is provided with a time stamp unit for adding time stamp information to received frame data and a data discarding unit for determining processing delay of the frame data or abnormality of the apparatus by referring to the time stamp information and for deleting the time stamp information added to the frame data at the time of sending the frame data. |
| US08027344B2 |
Transmission of data packets of different priority levels using pre-emption
A method for transmitting data packets of at least two different priority levels via one or more bearer channels is described. The method comprises the steps of fragmenting a data packet into a plurality of corresponding code words, each code word comprising a sync code, with the sync code being adapted for indicating a priority level of the corresponding data packet, and of transmitting the code words via the one or more bearer channels. In case high priority code words corresponding to a high priority data packet arrive during transmission of low priority code words corresponding to a low priority data packet, the following steps are performed: interrupting transmission of low priority code words, transmitting the high priority code words corresponding to the high priority data packet, and resuming the transmission of the low priority code words via the one or more bearer channels. |
| US08027338B2 |
Discontinuing the implementation of an aggregation protocol
A method comprises on a first port, receiving a frame from a network device and determining whether the received frame includes a system identifier (ID) that matches a system ID corresponding to a second port. If the received frame's system ID matches the second port's system ID, the method further comprises discontinuing an aggregation protocol that otherwise enables multiple ports to be operated together as a virtual port. |
| US08027337B2 |
SONET multiplexer card having front panel access to electrical and optical connectors for use in compact enclosure for SONET multiplexer cards
A reduced size multiplexer and, in particular, a reduced size SONET multiplexer module is provided for use in a reduced size enclosure. The SONET multiplexer module has electrical and optical connectors on its faceplate to provide ease in access without having to remove the SONET multiplexer from the enclosure. The SONET multiplexer circuit is configured in a standard Type 400 mechanics circuit board arrangement. The SONET multiplexer module therefore can be inserted into an enclosure in a direction opposite to that in which the DS1 or DS3 connector projects from the face plate, so that the DS1 or DS3 connector remains freely accessible outside of the enclosure when the SONET multiplexer module is fully loaded into the enclosure. DS1 and DS3 cables and optical fibers can thus be easily coupled to the DS1 and DS3 and optical connectors, respectively, when the SONET multiplexer circuit is fully loaded into the enclosure. |
| US08027335B2 |
Multimedia access device and system employing the same
A method of establishing a voice communication session with a multimedia access device employable in a multimedia communication system. In one embodiment, the method includes initiating a session request from a first endpoint communication device employing an instant messaging client and coupled to a packet based communication network. The method also includes processing the session request including emulating the instant messaging client for a second endpoint communication device coupled to said packet based communication network. The second endpoint communication device is a non-instant messaging based communication device. The method still further includes establishing a voice communication session between the first and second endpoint communication devices in response to the session request. |
| US08027333B2 |
IP-based enhanced emergency services using intelligent client devices
Providing enhanced emergency services (E-911) to an IP Telephony-based PBX or similar system, by utilizing aspects of the intelligence of end-user SIP client devices to address challenges and difficulties associated with E-911-like services in LAN-based telephony environments. |
| US08027331B2 |
Data transmission method and communication system using the same
A data transmission method suitable for a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a plurality of first stations which uses an 802.11 protocol and a plurality of second stations which uses an 802.11e protocol and supports Quality of Service (QoS). The data transmission method includes following steps. One of the second stations is used as a Contention AssisTance (CAT) station to obtain a medium access right with a first access category (AC). The second station broadcasts a CAT packet to all the first stations and the other second stations. The other second stations stop contending for the medium access right for a first predetermined time according to the CAT packet, and the first stations transmit a packet with a QoS requirement according to the CAT packet. |
| US08027329B2 |
Preamble design for synchronization and cell search
A method of synchronizing signals in a wireless network uses a two part preamble transmitted on the downlink between a base station and a mobile station. The preamble includes a common pilot common to a plurality of base stations and a dedicated pilot unique to the transmitting base station. The mobile station performs coarse synchronization based on the common pilot and fine synchronization based on the dedicated pilot. The mobile station also identifies one or more nearby cells based on unique pilot tones in the dedicated pilot transmitted by the nearby cells. |
| US08027326B2 |
Method and system for high data rate multi-channel WLAN architecture
A method and system provides a way to achieve very high data rate expanded bandwidth (wide band) WLAN operations reusing existing single channel radio designs. The system provides a dual-channel form of operation for greater flexibility and performance across multiple platforms. Further, the system provides adaptive anti-aliasing techniques for eliminating aliasing due to adjacent channel waveform effects. These techniques mesh with existing systems cleanly. |
| US08027323B2 |
Packet transfer control device and mobile node
Disclosed is technique for avoiding packet reflection between home agents. According to the technique, a MN 10 includes a home address (HoA1) assigned thereto from a home network 12, and a home address (HoA2) assigned thereto from a home network 14. CoA is further acquired from a foreign network 15. Then, the MN uses the home addresses as care-of addresses, and performs binding-update including HoA1-HoA2 for the HA 12 and binding-update including HoA2-HoA1 as well as HoA2-CoA for the HA 14. A packet transmitted from a CN 16 to HoA1 is encapsulated by the HA 12 and transferred to the HA 14. The HA 14 refers to a source address of the received encapsulated packet and selects CoA as a transfer destination address instead of HoA2 having the same prefix. |
| US08027321B2 |
Method and system for interconnecting digital subscriber line network and radio communication network
A method and system for interconnecting a DSL network and a radio communication network are disclosed. The DSL network carries data transmitted in the radio communication network so that the radio communication network and the DSL network are interconnected. The xDSL is adopted to perform the base station transmission. The scheme may function as a radio extension of the wire access of the DSL network and is suitable to fixed wireless, nomadic connectivity, laptop and mobile access applications. |
| US08027316B1 |
Efficient selection of interoperability gateway for CDMA terminated PTT calls
A communications system includes a first PTT network, and a second PTT network having a plurality of interoperability gateways. A method for efficiently selecting an interoperability gateway for PTT calls terminated at the second PTT network includes receiving a PTT call request from the first PTT network, the PTT call request identifying a target subscriber unit on the second PTT network and forwarding the PTT call request to a first interoperability gateway. Notification is received if the request has succeeded, and the notification includes an identification of the target and a second interoperability gateway. This information is stored in cache for directing subsequent PTT calls to the same target to the corresponding second interoperability gateway. In one embodiment, the first PTT network is an iDEN network and the second PTT network is a HPPTT network and the PTT call is a HPPTT call. |
| US08027314B2 |
Method, network system and destination network for transmitting QoS during a handover process between systems
A method for transmitting quality of service (QoS) during a handover process between systems and a network system and a destination network thereof are provided, which enable the QoS to be transmitted to a second access network during a handover process of a user equipment (UE) between systems. The method comprises: a mobility management network element of the second network acquires QoS of a UE during a handover process of the UE from a first network to a second network; and the mobility management network element of the second network transmits the acquired QoS to the access network of the second network and/or a user plane network element. |
| US08027312B2 |
Wireless communication methods and components that implement handoff in wireless local area networks
This invention relates to wireless local area networks, and particularly to the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. It consists of a method and apparatus that can be implemented in access points (APs) and subscriber wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), in order to allow an AP to initiate re-association of a WTRU to itself or a different AP. The invention improves the robustness of the network by enabling more efficient load balancing, congestion control, and roaming, without compromising the user experience. |
| US08027311B2 |
Method of uplink packet scheduling and supporting thereof in wireless mobile communication system
A method of uplink packet scheduling in a wireless mobile communications system and method of supporting the same are disclosed, scheduling efficiency can be enhanced in case that one base station schedules uplink packet transmission to a user equipment which is in soft handover with a plurality of base stations. A method of uplink packet scheduling, which is for a user equipment in a soft handover state in a wireless mobile communications system, includes the steps of transmitting a NACK signal in response to an uplink packet transmitted from the user equipment, receiving instruction information for a reception result of the uplink packet in at least one base station from the user equipment or at least one different base station, and performing the uplink packet scheduling for the user equipment by considering the instruction information. |
| US08027306B2 |
Miscellaneous improvements on the HRPD system
Mechanisms for improving the proposed high rate packet data (HRPD) system are provided. Approaches proposed are including PilotGroupID in the sector parameter message to convey the pilot group information, encoding to enable shortened NeighborList messages, improvements on RoutUpdateRequest message for request updates on multiple carriers, inclusive of the channel record of the reference pilot in the RouteUpdate message when the message sent in the connected state, using pilot drop timer of a Candidate Set pilot as a trigger for sending RouteUpdate, encoding the TrafficChannelAssignment message to shorten the message in certain situations, limiting the usage of auxiliary DRC cover in some situations to avoid confusion in determining the serving sector and processing OverheadMessages. Updated Indication and OverheadMessagesNeighborList Initialization in the idle state. |
| US08027301B2 |
Cooperative OFDMA and distributed MIMO relaying over dense wireless networks
A method for wireless communication combines OFDMA resource allocation and power control policies with cooperative relaying techniques. The techniques are preferably implemented in a dense wireless network of power-limited mobile devices assisted by mobile relay devices having superior power supplies. Preferably, MIMO beamforming techniques are used to further increase energy efficiency and spectral efficiency beyond the increases provided by ODFMA cooperative relaying. |
| US08027299B2 |
Hybrid system having multiple downlink channels and a single uplink channel
Methods and systems for hybrid point to multipoint communication systems having multiple downlink channels and a single uplink channel, including the steps of: centrally allocating bandwidth to, and synchronizing communications with, a first and a second wireless clients; transmitting, over a shared signal wired distribution line, a first downlink signal transported over a first frequency, a second downlink signal transported over a second frequency, and an uplink signal transported over a fifth frequency; converting the frequency of the first downlink signal to a third frequency, and bi-directionally wirelessly communicating with a first wireless client over the third frequency; converting the frequency of the second downlink signal to a fourth frequency, and bi-directionally wirelessly communicating with a second wireless client over the fourth frequency; and converting and superpositioning a first received wireless uplink signal having the third frequency and a second received wireless uplink signal having the fourth frequency to the uplink signal that is transmitted over the shared signal wired distribution line using the fifth frequency. |
| US08027293B2 |
Communication channel selection and use
Methods and systems for characterizing requests for individual items of information available from a target address as part of a request for content are provided. The characterization of requests for items of information is applied to select one of a plurality of communication channels for servicing the request. In addition, where different requests for items of information are assigned to different communication channels, those different communication channels can be used to obtain items of information from the target address simultaneously. |
| US08027289B2 |
Ultra-low latency packet transport in ad hoc networks
The systems and methods described herein include, among other things, processes for providing low latency packet transport in ad hoc networks. To this end, the systems, in certain embodiments, employ an architecture for communication nodes in MANETs, in which the delay introduced in “routing” or “relaying” the packet is reduced. In these systems invention, the data plane of the OSI stack at relay nodes is collapsed so that bits entering the node are re-energized “on-the-fly”, with only a brief pause. A transit key in each packet, inserted by the originator of the packet, is used to index into a transit table to determine one of three actions to perform—drop, keep, or retransmit the packet. A control plane determines, for each packet, whether it should be re-energized or not. The control algorithm ensures that only nodes along the path from the source to the destination re-energize (relay) the packet. |
| US08027287B2 |
Apparatus and method for gating transmission of a data rate control channel in an HDR mobile communication system
A communication method in a mobile communication system in which an access terminal transmits to an access network DRC information indicating a selected one of forward data rates requested by the access terminal is provided. The access network designates a DRC information length DRCLength indicating a number of slots where the DRC information is repeated and transmits the designated DRC information length to the access terminal. The access terminal gates transmission of DRC information to the access terminal at one time slot in every DRC information length received from the access network. |
| US08027283B2 |
