| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08307383B2 |
Disc cartridge
A disc cartridge includes upper and lower shells making up a cartridge body, and with the lower shell, a first-rectangular plate, and disc holders making up the side wall of the cartridge body provided to first-side edges of the first-rectangular plate, and also slidably supporting a disc are provided, and second-side edges which face each other are opened, with the upper shell, a second-rectangular plate, standing wall members provided to third-side edges of the second-rectangular plate, making up the front and rear faces of the cartridge body, and a dividing wall provided to fourth-side edges are provided, and with the disc holders, an disc insertion/ejection opening from the second-side edges is provided to one edge, and a push-out opening for a disc push-out member is provided to the other edge, and when the shells are combined together, the second-side edges are closed, and are opened when the shells are separated. |
| US08307382B2 |
Optical disc apparatus including a disc tray
An optical disc apparatus includes: a disc tray 2; a main chassis 1 including an opening 130 in a front wall 13, the disc tray 2 being moved in and out of the main chassis through the opening 130; a plurality of support portions 151, 151f supporting lower surfaces of guide rails 22 of the disc tray 2; a plurality of pressing portions 16(17) for suppressing floating of the guide rails 22, wherein the plurality of the support portions 151, 151f is arranged so that the front side is inclined upwards with respect to the rear side when the disc tray 2 is accommodated in the main chassis 1. |
| US08307380B2 |
Proxy object creation and use
Embodiments are discussed for methods, systems, and computer readable media for creating a proxy object, comprising calling a second functionality in a proxy class, creating a proxy object by the second functionality, calling a third functionality by the second functionality, calling a fourth functionality by the third functionality, creating a reference object by the fourth functionality, returning the reference object to the third functionality, associating the reference object to the proxy object by the third functionality, and returning the associated proxy object by the second functionality to a first functionality. |
| US08307379B2 |
Determining an extension to use to process an input object to a call in a program
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for determining an extension to use to process an input object to a call in a program. An association of parameter definitions is indicated with extensions, where each extension comprises a program capable of being selected to process at least one input object as part of an operation. A call is received for an extension point including at least one input object to determine one extension to use to process the at least one object, wherein requirements are defined for the extension point. A determination is made of a set of candidate extensions capable of processing the at least one input object based on a first criteria determining extensions whose parameter definitions are capable of satisfying the requirements defined for the extension point. A selection is made from the set of candidate extensions of one extension to use to process the at least one object using a second criteria. |
| US08307377B2 |
Systems and methods for efficient operations of components in a wireless communications device
Systems and methods for abstracting operations of an applications subsystem and a communications subsystem. Other embodiments include systems and methods of an interface module separately coupled to the applications subsystem and the communications subsystem. |
| US08307375B2 |
Compensating for instrumentation overhead using sequences of events
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for processing events. Events occurring during execution of an application are monitored to form monitored events. A plurality of sequences of method types and transition types from the monitored events are identified to form an identified plurality of sequences of method types and transitions types. Overhead compensation values are identified for the identified plurality of sequences of method types and transitions types to form identified overhead compensation values. Observed metrics for the monitored events are adjusted using the identified overhead compensation values. |
| US08307373B2 |
Integrating enterprise repository events into business process model and notation processes
A system and method for integrating enterprise services repository (ESR) events into business process model and notation (BPMN) processes are disclosed. An instance of a message event definition is created based on an ESR event imported into a modeling infrastructure and which can be used as an event of a BPMN process modeled using the modeling infrastructure. The instance of the message event definition is provided as a trigger of the event of the BPMN process for a business process application. The instance of the message event definition is associated with an instance of the event of the BPMN process to link the enterprise service repository event to the BPMN process. |
| US08307371B2 |
Method for efficient utilization of processors in a virtual shared environment
A method for selecting a processor to be acquired in a virtual, shared computing environment includes initiating a first selection phase to attempt to acquire a last relinquished processor of the shared computing environment, and initiating a second selection phase in the event of a failure of the first selection phase in acquiring the last relinquished processor. The second selection phase further includes a round-robin selection process for presently relinquished processors. |
| US08307368B2 |
Locality-based scheduling in continuation-based runtimes
A computer system establishes an execution environment for executing activities in a continuation based runtime including instantiating an activity scheduler configured to perform the following: scheduling activities for execution in the CBR. The activity scheduler resolves the scheduled activity's arguments and variables prior to invoking the scheduled activity using the activity's unique context. The activity scheduler also determines, based on the activity's unique context, whether the scheduled activity comprises a work item that is to be queued at the top of the execution stack and, based on the determination, queues the work item to the execution stack. The computer system executes the work items of the scheduled activity as queued in the execution stack of the established execution environment in the CBR. |
| US08307366B2 |
Post-processing phase in a distributed processing system using assignment information
A method and apparatus for processing a computing job in a distributed processing system. A control process sends a message to an instance of an application instructing the application instance to divide the job into assignments for processing by various application instances. The application instance divides the job in a way that is suitable for the particular application and sends, to the control process, assignment information that describes how the job is to be divided. The control process stores the assignment information and assigns each of the application instances a portion of the computing job based on the assignment information. After, the application instances have completed the assignments, the control process instructs one of the application instances to perform post-processing on the assignment results, based on the assignment information. |
| US08307361B2 |
Platform dependent replacement of digital content asset components
Systems and methods provide an operation of digital content assemblages such as video games with a digital processor so as to control platform dependent replacement of digital asset components. In a video game package operated on a first platform, the video game includes one or more first digital asset components such musical and/or graphical works. Platform association data is accessed to evaluate an association between the first digital asset component and the first platform. The platform association data is checked for a concurrence between the platform association data and platform data. A second digital asset component is substituted for the first digital asset component in accordance with the check of the platform association data to permit the operating of the digital content assemblage with the second digital asset component as a replacement for the first digital asset component. |
| US08307356B2 |
Safety controller and method for loading a new operating program onto the safety controller
The invention relates to a safety controller and to a method for loading a new operating program onto such a safety controller. The safety controller has an input module for automatically reading process signals, a failsafe signal processing module for automatically processing the process signals, and a failsafe output module which produces control signals as a function of the signal processing module. The signal processing module comprises at least one programmable processor and at least one read only memory. A current operating program for the processor is stored in a non-volatile form in the read only memory. A download device for transferring a new operating program is provided in the safety controller, with the download device enabling or inhibiting the transfer of a new operating program in a failsafe manner as a function of enabling information. |
| US08307355B2 |
Method and apparatus for populating a software catalogue with software knowledge gathering
A method and a corresponding apparatus for inventorying software products on a plurality of computer are proposed. The inventorying system aims at populating a software catalogue without the manual intervention of an administrator. The present invention reduces the cost of producing and maintaining a comprehensive knowledge base (the catalogue) which contains definitions of software products and the related signature. Information about software products and their related signature is obtained through a process which gathers information from a potentially very large collection of computers. Any occurrence of a group of identical files across multiple computers is considered a reliable indicator that they belong to the installation footprint of a product. |
| US08307350B2 |
Multi level virtual function tables
A multi level virtual function table uses a hierarchy of chunks or segments of virtual function tables to identify methods for a particular class. At least one level of indirection pointers may point to individual virtual function table chunks, which may be shared by multiple classes. In some embodiments, fixed size chunks of virtual function tables may be used, other embodiments may use variable sized chunks of virtual function tables. In just in time compiled code, virtual function tables may be limited to sharing across parent and child classes, while in pre-compiled code, more complex sharing may be used. |
| US08307346B2 |
Atomic groups for debugging
Transactional memory implementations provide the “illusion” of multiple memory locations changing value atomically, while in fact they do not. Techniques that employ transactional memory may allow a debug user to define a group of variables as an atomic group and may ensure coherent or consistent access to variables of the atomic group. These techniques may facilitate the debugging of programs that are executed using transactional memory. Unlike conventional debuggers, debuggers that employ these techniques may be adapted to provide a coherent or consistent view of variables in a system that employs transactional memory. The atomic group may be accessed for viewing and/or modifying during debugging using a transaction, regardless of whether all or less than all of the variables in the atomic group are modified. |
| US08307345B2 |
Intelligent engine for dynamic and rule based instrumentation of software
Instrumentation is dynamically added to application components during runtime. An interestingness engine receives inputs from various sources which identify software components such as classes for which it is desired to provide instrumentation. The sources can include a heuristics engine which receives performance data from already-instrumented components, a user interface from which a user identifies component to be instrumented or de-instrumented, and a static list of components to be instrumented. During the runtime, instrumentation can be added to components which become interesting, or removed from components which become not interesting. When loading or redefining a component, if a component type matches rules, it is eligible for instrumentation, and the interestingness engine is consulted to determine whether the component is of interest, in which case instrumentation is added. If a component type does not match rules, but the component is interesting, the rules can be updated to include the component type. |
| US08307344B2 |
Sliding granularity time stamping
In a method for tracing data within an integrated circuit, a default time stamp granularity is selected for a sequence of time stamps, wherein each time stamp has a resolution of 2**N. A sequence of trace events is captured and an elapsed time is determined between each time sequential pair of trace events in the sequence of trace events. A time stamp is formed to associate with each trace event of the sequence of trace events, wherein each time stamp has an associated time stamp granularity, wherein the time stamp has the default time stamp granularity if the elapsed time between a current trace event and a sequentially prior trace event is less than 2**N time slots, otherwise the time stamp granularity is slid to a larger value such that the elapsed time can be represented by N bits, whereby a small number N of bits can accurately represent a large range of elapsed times. |
| US08307342B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for automatic test generation from statecharts
An apparatus and methods for generating a plurality of output test vectors from a statechart are provided. The statechart may specify requirements of a system function to be executed by a system-performing device. The statechart comprises a plurality of states, a plurality of transitions, and a plurality of variables. A forward-propagation pass through the statechart may be performed to generate a plurality of forward-reached-transition environments. A backward-propagation pass through the statechart may be performed to generate a plurality of backward-reached-transition environments. The plurality of output test vectors is generated from the plurality of forward-reached-transition environments and/or the plurality of backward-reached-transition environments. A test driver may execute a plurality of tests on the system-performing device, wherein the plurality of tests are based on the plurality of output test vectors. |
| US08307333B2 |
System and computer program product for assisting a user in the process of creating software code
A system and computer program product for assisting a user in creating software code. In one implementation, the system includes a display; and a code editor configured to permit a user to edit software code that is displayable on the display. The software code is associated with a programming language having a plurality of software constructs. The code editor comprises a code assistant that is invokable by the user, in which the code assistant comprises a plurality of panels that correspond to the plurality of software constructs. One or more of the plurality of panels contain a set of user-selectable options associated with a given software construct to assist the user in editing the software code. |
| US08307331B2 |
User interface, operating system and architecture
A method for enabling the creation and management of a platform-independent application whose appearance and functionality is consistently propagated across heterogeneous device types includes receiving, by a device, a platform-independent data superstructure defining application appearance and behavior, the platform-independent data superstructure storing an application state, program code and internal logic of the application. A superstructure-dedicated operating system instantiates the application in the device according to the platform-independent data superstructure. The platform-independent data superstructure receives, from a device-native operating system via communication with the superstructure-dedicated operating system, at least one application event generated by an execution of the instantiated application and representative of an update to the application state. The platform-independent data superstructure updates information in a first segment of the platform-independent data superstructure associated with the at least one application event and updates, in accordance with the superstructure segment update, the application state in the device. |
| US08307330B2 |
Type generic graphical programming
A system and method for creating and using type generic graphical programs. The method may include storing a first graphical program on a memory medium. The first graphical program may have been created based on user input. The first graphical program may include a plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, and the plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes may be type generic. User input may be received specifying one or more data types of at least one input and/or at least one output of the first graphical program. The data types may be associated with the first graphical program in response to said user input specifying the one or more data types. |
| US08307326B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting application enhancement
A method includes generating an application model that represents a relation of connection based on a control flow relation and a data dependency relation between a module and data constituting an application, by analyzing a source code, evaluating complexity of the relation of connection that is represented by the application model generated in the generating, and outputting an enhancement point used in reducing the complexity evaluated in the evaluating. |
| US08307325B2 |
Method of semiconductor integrated circuit and computer readable medium
According to one embodiment, a design method of a semiconductor integrated circuit is a design method of a semiconductor integrated circuit including a first wiring layer, a second wiring layer formed on the first wiring layer, and a third wiring layer formed on the second wiring layer. This method includes a process in which plural spare wirings are arranged on the second wiring layer along a first direction, and plural spare wirings are arranged on the third wiring layer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The method also includes a process of arranging a cell on the first wiring layer after the arrangement of the spare wirings, a process of arranging a signal wiring on at least any one of the first to the third wiring layers after the arrangement of the cell, and a process of performing an engineering change order of the wiring by using the spare wirings. |
| US08307323B2 |
Method for analog placement and global routing considering wiring symmetry
A method for analog placement and global routing considering wiring symmetry performs a layout for a circuit which is described by a netlist having a set of devices and wires. First, the method inputs the netlist, and each device thereof has a design constraint and a corresponding priority. Based on the priorities, it performs a sorting on the devices to establish a constraint library. Then, based on the design constraint and corresponding priority of each device, the method establishes a hierarchical constraint tree. According to the hierarchical constraint tree, the method performs placement of each device, wherein possible shape of each device is represented by a shape curve. For each placement of the device, the method calculates a corresponding cost function. Then, it selects an optimum placement of the device according to the cost functions. The method establishes an RSMT for each wire and then performs an analog routing. |
| US08307322B2 |
Wiring design apparatus
A wiring design apparatus includes a first acquirer that acquires a first wiring block whose region has a maximum number of crossings with regions of other wiring blocks from printed circuit board data of a printed circuit board having a plurality of wiring blocks with a specific region on a wiring layer, a second acquirer that acquires second wiring blocks whose region does not cross the first wiring block from the printed circuit board data, and a wiring execution requester that causes a wiring processor to perform wiring processing on the first wiring block and the second wiring blocks in parallel. |
| US08307320B2 |
Method of placing delay units of pulse delay circuit on programmable logic device
A method of placing delay units of a pulse delay circuit on a programmable logic device having logic cells in each of cell strings has a step of arranging each delay unit in one logic cell of the device such that the delay units are placed in respective specific cell strings aligned in a row direction and a step of serially connecting the delay units with one another as a straight delay line such that the delay units placed in the specific cell strings in the connecting order are aligned in the row direction. In the device, an inter-string transmission delay time on a line between two logic cells of different cell strings differs from an intra-string transmission delay time on a line between two logic cells of one cell string. |
| US08307312B2 |
Simulation method of logic circuit
A simulation method of a logic circuit is provided. The simulation method includes operations dividing the logic circuit into a plurality of divided circuits, determining the divided circuit constructing a path circuit of the logic circuit, determining an auxiliary divided circuit that is the divided circuit not constructing the path circuit and affects on a simulation result of the path circuit. The method also includes executing a simulation calculation of a part of the circuit including the divide circuit constructing the path circuit and the auxiliary divided circuit. |
| US08307305B2 |
Scrolling interface
Disclosed is a method (600) of scrolling a list (510) including video items (504-508) on a display device (501). The list is scrolled to modify a displayed subset of the items. The scrolling of the list is terminated and at least one of the displayed video items (507) is played after the termination, and the playback of the at least one displayed video item is then adapted after a predetermined period of time. The terminating of the scrolling may be in response to a user input. The displayed video items generally comprise one selected focus item the playback of which is adapted differently from the remaining displayed video items. The adapting is preferably to stop the playback of the video items. |
| US08307300B1 |
Content resizing and caching in multi-process browser architecture
The present invention relates to systems and methods for content resizing and caching in multi-process browser architecture. An embodiment includes initiating a rendering engine process and a browser process, receiving a request to resize content, providing the request to the rendering engine process, waiting to allow the rendering engine process to render an updated bitmap associated with the content and displaying the updated bitmap synchronously if the updated bitmap is produced during the waiting step. Another embodiment includes, receiving an input associated with the status of a tab, determining if the tab is a background tab or a foreground tab based on the receiving step, checking a cache for a bitmap of content associated with the tab if the tab has changed status to a foreground tab; and displaying the contents of the cache in the tab if the cache includes the bitmap of content previously associated with the tab. |
| US08307298B2 |
Computer readable storage medium and data processor for outputting a user interface capable of reading aloud the progress of a process
A computer program for outputting a user interface to a computer. The computer outputs a voice message and the user interface consecutively informs a progress of a process executed by the computer. The program determines whether or not the user interface consecutively informs the progress of another process with a voice message. A first user interface consecutively informs the progress of the specific process with a first voice message that includes start, ongoing, and end messages, if the first determining step determines that the user interface does not consecutively inform the progress of the another process with the voice message. A second user interface informs the progress of the specific process with a second voice message that includes start and end messages while omitting the ongoing message, if the first determining step determines that the user interface consecutively informs the progress of the another process with the voice message. |
| US08307295B2 |
Method for controlling a computer generated or physical character based on visual focus
A user interface allows an operator to control the visual focus of digital, CG characters and/or physical robotic characters. An interface with one or more tiered shapes is overlaid on a video feed of the digital or physical character's surrounding environment. An operator can move the overlaid tiered shapes around the video feed with a standard input device like a mouse, stylus, or joystick to control the visual focus of the digital or physical character. |
| US08307292B2 |
Method and apparatus for binding user interface objects to application objects
A graphical user interface (GUI) and accompanying functionality for binding Web page definitional elements to a back-end state (e.g., client- or server-side back-end state) and custom logic is provided. In one embodiment, a template containing definitional elements, custom logic, and bindings are generated that define all or a portion of a Web page based on input received and functionality provided by the invention. |
| US08307287B2 |
Heads-up-display for use in a media manipulation operation
Techniques are provided for generating a heads-up-display to assist users during performance of media manipulation operations. According to one embodiment, a transient heads-up-display is displayed during a media manipulation operation to assist the user in the media manipulation operation. The heads-up-display may, for example, depict three frames of a video clip when an audio clip is being positioned, on a timeline, relative to the video clip. The three frames that are depicted in the heads-up-display may be the frames located at the current starting position, cursor position, and ending position, of the audio clip. As the audio clip is being moved during the positioning operation, the three frames depicted in the heads-up-display change accordingly. |
| US08307285B2 |
Method and system having a multi-function base for storing and accessing an audio file for use in selection of a horn
The present invention comprises recording an audio file that is representative of a particular horn. Each audio file is stored in a memory that can be integrated within a single device together with a keypad, a display, a power source, and/or a data port. The device is accessed by the system user through a keypad. A display indicates to the user a set of choices from among the different audio files that can be accessed, and the user makes a choice. Entering of a request command to play the selected audio file causes the file to be played through one or more speakers, head phones, or store audio system. The system can also be linked to a printer that can print a receipt or a ticket corresponding to the selected horn type. The device can comprise a volume control; and, power to the system can be supplied by battery, AC, or both. The system, whether embodied in a single device, in separate stand-alone devices, or as part of a system having a remote hub, can include a USB port for receiving of updated programs or digital data to supplement or complement software routines within the system. |
| US08307284B2 |
Method and system for automated control of audio and video sources and a final composite output thereof through a video switcher
An audio and video production system and method, including a video production control switcher; and one or more computers connected through a network and configured for controlling the video production control switcher. The system is further configured for at least one of defining looks, including shot templates, that correspond to particular settings on the production control switcher or settings of parts of the production control switcher; defining sequences of the looks or assigning individual looks to control elements on a computer of the computers; transmitting the looks across the network; and translating of a single look into one or more standard editor commands, and transmitting the commands to the production control switcher. |
| US08307283B1 |
Live demonstration of computing device applications
A feature of a computing device application may be selected by user or other input and then demonstrated using a demonstration application. The demonstration application may select simulated user inputs from a script or other source that, when input to the computing device application, drive it to demonstrate the selected feature. The demonstration application may then begin to input the one or more simulated user inputs to the computing device application. Before all of the simulated user inputs have been input, the demonstration application may determine that the user has interrupted the demonstration. In response to the determination, the demonstration application may cease inputting the simulated inputs, leaving the computing device application in the state it was in at the time of interruption, thereby enabling the user to explore the application or feature of the application being demonstrated at a time and in a manner of the user's choosing. |
| US08307282B2 |
Character string display system, character string display method, and storage medium
It is an object of the invention to provide a character string display system, a character string display method, and a storage medium that can determine a display time according to character string display times in the past to thereby determine a display time corresponding to speed of reading and understanding a character string of an individual who reads the character string. The character string display system is characterized by including: a display time determining unit for determining a display time for a display character string on the basis of a reference value; a display unit for displaying the display character string for the display time determined by the display time determining unit; an operation unit for detecting predetermined operation performed by an operator while the display unit displays the display character string; and a reference value changing unit that, when the operation unit detects operation of the operator, extends or reduces a time, during which the display unit displays the display character string, and changes the reference value according to the extension or the reduction of the time for displaying the display character string. |
| US08307281B2 |
Predicting conversion candidates based on the current context and the attributes of previously selected conversion candidates
This invention easily realizes a process of changing the display order of the candidates according to various input states. In a character input device of a mobile telephone, a wide variety of attributes representing an input state are set, and a conversion dictionary in which the attributes are registered in dictionary data of a corresponding word is set. An adjustment value setting unit determines the input state at a relative time point according to the start of input of the read character or the confirmation of the candidate, and sets an adjustment value to each attribute according to the determination content. A priority adjustment unit adjusts the priority with the adjustment value set to the attribute of the candidate for the candidate set with an attribute of each candidate extracted from the conversion dictionary by the read character string. A candidate display processing unit determines the display order of each candidate based on the priority after the adjustment process, and causes the display unit to display the candidate in the determined order. |
| US08307273B2 |
Methods and apparatus for interactive network sharing of digital video content
The present invention provides electronic methods and apparatus for interactively authoring, sharing and analyzing digital video content. Methods for authoring include displaying visual data, defining each traversal as a time-based sequence of frames and annotating and storing a record of the traversal and its associated audio records. Defining the traversal includes interactively panning the visual data by positioning an overlay window relative to the visual data and zooming in or out by resizing the overlay window. In alternative embodiments, the visual data may be displayed in a rectangular layout or a cylindrical layout. The methods are practiced using an integrated graphical interface, including an overview region displaying the visual data, a detail region displaying current data within the overlay window, and a worksheet region displaying a list of previously stored annotated traversal records. In a further aspect, the worksheet region list of annotated traversal records is published in a web document accessible via network using a standard HTML browser, and further annotations may be added by a community of network users. Analytical methods are also provided in which data markers corresponding to traversal records are plotted against an interactive abstract map enabling users to shift between levels of abstraction in exploring the video record. |
| US08307268B2 |
Iterative decoder systems and methods
Systems and methods are provided for improved designs and performance for iterative decoder systems. In some embodiments, the iterative decoder may be decoupled from FIR samples through an FIR RAM, thus resulting in a less complex design and shorter processing times. In some embodiments, an intermediate memory may be used when passing information between the SOVA and LDPC of the iterative decoder. In some embodiments, the SOVA-required information may be continuously serialized from information received from the LDPC during each LDPC iteration. In some embodiments, the 1/(1+D2) precoder of the HR RLL encoder may be split into two serial, 1/(1+D) precoders. One 1/(1+D) precoder may be pulled outside of the HR RLL encoder and used in conjunction with the iterative decoder. This may allow for a 1/(1+D) precoder that may be used with the iterative decoder while maintaining the RLL constraints imposed upon the encoded information by the HR RLL encoder. |
| US08307261B2 |
Non-volatile memory management method
A management method for a non-volatile memory comprises the steps of providing the non-volatile memory with at least one block having a plurality of pages to store user data and parity data; dividing at least one of the pages into a plurality of partitions each including the user data and parity data; determining codeword length of each of the partitions, the codeword length comprising message length with sufficient storage to store the user data and parity length storing the parity data; and storing extra parity data in the partition with the codeword length. When storing extra parity data in the codeword length, the parity length is increased and the message length is decreased. |
| US08307260B2 |
Memory apparatus and method using erasure error correction to reduce power consumption
Data bits stored in memory cells are recognized by an ECC generator as data bit strings in a first direction and data bit strings in a second direction such that each data bit string in the first direction and each data bit string in the second direction share one data bit in common. The ECC controller identifies a data bit string in the first direction having more than one data bit in error based on a respective correction code in the first direction and identifies a data bit string in the second direction having more than one data bit in error based on a respective correction code in the second direction, and causes the data bit shared by the identified data bit string in the first direction and the identified data bit string in the second direction to be changed. |
| US08307259B2 |
Hardware based memory scrubbing
This application relates to hardware based memory scrubbing. One disclosed embodiment may comprise a system that includes an engine, implemented in hardware, configured to initiate a request for data residing in associated memory. An error system is configured to detect errors in data that has been read from associated memory in response to the request for the data, the error system maintaining a log of entries corresponding to errors detected by the error system. An identifier is associated with each of the entries in the log that result from the request initiated by the engine to differentiate from other entries in the log. |
| US08307252B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing random access procedures
A mobile terminal and a method of performing a random access procedure by the terminal is achieved by transmitting a random access preamble to a base station, receiving a random access response from the base station, and performing an uplink transmission using an uplink grant from the base station. The uplink transmission is performed by using a maximum number of HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest) transmissions parameter, which is included in a System Information Block (SIB) received from the base station. |
| US08307251B2 |
Data processing device capable of automatically retransmitting data file deleted from server
To facilitate retransmission of a data file that has been deleted from a server, a data processing device includes a first storage section in which a management table is stored. The management table includes a list of communication histories with respect to communications with each of the servers. Each communication history indicates a data file transmitted to the server. The device further includes a second storage section storing data files transmitted to the servers. A control section is provided for judging, when a communication section is in communication with a server, whether or not a data file which has already been transmitted to the server needs to be retransmitted and retransmit the data file to the server upon retrieving the data file from the second storage section when judgment is made so that retransmission of the data file is needed. |
| US08307250B2 |
Hybrid automatic repeat request associations for downlink semi-persistent scheduling
A method is provided for associating initial transmissions and retransmissions in semi-persistent scheduling. The method includes providing a first initial transmission associated with a first assigned Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process ID. The method further includes providing a second initial transmission associated with a second assigned HARQ process ID. The method further includes providing at least one retransmission associated with the first HARQ process ID. The second initial transmission occurs before the at least one retransmission, and the second assigned HARQ process ID is different from the first assigned HARQ process ID. |
| US08307248B2 |
Method and a system for estimating errors introduced in a time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter system
A method and a module for estimating a plurality of relative channel-error for at least one signal with respect to a reference signal. The signals and are produced by an analog-to-digital module including parallel and time interleaved analog-to-digital converters and are received by an estimation module. The method is performed by the estimation module and includes defining a function representing a relationship between the reference signal and an arbitrary signal in the group of signals, selecting a first reference signal in the group of signals, selecting a second signal from the remaining signals in the group, optimizing the function so as to obtain an estimate of the plurality of relative channel-error, and repeating the selecting a second signal and optimizing the function for each remaining signal. |
| US08307246B2 |
Real time monitoring of computer for determining speed of various processes
A system is disclosed for identifying one or more causes of a computer executing one or more processes running slowly, the system includes: apparatus for detecting states of one or more threads of the one or more processes; apparatus for identifying one or more of said one or more processes that have one or more threads with wait states that occur above a threshold to indicate which modules within a process or processes is causing said computer to run slowly. In one embodiment the system as the apparatus for detecting states periodically polls the one or more threads of the processes. The system can also include a data structure to store the states of each of said one or more threads each time said thread is polled. The system can be one in which one or more threads are UI threads. |
| US08307243B2 |
Parallel debugging in a massively parallel computing system
A method and apparatus is described for parallel debugging on the data nodes of a parallel computer system. A data template associated with the debugger can be used as a reference to the common data on the nodes. The application or data contained on the compute nodes diverges from the data template at the service node during the course of program execution, so that pieces of the data are different at each of the nodes at some time of interest. For debugging, the compute nodes search their own memory image for checksum matches with the template and produces new data blocks with checksums that didn't exist in the data template, and a template of references to the original data blocks in the template. Examples herein include an application of the rsync protocol, compression and network broadcast to improve debugging in a massively parallel computer environment. |
| US08307238B1 |
Parameterization of dimensions of protection systems and uses thereof
In one embodiment, a method is contemplated. A first parameterization is generated, which describes a desired result in at least a first dimension of a plurality of dimensions of a protection system. The first parameterization is evaluated over a plurality of parameterizations. Each of the plurality of parameterizations corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of instances of a second dimension of the plurality of dimensions. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that implement the method and a system implementing the method are also contemplated. |
| US08307237B2 |
Precision oscillator for an asynchronous transmission system
A precision oscillator for an asynchronous transmission system. An integrated system on a chip with serial asynchronous communication capabilities includes processing circuitry for performing predefined digital processing functions on the chip and having an associated on chip free running clock circuit for generating a temperature compensated clock. An on-chip UART is provided for digitally communicating with an off-chip UART, which off-chip UART has an independent time reference, which communication between the on-chip UART and the off-chip UART is effected without clock recovery. The on-chip UART has a time-base derived from the temperature compensated clock. The temperature compensated clock provides a time reference for both the processing circuitry and the on-chip UART. |
| US08307236B2 |
Oversampling-based scheme for synchronous interface communication
In one embodiment, an apparatus to synchronously communicate on an interface that has an associated interface clock for a circuit that has an internal clock used internal to the circuit comprises a control circuit coupled to receive the internal clock and the interface clock. The control circuit is configured to sample the interface clock multiple times per clock cycle of the internal clock and to detect a phase difference, to a granularity of the samples, between the internal clock and the interface clock. The apparatus comprises a data path that is configured to transport data between an internal clock domain and an interface clock domain. The data path is configured to provide at least two different timings on the transported data relative to the internal clock. The control circuit is coupled to the data path and is configured to select one of the timings responsive to a detected phase difference. |
| US08307229B2 |
Method of measuring power consumption of electric appliance
A method of measuring power consumption of an electric appliance is provided. The method may include determining an operation mode of the electric appliance, extracting power consumption data corresponding to the determined operation mode of the electric appliance, and calculating an integrated power consumption based on the extracted power consumption data and the operation time of the electric appliance. |
| US08307227B2 |
Data communication system and method
A data communication system includes one or more data processing units and includes a central control unit. The decentralized data processing units are connected to the central control unit by data connection. The central control unit includes a synchronisation unit for outputting via the data connection an synchronisation signal to the data processing unit. The data processing unit includes a data generator for generating data and transmitting, after the synchronisation signal, data to the central control unit. |
| US08307225B2 |
Method and apparatus for actively managing consumption of electric power supplied by one or more electric utilities
A system, which includes a system controller and client devices, manages consumption of power supplied by at least one electric utility to multiple power consuming devices. Electric power flow to the consuming devices is controlled by controllable devices, which are controlled by the client devices. The controller includes an event manager, a database, and a client device manager. The event manager generates event instructions, including instructions requiring a reduction of consumed electric power. The database stores, on a per client device basis and/or a per electric utility basis, information relating to power consumed by the consuming devices. The client device manager selects, based on the database information and responsive to a power reduction event instruction, at least one client device to which to communicate a message indicating a power reduction amount and/or identification of at least one controllable device to be instructed to disable power flow to associated consuming devices. |
| US08307224B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for dynamic power control
Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to dynamically redistribute power in a system that includes a plurality of subsystems are described. A load profile of the system is identified. The power is redistributed between the subsystems while tracking the load profile. The load profile may be an asymmetric, or a balanced load profile. The load profile is identified based on a utilization factor for each of the subsystems. In one embodiment, the power used by each of the subsystems is sensed by one or more sensors or predicted or estimated. A utilization factor, which may be a ratio of the actual power used by the subsystem to the power allocated to the subsystem, is calculated. The load profile is determined using the utilization factor of each of the subsystems. A power weighting arrangement between the subsystems, for example, a power distribution table, is selected based on the load profile. |
| US08307221B2 |
Mobile communication device and controlling method thereof
A mobile communication device includes a control circuit unit, a first interface, a status change detecting circuit, and an embedded controller. The control circuit unit is operated in either a normal working mode or a power-saving mode. The first interface is connected with the data card and the control circuit unit. The status change detecting circuit is connected with the first interface. The embedded controller is connected with the status change detecting circuit and the control circuit unit. If the control circuit unit is operated in the power-saving mode and the data card is switched from a standby status to a working status, the data card generates a status-changing signal to the status change detecting circuit. In response to the status-changing signal, the control circuit unit is controlled to be switched from the power-saving mode to the normal working mode by the embedded controller. |
| US08307217B2 |
Trusted storage
In one embodiment, a method for authenticating access to encrypted content on a storage medium, wherein the encrypted content is encrypted according to a full disk encryption (FDE) key, the storage medium including an encrypted version of the FDE key and an encrypted version of a protected storage area (PSA) key, and wherein the encrypted version of the FDE key is encrypted according to the PSA key, the method comprising: providing an authenticated communication channel between a host and a storage engine associated with the storage medium; at the storage engine, receiving a pass code from the host over the authenticated communication channel; hashing the pass code to form a derived key, wherein the encrypted version of the PSA key is encrypted according to the derived key; verifying an authenticity of the pass code; if the pass code is authentic, decrypting the encrypted version of the PSA key to recover the PSA key; decrypting the encrypted FDE key using the recovered PSA key to recover the FDE key; and decrypting the encrypted content using the FDE key. |
| US08307216B2 |
Device authentication control method, device authentication control device, and boat
In a device authentication control method and device, when a connection device is connected to a network mounted on a boat, it is determined whether or not the connection device corresponds to an authentication-free device. If the connection device does not correspond to an authentication-free device, an authenticating action is performed on the connection device. If the connection device does correspond to an authentication-free device, the connection device is exempted from the authenticating action. In this way, when a connection device does not correspond to an authentication-free device, an authenticating action is performed, but when the connection device corresponds to an authentication-free device, the connection device is exempted from an authenticating action. As a result, it is possible to handle specific connection devices as authentication-free. |
| US08307212B2 |
Steganographic techniques for securely delivering electronic digital rights management control information over insecure communication channels
Electronic steganographic techniques can be used to encode a rights management control signal onto an information signal carried over an insecure communications channel. Steganographic techniques ensure that the digital control information is substantially invisibly and substantially indelibly carried by the information signal. These techniques can provide end-to-end rights management protection of an information signal irrespective of transformations between analog and digital. An electronic appliance can recover the control information and use it for electronic rights management to provide compatibility with a Virtual Distribution Environment. In one example, the system encodes low data rate pointers within high bandwidth time periods of the content signal to improve overall control information read/seek times. |
| US08307210B1 |
Method and apparatus for secure validation of tokens
