| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08448260B1 |
Electronic clipboard protection
A clipboard in an electronic system protects sensitive data by copying data into a clipboard of an electronic system as an entry and selectively blocking access to the sensitive data. For example, the clipboard can be arranged to protect clipped data that is based on a received web page or similar communication. An entry protect status is associated with a clipboard entry that is arranged to store copied data that is sensitive. The entry protect status is changed to indicate the entry protect status is set to block access to the copied data. Access to the copied data for which the entry protect status has been changed is selectively blocked. |
| US08448259B2 |
Content reproduction device, content reproduction device control method, content reproduction program, recording medium, and integrated circuit
A content playback device of the present invention includes a playback unit 200 operable to play back a content; a normal storage unit 250 that is not tamper-resistant; a secure storage unit 350 that is tamper-resistant; a first control sub-unit 230 that writes playback records indicating elapsed playback time of the content into the normal storage unit one by one at regular time intervals; and a second control sub-unit 330 that (i) writes monitoring records with respect to the playback records into the secure storage unit 350 one by one at irregular time intervals and (ii) determines that the playback records stored in the normal storage unit 250 have not been tampered with if a prescribed relation is satisfied between a specific time point obtained according to a latest one of the monitoring records and one of the playback records corresponding to the specific time point. |
| US08448252B1 |
System and method of facilitating compliance with information sharing regulations
The present invention provides a system and method of facilitating compliance to one or more information sharing regulations. The present invention provides a computer system equipped with a processing unit capable of receiving input information and extracting one or more data sharing guidelines. The present invention utilizes the relationship between the parties and the data at issue to construct a data sharing arrangement. Each data sharing arrangement may be cross-referenced to one or more data sharing guidelines designed to assist the user to determine what privacy regulations apply and how to comply with same. |
| US08448250B2 |
Method and apparatus for the transmission of confidential and non-confidential data
A method and a system for transmitting confidential and non-confidential data blocks between intake units (1, 1′) and output units (3, 3′) of a communication system. The communication system has intake units (1) for confidential data blocks, intake units (1′) for non-confidential data blocks, output units (3) for confidential data blocks, and output units (3′) for non-confidential data blocks. A data distribution unit (2) transmits data blocks with confidential information from the intake units (1) for confidential information to the output units (3) for confidential information and data blocks with non-confidential information from the intake units (1′) for non-confidential information to the output units (3′) for non-confidential information. The two types of data blocks are differently marked, and the differently marked data blocks are transmitted in this form via the data distribution unit (2) in dependence on the marking from the intake unit in question to the corresponding associated output unit (3, 3′). |
| US08448245B2 |
Automated identification of phishing, phony and malicious web sites
A method and system for automated identification of phishing, phony, and malicious web sites are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method, comprises receiving a first input, the first input including a universal resource locator (URL) for a webpage. A second input is received, the second input including feedback information related to the webpage, the feedback information including an indication designating the webpage as safe or unsafe. A third input is received from a database, the third input including reputation information related to the webpage. Data is extracted from the webpage. A safety status is determined for the webpage, including whether the webpage is hazardous by using a threat score for the webpage and the second input, wherein calculating the threat score includes analyzing the extracted data from the webpage. The safety status for the webpage is reported. |
| US08448244B1 |
Methods and systems for fused files comprising logic and content data
Embodiments allow for use of fused files that comprise executable code and content data in a more user-friendly and flexible manner. For example, a fused file can include content data and application logic for editing the content data within the file. Security through the use of digital signatures can be supported, but with at least part of a file recognized as extensible so that the file can be edited without “breaking” the signature. Additionally, a computing device can be configured to utilize a “sandbox” environment so that extensible (and/or other) portions of a fused file do not introduce unacceptable security issues even if the digital signature is valid. In some embodiments, the support of extensibility and sandboxing allows a runtime environment to utilize installer-free operation, which can represent a significant advantage in that fused files can be widely distributed to any device utilizing the runtime environment. |
| US08448240B2 |
Role-based access control
A user interface and a processor coupled to the user interface wherein the processor receives access requests through the user interface and authorizes access through the user interface. The processor associates a rights request with a role based policy to determine access rights, modifies the determined access rights in accordance with an exception list related to particular users and records, and authorizes access to a record based upon the modified determined access rights. |
| US08448236B1 |
System, method, and device for storing and delivering data
A system, method, and device optionally includes a server that is isolated from open networks which assigns secure random socket connections, e.g., communication ports that have randomly selected addresses that are hidden from accessing devices. Optionally, the secure random socket connections are dynamically assigned, i.e., the secure random socket connections are closed and opened with each command to access data secured by the server. |
| US08448235B2 |