Method and apparatus for waiting time gain of user equipment through efficient process of assigned slot in mobile communication system
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for increasing the waiting time of a User Equipment (UE) through an efficient processing of assigned slots. The method includes processing a first 10 ms half frame of the assigned slot initially when the assigned slot is processed, identifying a general page message located in the first half frame, and performing a transition operation into a sleep state, when the general page message corresponds to a null general page message having no paging information and no control information to be updated. |
| US08027282B2 |
Heterogeneous wireless data transmission network
A heterogeneous wireless network topology suited for low-power, short-range and ubiquitous ad-hoc communication. The network topology integrates different wireless transmission technologies, in particular to a wireless sensor network including different node types and communication technologies. The network is highly heterogeneous and can be operated according to the master-slave principle. The nodes can have different wireless communication means tailored to their individual role in the network and other constraints, thus allowing different communication patterns. |
| US08027280B2 |
Layered architecture for data management in a wireless sensor network
A wireless sensor network comprises a plurality of nodes that communicate over wireless communication links. At least one of the plurality of nodes receives sensor data from a sensor. The wireless sensor network is queried by specifying a set of events of interest. For each event of interest included in the set of events of interest, a producer node included in the plurality of nodes identifies when that event of interest occurs and, when that event of interest occurs, transmits event data related to that event of interest to a consumer node included in the plurality of nodes. The wireless sensor network further comprises a data management stack that comprises a plurality of layers. The plurality of layers comprises an execution layer that executes on each producer node included in the plurality of nodes. For each event of interest included in the set of events of interest, the execution layer executing on the producer node for that event of interest identifies when that event of interest occurs. |
| US08027274B2 |
Multicast communication system and method
The present invention aims to realize a system and method of reliably performing multicast communication via a bandwidth-guaranteed network, and provides a multicast communication system for performing multicast communication via a bandwidth-guaranteed network, the system including: a multicast proxy response device added with a group address destination identifier; and a multicast client, wherein the multicast proxy response device transmits a session connection request to the group address destination identifier of the multicast proxy response device when starting reception, the multicast proxy response device which has received said session connection request transmits a session connection response to said multicast client, and the multicast client receives multicast data through a bandwidth secured in the bandwidth-guaranteed network by the session connection response. |
| US08027273B2 |
System and method for visually creating, editing, manipulating, verifying, and/or animating desired topologies of a mobile ad hoc network and/or for generating mobility-pattern data
A method and apparatus for creating virtual topologies for a mobile ad hoc network comprising generating at least two nodes representing transmitters and/or receivers in the network; each of said at least two nodes having parameters (which may be for example, location, direction, velocity, receiving/transmitting capability); generating a bidirectional or unidirectional link between two nodes when appropriate; storing the specifications of the topology of the network in memory; whereby the stored topologies are adapted to be inputted into a test-bed system capable of emulating a mobile ad-hoc network. Optionally, the images of the nodes and links are displayed on a display and/or may be stored on a programmable storage medium. |
| US08027269B2 |
Method and arrangement for determining transmission delay
Determining mutual differences of transmission delays experienced by protocol data units transmitted in a communications network is based on a surprising discovery that the time difference between the receiving moments of protocol data units the temporal receiving order of which deviates from their temporal transmitting order represents the smallest possible difference between the transmission delays experienced by these protocol data units. In a method it is determined, based on an order indicator associated with a protocol data unit received at an earlier point of time and an order indicator associated with a protocol data unit received later, whether the mutual order of the protocol data units changed during transmission. If the mutual order has changed, the time difference between the receiving moments of the protocol data units is calculated, which time difference represents the smallest possible difference between the transmission delays experienced by these protocol data units. |
| US08027265B2 |
Providing a capability list of a predefined format in a communications network
In a communications network having plural nodes, a first node receives a capability list that has a predefined format and includes plural entries identifying corresponding data processing functions supported by one or more nodes along a communications path of a communications session involving the first node. The first node adds at least one additional entry into the capability list in response to determining that the first node supports a data processing function that is not identified in the capability list. |
| US08027264B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring subjective assessment of digital video impairment
A method and system for using key performance indicators of a transport channel to determine key quality indicators associated with information transported there through. |
| US08027262B2 |
Method and apparatus for keeping track of virtual LAN topology in network of nodes
An arbitrary node that belongs to a virtual LAN sends a request packet including a count value indicating the number of communication hops across nodes to each of its adjacent nodes that belong to the virtual LAN and are adjacent. Upon receiving the request packet, each of the adjacent nodes sends the request packet in which the count value is incremented or decremented to each of its adjacent nodes that belong to the virtual LAN and are adjacent to the node, excluding a sender of the request packet received, and sends a reply packet including the sender's address, an address of the node that is a replying node, and the count value to a given return destination. The return destination collects reply packets sent thereto and keeps track of the topology of the nodes constituting the virtual LAN from information contained in the reply packets. |
| US08027260B2 |
Mixed integer programming model for minimizing leased access network costs
A device receives network configuration information from a network, determines a logical network based on the network configuration information, and constructs a mixed integer programming (MIP) model based on the logical network. The device also calculates an optimal solution, which minimizes network costs, using the mixed integer programming (MIP) model, performs a post-optimization mapping procedure on the optimal solution to produce an optimal network configuration mapping, and outputs the optimal network configuration mapping for implementation. |
| US08027252B2 |
System and method of defense against denial of service of attacks
A system and method comprise a first buffer having a first capacity and a first threshold level adapted to store data frames having the lowest priority, a second buffer having a second capacity greater than the first capacity and a second threshold level greater than the first threshold level adapted to store data frames having a medium priority, a third buffer having a third capacity greater than the second capacity and a third threshold level greater than the second threshold level adapted to store data frames having the highest priority. The system further includes means for differentiating a data frame as having lowest, medium or highest priority and storing the data frame in the respective first, second or third buffer, and discarding the data frame in response to the first, second or third buffer reaching the respective threshold level. |
| US08027249B2 |
Methods for using a detector to monitor and detect channel occupancy
Methods for using a detector to monitor and detect channel occupancy are disclosed. The detector resides on a station within a network using a framed format having a periodic time structure. When non-cooperative transmissions are detected by the network, the detector assesses the availability of a backup channel enabling migration of the network. The backup channel serves to allow the network to migrate transparently when the current channel becomes unavailable. The backup channel, however, could be occupied by another network that results in the migrating network interfering with the network already using the backup channel. Thus, the detector detects active transmission sources on the backup channel to determine whether the backup channel is occupied. Methods for using the detector include scheduling detection intervals asynchronously. The asynchronous detection uses offsets from a reference point within a frame. |
| US08027248B2 |
Access port adoption to multiple wireless switches
An apparatus, network and techniques for minimizing wireless network downtime associated with a wireless switch failure are disclosed. Access ports are adopted to multiple wireless switches wherein one switch operates to exchange data and control traffic with the access port and remaining switches operate to exchange control traffic with the access port. In the event of a link failure between the wireless switch exchanging data and control traffic with the access port, the access port remains adopted to remaining switches and exchanges data and control traffic with one of the remaining switches. |
| US08027244B2 |
Base station apparatus, mobile station apparatus, and method of transmitting synchronization channels
A base station apparatus in a radio communications system is disclosed. The base station apparatus communicates with a mobile station using an OFDM scheme in downlink. The base station apparatus includes a sync signal generating unit which generates a secondary sync channel; a multiplying unit which multiplies a scramble code with the secondary sync channel; and a transmitting unit which transmits the secondary sync channel with which the scramble code is multiplied. Cell-specific information is detected by the secondary sync channel. |
| US08027238B2 |
Holographic data support and method for production thereof
The invention relates to a data support (1) with a core layer (15) and at least one adjacent layer (14a), laminated to the core layer and a corresponding production method, said core layer being embodied from a holographic data store in the form of a volume hologram (5). The surface (141) facing the core layer, on the layer directly adjacent to the core layer, has a roughness (19), before lamination to the core layer, which affects the wavelength shift of the image reconstructed by the volume hologram. |
| US08027237B2 |
Optical storage medium, information recording apparatus, and information reproducing apparatus
An optical storage medium can be provided by which illegal usage of the optical storage medium involving an infringement on the copyright can be prevented effectively without impairment of the functions for reproducing physical format information and optical storage medium manufacturing information. The optical storage medium includes a main information region in which encrypted data information is recorded as a pit row that is capable of being read out by means of light and a control data region. In the control data region, key information for decoding the encryption of the data information, the physical format information and the optical storage medium manufacturing information are recorded by wobbling a groove. |
| US08027235B2 |
Defect managing method and defect managing device
Performing sequential recording to alternate destinations of an information recording medium and improving access performance of accessing the information recording medium are achieved by estimating sequential defective areas of the information recording medium based on prescribed conditions, allocating blocks of a spare area as alternate destinations of the defective areas, and performing alternate recording to the allocated alternate destinations, in response to a recording request to record information to the sequential defective areas. The above can be achieved because the use of the alternate destinations will help to prevent a time-out from occurring due to he the defective areas. |
| US08027221B2 |
Memory device
A memory device that can include a power-supply voltage detector that detects power-supply voltage values and that outputs a detection result indicating which power-supply voltage value is detected; a data-rate setter that sets data rates corresponding to the detection result of the power-supply voltage detector, in synchronization with a rising edge or falling edge of a clock signal; and a memory cell array that performs reading/writing at the data rates set by the data-rate setter. |
| US08027220B2 |
Oscillation device, method of oscillation, and memory device
An oscillation device includes a first setting unit that outputs an oscillation period designation signal, a calculating unit that performs an arithmetic operation on the oscillation period designation signal, and an oscillating unit that generates an oscillation signal having a period based on the oscillation period designation signal subjected to the arithmetic operation. |
| US08027217B2 |
Supply voltage distribution system with reduced resistance for semiconductor devices
A supply voltage distribution system for distributing a supply voltage through a semiconductor device, the supply voltage distribution system comprising: a first supply voltage distribution line arrangement and a second supply voltage distribution line arrangement, said first supply voltage distribution line arrangement and said second supply voltage distribution line arrangement being adapted to receive from outside the semiconductor device a semiconductor device supply voltage and to distribute a supply voltage to respective first and second portions of the semiconductor device; a voltage-to-voltage conversion circuit connected to the first supply voltage distribution line arrangement, wherein the voltage-to-voltage conversion circuit is adapted to either transfer onto the first supply voltage distribution line arrangement the semiconductor device supply voltage received from outside the semiconductor device, or to put on the first supply voltage distribution line a converted supply voltage having a value different from the semiconductor device supply voltage, wherein the voltage-to-voltage conversion circuit further comprises means selectively activatable for causing the first supply voltage distribution line arrangement to be electrically coupled to said second supply voltage distribution line arrangement. |
| US08027216B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A memory may includes: word lines; bit lines; memory array blocks including memory cells, each memory array block being a unit of a data read operation or a data write operation; a row decoder configured to selectively drive the word lines; sense amplifiers configured to detect data; and an access counter provided for each memory cell block, the access counter counting the number of times of accessing the memory array blocks in order to read data or write data, and activating a refresh request signal when the number of times of access reaches a predetermined number of times, wherein during an activation period of the refresh request signal of the access counter, the row decoder periodically and sequentially activates the word lines of the memory array blocks corresponding to the access counter, and the sense amplifier performs a refresh operation of the memory cells connected to the activated word lines. |