A method for validating a cryptographic token includes (a) operating the cryptographic token to generate a pseudo-random number for authentication purposes by using a cryptographic seed uniquely associated with the cryptographic token, the cryptographic seed having been cryptographically generated using a precursor value, (b) receiving a first value from the cryptographic token, the first value being the pseudo-random number generated by the cryptographic token, (c) inputting the first value and the precursor value into a trusted computing platform, and (d) operating the trusted computing platform to generate a validation signal if the first value can be derived using a specified algorithm from the precursor value, but to generate a failure signal if the first value cannot be derived using the specified algorithm from the precursor value. Accompanying methods and apparatus are also provided. |
| US08307209B2 |
Universal authentication method
The object of the current invention is to provide the user with an authentication method that is more secure than conventional authentication methods and can be used on personal computers, PDAs, cell phones, personal digital media devices, home and car lock and security systems, television/VCR/DVD remote controls, credit card authentication systems, automatic teller machine authentication systems, among others. |
| US08307208B2 |
Confidential communication method
In SSL encryption communication in which a client and a server share a password, the client generates random number data, encrypts the random number data with a public key and a password, and transmits the encrypted random number data to the server, so that the client and the server safely share the random number data having a bit length longer than that of the password. Safe cryptographic communication is performed without intermediaries by using the random number data or by mutually presenting a hash value of the random number data. |
| US08307207B2 |
Biometric key
A biometric key (10) which has an interface or electrical connection to a receptor body (11) which functions as an external power source a biometric sensor, a CPU, a nonvolatile memory unit incorporating a database of authorized biometric signatures or biocodes along with associated firmware required for comparison between data received from the biometric sensor and to provide acceptance or rejection of said data upon electrical connection to the receptor body (11) whereby a signal is sent to a facility (12, 13, 15, 16, 17) accessible by the key (10) advising of said acceptance or rejection. |
| US08307204B2 |
Ciphering as a part of the multicast concept
The invention proposes a method for transmitting a message to a plurality of user entities in a network by using a multicast service, comprising the steps of encrypting a multicast message by using ciphering, and sending the encrypted multicast message to the plurality of user entities simultaneously. The invention also proposes a corresponding multicast service control device and a corresponding user entity. |
| US08307202B2 |
Methods and systems for using PKCS registration on mobile environment
The invention relates to method and system for using PKCS and especially PKCS#10 registration standard on a mobile environment and in particularly in a WPKI (Wireless PKI) environment comprising a registration server and a client provided with a key pair is provided only with a part of the certificate request info defined on the PKCS registration standard. A PKCS registration structure is formed by the client of said part of the certificate request info and the public key to be registered, after which a verifying code is determined using at least part of said formed PKCS registration structure. Finally said verifying code and the public key are delivered to the registration server advantageously without delivering said part of the certificate request info received at first by the client. |
| US08307201B2 |
Information processing system, service providing apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program
The present invention is related to an information processing system, a service providing apparatus and method, an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program that are intended to simultaneously share content data in private virtual spaces. A home server 11 is arranged at user A's home. A portable user terminal 1 and so on can access the home server 11. A virtual home DB server 21 supplies the layout information about virtual home and so on to the portable user terminal 1. An authentication server 22 executes authentication processing on the portable user terminal 1. An inter-user-terminal communication relay server 23 executes the processing associated with the communication between a plurality of users. A user information holding server 24 stores the personal data of each user and the content data, which are shared with other users. The present invention is applicable to programs realizing realtime communication by use of the Internet. |
| US08307195B2 |
Information processing device and method of controlling instruction fetch
An information processing device includes an instruction fetch unit, an instruction buffer, an instruction executing unit, and an instruction fetch control unit. The instruction fetch unit supplies a fetch address to an instruction memory. The instruction buffer stores an instruction read out from the instruction memory. The instruction executing unit decodes and executes the instruction supplied from the instruction buffer. The instruction fetch control unit stops supply of the fetch address to the instruction memory by the instruction fetch unit when the fetch address corresponds to a first address or an address after the first address while the instruction executing unit executes loop processing. The loop processing is repeatedly executed for a predetermined number of times in accordance with decoding of the loop instruction by the instruction executing unit. The first address is an address after an address of an end instruction included in the loop processing. |
| US08307194B1 |
Relaxed memory consistency model
A method and apparatus to provide specifiable ordering between and among vector and scalar operations within a single streaming processor (SSP) via a local synchronization (Lsync) instruction that operates within a relaxed memory consistency model. Various aspects of that relaxed memory consistency model are described. Further, a combined memory synchronization and barrier synchronization (Msync) for a multistreaming processor (MSP) system is described. Also, a global synchronization (Gsync) instruction provides synchronization even outside a single MSP system is described. Advantageously, the pipeline or queue of pending memory requests does not need to be drained before the synchronization operation, nor is it required to refrain from determining addresses for and inserting subsequent memory accesses into the pipeline. |
| US08307192B2 |
System and method for improving memory locality of virtual machines
A system and related method of operation for migrating the memory of a virtual machine from one NUMA node to another. Once the VM is migrated to a new node, migration of memory pages is performed while giving priority to the most utilized pages, so that access to these pages becomes local as soon as possible. Various heuristics are described to enable different implementations for different situations or scenarios. |
| US08307180B2 |
Extended utilization area for a memory device
Methods, systems and devices for configuring access to a memory device are disclosed. The configuration of the memory device may be carried out by creating a plurality of access profiles that are adapted to optimize access to the memory device in accordance with the type of access. Accordingly, when an application with specific memory access needs is initiated, the memory access profile that is most optimized for that particular access need is utilized to configure access to the memory device. The configuration may be effected for a portion of the memory device, a partition of the memory device, or even one single access location on the memory device. |
| US08307177B2 |
Systems and methods for management of virtualization data
Described in detail herein is a method of copying data of one or more virtual machines being hosted by one or more non-virtual machines. The method includes receiving an indication that specifies how to perform a copy of data of one or more virtual machines hosted by one or more virtual machine hosts. The method may include determining whether the one or more virtual machines are managed by a virtual machine manager that manages or facilitates management of the virtual machines. If so, the virtual machine manager is dynamically queried to automatically determine the virtual machines that it manages or that it facilitates management of. If not, a virtual machine host is dynamically queried to automatically determine the virtual machines that it hosts. The data of each virtual machine is then copied according to the specifications of the received indication. |
| US08307174B1 |
System and method for managing sessions and reallocating memory resources used for replication of data in a data storage environment
This invention is a system and method for managing sessions and memory resources used for replication of data in a data storage environment. In one embodiment, a methodology is provided that inspecting a plurality of copy sessions forming a copy session group operating in the data storage environment to determine the size and number of buffers each session is using, and determining whether to abort a session of the group and reallocate its buffers by redistributing its memory for use by itself and another session based on the inspection. In other embodiments, implementations include a system, a computer program product, or an apparatus, wherein each embodiment is configured for carrying out the steps involved in the methodology. |
| US08307170B2 |
Information processing method and system
At least one processor for executing a plurality of programs, a storage area which is capable of storing an information element temporarily, and a storage device which is capable of storing the information element, are provided. A certain level of importance is associated with each of the programs themselves or a performance requirement of each program. When a certain information element is output as a result of execution of a certain program from among the plurality of programs, the certain information element is written into the storage area. Then, a plurality of information elements written in the storage area is output to the storage device side in order of precedence from the information element of the executed program, or the performance requirement thereof, having the highest level of importance. |
| US08307169B2 |
Protecting guest virtual machine memory
A hypervisor runs on a host computer system and defines at least one virtual machine. An address space of the virtual machine resides on physical memory of the host computer system under control of the hypervisor. A guest operating system runs in the virtual machine. At least one of a host operating system and the hypervisor sets parts of the address space of the host computer system corresponding to parts of the address space of the virtual machine to a locked state in which those parts can be read but not written to. |
| US08307166B2 |
Information processing program, information processing device and information processing method
An apparatus includes: a memory; a management memory for storing first virtual addresses used by the first program, second virtual addresses used by the second program and management information indicative of association between first and second virtual addresses and physical addresses of the memory; and a processor for executing the first, the second and a management programs, the management program including: receiving a request to assign a shared area to be shared by the first and second programs from the second program; determining a physical address of the shared area corresponding to one of the first and one of the second virtual addresses; transmitting a notification of data writing by the first program to the second program; locking the shared area so as to prevent the second program from writing data after the notification; and unlocking the shared area after the second program has read data from the shared area. |
| US08307163B2 |
Hybrid density memory storage device
The present invention discloses a hybrid density memory storage device configured to store data responsive to a host and a file system thereof. The hybrid density memory storage device includes a non-volatile memory, a hot data buffer and a control unit. The non-volatile memory includes a high density storage space and a low density storage space. The control unit is coupled between the host, the non-volatile memory, and the hot data buffer. The control unit has a hot list used for recording a plurality of logical locations of hot data, and the control unit is capable of accessing data in/out the hot data buffer in accordance with the hot list. |
| US08307162B2 |
Method and apparatus for cache flush control and write re-ordering in a data storage system
Methods and apparatus for cache flush control and write re-ordering in a data storage system are provided. A cache flush control method includes cache flushing information stored in a cache memory to a first storage apparatus of a plurality of storage apparatuses included in a data storage system when a cache flush condition is generated, and performing a write command in a second storage apparatus of the plurality of storage apparatuses which has a write speed lower than the first storage apparatus according to information stored in the first storage apparatus processed with the cache flush. |
| US08307158B2 |
Storage controller, storage control system, and storage control method
There is provided a storage control system and a method in which various controls to a plurality of storage controllers connected to each other can be effectively performed. The storage control system and method controls first and second storage controllers, in which a second storage controller is connected to a first storage controller to which a host system is connected. With reference to a memory in which a table defining correspondence relationships between internal logical volumes and a host logical volume of the second storage controller is stored, a channel adapter of the first storage controller controls power supplies of driving mechanisms of storage devices corresponding to the internal logical volumes. |
| US08307154B2 |
System and method for performing rapid data snapshots
A storage system is provided that includes storage controller logic that performs rapid data snapshots. The storage controller logic may provide block-level access to a storage volume. The storage controller logic may store all data blocks of the storage volume in a first solid state memory cache. The storage controller logic may form a snapshot of the storage volume in a second solid state memory cache. The first and second solid state memory caches are addressable with a processor. The storage system may complete the snapshot extremely quickly because the processor may copy from one memory location to another between the first and second solid state memory caches. |
| US08307151B1 |
Multi-partitioning feature on e-MMC
An e-MMC memory having a controller for a NAND Flash and another controller for a Phase-Change Memory (PCM) in a memory managed system. The different memory technologies of the NAND Flash and PCM may be partitioned to segment available memory space to store different types of data or code while accounting for an attribute property stored in a register. |
| US08307145B2 |
Method and system for connecting multiple IDE devices to a USB apparatus using a single USB-to-IDE adapter
A single USB-to-IDE adapter (204) connects two or more IDE devices (208, 210, 212) to a USB apparatus (202). The USB apparatus (202) communicates with each IDE device using a connection identifier associated with the USB connection (206) and a unique identifier associated with each IDE connection (214, 216, 218). The USB-to-IDE adapter (204) may be integrated within the USB apparatus (202) or as a discrete component connected to the USB apparatus (202). |
| US08307141B2 |
Multi-core processor, control method thereof, and information processing apparatus
A multi-core processor which includes a plurality of processor dies. The multi-core processor has a first processor core which processes a first task and a second processor core which processes a second task. The first processor core and the second processor core are formed on each of the plurality of processor dies. When the first processor core makes a request for the second task processing in processing the first task, information on the second task is stored in a memory area used by the first processor core and interrupt notification is made to each of the second processor cores provided respectively on the plurality of processor dies. Each of the second processor cores having received the interrupt notification accesses the memory area used by the first processor core provided on the same processor die as the processor die on which the second processor core is provided. |
| US08307135B2 |
Performance of a storage system
A method for operating a storage system, including storing data redundantly in the system and measuring respective queue lengths of input/output requests to operational elements of the system. The queue lengths are compared to an average queue length to determine respective performances of the operational elements of the storage system. In response to the average queue lengths and a permitted deviation from the average an under-performing operational element among the operational elements is identified. An indication of the under-performing operational element is provided to host interfaces in the storage system. One of the host interfaces receives requests for specified items of the data directed to the under-performing element, and in response to the indication, some of the requests are diverted from the under-performing operational element to one or more other operational elements of the storage system that are configured to provide the specified items of the data. |
| US08307130B2 |
Control system, operation device and control method
There is provided an information processing apparatus including an execution unit for executing an application, a threshold value setting unit for setting, according to the running application, a threshold value which determines a timing of changing an operational state of the external device, a first detection unit for detecting an input signal, and a first transmission and reception unit for exchanging information with an external device. Moreover, there is provided the external device including a second transmission and reception unit for exchanging information with the information processing apparatus, a second detection unit for detecting an input signal, a determination unit for determining whether or not to change the operational state of the external device from the threshold value based on the detection result, and a change processing unit for changing the operational state of the external device based on the determination result. |
| US08307128B2 |
System and method to improve sequential serial attached small computer system interface storage device performance
A system, computer-implementable method, and computer-readable medium for improving sequential serial attached small computer system interface storage device performance. According to a preferred embodiment, a microprocessor within a target device receives a collection of tasks from at least one initiator device via a collection of initiator paths. The target device is a cyclic non-volatile memory medium. The microprocessor queues the collection of tasks according to a collection of task list. Each task list corresponds to a respective initiator path. The microprocessor combines the collection of tasks in an execution queue. The collection of tasks on the execution queue is reordered based on a priority scheme. The microprocessor executes the collection of tasks from the execution queue. |
| US08307127B1 |
Device live suspend and resume
A method comprising: sending an I/O message to an I/O device on an I/O bus, wherein the I/O device comprises an I/O device state, wherein the first I/O message is a I/O traffic type; receiving a LSR suspend request comprising a suspend instruction to suspend the I/O traffic type, an expected impact, and an I/O device identifier associated with the I/O device; setting the I/O device state to suspended in response to the receiving the LSR suspend request, wherein no I/O messages of the I/O traffic type are sent to the I/O device while the I/O device state is suspended; receiving a LSR resume request comprising a resume instruction to resume the I/O traffic type, the expected impact, and the I/O device identifier; setting the I/O device state to online in response to the receiving the LSR resume request; and sending a second I/O message to the I/O device. |
| US08307124B2 |
Memory allocation in a broker system
Memory allocation in a Broker system for managing the communication between a plurality of clients and a plurality of servers. The method may include allocating memory for a plurality of memory pools; and dividing each memory pool into memory blocks of a size which is specific to the type of a resource. The resource may be related to the communication managed by the Broker. |
| US08307119B2 |
Collaborative online spreadsheet application
A distributed spreadsheet application executes at a server and a client in a network. The networked spreadsheet application can generally be used without requiring a user to install any specific spreadsheet software prior to using the application. In one implementation, the spreadsheet application may include a client engine that executes within browser programs of a plurality of client computing devices and server logic. The server logic may be configured to distribute the client engines to the plurality of client computing devices of the spreadsheet application when requested through the browser programs of each of the plurality of client computing devices. The server logic synchronizes a single spreadsheet document that is simultaneously open at the plurality of client computing devices. |
| US08307118B2 |
Architecture, system and method for an RTP streaming system
An architecture, system and method for an RTP streaming system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes developing multiple standalone modules, developing application programming interfaces associated with the standalone modules, and tying together the standalone modules to form a subsystem associated with a streaming application and with a network. The method further includes integrating standalone modules including an RTP module, an RTCP module and a payload interface, associated with any one of a server mode and a client mode. The method also includes managing a streaming session associated with media streams via an RTPSS manager, adding the media streams to a stream manager. For each media stream of the streaming session: the method includes performing packetization services in the server mode and de-packetization services in the client mode, and performing server-mode related services in the server mode and client-mode related services in the client mode. |
| US08307114B2 |
High availability message transmission
A system, method, apparatus, and computer program product uses a plurality of message transmitters to achieve high availability message transmission. The plurality of message transmitters are each operable to transmit a message to a subscriber. In accordance with a determination, for example, of the value of the connections, the message is copied and transmitted to the plurality of the message transmitters so that at least one of the plurality of message transmitters transmits the copy to the subscriber. The at least one message transmitter may be selected by analyzing the message and determining an associated rule based on characteristics of the message. |
| US08307112B2 |
Mediated information flow
There is provided a method for mediating the flow of messages in a computer network having a mediation architecture that includes a plurality of logical nodes in a cubic mediation arrangement. The method comprises handing over one or more mediation tasks between a donor mediator module and a recipient mediator module in response to a change request while maintaining system invariants. |
| US08307110B1 |
Dynamic scheduling of electronic content updates
A method comprises a server receiving a message from a device requesting content. The server reads a first time record for the previous receipt of content. The server compares the first time record with a second time record for the content stored in cache. When the second time record is newer than the first time record, the server sends the requested content. When time records match, the device is advised of refresh time and to request later. When the message lacks a time record, the requested content is sent. When cache does not contain requested content, a data loader obtains content from a server. A message to the device advises the time to obtain the content and to request again later. When cache does not contain the content and the server is unavailable, the data loader determines the time of network availability. A message sent to the device advises of availability time and to request again later. |
| US08307105B2 |
Message communication techniques
A network protocol unit interface is described that uses a message engine to transfer contents of received network protocol units in message segments to a destination message engine. The network protocol unit interface uses a message engine to receive messages whose content is to be transmitted in network protocol units. A message engine transmits message segments to a destination message engine without the message engine transmitter and receiver sharing memory space. In addition, the transmitter message engine can transmit message segments to a receiver message engine by use of a virtual address associated with the receiver message and a queue identifier, as opposed to a memory address. |
| US08307100B2 |
Relay server and relay communication system
A relay server is capable of communicating with other relay servers through an external server arranged on a Wide Area Network. The relay server stores information about a registered terminal, information about the relay servers forming a relay group by permitting connection among each other, and information about a resource and a client terminal sharing the resource. When an operation instruction regarding the resource in another terminal is received, the relay server relays the operation instruction from the registered terminal to another relay server. However, when key information is stored in association with the resource, the relay server relays the operation instruction to the other relay server only when a correct key has been entered. |
| US08307096B2 |
Method and system for managing the transfer of files among multiple computer systems
A system and method is disclosed for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer. The system and method comprises reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions. One or more transfer files stored on the source computer are identified based on at least one of the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file. The identified transfer files are transferred from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file. |
| US08307094B2 |
Method for processing register request, network element, and communication system
The invention provides a method for processing register request, network element, and a communication system. The method for processing a register request of a terminal in a communication system that comprises a first network element (GSN) for providing IP networking service to said terminal, a second network element (P-CSCF) for providing SIP proxy service to said terminal, a third network element (S-CSCF) for providing SIP subscriber service to said terminal, and a fourth network element (HSS) for storing information about said terminal including said terminal's address; wherein the communication system further comprises a fifth network element (NAPT) for translating said terminal's address in between said first network element and said second network element; said method comprise: determining whether a message issued by said terminal for said register request has undergone Network Address Port Translation; indicating an address for address verification in said message based on the determination whether said message has undergone Network Address Port Translation; and verifying the address for address verification in said message against the information stored in said fourth network element. |
| US08307093B2 |
Remote access between UPnP devices
A method is provided for allowing Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology to be used over the Internet or other wide area communications networks. In one illustrative example, a first UPnP-enabled device is to provide a UPnP service such as streaming media to various users over the Internet. The first UPnP-enabled device provides an on-line identity provider such as Windows Live or the like with user IDs of those users who are authorized to access the first UPnP-enabled device from a remote location. When a user wishes to receive the UPnP service from the first UPnP-enabled device, the user logs in to the on-line identity provider using his user ID and receives from the on-line provider an IP address associated with the first UPnP-enabled device. The user's media player or other application constructs a URL from the IP address and contacts the UPnP-enabled device at that URL. The UPnP-enabled device provides the user with a list of media libraries that are available on it. Finally, the user's media player can invoke the desired UPnP service using content or other information available from the media libraries. |
| US08307089B1 |
System and method for storing broadcast content in a cloud-based computing environment
A system for media content storage and delivery. The system includes a server that has a receiver and a processor. The receiver receives media data that indicates media content to be stored. The processor is in communication with the receiver. The processor determines media content characteristics that correspond to the media content to be stored. The processor determines a length of time to store the media content based on the media data and determines a cost amount based at least in part on the determined media content characteristics and length of time to store the media content. |
| US08307087B1 |
Method and system for sharing data storage over a computer network
A system and method for the user of a computing device, a Peer, to make a portion of its local storage available to others. A Group is composed of two or more Peers with a Group Manager whose allocated storage forms a Group Bank. A Farm is composed of two or more Groups with a Farm Manager whose allocated storage forms a Farm Bank. The Grid has a Grid Manager and is the overall combination of Peers, Groups, and Farms. A file is stored by splitting it into chunks, storing each chunk on a Peer that is a member of the appropriate Bank, and forwarding the file parameters to an Information Service with a File Index. A file is retrieved by requesting the file parameters from the Information Service, retrieving the chunks from the appropriate Peers, and assembling them into a complete file. |
| US08307085B2 |
Storing state of distributed architecture in external store
Architecture that applies to a collection of nodes (e.g., a federation) and manages membership of the nodes to the collection via an external datastore. The storage of node state and collection state is stored in the external and highly available datastore. New nodes can now join the collection through the external store. The machines (nodes) in the collection create a lease with the external store that allows the external store to maintain precise knowledge of the set of machines alive in the collection. The external store thus allows the new machines to join the collection while ensuring that there exists only one ring in the collection. In other words, the disclosed architecture protocol ensures that any given point of time there is just one ring for the collection. Moreover, this can be in addition to a current join protocol, which ensures that consistent routing is available. |
| US08307079B2 |
Sharing of information associated with application events
Techniques are provided that allow users to collaborate in relationship to data views, application displays, applications or events. A user can type in a text view related to a specific view in an application display, and the information is shared with other users that take part in sharing that view. A user that expresses an interest in an event is notified about the event and has the capability to interact, in relation to the event, with other users (e.g. by text). The particular form of interaction (and sharing) can be selectively specified. This interaction is comparable to a dynamic bulletin board where the subject is event driven, and where a user can specify who are allowed to participate. In the case of an event interest(s), users specify their interest (e.g. in other user application events or system events) and the system automatically alerts them to the occurrence of the event. |
| US08307078B2 |
Service provider optimization of content management
A system and method for monitoring the performance associated with fulfilling resource requests and determining optimizations for improving such performance are provided. A processing device obtains and processes performance metric information associated with processing a request for an original resource and any embedded resource. The processing device uses the processed performance metric information to determine a set of service providers for alternatively hosting, processing, and/or transmitting at least a portion of the original resource and/or any embedded resources. In some embodiments, in making such a determination, the processing device assesses performance metric information collected and associated with subsequent resource requests for the original resource and any embedded resources using each of a variety of alternative set(s) of service providers. The processing device may also consider service provider selection criteria obtained from the original content provider. Aspects of systems and methods for generating recommendations associated with monitoring the operation and performance of service providers with respect to specific resource requests are also provided. |
| US08307077B2 |
Collaborative speed determination in distributed systems
The described implementations relate to collaborative speed determination in distributed systems. One method estimates upload speeds of a plurality of hosts. The method sends a first bandwidth probe from a first host to a second host. The method receives, at the first host, a second bandwidth probe sent from the second host. The method determines which of the first and second bandwidth probes was relatively slower. The method designates either of the first or second hosts that sent the relatively slower bandwidth probe as a loser and takes a speed of the bandwidth probe of the loser as a first estimate of the loser's upload speed. |
| US08307076B1 |
Content retrieval from sites that use session identifiers
Session identifiers are automatically identified in uniform resource locators (URLs). The session identifiers may be identified using classification techniques based on whether identical sub-strings are identified in multiple URLs downloaded from a web site. The URLs may then have the session identifiers extracted to generate clean versions of the URLs. |
| US08307074B1 |
Self-selected message queue monitoring
A self-selected message queue monitoring system is provided. The system comprises a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, presents an interface to a requester enabling self-registration for selection of monitoring of at least one message queue of a plurality of message queues associated with a plurality of user applications. The system also receives a message completing self-registration for monitoring, the message selecting monitoring of a first message queue associated with a first user application. The system also authorizes the requester to access periodically collected information about the first message queue. The system also determines, at a predetermined time, a first metric associated with the first message queue wherein the first metric is specified in the message completing self-registration, and stores the first metric for access by the requester. |
| US08307072B1 |
Network adapter validation
The ability to validate the identity of a specific machine connected to a computerized network is provided. This involves validating MAC addresses, or any other form of digital identification that should be uniquely associated with a computer or user. This take places through the use of an identification registrar and an identification valuator. Such an identification validation system can be used with MAC addresses and can be used in conjunction with a system that records other information necessary to associate activity on a computer network with the validated MAC address. In this way, the specific computer or user associated with network activity can be determined, and it can be guaranteed that the identification has not been tampered with. |
| US08307069B2 |
Simplified support of an isolated computer network
A method, a device and computer program products product for allowing performance related data to be obtained from an isolated computer network that includes a diagnostics collection function. Selections from a support user of nodes and plug-in modules associated with applications provided in the isolated computer network that are to be diagnosed are received by a autocollector file generating unit, which then provides at least one command file with instructions for the diagnostics collection function, including the user selected nodes and plug-in modules, and saves the provided data as an autocollector file that automatically makes the diagnostics collection function to apply the command file on the nodes and plug in modules when being activated. |
| US08307061B1 |
System and method for determining manufacturer instructions executable by a robotic device
Examples disclose systems and methods related to manufacturer submitted robot instructions. The method may be executable to receive from a robotic device an identifier of an object and based on the identifier, determine a manufacturer of the object, and identify in a database first instructions associated with the identifier of the object, wherein the manufacturer instructions may be associated with the manufacturer of the object and executable by the robotic device to interact with the object. The method may further be executable to send a query to the robotic device regarding an interaction between the robotic device and the object and receive a query response indicating information associated with an interaction between the robotic device and the object. Based on the query response, the method may be executable to identify second instructions executable to perform the interaction with the object and send the second instructions to the robotic device. |
| US08307058B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program product for processing information
Port numbers allocated to each HTTP server are registered in association with identification information of the corresponding HTTP server in a port managing table. A worker HTTP server refers to the port managing table and determines unique port numbers as internal ports thereof that do not overlap with port numbers allocated to other HTTP servers. |
| US08307057B1 |
Methods for identifying and recovering non-revenue generating network circuits established outside of the united states
A method includes issuing a retrieval instruction, such as a database query, to retrieve from a database system a datum associated with a network circuit established outside of the United States. Upon receiving the datum from the database system, it is determined, based on the datum retrieved, whether the network circuit is incurring a charge. It is further determined, based on the datum retrieved, an amount of revenue generated by the network circuit. When the amount of revenue generated by the network circuit is below a predetermined threshold, a termination instruction to terminate a service associated with the network circuit is issued. |
| US08307056B2 |
Shared resources in a multi manager environment
A method is described for controlling a shared resource for interconnecting two or more network domains being controlled by different Managers. Multiple Managers control the shared resource for the configuration of a segment of a connection between two different domains and the Managers cooperate in order to control dynamically the shared resource. Different network domains can be connected by a network element or by a link between different network elements belonging to the different network domains. In the first case the shared resource is a connection matrix of the network element, in the second case the shared resource includes the connection matrixes of the different network elements and the link between the network elements. A shared connection matrix includes some connection points for performing the cross-connections within the matrix: some connection points are controlled by one Manager, other connection points are controlled by another Manager and some shared connection points are controlled by both Managers. Multiple Managers control the shared resource by reading and writing information stored into a management information base, according to an explicit or implicit mode, or alternatevely by transmitting messages in the network directly between the Managers, according to a signalling protocol. |
| US08307055B2 |
Secure platform management device
A platform management device configured to control the functionality of a provisioned electronic device is disclosed. The platform management device includes a processor operative to execute commands. A memory maintains a series of instructions that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: (1) establish a connection with a corresponding electronic device; and (2) transfer operating parameters to the corresponding electronic device, such that access to and operation of the electronic device may be controlled. Examples of device control include denying access to an unauthorized user and forcing the electronic device into a disabled state by remote operation from an authorized user. |
| US08307045B1 |
System and method for creating target-specific data conversion templates using a master style template
Methods for facilitating the creation of templates used to convert service data from a non-displayable format to alternate formats which are suited to be displayed on various client devices. In a preferred embodiment, the data corresponding to a selected service is examined to identify name-value pairs. A user is queried for a label corresponding to each pair. Formatting information for a plurality of client devices is contained in a master template. This information is used to generate a plurality of templates which are specific to the service data and the client devices and which are configured to convert the name-value pairs into formats adapted to be displayed on the corresponding devices. |
| US08307042B2 |
System and method for instantaneously deploying packetized alert data
One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and method for instantaneously deploying packetized alert data in a one to many configuration or a many to many configuration where the data to be received by each recipient can be customized in a way that leaves a publisher with optimum control over the content or revenue generated from each deployment. |
| US08307039B2 |
Method for disambiguating email recipient fields in an electronic device
An electronic device and a method implemented within the electronic device for disambiguating email recipient fields by extracting sufficient information from the domain portion of an intended recipient's email address to disambiguate between a personal and a business email address. An exemplary method includes parsing at least one of said multiple addresses in a recipient field of the email to extract information capable of distinguishing the at least one of said multiple addresses from at least another of the multiple addresses, and displaying the information in the recipient field of the email. |
| US08307033B2 |
Electronic device for the insertion of a portion of a first image to a portion of a second image and data transmission method thereof
A data transmission method for transmitting data from a first computer to a second computer includes: obtaining a first image of visual information displayed on the first computer and displaying the first image; determining whether a to-be-copied portion from the first image is selected; storing the selected to-be-copied portion from the first image; obtaining a second image of visual information displayed on the second computer and displaying the second image; determining whether a to-be-updated portion from the second image is selected; and transmitting the selected-to-be-copied portion from the first image and the to-be-updated portion from the second image to the second computer. A related electronic device is also provided. |
| US08307026B2 |
On-demand peer-to-peer storage virtualization infrastructure
An on-demand virtual drive from dedicated storage on a plurality of partners in a peer-to-peer network uses an agent installed on each of the partners. The agent has a contributing program and a requesting program. The contributing program creates a first storage unit and a second storage unit, formatting the second storage unit so that it is not visible to the operating system of the partner and transmitting the size of the second storage unit to the other partners. The requesting partner creates a virtual drive using space on selected partner's second drives, and directs data blocks in and out of the virtual drive. A rules engine incorporating RAID algorithms governs the selection of the partners and allocation of available space. |
| US08307020B2 |
Method for distributing a certified application employing a pre-certified master application template
A computer system is used to distribute an application using a data resource. An application using a data resource is created using an authoring environment. The application is converted into a certified master application template. The certified master application template is used to create a certified application and certified data resource. The certified application and certified data resource are distributed. During the distribution of the application, the certified master application template is modified and a new certified data resource is created. The new certified data resource is distributed. |
| US08307017B1 |
Object-level mirroring
Methods, computer programs, and database systems for protecting one or more database objects are disclosed. The methods include designating one or more database objects for protection and characterizing one or more data storage units by a set of dimensions. The method include, for one or more database objects designated for protection: selecting one or more data storage units to store protection information for the database object based on one or more dimensions, and storing protection information in the one or more selected data storage units. |
| US08307016B2 |
Accessing different application data via a common data structure
A common data type structure can be used to correlate access requests between applications that implement data in accordance with different types or type structures. In one implementation, a common data structure includes schemes for operations, sequences, records, and atoms (i.e., undefined). The system can then map any type structure to the schemes of the common data structure. In operation, a request for data by an application can involve identifying one or more proxies used by an application to map the data to the common data structure. The proxies map the data to the common data structure based on the shape of the data (to the extent it can be identified). The proxies then can return one or more data structures that comprise the identified mapping information. The application can then perform operations directly on the received data structures. |
| US08307015B2 |
Decorated model architecture for efficient model-driven application development
A computer-executable application is provided with access to resources generated using a principal model. A decoration model associated with said principal model is instantiated for use by the application. The application is provided with access to an object of the decoration model responsive to a request by the application to access an object of the principal model. The decoration model object corresponds to the principal model object. |
| US08307012B2 |
Schema mapping and data transformation on the basis of a conceptual model
Systems and methods are provided for schema mapping and the transformation of data. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided that comprises loading a conceptual model, wherein the conceptual model contains at least one conceptual object, loading a source schema and a source instance, converting the source schema and the source instance into a source model, and acquiring, from the user, at least one forward mapping usable to map at least a source attribute of the source model to a conceptual attribute of the conceptual model, wherein the forward mapping includes a mapping formula. Further, the method may include loading a target schema and a target instance, converting the target schema and the target instance into a target model, and reverse mapping at least one of conceptual attributes of the conceptual model to a target attribute of the target model based on the forward mapping and the mapping formula. |
| US08307009B2 |
Index structure for TV-anytime forum metadata having location information for defining a multi-key
An index structure of metadata provided for searching for information on contents and a method for providing indices of the metadata, and a method and an apparatus for searching for the metadata using the index structure of the metadata are provided, in which the index structure of the metadata includes values of multi-keys and identification information of the metadata corresponding to the values of the multi-keys, wherein the multi-keys are structured by a combination of predetermined fields of the metadata. |
| US08307005B1 |
Determining reachability
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining a resource's reachability score. In one aspect, a method includes identifying one or more secondary resources reachable through one or more links of a primary resource wherein the secondary resources are within a number of hops from the primary resource; determining an aggregate score for the primary resource based on respective scores of the secondary resources wherein each one of the respective scores is calculated based on prior user interactions with a respective secondary resource; and providing the aggregate score as an input signal to a resource ranking process for the primary resource when the primary resource is represented as a search result responsive to a query. |
| US08307001B2 |
Auditing of curation information
An approach that tracks curation history of sensitive information is described. In one embodiment, there is a database that contains a plurality of sensitive information. The database comprises a plurality of base tables and backlog tables for each of the base tables. A curation audit query generator is configured to receive a curation audit expression that specifies sensitive information to be audited and generates a curation audit query from the curation audit expression to run against the database. The curation audit expression contains syntax clauses that specify a time period for the audit, stipulate a specific base table in the database as source of the audit and examine whom is responsible for making changes to the specified sensitive information. |
| US08306997B2 |
Method and computer program product for using data mining tools to automatically compare an investigated unit and a benchmark unit