Method for key identification using an internet security association and key management based protocol
An initiating device: generates a message having an ISAKMP-based header that includes a security parameter index (SPI) field; identifies a key in the SPI field of the ISKMP-based header; and sends the message to a responding device. The responding device: receives the message; extracts the key identifier; and when a shared key is selected using the key identifier, uses the selected shared key to establish, with the initiating device, a session having a secure tunnel. |
| US08448234B2 |
Method and apparatus for deep packet inspection for network intrusion detection
In a method of determining whether a data stream includes unauthorized data, the data stream is analyzed using a hardware filter to detect a presence of one or more of a first set of patterns in the data stream. It is determined whether a packet in the data stream belongs to one of a plurality of data flows to be further inspected based on the analysis of the data stream by the hardware filter. A set of rules is applied to the packet to produce rule match status data if it is determined that the packet belongs to one of the plurality of data flows to be further inspected. The packet is analyzed to determine if the packet includes unauthorized data using software stored on a computer-readable medium and implemented on a processor if the rule match status data indicates that the packet potentially includes unauthorized data. |
| US08448233B2 |
Dealing with web attacks using cryptographically signed HTTP cookies
According to one embodiment, a security gateway (SG) is coupled between a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) client and a web application server. Responsive to a first HTTP message being transmitted between the HTTP client and the web application server as part of an HTTP session, the SG generates security gateway session security state information (SGI) based on a policy. The SG also generates a digital signature (SGS) from the SGI, creates an SG signed session security state information cookie (SGC), and sends the SGC to the HTTP client for storage instead of storing the SGI in the SG. Responsive to a second HTTP message of the HTTP session, the SG attempts to validate a claim made in the second HTTP request using at least the policy and the SGC that is supposed to be returned with the second HTTP message. |
| US08448231B2 |
Walled garden system for providing access to one or more websites that incorporate content from other websites and method thereof
A cleared sites list includes one or more hostname descriptors. A firewall includes rules associated with a cleared IP list including cleared IP addresses, and permits transfer of a cleared HTTP request from a user device to a cleared destination IP address that matches one of the cleared IP addresses. A controller examines a non-cleared HTTP request from the user device to a non-cleared destination IP address that does not match one of the cleared IP addresses, and acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-cleared destination IP address when a destination host header of the non-cleared HTTP request matches a hostname descriptor of the cleared sites list. The controller further acts as a transparent proxy between the user device and the non-cleared destination IP address when a referrer header of the non-cleared HTTP request matches a hostname descriptor of the cleared sites list. |
| US08448225B2 |
Login process apparatus, login process method, and program
An authority group definition that defines a combination of utilization authorities as an authority group, user information required to register local user information or to convert externally acquired user information into a format that is available, connection and authentication method information that defines a connection method and an authentication method for the external system etc., and authority conversion information required to map authority-related items of the externally acquired user information to the authority group. A login process section includes a login screen process section which allows a client PC to controllably display a login screen on an interface, a user information acquisition section which acquires user information from basic external operation systems and a local server, an authentication process section, a user information conversion process section, and a user information update process section. |
| US08448224B2 |
Intercepting malicious access
Analyzing network access requests includes: receiving an access request for service from a user; updating a frequency of access requests associated with the user; receiving an analysis result based at least in part on the access request; determining whether the frequency of access exceeds a predetermined frequency; in the event that the frequency of access does not exceed the predetermined frequency, allowing the access request; and in the event that the frequency of access is greater than the predetermined frequency, determining whether to intercept the access request from the user based at least in part on the analysis result. |
| US08448218B2 |
Method and apparatus for a cryptographically assisted computer system designed to deter viruses and malware via enforced accountability
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a cryptographically assisted computer system designed to deter viruses and malware via enforced accountability and access policies. The Security Enforcement System (1000) comprises a security policies enforcement engine (400) configured to enforce security policies (200) to executable software files, based on their compliance with defined cryptographic policies (100). In a preferred embodiment, cryptographic policies (100) include the unequivocal identification of the software author or authors, and the security policies (200) are defined such that properly encrypted software files are given full access rights to the computer system resources (600, 700, 800, 900), whereas non-compliant files are given limited access rights to neuter potential malicious behavior goals. The security enforcement system engine (400) applies the security policies (200) to a software file and all its dependants, including spawn processes and threads as well as dynamic link libraries and other independent executable file objects. |
| US08448213B2 |
Contents distribution system, contents distribution server, contents reproduction terminal, and contents distribution method