| US08027214B2 |
Asymmetric sense amplifier
Sensing circuits for determining the state of memory cells include a sense amplifier. The sense amplifier includes an imbalanced cross-coupled latch (ICL), a first gate field effect transistor (FET) between a bit line (BL) and a first output node, and a second gate FET between a bit line inverse (BLB) and a second output node. The ICL includes a first pull down FET between the first output node and an enable FET connected to electrical ground, and a second pull down FET between the second output node and the enable FET. Channel widths of the second pull down FET and the second gate FET are greater than channel widths of the first pull down FET and the first gate FET to enhance the ability to detect a one (1) and a zero (0) stored in a memory cell connected to the sense amplifier. |
| US08027212B2 |
Method and apparatus for a dynamic semiconductor memory with compact sense amplifier circuit
A high-density dynamic memory device with compact sense amplifier circuit is described. The memory device achieves high density through the use of a compact sense amplifier circuit that employs a single transistor to sense stored dynamic data. Functionality of the device is enabled by an architecture and method of operation that support a compact sense amplifier circuit. Enabling techniques include sequential sensing of memory columns, a two-pass write operation, a two-step refresh operation, a reference scheme that uses reference data stored in regular memory cells, and the application of digital signal processing to determine sensed data and cancel crosstalk noise. |
| US08027210B2 |
Data input apparatus with improved setup/hold window
In the data input apparatus, a data delay unit outputs data input from outside the data input apparatice. The data delay unit varies the degree of delay in response to a test mode signal. A data alignment signal generating unit receives a first signal synchronized with an external clock signal and a second signal synchronized with a data strobe signal, and the data alignment signal generating unit outputs one of the first signal and the second signal as a data alignment signal in response to the test mode signal. A data alignment unit is synchronized with the data alignment signal to align the data delayed in the data delay unit. The data input apparatus improves the setup/hold window when a semiconductor memory device is in the test mode. |
| US08027208B2 |
Flash memory device and programming method thereof
The flash memory device includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells, a high voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of pass voltages, with a first pass voltage of the plurality of pass voltages supplied to the memory cell array during a programming operation; and a main controller including a voltage controller configured to shift the first pass voltage at a plurality of time intervals during the programming operation. |
| US08027206B2 |
Bit line voltage control in spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory
A Spin Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM) and associated read operations are disclosed. A bit cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and a word line transistor, the bit cell being coupled to a bit line and a source line. A clamping circuit is coupled to the bit line and is configured to clamp the bit line voltage to a desired voltage level during a read operation of the STT-MRAM to prevent the bit line voltage from exceeding the desired voltage level. The desired voltage level is less than a write voltage threshold associated with a write operation of the STT-MRAM. |
| US08027201B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device with load-free wired-or structure and an associated driving method
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes an internal output line, and a page buffers. Each page buffer is coupled to at least one bitline, the internal output line, and a data input line physically distinct from the internal output line, and configured to pull the internal output line to an output drive voltage in response to a bitline voltage on one of the bitlines coupled to the page buffer. |
| US08027198B2 |
Trap-charge non-volatile switch connector for programmable logic
A nonvolatile trap charge storage cell selects a logic interconnect transistor uses in programmable logic applications, such as FPGA. The nonvolatile trap charge element is an insulator located under a control gate and above an oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The preferred embodiment is an integrated device comprising a word gate portion sandwiched between two nonvolatile trap charge storage portions, wherein the integrated device is connected between a high bias, a low bias and an output. The output is formed by a diffusion connecting to the channel directly under the word gate portion. The program state of the two storage portions determines whether the high bias or the low bias is coupled to a logic interconnect transistor connected to the output diffusion. |
| US08027196B1 |
Parallel programming of multiple-bit-per-cell memory cells by controlling program pulsewidth and programming voltage
Write operations that simultaneously program multiple memory cells on the same word line in an MBPC Flash memory employ word line voltage variation, programming pulse width variation, and data-dependent bit line and/or source line biasing to achieve uniform programming accuracy across a range of target threshold voltages. A first type of write operation reaches different target threshold voltages during different time intervals, but uses word line signals that optimize threshold voltage resolution regardless of the target threshold voltage. A second type uses bit line and/or source line biases that depend on the multi-bit data values being written so that different memory cells reach different target threshold voltage at about the same time. Source line biasing can also reduce bit line leakage current through unselected memory cells during read or verify operations. A memory includes divided source lines that permit separate data-dependent source biasing. During or at the end of write operations, remedial programming sequences can adjust the threshold voltages of memory cells that program slowly. |
| US08027195B2 |
Folding data stored in binary format into multi-state format within non-volatile memory devices
Techniques for the reading and writing of data in multi-state non-volatile memories are described. Data is written into the memory in a binary format, read into the data registers on the memory, and “folded” within the registers, and then written back into the memory in a multi-state format. In the folding operation, binary data from a single word line is folded into a multi-state format and, when rewritten in multi-state form, is written into a only a portion of another word line. A corresponding reading technique, where the data is “unfolded” is also described. The techniques further allow for the data to be encoded with an error correction code (ECC) on the controller that takes into account its eventual multi-state storage prior to transferring the data to the memory to be written in binary form. A register structure allowing such a “folding” operation is also presented. |
| US08027193B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having bit line disturbance preventing unit
A read data path circuit for use in the semiconductor memory device includes a bit line sense amplifier, a local input/output line sense amplifier, a column selection unit operationally coupling a bit line pair with the local input/output line pair in response to a column selection signal, where the bit line pair is coupled to the bit line sense amplifier and the local input/output line pair is coupled to the local input/output line sense amplifier, and a bit line disturbance preventing unit configured to equalize signal levels of the local input/output line pair before the column selection signal is activated, and configured to sense and amplify signal levels of bit line data transferred to the local input/output line pair after the column selection signal is activated. |
| US08027187B2 |
Memory sensing devices, methods, and systems
The present disclosure includes devices, methods, and systems for sensing memory, such as resistance variable memory, among other types of memory. One or more embodiments can include a method for generating currents to be used in sensing a memory cell, the method including providing a number of initial currents, and generating a number of reference currents by summing particular combinations of the initial currents. |
| US08027182B2 |
Electric current measurement apparatus, voltage measurement apparatus and power supply apparatus
An electric current measurement apparatus for measuring an electric current of each electrode of an electron tube includes a transformer, a detection resistor connected in an ampere meter route for measurement, a voltage detection unit for detecting electric potential difference of the detection resistor and outputting pulse signals corresponding to the detected electric potential difference, a switching part for providing a short circuit of the secondary winding according to the pulse signals, and a measurement current value output unit. The measurement current value output unit measures pulse attribute of pulse-shape signals which are induced on the primary winding of the transformer caused by the short circuit of the secondary winding, and outputs a value of electric current flowing through the detection resistor with referring to a predetermined relationship between a value of the electric current flowing through the detection resistor and the pulse signals generated in the voltage detection unit. |
| US08027180B2 |
Power generating apparatus
A power generating apparatus including an AC generator that supplies electric power to a load including a voltage accumulating means, an inverter that applies AC control voltage to armature winding of the generator from the voltage accumulating means, and a controller that controls a phase of control voltage applied to the armature winding by the inverter to keep load voltage at a target value, wherein the phase of the control voltage is controlled so as to advance when the load voltage is higher than the target value, hold the present phase when the load voltage is equal to the target value, advance when the load voltage is lower than the target value and a phase of phase voltage of the generator is delayed behind a phase of a phase current of the same phase, and delay when the load voltage is lower than the target value and the phase of the phase voltage of the generator is advanced ahead of a phase of a phase current of the same phase. |
| US08027174B2 |
Adapter power supply
An advantage of the present invention is to provide an adapter power supply which varies a link voltage of DC power serving an input power of a DC/DC converter according to variation of a load current estimated by measuring a secondary current using a lossless current measurement technique at a primary terminal of a transformer of the DC/DC converter and thus presuming a load current of an output power.An adapter power supply according to present invention may include an AC/DC converter converting a commercial AC power into a DC power; a DC/DC converter including a transformer composed of a primary terminal and a secondary terminal in order to output an output power by converting a link voltage of the DC power; and a controller presuming a load current of the output power through a primary current of the transformer and varying the link voltage of the DC power according to variation of the estimated load current. |
| US08027173B2 |
Apparatus for providing AC voltage
An apparatus for providing an AC voltage includes a synthesizer for generating at least one periodic output voltage signal, each periodic output voltage signal having an output frequency. The synthesizer is supplied by an input AC voltage having an input frequency, and is configured such that each output frequency differs from the input frequency. |
| US08027170B2 |
Substrate and electronic device using the same
An electronic device which includes a feedthrough capacitor mounted on a front surface of a substrate. A feedthrough electrode penetrates a laminate (body of the capacitor). External electrodes are electrically connected to opposite ends of the feedthrough electrode. A capacitor electrode is disposed to form capacity in cooperation with the feedthrough electrode. A wiring conductor is formed on a rear surface of the substrate or inside the substrate, and via-hole conductors are connected to the wiring conductor. The feedthrough electrode and the external electrodes constitute a first current path. The wiring conductor and the via-hole conductors constitute a second current path electrically connected in parallel to the first current path. |
| US08027169B2 |
Multilayer printed wiring board for semiconductor devices and method for manufacturing the board
A multilayer printed wiring board includes one or more resin layers having via-holes and a core layer having via-holes. The via-holes formed in the one or more resin layers are open in the direction opposite to the direction in which the via-holes formed in the core layer are open. A method for manufacturing a multilayer printed wiring board includes a step of preparing a single- or double-sided copper-clad laminate; a step of forming lands by processing the copper-clad laminate; a step of forming a resin layer on the upper surface of the copper-clad laminate, forming openings for via-holes in the resin layer, and then forming the via-holes; and a step of forming openings for via-holes in the lower surface of the copper-clad laminate and then forming the via-holes. |
| US08027167B2 |
Case cable management
The case cable management has a shell, a circuit board, multiple sockets and a cover. The shell has a bottom board and a sidewall. The circuit board is attached securely to the bottom board of the shell. The sockets are mounted through the sidewall of the shell and have multiple terminals connected securely to the circuit board. The cover covers the shell. Multiple power lines are mounted through the sidewall of the shell to connect the circuit board and sockets to a power supply and cables from computer apparatuses are connected to the sockets to receive electric power. Different cables can be distinguished clearly and conveniently for simplified cable routing to avoid confusion and facilitate replacement. |
| US08027164B2 |
Mounting arrangement for fixing printed circuit boards disposed one above the other in a housing
A mounting configuration for a plurality of printed circuit boards that are arranged one above the other and equipped with electrical components. The printed circuit boards are fixed in a housing assembly formed with a bottom and a top for receiving the printed circuit boards. Engagement holes are positioned congruently in the printed circuit boards, the housing bottom, and the housing top, such that the printed circuit boards, the housing bottom and the housing top can be fixed relative to one another by way of at least one fastener. |
| US08027163B2 |
Display device
A display device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the display device includes i) a display panel configured to display an image, ii) a chassis base configured to support the display panel, iii) an auxiliary chassis disposed between the display panel and the chassis base, wherein one end of the auxiliary chassis covers and contacts an edge of the chassis base. The display device further includes i) a driving board disposed at the back of the chassis base and configured to drive the display panel and ii) at least one signal transmission member comprising at least one circuit device and configured to electrically connect the display panel and the driving board, wherein one side of the at least one signal transmission member is supported by the auxiliary chassis, and wherein the one side faces the edge of the chassis base. |