Sources of operational problems in business transactions often show themselves in relatively small pockets of data, which are called trouble hot spots. Identifying these hot spots from internal company transaction data is generally a fundamental step in the problem's resolution, but this analysis process is greatly complicated by huge numbers of transactions and large numbers of transaction variables to analyze. A suite of practical modifications are provided to data mining techniques and logistic regressions to tailor them for finding trouble hot spots. This approach thus allows the use of efficient automated data mining tools to quickly screen large numbers of candidate variables for their ability to characterize hot spots. One application is the screening of variables which distinguish a suspected hot spot from a reference set. |
| US08306996B2 |
Processing model-based commands for distributed applications
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for processing model based commands for distributed applications. Embodiments facilitate execution of model-based commands, including software lifecycle commands, using model-based workflow instances. Data related to command execution is stored in a shared repository such that command processors can understand their status in relationship to workflow instances. Further, since the repository is shared, command execution can be distributed and balanced across a plurality of different executive services. Embodiments also include model-based error handling and error recovery mechanisms. |
| US08306995B2 |
Inter-organizational and intra-organizational repository for operating system images
Mechanisms are provided for collaborating between two or more operating system image repository systems. A first operating system image (OSI) repository system is associated with a second OSI repository system. Each of the first and second OSI repository systems store one or more OSIs for use either natively or virtually by client computing devices. One or more collaboration rules are defined that define a manner by which OSI information in the first OSI repository system is shared with the second OSI repository system. A collaborative operation is performed between the first OSI repository system and the second OSI repository system. An extent of the collaborative operation is circumscribed by application of the one or more collaboration rules. |
| US08306994B2 |
Network attached device with dedicated firewall security
Dedicated firewall security for a network attached device (NAD) is provided by a firewall management system integrated directly into the NAD or into a NAD server. A local area network arrangement includes a network client and the NAD and the firewall management system includes computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions that perform the steps of receiving a request for network access to the NAD from the network client, determining whether the request for network access to the NAD is authorized, and only if the request for network access is authorized, providing the network client with network access to the NAD. |
| US08306992B2 |
System for determining content topicality, and method and program thereof
A system for determining content topicality comprises a feature value extracting means which extracts feature values of a plurality of contents from the contents; a content grouping means which compares the feature values of the plurality of contents extracted by the feature value extracting means, obtains identical contents and derived contents created using the contents, both of which are included in the plurality of contents, and groups the identical/derived contents, thereby computing identical/derived content grouping information; and a topicality determining means which totals viewing frequencies of the contents determined to be the identical/derived contents from viewing history information and the identical/derived content grouping information relating to the plurality of contents, computes total viewing frequencies of each of the identical/derived contents, and determines the topicality of the identical/derived contents according to the total viewing frequency. |
| US08306985B2 |
System and method for increasing search ranking of a community website
A system for increasing search ranking of a community Website includes a link code application module residing on and executable from a digital medium, a link verification module residing on and executable from the digital medium, and a member feedback module residing on and executable from the digital medium for providing feedback about link quality and for distributing rewards to persons using the system. |
| US08306984B2 |
System, method, and data structure for providing access to interrelated sources of information
A system, method, and data structure for storing and accessing interrelated data pertaining to a given subject is disclosed. The system includes a user module and a service module, wherein said service module contains a data storage component. The system facilitates reviewing sources of information that relate to particular subject. Where there sources of information can or must be understood in the context of other sources of information, the present invention also comprises a data structure and method of populating said data structure that facilitates searching and access to any related sources of information. The disclosed invention includes embodiments wherein the sources of information can consist of many different formats. Whereas many user modules can access the service module from any location, searching and accessing of any of said information sources can be reviewed in their full context, as defined by the related sources of information, from any location that has access to the communication medium connecting the user and service modules. |
| US08306980B2 |
Flexible and extensible framework and model for systems manageable components
A method, a system and a computer program product for defining manageable component objects to an application utilizing data roots. A manageable component engine creates a bridge manageable component model utilizing the data roots. Data roots, or root data, are retrieved and stored in a manageable component persistent index of an application. The manageable component persistent index is processed for one or more root objects during an initialization of a manageable component engine. The manageable component engine queries one or more data sources, and accesses data required for creating a manageable component object instance. One or more manageable component objects are registered in a manageable component repository. The manageable component bridge model is created and displayed via a graphical user interface. |
| US08306978B2 |
Method of changing the page size of a DB2 table space while keeping the object available
Provided is a method for online reorganization and increasing the page size of a DB2 object. A base table and related auxiliary table spaces are reorganized concurrently via a database utility, DB2 REORG utility. The database utility determines which auxiliary tables are related to the base table and automatically includes their respective auxiliary table in the same invocation of the utility. The reorganization is performed via allocated shadow data sets; page size of the allocated shadow data sets is dynamically updated during reorganization. The original data sets are switched with the newly built shadow data sets, and DB2 catalog values and control blocks are updated with new page size values. |
| US08306977B1 |
Method and system for tagging of content
A system and machine-implemented method for providing a user with a set of user-generated labels for tagging an item, including receiving an indication of a request from a user to tag an item, identifying one or more user-generated labels of a plurality of user-generated labels corresponding to the item in response to receiving the indication, each user-generated label of the plurality of user-generated labels representing a sentiment regarding the item and being associated with a fitness value and providing for display of the one or more user-generated labels to the user, and for receiving an entry from the user, the entry comprising an alternative user-generated label corresponding to the item, wherein the alternative user-generated label is different from the one or more user-generated labels. |
| US08306972B2 |
Ordering of search results based on language and/or country of the search results
A system and method for providing preferred language and/or country ordering of search results is described. A search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result languages and/or countries is received. A search is executed by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository. At least one preferred language and/or country applicable to search results generated is dynamically determined responsive to the executed search. At least some of the search results are ordered in consideration of the at least one preferred language and/or country. |
| US08306970B2 |
Method and system for uniquely identifying a person to the exclusion of all others
Methods, program products, computer program products and systems for uniquely identifying an individual within a population to the exclusion of all others within the population by comparing data from unique data sources based on the name of the individual for providing a collection of preliminary suspects. An individual search service provider is then searched for additional data relating to the collection of preliminary suspects to locate any potential matches, which are reconciled with data from the unique data sources to locate at least a portion of a unique identifier that may be associated with the individual. The potential matches and portion of the unique identifier are compared with other data records within the individual search data source for locating a complete unique identifier that may be associated with the individual, followed by determining whether or not this complete unique identifier uniquely identifies the individual. |
| US08306968B2 |
Name retrieval method and name retrieval apparatus
Name retrieval methods and name retrieval apparatuses that detect retrieval-target names that are representable as character strings including a ligature taking arbitrary property of a ligature into consideration in both a case where the ligature is input, and a case where the series of characters corresponding to the ligature is input, are provided so that convenience and reliability of name retrieval are improved. When a specific ligature is input, the specific ligature is converted into the series of characters corresponding to the specific ligature in accordance with the corresponding relationship TB stored in a storage device M, and specific retrieval-target names that include the series of characters obtained by the conversion in an input position of the specific ligature and an arrangement position of the series of characters corresponding to the number of coupled characters are retrieved from a database DB by character-string matching. |
| US08306966B2 |
Optimized search result columns on search results pages
Computer-implemented system and methods are disclosed for optimizing the relative positions of sponsored and organic search results on a search results page displayed to a user, including calculating, by a search engine, a degree of commerciality of a search query; receiving the search query from a user by the search engine; and delivering, by the search engine to a browser of a user, a plurality of sponsored search results in at least two columns and a plurality of organic search results in at least a third column of one or more search results pages, wherein a layout of the at least three columns depends on the degree of commerciality of the search query. |
| US08306963B2 |
Embedded search bar
Various embodiments provide an embedded search bar displayed on a display screen of a computing device. Executable code for the embedded search bar may be loaded by a browser from a remote source. The browser may execute the executable code, thereby causing the embedded search bar to be displayed at a fixed position of a display screen. The embedded search bar may be an open and extensible container for applications. The applications may be content-driven applications or utility applications, representations of which may be displayed within the embedded search bar. The applications may interact with the embedded search bar via a set of public application program interfaces. The applications may monitor search queries and may provide information to be displayed within the embedded search bar. The embedded search bar may further include a search window for entering a search query to be performed over a third-party website. |
| US08306962B1 |
Generating targeted paid search campaigns
In particular embodiments, constructing a classifier based on a plurality of training keywords. Each training keyword comprises one or more words and has a corresponding training keyword document. Constructing the classifier comprises: for each training keyword of the plurality of training keywords, annotating the training keyword with one or more labels of a plurality of labels, each label having a corresponding label document; and for each label annotating the training keyword, determining a correctness of the label; calculating a first index-wise product between a word count vector of the training keyword document corresponding to the training keyword and a word count vector of the label document corresponding to the label; and forming a pair of the correctness and the first index-wise product; and training the classifier using one or more pairs of the correctness and the first index-wise product. |
| US08306959B2 |
Incremental maintenance of immediate materialized views with outerjoins
Methods and systems for using algorithms in relational database management systems (RDBMSs) for incremental maintenance of materialized views with outerjoins are disclosed. The algorithms achieve the following goals with respect to a class of materialized outerjoin views and the performance of update operations: relax the requirement for the existence of the primary key attributes in a select list of the view to only some of the relations (i.e., the relations referenced as a preserved side in an outerjoin); relax null-intolerant property requirements for some predicates used in the view definition (i.e., predicates referencing relations which can be null-supplied by more than one outerjoin); and implement maintenance of outerjoin views by using one update statement (e.g., MERGE, UPDATE, INSERT, or DELETE) per view for each relation referenced in the view. The algorithms allow design and implementation of the incremental maintenance of materialized views with outerjoins to be integrated into an RDBMS. |
| US08306955B2 |
Data management
There is proposed a method of side-loading content onto a mobile device, preferably using a WiFi connection, from a network content store and storing it on the device for viewing later. The method automatically determines when to delete stored content, and more importantly, what content should be transferred over the network in the first instance. The system comprises a content manager which takes into account various parameters to determine what should be transferred and, if required, what should be deleted from the device. The parameters used include user profiles, size of a potential download, as well as available storage space on the device and the predicted duration the device will be in range of a wireless hotspot or broadcast network. |
| US08306954B2 |
Methods and systems for file replication utilizing differences between versions of files
Methods and systems for efficient file replication are provided. In some embodiments, one or more coarse signatures for blocks in a base file are compared with those coarse signatures for blocks of a revised file, until a match is found. A fine signature is then generated for the matching block of the revised file and compared to a fine signature of the base file. Thus, fine signatures are not computed unless a coarse signature match has been found, thereby minimizing unneeded time-consuming fine signature calculations. Methods are also provided for determining whether to initiate a delta file generation algorithm, or whether to utilize a more efficient replication method, based upon system and/or file parameters. In accordance with additional embodiments, the lengths of valid data on physical blocks are obtained from physical block mappings for the files, and these lengths and mappings are utilized for delta file generation, to minimize unnecessary signature computations. |
| US08306952B2 |
Technique for managing messages
A technique for managing messages stored in a messaging system may include determining whether messages designated for deletion within a current data container exceed a predetermined threshold. If such a determination is made, thereafter, a first amount of time required to delete the messages designated for deletion is calculated. A second amount of time required to copy the messages not designated for deletion in the current data container is also calculated. Thereafter, messages are selectively deleted or copied based at least in part on the calculated first and second amounts of time. In some variations, if the second amount of time exceeds the first amount of time (or exceeds the first amount of time by a predetermined threshold), then the messages designated for deletion are deleted. Otherwise, the messages not designated for deletion may be copied into a new data container and the current data container may be dropped. |
| US08306951B2 |
Automated integrated high availability of the in-memory database cache and the backend enterprise database
A cluster manager is configured to manage a plurality of copies of a mid-tier database as a mid-tier database cluster. The cluster manager may concurrently manage a backend database system. The cluster manager is configured to monitor for and react to failures of mid-tier database nodes. The cluster manager may react to a mid-tier database failure by, for example, assigning a new active node, creating a new standby node, creating new copies of the mid-tier databases, implementing new replication or backup schemes, reassigning the node's virtual address to another node, or relocating applications that were directly linked to the mid-tier database to another host. Each node or an associated agent may configure the cluster manager to behave in this fashion during initialization, based on common cluster configuration information. Each copy of the mid-tier database may be, for example, a memory resident database. Thus, a node must reload the entire database into memory to recover a copy of the database. |
| US08306948B2 |
Global deduplication file system
The disclosed embodiments describe interactions and synchronization techniques for global deduplication file systems. In one embodiment of the invention, a method and system implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally by making use of the deduplication dictionary included in metadata being periodically snapshot. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally and provides appropriate read/write locks. |
| US08306947B2 |
Replication of operations on objects distributed in a storage system
One embodiment is a method that reads audit from an audit trail of a source database distributed across multiple storage systems with independent audit trails and then replicates the audit trail to a target database distributed across multiple storage systems with independent audit trails without manual coordination by a database administrator. |
| US08306946B2 |
Deployment manager for master data management
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to deploy a data management application to a target computer system. Metadata for a master data management (MDM) application is stored in a deployment database. The metadata is representative of business rules and process workflows that manage business data from multiple sources and a model definition for a model for a central business database. Configuration settings for the MDM application are stored in the deployment database. The metadata and configuration settings are retrieved from the deployment database. Installation instructions of the MDM application are confirmed based on input into a graphical user interface. The master data management application is installed on the target computer system based on the installation instructions, metadata, and configuration settings. |
| US08306945B2 |
Associating database log records into logical groups
A method, system and medium for organizing and associating log records into logically related groups is described. One or more input sources from, possibly, different systems/subsystems are input to a log correlation method. As the log records are processed the fields are interrogated to determine which log records are related to each other. As further log records are processed more information about previously unidentifiable relationships is determined. After this later information is known, log records that could previously not be associated with any other log records are added to the existing association. The system engineer is therefore presented with the pertinent information for monitoring, administrating and diagnosing system activities. |
| US08306943B2 |
Seasonality-based rules for data anomaly detection
In one embodiment, we describe a method that generates seasonality rules for anomaly detection for a hierarchical/tree based data structure. A new algorithm for processing nodes in hierarchy, as well as business rules for nodes, is described. Variations and examples are given to describe different scopes and embodiments of the invention. Exclusion criteria and children nodes are used as some examples for the implementations, with flow charts to describe the methods of application, as examples. |
| US08306939B2 |
Examination value predicting device using electrophoresis waveform, prediction method, and predicting program
Electrophoresis waveform data and a prediction equation for predicting the amount of a substance in an analyte or the presence of a disease in the living body from which the analyte was obtained are recorded. The prediction equation is a regression equation in which the explanatory variable is an absorbance value corresponding to a mobility in corrected waveform data generated as a result of electrophoresis waveform data on a plurality of analytes, and the criterion variable is the amount of the substance or the presence of a disease. The test value prediction method includes a step of generating corrected waveform data by performing normalization and area correction on the electrophoresis waveform data recorded in the recording unit, and a step of calculating a prediction value of the amount of the specific substance by substituting the absorbance value from the mobility, with an absorbance value from the corrected waveform data. |
| US08306937B2 |
Method and system to manage multiple party rewards using a single account and artificial intelligence
Systems and methods for storing a transaction history with respect to a business entity, and an incentive regarding a business entity, previously offered to an account. A desired transaction involving a holder of the account and the business entity may be generated based on the transaction history and a metric. An incentive may be generated based on an artificial intelligence program (AIP), the transaction history, and the metric. The desired transaction and the incentive may be transmitted for presentation to a holder of the account. |
| US08306936B2 |
Automated legal evaluation using bayesian network over a communications network
A method for legal knowledge modeling and automated legal evaluation, such as for online, questionnaire-based legal analysis, is provided. Information, such as facts and characteristics of a legal situation or legal scenario, as it relates to a legal conclusion or a legal result, in addition to the probabilities of such conclusions or results, are modeled in a Bayesian Network. The Bayesian Network may comprise instantiable nodes, fault nodes, intermediary nodes, a utility node and decision nodes. The Bayesian network is automatically updated on a periodic basis to reflect new legislation or court decisions. Using Bayesian inference, the conditional probability of a legal conclusion based on a user's answers to a questionnaire may be determined. These conditional probabilities are modified upon the input of evidence, which is typically in the form of answers to a dynamic set of questions designed to identify a legal conclusion or a legal result. |
| US08306935B2 |
Physical infrastructure management system
Systems and methods of the present invention allow for the discovery of physical location information about network assets and the delivery of that information to network administrators. In addition, environmental and other information about network asset locations can be provided to an administrator. Intelligent patch panels and power outlet units are installed in network cabinets to facilitate the acquisition and reporting of physical infrastructure information, including information about network resource availability. |
| US08306934B2 |
Demo verification provisioning
A method, system, and computer program product for issuing an alert when a method of a live demonstration deviates from demonstration simulation actions. A computer receives a command to commence a demonstration simulation. During the demonstration simulation, capture logic of a computer is initialized. The capture logic records events of the demonstration simulation. When a live demonstration subsequently initiated, demonstration verification logic of the computer continually monitors, in real-time, events of the live demonstration and compares the events to the previously recorded events captured during the demonstration simulation. In response to detecting that a live demonstration has deviated from the recorded demonstration simulation method, the demonstration verification logic issues a non-invasive alert. The non-invasive alert may be issued using visual, audible, or vibration feedback cues in such manner that an audience observing the live demonstration is un-aware of the non-invasive alert. |
| US08306928B2 |
System for maintaining and analyzing manufacturing equipment and method thereof
A system and a method are used for maintaining and analyzing manufacturing equipment. The system includes an embedded forecast device (EFD) configured in the manufacturing equipment and a server in communication with the EFD. The EFD is built in with a feature extraction (FE) algorithm and a forecast model (FM), so as to obtain a real time data of the manufacturing equipment and carry out forecasts on the manufacturing equipment to generate a forecast result. The server has various types of FE algorithms and modeling algorithms, which are selected and combined by a user for training and building a required FM and setting related parameters. The embedded forecast device also has a novelty detection model (NDM), which is capable of informing the server to retrain the models when the manufacturing equipment fails and then to update the FM and the NDM of the embedded forecast device. |
| US08306927B1 |
Systems and methods for archetype enabled research and search
Preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for enabling enhanced research and search with exemplary archetype processes and exemplary archetype structures for facilitating thinking about and documenting an arbitrary problem or inquiry based project. |
| US08306925B2 |
System and method for managing quantity tiers using attributes in an online stationery design system
A computer-implemented system and method are described in which an appropriate pricing structure for a new stationery design is identified by automatically comparing attributes of the stationery design with attributes of existing stationery designs which have assigned pricing structures. In one embodiment, the attributes are prioritized such that certain attributes are weighted more than other attributes when determining an appropriate price structure. For example, in this embodiment, a search is initially performed for a price structure of an existing stationery product which shares all of the same attributes as the new stationery product. If a match is not found, then the least significant attribute is removed from the set of search criteria and another search is performed. This process continues until an existing pricing structure of a stationery product which shares the most significant attributes of the new stationery product is identified. Once the pricing structure is identified, the designer has the option to modify the pricing structure and create a new pricing category, which is then stored in a database with other pricing categories. |
| US08306921B2 |
Mobile recommendation and reservation system
Apparatus and methods are described for assisting a requestor to identify and reserve a resource that meets the need of the requestor's request. For example, a request can be augmented using augmentation data, such as current position and requestor preferences, and resources are located and ranked according to their match against the augmented request. A person who is the requestor may engage in another attention demanding task, such as driving a car, while resources well matched to preferences are located. Preference data may be determined from social network data, a preference file, and/or other sources. |
| US08306918B2 |
Use of media storage structure with multiple pieces of content in a content-distribution system
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for distributing content over a network. The method distributes a single media storage structure to a device (e.g., a computer, portable player, etc.) that connects to the network. The media storage structure includes first and second pieces of encrypted content. Based on whether the device is allowed to access the first piece of content, the second piece of content, or both, the method provides the device with a set of keys for decrypting the pieces of the content that the device is able to access. The provided set of keys might include one or more keys for decrypting only one of the two encrypted pieces of content. Alternatively, it might include one or more keys for decrypting both encrypted pieces of content. For instance, the selected set of keys might include a first key for decrypting the first encrypted piece and a second key for decrypting the second encrypted piece. Based on the provided set of keys, the device can then decrypt and access either one of the two pieces of content in the media storage structure or both pieces of encrypted content in the media storage structure. |
| US08306917B2 |
Image commercial transactions system and method
An image commercial transactions system and method that are able to implement sales to the purpose of the seller. An e-commerce system for selling a picture and a handling condition specific to the picture, both being recorded on a predetermined recording medium in a predetermined format. The picture to be sold and the handling condition are accepted by an acceptor in a digital format. When a transaction is established, an accounting company carries out an accounting electronically for a purchaser of the picture and the e-commerce condition, thereby both of the picture to be sold and the handling condition are sold as digital data so that the purchased picture is used in a handling manner as intended by the seller. Consequently, the selling of the picture can be made so as to satisfy the intention of the seller. |
| US08306915B2 |
Method and system for authenticating software license
The present invention is directed to a method and system for authenticating software license. The method for authenticating software license according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits a usage authorization request to an authentication information management server through a communication network, and receives and stores authentication information from the authentication information management server. Subsequently, the method for authenticating software license according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits a terminal identifier to a personal computer, and calculates run-time of software using a launch signal, a termination signal, or combinations thereof, received from the personal computer, corresponding to the running of software, and charges in accordance with the calculated run-time of software. The present invention enables users to authenticate software license using a mobile communication terminal. |
| US08306914B2 |
Offsite financial account onboarding
Offsite financial account onboarding is provided which creates a more streamlined process for a customer. The customer accesses a money services businesss business electronic system to request financial account setup. The onboarding system establishes account access to a pooled custodial account managed by the money services businesss business based on preliminary identification (ID) data from the customer. With only preliminary ID data, account access limits are assigned which reduces the risk of fraud or criminal activity with the customer's account access. Because account access is established with just the preliminary ID data, the customer may fully obtain account access directly from a mobile device. The money services businesss business provides additional graduated access levels depending on additional ID data provided by the customer. Thus, depending on the type of ID data provided by the customer, the customer's account access will have corresponding access level rights to the custodial account. |
| US08306912B2 |
Private label promotion card system, program product, and associated computer-implemented methods
Embodiments of the present invention provide a private label promotion card as a bank product, being issued and managed by the bank and using an open payment network for purchase authorization and payments. A bank computer processes activation information for a promotion card and receives finds into an account at the bank on behalf of a retailer for payment for the promotion card, perhaps at a discount to a customer value of the promotion card. The bank computer authorizes purchase requests to use one or more activated promotion cards as payment for a consumer purchase from the retailer via an open payment network and transfers funds to the open payment network to satisfy the authorized consumer purchase. Upon expiration, the bank computer sweeps the account of the remaining value for expired promotion cards to thereby establish a credit for the bank. |
| US08306911B1 |
Payment option analyzer based on measured utilization
A computer-automated system analyzes payment options by acquiring usage information from a resource utilization measurement monitor executing in a system and accessing current financial information relating to a plurality of payment options from a financial database. Financial effect is evaluated for the plurality of payment options that result for the acquired usage information. |
| US08306901B1 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for obtaining best execution of orders to buy or sell a financial instrument for which a net asset value is periodically calculated
The present invention uses new order entry types (formats) and new order management methods to meet the order and transaction management needs of investors, traders, brokers, market makers and service providers for institutional traders for transactions in NAV Instruments by integrating the implementation of trades when conventional markets and NAV-based trading markets operate contemporaneously. Among other features, the invention provides methods and computer systems for determining the appropriate nature, size, sequence and latency of orders to be entered into alternative trading venues to improve executions. |
| US08306897B2 |
Method and system for insuring against investment loss
The present invention relates to a web-based computer system, a web-based computer software for use in connection with the web-based computer system, and a method of use thereof for the transfer of information between a moderator and a plurality of recipients in a face-to-face environment. In the system, a presentation such as a series of sequential questions are programmed into the interface for use in a face-to-face setting. A moderator tasked with transferring information to listeners in proximity uses a large display such as a plasma television connected to the internet to display questions, data, or group answers. |
| US08306896B2 |
Method and system to solve dynamic multi-factor models in finance
Methods and systems for estimating time-varying factor exposures of either an individual financial instrument or a portfolio of such instruments, through the solution of a constrained multi-criteria dynamic optimization problem, providing an estimation error function and one or more transition error functions to be minimized over a period of time. The factor exposures relay the influence of the factors on the return of the instrument or portfolio. The estimation error function provides the estimation error at each time interval between the return of the asset collection and a sum of products of each factor exposure and its respective factor. Each transition error function provides a transition error of each factor exposure between time intervals. In one embodiment, the constraints can include a budget constraint and non-negativity bounds applying to some or all of the factor exposures. In other embodiments, the method and system can be applied to estimating any time-varying weight that is used in a model, to relay the influence of one or more independent variables on a dependent financial or economic variable, through the solution of a constrained multi-criteria dynamic problem, minimizing estimation error and transition error terms. In other embodiments, the solution of a multi-criteria dynamic problem can be used as part of a method and system to determine structural breakpoints for each factor, and also as part of a method and system for determining optimal parameters to weight the transition error functions and selecting the factors included in the model. |
| US08306895B1 |
Portfolio confirmation and certification platform
A system and method for confirmation of hedge fund information, comprising performing an asset/liability confirmation by comparing corroborating data received from a third party independent of the hedge fund to a list of hedge fund assets/liabilities to identify third party confirmed assets/liabilities that correspond to the corroborating data. A price input confirmation is performed to identify a fund-provided value of an asset/liability as a confirmed value when it substantially corresponds a third party value of each asset/liability. Assigning a unique identifier to a confirmation instance and associated the unique identifier to a report identifying the proportion of the fund's NAV attributable to the total value of third party confirmed assets/liabilities and attributable to the total confirmed value of assets/liabilities. A second report identifying generated risk and/or performance data includes the unique identifier to certify that the asset/liability and price input confirmations have been performed. |
| US08306893B2 |
Automated system for compiling a plurality of existing mortgage loans for intra-loan restructuring of risk via capital infusion and dynamic resetting of loan terms and conditions
The CapStratix System operates on a plurality of existing loans (a “designated portfolio”), held by a regulated Lender, using a pool of capital which is available from unregulated Investors, to dynamically re-compute loan packages. The CapStratix System arranges for the disaggregation of a Lender's designated portfolio of Mortgage Loans, each into discrete note amounts, including an A Note and a “RenuNote”, both (or all) secured by the same mortgage lien. This process facilitates the extension of the maturity dates of the loans, at new market pricing, and the restatement of other terms and conditions required for a successful sale of the RenuNote to an Investor, reducing Lender's assets and risk profile, thereby having a positive effect on a Lender's regulatory capital ratios, without requiring a change to the Borrower's ownership structure or risk exposure. |
| US08306892B1 |
Fixed income securities index
An embodiment of a computer-implemented method of generating a financial index includes storing in a computer memory a regional weight for each of one or more regions, and, for each of the regions, a category weight for each of one or more categories of financial instruments issued from the region. At least one of the regional weights does not reflect a market capitalization of the respective region and may be based on, e.g., a gross domestic product for the region. The method also includes programmatically selecting one or more constituent financial instruments for the categories of financial instruments issued from the regions. In some implementations, the constituents do not include equity instruments. The method also includes programmatically calculating, for the categories and regions, subindices based at least in part on the constituent financial instruments, and determining the financial index based at least in part on the subindices, the category weights, and the regional weights. |
| US08306888B2 |
Table driven accounting method and system
The described embodiments of the invention include a method for maintaining accounting records for a portfolio of investments, comprising accounting records stored on a computer readable medium and providing a table for each event type affecting an investment for generating an account entry, each line of the table designating which accounting record receives the account entry and at least one key designating a data source for the account entry and an operation on the data source to determine the amount of the account entry. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a data processing system for maintaining accounting records for a portfolio of securities comprises a plurality of accounting records stored on a computer readable medium, the accounting records including tax accounts, a plurality of defined security types and, for each security type, a plurality of tables for each transaction affecting a security for generating an account entry, each line of the table designating which accounting record receives the account entry and a key designating a data source for the account entry and an operation on the data source to determine the amount of the account entry. |
| US08306882B1 |
Method and system for differential billing based on access system
A method and system for differential billing based on the access network through which data traffic flows between a subscriber and a service provider. The service provider may measure the amount of data traffic that flows to and from the subscriber and may determine which access network the traffic flows through on its way between the subscriber and the service provider. Based at least in part on the identity of the access network used, the service provider may determine a fee to charge the subscriber for handling the measured data flow. |
| US08306881B2 |
Tax transaction system
A tax transaction system, and combined sale and tax transaction systems, are disclosed for use in electronic commerce for the deduction of a tax, which may be a sales tax, value-added tax, or any tax on income related to a transaction or taxing event. A trusted third party server system (300, 1060) may be provided which handles the calculation and/or deduction of a tax, e.g. related to a transaction of the sale of a good or service from a seller (200) to a buyer (100), on behalf of the seller, and which further provides for the remission of the tax to a tax collection agency (500, 1090), and which may perform the entire sale and tax transaction by proxy on behalf of the seller. Software modules (1070) including objects which embody instruction code and data structures to enable integral tax calculation and collection solutions, including multi jurisdictional tax calculation, remission and reporting, and even real time tax collection at point of sale, are provided. Such modules may form part of a data processing system hosted by a third party to a taxing event transaction, or be distributed in a pervasive manner, such as via the Internet in multiple server locations, as a downloadable client module, embodied in multiple hardware devices such as smartcards, electronic tags, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. |
| US08306878B2 |
System and method for determining color usage limits with tiered billing and automatically outputting documents according to same
Disclosed is a method and a system for automatically outputting documents based on at least a user's credentials. A highest billing tier for processing the image data from a plurality of billing tiers and which is based on credentials for the specified user is selected, and the image data is processed and output. Alternatively, if the highest billing tier selected is not authorized by a user's credentials, then a next highest billing tier is selected in accordance with the credentials, and the job is automatically processed and then output. The credentials may be based on an available amount of credit in a user's account (e.g., to print at billing cost) or a user's authorization (e.g., to print color documents), for example. The tiers may be based on one or more thresholds, such as a percentage of color content in a document. |
| US08306876B2 |
Method of selling a product over the internet
When a potential consumer finds a product catalog on the monitor of the consumer's PC showing digital images of products, the potential consumer orders a desired product from a vendor, at least after selecting a desired product from the digital image of the product catalog in a recognized condition by naked eye observation that the color of the digital image of a basic color reference involved in the product catalog is substantially identical to a color reference owned by the potential consumer. |
| US08306873B2 |
System and method of media distribution management
There is a media distribution system and method configured to distribute media over a computerized network including a media distribution module configured to selectively permit access to media over a computerized network and including a user interface module. The media distribution system also includes an operational administration module in communication with the media distribution module and configured to facilitate operational management of the media distribution module by selectably altering operational parameters of the media distribution module. In addition, the media distribution system includes a supervisory administration module in communication with the operational administration module and configured to selectably determine operational parameters available to the operational administration module for control. Furthermore, the media distribution system includes a network module in communication with the media distribution module and configured to transfer data over a computerized network. |
| US08306872B2 |
Search supporting system, search supporting method and search supporting program
In a database, product image data is accumulated. A search portion acquires product image data having the image characteristics information that is the same as or similar to the image characteristics information that indicates the characteristics of the image of input image data from the database for the input image data. A search server outputs information on another product that is different from the product corresponding to the product image data together with the product image data acquired by the search portion. |
| US08306870B2 |
Order aggregation and merchant ranking
A system and method that facilitates e-commerce volume pricing is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, the system includes an offers and orders component that receives and aggregates orders for a product from a plurality of buyers. The system also includes a logistics component that determines a shipping price for the product for a subset of the plurality of buyers. The shipping price is determined at least in part upon the subset of buyers sharing a shipping method. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which buyers within an aggregated purchasing group may be subject to different pricing structures for the same product. |
| US08306868B2 |
Method for accepting payment information on the web using an interactive voice response system
Alternative method of paying with a credit card rather than entering it through a web page, but using an Interactive voice response (IVR) system. Customer selects from the web page “Checkout with PaybyPhone” from the payment portion of the checkout page. A system and method for paying by a credit card, preferably at a point of sale, is disclosed. The system employs an automated IVR system which the user calls using any telephone/cell phone, and enters their credit card information by using the key pad of the telephone/cell phone in response to verbal questions posed by the system. In one embodiment, only numeric information concerning the payment is entered. This credit card payment information will be used to approve/decline the order via third party gateway. The system provides the user with verbal and visual information regarding the result of the payment/order. |
| US08306863B2 |
User context based distributed self service system for service enhanced resource delivery
Disclosed is a method and system of providing user context-based services over computer networks, using mechanisms for collecting and specifying one or more user context elements, each element representing a context associated with the current buyer state and having context attributes and attribute values associated therewith, mechanisms for collecting affective (emotive) data to inform the user context, and also an interactive graphical view to gain insight into available services for assisting in understanding available service information and making decisions on purchasing. |
| US08306861B2 |
Pay at the table system
Patrons at a restaurant or bar can pay at their table using credit cards, without involving the restaurant or bar cashier and/or wait staff. Patrons are assisted using this system in dividing the bill by displaying the amount due (including tax) and allowing each patron to enter the amount they wish to pay. When the initial bill is presented, a balance due will be displayed and the indication will be provided that the bill has yet to be paid in full. As each transaction is entered, a running total will be displayed indicating the remaining balance due. When the running total reaches zero, the bill is paid in full, and an indication will be provided, such as by illuminating a green indicator light or by displaying a balance due of $0.00. |
| US08306858B2 |
Consolidated content item request for multiple environments
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for consolidating content item request for multiple content item environments. In one aspect, a method includes consolidating content item requests for two or more content item environments in a webpage. A first content item environment is a primary content item environment and the remaining content item environments are secondary content item environments. The primary content item environments issues a content item request for itself and the secondary content item environments, and owns a process that distributes the received content items for the secondary content item environments to the secondary content item environments. |
| US08306853B2 |
Methods for testing ophthalmic lenses
What has been developed is a method for testing ophthalmic plastic lenses and ophthalmic plastic lens-making processes for compliance with federal safety performance requirements. The method of the invention provides an easier, less costly, and more effective means for complying with these safety performance requirements than what current methods provide. |
| US08306852B2 |
System and method of managing change process
A system for managing changes to obviate inefficiencies in business processes involves identifying business activities (36) being performed and categorising (34) the activities. Using the category designations (34) to reveal non-contributory activities, drivers of the causes of inefficiencies are identified. A second set of activities (46) incorporates outcomes of proposed improvements. Linking (38, 40, 42, 44) between existing (36) and improved (46) activity sets ensures necessary activities are incorporated to achieve the desired outcome. Linkages between the activities within the activity set and the business function that performs them also enables accountability and measures to be assigned. |