Provided is a contents distribution system including: a unit for dividing contents data stored in a contents distribution server into segments and distributing the contents data segments, the contents data being reproducible for a predetermined period of time; a unit for distributing the contents data segments by varying sizes of the contents data segments in accordance with contents processing information notified by a contents reproduction terminal; a unit for receiving and storing the contents data segments distributed by the contents distribution server and reproducing the same in real time; and a unit for notifying the contents distribution server of the contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed. |
| US08448212B2 |
Combined receiver for DVB-H and DVB-T transmission
Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for receiving, processing and rendering transmitted content. A digital receiver capable of receiving and rendering both DVB-H and DVB-T signals may include a coupling means for connecting to another terminal for receiving program data or parameters. The digital receiver may reconfigure one or more components in order to handle the differing signal types. Such a receiver system allows a user to move seamlessly from a mobile device to a stationary device without significant effort and time. The receiver may further use transmission streams of varying priority to enhance and otherwise modify the displayed content according to a user's selection. Users with small display screens or poor eyesight may benefit from such enhancements features. |
| US08448211B2 |
Digital television signal, digital television receiver, and method of processing digital television signal
A digital television (DTV) signal for use in a DTV receiver includes an extended text table (ETT) which includes a header and a message body. The header includes a table identification extension field which serves to establish uniqueness of the ETT, and the message includes an extended text message (ETM). If the ETT is an event ETT, the table ID extension field includes an event identification which specifies an identification number of an event associated with the ETT. On the other hand, if the ETT is a channel ETT, the table identification extension field includes a source identification which specifies a programming source of a virtual channel associated with the ETT. A section-filtering unit included in the DTV receiver is able to use table identification extension fields of a plurality of ETTs for section-filtering a pertinent event or channel ETT from the ETTs. |
| US08448209B2 |
System and method for displaying advertisements responsive to EPG information
A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show's program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement.In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen. |
| US08448204B2 |
System and method for aggregating user data and targeting content
Systems and methods for aggregating user data and targeting content to users are described. User data is collected through quizzes and users are associated with a particular fictional or nonfictional character profile based on the user-submitted information. The user data associated with each character profile is aggregated to identify and recommend content for the user, such as television shows, news feed, web pages, promotions, advertisements, and the like. The invention can be used in connection with fan sites or other topic-specific sites that are associated with the character of the character profile. |
| US08448197B2 |
Optical pickup device with protrusions in a laser beam direction to shield ultraviolet light and method for manufacturing the same
To provide an optical pickup device adapted such that for adhesion fixing of a holder for holding an LD or a light-receiving element to an optical pickup casing via an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, curing shrinkage during ultraviolet irradiation can be reduced and adhesion fixing achieved with high positioning accuracy. In a structure for adhesion fixing of a holder for holding an LD or a light-receiving element to an optical pickup casing via an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, since protrusions are provided at peripheral sections (UV irradiation light source side) on a bonding surface of the holder, a section exposed to strong UV light is first cured, then after the adhesive has moved from an uncured section, the amount of shrinkage of the first cured section in a Z-direction is reduced, and the uncured section is cured. |
| US08448196B2 |
Flexible printed circuit and electric apparatus and optical disc drive having flexible printed circuit
An electronic device including a mechanism for changing the relative positions of two circuit boards such as in an optical disc drive is provided. A flexible printed circuit electrically connected between the two circuit boards changes shape to suppress fluctuations in the transmission characteristics occurring due to contact with metal such as a case, and provides stable signal transmission. The flexible printed circuit includes at least one or more differential lines, a fixed unit affixed to a case at least at one location, and a movable unit that changes shape according to the relative positions of two cases. The lines adjacent to the differential line are a grounded surface, and the flexible printed circuit is formed to narrow the distance between the movable unit lines more than the distance between the fixed unit lines. |
| US08448185B2 |
Method and system for dynamic discovery of services in a communication framework
A system for dynamic discovery of services comprises a communication framework module comprising a local service registry having service information. The local service registry is operable to be updated by the communication framework module when a message is received with updated service information relating to at least one additional communication framework module. The service information comprises a plurality of service interfaces. |
| US08448179B2 |
Processing architecture having passive threads and active semaphores
Multiple parallel passive threads of instructions coordinate access to shared resources using “active” semaphores. The semaphores are referred to as active because the semaphores send messages to execution and/or control circuitry to cause the state of a thread to change. A thread can be placed in an inactive state by a thread scheduler in response to an unresolved dependency, which can be indicated by a semaphore. A thread state variable corresponding to the dependency is used to indicate that the thread is in inactive mode. When the dependency is resolved a message is passed to control circuitry causing the dependency variable to be cleared. In response to the cleared dependency variable the thread is placed in an active state. Execution can proceed on the threads in the active state. |