| US08027162B2 |
Liquid-cooled electronics apparatus and methods of fabrication
Liquid-cooled electronics apparatuses and methods are provided. The cooled electronics apparatuses include a liquid-cooled cold rail and an electronics subassembly. The liquid-cooled cold rail has a thermally conductive structure and a coolant-carrying channel extending within and cooling the thermally conductive structure. The electronics subassembly includes an electronics card(s) and one or more thermal transfer plates. The electronics card(s) includes electronic devices to be cooled, and the one or more thermal transfer plates are each rigidly affixed to one or more electronic devices of the electronics card(s). Each thermal transfer plate is thermally conductive and couples the electronics subassembly to the liquid-cooled cold rail to thermally interface the one or more electronic devices to the liquid-cooled cold rail to facilitate cooling of the electronic devices. In one embodiment, the electronics subassembly includes multiple interleaved electronics cards and thermal transfer plates. |
| US08027161B2 |
Electronic power converter and mounting structure of semiconductor device
An electric power converter has a main circuit section including a semiconductor module and a cooling device; a control circuit substrate section electrically connected to a signal terminal of the semiconductor module, and having a control circuit; and a power wiring section connected to a main electrode terminal of the semiconductor module. The main circuit section is interposed between the control circuit substrate section and the power wiring section. |
| US08027156B2 |
Keyboard connection configuration and electronic device
A keyboard includes a keyboard unit and casing. The keyboard unit is rectangular and includes a first and second surface, the first surface including at least one key disposed thereon, the second surface including a protrusion portion that protrudes therefrom. The protrusion portion includes an engagement hole open toward a first direction that corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the rectangle. The casing includes a third surface on which the keyboard unit is mounted, the third surface including an insertion or through hole into which the protrusion portion is insertable, the casing including an engagement protrusion provided at a position opposed to the engagement hole of the protrusion portion that is inserted into the through hole, the engagement protrusion being engaged with the engagement hole of the inserted protrusion portion when the keyboard unit is moved in the first direction. A method of assembling the keyboard is also described. |
| US08027153B2 |
Lead frame for quad flat no-lead package
A lead frame for a quad flat no-lead package includes a plurality of units arranged in a matrix manner and each having four comers. Each of the corners extends outwards to define an attaching portion for attachment to a UV tape such that four sides of each of the units won't fly off when the sides are cut off. |
| US08027150B2 |
Conductive polymer solid electrolytic capacitor
A solid electrolytic capacitor having an electrolytic layer containing at least two types of ionic liquids and a conductive polymer is provided. Preferably, the ionic liquids include at least one type of ionic liquid for supplying an excellent impedance characteristic and at least one type of ionic liquid for supplying an excellent withstand voltage characteristic. Thus, a solid electrolytic capacitor exhibiting a high withstand voltage and an excellent impedance characteristic can be obtained. |
| US08027149B2 |
Electrolytic capacitors with multiple anodes and anode lead configurations thereof
A capacitor comprising a cylindrical casing sidewall extending to closed first and second end walls and an anode assembly housed therein including a first, second and third anodes is described. Each anode comprises an anode sidewall extending to first and second anode end walls and a conductive lead extending therefrom. The anodes are in a side-by-side relationship within the casing with their respective sidewalls parallel to each other. The cathode of the capacitor may include a first conductive substrate supporting a cathode active material. The conductive substrate is wrapped around the anodes, and the cathode active material is disposed on the substrate at locations such that the respective sidewalls of the anodes are opposed by cathode active material. A separator is positioned between the side-by-side anodes and the cathode. The open volume within the casing is filled with an electrolyte, and the casing is hermetically sealed. |
| US08027147B2 |
Ultracapacitor and method of manufacturing the same
A method for producing an ultracapacitor includes the steps of: providing a negative porous electrode in contact with a negative conducting plate; providing a positive porous electrode in contact with a positive conducting plate; providing an ultracapacitor separator being a microporous material that separates the negative porous electrode from the positive porous electrode; providing an electrolytic solution that impregnates the negative porous electrode, the positive porous electrode, and the ultracapacitor separator; and curing the ultracapacitor at a temperature of at least 200° C. |
| US08027144B2 |
Capacitor structure
A capacitor structure is provided. The capacitor structure comprises a plurality of parallel conductive line levels and a plurality of vias. Each conductive line level comprises first conductive lines parallel to each other and second conductive lines parallel to each other. Also, the first conductive lines on different conductive line levels are aligned to each other and the second conductive lines on different conductive line levels are aligned to each other so as to form first conductive line co-planes and second conductive line co-planes. The vias are located on the conductive line co-planes and between the conductive line levels for connecting the conductive lines on the neighboring conductive line levels. The vias, on a height level of each of the conductive line co-planes, are arranged only on one of the neighboring conductive line co-planes. |
| US08027140B2 |
Reed switch arrays
An array of reed switches (13) is assembled on a circuit board (11) having a plurality of through-apertures (12) with one reed switch (13) disposed in each aperture with the axis of the switch envelope (14) extending perpendicularly to the plane of the board. A plurality of coils (16) is provided on the board so that each switch (13) is surrounded by a respective coil, the coils being connected to conductors on the board for operation of the switches. Also disposed is a control circuit wherein the reed switch drive coils (26) are connected in series across a constant-current voltage source and a respective solid-state switch TR1, TR2 . . . connected across each coil, with divers for each solid-state switch to permit operation of a selected reed switch. |
| US08027138B2 |
Capacitor sharing surge protection circuit
A capacitor sharing surge protection circuit for protecting multiple ports from harmful energy surges, such as electrostatic discharge (ESD) and cable discharge events (CDE), is provided. The protection circuit includes a plurality of diodes with respective cathodes and anodes. Each anode of the plurality of diodes is coupled to one of the plurality of ports. A bypass capacitor is coupled between the cathodes of the plurality of diodes and ground. In an embodiment, a bulk capacitor is further coupled between the cathodes of the plurality of diodes and ground. |
| US08027132B2 |
Failure detection device for power circuit including switching element
A failure detection device detects the voltage across the main electrodes of an IGBT via a diode. The failure detection device determines occurrence of short-circuit failure in the IGBT when the anode voltage of the diode is lower than a first predetermined reference voltage. Determination can be made, excluding the case of a proper operation corresponding to a flywheel diode in an ON state, preferably together with the condition that the anode voltage of the diode is higher than a second predetermined reference voltage. |
| US08027131B2 |
Method and circuit arrangement for protection against electrostatic discharges
An electronic circuit device is provided which comprises an electronic circuit unit, an ESD protection unit connected in parallel to the electronic circuit unit and configured to clamp a supply voltage of the electronic circuit unit, at least one input clamp unit configured to clamp input voltages applied at at least one input terminal of the electronic circuit unit, and at least one ESD clamp provided at the at least one input terminal and configured to protect the electronic circuit unit against electrostatic discharges. |
| US08027125B2 |
PMR with improved writability and process controllability by double layer patterning
Improved writability and a sharper neck transition are achieved in a PMR writer with a yoke that has essentially vertical sidewalls and a write pole that has sidewalls with a beveled angle. An alumina mold is made with a negative differential bevel angle by employing a two mask process. A first photoresist layer is patterned and etched to form a rectangular trench in an alumina layer. The trench extends beyond the intended ABS plane and in the opposite direction into the intended yoke area. A second photoresist layer is patterned into a yoke shape that is partially superimposed over the rectangular trench. After a second RIE process, the yoke opening adjoins the trench at a neck transition point along each long trench side. The volume of magnetic material in the yoke adjacent to the neck is thereby maximized. Dimension control of the main pole becomes independent of ABS positioning errors. |
| US08027124B2 |
Magnetic head
A system in one embodiment includes first and second modules, each module having a substrate, a closure, and a gap situated therebetween, the gap comprising transducers selected from readers and writers; wherein the closures face each other, wherein the closure and the substrate of each module form a flat tape bearing surface, wherein a module spacing is defined as a distance from a point proximate to the transducers in the gap of the first module to a point proximate to the transducers in the gap of the second module, wherein the module spacing is less than 1.3 mm and greater than 0 mm. |
| US08027123B2 |
Integrated windage blocker for reduction of flex cable vibration in a disk drive
A windage blocker integrated with a base for a hard disk drive is disclosed. One embodiment provides a cavity portion comprising a planar surface defining an inner bottom surface of the cavity, the cavity portion for receiving an actuator assembly, the actuator assembly comprising a flex cable. The cavity includes at least one windage blocker integrated with the planar surface of the cavity of the base, the windage blocker for reducing detrimental local excitation of an airflow encountering the flex cable. |
| US08027116B2 |
Method of manufacturing a hard-disk drive using a bulk eraser
A method of manufacturing of a hard-disk drive using a bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk. The method includes providing a bulk eraser that produces magnetic-flux density in a gap sufficient to erase recorded information from a magnetic-recording disk, a hard-disk drive, a disk-stack having at least one magnetic-recording disk, and a drive motor for rotating the magnetic-recording disk. The method also includes configuring a plurality of magnets and a structure of the bulk eraser such that magnetic-flux density is oriented parallel to and in a radial direction of the magnetic-recording disk; and rotating the magnetic-recording disk. The method further includes inserting the hard-disk drive into the gap of the bulk eraser; and erasing recorded information from the magnetic-recording disk located in the gap; and removing the hard-disk drive from the gap. |
| US08027114B1 |
Spiral servo detection with phase-locked loop (PLL)
The present disclosure includes apparatus, systems and techniques relating to detecting sync marks. In some implementations, an apparatus includes phase locking circuitry that includes a phase calculator to identify a phase of sampled data, and a phase-locked loop to generate an output signal and phase-lock the generated output signal with the calculated phase of the sampled data to produce a phase-locked signal. The apparatus includes detector circuitry to receive phase information of the phase-locked output signal. The detector circuitry includes a detector to generate a stream of decision bits for the sampled data with each bit in the stream being associated with a different phase. The detector circuitry includes an output selector to select at least one bit from the stream based on the received phase information of the phase-locked output signal. |
| US08027102B2 |
Cam mechanism of a telescoping lens barrel
A cam mechanism of a lens barrel includes a cam ring; and a movable frame which moves along an optical axis when the cam ring is rotated, without rotating relative to the cam ring, by engagement of a cam groove provided on the cam ring with a corresponding cam follower provided on the movable frame. The cam groove is formed as a bottomed cam groove including two inclined side surfaces and a bottom surface which connects the two inclined side surfaces. The cam ring includes a single-sided cam section on an end surface of the cam ring, wherein continuity of the reference cam diagram is maintained along the single-sided cam section, and at least a part of one of the two inclined side surfaces which is positioned closer to a nearby end of the cam ring is absent at the single-sided cam section. |
| US08027101B2 |
Optical element fixing component and imaging unit
The present invention relates to an optical element fixing component having a hollow portion which includes an optical element. The optical element fixing component is made from a non-crystalline alloy, and a ratio of a linear expansion coefficient of the optical element fixing component toward a linear expansion coefficient of the optical element is 1.5 or less. |
| US08027095B2 |
Control systems for adaptive lens
Systems and methods for controlling a fluid lens in a data collection device. One or more micropump control systems are used to control one or more fluid lenses. The micropump control systems are used to change volume and/or pressure within the fluid lens system, changing the radius of curvature of the lens. |
| US08027088B2 |
Catadioptric projection objective with tilted deflecting mirrors, projection exposure apparatus, projection exposure method, and mirror
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a catadioptric projection objective having a plurality of optical elements arranged along an optical axis to image a pattern arranged in an object surface of the projection objective onto an image surface of the projection objective. The optical elements include a concave mirror, a first deflecting mirror tilted relative to the optical axis and a second deflecting mirror. The catadioptric projection objective can image patterns including sub-patterns oriented in various directions such that line width variations due to differences of orientation of sub-patterns are largely avoided. |
| US08027086B2 |
Roll to roll nanoimprint lithography
Apparatus and methods for a nano-patterning process to fabricate nanostructures. A roller type mold is used to continuously imprint nanostructures onto a flexible web or a rigid substrate. The process includes a coating and an imprinting module, which rotate the web synchronously. Liquid resist materials are used for imprinting and the patterns are set by thermal or UV curing. The process is used to produce bilayer metal wire-grid polarizers, organic solar cells, and organic light emitting diodes. |