| US08306849B2 |
Predicting success of a proposed project
A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product predicts a success of a currently proposed project. Responsive answers to a survey questionnaire for a currently proposed project are received and used to create a predicted success score for the currently proposed project, based on a pattern of responsive answers to a predetermined combination of questions from the survey questionnaire. The predicted success score for the currently proposed project is compared with and matched to actual success scores from prior projects. If the percentage of prior projects that retained their success scores through completion exceeds a predetermined accuracy threshold, then the currently proposed project is approved for implementation. |
| US08306846B2 |
Transaction location analytics systems and methods
One embodiment provides a method for evaluating transaction data to determine point of location usage. This could be, for example, to determine where customers are mostly likely to shop before or after shopping at a given merchant. For instance, the method could show the percentage of customers that shop at certain types of stores during a time period right before or after shopping at the merchant's location. As another example, the method could be used to determine when a merchant's customer makes a purchase at the merchant's store, then makes a purchase at a competing merchant's store within a specified time. |
| US08306845B2 |
Consumer and shopper analysis system
Systems and methods are provided for analyzing data sets representing consumer and shopper behavior. A data processing system for analyzing sales of a company's consumer packaged goods includes an interface for receiving master and shipment data from sources internal to a company and sources external to the company. Master data and shipment data are stored on a database. A merge and aggregation component operates on shipment and consumption data to create a unique repository of shopper and consumer data. A transcoding and integration component operates on external and internal master data to create a unified master data repository. A set of analytics and reports use unified master data and shipment/consumption data to support Consumer and Shopper Analysis. A sub set of secondary analysis can be performed, capitalizing the Master Data unification and sell-in and sell-out data integration. Consumer and Shopper analysis are performed for clusters of buyers and key performance indicators (KPIs) are calculated for individual customer or groups of customers. |
| US08306843B1 |
Employee feedback and problem management portal
Apparatus and methods for providing an electronic feedback management system. The method may use an electronic information processing platform. The method may include receiving information relating to a company employee hierarchy. The method may also include receiving information relating to the submission of a suggestion by a first employee. The method may further include receiving information relating to the status of the suggestion. The status of the suggestion may include an identification of a second employee who has viewed the suggestion. The method may also include displaying on a graphical user interface (“GUI”) a visual representation of at least part of the company employee hierarchy. The display may include the identification relating to the second employee. |
| US08306841B2 |
Enterprise project management system and method therefor
A project management system uses a work breakdown structure to define the project tasks. The work breakdown structure is organized as set of hierarchical related project tasks. The work breakdown structure can be loaded in part from a template. A calendar breakdown structure defines events associated with project resources. The calendar breakdown structure is defined on departmental basis. A resource breakdown structure defines available resources. The resource breakdown structure includes personnel and tools. The allocation of available resources to the project tasks is optimized within the constraints of the work breakdown structure and calendar breakdown structure. A histogram of project demand versus available resources is generated. The histogram of project demand versus available resources is used to optimize resource allocation. |
| US08306830B1 |
Directed medical care system and method
A system and method of preparing medical care instructions for an individual in an emergency situation. The system and method includes obtaining patient information, providing a mechanism to educate the individual on medical and legal terms and procedures, to create medical care instructions, applying the patient information to applicable legal and medical standards and providing a mechanism for updating and maintaining the medical care instructions. The system and method further includes storing the medical care instructions in electronic format, such as on a central computerized database, and allowing immediate and secure access to the stored medical care instructions by medical personnel. The stored medical care instructions may also be outputted when necessary. |
| US08306827B2 |
Coding device and coding method with high layer coding based on lower layer coding results
A coding device is provided with features in which optimum coding in a higher layer is flexibly carried out based on a coding result of a lower layer and a quality audio signal in limited circumstances is served to users. In this coding device, a basic layer coding unit codes an input signal to generate a basic layer information source code and outputs a linear prediction coefficient (LPC) and a quantum LPC, which are parameters calculated at coding, to an expanded layer control unit. A basic layer decoding unit decodes the basic layer information source code. An adding unit reverses a polarity of a basic layer decoded signal, adds the same to the input signal, and calculates a difference signal. The expanded layer control unit generates expanded layer mode information indicative of a coding mode in an expanded layer based on the LPC and the quantum LPC. An expanded layer coding unit codes the difference signal obtained from the adding unit under control of the expanded layer control unit. |
| US08306826B2 |
Bidirectional network language support
A method and apparatus for displaying bi-directional text using a browser program on a computer (20) coupled to drive a display (22) and having an operating system such that the computer normally writes text to the display in a default language in a first, default direction. The computer opens a window (44) on the display and receives a string of codes, each code corresponding to a character in a passage of text (54), at least a portion of which is in a non-default language that is written in a second direction, opposite to the default direction. The computer displays the characters 10 corresponding to the codes in the window such that the passage of text is displayed with all portions thereof arranged in respectively-appropriate directions, substantially without reference to language support provided by the operating system or browser. |
| US08306823B2 |
Dialog detecting apparatus, dialog detecting method, and computer program product
A speech receiving unit receives a user ID, a speech obtained at a terminal, and an utterance duration, from the terminal. A proximity determining unit calculates a correlation value expressing a correlation between speeches received from plural terminals, compares the correlation value with a first threshold value, and determines that the plural terminals that receive the speeches whose correlation value is calculated are close to each other, when the correlation value is larger than the first threshold value. A dialog detecting unit determines whether a relationship between the utterance durations received from the plural terminals that are determined to be close to each other within an arbitrarily target period during which a dialog is to be detected fits a rule. When the relationship is determined to fit the rule, the dialog detecting unit detects dialog information containing the target period and the user ID. |
| US08306822B2 |
Automatic reading tutoring using dynamically built language model
A method of providing automatic reading tutoring is disclosed. The method includes retrieving a textual indication of a story from a data store and creating a language model including constructing a target context free grammar indicative of a first portion of the story. A first acoustic input is received and a speech recognition engine is employed to recognize the first acoustic input. An output of the speech recognition engine is compared to the language model and a signal indicative of whether the output of the speech recognition matches at least a portion of the target context free grammar is provided. |
| US08306820B2 |
Method for speech recognition using partitioned vocabulary
A is recognized using a predefinable vocabulary that is partitioned in sections of phonetically similar words. In a recognition process, first oral input is associated with one of the sections, then the oral input is determined from the vocabulary of the associated section. |
| US08306819B2 |
Enhanced automatic speech recognition using mapping between unsupervised and supervised speech model parameters trained on same acoustic training data
Techniques for enhanced automatic speech recognition are described. An enhanced ASR system may be operative to generate an error correction function. The error correction function may represent a mapping between a supervised set of parameters and an unsupervised training set of parameters generated using a same set of acoustic training data, and apply the error correction function to an unsupervised testing set of parameters to form a corrected set of parameters used to perform speaker adaptation. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08306806B2 |
Adaptive web mining of bilingual lexicon
Embodiments for the adaptive mining of bilingual lexicon are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, the adaptive mining of bilingual lexicon includes retrieving one or more bilingual web pages, wherein each of the bilingual web page including a search term and one or more additional terms. The adaptive mining also includes forming a plurality of candidate translation pairs for each of the terms and extracting one or more translation layout patterns from the plurality of candidate translation pairs. The adaptive mining further includes deriving a term translation in a second language for the search term. The term translation being derived based on a hidden conditional random field (HCRF) model that includes the one or more candidate translations, the one or more translation layout patterns, and one or more additional features. The term translation is further stored in a lexicon repository. |
| US08306800B2 |
Method for predicting flow and performance characteristics of a body using critical point location
A method is provided for calculating flow performance characteristics of a body immersed in a fluid under a set of fluid flow conditions. The method comprises providing a geometrical description of a surface of the body and determining the set of fluid flow conditions. The set of fluid flow conditions includes a combination selected from the combination set consisting of angle of attack and leading edge stagnation point location, angle of attack and flow separation point location, and leading edge stagnation point location and flow separation point location. The method further comprises calculating a velocity flow field for the body using a critical point potential flow methodology and calculating flow performance characteristics. |
| US08306794B2 |
Techniques for thermal modeling of data centers to improve energy efficiency
Techniques for modeling a data center are provided. In one aspect, a method for modeling a data center is provided. The method comprises the following steps. Spatially dense three-dimensional thermal distribution and air flow measurements made in the data center using a mobile off-line surveying system are obtained. A temperature and air flow model for the data center is created using the spatially dense three-dimensional thermal distribution and air flow measurements. The temperature and air flow model is used to make thermal distribution and air flow predictions of the data center. The thermal distribution and air flow predictions are compared with the thermal distribution and air flow measurements made using the mobile off-line surveying system to produce a validated model for the data center. |
| US08306793B2 |
Systems and methods of performing vibro-acoustic analysis of a structure
Methods and systems for simulating acoustic field resulted from particular excitations by performing vibro-acoustic analysis of a structure are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, vibro-acoustic analysis of a structure is performed in two stages. First, steady state dynamic (SSD) responses are obtained using a finite element analysis model of a structure subject to harmonic excitations (e.g., external nodal loads, pressures, or enforced motions (e.g., ground motions), etc.). The steady state responses are the results (e.g., nodal velocities at desired locations of the structure) obtained in a finite element analysis in frequency-domain. Second, an acoustic analysis is conducted according to Helmholtz equation using the nodal velocities obtained at desired locations on the structure as a boundary condition. The acoustic analysis can be performed in a number of procedures (e.g., boundary element method, Rayleigh approximation method, etc.). |
| US08306792B2 |
Simulator and simulating method of heat radiation energy
A simulator of heat radiation energy which includes acquiring 3D spatial data including a plurality of solid objects where the 3D space is defined by a plurality of grids; calculating the form coefficient in all combinations of arbitrary two grids out of the plurality of grids; acquiring the attribute data of each grid including the area, reflectivity, and temperature of the grid; calculating the sum of heat radiation energy by radiation of a grid itself and heat radiation energy by reflection of heat radiation from each grid as heat radiation energy of every grid on the basis of the area of the grid, the form coefficient, the reflectivity of the grid and the temperature of the grid; and outputting the calculation results of heat radiation energy of every grid to an output unit. |
| US08306790B2 |
Apparatus, method, and program for acoustic characteristics optimization model analysis
An acoustic characteristics optimization model analysis apparatus includes a finite element model generation unit; a boundary element model generation unit; an acoustic transfer function calculation unit; a nodal point association unit; and a sound pressure calculation unit that incorporates the plurality of nodal points of the finite element model correlated with the plurality of nodal points of the boundary element model by the nodal point association unit into the acoustic transfer function calculated by the acoustic transfer function calculation unit to calculate a sound pressure transmitted from the finite element model to the predetermined position. |
| US08306789B2 |
Method of designing a composite laminate
A method of designing a composite laminate including a plurality of zones, each zone including a plurality of plies of composite material, each ply having a respective ply orientation angle. A global stacking sequence of stacking sequence elements is determined for the laminate. A local laminate thickness is determined for each zone. A local stacking sequence is then determined for each zone by extracting a subsequence of stacking sequence elements from the global stacking sequence. The global stacking sequence and the laminate thicknesses are determined together in an optimization process in which multiple sub-ply selection variables are assigned to each stacking sequence element. Optimal values are determined for the sub-ply selection variables and the laminate thicknesses. A single one of the sub-ply selection variables is assigned to each stacking sequence element thereby forcing a discrete choice of global ply orientation angle for each stacking sequence element. |
| US08306787B2 |
Method of evaluating precision of output data using error propagation
Method of evaluating precision of output data using error propagation includes performing numerical differentiation using input data in data processing, and thereby obtaining a Jacobian matrix J of the data processing; estimating variance-covariance of errors of the input data, and thereby obtaining an error matrix D of the input data; and calculating an error matrix from the Jacobian matrix J and the error matrix D of the input data, the error matrix R representing variance-covariance of errors of output data. |
| US08306784B2 |
Real-time analysis of a computer system
A non-transitory computer readable medium for a real time analysis of a computer system performs a method of describing an occurrence pattern, for which a set of tasks is provided. The tasks are partially repeatedly requested by the system and processed or repeatedly generate events by requests to partial components of the system. An occurrence pattern of the events requesting the tasks or events generated by the task during the real-time analysis is represented by a description of event densities. The description includes a set of elements describing a portion of the occurrence pattern of the events. At least two elements for the description of the part of the occurrence pattern include a further set of elements providing a plurality of hierarchical levels. The further sets and thus the part of the occurrence pattern described by the further sets differ from each other. |
| US08306783B2 |
Method for determining faulty components in a system
In a method for determining faulty components in a system having a plurality of interacting components, lists of potentially faulty components are prepared as a function of different diagnosis algorithms implemented independently of each other, and an error value is assigned to each potentially faulty component. The error values for at least one selection of components of the system are linked to form an error score value for a particular potentially faulty component. |
| US08306778B2 |
Prognostics and health monitoring for electro-mechanical systems and components
A method and system for monitoring and predicting the health of electro-mechanical systems and components includes collecting data for a fixed pattern of actuation of such system or component. This data is used to build statistical models that correspond to a normal state of the system or component. New measurements are compared to this model in order to monitor the health of the system or component. The comparison can be made using a distance calculation. The combination of new measurements with historical data provides the prediction for future health states of the system or component. |
| US08306774B2 |
Thermometer for determining the temperature of an animal's ear drum and method of using same
A thermometer for determining the temperature of an animal's ear drum. The thermometer includes a probe, an infrared-radiation detector adapted to receive infrared radiation emitted by the ear drum, and devices that help insure that the probe is disposed in a desired position in the ear canal so as to optimize the infrared radiation received from the ear drum, and to minimize the infrared radiation received from other ear parts. A method of using the thermometer is also disclosed. |
| US08306773B2 |
Microfluidic devices with integrated resistive heater electrodes including systems and methods for controlling and measuring the temperatures of such heater electrodes
The invention relates to methods and devices for control of an integrated thin-film device with a plurality of microfluidic channels. In one embodiment, a microfluidic device is provided that includes a microfluidic chip having a plurality of microfluidic channels and a plurality of multiplexed heater electrodes, wherein the heater electrodes are part of a multiplex circuit including a common lead connecting the heater electrodes to a power supply, each of the heater electrodes being associated with one of the microfluidic channels. The microfluidic device also includes a control system configured to regulate power applied to each heater electrode by varying a duty cycle, the control system being further configured to determine the temperature of each heater electrode by determining the resistance of each heater electrode. |
| US08306772B2 |
Method for estimating temperature at a critical point
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed to estimate temperature at one or more critical points in a data processing system comprising modeling a steady state temperature portion of a thermal model at the one or more critical points using regression analysis; modeling the transient temperature portion of the thermal model at the one or more critical points using a filtering algorithm; and generating a thermal model at the one or more critical points by combining the steady state temperature portion of the thermal model with the transient temperature portion of the thermal model. The thermal model may then be used to estimate an instantaneous temperature at the one or more critical points or to predict a future temperature at the one or more critical points. |
| US08306770B2 |
Method, system and test platform for testing output of electrical device
A method for testing output of an electrical device includes the following steps: a device being tested transmits a first signal to a test platform through a channel being tested. A signal received through the channel being tested by the test platform is compared with the first signal to determine if the received signal corresponds to the first signal. The channel being tested is determined to be normal if the received signal corresponds to the first signal. The channel being tested is determined to be abnormal if the received signal does not correspond to the first signal. |
| US08306766B2 |
Systems and methods for calibrating physiological characteristic sensors
A method of calibrating glucose monitor data includes collecting the glucose monitor data over a period of time at predetermined intervals, obtaining reference glucose values from a reference source that temporally correspond with the glucose monitor data obtained at the predetermined intervals, calculating the calibration characteristics using the reference glucose values and corresponding glucose monitor data to regress the obtained glucose monitor data, and calibrating the obtained glucose monitor data using the calibration characteristics. In additional embodiments, calculation of the calibration characteristics includes linear regression and, in particular embodiments, least squares linear regression. Alternatively, calculation of the calibration characteristics includes non-linear regression. Data integrity may be verified and the data may be filtered. |
| US08306765B2 |
Method and device for acoustic length testing of compressor
Computer system and method for determining frequencies of various components of a volume choke volume dampener to be attached to a compressor. The method includes determining a sound spectrum of a cavity of the compressor without attaching the dampener to the compressor; calculating an acoustic wavelength of the cavity; receiving a length of a proximal nozzle of the dampener; and calculating, based on the acoustic wavelength of the cavity and the length of the proximal nozzle of the dampener, multiple order frequencies associated with the proximal nozzle of the dampener and the cavity of the compressor, wherein the proximal nozzle of the dampener is proximal to the cavity of the compressor when the dampener is attached to the compressor. |
| US08306764B2 |
Battery analysis interface and measurement system
A battery analysis interface enables measurement of a performance of an internal battery while the battery powers an electronic device. The battery analysis interface is configured to connect an analysis device to the battery located within a battery compartment of the electronic device and enclosed by a battery cover. In this way, the battery analysis interface may enable testing of the battery's performance while the electronic device is fully assembled (i.e., the battery cover is secured to electronic device). The battery analysis interface may be connected to directly to terminals on the battery and/or electronic device or connected to the terminals via wires or strips of conductive material. |
| US08306761B2 |
Apparatus and method for identifying the position of defects in bodies, in particular in wooden bodies such as logs or planks
An apparatus for identifying the position of defects (100) in bodies (2), comprises feed means (3) for moving the body (3) along a feed direction (A), an emitter (5) designed to direct towards the body (2) a plurality of beams (6′, 6″, 6′″) of electromagnetic radiation lying in lying planes (P1, P2, P3) set at different angles to each other, and transversal to the feed direction (A), and a plurality of sensors (8′, 8″, 8′″) each facing the emitter (5) for receiving a respective beam (6′, 6″, 6′″) after the beam (6′, 6″, 6′″) has passed through the body (2). The lying planes (P1, P2, P3) are positioned one after another along the feed direction (A), allowing each portion of the body (2) to be struck by successive beams (6′, 6″, 6′″) as the body (2) is fed forward. A corresponding method is also claimed. |
| US08306750B2 |
Computer-automated spatial analysis
Some embodiments of the present invention automatically measure the impact of natural conditions and/or deliberate interventions on crop yields. Other embodiments automatically predict the impact of natural conditions and/or deliberate interventions on crop yields. By eliminating the need for human intervention, judgment, or discretion from the processes of measuring and predicting impact on yield, embodiments of the present invention enable such measurements and predictions to be made significantly more accurately, quickly, and inexpensively than has been possible with preexisting techniques. |
| US08306749B1 |
Systems and methods for route summarization
Methods and systems for route summarization are described herein. The method includes generating a route from an origin to a destination, the route including a plurality of maneuvers. One or more maneuvers are removed from the plurality of maneuvers based, at least in part, upon geographic information about a selected user. A summarized route is generated that reflects the removal of the one or more maneuvers from the plurality of maneuvers such that the summarized route has fewer maneuvers than the route. |
| US08306747B1 |
Travel way measurement system
A mobile platform, sensors mounted on the mobile platform, computers, data storage devices, power system, data acquisition hardware, and software form a Travel Way Measurement System. The mobile platform with sensors mounted within and upon it, moves along a surface travel way and records data to determine an accurate location and geometry of the travel way surface, surface features, transverse profile and features along side the travel way surface, structures, signs, and other features above the travel way surface, and utilities, pavement thickness and properties, pavement condition, and bridge deck properties and condition below the travel way surface. The mobile platform and sensors can travel and collect data at up to 60 miles per hour or more. The data acquisition hardware and software protocols permit the synchronization of all the sensor outputs in the temporal and spatial domain or in any other domain resulting from numerical transformation of sensor outputs. |
| US08306743B2 |
Route guiding apparatus
A route guiding apparatus includes a subtraction distance calculating unit 18 for calculating a distance from an entrance of a guidance intersection determined by a route guidance unit 16 to a center of the guidance intersection according to the width of a road going out of the guidance intersection in a direction along a route to define the distance as a subtraction distance, a notification distance calculating unit 19 for subtracting the subtraction distance calculated by the subtraction distance calculating unit from the distance from a current position detected by a current position detecting unit 12 to the center of the guidance intersection determined by the route guidance unit to calculate a notification distance to be notified, and a display unit 20 for displaying the notification distance calculated by the notification distance calculating unit. |
| US08306740B2 |
Vehicle travel assisting system
A vehicle travel assisting system has an area setting part for setting an area, in which weather information is acquired. The area setting part sets the area by using at least one of an attribute of a vehicle travel road, vehicle equipment for bad weather travel, and vehicle information such as a vehicle type and vehicle chassis lowest height. If the acquired weather information varies along a travel road of the vehicle, weather information is provided at earlier time according to the attribute of the travel road or unnecessary weather information is limited according to the equipment or the information of the vehicle. |
| US08306727B2 |
Method and system for coordinated vehicle control with wireless communication
A control system controls a pair of vehicles in coordination to traverse a respective pair of trajectories. The control system is configured to specify a plurality of successive waypoints, a safe stopping interval and an intermediate interval greater than the safe stopping interval, and exchange waypoints between vehicles. The system controls each vehicle in coordination with the other, senses a rate of exchange of waypoint data between the vehicles, and determines the safe stopping interval. The control system updates positions with additional waypoints as the respective vehicles pass by waypoints of the forecasted trajectory, determines the length of the forecasted trajectory remaining and compares it with the intermediate interval and the safe stopping interval. The system generates a warning signal if distance is less than the intermediate interval, and if the distance is less than the safe stopping interval, stops within the safe stopping interval. |
| US08306726B2 |
Position monitoring system for a mobile machine
A system including a mobile machine and a central control station is provided. The mobile machine includes a communication device and a position monitoring system including a receiver configured to receive position data from a positioning satellite and generate a position signal. The position monitoring system also includes an inertial navigation unit including a sensor configured to measure a parameter of the mobile machine and generate a movement signal. The position monitoring system also includes a controller configured to receive the position signal and the movement signal, detect an unavailability of the position signal, calculate a position parameter, determine whether a difference between a first and a second value of a parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold, and generate a warning signal. The central control station is configured to communicate with the controller, receive the position signal and/or the movement signal, and monitor the position of the mobile machine. |
| US08306721B2 |
Internal combustion engine system, method of controlling internal combustion engine system, and vehicle
An internal combustion engine system includes: an internal combustion engine; a valve regulating exhaust gas flow rate to an intake system; an exhaust gas recirculation system opening the valve to recirculate the exhaust gas to the intake system; an intake air flow rate detecting device detecting air flow rate introduced into the engine; and a controller, when fuel injection is stopped, controlling the engine to start the fuel injection at a rate obtained by adding a first flow rate to a reference flow rate for a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio based on the detected air flow rate when the valve opening degree is lower than a predetermined degree, and controlling the engine to start the fuel injection at a rate obtained by adding a second flow rate, larger than the first flow rate, to the reference flow rate when the valve opening degree is no less than the predetermined degree. |
| US08306720B2 |
Power output apparatus, vehicle equipped with the same, and method of controlling power output apparatus
In a power output apparatus, when the fuel vapor concentration is high and the target purge rate is high, an operating point on a purge priority operating line is selected as a target operating point of an engine. As a result, the intake manifold negative pressure greater than that when an operating point on an optimum fuel efficiency operating line is selected, so that the flow rate of purge gas released from a canister is increased. When the fuel vapor concentration does not fall within a high-concentration range, the necessity to immediately purge fuel vapor trapped in the canister into the intake pipe is low, and thus an operating point on the optimum fuel efficiency operating line is selected to keep the engine operating at high fuel efficiency. |
| US08306715B2 |
Lock-up clutch controller
A controller has a command section, a control section, a time measurement section, and a command fixing section. The command section generates a command regarding the actuation state of a lock-up clutch in accordance with a condition value that is determined by the accelerator operating amount and the vehicle speed. The time measurement section starts to measure time when the accelerator operating amount drops to 0 with the current condition value maintained in a hysteresis range and the command section generates the acceleration slip executing command. When the accelerator operating amount is increased from 0, the time measurement section stops the measurement of time and resets the measured time to 0. The command fixing section fixes the command of the command section as an acceleration slip executing command in the period from when the time measurement by the time measurement section has started to when the measured time reaches a determination value. When the accelerator operating amount is increased from 0 or the time measured by the time measurement section reaches the determination value, the command fixing section cancels the fixation of the acceleration slip executing command. |
| US08306713B2 |
Hydraulic control device for automatic transmission
An in-gear oil pressure correcting section corrects engagement control oil pressure set up by an oil pressure supply control section over the entire range to be reduced by first predetermined pressure. An engagement determining section determines, on the basis of a torque converter slip ratio calculated by a calculating section, whether a frictional engagement element of a destination gear starts to engage or not. An addition correcting control section corrects the corrected engagement control oil pressure to add second predetermined pressure thereto in the case where engagement of the frictional engagement element has not been started yet when a timer measures first predetermined time. The addition correcting control section further corrects the corrected engagement control oil pressure to add third predetermined pressure thereto in the case where the engagement of the frictional engagement element has not been started yet when the timer measures second predetermined time. |
| US08306711B2 |
Shift control device for vehicle and vehicle incorporating same
A vehicle is provided with a shift control device including a rolling angular velocity sensor for detecting a rolling angular velocity of a component of the vehicle, and a steering-angle angular velocity sensor for detecting a steering-angle angular velocity of a handlebar of the vehicle. The shift control device is operable to inhibit shifting of a gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission during rolling operation of the vehicle when detection signals from the rolling angular velocity sensor and the steering-angle angular velocity sensor respectively are equal to or greater than predetermined reference values. |
| US08306702B2 |
Electric power steering apparatus
A steering wheel return compensation component is calculated based on an integrated value obtained by integrating a basic control amount in such a manner that the basic control amount has a property to rotate a steering wheel with a specific steering angle by a greater amount to its neutral position as the absolute value of the steering angle becomes greater. Alternatively, a steering wheel return compensation component is calculated in such a manner that the steering wheel return compensation component has a property to rotate the steering wheel by a greater amount to the neutral position as the absolute value of an integrated value obtained by integrating the steering angle becomes greater. |
| US08306695B2 |
Vehicle for transporting a wind turbine blade, a control system and a method for transporting a wind turbine blade
A vehicle for transporting a wind turbine blade. The vehicle comprises a blade connection device for connecting a first end of the blade to the vehicle, wherein the blade connection device comprise a tilting device for elevating an opposite end of the blade and wherein a tip end of the blade is orientated in a forward direction of the vehicle. A control system for controlling the tilting device of a vehicle and a method for transporting a wind turbine blade are also disclosed. |
| US08306694B2 |
Activation and display operation of a navigation apparatus in response to detection of trigger event and door opening
In a navigation apparatus having a navigator installed on a vehicle and calculating a routing path from a detected current location to a designated destination and a display connected to the navigator to display the calculated routing path on a map, an event such as door unlocking that happens before starting of the vehicle is detected as a trigger, opening of a door of the vehicle is detected, and the navigator is activated when the trigger is detected to operate the display to show an indication that activation of the navigator is started on the display when the opening of the vehicle door is detected. With this, it becomes possible to activate the navigator early and readily enables the user to check or recognize the activation condition of the navigator. |
| US08306687B2 |
Method of diagnosing a vehicle having diagnostic data
Provided is a method of diagnosing a vehicle having diagnostic data. The method includes providing an automotive diagnostic tool sold to a user by a selling retailer. The automotive diagnostic tool is configured to download diagnostic data from the vehicle and upload the diagnostic data to a computer. The computer is configured to communicate the diagnostic data to a diagnostic database associated with the selling retailer (such as a private label website) upon establishing a communication link between the automotive diagnostic tool and the computer. A communication link is then established between the automotive diagnostic tool and the computer. In response thereto, a communication link is then established between the computer and the diagnostic database. The diagnostic data is thereafter communicated from the automotive diagnostic tool to the diagnostic database via the computer. The diagnostic database is arranged to map vehicle diagnostic data to a most likely vehicle fix. |
| US08306684B2 |
Autonomous moving apparatus
An autonomous moving apparatus arranged to travel autonomously in a surrounding environment preferably includes: a distance measuring sensor arranged to output detection waves, detect a distance between the apparatus and an object which has reflected the detection wave based on a reflection state of the detection wave, and acquire information about the distance between the apparatus and the object which exists in the surroundings of the apparatus; an inclination sensor arranged to detect an inclination of the distance measuring sensor; and a control unit arranged to estimate the self-position in the surrounding environment and generate the global map of the surrounding environment based on the distance information. When the distance measuring sensor is determined to be inclined based on a detection result of the inclination sensor, the control unit stops estimating the self-position based on the distance information and stops generating the global map based on the distance information. |
| US08306682B2 |
Methods for optimizing the efficiency of a series hybrid vehicle with multi-gear transmission
In a series hybrid vehicle, a system for determining a shift schedule for shifting a multi-gear transmission connected to a drive means is disclosed. A vehicle operator selects among a plurality of shift styles respectively representing a plurality of shift schedules variously optimized for performance or fuel economy. A performance-based shift schedule favors providing maximum power to the road by starting at the first (lowest) gear when accelerating from a stop and utilizing all available gears of the transmission. An economy based shift schedule favors energy efficiency by skipping the first gear and optionally one or more higher-numbered gears in order to bias operation of the drive means toward lower speeds and higher torque output while reducing shift frequency. The invention provides for maintaining the number of gear ratio choices provided by a transmission having relatively many distinct gear ratios, while providing for reduced frequency of shifting and driver choice of a shift schedule favoring either performance or economy. |
| US08306680B2 |
Arrangement and method for controlling an automated system, in particular a railway system
An arrangement for controlling an automated system, having a number of sensors and actuators, in particular for controlling a railroad system. A programmable control unit runs a user program to process input data from the sensors and to generate control commands for the actuators. The sensors and the actuators are connected to a remote I/O unit, which is connected to the control unit via a communication network. The control unit and the I/O unit interchange data messages in order to transmit the input data and the control commands. The arrangement has a remote disconnection unit, which is coupled to the remote I/O unit independently from the input data and control commands. The control unit is designed to integrate specific verification data for the disconnection unit into the data messages for the I/O unit. The disconnection unit is designed to deactivate the I/O unit depending on the specific verification data. |
| US08306677B2 |
Automatic turbulence detection method
The invention relates to a method for automatic detection of turbulence by a second aircraft, by information exchange between the second aircraft and at least a first aircraft. The first aircraft has means for transmitting information and the second aircraft has means for receiving the information transmitted by the first aircraft. The method includes the identification of information about turbulence liable to be encountered by the second aircraft, by analyzing the information received from the first aircraft. An alarm is activated on the basis of the turbulence information. |
| US08306674B2 |
System and method for divert and attitude control in flight vehicles
A system and method is provided for thruster control in a flight vehicle. The system and method uses a proportional derivative matrix control technique to determine thrust commands in a Divert and Attitude control (DAC) system. The proportional derivative matrix control system is configured to receive pitch, roll and yaw commands as inputs, and generate thrust commands as outputs. The performance of the proportional derivative matrix controller is such that the thrust commands can achieve the desired attitude angles quickly and with reduced fuel consumption. The matrix control system can efficiently control a variety of thrusters, including asymmetric thrusters having different moment arms. The matrix control system is particularly suitable to the control of DAC systems with asymmetric thrusters that are configured for attitude control. |
| US08306672B2 |
Vehicular terrain detection system and method
Methods and system are provided for detecting attributes of a terrain surrounding a vehicle. The system includes at least one terrain sensor configured to generate data describing the terrain and a processor coupled to the at least one terrain sensor. The processor is configured to detect at least one attribute of the terrain based on data generated by the at least one terrain sensor and to adjust a handling behavior of the vehicle based on the at least one terrain attribute. |
| US08306670B2 |
Protection and control system
A system for protecting, controlling, and monitoring substation devices of a power system, includes a spare protection and control unit that, when there is a failure in a protection and control unit from among protection and control units that perform a protection and control operation for the substation devices, downloads unit information including software and a device setting value of failed protection and control unit from a database unit and functions as an alternative unit for the failed protection and control unit. |
| US08306666B2 |
Interactive patient system
The present invention provides an interactive patient system comprising: apparatus; sensing means associated with the apparatus, the sensing means adapted to send, receive or identify a location signal; presence identification means associated with a region of a patient, the presence identification means adapted to send, receive or identify a location signal; and altering means adapted to alter a property of the apparatus in proximity to the presence identification means upon identification of an activity signal, thereby effecting an activity in the vicinity of the region of the patient, wherein the activity signal is associated with transmission or identification of at least one location signal as between the sensing means and the presence identification means. Also provided is a method for providing a directed response to a region of a patient. |
| US08306662B2 |
Position detection device for mobile robot and robot cleaner including the same
The present invention relates to a position detection device for a mobile robot, including a light-emitting element for emitting light, a light reception element on which light transferred from a bottom, of the light emitted from the light-emitting element and then reflected from an obstacle, is focused, and a signal processing unit for calculating a distance between a position where the light incident on the light reception element is focused and the obstacle. A position detection method using a mobile robot may include operating a robot cleaner, receiving light transferred from a bottom, of light emitted from the robot cleaner and then reflected from an obstacle, and detecting a distance between the robot cleaner and the obstacle from which the light is reflected, determining whether the distance between the robot cleaner and the obstacle increases, and determining whether the robot cleaner has approached the obstacle. |
| US08306657B2 |
Control device for legged mobile robot
A control device for a legged mobile robot has a first motion determiner which sequentially determines the instantaneous value of a first motion of a robot by using a first dynamic model and a second motion determiner which sequentially determines the instantaneous value of a second motion of the robot by using a second dynamic model, and sequentially determines a desired motion of the robot by combining the first motion and the second motion. A low frequency component and a high frequency component of a feedback manipulated variable having a function for bringing a posture state amount error, which indicates the degree of the deviation of an actual posture of the robot from a desired posture, close to zero are fed back to the first motion determiner and the second motion determiner, respectively. |
| US08306656B1 |
Method and system for performing medical procedure
The present application describes a method and system for performing medical procedures. The system includes a robotic arm assembly, an end effector assembly and a set of transducers. The system further includes a cable element that is used to control the movement of the robotic arm assembly and the end effector assembly. The cable element is also connected to the set of transducers, which measure the force imparted on the robotic arm assembly and the end effector assembly during the medical procedures. |
| US08306654B2 |
Transport and alignment system for producing variable thickness collations
A system is provided for aligning multi-sheet collations including a conveyance system having a transport deck for supporting and conveying the multi-sheet collation along a feed path. The system includes a first pair of registration members disposed orthogonal to the feed path and defining a processing station along the feed path. The registration members further define registration surfaces which are repositionable from an active position above the transport deck to an idle position below the transport deck. A first displacement mechanism raises and lowers the registration members into and out of the active and idle positions, and oscillates at least one of the registration surfaces forward and aft in a direction parallel to the feed path when the registration member is in its active position. A processor controls the motion of the conveyance system relative to the registration members of the alignment station, and controls the first displacement mechanism to: (i) raise the registration surfaces into the active position, (ii) oscillate the registration surfaces to align the opposing edges of the multi-sheet collation, and (iii) lower the registration surfaces into the idle position to facilitate conveyance of the aligned multi-sheet collation along the feed path. |
| US08306652B2 |
Dual-band communication of management traffic in a blade server system
In one embodiment, a communication system for a multi-blade server system includes a multi-drop serial bus network interconnecting a management module with each of a plurality of servers in a multi-server chassis. A first transceiver subsystem is configured for communicating over the serial bus network between the management module and each server within a first frequency band. A second transceiver subsystem is configured for simultaneously communicating over the serial bus network between the management module and the servers within a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A first signal-filtering subsystem substantially filters out signals in the second frequency band from the first transceiver subsystem. A second signal-filtering subsystem substantially filters out the signals in the first frequency band from the second transceiver subsystem. |
| US08306649B2 |
System and process for improving container flow in a port facility
A system and process for improving container flow within a port facility, including improved equipment and software for controlling operation and flow of the equipment in the part facility. The system may include a port facility geographically arranged to separate land operations and water operations. Land operations such as over-the-road missions and rail missions may use landside access areas positioned at one end of a yard including rows of container stacks. Water missions such as loading/discharging a vessel may use waterside access areas positioned at the opposite end of the yard. Automated cranes linked with a terminal operating system may pick/drop/shuffle containers and/or refrigerated containers (“reefers”) within the container stacks. Shuttle trucks may be used to pick/drop containers at quayside access points and the waterside access areas. The shuttle trucks may utilize shared wheelpaths. Software systems may be used to implement various principles of the disclosure. |
| US08306647B2 |
Flexible manufacturing system and control method therefor