| US08448174B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium
An information processing device which has a plurality of process units for performing various kinds of processes includes a detecting unit that detects a processing loads of the process units; a determining unit that determines whether a total amount of the processing loads detected by the detecting unit is equal to or larger than a specific value; a designating unit that designates a process unit having a process state to be controlled, based on the processing loads of the process units detected by the detecting unit, when the determining unit determines that the total amount is equal to or larger than the specific value; a process identifying unit that identifies a process having an execution state to be controlled among processes being performed by the process unit designated by the designating unit; and a control unit that controls the execution state of the process identified by the process identifying unit. |
| US08448170B2 |
System and method for providing annotated service blueprints in an intelligent workload management system
The system and method described herein for providing annotated service blueprints in an intelligent workload management system may include a computing environment having a model-driven, service-oriented architecture for creating collaborative threads to manage workloads. In particular, the management threads may converge information for creating annotated service blueprints to provision and manage tessellated services distributed within an information technology infrastructure. For example, in response to a request to provision a service, a service blueprint describing one or more virtual machines may be created. The service blueprint may then be annotated to apply various parameters to the virtual machines, and the annotated service blueprint may then be instantiated to orchestrate the virtual machines with the one or more parameters and deploy the orchestrated virtual machines on information technology resources allocated to host the requested service, thereby provisioning the requested service. |
| US08448168B2 |
Recording medium having virtual machine managing program recorded therein and managing server device
A virtual machine managing program manages plural physical machines and makes a computer device execute processing through virtual machines developed on each physical machine. Virtual machines are assigned to physical machines on the basis of CPU usage rate and temperature, and are moved among the physical machines as needed, to maintain acceptable operating conditions. |
| US08448162B2 |
Hitless software upgrades
Disclosed is a technique for facilitating software upgrade for a switching system comprising a first management processor and a second management processor and a set of one or more line processors, the techniques comprising receiving a signal to perform a software upgrade for a line processor from the set of line processors, and performing a software upgrade for the line processor without substantially affecting packet switching performed by the switching system. |
| US08448159B2 |
Method and system for policy enabled programming
A system and method for allowing external execution-time adaptation of application behavior of an application in a telecommunication system without modification to the application code comprises an application having at least one break point and residing on an application server, at least one identifiable decision engine, and a listing of break points that has for each break point at least one identifier of the decision engine, such that at one of the break points, the application accesses the listing of break points, invokes the listed instances of the decision engine corresponding to the break point, and adapts application behavior based on the decision engine. In addition, each entry in the listing of break points can have a sequence number so that if two entries for the same break point have equal sequence numbers, the decision engines identified in these entries can be invoked in parallel. |
| US08448152B2 |
High-level language, architecture-independent probe program compiler
A high-level language, architecture-independent probe program compiler is disclosed. A base program is executable by one or processors, and has one or more breakpoints. A probe program is associated with each breakpoint and is also indirectly executable by the one or more processors. The probe program is independent of the architecture of the processors, and is generated from source code written in a high-level language. The probe program associated with each breakpoint is executed when the breakpoint is reached during execution of the base program. The compiler may employ an abstract syntax tree to switch between an address space of the probe program and an address space of the base program, by traversing the tree. Some of the nodes of the tree may more simply represent address space-specific objects of the base program. The probe program may be able to pass messages by manipulating the state of the base program. |
| US08448150B2 |
System and method for translating high-level programming language code into hardware description language code
The present invention is directed to a method and system for translating a high-level language (HLL) code such as C, C++, Fortran, Java or the like into a HDL code such as Verilog or VHDL which requires no modification in the original HLL source code, while supporting a cross call between software and hardware, and even recursive calls in hardware. The system includes: a HLL-to-HLL source translator which reads user programming directive from a translation-targeted high-level language code marked with the user directive, and separates the translation-targeted high-level language code into a hardware code part and a software code part; a main compiler which compiles the software code part; a HLL-to-HDL translator which includes the front-end and middle-end of the main compiler and a HDL backend; a main core which executes the compiled software code part; and a dedicated hardware which executes the HDL code. |
| US08448147B2 |
Heterogenic Coverage Analysis
A coverage analysis tool may determine coverage in respect to heterogeneous coverage tasks associated with different hierarchy levels of a tasks hierarchy. The coverage analysis tool may iteratively refine coverage tasks to determine coverage of sub-tasks. In some cases, coverage tasks may be unrefined in order to reduce overhead of coverage analysis in performance of the software under test, such that the software under test may perform in an essentially similar manner as in non-testing mode. |