| US08027082B2 |
Raman amplifier and excitation light source used thereof
A Raman amplifier provided with a pump source outputting a pumping light; a rare-earth doped fiber inputting the pumping light and outputting an excitation light; and a guiding unit guiding the excitation light to an optical fiber to a direction opposite to which a signal light propagates in the optical fiber.Also a Raman amplifier provided with a plurality of pump sources outputting a plurality of pumping lights; a plurality of rare-earth doped fibers inputting the each of the plurality of pumping lights and outputting a plurality of excitation lights; a guiding unit guiding the plurality of excitation lights to an optical fiber to a direction opposite to which a signal light propagates in the optical fiber. |
| US08027081B2 |
Electro-optic display with edge seal
Various types of edge seals for protecting electro-optic displays against environmental contaminants are described. In one type of seal, the electro-optic layer is sandwiched between a backplane and a protective sheet and a sealing material extends between the backplane and the protective sheet. In other seals, the protective sheet is secured to the backplane or to a second protective sheet adjacent the backplane. The electro-optic layer can also be sealed between two layers of adhesive or between one layer of adhesive and the backplane. Other seals make use of flexible tapes extending around the periphery of the display. |
| US08027080B2 |
Transflective electro-wetting display device
An exemplary transflective electro-wetting display (EWD) device includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate opposite to the upper substrate, a first polar liquid disposed between the upper and lower substrates, a second, colored, non-polar liquid disposed between the upper and lower substrates, and a reflective pattern disposed at the lower substrate. The second liquid is immiscible with the first liquid. An area of the reflective pattern covered by the second liquid varies according to an area of the lower substrate covered by the second liquid. |
| US08027076B2 |
Light scanning device and thrust-direction force canceling method
At least a part of a first thrust-direction force generated by air resistance received by at least one surface of reflection surfaces arrayed in a rotating direction of a polygon mirror 35 and tilted with respect to a rotation axis 35p of the polygon mirror 35 is canceled by a second thrust-direction force generated by air resistance received by a surface tilted with respect to the rotation axis 35p in a direction opposite to the surface where the first thrust-direction force is generated. |
| US08027074B2 |
Scan optical system, light scan device, and image formation device
An imaging lens good in mass-productivity, compact, low in manufacturing cost, good in aberration performance is provided by effectively correcting aberrations without greatly varying the variation of the thickness of a curing resin. An imaging device having such an imaging lens and a portable terminal are also provided. A third lens (L3) has a flat surface on the object side, a convex surface near the optical axis on the image side, and a concave aspheric surface around the peripheral portion within the region where a light beam passes. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the other optical aberrations such as distortion and simultaneously to design the imaging lens so that the astigmatism takes on a maximum value at the outermost portion. Hence, the resolutions at low to middle image heights are high. In addition, such a shape does not cause a large variation of the thickness of the third lens (L3) from the region along the axis to the periphery. Therefore, the thickness of the third lens (L3) can be small, and the material cost can be reduced. |
| US08027073B2 |
Image forming apparatus with laser scanning device and method of aligning the laser scanning device
An image forming apparatus includes a light source to emit a laser beam; a resonant scanning mirror, including a reflection surface to reflect the laser beam emitted from the light source, to scan the reflected laser beam by oscillating the reflection surface; at least one detector to detect the reflected laser beam during the scanning of the reflected laser beam, and generate a synchronizing signal each time the reflected laser beam is detected; and at least one light selection unit to restrict a path over which the reflected laser beam is incident on the at least one detector to a predetermined path. |
| US08027062B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus which is capable of eliminating influence of in-plane variation contained in secondary-color patches, which is caused by devices, in performing gradation correction. A first toner pattern having a uniform density (of gray) and a second toner pattern having gradation (of gray and black) are formed in a direction orthogonal to a direction of driving an image bearing member. Gradation correction data for converting an input image signal associated with the toner of black is formed, based on density information on the second toner pattern formed by the two toners, and density information on the second toner pattern formed by the toner of gray. |
| US08027061B2 |
Security encoding unit and image forming apparatus including same
A security encoding unit performs security encoding processing on a plurality of images simultaneously, for example, an image on a front side of the document and an image on a back side of the document. The security encoding unit includes at least a first detector for detecting first security information of a first image based on a first original image data, a second detector for detecting second security information of a second image based on a second original image data, a first security encoding device for performing security encoding processing on the first original image data to generate the first image data, and a second security encoding device for performing security encoding processing on the first original image data to generate the second image data. The first original image data of the first image and the second original image data of the second image are input simultaneously. |
| US08027055B2 |
Mobile phone with retractable stylus
A mobile phone includes: a phone body having a stylus holder; a retractable stylus slidably mounted in the holder, the stylus being slidable between a retracted position and an extended writing position, the stylus having a nib including an inkjet printhead; an ink cartridge, housed in the phone body, for supplying ink to the inkjet printhead of the stylus; and a flexible conduit linking the cartridge to the stylus. The flexible conduit is configured for carrying data, power and ink. |
| US08027054B2 |
Apparatus and method of scanning and/or printing an image
A scanning apparatus and a method thereof include a scanning unit scanning a document and outputting a scanned result, at least one external storage unit detachably attached to the apparatus, at least one internal storage unit, and a controller detecting an attachment state of the external storage unit and storing the scanned result in one of the external storage unit and the internal storage unit according to the attachment state of the external storage unit. The scanning unit of the scanning apparatus is combined with a user scanning unit and a user printing unit into a combination apparatus, and the scanned result is printed in a printing apparatus spaced-apart from the scanning apparatus by a distance, thereby removing cables between the scanning or printing apparatus and a personal computer. Regardless of an attachment state of the external storage unit, the document is scanned in the real time, and the scanning apparatus is commonly used with a plurality of personal computers which are not connected to the scanning apparatus. |
| US08027052B2 |
Printing apparatus and method for controlling the same
A printing apparatus includes a CPU that determines whether or not to use operation information included in paper information received from another printing apparatus. If it is determined to use the operation information, the received paper information is registered as the paper information of Type 2. In addition, the CPU included in the printing apparatus selects one of a plurality of pieces of paper information and controls a printer unit such that the printer unit performs a printing process in an operating state based on the operation information included in the selected piece of paper information. |
| US08027050B2 |
Computer containing a print control program, the program, and program recording medium
A computer storing a print control program, the program, and a recording medium containing the program according to the present invention control access from the computer to a printer in the kernel mode.When access is made from an application program (4) to a printer (69), a spooler (65) operates. An access request is detected in response to an event occurring when the spooler (65) operates. A common interface driver (7) controls data output to the printer (69) at a filter (41) or the spooler (65) according to a control condition previously registered in a control condition database (36). |
| US08027047B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and program thereof
An information processing apparatus according to this invention acquires function restriction information used to restrict the use of functions of an image processing apparatus. The apparatus acquires job log data of a job which is processed using the functions of the image processing apparatus. The apparatus changes the acquired function restriction information. The apparatus calculates a cost incurred upon using the functions of the image processing apparatus within a designated period, based on unit price information indicating the unit prices of the resources consumed upon using the functions of the image processing apparatus, the job log data, and the changed function restriction information. The apparatus outputs the calculation result. |
| US08027037B2 |
Method for evaluating microstructures on a workpiece based on the orientation of a grating on the workpiece
In a measuring system, a method for evaluating parameters of a workpiece includes measuring a periodic structure, such as a grating, on the workpiece to produce image data. An orientation of features in the image data, produced by higher order diffractions from the periodic structure, is identified. An orientation of the periodic structure is determined based on the orientation of the features in the image data. The image data is then modified, based on the orientation of the periodic structure, to correlate with, and for comparison to, simulated image data to ascertain parameters of the workpiece. Alternatively, optical components in the measuring system, or the workpiece itself, are adjusted to provide a desired alignment between the optical components and the periodic structure. A microstructure on the workpiece may then be measured, and the resulting image data may be compared to the simulated image data to ascertain parameters of the microstructure. |
| US08027036B2 |
Apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a method thereof
The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a method thereof, and more specifically, to an apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a method thereof for exactly inspecting particles which may be created on a glass surface where micro circuits are deposited. The apparatus for detecting the particles on the glass surface in accordance with the present invention comprises laser beam irradiators for detecting particles on a glass substrate on upper and lower sides of the glass substrate at certain intervals, respectively, and wherein the irradiators are configured so that beams emitted from the laser beam irradiators can be irradiated in a direction vertical to a transferring direction of the glass substrate, thereby exactly detecting particles detached to the glass surface without exception. |
| US08027035B2 |
Non-orthogonal particle detection systems and methods
Described herein is a particle detection system capable of spatially resolving the interaction of particles with a beam of electromagnetic radiation. Using a specific electromagnetic beam cross sectional shape and orientation, the detection sensitivity of a particle detection system can be improved. Also provided are methods for detecting and sizing particles in a manner that has low background signal and allows for spatially resolving the scattering or emission of electromagnetic radiation from particles. |
| US08027034B2 |
Method for manufacturing spectroscopy module, and spectroscopy module
In a spectroscopy module 1, a light detecting element 5 having a light passing hole 50 is used. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the relative positional relationship between the light passing hole 50 and a light detecting portion 5a of the light detecting element 5 from deviating. Moreover, the light detecting element 5 is electrically connected to a wiring 9 formed on a front plane 2a of a substrate 2 by face-down bonding, and a resin layer 79 is formed as an underfill resin between the substrate 2 and the light detecting element 5. Therefore, it is possible to improve the fixing strength between the substrate 2 and the light detecting element 5. Additionally, before the resin layer 79 is formed, a resin layer 78 is formed along a guide portion 77 that surrounds the passing hole 50. Thus, the resin layer 79 is prevented from penetrating into the light passing hole 50, which makes it possible to make a light be appropriately incident into the substrate 2. |
| US08027031B2 |
Spectrometric metrology of workpieces using a permanent window as a spectral reference
In a spectrographic workpiece metrology system having an optical viewing window, the viewing window is calibrated against a reference sample of a known absolute reflectance spectrum to produce a normalized reflectance spectrum of the reference sample, which is combined with the absolute reflectance spectrum to produce a correction factor. Successive production workpieces are measured through the window and calibrated against the viewing window reflectance, and transformed to absolute reflectance spectra using the same correction factor without having to re-load the reference sample. |
| US08027029B2 |
Object detection and tracking system
An object detection system for a vehicle includes an imaging device, an image processor and a Lidar device. The imaging device is operable to capture image data representative of a scene exterior the vehicle. The image processor processes image data to detect an object of interest in the field of view of the imaging device. The Lidar device is responsive to the image processing so as to have its line of sight guided to point toward the detected object of interest. The Lidar device is operable to measure the distances between the host vehicle and the detected object of interest. |
| US08027028B2 |
Precise positioning system for dual stage switching exposure
A precise positioning system for dual stage switching exposure, which includes a base, a first wafer stage positioning unit disposed on the base for a pre-processing workstation, and a second wafer stage positioning unit for an exposure workstation. Each of the wafer stage positioning units includes a wafer stage, a motion positioning detector, an X-direction guide bar, and a Y-direction guide bar. The pre-processing workstation and the exposure workstation both have two X-direction guide bars positioned on and movable along the Y-direction guide bars. The X-direction guide bars of adjacent workstations can be connected to each other. |
| US08027027B2 |
Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table that holds a substrate, a projection system that projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, and a liquid confinement structure that confines a liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate, the substrate, the substrate table, or both, to form a part of a boundary of the space. In addition, a closing plate forms a part of a boundary of the space in place of the substrate, the substrate table, or both, when moved without substantially disturbing the liquid, the liquid confinement structure, or both. |
| US08027025B2 |
Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with exposure light, includes a projection optical system which projects a pattern image of an original onto the substrate; a first illumination unit which illuminates the original with the exposure light; and a second illumination unit which guides illumination light that is different from the exposure light for exposing the substrate to the projection optical system, the second illumination unit includes a modifier which modifies an illumination distribution of the illumination light entering an optical element near a pupil of the projection optical system and an optical element which is the closest to the original in the projection optical system. |
| US08027024B2 |
Replacement device for an optical element
Replacement devices for at least one replaceable optical element mounted at least indirectly in a lithographic projection exposure apparatus are disclosed. Lithography objectives and illumination systems are also disclosed. Methods for positioning a replaceable optical element within a lithographic projection exposure apparatus of this type, and methods for replacing a replaceable optical element within a lithographic projection exposure apparatus via a replacement device are also disclosed. |
| US08027023B2 |
Optical imaging device and method for reducing dynamic fluctuations in pressure difference
There is provided an optical imaging device, in particular for microlithography, comprising at least one optical element and at least one holding device associated to the optical element (109), wherein the holding device holds the optical element and a first part (109.1) of the optical element contacts a first atmosphere and a second part (109.2) of the optical element at least temporarily contacts a second atmosphere. There is provided a reduction device at least reducing dynamic fluctuations in the pressure difference between the first atmosphere and the second atmosphere. |
| US08027016B2 |
Panel for a liquid crystal display and method of forming the same
A panel for a liquid crystal display including a substrate, and at least one spacer formed over the substrate. The at least one spacer has a tapered shape with an inclination angle in the range of about 20- about 70 degrees and a height in the range of about 2.5- about 5.0 microns. |
| US08027012B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel comprising an array glass substrate and an opposing glass substrate with a liquid crystal filler
To provide a liquid crystal display panel which can be produced at low cost by using inexpensive alkali glass for at least an opposing glass substrate, which is free from troubles in a liquid crystal display due to panel warpage attributable to the thermal treatment since such treatment is not required in the production process, and further which is free from panel warpage which tends to bring a trouble in a liquid crystal display derived from the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient by change in ambient temperature at the time of use.A liquid crystal display panel comprising an array glass substrate and an opposing glass substrate facing it, in which a liquid crystal is filled between such substrates, and an ultraviolet curable resin is sealed at a peripheral area, wherein the above opposing glass substrate is an alkali glass substrate, and the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the above array glass substrate and the above opposing glass substrate is at most 35×10−7/° C. |
| US08027011B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
An object of the present invention is to form spacers for defining the space between the TFT substrate and the facing substrate of color filters, and by doing so, finely control the height of the spacers. First spacers 10 are formed of green color filters G in pillar form on top of red color filters R and blue color filters B (green color filters G) having a large area between blue pixels BP; second spacers 20 are formed by layering blue color filters B (green color filters G) and green color filters G having a large area on top of red color filters R in pillar form between green pixels GP; and the second spacers 20 are shorter than the first spacers 10 due to the leveling effects of the layered blue color filters B (green color filters G) and green color filters G. |
| US08027005B2 |
Liquid crystal display having a pixel region with a source electrode of at least a high-melting-point metal layer
An active matrix liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, and plural image signal lines and scan signal lines formed on the first substrate. Respective pixel regions are formed by adjacent image signal lines and adjacent scan signal lines, and the respective pixel regions have at least one of a semiconductor layer, a pixel electrode, a counter electrode, and a source electrode which has a high-melting-point metal layer and an aluminum layer formed on the high-melting-point metal layer; wherein the high-melting-point layer enables connection of the semiconductor layer and the pixel electrode, and the pixel electrode is formed between the high-melting-point metal layer and the first substrate; and wherein a part of the scan signal lines positioned between the pixel regions and the gate terminal is covered by an ITO layer electrically connected to the counter electrode. |
| US08026994B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having members for preventing shifting of the light guide plate and method of assembling the same
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel; a backlight unit to provide a light to the liquid crystal panel, the backlight unit includes an optical sheet and a light guide plate; and a main support to receive the liquid crystal panel and the backlight unit together, the main support having first and second movement preventing members to prevent shifting of the optical sheet and the light guide plate of the backlight unit in a direction on a plane, and a third movement preventing member to prevent shifting of the light guide plate of the backlight unit in a direction normal to the plane. |
| US08026992B2 |
Display device
A plurality of display elements each includes two signal lines: S1 and S2. An electrode 4, which is one of the electrodes constituting an element capacitor Cp, is connected to the signal line S1 via a switching element TFT1, while the other electrode 5 is connected to the signal line S2 via a switching element S2. The gate electrodes of the switching elements TFT1 and TFT2 are connected to a single common scanning line G. With this structure the drive voltage applied to the element capacitor can be increased even when a TFT has a limited withstand pressure. |
| US08026989B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel employed in an LCD device includes an array substrate and an opposite substrate. The array substrate includes a pixel electrode formed in a pixel area including a first sub-pixel area and a second sub-pixel area. The opposite substrate is spaced apart from the array substrate to receive a liquid crystal layer. The opposite substrate includes a first common electrode formed in correspondence with the pixel area, and a second common electrode being floated in correspondence with the second sub-pixel area to form a coupling capacitor. |
| US08026988B2 |
Pixels using associated dots on multiple sides of color components for multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal displays
A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display that does not require physical features on the substrate (such as protrusions and ITO slits) is disclosed. Each pixel of the MVA LCD is subdivided into color components, which are further divided into color dots. The drive component areas, i.e. where switching elements and storage capacitors are located, are converted to associated dots by adding an electrode that can be electrically biased. The voltage polarity of the color dots and associated dots are arranged so that fringe fields in each color dot causes multiple liquid crystal domains in each color dot. Specifically, the color dots and associated dots of a pixel are arranged so that associated dots have opposite polarity as compared to neighboring color dots. |
| US08026987B2 |
Panel assembly
According to an embodiment of the present invention a panel assembly includes a first display panel having a first insulation substrate, a second display panel having a second insulation substrate opposite to the first insulation substrate, and a touch sensing unit formed on a surface of the second insulation substrate not facing the first insulation substrate. The touch sensing unit includes an electrostatic induction insulating layer formed on the second insulation substrate, an electrostatic induction pattern layer formed on the electrostatic induction insulating layer along edges of the electrostatic induction insulating layer, and a dielectric layer that covers the electrostatic induction insulating layer and the electrostatic induction pattern layer. |
| US08026984B2 |
Multimedia television
A multimedia television is provided. The multimedia television includes a video playback apparatus, an audio processing device, M front loudspeakers, a rear audio playback apparatus, and a mixing device. The video playback apparatus is used for displaying a video signal. The audio processing device processes an audio signal into a multi-channel audio signal consisting of M front sub-audio signals and N rear sub-audio signals. Each front loudspeaker plays back one corresponding front sub-audio signal. And, the mixing device mixes the N rear sub-audio signals into a mixed audio signal, which is then wirelessly transmitted to the rear audio playback apparatus. After the mixed audio signal is processed into N rear sub-audio signals, N rear loudspeakers in the rear audio playback apparatus playback the N rear sub-audio signals. |
| US08026981B2 |
Method of intelligently selecting a signal source and associated apparatus
A method of intelligently selecting a signal source and associated apparatus is provided. The method comprises the following steps. A display is activated. The display detects activities of a plurality of connection ports to determine at least one active video source. The display displays an image according to the at least one active video source and/or a priority. The connection ports can be an HDMI port, a DVI port, an A/V port or a Y/Pb/Pr port. |
| US08026979B2 |
Methods and systems for picture resampling
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for picture up-sampling and picture down-sampling. Some aspects relate to a selective filter process whereby a filter is selected based on the position of a first resolution picture relative to a second resolution picture. Some aspects relate to an up-sampling and/or down-sampling procedure designed for the Scalable Video Coding extension of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. |
| US08026976B2 |
Digital camera and method for controlling emission amount of flash
A digital camera including an imaging unit, a flash device, a face region extraction unit for detecting a face region from image data generated by the imaging unit, and a flash control unit for controlling emission amount of the flash using the region information outputted from the face region extraction unit. The flash control unit includes a first calculation means for performing a calculation on the image data generated by the imaging unit without using the region information, a second calculation means for performing a calculation on the image data generated by the imaging unit using the region information, and an emission amount determination means for determining an adequate emission amount Ch of the flash by performing an adjustment using the provisional adequate value Cn supplied from the first calculation means and provisional adequate value Cf supplied from the second calculation means as reference values. |
| US08026973B2 |
Imaging apparatus, imaging method and storage medium
An imaging apparatus comprises a focusing unit configured to focus an object to be shot by an imaging unit, a first shooting control unit configured to control the imaging unit in order to continuously shooting at first time intervals upon detecting a shooting instruction, a determining unit configured to determine whether the object moves in a distance direction during a control operation of the first shooting control unit, and a second shooting control unit configured to control the imaging unit in order to continuously shoot at second time intervals and to control the focusing unit in order to focus the object when the determining unit determines that the object moves in the distance direction. |
| US08026972B2 |
Picture-taking lens unit
A camera according to the present invention includes a picture-taking lens unit including a picture-taking optical system having a bending optical system which optically bends incident light and an optical finder unit including a finder optical system having a bending optical system which optically bends incident light. A pre-bending optical system and a post-bending optical system in the bending optical system of the optical finder unit are arranged adjacent to a pre-bending optical system and a post-bending optical system in the bending optical system of the picture-taking lens unit, respectively. The body of the camera is therefore decreased in size. |
| US08026962B2 |
Image synthesizing apparatus and image pickup apparatus with a brightness adjusting processing
Disclosed is an image synthesizer including an image frames memory which memorizes a plurality of image frames which are produced by continuously taking pictures of a subject, an image synthesizer which synthesizes a plurality of image frames to a summation image, an image brightness adjuster which adjusts brightness of the summation image by synthesizing the image frames with the image synthesizer, and a display which displays the summation image which is being synthesized by the image synthesizing means in the image brightness adjusting processing. |
| US08026946B2 |
Gate access system with visitor imaging and memory
A gate access system is described where the system includes an imaging system configured to capture an image of an object disposed in a predetermined field of view in response to an image capture signal. The imaging system is also configured to associate time/date data with the image. The time/date data represents a time and a date when the image was captured. At least one gate access panel device is disposed in the field of view and coupled to the imaging system. The at least one gate access panel device is configured to transmit the image capture signal in response to being actuated. A gate transceiver is coupled to the imaging system. The transceiver is configured to transmit the image and the time/date data via a wireless communication channel. |
| US08026944B1 |
Method and apparatus for hosting a network camera with image degradation
A method and apparatus for providing an improved Internet camera is described. The method of keeping a refreshed image from a camera on a user's system comprises sending the image to the user's system and refreshing the image periodically. The method further comprises after a period of time, degrading the image. |
| US08026942B2 |
Skin imaging system with probe