In a flexible manufacturing system, a control apparatus for a transfer device stores in a memory section thereof correlation information for correlating workpieces (ante-machining workpieces) to be attached to pallets with blank materials contained in blank material baskets. When a selected one of the pallets is to be transferred to a pallet loading station, the control apparatus determines blank materials corresponding to the workpieces to be attached to the selected one of the pallets based on the correlation information and then, controls the transfer device to transfer a blank material basket containing the determined blank materials from a basket rack to a basket loading station located adjacent to the pallet loading station in connection with transferring the selected one of the pallets to the pallet loading station. Thus, when the selected one of the pallets is transferred to the pallet loading station, it becomes possible to reduce the time taken for the worker to search for the blank material basket. |
| US08306645B2 |
Method for updating manufacturing planning data for a production process
Manufacturing planning data for a production process that is managed by a manufacturing execution system is updated by way of a plurality of steps, which include: Gathering data from a PLC level relevant to the manufacturing planning data and the execution of the production process; mapping the gathered data with the current manufacturing planning data in order to determine suggested changes between the gathered data and the current manufacturing planning data; applying a predetermined update scenario for the manufacturing planning data depending on the suggested changes to update the manufacturing planning data; and adapting the current production process and optionally following production processes according to the updated manufacturing planning data. The reliability of the so-called standard data used in production planning processes is thus dramatically improved. Furthermore, since trends on possible deviations from the standard data can be recognized in real-time, it is now possible to dynamically update the standard data as soon as accompanying quality improvement programs reach those performance results which are significant for the current production plan based on the production planning data. |
| US08306639B2 |
Home automation group selection by color
A networked device is disclosed comprising means for controlling a state of the networked device, means for connecting to a network, means for allowing a user to select a color from a plurality of colors, the plurality of colors having at least one locking color and one or more non-locking colors, and means for generating a selected color code corresponding to the color selected by the user, each color of the plurality of colors having a corresponding color code. The networked device submits the selected color code over the network for use by the network controller in configuring the device and changes the state of the networked device in response to a command from the network only if the color selected by the user is one of the one or more non-locking colors. In some embodiments the networked device also responds to requests for status information from the network independent of the color selected by the user. In some embodiments, the networked device further comprises means for allowing the user enter a local control command wherein the means for controlling the networked device changes the state of the networked device in response to the local control command only if the color selected by the user is one of the one or more non-locking colors. And in some embodiments that means for controlling the networked device controls the On/Off state. |
| US08306631B2 |
Implantable lead with coplanar contact coupling
An implantable lead for a medical device with a coplanar coupling for connecting a conductor to a contact reduces conductor bending moments to improve lead reliability. The implantable lead comprises a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one conductor, at least one contact carried on the proximal end, at least one contact carried on the distal end, and at least one coupling. The lead body has an exterior surface. The conductor is contained in the lead body and extends from the lead proximal end to the distal end. The conductor is also electrically insulated. The contact carried on the proximal end is electrically connected to the conductor. The coupling has a conductor coupling and a contact coupling. The conductor coupling is placed over the conductor and attached to the conductor. The contact coupling exits the lead body and has a weld to connect the contact coupling to the contact. The contact coupling is configured to exit the conductor lumen and mate with the contact while retaining the conductor coplanar to the lead body. |
| US08306630B2 |
Apparatus to selectively increase medical device lead inner conductor inductance
A medical device lead includes an insulative lead body, outer and inner conductive coils, and a flexible core assembly. The outer conductive coil extends through the lead body and is coupled to a first electrode at a distal end of the outer conductive coil. The inner conductive coil extends coaxially with the outer conductive coil, is coupled to a second electrode at a distal end of the inner conductive coil, and includes a central lumen. The flexible core assembly is disposed in the central lumen and is comprised of a material that has a saturation magnetization of at least about 1.5 T and a relative permeability of greater than one. The flexible core assembly includes a positioning interface configured for manipulation of the flexible core assembly such that the flexible core assembly translates through the central lumen during insertion and extraction of the flexible core assembly. |
| US08306626B2 |
Artificial retina device with stimulating and ground return electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the neuroretina and method of attachment
An artificial retina device to electrically stimulate a neuroretina of an eye to produce artificial vision, the artificial retina device comprising: an electrical source; at least one stimulating electrode connected with the electrical source; and at least one ground return electrode connected with the electrical source, wherein the stimulating electrode and ground return electrode are configured to be disposed within the eye on opposite sides of the neuroretina. |
| US08306622B2 |
Left atrial sense or capture detection from coronary sinus
A method and device to detect and compare changes in atrial rate and morphology can be used to identify left atrial sense and capture, such as from a quadripolar or other lead located in or around the coronary sinus. |
| US08306621B2 |
Cardiac cycle synchronized sampling of impedance signal
A cardiac rhythm management device for obtaining transthoracic impedance. The device comprises a sensor for obtaining a signal indicative of an action of a heart, an impedance measurement circuit adapted to measure transthoracic impedance and a processor for utilizing the signal indicative of the action of the heart to sample the transthoracic impedance at sampling intervals commenced by fiducial markers in the signal indicative of the action of the heart, where the sampling of the impedance signal removes the component of a stroke volume of the heart from the signal and thereby provides lung ventilation information. |
| US08306620B2 |
Pace discrimination of tachycardia using atrial-ventricular pacing
A cardiac medical device and associated method control delivery of dual chamber burst pacing pulses in response to detecting tachycardia. In one embodiment, a single chamber pacing pulse is delivered in response to detecting a tachycardia. Dual chamber pacing pulses are delivered subsequent to the single chamber pacing pulse. An intrinsic depolarization is sensed subsequent to delivering the dual chamber pacing pulses. The tachycardia episode is classified in response to the sensed intrinsic depolarization. |
| US08306615B2 |
Method and apparatus for delivering chronic and post-ischemia cardiac therapies
An implantable cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device delivers a chronic therapy while detecting an ischemic state. When the ischemic state indicates the occurrence of an ischemic event, the implantable CRM device delivers a post-ischemia therapy. The post-ischemia therapy and the chronic therapy are adjusted using feedback control with the ischemic state and parameters indicative of the effectiveness of the post-ischemic therapy and the effectiveness of the chronic therapy as inputs. |
| US08306614B2 |
Method of dual EGM sensing and heart rate estimation in implanted cardiac devices
A method and apparatus for monitoring a patient's heart rate sense first cardiac events in a heart chamber using a first cardiac electrode pair and sense second cardiac events in the heart chamber using a second cardiac electrode pair. The method includes estimating a first heart rate using the first cardiac events, comparing the first heart rate to a heart rate threshold and estimating a second heart rate using the second cardiac events in response to the first heart rate exceeding the heart rate threshold. |
| US08306609B2 |
Vein imaging apparatus and thumbnail image creation method
A vein imaging apparatus includes a lens array including a plurality of photo-receiving lenses arranged in an array, a plurality of near-infrared illumination sources placed along opposed ends of the lens array to illuminate a part of a living body with near-infrared light, an image pickup device to create a picked-up image of a vein based on the near-infrared light scattered inside the living body, transmitted through the vein and gathered by the lens array, where a plurality of photoreceptors are allocated to one photo-receiving lens, and a thumbnail image creation unit to acquire information about the near-infrared light received by one photoreceptor among the plurality of photoreceptors allocated to one photo-receiving lens as pixel information corresponding to one photo-receiving lens, acquire the pixel information for all the photo-receiving lenses included in the lens array and create a thumbnail image based on the acquired pixel information. |
| US08306608B2 |
Method and apparatus using infrared photothermal radiometry (PTR) and modulated laser luminescence (LUM) for diagnostics of defects in teeth
There is provided a high-spatial-resolution dynamic diagnostic instrument which can provide simultaneous measurements of laser-induced frequency-domain infrared photothermal radiometric and alternating-current (ac) modulated luminescence signals from defects, demineralization, remineralization and caries in teeth intraorally. The emphasis is on the abilities of this instrument to approach important problems such as the detection, diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of carious lesions and or defects on the occlusal pits and fissures, smooth surfaces and interproximal areas between teeth which normally go undetected by x-ray radiographs or visual examination. The instrument is also able to detect early areas of demineralized tooth and or areas of remineralized tooth as well as defects along the margins of restorations. This capability of inspecting a local spot can be extended to a modulated imaging of sub-surface of target tooth by using a multi-array infrared camera. Two configurations of the instrument are presented. |
| US08306606B2 |
Medical imaging apparatus, ultrasonic imaging apparatus, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, medical image processing apparatus, and medical image processing method
A differential-image creating unit creates a three-dimensional image on which an artery is highlighted and a three-dimensional image on which a tumor is highlighted. An image compositing unit combines the three-dimensional images to composite an image. A display control unit displays the composite image on a monitor. Moreover, when compositing an image, the image compositing unit composites the image such that a tumor nutrient blood-flow inside and outside tumor is to be displayed in respective different colors. Furthermore, a blood-flow quantity inside tumor measuring unit calculates a blood-flow quantity inside tumor and a ratio of the blood-flow quantity inside tumor to a tumor volume, and the display control unit displays the blood-flow quantity inside tumor and the ratio of the blood-flow quantity inside tumor to the tumor volume. Accordingly, information that is meaningful for determining malignancy of a tumor can be provided. |
| US08306603B2 |
MRI involving contrast agent with time modulated contrast enhancement
The present invention provides a method MRI imaging. By applying a time modulation to the contrast enhancement of an MRI contrast agent, the method according to the invention leads to images with improved signal-to-noise ratio in the contrast-enhanced areas, strongly suppressed unwanted signal in the unenhanced areas, and reduced artefacts, such as motion artefacts. |
| US08306602B2 |
Biopsy cavity marking device
These are site marking devices for marking a selected site within tissue of a patient. More particularly, the devices include an elongated body of gel and a metallic band disposed at least partially surrounding the body of gel. The body of gel is recognizably artificial when the marker is subject to ultrasound or x-ray imaging. Therefore, it is readily distinguishable from biological features within the tissue site. |
| US08306601B2 |
Assessing the condition of a joint and devising treatment
Methods are disclosed for assessing the condition of a cartilage in a joint, particularly in a human knee. The methods include converting an image such as an MRI to a three dimensional map of the cartilage. The cartilage map can be correlated to a movement pattern of the joint to assess the effect of movement on cartilage wear. Changes in the thickness of cartilage over time can be determined so that therapies can be provided. Information on thickness of cartilage and curvature of cartilage or subchondral bone can be used to plan therapy. Information on movement pattern can be used to plan therapy. Planning therapy may include generating one or more physical models. |
| US08306589B2 |
Superconducting electromagnets comprising coils bonded to a support structure
A superconducting electromagnet comprising coils of superconducting wire bonded to a support structure, and wherein heating elements are provided in thermal contact with the support structure for heating the support structure. |
| US08306587B2 |
Antenna element and portable radio
There are provided an antenna element and a portable radio that enable miniaturization, acquisition of a high gain, and broadening of a band and that copies compatible with multiple bands. A rectangular-parallelepiped-shaped antenna element is formed by folding two or more faces of a board-shaped monopole element having an rectangular shape so that the antenna element has a substantially rectangular first conductor plate 51 disposed in proximity to a hinge 4 while arranged at a predetermined space S from a lower circuit board (ground plate) 21, a substantially rectangular second conductor plate 52 that shares a widthwise one side of the first conductor plate 51 and that is arranged while bent to an angle of about 90° with respect to the first conductor plate, and a substantially rectangular third conductor plate 53 that shares another widthwise side of the second conductor plate 52 opposing the side shared by the first conductor plate 51 and the second conductor plate 52 and that is arranged at an angle of about 90° so as to oppose the first conductor plate 51. |
| US08306585B2 |
Slide type mobile terminal with tiltable slide module
A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes an upper body, a lower body, and a slide module connecting the upper and lower bodies, where the slide module is configured to slidably move the upper body in a first linear motion relative to the lower body and to tilt the upper body at an angle relative to the lower body in a second motion. The slide module includes an upper slide member fixed to the upper body, a lower slide member fixed to the lower body, and at least one cam portion formed on the upper slide member such that the at least one cam portion is configured to contact the lower slide member when the upper slide member is moved toward an open configuration using the first motion, wherein the contact causes the upper slide member to tilt when the upper slide member is moved to the open configuration using the second motion. |
| US08306581B2 |
Sleep optimization for mobile devices in a wireless network
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a subscriber station in sleep mode is capable of sending and/or receiving traffic during sleep mode without violating the delay requirements of best effort traffic. Moreover, a subscriber station is capable of remaining in sleep and may optionally only be awaken in the event there is data to be transmitted from the base station to the subscriber station and/or from the subscriber station to the base station. By implementing an always sleep and need based wake up arrangement, the power consumption of the subscriber station can be reduced. |
| US08306580B2 |
Motion sensor assisted auto-shutdown mechanism in portable audio systems
A mechanism for automatically controlling the power condition of a portable audio system. The mechanism of the illustrative embodiments determines whether a user is interacting with the portable audio player. If no user interaction with the portable audio player is detected, the mechanism of the illustrative embodiments determines whether the portable audio player is moving. If the portable audio player is not moving, an inactivity duration counter in the portable audio player is incremented to an incremented value. Responsive to a determination that the incremented value of the inactivity duration counter meets or exceeds a time duration threshold value, the mechanism of the illustrative embodiments change the power condition of the portable audio player by turning the portable audio player off. |
| US08306575B2 |
Electronic device with configurable displays
An electronic device includes at least two display casings each having a display therein, a connecting member comprising two rotation shafts arranged in parallel to each other and coupled to respective ones of the two display casings so as to allow each of the two display casings to rotate, and a sliding mechanism configured to allow the two display casings to move toward each other so as to allow the displays of the two display casings to form a single larger display area. |
| US08306571B2 |
Method for deactivating and possibly reactivating SIM cards
When deactivating a subscription and SIM card, the SIM card is connected to the ODA database, an instruction to deactivate the SIM card and cancel the subscription is transferred to the ODA, information in the memory of the SIM card including the IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) of the SIM card, is transferred to the ODA, which is arranged to be connected to the network, including a HLR/AUC. The ODA retrieves the subscription information, and replaces the IMSI of the SIM card with a temporary IMSI called IMSI-T. The ODA stores the information in the memory of the SIM card together with the IMSI-T in the database. The ODA also stores the information together with the IMSI-T and transfers to the network an instruction to cancel the subscription in the network. The SIM card may be reactivated using the information stored in the ODA database and on the SIM card including the IMSI-T. |
| US08306568B2 |
Solution for queue handling
Technology is provided for a plurality of people that are waiting for a service/meeting with information relating to the queue. A registration unit is arranged to place people waiting for a service/meeting in a queue. At least one radio transmitter is arranged to transmit information relating to the queue to unidentified radio receivers so that the people may receive the information via the unidentified radio receivers. |
| US08306566B2 |
Transport format combination selecting method, wireless communication system, and mobile station
In a method of selecting a transport format combination according to the present invention, a mobile station calculates the transmission power of a first physical channel using a first TFC with respect to each of first TFCs, and determines whether the mobile station is in a transmission capable state or not. Then, the mobile station calculates the sum of the transmission power of first and second physical channels using first and TFCs, with respect to each of combinations of the first and second TFCs, and determines whether the mobile station is in the transmission capable state or not. Then, the mobile station selects a first TFC from the first TFCs wherein the mobile station is in the transmission capable state. Then, the mobile station selects a second TFC from the second TFCs which are included in combinations wherein the mobile station is in the transmission capable state among the combinations including the selected first TFC. Thereafter, the mobile station transmits data in the first and second physical channels using the selected first and second TFCs, respectively. |
| US08306565B2 |
Wireless communication terminal and control method thereof
In a PC card communication terminal that operates supplied with power from a host device, problems such as malfunctions due to a supply voltage drop at the time of high transmission output are prevented from occurring. A baseband processor (1106) selects a transmission-power upper-limit measurement mode when a PC card terminal (1103) is to be controlled for the first time. A supply voltage drop is measured by a voltage measurement circuit (1114) while a load value of a load circuit (1112) is being changed. The load value of the load circuit (1112) when the supply voltage decreases to a permissible lowest supply voltage is obtained. Using a conversion table stored in a memory (1107), the load value is converted into a transmission output and is set as a transmission-output upper limit. In a normal communication mode, a maximum transmission output is restricted based on this transmission-output upper limit. |
| US08306561B2 |
Targeted group scaling for enhanced distributed spectrum sensing
A method, wireless device, and information processing system dynamically update spectrum sensing groups in a wireless communication system. A set of wireless devices (114) currently allocated to a spectrum sensing group is identified. Each wireless device (114, 116, 118) in the set performs spectrum sensing on one or more wireless communication channels. Spectrum sensing performance data (144) is analyzed for each such wireless device (114) in the set. The spectrum sensing performance data (144) indicates wireless communication performance of a wireless device (114) associated with the spectrum sensing performance data with respect to detecting a transmitted signal on the one or more communication channels. Wireless device membership of the set of wireless devices (114, 116, 118) allocated to the spectrum sensing group is dynamically adjusted based on the analysis. |
| US08306555B2 |
Passive traffic alert and communication system
A passive traffic alerting method includes: identifying traffic events from analyzing traffic information; selecting an identified traffic event based on a location of a mobile communicator; and alerting the mobile communicator with a passive message regarding the selected traffic event without prompting the mobile communicator to launch an application on a mobile communication device. In some cases a user-zone and an event zone is selected and the user gets alerted when his user-zone overlaps with the event-zone. The alert can contain hierarchical messages. The method may include: determining an alert zone by rating a traffic incident and overlaying maps of the incident, the cell-phone towers, and the corresponding road network; acquiring user identification of cell phone users from data from cell-phone towers in the alert-zone; identifying subscribers from acquired cell-phone tower data; matching subscribers with alerts in appropriate formats; and sending the appropriate alert messages to cell phones of identified subscribers. |
| US08306554B1 |
System and method of accessing and recording messages at coordinate way points
A method and system for leaving and retrieving messages at specific coordinate way points within a commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) provider network are disclosed. Users carry or transport interface devices for communicating over the network and are able to record and view messages at specific coordinate locations while traveling in the network. The location of the device is calculated by the device or by the network while the device is powered on and within the physical boundaries of the network, or through a combination of both. Messages can be made available to network subscribers when their interface devices come within an area centered about a physical coordinate location. Personalized messages can also be left by subscribers at any coordinate point within the boundaries of the network. Access of information about an asset is facilitated when a technician comes within a physical proximity threshold relative to the asset. |
| US08306547B2 |
Apparatus and method for resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks
An apparatus for resource sharing between a plurality of communication networks (103, 107, 111) each having a nominal resource allocation of a shared air interface resource and a resource exchange allowance is provided. The apparatus (201) comprises a sharing instigation processor (205) which initiates a temporary resource allocation of a first air interface resource from a nominal resource allocation of a first network (103). A network interface (201) receives offer messages from a plurality of networks (107, 111). Each offer message comprises a resource exchange offer value for at least part of the first air interface resource. A selection processor (207) selects a second network (107) for example by selecting the highest offer value for a given resource. An allocation message generator (211) transmits a resource allocation message to the second network (107) indicating a temporary allocation of at least part of the first air interface resource. The resource exchange allowance of the second network (107) is then reduced by a value corresponding to the resource exchange offer value from the second network (107). |
| US08306545B2 |
Method and system for reassigning traffic channel configuration in wireless communication system
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for reassigning traffic channel configuration, which is applicable to reassigning traffic channel configuration between a site A and a site B with the reassignment being initiated by the site A. The site A transmits a reassignment message to the site B, where the reassignment message carries reassigned traffic channel configuration. The site B determines whether the reassignment message is received correctly, and processes traffic data and transmits the traffic data to the site A according to a determining result. The site A processes the traffic data, and determines whether the reassignment message is correctly received by the site B through determining whether the traffic data are correct. The method and the system enable a base station to determine whether a terminal correctly receives a reassignment message without the terminal transmitting an acknowledgement message, which guarantees fluent communications between the two parties. |
| US08306536B2 |
Methods and apparatus for providing manual selection of a communication network for a mobile station
Techniques for use in a mobile station for use in manually selecting a communication network are described. The mobile station identifies a plurality of communication networks available for communications. The mobile station retrieves from a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) a plurality of network names identified by a plurality of address pointers corresponding to the plurality of available communication networks. The plurality of address pointers are stored in a first file of the SIM, and the plurality of network names are stored in a second file of the SIM. The mobile station then displays the plurality of network names. |
| US08306531B2 |
System and apparatus for mobile CS users to access IMS network and registration method for accessing
The present invention provides a system and apparatus for a mobile CS user to access an IMS network and a registration method for accessing. The network under the present invention comprises an IMS network for providing IMS services and a CS access network. The network contains a Register Proxy Function (RPF) entity, which comprises a first interface for communicating with the IMS network and a second interface for communicating with the CS access network. The RPF entity is adapted to map a CS registration event which is originated by the mobile CS user through the second interface to an IMS registration event, and initiate registration to the IMS network through the first interface on behalf of the mobile CS user. The technical solution under the present invention enables a mobile CS user to be registered to an IMS network practicably so that the CS user can enjoy rich IMS services. |
| US08306529B2 |
Method and apparatus for concurrent registration of voice and data subscribers
This invention provides an innovative way of providing voice and data registration of multimode (voice and data) handset subscribers at a common place. The unified subscriber data server provides a flexible mechanism to provide concurrent registration for voice and data on the same platform, to store the subscription data (for voice and data subscribers) at a common place, and to perform call-processing on the same box where the data is stored. |
| US08306527B2 |
Femtocell handset assisted clock correction
A method of improving frequency accuracy of a clock unit adapted to clock a femtocell local cellular communication home base station is provided. The method comprising: providing a local cellular communication home base station having an oscillator adapted to operate as a clock therein, wherein at least one cellular communication device is camped thereto, and wherein the at least one camped cellular communication device is further in communication with at least one neighboring cellular communication base station which is associated with an oscillator adapted to operate as a clock therein; periodically applying a derivative operator over periodically obtained local communication parameters and periodically obtained neighboring communication parameters thereby generating derivative communication parameters over time; and correcting the accuracy of the frequency of the clock in the femtocell local cellular communication home base station using the derivative communication parameters over time. |
| US08306525B2 |
UMTS wired and wireless mobile 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and other new generations of cellular, mobile
A receiver for receiving and processing in a wireless mobile unit from a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) transmitter a cable connected signal and a processor and a modulator for Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) in a 4G or a 3G wireless system. Transmitting in a mobile cellular unit a wire connected received and processed signal in a wireless transmitter and transmitting in a cable connection of a mobile unit a wireless received signal. Receiving and processing a RFID signal and a data signal into a ultra narrowband (UNB) and a processed ultra wideband (UWB) signal. A Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system. Processing a signal into a TDMA and a CDMA, Time Constrained Signal (TCS) waveform shaped and Long Response (LR) filtered signal. Receiving and processing a Fiber Optic Communication (FOC) network provided signal. |
| US08306523B2 |
Methods and apparatuses supporting multiple positioning protocol versions in wireless communication networks
Methods and apparatuses are provided for supporting multiple positioning protocol versions within wireless communication networks. |
| US08306522B1 |
Dynamic interface for mobile devices
A method of enforcing security and confidentiality on a communications device using a dynamic interface application comprises a first external device receiving a first message from a second external device indicating that the security of the communications device has been compromised, and the first external device authenticating the first message and processing the instructions contained in the first message to safeguard content marked confidential. The method also comprises the first external device sending a second message to a device security component executing on the communications device, the second message containing instructions to render inaccessible tiles marked confidential by one of deleting and temporarily disabling access to marked tiles, and disable selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction. The method also comprises the device security component carrying out the instructions contained in the second message. |
| US08306519B2 |
Optimizing long term evolution (LTE) capacity using an adaptive dormancy timer
A device classifies access or control channel signals into a first class or a second class, initializes a dormancy timer associated with the device, and sets the dormancy timer to a default value. The device also sets a signal target utilization threshold, receives actual signals via the access or control channel, and identifies, when a number of the actual signals exceeds the signal target utilization threshold, a particular signal, from the actual signals, as belonging to the first class or the second class. The device further increases the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the first class, and decreases the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the second class. |
| US08306518B1 |
Handset service migration automation and subscriber identity module tracking
A system is provided comprising a computer with processor, memory, and an application establishing a communication link with a mobile device provisioned with a first service on a wireless network. At least a portion of the link is provided by a wireless link over infrastructure of the network. The system also instructs the device to deactivate a key guard of the device, maps a first service indicator for a first network to a second indicator for a second network, instructs a provisioning system to remove the first service indicator from a service configuration of the device, and instructs the provisioning system to add the second service indicator to the service configuration of the device. The system also instructs a voice mail server to migrate a first voice mail data structure for the device based on the first service to a second structure for the device based on a second service, deprovisions the first service, and provisions the second service. |
| US08306514B1 |
System and method for managing mobile communications
A device to automatically provide differing information levels according to a predetermined social hierarchy includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores social templates corresponding to unique social signatures and being selectable to provide, for each level of the predetermined social hierarchy, a corresponding differing amount of information to each member of the predetermined social hierarchy and/or a social networking service. The processor receives sensor data from a sensor set which detects sensor data related to an environment of a communication device, creates a detected social signature from the received sensor data, determines which of the social signatures of the social templates has the greatest correspondence with the created social signature, retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence, and provides only as much information as allowed in the retrieved social template. |
| US08306513B2 |
System and method to detect PBX-mobility call failure
Aspects relate to initiating voice calls to mobile devices from an enterprise network. In one example, a server can initiate a voice channel to a mobile device, and if the mobile device cannot be reached, an access network may redirect the call from the server to a number identified as a voicemail number; however, such number is reconfigured to instead be directed to a number located within the enterprise network. The server can monitor or receive an indication that a call is incoming, and attributable to the mobile device. If such a call is incoming or received, then the server determines that the call has failed. If the mobile device answers the call, the server can determine that the voice channel has been established, without waiting for a confirmation indication, such as a DTMF tone. |
| US08306512B2 |
Transit account management with text messaging
Embodiments of systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for enabling the management of a transit user account of a transit system with a mobile device. Embodiments of a transit system utilizing such transit user accounts are also disclosed. Embodiments for enabling a mobile device to manage a transit user account can include receiving an identification code of a fare media and receiving contact information of the mobile device. The transit user account, which can be used in transactions of the transit system associated with the fare media, can be created using user information and a passcode. Additionally, the mobile device can be authenticated by sending at least one message to the mobile device and receiving at least one message from the mobile device. |
| US08306508B1 |
Motion-based event notification
A method and computer-readable media are provided for presenting notifications to a user via a mobile communications device upon the device receiving an indication that an event has occurred, such as a telephone call, a voicemail, an e-mail, a text message, or a calendar event. A device may receive an indication that an event has occurred while it is in a motionless state, such as when the device has not detected its own movement for a predetermined amount of time. The device may track the event occurrence and may provide a notification of the event occurrence upon the device entering a moved state. A moved state may be entered upon when the device determines that it has been moved. If the device is in a motionless state when it receives the indication of the event, it may not provide a notification at that time. |
| US08306506B1 |
Apparatuses for requesting, retrieving and storing contact records
Provided are wireless and standalone handheld devices, such as PDAs and wireless telephones, that are configured for inputting a unique contact identifier that uniquely identifies a desired contact record, querying a central database of contact information to obtain the desired contact record, receiving the record and storing it. In various embodiments, such requests can be made directly over a wireless network or indirectly when synchronizing the handheld device with a computer connected to the Internet or to another network. |
| US08306503B2 |
Mobile alerting network
A system for providing a mobile application includes a Mobile Subscriber Detection Authorization and Verification System (MSDAVS), to request and receive confidential information from a confidential information owner relating to a user who opted-in to a mobile service application, and to communicate the received confidential information to a mobile application service provider. The MSDAVS can include an opt-in database, to store opt-in or registration data of the opted-in users of the mobile service application and a service policy database. The mobile application service can be a mobile traffic alerting service, the confidential information owner a telephone number database of one of a wireless carrier or a telephone number database operator, and the requested confidential information a list telephone numbers of opted-in users in an alert area, defined by the mobile traffic alerting service. |
| US08306499B2 |
High-frequency filter
A digital television broadcast receiving section (100) of a mobile telephone terminal includes an antenna (101), a notch filter (102), a low-pass filter (LPF) (103), a low noise amplifier (LNA) (104), a receiving IC (105), a control section (107), and an input section (108). A passband for digital television broadcast is divided into several parts. The control section (107) switches a characteristic of each of the notch filter (102) and the LPF (103) so as to combine filters appropriate for a low-band channel or a high-band channel. Thus, frequencies in a mobile telephone transmission frequency band of the mobile telephone terminal, and frequencies in a band of other systems, the frequencies in these band being interfering waves, are largely attenuated, and at the same time, frequencies in the passband which is a frequency band for digital television broadcast are allowed to pass with low loss. |
| US08306498B2 |
Wideband receiver
Provided is a wideband receiver that has a smaller area and consumes less power and can prevent harmonic mixing occurring due to an increase in the number of communications systems using wideband. A wideband receiver according to an aspect of the invention may include: an front-end unit receiving and performing low-pass filtering on a wideband input signal in a continuous-time domain; and a down-conversion unit sampling and holding an output signal of the front-end unit according to a local oscillator signal and performing low-pass filtering on the output signal in a discrete tie domain. |
| US08306495B1 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer that are joined by sandwiching a depletion layer with a thickness that allows transmission of a plurality of electrons and holes by direct-tunneling. |
| US08306494B2 |
Method and system for a single-ended input low noise amplifier with differential output
Methods and systems for a single-ended input low noise amplifier (LNA) with differential output are disclosed and may include configuring the LNA and/or a balun on a chip for single-ended or differential mode, which may function as a load for the LNA. A frequency response and gain of the LNA may be configured via switched capacitors and resistors, which may include CMOS transistors. A transition frequency, and thus impedance matching and matching network gain, may be tuned via configurable gate-source capacitors. A received signal may be filtered via a surface acoustical wave (SAW) filter. The LNA may be impedance matched with an input device via the transition frequency tuning and off chip inductors and/or capacitors. The LNA may be configured for single-ended or differential input mode via switches outside of a signal path to the LNA and reverse isolation may be enabled via a cascode device. |
| US08306492B2 |
TV tuner and the manufacturing method thereof
A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit. |
| US08306484B1 |
Direct-conversion transmitter with resistance to local oscillator pulling effects
A direct-conversion transmitter with resistance to local oscillator pulling effect comprises a local oscillation circuit, a quadrature modulator connected with the local oscillation circuit, a power amplifier connected with the quadrature modulator, a first variable analog delay device connected with the power amplifier, a variable analog attenuator connected with the first variable analog delay device, an inner self-injection loop, and a power combiner connected with the variable analog attenuator and the inner self-injection loop. The local oscillation circuit comprises a two point voltage-controlled oscillator and a phase locked loop connected with the two point voltage-controlled oscillator. The inner self-injection loop comprises a second variable analog delay device, a phase shifter connected with the second variable analog delay device and a variable gain amplifier connected with the phase shifter. Signal distortion due to pulling effect in direct-conversion transmitter can be effectively suppressed by circuit design over the inner self-injection loop. |
| US08306483B2 |
Method and system for improving wireless link robustness using spatial diversity
A system and method for using spatial diversity for improving link quality, particularly wireless link communication. A plurality of propagation paths are used simultaneously for a wireless link, and a plurality of strong propagation paths are selected from among available propagation paths. Propagation path measurements are made to determine strong signal propagation paths. An array antenna at a transmitter and at a receiver are controlled to communicate over a plurality of simultaneous signal propagation paths. |
| US08306476B2 |
Digital controller and transmitter for portable electronic device
A transmitting accessory couples with a portable electronic device such that audio signals or data from the device can be digitally transmitted to a remote receiver. The accessory includes an input port for receiving audio data from the portable electronic device. A digital transmitter transmits digital data corresponding to the audio signals or data from the portable electronic device to the remote digital receiver. If the audio signal is an analog signal, the accessory uses encoding circuitry to digitally encode the analog audio signal for transmission. The audio signal may be encoded into an HD radio format for reception by an HD radio receiver. The user inputs of the portable electronic device can preferably be used to control functions of the accessory and the device's display to display the selected transmission frequency or channel. |
| US08306474B2 |
Multi-element RFID coupler
An RFID communication system comprising a near field coupler that is capable of selectively communicating with a targeted transponder positioned among a group of multiple adjacent transponders. The coupler is configured to receive communication signals from a transceiver and transmit the signals to a targeted transponder in a transponder operating region. The coupler includes a number of radiating elements spaced apart and a switching element. The switching element selectively couples one or more of the radiating elements to the transceiver. The coupled elements transmit the signals into the transponder operating region by emanating a near field effect. The pattern of the near field effect may be adjusted by changing the combination of the coupled radiating elements. |
| US08306472B2 |
Repeater and method for processing signal, and method for converting synchronous frequency thereof
A repeater having different input and output frequencies converts a signal received with the input frequency to a first intermediate frequency signal based on a local oscillating frequency for intermediate frequency conversion, and converts the first intermediate frequency signal to a second intermediate frequency signal by performing digital processing on the first intermediate frequency signal. Then, the repeater generates a first frequency tone signal that corresponds to a difference between the input and output frequencies, and generates a second frequency tone signal from the local oscillating frequency for intermediate frequency conversion and the first frequency tone signal. The repeater up-converts the second intermediate frequency signal to the output frequency based on the second frequency tone signal, and transmits the signal. |
| US08306471B2 |
Image-forming device with a retreat unit and image-forming method employing a retreat unit
An image-forming device includes: a tension applying unit that applies tension to a recording medium; an image carrier that holds a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image held by the image carrier to the recording medium while tension is applied to the recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium; and a retreat unit that causes the recording medium to move away from the fixing unit while tension is not applied to the recording medium, wherein rotation of the image carrier is suspended after the toner image is transferred from the image carrier to the recording medium, and after the suspension of rotation of the image carrier, application of tension to the recording medium is suspended, and the recording medium is caused to move away from the fixing unit by the retreat unit. |
| US08306470B2 |
Cleaning device and image forming apparatus using the same
A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade member that has a tip abutting a surface of an image carrier so as to remove a residue remaining on the surface of the image carrier; an attaching member that includes a first attachment piece to which a base end of the cleaning blade member is attached, and a second attachment piece which is provided so as to intersect the first attachment piece at a predetermined angle; a housing member to which one of the first attachment piece and the second attachment piece is fixed at both ends along a longitudinal direction thereof; and an external force exerting member that exerts an external force in a direction which intersects a surface of the other one of the first attachment piece and the second attachment piece, which is not fixed to the housing member. |
| US08306468B2 |
Laser fixing apparatus and image forming apparatus
A laser fixing apparatus includes: a laser light generator that generates laser light to be projected onto a recording medium. A first condenser reflects and condenses the light generated by reflection of the laser light at an irradiation position of the recording medium, such that the reflected and condensed light is re-projected at the irradiation position and/or near the irradiation position. |
| US08306467B2 |
Heating device and image forming apparatus
A heating device includes: a heating member including a heat generation layer that generates heat by electromagnetic induction, and heating a recording medium by electromagnetic induction heating of the heat generation layer; and a pressure member configured to be movable in a direction approaching or away from the heating member, and forming a nip portion with the heating member therebetween, through which the recording medium passes, the pressure member being configured to include: a nip forming portion that forms the nip portion with the heating member therebetween in a state where the pressure member is set at a position in contact with the heating member while pressing; and a driving force transmission portion that is in contact with the heating member in a state where the nip forming portion is set at a position separated from the heating member and transmits a rotational driving force to the heating member. |
| US08306463B2 |
Toner cartridge with rotator and sliding cover for toner leakage reduction
A toner cartridge includes a housing having a first mouth and a second mouth, a rotator having a first opening and a second opening and being rotatably mounted on the housing in such a manner that the first and second mouths are accessible through the first and second openings respectively, and a sliding cover having a through hole and being slidably disposed on the housing in such a manner that the second mouth is closeable by the sliding cover. When the rotator is erroneously forced to rotate relative to the housing, the first mouth of the housing exposes outside through the first opening of the rotator and the second mouth of the housing will be covered by the sliding cover. Therefore, the leakage of the toner caused by a user's erroneous operation of the toner cartridge of the present invention can be effectively reduced. |
| US08306462B2 |
Rotor rotating apparatus, developing apparatus, and image forming apparatus
A rotor rotating apparatus includes: a first rotor that rotates; a second rotor supported rotatably at the first rotor and so as to revolve around an axis of the first rotor with rotation of the first rotor; a drive unit for rotating the second rotor; a transmission member configured to move along a direction of a rotation axis of the second rotor between a transmission position at which the transmission member transmits the drive force from the drive unit to the second rotor and a non-transmission position at which the transmission member idles: and a guide member that moves the transmission member to the transmission position when the first rotor is in a first rotation position, and moves the transmission member to the non-transmission position by rotation of the first rotor from the first rotation position. |
| US08306460B2 |
Process cartridge and image forming apparatus including drum and shaft coupling members transmitting driving forces to a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, respectively
A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The main assembly includes first and second rotatable main assembly drive transmission members. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a drum coupling member, provided on one axial end of the drum, for engaging the first m transmission member and transmitting a first rotational driving force to the drum, when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, and a shaft coupler provided on one axial end of the developing roller, for transmitting a second rotational driving force with a deviation permitted between an axis of the second transmission member and an axis of the developing roller. The shaft coupler includes an engaging portion for engaging the second transmission member and receiving the second rotational driving force, when the cartridge is mounted to the main. |
| US08306457B2 |
Unit and image forming apparatus including the same
A unit, which is configured to be attachable to and detachable from a body of an apparatus, includes: a holding portion for holding the unit to attach and detach the unit to and from the apparatus body, the holding portion being projected from a housing of the unit; and a lock mechanism for fixing the unit to the apparatus body, wherein an operating portion of the lock mechanism is operated to retract inside a projection end portion of the holding portion, by an operation of moving the lock mechanism to a lock cancel position. |
| US08306456B2 |
Belt device and image forming apparatus provided with the same
A belt device is provided with an endless belt, a plurality of rollers on which the belt is mounted and including a drive roller connected to a specified drive source and rotating the belt and a belt meandering correction roller correcting the meandering of the belt in a width direction of the belt, a sensor detecting the position of an end surface of the belt in a sensor detection area divided into a plurality of zones adjacent in the belt width direction, a roller position adjusting mechanism adjusting the position of the belt meandering correction roller to correct the meandering of the belt, and a controller controlling the roller position adjusting mechanism based on the position detection of the belt end surface by the sensor, the controller controlling the roller position adjusting mechanism to keep the belt end surface in a specific one of the plurality of zones. |
| US08306455B2 |
Transfer device and image forming apparatus
A transfer device includes: a transfer roll that transfers a toner image formed on an image holding body to a transfer subject medium; a first holding member that holds the transfer roll rotatably; a pressure contact member that brings, via the first holding member, the transfer roll into pressure contact with the image holding body; a second holding member that holds the first holding member swingably and movably; and a pressing member that produces a pressing force for bringing the pressure contact member into pressure contact with the first holding member and the second holding member in a state that the first holding member is inclined from the second holding member. |
| US08306452B2 |
Image forming apparatus and photosensitive unit
An image forming apparatus may include: a main body having an accommodation chamber and a moving unit configured to slide between an accommodated position and a drawn position. First unit electrodes may be disposed on a second outer side surface of the moving unit. Each of the first unit electrodes may be configured to connect to a corresponding first main body electrode, upon the moving unit moving downward after moving to the accommodated position. Inner and outer side surfaces may be spaced to avoid contact between the moving unit and the first main body electrodes when the moving unit is moving to the accommodated position. At least one of the first unit electrodes may be arranged to move in a path to overlap with one or more of the first main body electrodes as the moving unit is moving to the accommodated position, when viewed from a top/bottom direction. |
| US08306449B2 |
Roller to affect the temperature of a print substrate in a digital printer
In a roller to affect a temperature of a print substrate in a digital printer, a hollow roll is mounted to a shaft. Channels are provided for a heat transport medium in the hollow wall. A roller shell of the hollow roll is comprised of arc-shaped segments extending over a width of the hollow roll. The segments end laterally in arms designed so that the arms of adjacent segments are connected to each other. The channels extend over the width of the hollow roll and are assembled respectively from the segments of the roller shell. A respective covering plate is clamped between the arms of the respective segments. |
| US08306446B2 |
Image forming apparatus for cooling a pressing member pressing against an image heating member and forming a nip therebetween
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable heater for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip; a rotatable pressor for pressing against the heater to form the nip; a moving mechanism for spacing the heater and the pressor from each other; a detector for detecting a temperature of the pressor; a cooler for cooling the pressor; a changer for changing the rotational speed of the pressor; and an executor for executing, when the temperature of the pressor reaches an upper limit temperature during execution of an image formation job of continuously forming the images, a cooling mode for cooling the pressor by the cooler in a state that the pressor and the heater are spaced from each other while rotating the pressing member at a second rotational speed higher than a first rotational speed which is a speed during the execution of the job. |
| US08306445B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming system, container for developing agent, and method of manufacturing container for developing agent
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a mounting part configured to allow plural types of cartridges having different initial capacities of developing agent to be detachably mountable therein; a light emitting device configured to emit light into the cartridge mounted in the mounting part; a light receiving device configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting device and passed through an inside of the cartridge; a determining unit configured to determine that a replacement time of the cartridge has been reached when a ratio of time, during which an output value of the light receiving device exceeds a light reception reference value, exceeds a determination threshold value. The image forming apparatus or the cartridges are configured such that the determination of the replacement time changes according to the initial capacity of the cartridge. |
| US08306444B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a visible image detecting unit, a shielding part, a conveying passage, and a medium contact part. The visible image detecting unit includes a detecting part and detects a visible image, and the detecting part is disposed to face the image holding member. The shielding part is supported to be movable between a shielding position where the detecting part is shielded, and a detection permitting position where the detecting part is exposed. The medium contact part is supported to be movable between an entry position where the medium contact part enters a conveying passage, and a medium contact position where the medium contact part comes into contact with a medium and recedes from the entry position. The image forming apparatus moves the shielding part while interlocking with the movement of the medium contact part. |
| US08306441B2 |
Printing system and method for handling unfixed pages in such a printing system
A recording medium is moved to a transfer printing station and print images are transfer-printed. The recording medium is transported to a fixing station. A print stop is initiated whereby the recording medium is halted, a further transfer printing is prevented, and a fixing is deactivated. It is checked whether a transfer-printed but unfixed page is still located in the printing apparatus. If so, a warning notification is automatically generated. A query is made as to whether an operating command has been input. If so, it is checked whether the unfixed page would also be output unfixed. If no, the operating command is executed. If yes, the print stop is automatically maintained. It is also inspected as to whether the unfixed page would be output upon execution of an additional operating command. If no, the additional operating command is executed. If yes, an error message is automatically generated. |
| US08306438B2 |
Coherent optical receiver systems and methods
The present disclosure relates to coherent optical receiver systems and methods for determining and correcting for optical angle and magnitude imbalance and for delay imbalance between quadrature paths. The present invention iteratively determines and corrects imbalance error and differential delay entirely in the digital domain (after an analog to digital conversion) in the presence of all the other impairments (polarization mode dispersion, chromatic dispersion, polarization gain imbalance, and polarization delay imbalance) using only the corrupted received signal during normal operation, i.e. without the use of training data. The present invention provides an effective adaptive scheme to drive impairments to zero, without using of any calibration of training, and may be applied during normal operation of the receiver via electrical circuitry or the like. |
| US08306436B2 |
Homodyne receiver for optical communications with post processing
A receiver including a fiber optic first input element, through which a signal carrying information circulates, a local laser block, a photo-detection block, and a block of differential demodulation is disclosed. The information-carrying signal of the optical fiber input and the beam of light generated by the local laser block provided in the receiver are coupled and detected in a block of optical detection, which converts the optical signal that carries information into an electrical signal that carries information, which is processed in a block of electrical demodulation, which performs a differential demodulation of its in-phase and quadrature components, combining them later. An optical receiver is obtained, featuring optical homodyne detection, being coincident the wavelengths of the input signal and the tuned beam of light, with a high tolerance to the phase noise, generated by the optical communications lasers, and with no need to use an optical phase-locked loop. |
| US08306434B2 |
System and method for transmitting signals
A signal-transmitting system includes a digital-to-analog converter, an optical modulator, first and second electrodes, an optical phase shifter, and an optical coupler. The digital-to-analog converter converts digital data into an electrical analog signal. The optical modulator includes a first optical waveguide configured to transmit a first optical carrier, a second optical waveguide configured to transmit a second optical carrier, a first electrode positioned on the first optical waveguide, and a second electrode positioned on the second optical waveguide. The first and second electrical couplers are configured to couple respective electrical analog signals and electrical carriers to electrodes to generate modulation waves. The modulation waves are different in phase. The optical phase shifter is configured to shift the second modulation wave by a predetermined phase, and the optical coupler is configured to couple the first and second modulation waves to generate an optical output signal. |
| US08306433B2 |
Optical modulation signal generating device and optical modulation signal generating method
There is provided an optical modulation signal generating device in which an operation speed is not limited by a relaxation oscillation frequency of a laser, and high-speed modulation and long-distance transmission can be performed. The optical modulation signal generating device converts a signal from a signal source into an optical signal and outputs the optical signal to a transmission medium having frequency dispersion. The optical modulation signal generating device includes an optical source (102) for performing frequency modulation by the signal from the signal source to generate an optical signal having only a frequency modulation component, and a frequency filter (103) for converting the frequency modulation component of the optical signal into an intensity modulation component and a frequency modulation component. |
| US08306432B2 |
Optical regenerator and phase error detection unit for an optical regenerator, and method for optical regeneration
The invention relates to an optical regenerator for a differential phase modulated data signal which comprises, in addition to a unit for bit-by-bit gauge leveling, a unit for the regeneration of the phase of individual symbols of the differential phase modulated data signal. After the bit-by-bit gauge leveling, the data signal that is preset in amplitude is divided into a first and a second data signal. Phase errors of individual signals are detected for the first data signal in a phase error detection unit, are transformed into a correction signal, and are conveyed to a phase error correction unit. The second data signal is corrected in the phase error correction unit, depending on the correction signal conveyed thereto in the phase of said data signal, in such a way that a differential phase modulated data signal, regenerated in amplitude and in phase, is delivered at the output of the correction unit. |
| US08306426B2 |
Optical code division multiplexing communication system and method for correcting failure of the same
An OCDM communication system and a method for correcting failure of the same are provided. In the system, encoders and decoders are provided respectively for channels. Each encoder, including an SSFBG, encodes an optical signal using a code value determined according to distance between adjacent unit fiber Bragg gratings in the SFFBG. Each decoder, including an SFFBG, generates a received optical signal by decoding the encoded signal using a code value determined in the same manner. A set temperature of each encoder and decoder is calculated and a corresponding control signal is generated based on average power and error rate detection signals of each received optical signal. The temperature of each encoder or decoder is individually adjusted according to the control signal, which makes equal the code values of an encoder and decoder of a channel in which average power of a received signal has changed or error rate thereof is excessive. |
| US08306425B2 |
High-degree reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexing systems using bi-directional wavelength selective switches
The present disclosure provides high-degree reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexing (ROADM) systems using bi-directional wavelength selective switches (WSSs) and optical circulators. A single WSS is utilized on each degree of a node in a bi-directional manner, i.e. both ingress and egress share the same WSS. Advantageously, the present invention eliminates conventional splitters/combiners thereby capping intra-node insertion loss to a certain value regardless of the number of degrees. More importantly, the present invention reduces noise penalty associated with high-degree nodes while minimizing cost. |
| US08306423B2 |
Method and optical network component for signal processing in an optical network and communication system
A method and an optical network component for data processing in an optical network. A first signal and a second signal are influenced by a tunable element. The first signal is an incoming optical signal, and the second signal is a local oscillator signal generated by a laser. The laser has an optical gain element that is tuned by the tunable element. A communication system is provided with the optical network component. |
| US08306422B2 |
WDM PON protection scheme using a dual port arrayed waveguide grating (AWG)
A Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) includes an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) including a first Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) MUX/DEMUX, and a remote node including a second AWG MUX/DEMUX. Each AWG MUX/DEMUX has at least two input ports for receiving a respective wavelength division multiplexed optical signal, and a plurality of output ports. Each output port of the Optical Line Terminal AWG MUX/DEMUX is coupled to a respective transceiver of the OLT. Each output port of the remote node AWG MUX/DEMUX is coupled to a respective PON having at least one optical network terminal (ONT). Respective first and second optical paths are coupled between corresponding input ports of the first and second AWG MUX/DEMUXs. Means are provided for sourcing seed light of the WDM-PON into a selected one the first and second optical paths. |
| US08306421B1 |
Passive optical avionics network including optical repeater
The present disclosure is directed to a passive optical avionics network system and method.A avionics network system may comprise: (a) a passive optical network, the passive optical network comprising an optical repeater; and (b) an avionics module operably coupled to the passive optical network.An integrated modular avionics (IMA) system may comprise: (a) a line-replaceable unit (LRU), the LRU comprising: (i) a processing unit; and (ii) an optical line terminal (OLT); (b) an optical repeater; (c) at least one optical network unit (ONU); and an avionics module operably coupled to the at least one ONU.A method for avionics network communication may comprise: (a) receiving optical avionics data signals; (b) monitoring the optical avionics data signals for compliance with a communications protocol; and (c) regulating transmission of the optical avionics data signals according to compliance with the communications protocol. |
| US08306418B2 |
Data pattern dependent distortion compensation in a coherent optical signal receiver
A distortion compensation system and method may be used to compensate for data pattern dependent signal distortion in a signal received in a coherent optical signal receiver. In general, the distortion compensation system and method compares a received signal field with stored distorted signal waveforms associated with known data patterns and selects a compensation value associated with the distorted signal waveform that corresponds most closely with the received signal field. The distortion compensation system and method compensates the received signal using the selected compensation value and thus mitigates the effects of data pattern dependent signal distortion. |
| US08306417B2 |
Bidirectional multi-wavelength optical signal routing and amplification module
The present invention provides a bidirectional optical signal traffic-directing and amplification module which is used in a method for simultaneous real-time status monitoring and troubleshooting of a high-capacity single-fiber hybrid passive optical network that is based on wavelength-division-multiplexing techniques. |
| US08306412B2 |
Handheld electronic device and camera providing flash compensation of images, and associated method
An improved handheld electronic device and camera apparatus upon which can be executed an improved method enable a modular camera to be used in conjunction with a flash. In one implementation, compensation parameters that are intended for use in a non-flash situation are overwritten with compensation parameters that are configured to compensate for the combined effects of the camera and the flash and are used by an embedded compensation routine executed on the camera. In another implementation, an image signal is processed by the embedded compensation routine using the original compensation parameters, but if it is determined that the image signal is a flash image signal, the image signal is further processed by the embedded compensation routine employing an additional set of parameters which compensate the image signal for the effect of the flash. |
| US08306407B2 |
High-efficiency water boiler
A high-efficiency water boiler includes a shell and a heating unit located in the shell. The heating unit includes a heating tank filled with fuel and a heater for heating the fuel. A containing unit includes a container provided around the heating tank. A heat conduction unit includes heat conduction pipes leading to the container from the heating tank to transfer heat to the container from the heating tank. A cooling unit includes a heat exchanger for cooling the fuel going therein from the heating tank. An inlet pipe extends through the heat exchanger and includes an end connected to a leading section of the container so that water can go into the container through the inlet pipe. An outlet pipe is connected to a tailing section of the container so that the water can leave the container through the outlet pipe. |
| US08306401B2 |
Optical disc device with integrated hard disk drive
Optical disc device with integrated hard disk drive includes HDD recording and reproducing portion, DVD recording and reproducing portion, and record restriction process portion that decides whether DVD is disc supporting CPRM and discriminates copy protection information of television broadcasting signal. If “copy once” signal is detected from the copy protection information when it is started to record contents of television broadcasting on DVD that does not support CPRM, recording by hard disk drive is performed instead of recording on DVD. If “copy free” signal is detected from copy protection information while contents are recorded by HDD, recording by hard disk drive is stopped, and recording on DVD is performed. If “copy once” signal is detected from copy protection information while contents are recorded on DVD, recording on DVD is stopped, and recording by HDD is performed. |
| US08306400B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer program
An information processing apparatus in the present invention includes a receiving part that receives contents, an input part into which designation information to select desired contents is input from a user, a recording setting information generation part that generates recording setting information of contents to be recorded based on the designation information, an analysis part that analyzes relevance of content of the contents being recorded to be recorded based on the recording setting information to the designation information, and an acquisition part that acquires the desired contents of the user from the recorded contents based on an analysis result by the analysis part. |
| US08306398B2 |
Recording control apparatus and recording control method
A randomly accessible storage medium stores unit data including a data body portion including data units, and a management information portion. New data is additionally recorded in the unit data from a predetermined position within the data body portion so that a beginning portion of the new data is additionally recorded in a leading additional recording area extending from the additional recording start position to an end position within a data unit including the additional recording start position. A subsequent portion of the new data is recorded in a physical storage area on the storage medium. The management information portion is updated according to the additionally recorded new data and recorded in the storage medium. The resulting unit data includes a new data body portion starting from the beginning of the previous data body portion and ending in the end of the new data, and the updated managing information portion. |
| US08306395B2 |
Input-output circuit, recording apparatus and reproduction apparatus for digital video signal
A video signal input-output circuit and a recording-reproduction apparatus in which a digitally compressed video signal input in packet form can be recorded and reproduced efficiently and in stable fashion. In this apparatus, a clock reference is detected from a packet signal containing the clock reference and a digitally compressed video signal, a time stamp for a packet is generated using a clock signal in phase with the clock reference and added to the particular packet, and the packet signals with the time stamp added thereto are recorded closely to each other in a data storage element such as a magnetic recording medium. At playback, the packet interval is output by being restored to the original length on the basis of the time stamp added to the packet in store. |
| US08306394B2 |
Audiovisual information data processing apparatus
An audiovisual information data processing apparatus includes: data forming means for forming content list data representing lists concerning audiovisual information data stored in a hard disk drive; image display means for performing image display for the lists; attribute information detecting means for detecting, for the audiovisual information data included in the lists, the reproduction limitation information; reproduction limited data recognizing means for recognizing audiovisual information data, which comes into a state in which reproduction limitation functions, of the audiovisual information data included in the lists as reproduction limited data with reference to the detected reproduction limitation information; and image display control means for setting a display portion concerning the audiovisual information data, which is recognized as the reproduction limited data in the image display for the lists, as a portion where specific display is performed. The audiovisual information data processing apparatus can recognize promptly and easily that the audiovisual information data come into the state in which limitation represented by the reproduction limitation information functions. |
| US08306392B2 |
Audio-video recording device
Problem: It is to automatically recognize CM-broadcast periods, while video-recording television broadcast, without interfering with simultaneous access action to the medium for video-recording the television broadcast.Means to Solve the Problem: By detecting transition points in an audio video signal of a television broadcast, recognizing a CM broadcast period when the points occur at intervals specific to CM-broadcast periods, and controlling to record into a recording medium at a predetermined timing, time information of plural CM-broadcast periods determined to be continuous, the frequency to access the recording medium can be reduced, which results in simultaneously recording inputted video images and time information of CM-broadcast periods into the recording medium. |
| US08306386B2 |
Reproduction device, image synthesis method, image synthesis program, and integrated circuit
In a playback device for playing back a moving image recorded on a recording medium while executing an application recorded on the recording medium, to improve the use efficiency of a memory bus when combining the moving image with an image relating to the application. Whether or not to combine a background image, which is used as a background of GUI graphics such as a menu or a moving picture used by the application, is determined depending on whether the moving image covers the entire background image. If the moving image covers the background image, there is no need to combine the background image with the moving image. In this case, a memory bus allocated to the reading of the background image can be used for, for example, writing the moving image read from the recording medium onto a memory. Hence the memory bus bandwidth can be effectively used. |
| US08306385B2 |
Recording apparatus and mount control method
The present invention prevents data stored in memory cards from being damaged while maintaining the operability of inserting and ejecting memory cards. A device has a connection section to which a memory card 11 is connected. The memory card 11 is different from an optical disc 10 on which image data are recorded. The device checks whether the memory card 11 is connected to the connection section. When the device starts performing certain processes to the memory card 11 after detecting that the memory card 11 is connected, the device performs mount processes. When the device stops performing the certain processes, the device immediately performs unmount processes to the memory card 11. The memory card 11 is unmounted while the device is not performing the certain processes. Unmounting the memory card 11 prevents data stored in the memory card 11 from being damaged even if a user accidentally ejects it. |
| US08306382B2 |
Methods, cleavers, and packagings for cleaving an optical fiber using an abrasive medium
Methods, cleavers, and packagings for cleaving an optical fiber using an abrasive medium are disclosed. The abrasive medium may be placed into contact with an optical fiber to induce a flaw in the optical fiber. The optical fiber is broken about the induced flaw to create an end face for fiber optic termination preparations. In one embodiment, a method for cleaving an optical fiber without employing a blade is provided. The method includes providing an optical fiber. A flaw is created in a portion of the optical fiber using a bladeless cleaver comprised of a body and a cleaver structure attached to the body. The cleaver structure is configured to actuate to place an abrasive medium in contact with the portion of the optical fiber to create a flaw in the optical fiber. The method further includes breaking the optical fiber at the flaw to create an end face. |
| US08306380B2 |
Methods and devices for cable insertion into latched-duct conduit
Disclosed are fiber-optic-cable insertion tools and related methods for inserting fiber optic cables into latched-duct conduit systems. |
| US08306379B2 |
Hollow-core photonic crystal fibre
A hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) having a wavelength of operation, the HCPCF comprising: a core region having a first refractive index; a cladding region surrounding the core region and comprising a plurality of microcapillaries arranged in a transverse structure having a pitch, the pitch of the structure being at least five times larger than the wavelength of operation, the cladding region having a second refractive index higher than the first refractive index. |
| US08306378B2 |
Optical pulse compressor
Optical pulse compensator having a chirp unit including a normal dispersion fiber that provides a positive chirp to an input pulse and having a dispersion compensator including an anomalous fiber is provided. The nonlinear coefficient and the absolute value of the second-order group-velocity dispersion of the anomalous fiber that forms the dispersion compensator is set such that a soliton order becomes one or more, and the fiber length of the anomalous dispersion fiber is made to be equal to or smaller than a length required for optical soliton formation. |
| US08306377B2 |
Loose tube optical fiber cable design and method for making the same
A loose tube fiber optic cable having at least one optical fiber, a loose tube surrounding the fiber, with the tube having an irregular inner surface. A water swellable powder is provided around the fiber and inside the tube, where the particles of the water swellable powder rest in the irregular inner surface of the tube. |
| US08306374B2 |
Optical connector and a method of connecting an optical connector to an optical printed circuit board
The invention provides an optical printed circuit board connector, comprising: a housing having a major plane; an optical interface for connection in use to another optical interface on a device to which in use the optical printed circuit board connector is arranged to be connected, in which the optical interface on the connector is mounted such that it is twistable about a vertical axis in the major plane to vary the launch angle of light from the interface with respect to the housing. |
| US08306370B2 |
Mach zehnder modulator
A Mach Zehnder (MZ) modulator (1) includes a splitter (4) for splitting incident light in one wave guide (3) into two modulator arms (5,6) of the MZ and a combiner (7) that combines light from the two arms (5,6) into an output mode, where electrodes (9,10) are present in connection with the arms (5,6) for changing the refractive index in the arms in order to modulate incident light so that the light is amplified or so that an extinction, due to interference between the light in the two arms, takes place. The splitter (4) is arranged to split incident light equally into the two arms (5,6) and a part (11) of one of the arms (5) between the electrode (9) and the combiner (7) is designed to cause an intentional loss of light in the wave guide (5), whereby a desired asymmetry in transmission of the two arms (5,6) occurs. |
| US08306369B2 |
Optical hybrid circuit, optical receiver, and optical receiving method
An optical hybrid circuit includes a multimode interference coupler; a first 2:2 optical coupler; a second 2:2 optical coupler; a third 2:2 optical coupler; and a phase controlling region. The first 2:2 optical coupler, the second 2:2 optical coupler, and the third 2:2 optical coupler are coupled to one of the pair of first output channels, the pair of second output channels, the pair of third output channels, and the pair of fourth output channels of the multimode interference coupler. The phase controlling region is provided in one or both of each pair of at least two pairs of output channels from among three pairs of output channels to which the first 2:2 optical coupler, the second 2:2 optical coupler, and the third 2:2 optical coupler are coupled, respectively. |
| US08306368B2 |
Storing and presenting ancillary information obtained from scanned prints
The present invention relates to a system and method for data storage and retrieval, and more particularly, for indicating that ancillary data is stored in a header of a JPEG file and accessible to a user. The system comprises a JPEG file having an EXIF header and associated image data, and at least one other file of digital data, and a computer. The computer is programmed to scan the JPEG image file for a special indicator in the application marker section of the EXIF header. If the marker is present, the value of marker indicates what type of ancillary digital data is present in the header. For instance, if the marker contains the string EKC-JPEG, then the ancillary data is known to be another JPEG file. Other types of data can be indicated as appropriate. The presence of the ancillary data is then used for the appropriate type of presentation to the user. A reveal icon is then used in presenting the data to indicate whether the ancillary data is another JPEG file, video, audio, sound, document, etc. The user would be presented with the data as appropriate. |
| US08306367B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing image-processing operations
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for performing image conversion operations. The system starts by receiving a request from a client for one or more pixel buffers containing a pixel-formatted, cropped, geometrically transformed, and/or color matched version of an image representation. The system then determines if a provider can provide the one or more pixel buffers. If so, the system calls the provider to generate the one or more pixel buffers containing the pixel-formatted, cropped, geometrically transformed, and/or color matched version of the image representation. Otherwise, the system calls the provider to generate one or more intermediate pixel buffers, generates a sequence of converters for converting the one or more intermediate pixel buffers, and calls the sequence of converters to generate the one or more pixel buffers containing the pixel-formatted, cropped, geometrically transformed, and/or color matched version of the image representation. |
| US08306365B1 |
Local edge count heuristic for vector interpolator
A vector interpolator optimizes the conversion of an interlaced signal to a non-interlaced signal. The vector interpolator improves the visual clarity of slanted features in a displayed image by adjusting the luminance value of each pixel such that the appearance of “steps” or “jaggies” in the features is reduced. For each pixel, the vector interpolator determines a similarity measure for the pixels within a predetermined area around the pixel. From the similarity measure, an angle for interpolation is selected. The luminance value is then interpolated along the selected vector corresponding to the angle and applied to the pixel. One or more ambiguity measures such as a local edge count ambiguity measure may also be computed to indicate the reliability of the computed luminance value. |
| US08306363B2 |
Methods and systems for image scaling
A controller for scaling an input image is provided. The controller selects a pixel neighborhood that includes a plurality of pixels neighboring a pixel. The controller compares at least part of the pixel neighborhood to a pattern. If the pattern is present in the pixel neighborhood, the controller applies a scaling algorithm to at least a portion of the pixel neighborhood in order to obtain a scaled image. The controller also selects another pixel neighborhood that includes a plurality of pixels neighboring a pixel in the scaled image, and compares at least part of the another pixel neighborhood to another pixel pattern. If the another pixel pattern is present in the another pixel neighborhood, the controller applies a correction algorithm to at least a portion of the another pixel neighborhood in order to obtain a processed scaled image. |
| US08306362B2 |
Selective pixel binning and averaging based on scene illuminant
A method for reading out pixel values for a two dimensional array, the method includes the steps of periodically combining at least two pixel values of a same first color in a first dimension of the two dimensional array; reading out the combined pixel values of the first color; and reading out pixels of a second color in the first dimension of the two dimensional array. |
| US08306359B2 |
Method, terminal, and computer-readable recording medium for trimming a piece of image content
The present invention relates to a method for applying a trimming operation to image. The method includes the steps of: detecting person and object; calculating area of face region and area of detected object and calculating distance between center of face region and that of image and distance between center of detected object and that thereof; and applying trimming operation to the object if area of detected object is by over a first prefixed percent larger than that of face, and applying trimming operation to the object if distance between center of detected object and that of image is a second prefixed value or less and distance between center of face and that of image is by over a third prefixed value larger than distance between center of detected object and that thereof. |
| US08306357B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program
An image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a computer program, visually remove low-frequency noise contained in image data. Image data containing low-frequency noise is input from an input terminal. A window unit designates a window made up of a pixel of interest, and its surrounding pixels. A pixel selector selects a selected pixel to be compared with the pixel of interest from the window, and a pixel value determination unit determines a new pixel value of the pixel of interest on the basis of the pixel values of the selected pixel and pixel of interest. New image data is generated by substituting the pixel value of the pixel of interest by the new pixel value. |
| US08306355B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing compression artifacts
Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for reducing compression artifacts. Decoded and displayed images and videos that have been compressed may exhibit visually objectionable artifacts. Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for reducing visible artifacts by selectively filtering an image region based on a combination of a motion indicator and an edge-strength indicator. |
| US08306352B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus
Disclosed is an edge sharpening method using maximum and minimum filters. In an embodiment of the present invention, the edge region of an input image signal is detected, minimum and maximum signals are generated for the detected edge region, the input signal of the detected edge region is compared with the average signal of the minimum and maximum signals, and the average of the input signal and the maximum signal is output if the input signal is larger than the average signal, the average of the input signal and the minimum signal is output if the input signal is smaller than the average signal, and the input signal is output if the input signal is equal to the average signal. Meanwhile, median filtering, using a window perpendicular to the direction in which the edge sharpening is performed, is performed on the region on which the edge sharpening has been performed. |
| US08306347B2 |
Variable length coding (VLC) method and device
A method for representing video data related to a macroblock of a video image in a coding procedure wherein certain, video data or combinations of video data is represented in predefined events associated with indexed positions in a Variable Length Code (VLC) table including codes assigned to each indexed position, including: determining, with a processor, that a first event among said predefined events occurs during the coding procedure; coding, with the processor, the first event with a code assigned to a position x in the VLC table being associated with the first event, the VLC table being stored in a memory device; determining, with the processor, whether x>0, wherein 0 denotes a position at a top of the VLC table; and rearranging, with the processor, the VLC table by associating a second event currently associated with a position x−1 with the position x, and associating the first event with the position x−1. |
| US08306342B2 |
Method and apparatus to encode/decode image efficiently
A method of and apparatus to efficiently encode and/or decode an image are provided. The method of encoding an image includes: calculating a motion vector of a main reference image by estimating a motion of a current image with reference to the main reference image; deriving a motion vector of at least one auxiliary reference image from this motion vector; generating a prediction image of the current image by using a motion vector of the main reference image or the motion vector of the at least one auxiliary reference image; and encoding a residue image between the current image and the prediction image. |
| US08306341B2 |
Image data compression apparatus and decoding apparatus
An image data compression apparatus includes: a filter coefficient calculation unit to perform a filter process to separate pixels extracted in accordance with a one-dimensional subband coding into low- and high-frequency components, and to calculate coefficient values of respective filter coefficients; prediction units to perform different predictions respectively for the calculated coefficient values; a predicted coefficient value calculation unit to calculate predicted coefficient values to be used for posterior predictions by calculating each from at least one of predicted values and from corresponding at least one of the calculated coefficient values; a memory unit to hold the predicted coefficient values calculated by the predicted coefficient value calculation unit; and a compression coding unit to calculate a difference between each predicted value and corresponding each coefficient value, and to perform coding after quantizing the difference, or to perform coding on the basis of the difference. |
| US08306340B2 |
Fast codec with high compression ratio and minimum required resources
This invention provides a novel single-pass and multi-pass synchronized encoder and decoder, performing order(s) of magnitude faster data compression and decompression, at any compression ratio with the higher or the same perceived and measured decompressed image quality in comparison with the best state-of-the-art compression methods, using order(s) of magnitude less system resources (processor complexity, memory size, consumed power, bus bandwith, data latency). These features are achieved using novel direct and inverse non-stationary filters for the recusive octave direct and inverse subband transformation, novel simple context modeling and symbol probability estimation using a minimum number of histograms with the fast adaptation for the sign and the magnitude of the transformation coefficients, a novel accelerated range coder without division operations, and a novel synchronisation of the compressed data. |
| US08306336B2 |
Line or text-based image processing tools
In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, apparatus are provided, including an image processor, a unique image processing mechanism, and a unique image processing activation mechanism. The image processor includes the unique image processing mechanism, which processes a certain type of image. The unique image processing activation mechanism causes the unique image processing mechanism to process a given image. |
| US08306326B2 |
Method and system for automatically classifying page images
A system and method are disclosed for automatically classifying images of pages of a source, such as a book, into classifications such as front cover, copyright page, table of contents, text, index, etc. In one embodiment, three phases are provided in the classification process. During a first phase of the classification process, a first classifier may be used to determine a preliminary classification of a page image based on single-page criteria. During a second phase of the classification process, a second classifier may be used to determine a final classification for the page image based on multiple-page and/or global criteria. During an optional third phase of classification, a verifier may be used to verify the final classification of the page image based on verification criteria. If automatic classification fails, the page image may be passed on to a human operator for manual classification. |
| US08306323B2 |
Method and apparatus for correcting depth image
An apparatus and method for correcting a depth image of an object based on a table, the table being formed according to color identification information of a target color, and a first measurement error in which a difference between a ground truth depth value of a base color and a measured depth value of the target color is reflected. |
| US08306319B2 |
Card identifying apparatus
A card identifying apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention has a light-receiving portion that reads a card on a pixel basis of a predetermined area as a unit including color information having brightness, RAM that stores image data comprised of a plurality of pixels read by the light-receiving portion, a pixel data increasing/decreasing processing section that increases/decreases the number of pixels of the image data, and card identifying means for identifying authentication of the card based on the image data increased/decreased by the pixel data increasing/decreasing processing section. |
| US08306312B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting pattern defects
With the objective of achieving defect kind training in a short period of time to teach classification conditions of defects detected as a result of inspecting a thin film device, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a visual inspection method, and an apparatus therefor, comprising the steps of: detecting defects based on inspection images acquired by optical or electronic defect detection means, and at the same time calculating features of the defects; and classifying the defects according to classification conditions set beforehand, wherein said classification condition setting step further includes the steps of: collecting defect features over a large number of defects acquired beforehand from the defect detection step; sampling defects based on the distribution of the collected defect features over the large number of defects; and setting defect classification conditions based on the result of reviewing the sampled defects. |
| US08306310B2 |
Apparatus and method for pattern inspection
A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source, a stage configured to mount thereon a substrate with a pattern formed thereon, a first laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the stage by using a laser beam, a sensor configured to capture a pattern image obtained from the pattern, formed on the substrate, irradiated by light from the light source, an optical system configured to focus the pattern image on the sensor, a second laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the optical system by using a laser beam, a correction unit configured to correct a captured pattern image by using a difference between the position of the stage and the position of the optical system, and an inspection unit configured to inspect whether there is a defect of the pattern by using a corrected pattern image. |
| US08306307B2 |
Component assembly inspection method and component assembly inspection apparatus
A component assembly inspection method includes taking an image of a first light spot group possessed by a first component with a camera after the first component is assembled in a second component, the first light spot group including plural light spots. The method further includes recognizing a position and an attitude of the first component based on a light image that is on the image taken with the camera and represents each of the light spots of the first light spot group; and determining quality of an assembly state of the first component in the second component based on the position and attitude of the first component. |
| US08306306B2 |
Device for characterizing unique objects
An examination method of a unique object including: forming a coherent radiation beam using a coherent source, illuminating the object by the coherent radiation beam, focussed using a focussing mechanism positioned directly in contact with the object or in a very close position to the object, and forming, using a detection mechanism, the optical Fourier transform image of the light diffracted by the object. |
| US08306303B2 |
Method for improving the quality of computed tomography image series by image processing and CT system comprising a computational unit
A method, a computational unit and a CT system are disclosed for improving the quality of CT image series. In at least one embodiment, the method includes scanning an examination object over a period of time which permits the acquisition of at least two temporally offset projection data records of an identical recording region; generating at least two temporally offset tomographic image data records, each having a multiplicity of pixels, by reconstructing the projection data records; transforming the image data records into transformation data records of at least two spatial frequency ranges; calculating temporal fitted values of the transformation data records for some of the spatial frequency ranges, and replacing the values of the transformation data records which were fitted by the calculated fitted values; performing an inverse transform of the transformation data records with the fitted values to form new image data records; and displaying the new image data records. |
| US08306298B2 |
Method and apparatus for internet, intranet, and local viewing of virtual microscope slides
A method of and apparatus for viewing microscopic images include transmitting tiled microscopic images from a server to a client. The client assembles the tiled images into a seamless virtual slide or specimen image and provides tools for manipulating image magnification and viewpoint. The method and apparatus also provides a virtual multi-headed microscope function which allows scattered viewers to simultaneously view and interact with a coherent magnified microscopic image. |
| US08306297B2 |
Precision registration of X-ray images to cone-beam CT scan for image-guided radiation treatment