A skin testing and imaging station and corresponding method for capturing, displaying and analyzing images of a person and for testing the skin using a variety of probes includes a digital camera, a light source capable of providing at least two different wavelengths of light, a plurality of probes for conducting skin tests, a touch-screen display and a computer for controlling the components of the station. The apparatus selectively captures and displays a plurality of digital images using different wavelengths of illuminating light, e.g., using a plurality of flashes and filters, some of which may be adjustable to adjust the angle of incidence of the illuminating light on the subject. In video mode, the camera displays a real time image on the display facilitating a user to position a probe for testing any specific area of the skin. Preferably, the apparatus is self-serve, allowing any person to capture, review and analyze the images and skin data. Verbal and/or graphic instructions to a user aid in use of the station. An intuitive graphic user interface with thumbnail images is employed. Focus control, zoom and synchronized side-by side comparison of images are available. |
| US08026941B2 |
Light scanning unit and image forming apparatus comprising the same
A light scanning unit includes: a light source unit; a polygon mirror for deflecting and scanning light emitted from the light source unit, in a main scanning direction, and having a plurality of deflection surfaces and a plurality of edges at which adjacent deflection surfaces meet one another; an image forming optical system for condensing the deflected light; and a synchronization detection optical system for detecting a portion of light that is divided and reflected at an edge of the polygon mirror. The light scanning unit may be incorporated into an image forming apparatus. |
| US08026940B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A CPU (91) of an image forming apparatus includes a beam detecting part (911) that detects each of laser beams scanning by a predetermined number (e.g., four) of polygon mirrors (332) at a preset position (where a beam sensor (335) is disposed), a reference phase setting part (912) that sets a reference phase that is a phase to be a reference of the predetermined number of rotation phases of the polygon mirrors (332) based on a result of detection by the beam detecting part (911), and a phase control part (913) that controls polygon motor (330) so that predetermined number of rotation phases of the polygon mirrors (332) match the reference phase. |
| US08026939B2 |
Optical printer head and image forming apparatus equipped with the same
The invention relates to an optical printer head 12 provided with one or a plurality of light emitting element array units 3. The light emitting element array unit 3 is provided with a circuit board 30, a base member 33 supporting the circuit board 30, and a plurality of light emitting elements mounted onto the base member 33 and arranged in a row in main scanning directions M1 and M2. The base member 33 has a lower hygroscopic rate than the circuit board 30. The plurality of light emitting element array units 3 are arranged along the main scanning directions M1 and M2, for example, so that end portions 34 in adjacent light emitting element array units 3 are overlapped with each other in vertical-scanning directions S1 and S2. |
| US08026937B2 |
Image forming method, image forming apparatus and toner image pattern
An image forming method exposes image bearing members by simultaneously reflecting light beams corresponding to different colors by different reflection surfaces of a polygon mirror, transforms electrostatic latent images formed on the image bearing members into toner images for correction, transfers the toner images in an overlapping manner onto a transfer body, and calibrates overlapping positions of the toner images based on an optical detection of the toner images. The toner images are arranged at positions on the transfer body such that the toner images of different colors have no overlap therebetween, even if the toner images shift in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction due to a color registration error. Two first toner images simultaneously formed by two corresponding light beams reflected by one reflection surface of the polygon mirror are arranged adjacent to each other in a transport direction of the transfer body, and are sandwiched by two second toner images simultaneously formed by the two corresponding light beams reflected by the one reflection surface of the polygon mirror along the transport direction. |
| US08026934B2 |
Driving control apparatus of display apparatus, display method, display apparatus, display monitor, and television receiver
In one embodiment of the present invention, to time-divide one frame of an input image signal into a first-half sub frame and a second-half sub frame, the grayscale of the signal in the second-half sub frame is set at a grayscale for dark display and the grayscale of the display signal of the first-half sub frame is adjusted, when the input image signal indicates low brightness. When an image with high brightness is displayed, the grayscale of the display signal of the first-half sub frame is set at a second predetermined value smaller than the maximum value and the grayscale of the display signal of the second-half sub frame is adjusted. Thereafter, in accordance with a combination of the input image signals of the (N-1)-th frame and the N-th frame, overshoot is performed with respect to the display signal of the first-half sub frame. |
| US08026932B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image processing program, and image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus includes: a first base image selection unit selecting a piece of image data as a first base image used in superposition; a shift amount calculation unit calculating an amount of shift between the first base image and another different piece of image data; an image superposition unit detecting a superposing area as an area in which the different piece of image data can be superposed on the first base image after a shift correction is made on a basis of the calculated amount of shift, and performing superposition for the superposing area; a second base image selection unit selecting a piece of image data as a second base image used in a non-superposing area; and an image combination unit combining a superposition result with the non-superposing area in the second base image, and outputting image data as a combination result. |
| US08026921B2 |
Driving method, driving circuit and driving apparatus for a display system
A table-based driving circuit for displays that switches between a normal operational mode and a read table block mode. The driving circuit comprises an address sequencer and a memory. The memory comprises the full table of individual sequences, such as interlacing or color-sequential sequence. In the read table mode, the next upcoming addresses are read, i.e. are downloaded, from the memory into an address table register in the address sequencer. In the normal operational mode, the address sequencer generates the addresses for the video data to be stored in the memory or to be displayed. |
| US08026920B2 |
Extensible visual effects on active content in user interfaces
Methods and systems for applying visual effects to active content, such as buttons, comboboxes, video, edit fields, etc., wherein interactivity of the active content are retained thereafter. Also, the present disclosure provides a mechanism for developers to build new visual effects and have them applied to active content. |
| US08026915B1 |
Programmable visible surface compositing
Programmable or user-defined visibility functions can be defined to achieve rendering effects and eliminate rendering errors. A renderer traverses the set of geometry samples potentially visible to an image sample. Rather than accumulate opacity and color in strict depth order, the renderer can invoke visibility functions associated with some or all of the geometry samples. Each geometry sample's visibility function can access attributes of any other geometry sample associated with the image sample. Furthermore, each geometry sample's visibility function can identify the position of its associated geometry sample and any other geometry samples in the depth sequence of geometry samples associated with an image sample. A visibility function can return any arbitrary value based on attributes of its associated geometry sample, attributes of other geometry samples associated with the image sample, and/or the position of geometry samples in the depth sequence associated with the image sample. |
| US08026910B2 |
Offline optimization pipeline for 3D content in embedded devices
Apparatus are provided including assets defining 3D models, including 3D icons and scenes, and animations of the 3D models. An offline optimization engine is provided to process data to be acted upon by a graphics engine of a target embedded device. A graphics engine simulator is provided to simulate, on a computer platform other than a target embedded device, select functions of a target embedded device running a graphics engine including API calls that directly calls API functions of a hardware level API of the target embedded device. |
| US08026909B2 |
Electro-luminescence display device and driving apparatus thereof
An electro-luminescence display device includes: pixels provided between data lines and scan lines, each of the pixels including a light-emitting cell driven with a current; and a current controller for temporarily increasing the current for driving the light-emitting cells. |
| US08026908B2 |
Illuminated surround and method for operating same for video and other displays
In a video or other screen display apparatus, a surround to the actual screen is provided whose light output is variable in order to compensate for the effect of ambient (room) illumination on apparent contrast and chroma of the displayed image. The relationship between ambient light level and the surround illumination is an inverse power function. This provides the effect of making the viewer perceive that the entire room is brighter than it actually is, resulting in a desirable change in his perception of brightness. Thereby, the chromaticity of the surround is variable to allow a match to the calibrated white point of the video display. The apparatus includes an ambient light sensor whose output signal is provided to a control system driving the illuminated surround. |
| US08026906B2 |
Integrated force sensitive lens and software
A software compensation method that allows a touch sensitive display to be built using low-cost FSR force sensors The compensation method comprises an array of functional compensation modules including filtering, voltage conversion, temperature compensation, humidity compensation, sensor calibration, sensor reading linearization, auto calibration, positioning determination and finally end-user and mechanical calibration. The array of compensation modules can bring system accuracy from a non-compensated average positioning error in the 25% to 50% range, down to aN end-user acceptable range of 0% to 5%. The increased positioning accuracy makes it possible to use FSRs as opposed to traditional piezoresistive based touch screen sensors. |
| US08026905B2 |
Double-sided touch sensitive panel and flex circuit bonding
A multi-touch sensor panel can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on either side. Metal traces running along the border of the substrate can be used to bring the row traces to the same edge as the column traces. A single flex circuit can be fabricated to connect to the rows and columns on directly opposing sides. Flex printed circuits can be bonded to directly opposing attachment areas of a substrate by cooling one side of the substrate while bonding the other. In addition, “coverlay” material extending over right-angled traces on the flex circuit ensure that those traces do not get shorted should conductive bonding material get squeezed out during bonding. Furthermore, a spacer is placed at the distal end of the flex circuit to apply even bonding pressure over the entire flex circuit attachment area during bonding. |
| US08026902B2 |
Input device for a motor vehicle
An input device, e.g., for a motor vehicle, includes: a display for the visual representation of an operating element; a touch screen disposed above the display for detecting a touching contact of the touch screen in the region of the operating element; and a control system for displacing the operating element, represented with the aid of the display, according to a touching motion across the touch screen, and the input device including an actuator for deflecting the touch screen when the operating element attains a predefined position or is moved a predefined distance. |
| US08026899B2 |
Computer input device having movable light pervious plate
A computer input device includes a housing, a move tracking module, and a light pervious plate. The move tracking module is disposed in the housing, and emits a sensing light. The light pervious plate is movably disposed between the housing and the move tracking module, and may be moved between a first position and a second position relatively to the move tracking module. In this manner, the sensing light selectively penetrates the light pervious plate and is emits out of the housing, or is directly emits out of the housing, so that the computer input device correspondingly executes a touch mode or a mouse mode. |
| US08026893B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and apparatus and method for driving the same
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel with four colors of sub-pixels, and a backlight unit having light emitting diodes of at least five colors to apply multi-primary light to the liquid crystal display panel. |
| US08026888B2 |
Voltage supplying device
A voltage supplying device (1) comprising a video line (LV1), a video line (LVn), a source line (LS1) of a source line group (GS1) supplied with a gray scale voltage through the video line (LV1), a source line (LSn) of a source line group (GS1) supplied with a gray scale voltage through the video line (LVn), a source line (LS1) of a source line group (GS2) supplied with a voltage through the video line (LV1), and a controlling means for continuing to supply the source line (LSn) of the source line group (GS1) during a transition from a state in which the source line (LS1) of a source line group (GS1) is supplied with a voltage to a state in which the source line (LSn) of a source line group (GS1) is supplied with a voltage. |
| US08026886B2 |
Electro-optical device and driving method for the same
A grey tone display and a driving method are described. The display comprises a light influencing layer, an electrode pad located adjacent to the layer at one side of the layer in order to define a pixel in the layer, an n-channel field effect transistors connected to the electrode pad at its source terminal, a p-channel field effect transistors connected to the electrode pad at its source terminal, a first control line connected to the drain terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor, a second control line connected to the drain terminal of the p-channel field effect transistor, a third control line connected to the gate terminals of the n-channel field effect transistor and the p-channel field effect transistor, and a control circuit for supplying control signals to the first, second and third control lines. By this configuration, the voltage of the electrode pad can be arbitrarily controlled by adjusting the input level at the gate terminals. |
| US08026884B2 |
Optical module and positioning frame thereof
A system for driving a liquid crystal display is provided. The system receives a video signal including a first predetermined gray level signal and a second predetermined gray level signal. The system includes a memory, an impulse signal module, a first multiplexer and a detection unit. The memory stores the first predetermined gray level signal. The impulse signal module receives the first and second predetermined gray level signal to generate a plurality of impulse signals. The first multiplexer receives the plurality of impulse signals and outputs the second predetermined gray level signal or the plurality of impulse signals according to the first control signal. The detection unit generates a first control signal to be applied to the first multiplexer according to the first predetermined gray level signal and the second predetermined gray level signal. |