A method for precision registration of X-ray images to cone-beam CT scan for image-guided radiosurgery includes acquiring 2-D pre-treatment X-ray images of a region of interest, acquiring a 2-D X-ray image of the region of interest at approximately a time of treatment, registering the 2-D X-ray image with a corresponding 2-D pre-treatment X-ray image to obtain a 2-D registration result at approximately the time of treatment, and converting the 2-D registration result into a 3-D tracking result to track the region of interest. |
| US08306293B2 |
Reduction of echo decorrelation facilitating motion estimation
Methods systems and computer readable media are provided for extracting information pertaining to at least one moving target. A set of signal data are inputted to a principal components processor, wherein the set of signal data comprise signal data corresponding to at least one waveform acquired from the at least one moving target. A complex representation of the set of signal data is formed and, using a principal components processor, at least one complex principal component of the complex representation is calculated. At least one of the calculated complex principal components is automatically selected and each of the at least one automatically selected complex principal component is applied to extract information about the at least one moving target. Methods systems and computer readable media are provided extracting information pertaining to at least one moving target. A set of signal data comprising signal data corresponding to at least one waveform acquired from the at least one moving target are inputted to a principal components processor. A complex representation of the set of signal data is formed, and at least one complex principal component of the complex representation is calculated. An estimated value of a physical characteristic of the at least one moving, target is then calculated, using a phase of at least one of the at least one complex principal components. |
| US08306292B2 |
Image display device and image display program storage medium
An image display device has a point setting section for setting a point for each of multiple medical images representing a subject; a size determining section that determines a common size that fits for each image shown at the point set by the point setting section in each of the multiple medical images such that each image can be displayed within a display area of the common size; and a displaying section that displays the image in the display area of the common size. |
| US08306288B2 |
Automatic identification of fingerprint inpainting target areas
A system and method for inpainting areas in a fingerprint image is provided. The method includes the steps of dividing a fingerprint image into a plurality of image blocks (506) and computing a plurality of block scores for the plurality of image blocks (508). The method also includes generating a blur matrix for the fingerprint image based on the plurality of block scores (510). The method further includes deriving an inpaint region (IR) matrix for the fingerprint image based on a weighting function and the blur matrix, the IR matrix identifying a portion of the plurality of image blocks for inpainting (512, 514). |
| US08306284B2 |
Manually-assisted automated indexing of images using facial recognition
The present method relates to the manual assistance for the automated indexing (100) of a collection of images using facial recognition. In a first automated indexing step, automated indexing of faces within a collection of images is performed, creating sets of faces each of which comprises faces that are determined by the automated process to be representative of the same person. In a second splitting step (200), sets are displayed to an operator, who determines whether there are false-positive associations within a set. If false-positive associations are found, the faces representing different people are manually split into different sets, hi this way, there will be no false-positive associations within the collection of images, hi a third merging step (300), sets that have some degree of similarity are presented to the operator, who determines whether the two sets comprise representations of the same person. If so, the two sets are manually merged, thereby eliminating false-negative errors. In this way, all of the faces in the image collection can be completely and accurately indexed. |
| US08306283B2 |
Focus enhancing method for portrait in digital image
A focus enhancing method for a portrait in a digital image is applied to an electronic device capable of receiving or reading a digital image and executing a focus enhancing process with respect to a portrait in the digital image, wherein the focus enhancing process includes a foreground definition procedure for defining a head region and a body region of the portrait as a foreground of the digital image, a foreground and background segmentation procedure for cutting away an image other than the foreground from the digital image and defining the result as a background of the digital image, and a foreground and background blending procedure for blurring the background, feathering a transition region coupled to the foreground and the background, and blending the foreground, the transition region and the background to form a new digital image with a prominent portrait. |
| US08306282B2 |
Hierarchical face recognition training method and hierarchical face recognition method thereof
A hierarchical face recognition training method and a hierarchical face recognition method thereof for performing a face feature recognition on an image under detection. The method includes a training process and a recognition process. The recognition method includes the steps. A plurality of training samples is obtained. The training samples are subdivided into a plurality of sub-image categories according to a plurality of angle intervals, and the training of a plurality of face features performs on a corresponding sub-image detector of each of the sub-image categories. The training measures performed repeatedly to generate sub-image categories at a sub-level of the sub-image categories. The training method includes the steps. An image under detection is loaded. A similarity of each of sub-image detectors compares according to the image under detection, and the sub-image detector having the highest similarity is selected. The face recognition measures performed repeatedly on the selected sub-image detector. |
| US08306281B2 |
Human image retrieval system
In a similar face retrieval system for retrieving an image photographing a face similar to a face detected from a retrieval query image from a retrieval target image group by using an image photographing a human face as the retrieval query image, whole image features as features representative of background information are extracted from each whole area of an each image of a retrieval target image group, to calculate a degree of similarity through comparison with each set of whole image features, and an image having a degree of similarity not lower than a certain value and having a lower retrieval result order from retrieval results. It is possible to efficiently retrieve the same person playing in different scenes by utilizing different features for a retrieval process and a filtering process. |
| US08306276B2 |
Bridge structural safety monitoring system and method thereof
The present invention discloses a bridge structural safety monitoring system and a bridge structural safety monitoring method. The method includes the steps of capturing an image of a monitoring area of a bridge to create a standard image of the bridge operated at normal conditions, capturing images of the monitoring area of the bridge continuously to obtain monitoring images, comparing the standard image with the monitoring image to obtain a displacement correlation coefficient of the monitoring area of the bridge, and transmitting the displacement correlation coefficient to a central console, such that the central console can determine the using condition of the bridge according to the displacement correlation coefficient. |
| US08306272B2 |
Method and system for dynamically altering the analysis methodology of millimeter wave imagery in response to the range and direction of motion of a subject
A system and method for dynamically altering the analysis methodology of millimeter wave imagery in response to the range and direction of motion of a subject is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an imaging zone of a scene is scanned using at least one millimeter wave camera during a current time frame and a CPU is used to dynamically process millimeter wave imagery of the imaging zone in response to detecting a range and direction of motion of the subject during a previous time frame. In addition, values of a grid of discrete cells are calculated representing the millimeter wave energy associated with the current time frame, which are then compared to values from a grid of corresponding discrete cells associated with the previous time frame in determining a current range and direction of the subject. |
| US08306268B2 |
Method and system for image integrity determination
A method and system for determining integrity of images is disclosed herein. The method includes determining the integrity of a non-image data of an image file. The method of protecting images comprises: obtaining an image file having both image data and non-image data and generating at least one code based on the non-image data at the time of creation of the image file. The code is incorporated into the image data of the image file in a visually non-detectable format. In an example, a digital watermarking technique is used to incorporate the code into the image data. |
| US08306264B2 |
Section processing method and its apparatus
A section processing apparatus has a mark forming control portion that transmits control information for forming marks on a surface of a sample. Each of the marks has at least two portions intersecting at a converging portion located at a previously determined position of an observation target section of the sample or in the vicinity of the previously determined position. A first focused ion beam apparatus emits a first focused beam for forming each of the marks on the surface of the sample based on the control information transmitted by the mark forming control portion and for processing a section of the sample. The section of the sample is processed by scanning the first focused beam in parallel with the at least two portions of the marks in the direction of the converging portion, while the section of the sample and positions of the marks are observed by a second focused ion beam apparatus, and to finish processing of the section of the sample when the first focused beam reaches the converging portion or a vicinity thereof. |
| US08306263B2 |
Object type determination apparatus, vehicle, object type determination method, and program for determining object type
An object type determination apparatus, an object type determination method, a vehicle, and a program for determining an object type, capable of accurately determining the type of the object by appropriately determining periodicity in movement of the object from images, are provided. The object type determination apparatus includes an object area extracting means (11) for extracting an area of an object from an image picked up by an image pick-up means (2R, 2L), an object end point extracting means (12) for extracting an end point of an image portion of the object from the extracted object area, an object periodicity determination means (13) for calculating time series data of a feature value representing a size of the object using the end point of the image portion of the object extracted by the object end point extracting means (12) from the area of the object extracted by the object area extracting means (11) for respective ones of time series images picked up by the image pick-up means (2R, 2L) to determine whether the feature value changes with prescribed periodicity, and a living body determination means (14) for determining the object having the feature value determined to change with periodicity as a living body. |
| US08306261B2 |
Detection of an object in an image
The invention provides a method, system, and program product for detecting an object in a digital image. In one embodiment, the invention includes: deriving an initial object indication mask based on pixel-wise differences between a first digital image and a second digital image, at least one of which includes the object; performing an edge finding operation on both the first and second digital images, wherein the edge finding operation includes marking added edges; generating a plurality of straight linear runs of pixels across an image containing the object, wherein each of the plurality of straight linear runs starts and ends on an added edge and is contained within the initial object indication mask; and forming a final object indication mask by retaining only pixels that are part of at least one of the plurality of straight linear runs. |
| US08306258B2 |
System and method for assessing a condition of an insured property
A system and method for assessing a condition of property for insurance purposes includes a sensor for acquiring a spectral image. In a preferred embodiment, the spectral image is post-processed to generate at least one spectral radiance plot, the plot used as input to a radiative transfer computer model. The output of the model establishes a spectral signature for the property. Over a period of time, spectral signatures can be compared to generate a spectral difference, the difference attributed to a change in the condition of the property, such as a fire or flood. In response to the change, an insurance company initiates an insurance-related action such as processing a claim. |
| US08306257B2 |
Hierarchical tree AAM
An active appearance model is built by arranging the training images in its training library into a hierarchical tree with the training images at each parent node being divided into two child nodes according to similarities in characteristic features. The number of node levels is such that the number of training images associated with each leaf node is smaller than a predefined maximum. A separate AAM, one per leaf node, is constructed using each leaf node's corresponding training images. In operation, starting at the root node, a test image is compared with each parent node's two child nodes and follows a node-path of model images that most closely matches the test image. The test image is submitted to an AAM selected for being associated with the leaf node at which the test image rests. The selected AAM's output aligned image may be resubmitted to the hierarchical tree if sufficient alignment is not achieved. |
| US08306256B2 |
Using camera signatures from uploaded images to authenticate users of an online system
Users of an online system are authenticated based on signatures of cameras that were used to capture images uploaded to the online system. Users of an online system upload photos taken from their cameras. The online system extracts characteristic information about the camera that captured the photos. This information includes a mapping of faulty pixels, metadata included with the photos, a naming convention, and the like. The online system stores an association between the user and the camera. This association is used for authentication of the user. For authentication, the user is asked to upload new photos taken from the camera that the user used previously. The information extracted from the newly uploaded photos is matched against stored information of cameras used previously by the user. The user is successfully authenticated if the camera used for the newly uploaded photos matches a previously stored camera. |
| US08306255B1 |
Snapshot-based screen scraping
A method is provided for scraping information from a web page or other page of electronic content. As opposed to existing methods in which an entire page's HTML (HyperText Markup Language) code or DOM (Document Object Model) tree is parsed and pattern-matched, in the provided method only specific regions of interest are examined closely. An image snapshot of the page is created and investigated using routines for identifying regions of interest (e.g., paragraphs of text, faces). Regions comprising text are then converted into text using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology or a similar tool, and the resulting text can then be scanned for symbols, words or phrases of interest. |
| US08306253B2 |
Modular input/output headset and method of use
A modular headset and method of use comprises a headset band having a first end and a second end. The headset includes a first node coupled to the first end of the headset band in which the first node has a plurality of first jacks. Each first jack selectively receives a first plug of a peripheral device. The headset includes a second node coupled to the second end of the headset band. The second node has a plurality of second jacks. Each second jack selectively receives a second plug of the peripheral device. The headset includes circuitry coupled to the jacks at the first and second nodes, wherein signals from a peripheral device are received or transmitted to any of the first jacks in the first node and signals from the external electronic device are received or transmitted to any of the second jacks in the second node. |
| US08306249B2 |
Method and acoustic signal processing device for estimating linear predictive coding coefficients
A method and an appropriate acoustic signal processing device estimate a set of linear predictive coding coefficients of a microphone signal using minimum mean-square error estimation with a codebook containing several predetermined sets of linear predictive coding coefficients. The method includes determining sums of weighted backward transition probabilities describing the transition probabilities between the predetermined sets of linear predictive coding coefficients. The backward transition probabilities are obtained from signal training data by mapping the signal training data to one set of the codebook and by determining relative frequencies of transitions between two of the sets of the codebook. Modelling the “memory” of the codebook has the advantage that the accuracy of estimating linear predictive coding coefficients is increased considerably also for speech components. |
| US08306246B2 |
Thermoacoustic device
A thermoacoustic device includes first electrodes, a first conductive element, second electrodes, a second conductive element, first insulators, second insulators and a thermoacoustic film. The first conductive element is electrically connected with the first electrodes. The second conductive element is electrically connected with the second electrodes. The first insulators connect the first electrodes to the second conductive element while insulating them from each other, and the second insulators connect the second electrodes with the first conductive element while insulating them from each other. The thermoacoustic film is electrically connected with the first electrodes and the second electrodes. |
| US08306245B2 |
Multi-mode audio amplifiers
A multimode audio amplifier comprises: a mode controller adapted to provide a control signal; and at least one multimode module, wherein each of the multimode modules has a plurality of operating modes, wherein the operating modes are selected in accordance with the control signal, wherein changing the operating modes results in a measurable change in at least one characteristic of the multimode audio amplifier; wherein the characteristics of the multimode audio amplifier consist of signal to noise ratio (SNR); total harmonic distortion and noise (THD+N); input to output delay; power consumption; and efficiency. |
| US08306243B2 |
Audio device
A signal processing section 3 is set up which provides an anti-phase component signal S extracted by an anti-phase component extracting section 2 with a transfer characteristic (Hd+Hx)/(Hd−Hx); an adder 4 adds the phase-inverted signal of the anti-phase component signal S provided with the transfer characteristic by the signal processing section 3 and an in-phase component signal M extracted by an in-phase component extracting section 1; and an adder 5 adds the anti-phase component signal S provided with the transfer characteristic by the signal processing section 3 and the in-phase component signal M extracted by the in-phase component extracting section 1. |
| US08306241B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic volume control in an audio player of a mobile communication terminal
An automatic gain controller and a method using the same are provided. The automatic gain controller and method analyze background noise by operating a microphone mounted in a mobile communication terminal and automatically control the gain of the signal part which is non-audible due to the background noise. Thus, a user may listen to music by using an earphone or a headphone connected to the mobile communication terminal in an environment with background noise. The method includes receiving an audio signal to be reproduced, receiving a background noise signal introduced through a microphone, controlling a gain of the audio signal by comparing the background noise signal and the audio signal and outputting the gain-controlled audio signal so that the user can listen to the gain-controlled audio signal. |
| US08306237B2 |
Head-mounting device to mask ambient sounds for sleeping
This invention is a wearable device that masks and/or cancels annoying ambient sounds to help a person sleep. It includes a soft and stretchable member, such as a headband or hat, that contains one or more sound-conducting tubes. Sound that is emitted from the one or more tubes helps to mask and/or cancel annoying ambient sounds. Advantages of this device over prior art include: no speakers or other rigid components over a person's ears that can be uncomfortable or unsafe when the person sleeps on their side; a relatively wide sound-emitting area to accommodate different size and shape heads; and a stretchable wearable member that gently clings to the person's head to avoid having sound-emitting areas shift away from the person's ears as they toss and turn in their sleep. |
| US08306232B2 |
Digital audio stereo imager
An apparatus and a method for controlling, during playback, the composition of a pair of stereo separated audio signals in a stereo sound entertainment system by changing the stereo image width are disclosed. A digital mixer combines a portion of a first digital audio signal with a portion of a second digital audio signal to create a first mixed signal and a portion of the second digital audio signal with a portion of the first digital audio signal to create a second mixed signal. A listener controller independently controls, in accordance with a listener input, the portion of the first digital audio signal combined with the portion of the second digital audio signal and the portion of the second digital audio signal combined with the portion of the first digital audio signal. |
| US08306225B2 |
Quantum communication system
A quantum communication system including an emitter and a receiver, the emitter including an encoder and at least one photon source and being configured to pass a signal pulse and a reference pulse, which are separated in time, through the encoder and output the signal pulse and the reference pulse. The reference pulse has a higher probability of containing more than one photon than the signal pulse. The receiver includes a decoder and at least one detector for measuring the signal pulse and the reference pulse. |
| US08306224B2 |
Transmitter apparatus for MPEG-4 IPMP extended ISMA media stream
A device which transmits an ISMA media stream subjected to MPEG-4 IPMP extension. An ISMA media stream having an ISMA header and including contents as a payload is constituted, an IPMP tool list descriptor representing, as a tool required for processing of the contents, at least one tool selected from a group including an IPMP tool, an ISMA Cryp decryption tool, and a key management system (KMS) tool is buried in the media stream, and the ISMA media stream is transmitted. |
| US08306220B2 |
Method to generate a private key in a boneh-franklin scheme
An alternative scheme to the classical Boneh-Franklin scheme simplifies the generation and the use of the asymmetric keys. The alternative scheme takes advantage of the discovery that simpler calculations resulting in exponents of reduced size can be used as part of Boneh-Franklin type scheme. The alternative scheme thus provides a traceable encryption scheme which allows for fast, secure cryptographic calculations to be made while providing the necessary level of security required for reliable tracing capabilities to be achieved. |
| US08306216B2 |
Method and system for tracking or identifying copy of implementation of computational method, and computation system
A method and system is provided facilitating tracing copies of an implementation of a computational method where different versions of a network of look-up tables representing steps of the computational method are generated, and stored in a memory, each version being unique so that output encodings and/or input decodings of the white-box implementations of the computational method are different in the different versions. The network is formed by using an output value of a first look-up table as an input value of a second look-up table. The different versions are generated by changing at least one value in the network, end results of the version corresponding to a relevant domain of input values being substantially the same for each version. A method and system for computation for a user with the corresponding version in the memory, and/or for identifying a copy of an implementation of the computational method is provided. |
| US08306214B2 |
Method and system for clear signal capture
A method and system for clear signal capture comprehend several individual aspects that address specific problems in improved ways. In addition, the method and system also comprehend a hands-free implementation that is a practical solution to a very complex problem. Individual aspects comprehended related to echo and noise reduction, and divergence control. |
| US08306213B1 |
Skill and level assignment via concentric inlaid circles
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for skill and level assignment. In some examples, the method includes providing for display of a graphical user interface (GUI) with one or more sets of graphical objects. Each set of graphical objects corresponds to a decision factor and each graphical object in each set of graphical objects corresponds to a level of the decision factor. The method further includes receiving an assignment configuration for a contact routing device. The assignment configuration is generated based on the one or more sets of graphical objects and associated one or more agents. The method further includes routing the contact to the selected one or more contact agents based on the assignment configuration. |
| US08306212B2 |
Time-based work assignments in automated contact distribution
A contact center is described and systems, methods, and devices for processing work items within the contact center are provided. An Estimated Contact Handling Time (ECHT) is computed for one or more work items in the contact center and work items are distributed within the contact center at least partially based on the ECHT calculations. Thus, a time-based contact routing mechanism is provided to increase the efficiency with which a contact center operates. |
| US08306207B2 |
Method and apparatus for forwarding incoming telecommunication calls according to receiver position
A method and a corresponding apparatus for forwarding incoming calls according to the current position of the intended receiver. The position is detected by means of RFID tag and corresponding detectors. A plurality of telephone receivers are distributed within the offices of one or more sites of an entity (e.g. a private Company or Corporation or a Public Body) all connected together by means of a switchboard system. A corresponding plurality of detectors are positioned in proximity of the telephone receivers, so that the presence of an RFID tag is detected whenever it comes within a predetermined distance. Such presence of the RFID tag (and consequently the presence of the person carrying the tag to whom a telephone number is assigned) next to a target telephone receiver will then be communicated to a Central Switchboard. |
| US08306205B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating a conference assistance system
A method for operating a conference assistance system is provided. The method includes receiving a conference code over a call established with an originating system, wherein the conference code is entered by a user over the call to initiate a conference session, and in response to receiving the conference code, identifying a conference system for the user. The method also includes upon identifying the conference system, initiating the conference session on behalf of the user with the conference system, and transferring the conference code to the conference system to authorize the conference session. The method further includes upon authorization of the conference session, connecting the conference system with the originating system to enable the conference session for the user. |
| US08306204B2 |
Variable noise control threshold
An interface allows a simple control to be shared by one or more conference participants. One exemplary embodiment maps complex techniques associated with conference control into a simple control. The control may be a single slider to adjust both the amount of control and the level of aggressiveness to get the best quality in a dynamic and changing environment. Another exemplary type of control would be to use two sliders—one to select and/or aggregate conference control mechanisms, and the other to adjust the aggressiveness of the selected conference control mechanism or aggregated mechanisms. Another exemplary type of control could be a simple rotary dial to emulate the two-dimensionality of two or more sliders. These controls could have the techniques associated with each position dynamically chosen and/or updated, for example, throughout a conference. |
| US08306202B2 |
Method and system for customized caller identification
A system and method for customized caller identification and call routing are disclosed. A disclosed method of providing customized caller identification information for a phone call includes associating a first phone number in a database with a plurality of user specified identifications, selecting one of the plurality of user specified identifications in response to the phone call placed from the first phone number to a second phone number as a function of the second phone number, and providing the selected one of the plurality of identifications to a device associated with the second telephone number. |
| US08306201B1 |
Telephone number sharing configuration
A system and a method are disclosed for providing telephone number sharing services to subscribers over public switched telephone network or data network. The disclosed system first receives call details of a call from a subscriber of the system. The call details include reusable call number preference of the subscriber as well as a phone number of a called party. The system stores the call details in a database. The system determines whether the received call from the subscriber is a first call to the called number. In response to the call being the first call to the called party, the system assigns a reusable call number that satisfies the reusable call number preference of the subscriber, and forwards the call to the called number with the reusable call number. |
| US08306199B2 |
Accounting in a transit network
An accounting function in a network between originating and terminating networks is disclosed. A transit network node is provided with an appropriate indication regarding its role in inter-operator accounting, for example if it should act as an intermediary node or not. A transit network node configured to function in an appropriate manner to function in an intermediary role in the inter-operator accounting is also disclosed. The intermediary role can be optional. |
| US08306197B1 |
Telephone interface
An apparatus (100) for interfacing a telephone (12) with a telecommunications network (24). The telephone provides and accepts digital signals (118) and the telecommunications network provides and accepts analog signals (124). The digital signals include digital control content (120) and digital voice content (122), and the analog signals include analog control content (126) and analog voice content (128). A control circuit (142), a first port (106b), and a second port (110b) are provided. The first port communicates the digital signals to and from the control circuit. The second port communicates the analog signals to and from the control circuit. The control circuit converts the digital control content to the analog control content, and vice versa. The control circuit also converts the digital voice content to the analog voice content, and vice versa. |
| US08306195B2 |
Visual test automation tool for message-based applications, web applications and SOA systems
In one embodiment, a graphical user interface (“GUI”) enables the efficient composition and execution of a test of a message-based application, Web application, or SOA systems' capacity to receive, process and respond to message traffic. The GUI may be used to generate a test composition by dragging and dropping message clips onto one or more tracks. Each clip includes one or more message, with each track being organized into one or more bands. Each track and each band may run contemporaneously to send messages to a target device or application. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. |
| US08306193B2 |
Method of pairing a portable device with a communications module of a vehicular, hands-free telephone system
A method of pairing Bluetooth™ enabled devices including a portable phone with a Bluetooth™ communications module of a vehicular, hands-free telephone system includes using vocal communications to prompt an operator of the phone to enter a given PIN number into the phone. The presence of any Bluetooth™ enabled devices within the vicinity of the communications module is searched. Vocal communications are used to prompt the operator to vocally state a name for the phone and to vocally state a pairing priority to be assigned to the phone. If the assigned pairing priority is not assigned to another Bluetooth™ enabled device, then the name and the pairing priority are associated with the phone. Communications between the communications module and the phone are then enabled if the phone has the highest pairing priority amongst all of the Bluetooth™ enabled devices present within the vicinity of the communications module. |
| US08306187B2 |
Optimal detector position for gamma backscatter
A method for determining the density of a fluid that includes disposing a gamma-ray source proximate to a vessel containing the fluid is provided. The optimal position of a gamma-ray detector with respect to the gamma-ray source is determined. A gamma-ray detector is position at the optimal position, and the density of the fluid is measured. |
| US08306185B2 |
Radiotherapeutic treatment plan adaptation
In a radiation therapy method, one or more planning images are acquired (102) of a subject. Features of at least malignant tissue are contoured in the one or more planning images to produce one or more initial feature contours. One or more treatment images of the subject are acquired (114). The one or more initial feature contours are updated (122) based on the one or more treatment images. Radiation treatment parameters are optimized (126) based upon the updated one or more feature contours. Radiation treatment of the subject is performed (130) using the optimized parameters. |
| US08306184B2 |
X-ray pixel beam array systems and methods for electronically shaping radiation fields and modulation radiation field intensity patterns for radiotherapy
X-ray pixel beam array systems and methods for electronically shaping radiation fields and modulating radiation field intensity patterns for radiotherapy are disclosed. One exemplary pre-clinical system may include addressable electron field emitters (102, 104) that are operable to emit a plurality of electron pixel beams (106, 108, 110). Each electron pixel beam may correspond to an x-ray target (124) and x-ray pixel beam collimation aperture (136, 138) to convert a portion of energy associated with the electron pixel beam to a corresponding x-ray pixel beam (140, 142). Further, the x-ray pixel beam array collimator (130) forms a one-to-one correspondence between individual electron pixel beam and its corresponding x-ray pixel beam. One exemplary clinical system may include a high-energy electron source (1203), an n-stage scanning system (1210), x-ray pixel beam targets (1212), and an x-ray pixel beam array collimator (1214). A controller (1206) may sequentially direct electron beam pulses to predetermined x-ray pixel targets and produce an electronically controlled radiation field direction, pattern; and intensity pattern. |
| US08306178B2 |
vMOS multi-valued counter unit
The present invention discloses a vMOS based multi-valued counter unit. The counter unit includes a vMOS source follower and at least a control gate connected the vMOS source follower. The control gate includes a first dual-value D flip-flop, a second dual-value D flip-flop, an AND gate, and an OR gate. The present invention utilizes the vMOS to replace the complicated threshold value operations of the multi-value logic. The current invention implements the true multi-value logic and a multi-base multi-value counter by increasing the number of the dual-value D flip-flop, and connecting the dual-value D flip-flop to the input control gate of the vMOS follower. The present invention applies the asynchronous carry-over concept to implement the multi-digit multi-value counter, and it also has been verified by the simulation of P Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE). |
| US08306175B2 |
Clock and data recovery circuit
A clock and data recovery circuit includes a voltage controlled oscillator for generating an output clock according to a control voltage signal, a loop filter for outputting the control voltage signal according to a current output, a charge pump unit for outputting the current output according to an error signal, and a controller for determining a run length corresponding to input data based on the output clock from the voltage controlled oscillator. The controller further controls at least one of the voltage controlled oscillator, the loop filter and the charge pump unit according to the run length to dynamically adjust loop bandwidth. A method of adjusting loop bandwidth is also disclosed. |
| US08306174B2 |
Fractional interpolative timing advance and retard control in a transceiver
Transmission of information between user equipment (UE) and base stations in a wireless network occurs using a stream of periodic data. A modem in the UE operates synchronized to a first clock source to produce the stream of periodic data at a chip rate. Transceiver circuitry is synchronized to a variable clock source to receive the stream of data from the first circuitry at a rate according to the variable clock source. A fixed phase relationship is maintained between the variable clock source and the first clock source while the data period is uniform by adjusting the variable clock in response to detected phase errors. Occasionally, one period of the periodic data is changed by a defined amount. The fixed phase relationship is restored over a number of periods in a gradual manner by changing the frequency of the variable clock by an amount. By restoring the phase relationship gradually, quality degradation of the transmitted signal is reduced. |
| US08306171B2 |
Method and system for bit detection and synchronization
A bit synchronization method is proposed. The method includes buffering a plurality of samples from a signal stream, scanning the buffered samples for transitions and updating a zero-crossing histogram buffer upon detection of the transitions. The method further includes detecting at least two peaks simultaneously from the updated zero-crossing histogram buffer, fixing at least two boundaries from the detected peaks, and integrating the buffered samples within the boundaries. Finally the method includes generating an output signal comprising a synchronized bit stream from the integrated samples. |
| US08306165B2 |
Traffic-to-pilot ratio estimation for MIMO-OFDM system
A method for estimating a traffic-to-pilot ratio (TPR) for a received signal is disclosed. The received signal is despatialized to obtain a despatialized received signal. A channel matrix is despatialized to obtain a despatialized channel matrix. The despatialized received signal is whitened to obtain a pre-whitened despatialized received signal. The despatialized channel matrix is whitened to obtain a pre-whitened despatialized channel matrix. The estimated TPR for the received signal is determined using the pre-whitened despatialized received signal and one or more pre-whitened despatialized channel estimation coefficients. |
| US08306163B1 |
Method and apparatus for automatic gain control
Aspects of the disclosure provide a receiver that can include a robust automatic gain control (AGC) mechanism. The receiver can include at least a first processing stage and a second processing stage. Each of at least the first processing stage and the second processing stage can include a controllable parameter. Further, the receiver can include a detector module. The detector module can switchably detect an output parameter of each of at least the first processing stage and the second processing stage. In addition, the receiver can include a controller module. The controller module can be configured to control the controllable parameters of at least the first processing stage and the second processing stage based on the detected output parameters of at least the first processing stage and the second processing stage. |
| US08306162B2 |
Method and apparatus for complementary cumulative distribution driven level convergence for spectrum sensing
A method for use in a digital communications receiver for controlling an input signal level (200) into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) initially receives a sample sequence (201) where a threshold crossing rate is measured as a percentage samples of an input signal that exceed the threshold (203). The error between the measured threshold crossing rate and a desired reference threshold crossing rate is calculated (205) and an error signal is then utilized in a feedback loop to control the receiver gain such that the error is reduced (207). |
| US08306159B2 |
Method and system for decoding single antenna interference cancellation (SAIC) and redundancy processing adaptation using burst process
Aspects of a method and system for decoding single antenna interference cancellation (SAIC) and redundancy processing adaptation using burst process are provided. A wireless receiver may decode bit sequences based on a first decoding algorithm that may utilize redundancy in the data and that may impose physical constraints. The receiver may also decode a received bit sequence based on a second decoding algorithm that utilizes SAIC. Received data may be processed in a burst process portion in either decoding algorithm. Burst processed data from one of the decoding algorithms may be selected based on signal-to-noise ratio and/or received signal level measurements. The selected burst processed data may be communicated to a frame processing portion of the corresponding decoding algorithm. |
| US08306155B2 |
Frame-based carrier frequency and phase recovery system and method
Header information is used to facilitate coarse frequency and frame recovery. The coarse frequency and frame recovery is thereafter utilized to perform adaptive phase and frequency synchronization on a frame-by-frame basis. In one aspect, a frame identifier in a physical layer header of the digitized signal is utilized to estimate a first phase associated with the frame identifier. The remaining portion of the physical layer header is utilized to estimate a second phase associated with the remaining portion. The first phase estimate and the second phase estimate are combined to generate a first combined phase estimate. |
| US08306152B2 |
Mobile radio communication device and channel estimate calculation method
This mobile radio communication device comprises pilot symbol number determination unit 102 for determining the number of pilot symbol blocks necessary to determine a channel estimate in response to phasing variation, storage unit 104 for storing said determined number of pilot symbol blocks, and unit 103 for using said stored number of pilot symbol blocks to determine a channel estimate when said determined number of pilot symbol blocks exceeds the predetermined number of pilot symbol blocks. |
| US08306144B2 |
Scalable system to adaptively transmit and receive including adaptive antenna signal and back-end processors
An adaptive baseband processing system having a scalable architecture to allow scaling to support adaptive transmission and receive, at different granularity, channel vs. subchannel, for different number of antennas and/or users, including their components, are described herein. In various embodiments, the components include an adaptive antenna signal (AAS) coupled to a front-end processor, a back-end processor, or combinations thereof. |
| US08306141B2 |
Method and a device for determining shifting parameters to be used by at least a first and a second telecommunication devices
A method for determining shifting parameters p1 and p2 to be used by a first and a second telecommunication devices for mapping symbols on sub-carriers. The method comprises the steps of: allocating to the first and the second telecommunication device sub-carriers, at least a part of the sub-carriers allocated to the first telecommunication device being allocated to the second telecommunication device, determining the shifting parameter p2, the shifting parameter p2 being even and at least equal to the number of overlapping sub-carriers allocated to both the first and the second telecommunication devices or the shifting parameter p2 being even and at most equal to M2 minus the number of overlapping sub-carriers allocated to both the first and the second telecommunication devices. |
| US08306140B2 |
Method and arrangement for adapting a multi-antenna transmission
A method in a first node for adapting a multi-antenna transmission to a second node over a wireless channel is provided. The wireless channel has at least three inputs and at least one output. The first node and the second node are comprised in a wireless communication system. The method comprising the steps of: Obtaining (401) at least one symbol stream; Determining (403) a precoding matrix having a product structure created by a block diagonal matrix being multiplied from the left with a block diagonalizing unitary matrix; Precoding (404) the at least one symbol stream with the determined precoding matrix; And Transmitting (405) the precoded at least one symbol stream over a wireless channel to the second node. |
| US08306138B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication method
A wireless communication apparatus and a wireless communication method wherein even when the permissible delay amount of data is small, the permissible delay thereof can be satisfied. A data type determining part (101) determines whether the delay of transport data or control information should be allowed or not. A pilot signal insertion control part (102) decides, based on pilot insertion interval information and allowable delay information, that a pilot signal is placed adjacently to data that is not allowed to delay. A multiplexing part (106) multiplexes encoded and modulated transport data with the pilot signal generated by a pilot signal generating part (105) in such a manner that realizes the placement decided by the pilot signal insertion control part (102). |
| US08306132B2 |
Detecting apparatus, calculating apparatus, measurement apparatus, detecting method, calculating method, transmission system, program, and recording medium
Provided is a detection apparatus that detects a phase alignment error between transmission signals transmitted on different channels, comprising a correlation calculating section that calculates a cross-spectrum between the transmission signals based on a result of a measurement of the transmission signals transmitted in the channels; a phase difference calculating section that calculates a phase difference spectrum between the transmission signals based on the cross-spectrum calculated by the correlation calculating section; and a detecting section that detects a difference between transmission times of the transmission signals transmitted on the different channels and a phase offset between the transmission signals, based on the phase difference spectrum calculated by the phase difference calculating section. |
| US08306129B2 |
Power line communication apparatus, power line communication system, and registration processing method
A power line communication apparatus controls a transmission using a plurality of parameters. The power line communication apparatus includes: a registration processor which performs a registration process for achieving a state to be communicable with another power line communication apparatus through a power line by use of transmission data based on a first parameter set at a first value and a second parameter set at a second value, a parameter controller which changes the first parameter to the third value to lengthen a communicable distance and the second parameter to the fourth value to shorten the communicable distance when the registration process has ended in failure. When the registration process has ended in failure, the registration processor retry the registration process by use of transmission data based on the first parameter set at a third value and the second parameter set at a fourth value. |
| US08306128B2 |
Clocked output of multiple data streams from a common data port
A video display system, such as useful in video surveillance applications, is disclosed. The system includes a video decoder (20) having a common output data port (27) at which it presents interleaved data streams (DSA, DSB). The interleaved data streams (DSA, DSB) may correspond to multiple scalings of a processed video input signal, for example as received from a surveillance camera (C1, C2, C3, C4). The video decoder (20) also outputs multiple clock signals (CLKA, CLKB), each of which are synchronous with a corresponding one of the interleaved data streams (DSA, DSB). This enables a common data port (27) to output multiple data streams (DSA, DSB), while individual destinations (30A, 30B) of the data streams (DSA, DSB) can continue to operate at legacy clock rates. |
| US08306124B2 |
Encoding method for skipped macroblocks in video image
An encoding method for skipped macroblocks in a video image includes the steps of: adding one indication bit into a picture header for indicating a coding mode for skipped macroblocks in a current image; selecting the coding mode for a macroblock type in the current image according to the number of skipped macroblocks, if it is a run_length coding, then setting the indication bit of the picture header as a status indicating a run_length coding, and encoding the macroblock type in the image by the run_length coding mode; if it is a joint coding, then setting the indication bit of the picture header as status indicating a joint coding and encoding the macroblock type in the image by the joint coding mode of the number of skipped macroblocks and the macroblock type; finally, encoding other data in the current macroblock and writing data into a code stream. |
| US08306121B2 |
Method and apparatus for super-resolution of images
A method to generate super-resolution images using a sequence of low resolution images is disclosed. The method includes generating an estimated high resolution image, motion estimating between the estimated high resolution image and comparison images from the sequence of low resolution images, motion-compensated back projecting, and motion-free back projecting that results in a super resolved image. A corresponding system for generating super-resolution images includes a high resolution image estimation module, a motion estimating module, a motion-compensated back projection module, a motion-free back projection module, an input interface, and an output interface. |