| US08026880B2 |
Optical element, and illuminating optical device, display device and electronic device using the same
A microlouver includes a periodic structure in which a transparent layer and a light absorption layer are alternately disposed with a constant, repetitive period. The range of the exit direction of a light beam passing through the transparent layer is restricted by the light absorption layer. The periodic structure includes a periodic structure portion divided in the direction that intersects the direction in which the transparent layer and the light absorption layer are repeatedly disposed. In the periodic structure portion, between the periodic structures adjacent to each other, there is a difference of 180 degree in the phase of spatial frequency of each periodic structure. |
| US08026878B2 |
Image display device with plural light emitting diodes
Disclosed herein is an image display device having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), which can maintain a primary color which is desired to be expressed, and prevent an interference of other unwanted colors and a change of the primary color at the time of application of a light source of each light emitting diode. The image display device comprises: a first optical filter layer containing a violet wavelength-absorbing material having a wavelength range of from 380 nm to 450 nm such as Bi2O3 so as to prevent light having a wavelength ranging from 380 nm to 450 nm from being leaked out to an undesired region of an image display portion of the image display device; and a second optical filter layer such as a blue color filter layer so as to allow a white light to be expressed in a desired region of the image display portion. |
| US08026874B2 |
Display apparatus, method of driving a display, and electronic device
In a display apparatus including a correction unit and a switching transistor, the correction unit operates in a non-light emission period such that a correction voltage for eliminating an effect of a variation in a characteristic of a driving transistor is stored in a storage capacitor. The switching transistor is disposed between one current terminal of the driving transistor and a light emitting element. The switching transistor turns off during the non-light emission period thereby to electrically disconnect the light emitting element from the one current terminal of the driving transistor thereby preventing a leakage current from flowing through the light emitting element during the period in which the correction unit operates, and thus preventing the correction voltage from having an error due to the leakage current. |
| US08026873B2 |
Electroluminescent display compensated analog transistor drive signal
Apparatus for providing an analog drive transistor control signal to the gate electrode of a drive transistor in a drive circuit that applies current to an EL device, the drive circuit including a first supply electrode of the drive transistor and the EL device connected to a second supply electrode of the drive transistor, comprising a measuring circuit for measuring the current passing through the supply electrodes at different times to provide an aging signal representing variations in the characteristics of the drive transistor and EL device caused by operation of the drive transistor and EL device over time; a compensator for changing a linear code value in response to the aging signal to compensate for the variations in the characteristics of the drive transistor and EL device; and a linear source driver for producing the analog drive transistor control signal in response to the changed linear code value. |
| US08026867B2 |
Plasma display device and method of driving the same using variable and multi-slope driving waveforms
The present invention relates to a plasma display device and a method of driving the plasma display device. A gradually rising waveform and then a falling waveform are applied to the scan electrodes. A rising waveform has a slope different from that of a rising waveform applied in a first sub-field in at least one of sub-fields posterior to the first sub-field. |
| US08026866B2 |
Method for applying the same dithering table to different flat panels and display panel driving method using the same
A method for applying the same dithering table to different flat panels and a display panel driving method using the same. The method for applying the same dithering table to different flat panels is mainly to set different dot counts between different panels on the rows, in which pixels are shifted, so that the display data of scan lines, in which the pixels are shifted, is shifted by the dot counts when the display data is substituted into the dithering table. Thus, even if different display panels use the same dithering table, the display entropy can be uniformly distributed. |
| US08026859B2 |
Horn antenna with integrated impedance matching network for improved operating frequency range
A dual- or quad-ridged horn antenna with an embedded impedance matching network is provided herein. According to one embodiment, the horn antenna may include at least one pair of ridges arranged opposite one another for guiding an electromagnetic wave there between. A transmission line is coupled to a first one of the ridges for supplying power to, or receiving a signal from, a feed region of the horn antenna. To reduce impedance mismatches between the transmission line and the ridges, an impedance matching network is embedded within a second one of the ridges at the feed point. The impedance matching network reduces impedance mismatch and extends the operational frequency range of the horn antenna by providing a sufficient amount of series capacitance between the transmission line and the ridges at the feed region. As set forth herein, the impedance matching network is preferably implemented as an open-circuit transmission line stub or capacitive stub. |
| US08026858B2 |
Glass antenna device for a vehicle
An antenna element 1 is installed at a glass part 5 of a vehicle 4. The antennal element 1 has a ground part 3 and a radiating element 2. A metallic part side ground part 3b of the ground part 3 is overlapped with a metallic part 6 of the vehicle 4, while a glass part side ground part 3a of the ground part 3 and the radiating element 2 are not overlapped with the metallic part 6. The ground part 3 is installed such that a ratio of the area of the glass part side ground part 3a to be overlapped with the glass part 5 to the area of the metallic part side ground part 3b to be overlapped with the metallic part 6 is from 1:5 to 1:10. |
| US08026855B2 |
Radio apparatus and antenna thereof
A feed element and a parasitic element are formed on the ends of a board. The feed element is formed on the surface of the board, and the parasitic element is formed on the back of the board. A circuit region of the board is mounted with a radio communication circuit. The feed element is connected with a signal line, and the parasitic element is connected with a GND line. A slit is provided between the feed element and the circuit region, and a slit is provided between the parasitic element and the circuit element. |
| US08026853B2 |
Broadside high-directivity microstrip patch antennas
High-directivity microstrip antennas comprising a driven patch and at least one parasitic element placed on the same plane, operate at a frequency larger than the fundamental mode of the driven patch in order to obtain a resonant frequency with a high-directivity broadside radiation pattern. The driven patch, the parasitic elements and the gaps between them may be shaped as multilevel and/or Space Filling geometries. The gap defined between the driven and parasitic patches according to the invention is used to control the resonant frequency where the high-directivity behavior is obtained. The invention provides that with one single element is possible to obtain the same directivity than an array of microstrip antennas operating at the fundamental mode. |
| US08026851B2 |
Planar antenna and manufacturing method thereof
A planar antenna has a circuit pattern including an antenna part and a connection terminal part on a plastic film, in which the circuit pattern has a metal layer and a heat-sealable conductive layer provided on a surface layer of a connection terminal part of the metal layer. The planar antenna is obtained by forming a circuit pattern including a metal layer on a plastic film, providing a heat-sealable conductive layer in a connection terminal part of the circuit pattern, and then removing an unnecessary part with etching. |
| US08026849B2 |
Systems and methods for three dimensional antenna selection and power control in an ad-hoc wireless network
A system (105) determines a power level for transmitting to a neighboring node in a wireless network. The system (105) receives a message indicating a three-dimensional position and orientation of the neighboring node and a type of directional antenna of the neighboring node that transmitted the message. The system (105) determines the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node based on the three-dimensional position and orientation of the neighboring node and the type of the directional antenna. |
| US08026848B2 |
Radio-based position location systems, antenna configurations, and methods for determining antenna configurations
A radio-based position location system for determining a relative position of a first object with respect to a second object may include a first radio operatively associated with the first object. A first directional antenna having at least a high gain region is mounted to the second object so that the high gain region is directed generally outwardly from the second object and defines a first detection zone. A second directional antenna having at least a high gain region is also mounted to the second object and is oriented so that the high gain region is also directed generally outwardly and defines a second detection zone. A second radio connected to the first and second directional antennas exchanges radio signals with at least the first radio to determine the relative position of the first object with respect to the second object at least in part by determining a time-of-flight of a radio signal. The radio signals are primarily exchanged via the first directional antenna when the first object is in the first detection zone, whereas the radio signals are primarily exchanged via the second directional antenna when the first object is in the second detection zone. |
| US08026846B2 |
Mobile radiation surveillance network
A detection system and method having at least one detection unit, and a control center unit.The detection unit includes at least one sensor configured to generate sensor data correlated to sensed conditions, a locator for actively determining location data corresponding to the location of the detection unit, and a communicator configured to communicate the sensor data and location data.The control center includes a receiver for receiving the sensor data and the location data, together with a control processor which is configured to determine a threat level correlated to the sensor data. |
| US08026837B1 |
Systems and methods for converting wideband signals in the optical domain
Systems and methods for converting wideband signals in the optical domain are provided. A device for obtaining a digital representation of a received signal may include a spatially dispersive element that may be configured to spatially disperse frequencies in an optical-domain representation of the received signal; a spatial light modulator that may be configured to mix the dispersed optical frequencies by imposing a mixing matrix on an optical intensity of the dispersed optical frequencies; an optical sensor that may be configured to obtain an electrical representation of the mixed dispersed optical frequencies; and a signal recovery processor that may be configured to obtain a digital representation of the received signal based on the electrical representation and the mixing matrix. The signal recovery processor may be further configured to determine a modulation format of the digital representation and may demodulate the digital representation based on the modulation format. |
| US08026834B2 |
Method and system for operating a display device
Methods and systems for operating a display device are provided. A first image is caused to be displayed on the display device. The first image is at least representative of a field of view from on-board an aircraft. A second image is rendered over the first image on the display device. A luminance of at least a portion of the second image is temporally modulated. |
| US08026832B2 |
Mobile system for exacting parking tolls
Mobile systems are provided for charging electronic toll collection accounts for parking fees. The systems are configured to wirelessly request and receive tag data from an electronic toll device. Some embodiments include a vehicle and a boom, some embodiments include a handheld device, and other embodiments include combinations thereof. Methods of charging an electronic toll payment system are also provided. A mobile scan system wirelessly requests and receives tag data from an electronic toll device on a customer's vehicle which is checked for validity, and then an electronic toll collection account is charged a fee for parking. |
| US08026831B2 |
Weather information notification apparatus and program for the same
A weather information notification apparatus mounted to a vehicle is disclosed. The weather information notification apparatus includes: an acquisition section that cyclically acquires information about weather at a point; a record section that stores the acquired information about weather at the point in an external storage medium unit; and a notification section that causes an external notification unit to notify information about non-latest weather at the point, the information about non-latest weather at the point being a piece of the information about weather at the point stored in the external storage medium unit. |
| US08026827B1 |
Virtual push button switch
A user interface display system can include at least one user responsive element. The user responsive element can include an optical mechanism. A pulsed light source can produce a light beam. Apparatus are provided for causing the light beam to repeatedly scan across the activity field. A controller can be arranged to repeatedly turn the light source on at one or more predetermined scan positions to illuminate the user responsive element. The controller can also be programed to act upon a signal regarding the status of the element. A photo detector can send the signal to the controller. The optical mechanism acts upon the light beam differently based upon the status of the user responsive element. |
| US08026826B2 |
Door bell with compact profile
A door bell includes a case and a frame is located within the open space of the case. An electro-magnetic valve is connected to the frame and controls two hit pins and a circuit board is connected to the frame and electronically connected to the electro-magnetic valve. Two resilient members are mounted to the hit pins which hit a sound plate located beneath the hit pins to generate sound. The sound is amplified by two sound boxes. The circuit board transfers alternative current into direct current so that no hulky part projecting from the door bell. |
| US08026825B2 |
Light sensing pull station
An alarm pull station includes a housing, an alarm indicator carried within the housing, an alarm activation mechanism carried within the housing, such that the alarm activation mechanism is adjacent to the alarm indicator, and configured to generate an alarm signal, and a sensor carried within the housing such that the sensor is configured to generate a signal in response to a sensed condition and the alarm indicator is activated in response to the signal generated by the sensor. |