| US08306119B2 |
Method for hierarchically coding video images
The picture and coding method comprises the following steps: coding of the lowest resolution picture to provide coded data for a base layer of the coded data flow, zoom of the picture to obtain a low resolution zoomed picture of dimensions of those of the picture for the common video part, coding of to supply coded data to an upper layer of the coded data flow and using at least one of the following modes: predictive inter layer coding using a previous low resolution zoomed picture in which a predicted block and a motion vector defining this block is determined, predictive inter layer coding using a current low resolution zoomed picture in which a predicted block and a motion vector defining this block is determined. |
| US08306118B1 |
High quality low bitrate video coding by enabling and disabling a non-residual mode
A method for encoding video, comprising the steps of (A) encoding a number of macroblocks of a video signal with a non-residual mode disabled, (B) checking each of the macroblocks for a null information pattern, and (C) re-encoding each of the macroblocks having the null information pattern with the non-residual mode enabled. |
| US08306114B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining coding for coefficients of residual block, encoder and decoder
Provided are a method and apparatus for determining coding for coefficients of a residual block, an encoder and a decoder. The method includes generating a residual block by subtracting a motion-compensated prediction block from the current block; frequency-converting coefficients of the residual block into frequency coefficients; frequency-converting coefficients of the motion-compensated prediction block into frequency coefficients; and determining coding for each of the coefficients of the frequency-converted residual block based on the coefficients of the frequency-converted prediction block. Accordingly, the amount of information transferred to a decoder can be reduced by not coding some coefficients of the residual block. |
| US08306113B2 |
Moving picture encoding method, moving picture decoding method, moving picture encoding device, moving picture decoding device, and computer program
There is provided a moving picture encoding method based on hierarchical encoding. The method includes the step of encoding a time filtering lower hierarchical signal belonging to a lower hierarchy among signals of respective hierarchies which have been subjected to time-direction filtering and then to hierarchical division and an upper hierarchy time filtering signal obtained by performing time-direction filtering on a signal corresponding to the upper hierarchy of the aforementioned lower hierarchy signal. Thus, decoded signals of all the hierarchies can have image quality equivalent to the decoded image when encoding is performed with a single hierarchy. |
| US08306111B2 |
Image analysis using a hybrid connected component labeling process
A hybrid connected component labeling process for analyzing digitized or binary images includes the following steps. Firstly, a forward scan is executed to assign a forward label to each foreground pixel in the image. Then, a backward scan is executed to assign a backward label to each foreground. The backward labels are rearranged and label connection is recorded. A label allocation table including final labels and reference labels is provided for recording the use of the labels. When an object is considered as noise, the label corresponds to the pixels of the object is released by updating the label allocation table. |
| US08306110B2 |
Moving image coding apparatus and method using copy pictures depending on virtual buffer verifier occupancy
In a moving image coding apparatus, when a first picture is entropy-coded, if an occupancy of a virtual buffer is below a predetermined position, the first picture is replaced with a copy picture. Further, among succeeding pictures that refer to a reference image corresponding to the first picture for inter picture prediction, a second picture whose quantization has been started or completed is also replaced with the copy picture. |
| US08306108B2 |
Adaptive canonical Huffman decoder and method thereof and video decoder
An adaptive canonical Huffman decoder including a symbol index generator, a content selector, and a symbol table buffer circuit is illustrated. The content selector outputs a content selection signal. The symbol table buffer circuit reads a corresponding symbol table from a plurality of symbol tables stored in an external memory according to the content selection signal and stores the corresponding symbol table. The symbol index generator stores decoding information of a plurality of encoding tables and selects a corresponding decoding information among all the decoding information according to the content selection signal. Then, the symbol index generator receives a bit stream and decodes the bit stream according to the corresponding decoding information to obtain a symbol index. After that, the symbol table buffer circuit obtains an output symbol from the corresponding symbol table according to the symbol index. |
| US08306106B2 |
Multi-edge pulse width modulator with non-stationary residue assignment
An improved method for generating pulse width modulated signals, e.g., for use in audio amplifiers, power amplifiers, etc. An input digital value is received and divided by a number N, producing a quotient and a residue. A plurality N of edge modulation values may then be generated based on the quotient and the residue. Each of the N edge modulation values specifies an edge of the pulse width modulated signal to be generated. Generation of the N edge modulation values may comprise applying the residue to one or more of the N edge modulation values when the residue is greater than zero. The residue may be applied to different ones of the plurality N of edge modulation values during different iterations of the method in a non-stationary fashion. The pulse width modulated signal may then be generated based on the N edge modulation values. |
| US08306096B2 |
Interference reduction using variable digital-to-analog converter (DAC) sampling rates
A method for interference reduction is described. A sampling frequency is selected for a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) so that images within a DAC output signal do not interfere with one or more receivers. A sample rate is adjusted of an input signal that is provided to the DAC to match the sampling frequency for the DAC. |
| US08306095B2 |
Methods and apparatus for network coding in a communication system
A system and method for relaying communications in a wireless communication network. A relay station capable of relaying wireless communications includes a plurality of receiver antennas and a plurality of transmitter antennas. The plurality of receiver antennas is operable to receive, in a first time interval, a first communication from a base station and a second communication from a subscriber station. The plurality of transmitter antennas is operable transmit a third communication to the base station and the subscriber station in a second time interval. The relay station also includes a network encoder. The network encoder is configured to generate a combined symbol constellation. The combined symbol constellation is generated by combining a first symbol constellation transmitted in said first communication with a second symbol constellation transmitted in said second communication. Further, the third communication comprises said combined symbol constellation. |
| US08306091B2 |
Method and arrangements for noise rise estimation
An arrangement (90) for noise rise estimation in a wireless communication system comprises a power measuring means (45) for measuring received total wideband power. A means (52) for computing estimates of a noise floor measure bases its computation on a number of the measured received total wideband powers. A means (80) for calculating values of a biased noise rise measure bases its calculations on a number of received total wideband powers or an estimation derived therefrom and a respective one of the estimates of a noise floor measure. A means (91) for providing a measure representing a long term behaviour of the values of the biased noise rise measure is provided. A means (93) for obtaining a value of a present, unbiased noise rise measure, bases its function on the measure representing a long term behaviour of the values of the biased noise rise measure. A corresponding method is also disclosed. |
| US08306090B2 |
Power line communication using frequency hopping
Communications among multiple nodes via a shared power line medium are carried out by dividing the available frequency spectrum in the shared power line medium into plural non-overlapping channels. A first channel is assigned to a first group of nodes, and a second channel, different from the first channel, is assigned to a second group of nodes. Communications between the first group of nodes can occur simultaneously with communications between the second group of nodes via the shared power line medium. Time slots may be assigned for the communications between the first group of nodes that occurs simultaneously with the communications between the second group of nodes via the shared power line medium. The simultaneous communications between different groups of nodes via a shared power line medium may be implemented using a frequency-hopping spread spectrum technique. |
| US08306089B2 |
Precoding technique for multiuser MIMO based on eigenmode selection and MMSE
The present disclosure proposes a method for precoding of transmission signal at an access point of a multiuse system based on eigenmode selection and minimum mean square error (MMSE) processing. The most reliable eigenmodes of every multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel in the system can be selected at each user terminal and corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors can be fed back to the access point. The linear MMSE precoding (beamforming) applied at the access point based on the selected eigenmodes may provide an improved transmission capacity performance. |
| US08306088B2 |
Bragg grating elements for the conditioning of laser emission characteristics
Apparatus and methods for altering one or more spectral, spatial, or temporal characteristics of a light-emitting device are disclosed. Generally, such apparatus may include a volume Bragg grating (VBG) element that receives input light generated by a light-emitting device, conditions one or more characteristics of the input light, and causes the light-emitting device to generate light having the one or more characteristics of the conditioned light. |
| US08306085B2 |
Nitride compound semiconductor element and method for manufacturing same
The present invention is directed to a production method for a nitride compound semiconductor element including a substrate and a multilayer structure 40 supported by an upper face of the substrate. First, a wafer 1 to be split into individual substrates is provided. A plurality of semiconductor layers composing the multilayer structure 40 are grown on the wafer 1. By cleaving the wafer 1 and the semiconductor layers, a cleavage plane in the multilayer structure 40 is formed. In the present invention, a plurality of voids are arranged at positions in the multilayer structure at which a cleavage plane is to be formed. Thus, cleavage can be performed with a good yield. |
| US08306083B2 |
High performance ZnO-based laser diodes
Systems and methods for electrically pumped, surface-emitting and edge emitting ZnO ultraviolet diode lasers are disclosed. The ZnO diode laser may be fabricated using growth processes (e.g., MBE) to form Sb-doped ZnO as a p-type layer and doped ZnO as an n-type layer. ZnO-based quantum well structures may be further formed in between the n- and p-type ZnO layers. The ZnO layers and quantum wells may be grown in columnar structures which act as resonant cavities for generated light, significantly improving light amplification and providing high power output. For example, ultraviolet lasing at around 380 nm was demonstrated at about room temperature at a threshold current density of about 10 A/cm2. The output power was further measured to be about 11.3 μW at about 130 mA driving current. |
| US08306080B2 |
Vertical cavity surface emitting laser apparatus
A surface emitting laser apparatus includes an arithmetic processing unit including an I/O unit for externally inputting an instruction and a core unit that performs an operation based on the instruction and outputs a differential voltage signal modulated with a predetermined amplitude according to a result of the operation, capacitors respectively arranged on output paths of the differential voltage signal, and a surface emitting laser device that is directly connected to the arithmetic processing unit via the capacitors. An I/O voltage and a core voltage are externally supplied to the I/O unit and the core unit, respectively. The arithmetic processing unit generates a driving voltage signal by superimposing the differential voltage signal with the core voltage commonly supplied as a bias voltage without stepping up or down the core voltage and without amplifying the differential voltage signal and supplies the driving voltage signal to the surface emitting laser device. |
| US08306079B2 |
Method and apparatus for material processing
An apparatus processes a surface of an inhabitable structure. The apparatus includes a laser base unit adapted to provide laser light to an interaction region, the laser light removing material from the structure. The laser base unit includes a laser generator and a laser head coupled to the laser generator. The laser head is adapted to remove the material from the interaction region, thereby providing reduced disruption to activities within the structure. The apparatus further includes an anchoring mechanism adapted to be releasably coupled to the structure and releasably coupled to the laser head. The apparatus further includes a controller electrically coupled to the laser base unit. The controller is adapted to transmit control signals to the laser base unit in response to user input. |
| US08306078B2 |
Repetition frequency control device
A repetition frequency control device includes a slave photoelectric conversion unit which converts a slave laser light pulse into a slave electrical signal, a master photoelectric conversion unit which converts a master laser light pulse into a master electrical signal, a frequency change unit which changes the repetition frequency of the master electric signal by a predetermined value, a phase comparator which detects a phase difference between the slave electric signal and the output from the frequency change unit, and a loop filter which removes a high frequency component of an output from the phase comparator, where the repetition frequency of the master laser does not undergo control based on one or both of the master electric signal and the slave electric signal. |
| US08306073B2 |
Fiber laser device
A fiber laser device includes a pumping light source configured to output pumping light having a wavelength λ, and a rare earth-doped fiber, wherein when the intensity change rate of the pumping light with respect to the temperature is denoted by ΔP dB/° C., the wavelength change rate of the pumping light with respect to the temperature is denoted by Δλp nm/° C., the pumping light absorption change rate of the rare earth-doped fiber per unit wavelength change at the wavelength of λ nm when the wavelength of the pumping light changes is denoted by A′(λ) dB/nm, and the pumping light absorption change amount of the rare earth-doped fiber per unit temperature change at the wavelength of λ nm when the temperature of the rare earth-doped fiber changes is denoted by ΔA(λ) dB/° C., the wavelength λ of the pumping light is such a wavelength λ that ΔP, Δλp×A′(λ) and ΔA(λ) compensate with each other. |
| US08306070B2 |
Method and system for speed negotiation for twisted pair links using intelligent E-FIFO in fibre channel systems
Certain aspects of a method and system for speed negotiation for twisted pair links using intelligent elastic first-in-first-out (E-FIFO) in fiber channel systems are disclosed. Aspects of a method may include determination of a priority level based on amount of data in at least one elastic FIFO (E-FIFO) buffer communicatively coupled to at least one of the fiber channel host devices. The E-FIFO buffer may be modified either by insertion or deletion of IDLE words or words from an order set based on the determined priority level. The data may be synchronously communicated between fiber channel host devices communicatively coupled via the twisted pair link based on the modified elastic buffer. |
| US08306062B1 |
Method and apparatus of adaptive large receive offload
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for large receive offload (LRO). The method adaptively changes a number of packets aggregated in an aggregated packet based on a packet loss state in a network. The method reduces reception stack overhead while reducing waiting time for LRO time-out. The method includes receiving a packet belonging to a packet stream transmitted from a sender to a receiver, detecting a size of a sliding window used by the sender to transmit packets, adjusting an LRO threshold indicating a maximum number of packets allowed in an aggregated packet as a function of the size of the sliding window, and aggregating incoming packets into an aggregated packet based on the adjusted LRO threshold. |
| US08306060B2 |
System and method for wireless communication of uncompressed video having a composite frame format
A system and method for efficiently communicating uncompressed video and for efficiently communicating corresponding acknowledgements in a system for wireless communication of uncompressed video are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes aggregating multiple subpackets of different types of data into a composite packet. The different types of data may include video, audio, control data, extraneous data files, and others. A robust composite packet configuration can provide for more flexible and more efficient transmission of data on the high rate channel as well as more efficient transmission of acknowledgements on the low rate channel. |
| US08306059B2 |
Method of constructing and transmitting packets with MIMO configuration in a wireless communication system and related communication device
A method of constructing and transmitting packets with multiple-input multiple-output, hereinafter called MIMO, configuration in a radio link control layer of a wireless communication system includes, in a transmission opportunity, transforming at least an RLC service data unit into at least an RLC protocol data unit, hereinafter called PDU, according to an RLC PDU allowance of each of a plurality of transport blocks. Each of the at least an RLC PDU fits within at least an RLC PDU allowance of the plurality of transport blocks. |
| US08306056B2 |
Blended synchronous/asynchronous messaging
A system for blending synchronous and asynchronous computer communication applications that determines when a user of a synchronous communication application, such as an instant messaging application, attempts to send a message to another user that is unavailable for synchronous communications, and that forwards the message from the synchronous communication application to an asynchronous communication application for delivery. The forwarded message may be an email message, and the system may operate to determine a destination electronic mail address of the destination user for inclusion in the forwarded message, and include an indication in the forwarded message that it has been forwarded from the synchronous communication application. This indication enables the asynchronous communication application to perform special processing when the receiving user retrieves the forwarded message from the asynchronous communication application. The special processing may include automatically determining whether the sending user is currently available for synchronous communications, and, if so, providing a synchronous communication session between the receiving user and the sending user. If the sending user is not currently available for synchronous communications, the receiving user is provided with the option of responding to the forwarded message using the asynchronous communication application. |
| US08306054B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing PDG information
Provided is an apparatus and method for providing and updating PDG information. In a method for updating PDG information in a terminal, an instruction indicating an update of PDG information is received from a network apparatus. PDG information is received from the network apparatus and the received PDG information is stored in a storage unit to perform an update operation. |
| US08306052B2 |
High-capacity packet-switched ring network
A packet-switched WDMA ring network has an architecture utilizing packet stacking and unstacking for enabling nodes to access the entire link capacity by transmitting and receiving packets on available wavelengths. Packets are added and dropped from the ring by optical switches. A flexible credit-based MAC protocol along with an admission algorithm enhance the network throughput capacity. |
| US08306049B2 |
Multicast subscription based on forward error correction
Embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to multicast subscription based on forward error correction. One disclosed embodiment comprises a network-accessible server having a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by a logic subsystem to receive a content item, and form a first version of the content item having a first level of forward error correction and a second version of the content item having a second level of forward error correction. The instructions are further executable to stream the first version of the content item to a first multicast address, and while streaming the first version of the content item, stream the second version of the content item to a second multicast address. |
| US08306046B2 |
Computing device and communications framework
A computing device having communications framework for a protocol stack. The framework includes a number of layers, each layer representing a layer in a protocol stack. At each layer, a protocol is a bearer of an upper adjacent layer. Each layer is arranged to monitor the availability of one or more alternate bearer layers below. Where there is more than one alternate bearer layer below, a layer is said to be mobile. In the event of a new bearer layer becoming available at a mobile layer, a decision is made as to whether or not to migrate to that bearer layer based on established policies in the mobile layer and, optionally, on communication with higher layers or with the client application. If the decision to migrate is positive, the mobile layer then ensures establishment of the new bearer layer and initiates and completes migration to it. The client of a connection active over the connection stack need not be disturbed by mobility events within the stack providing the connection. |
| US08306044B2 |
System for interactive queuing through public communication networks
The invention pertains to a system and method of interactive queue management through public communication networks. Interactive queue management allows business or automated systems to easily and efficiently interact with waiting individuals in any queue through the individuals' preferred communication device, e.g., telephone, mobile phone, smart phone, wirelessly enabled PDA or handheld computer. In one embodiment this invention allows people to hold their place in a queue by proxy of their telephone or mobile phone number. An individual will provide their phone number to the interactive queuing system; the system will retain the phone number and other pertinent information about the individual, communicate via voice, wireless messaging, or other means with the individual, and collect the input from the individual. Key components of the system include a queue client system, a queue management and server system, an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, and a wireless messaging infrastructure system. Interfaces between key components will be via the Internet or other networks using standardized protocols. |
| US08306043B2 |
Method and system of monitoring the receipt of multicast traffic
A method and system for monitoring data packet traffic in a multicast network comprising determining a first packet count received at a receiver router, representing a quantity of data packets associated with a multicast group and source at a first time, determining a second packet count received at that receiver router representing a quantity of data packets associated with that multicast group and source, at a second time subsequent to the first time, comparing the second packet count to the first packet count, and indicating an alarm in response to the second packet count being less than a predetermined value greater than the first packet count. A status for multiple routers can be obtained, comprising a difference between the quantity of the first and second packet counts; and indicating a warning in response to at least one of the plurality of router status being less than the predetermined value. |
| US08306041B2 |
Determining bidirectional path quality within a wireless mesh network
An apparatus and method for communicating link quality information between access nodes is disclosed. A first step includes a first access node transmitting first routing packets. A second step includes a second access node receiving at least one of the first routing packets over a first direction of a first link. A third step includes the second access node transmitting second routing packets. A fourth step includes the first access node receiving at least one of the second routing packets over a second direction of the first link, and determining a first direction link quality of the first link based upon the second routing packets. |
| US08306034B2 |
Method for updating and managing synchronization identifier by using release messages or status request and response
A method for communicating additional network information using a synchronization identifier is presented. A synchronization identifier is defined. The synchronization identifier is used for the purpose of synchronizing communication between a Mobile Station (MS) and a network. In addition, the synchronization identifier is used to define additional functionality in the wireless network. As such, the synchronization identifier may be used to communicate information about wireless services and/or wireless components between the MS and the network. |
| US08306027B2 |
Method for multicast load balancing in wireless LANS
A method for multicast load balancing in a wireless network having a plurality of access points. The method includes setting a maximum Internet protocol multicast bandwidth for the access points, receiving an admissions control request from a client at one of the access points, and determining whether the admissions control request from the client is for an admitted or unadmitted multicast stream at the access point. The access point is responsive to the admissions control request for the admitted multicast stream by servicing the admitted multicast stream and to the admissions control request for the unadmitted multicast stream by servicing the unadmitted multicast stream where the bandwidth required for the unadmitted multicast stream, plus that portion of the access point bandwidth currently used for all existing downlink multicast streams, does not exceed the maximum internet protocol multicast bandwidth for the access point. |
| US08306026B2 |
Last hop topology sensitive multicasting key management
A system and method of managing multicast key distribution that includes associating a multicast address with each internal node of the key tree, wherein the key tree is created based on the last hop topology. |
| US08306025B2 |
Method for implementing subscriber port positioning by broadband access equipments
A method for implementing the subscriber port positioning by broadband access equipments, includes: when the subscriber initiates an access request, the multi-port terminal equipment captures the access request message, adds the subscriber basic information into the access request message, and transmits it to the office equipment; the single-port terminal equipment forwards the access request message to the office equipment directly; the office equipment captures the access request message, adds the terminal basic information into the access request message and forwards it to the broadband access server; for the multi-port terminal equipment, the terminal basic information and the subscriber basic information comprises the subscriber port positioning information; for the single-port terminal equipment, the terminal basic information is taken as the subscriber port positioning information; after the broadband access server receives the access request message, it extracts the subscriber port positioning information. The present invention realizes the accurate positioning for the subscriber when one GPON port of the office equipment connects multiple terminal equipments. |
| US08306023B2 |
Smuggling and recovery of non-packet information
One embodiment disclosed relates to a networking apparatus. The networking apparatus includes a plurality of blade subsystems and a master system communicatively coupled to the blade subsystems. A particular blade subsystem is configured to provide an additional feature in relation to processing network packets. The remaining blade subsystems are configured to send non-packet information to the one blade subsystem by replacing original information in a packet with the non-packet information. The particular blade subsystem is further configured to retrieve the non-packet information from the packet. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08306017B2 |
UMA CS/PS split architecture and interface
In at least one embodiment, an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) network controller for a UMA mobile network is provided. The UMA network controller includes a circuit switched core network with at least one mobile switching center and a media gateway, and a packet switched core network with at least one serving GPRS serving node. The UMA network controller forwards messages relative to a control plan for both the circuit switched core network and the packet switched core network between mobile stations and at least one circuit switched part. The UMA network controller further forwards messages relative to a user plan for the circuit switched core network between mobile stations and the media gateway. The UMA network controller further forwards messages relative to a user plan for the packet switched core network between mobile stations and at least one packet switched part. |
| US08306016B2 |
Signaling method for Internet telephony
A method for creating, modifying, and terminating connections between Internet end systems, particularly, although not exclusively, for Internet telephony communication. The method relies on several request messages sent between a client and a server and the response messages sent back in response. Each request and response message may contain one or more header fields which modify or more uniquely link the messages with a given connection. On this basis, advanced telephony services, such as call forwarding, call transferring, and multiparty conferencing are provided. |
| US08306013B2 |
Interactions among mobile devices in a wireless network
One embodiment of the disclosure sets for a method for synchronizing multiple mobile devices in a wireless network, which includes the steps of calculating a time interval for a first mobile device to respond to a request, receiving timing information of the first mobile device, determining a first offset associated with the first mobile device based on the time interval and the timing information, receiving a first data stream including the timing information of the first mobile device, and inserting a first dataset into the first data stream based on the first offset before transmitting the first data stream. |
| US08306012B2 |
Channel estimation for synchronized cells in a cellular communication system
Channel estimation is performed by user equipment operating in a mobile communications system. Estimation involves receiving a signal and analyzing it to detect a signal component from a neighboring cell. Depending on outcome, one or both of the following are determined: whether a power level of the signal component from the neighboring cell exceeds a power threshold level; and whether a difference between timing parameters of the neighboring cell's signal component and that from a serving cell is less than a timing threshold level. If the power level of the neighboring cell's signal component exceeds the power threshold level and the difference between the timing parameters of the signal components from the neighboring cell and that of the serving cell is less than the timing threshold level, then a joint channel estimation process is performed. Otherwise, a single channel estimation process is performed. |
| US08306007B2 |
Vector quantizer, vector inverse quantizer, and methods therefor
Disclosed is a vector quantizer capable of improving the quantization accuracy of vector quantization to switch over the codebook of the vector quantization of a first stage depending on the type of feature having a correlation with a vector to be quantized. In the quantizer, a classifier (101) selects a classification code vector indicating the type of feature having the correlation with the vector to be quantized from a plurality of classification code vectors. A switch (102) selects a first codebook corresponding to the type from a plurality of first codebooks. An error minimizing section (105) selects a first code vector closest to the vector to be quantized from a plurality of first code vectors constituting the selected first codebook. An additivity factor determining section (106) selects an additivity factor vector corresponding to the type from a plurality of additivity factor vectors. The error minimizing section (105) selects a second code vector closest to the residual vector between the selected first code vector and the vector to be quantized from a plurality of second code vectors by using the selected additivity factor vector. |
| US08306004B2 |
Communication network system having high-ranking network and low-ranking networks, interchange terminal connecting high-ranking network and low-ranking network, microcomputer controlling connection between transmission line of low-ranking network and transmission line of high-ranking network, and communication transmitter-receiver connected with transmission line of low-ranking network and transmission line of high-ranking network
A communication network system has a host network and low-ranking networks connected with the host network through respective interchange terminals. Terminals containing the interchange terminals in the host network perform communication based on FlexRay. FlexRay sets a static segment and a dynamic segment every communication period. Communication zones are fixedly allocated to the respective terminals in each static segment. Communication zones are changeably allocated to the respective terminals in each dynamic segment. Terminals of each low-ranking network perform communication based on LIN or CAN protocol. The interchange terminals connect a transmission line of the host network with transmission lines of the low-ranking networks during the transmission period of each dynamic segment, so that each terminal of each low-ranking network can perform communication based on LIN or CAN protocol with the terminals of the other low-ranking networks through the high-ranking network without any protocol conversion. |
| US08306003B2 |
Throughput performance in the presence of in-band interference in a CSMA based network
A wireless device in a wireless network transmits a data frame even in the presence of in-band interference (from transmission of other devices) on a shared channel provided in the wireless network. In an embodiment, configuration data is provided to the wireless device indicating whether frames be transmitted (stomped) or not in the presence of such inband interference. If the configuration data indicates that the wireless device transmit in the presence of in-band interference, the wireless device transmits a frame if the transmitter of the interfering communication is determined to be from a different basic service set (BSS). |
| US08306001B2 |
Dynamic downlink beamforming weight estimation for beamforming-space time code transmissions
Techniques are provided to improve wireless beamformed communication between first and second wireless communication devices. At a plurality of antennas of the first wireless communication device (e.g., a base station) uplink transmissions sent from the second wireless communication device (e.g., a client or mobile device or station) are received. The first wireless communication device generates a downlink beamforming weight vector from received uplink transmissions, and computes a covariance matrix for received uplink transmissions. The first wireless communication device stores history information based on the covariance matrices for received uplink transmissions. The first wireless communication device computes first and second beamforming-space time code weight vectors based on the covariance matrix for an uplink transmission received in a current frame and the history information. The first wireless communication device uses the first and second beamforming-space time code weight vectors for a beamforming-space time code transmission technique to send a downlink transmission to the second wireless communication device. |
| US08305995B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling reverse-link data transmission rate during handoff
Method and apparatus for controlling data transmission rate in a wireless communication system during handoff comprises a terminal recognizing an active set comprising a serving base station and at least one non-serving base station with respect to the terminal communicating with the network at a first data transmission rate, receiving a first rate control parameter from the serving base station and a second rate control parameter from the at least one non-serving base station, wherein the first and second rate control parameters are associated with determination of a second data transmission rate of the terminal during the handoff and determining the second data transmission rate in response to the first and the second rate control parameters, wherein the second data transmission rate is one of increased rate, decreased rate and same rate from the first data transmission rate. |
| US08305994B1 |
Access probe handoff between carriers for a multi-carrier scenario
Systems, computer-readable storage media, and methods are disclosed for providing wireless voice communication transmissions between a mobile unit and at least one base station. An illustrative method may comprise receiving an access request from a mobile unit. Based on information extracted form the access request and protocols for selecting a communication channel, identifying a selected communication channel for transmissions between the mobile unit and the base station. In the event of congestion or poor RF quality on the selected communication channel, where multiple communication channels associated with a home network are available at a base station, the mobile unit will attempt to access an alternate communication channel before going to a roaming network. |
| US08305988B2 |
Method for scheduling distributed virtual resource blocks
A method for efficiently scheduling virtual resource blocks to physical resource blocks is disclosed. In a wireless mobile communication system that supports a resource block group (RBG) allocation scheme, when consecutively allocated virtual resource blocks are distributively mapped to physical resource blocks, a gap for the distribution is determined to be a multiple of a square of the number of consecutive physical resource blocks constituting an RBG. |
| US08305985B2 |
Method of allocating uplink radio resource
A method of allocating an uplink radio resource includes transmitting a scheduling request signal for requesting allocation of the uplink radio resource, wherein the scheduling request signal comprises control information, a request of the allocation of the uplink radio resource is represented by transmitting the scheduling request signal and the control information is represented by a value of the scheduling request signal, and receiving a scheduling grant message in response to the scheduling request signal. |
| US08305981B2 |
Band adaptive modulation and coding method sharing resources with neighbouring base stations and mobile station supporting the same
A band adaptive modulation and coding method sharing resources with neighboring base stations and a mobile station supporting the same are disclosed. The mobile station identifies a channel status for each band by periodically scanning a neighboring base station, and requests a service base station to convert a current mode to a band sharing AMC mode if the identified channel stats satisfies a predetermined condition. The mobile station can use CQICH of 4 bits or 6 bits to request mode conversion. Selectively, the service base station can request the mobile station of channel status information of a neighboring base station to determine mode conversion. |
| US08305980B1 |
Efficient handover of media communications in heterogeneous IP networks using handover procedure rules and media handover relays
Methods and systems are provided for efficient handover of a media session between heterogeneous Internet Protocol (IP) networks. A mobile device with Internet access can operate a software program to communicate with a corresponding node. The corresponding node may access the Internet through a firewall which may include Network Address Translation (NAT)-routing functionality. The mobile device establishes a media session with a corresponding node via the transmission of a first media stream and receipt of a second media stream, and a media-control channel can optionally be implemented. The mobile device can acquire Internet access through a second IP address, and packets routed between the second IP address and the Internet may traverse a firewall. The mobile device can evaluate a set of network parameters at the second IP address from a stored Local Area Network (LAN) profile. |
| US08305979B2 |
Managing multiple application flows over an access bearer in a quality of service policy environment
A method, system and software to dynamically allocate bandwidth on an application flow basis in a non-Internet-Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (non-IMS) environment is described. The method includes: receiving a request to create an application flow for an Internet Protocol (IP) filter with desired Quality of Service (QoS) properties; searching for an access bearer that is comparable to the desired QoS properties; when a comparable access bearer is not found, creating the access bearer adapted to support the IP filter and the desired QoS properties; and associating the application flow with the access bearer. According to various embodiments, a method to add a new application flow from a flow bandwidth manager to a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) is also described The method can include: searching for an access bearer that supports an IP filter and desired QoS properties; when there is an existing access bearer, mapping the new application flow to the access bearer and modifying the properties of the existing access bearer to support the new application flow. and creating a new access bearer when there is no existing access bearer. |
| US08305974B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program for permutation and subchannelization
M physical resource blocks PRBs are allocated for localized resource allocation LRA and N−M PRBs are allocated for distributed resource allocation DRA. Each PRB has U subcarriers. Subcarriers of the N PRBs are permuted to result in N subchannels. Serially for each mth one of the M PRBs allocated for LRA, the subcarriers for an mth one of the M PRBs allocated for LRA are punctured from the permuted subchannels. After puncturing, subcarriers of one of the subchannels are filled with subcarriers of all other subchannels which were punctured in the mth one of the M PRBs. The result after puncturing and filling for all M PRBs allocated for LRA is N−M PRBs each having U subcarriers and M PRBs each having U subcarriers. Then there is a wireless communication using at least one of a LRA on the resulting M PRBs or a DRA on the resulting N−M PRBs. |
| US08305972B2 |
Proactive scheduling methods and apparatus to enable peer-to-peer communication links in a wireless OFDMA system
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for scheduling resources in Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication networks for “direct link” or peer-to-peer communications among stations operating therein so that OFDMA resources can be allocated to a transmitter station for a peer-to-peer communication session with a receiver station such that near-far issues caused by peer-to-peer communication are reduced/avoided. The disclosed technologies can prevent peer-to-peer communication links using different sub-channels within the same time slot from creating near-far issues for other receiver stations that are within communication range. |
| US08305970B2 |
Method of transmitting a measurement report in a wireless mobile communications system
In a wireless mobile communications system, a method of transmitting a measurement report to a network. The network transmits in advance, a message including the allocated uplink radio resources and the like, to the terminal so that the terminal can transmit the measurement report to the network using the previously allocated uplink radio resources, thereby minimizing a time for transmitting the measurement report to the network. |
| US08305969B2 |
Radio network controlling method, radio communication system and radio network controller
When determination is made that a channel for high-speed downlink packet transmission is short in power by the calculation of power assigned to a downlink shared channel and an activity ratio of the power assigned to the downlink shared channel from transmission power of all the channels and transmission power of other channel than a downlink shared channel for high-speed downlink packet transmission, a total sum of transmission power of dedicated channels is reduced by lowering a rate of a connected dedicated channel for data reception, thereby increasing power assigned to the channel for high-speed downlink packet transmission. |
| US08305966B2 |
Femto backhaul fault detection and recovery
Embodiments of methods and apparatus for monitoring a backhaul channel associated with a femto access point (FAP) are disclosed. There is disclosed a method comprising: transmitting, by an FAP over a backhaul channel to a gateway associated with a first network, a plurality of requests, wherein individual requests of the plurality of requests are transmitted periodically and the backhaul channel comprises a second network that is different from the first network; and receiving, by the FAP from the gateway over the backhaul channel, one or more responses indicating an operational state of the backhaul channel, wherein the one or more responses are received in response to a corresponding one or more requests of the plurality of requests. Additional variants and embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08305965B2 |
Protocol stack and scheduler for L3 relay
This invention is a method for extending the coverage and/or improving the capacity of wireless communication networks comprising inserting a Relay Node (RN) in the Radio Access Network (RAN). The relay node relays the signal between the Base Station node (eNB) and the User Equipment (UE). The relay node is wirelessly connected to the base station. The base station uses the same radio access technology (RAT) for the base station to user equipment link and the base station to relay node link. The relay node uses the same radio access technology for the base station to relay node link and the relay node to user equipment link. The relay node is non-transparent and seen as base station by the user equipment. |
| US08305964B2 |
Signaling for preamble used for random access
Methods for allocating and choosing dedicated signatures for random access are provided. Options for allocating dedicated signatures include allocating the dedicated signatures from unused space of a random signature root index when there is unused space and allocating more dedicated signatures from the same root index using the same time/frequency resources if additional signatures are needed, and reserving some preambles from contention-based random access preambles from both sets of preambles. The dedicated signatures may be reserved in each of two sets of preambles. |
| US08305962B2 |
Optimization in heterogeneous networks
A heterogeneous wireless communication network includes a home access network with a home network characteristic and a home network policy, and a visiting access network with a visiting network characteristic and a visiting network policy. A packet data node gateway is adapted to communicate with the home access network and the visiting access network over a first communication path. An out-of-band communication path substantially separate from the first communication path is adapted to carry the visiting network policy from the visiting access network to the packet data node gateway. When the terminal is handed off from the home network to the visiting network, the packet data node gateway retrieves the visiting network policy, and the terminal accesses the visiting network over the first communication path using the visiting network policy. |
| US08305960B2 |
Method and apparatus for remote monitoring of FEMTO radio base stations
The present invention describes a method for operation and maintenance of Access Points in a wireless communications network, and a network node and an access point for use in such a network. Access points are used for connecting wireless networks to core networks. The method comprises the step of first receiving, at a network node, an on-demand triggered request for status information, wherein the request includes an access point identity. The network node investigates, using the received access point identity, if the access point is registered within the network. If the access point is registered within the network, then as a first following step, the network node uses the access point identity to retrieving access point address information from storing means. In a second following step, the network node uses the retrieved address information to establish a connection to the access point. Thereafter the network node receives access point status information. As a last step, a response including the access point status information is sent to an end user. |
| US08305959B2 |
Hierarchical mobility label-based network
A system includes a label edge router associated with a geographical region, an area label edge router associated with an area that includes the region, and a route reflector associated with the area. The label edge router registers a first mobile node, creates a mobility binding for the first mobile node, and sends a first internal update message that includes the mobility binding. The area label edge router receives a second internal update message that carries contents of the first internal update message, updates a forwarding information base based on the second internal update message to establish a first label switched path, and sends an external update message. The route reflector receives the first internal update message, sends the second internal update message to the area label edge router, and receives the external update message from the area label edge router. |