| US08448145B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing verification conditions for concurrent programs using mutually atomic transactions
Methods and systems for generating verification conditions and verifying the correctness of a concurrent system of program threads are described. The methods and systems determine and employ mutually atomic transactions to reduce verification problem sizes and state space for concurrent systems. The embodiments provide both an adequate and an optimal set of token-passing constraints for a bounded unrolling of threads. |
| US08448144B2 |
Testing software applications with progress tracking
Computer program products and systems for testing a software application by providing one or more test units. Each test unit is adapted to verify a feature of the software application. A weight is assigned to each test unit. A theoretical sequence of execution of the test units is determined for the assigned weights and the test units are executed for the theoretical sequence. |
| US08448142B2 |
Incremental runtime compliance validation of renderable objects
Mechanisms are provided for debugging a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer application code. The mechanisms detect a user interaction with a first renderable object of the GUI during execution of the computer application code. The mechanisms identify one or more second renderable objects of the GUI that are reachable from the first renderable object based on an identity of the first renderable object and a type of the user interaction. Moreover, the mechanisms apply one or more compliance rules to the first renderable object and one or more second renderable objects, the compliance rules specifying requirements for at least one relationship between the first renderable object and the one or more second renderable objects. Additionally, the mechanisms output results of the application of the one or more compliance rules to the first renderable object and one or more second renderable objects. |
| US08448140B2 |
Execution time estimation method and device
An execution time estimation device includes a program partitioning section that extracts partial programs partitioned by a conditional branch instruction or a function call instruction from a target program, a partial program execution time estimation calculating section that calculates the execution time of each of the partial programs to associate the leading instruction and the end instruction of each of the partial programs, and the calculated execution time with one another, a branch history information generating section that generates a branch history bit sequence which is a sequence of the true-false of the conditional branch instruction of when the target program is executed, an execution trace reproducing section that generates the execution sequences of the partial programs based on the branch history bit sequence, and an execution time estimation calculating section that adds the execution time of the partial programs based on the execution sequences of the partial programs. |
| US08448127B2 |
Software forecasting system
According to one embodiment, a software forecasting system includes a software forecasting tool coupled to a user interface and a software cost estimation tool. The software forecasting tool generates a software development metric according to attributes derived from one or more previous software development projects. The software forecasting tool receives a similar software development metric from the software cost estimation tool and calculates a difference between the received metric and that of its own and displays the result on the user interface. |
| US08448124B2 |
Post timing layout modification for performance
A mechanism is provided for post timing layout modification for performance. The mechanism selectively applies layout modification based on timing analysis at the path level. The mechanism applies stress only to transistors that are in a setup critical path without applying stress to transistors in hold critical paths. The mechanism may use a method to apply stress to improve performance of a transistor in a setup critical path, as long as the stress does not also improve performance of a neighboring transistor in a hold critical path. In some instances, the mechanism may apply stress to improve performance of a transistor in a setup critical path while simultaneously degrading performance of a transistor in a hold critical path. |
| US08448123B2 |
Implementing net routing with enhanced correlation of pre-buffered and post-buffered routes
A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing enhanced net routing with improved correlation of pre-buffered and post-buffered routes on a hierarchical design of an integrated circuit chip. In initial wiring steps the nets are routed, and then buffers are add along the net route based upon predetermined electrical parameters. Responsive to adding the buffers, distance based constraints are added to the nets. Then the nets that have been modified are rerouted. |
| US08448116B2 |
Analog/digital partitioning of circuit designs for simulation
For increasing user control and insight into preparing a mixed-signal semiconductor design specification for simulation, there are provided methods responsive to commands that provide control over resolution of disciplines and partitioning of the design into analog and digital portions. In some aspects, the methods provide block-based assignment of disciplines, as well as design partitioning. In other aspects, the methods provide for resolving a discipline to apply in a block from among multiple possible disciplines. In some aspects, error flagging may be available for detecting disciplines different from what provided for assignment in a block. Assignments may be indicated based on instance, cell, terminal, or library names and may be specified with wild cards. In still other aspects, the methods may be embodied by instructions on computer readable media, and in systems comprising general and special purpose computer hardware that may communicate with various storage facilities and over various networks. |
| US08448107B2 |
Method for piecewise hierarchical sequential verification
This disclosure describes a method for accomplishing sequential logical equivalence verification using a hierarchical piecewise approach. Initially, the method provides a reference semiconductor design and a second semiconductor design with logic edits relative to it. The method submits both to formal verification to check the reference design against the second semiconductor design with all edits disabled 200. The semiconductor design is partitioned 202 and associated input constraints 204. The edits are further grouped 206 and ordered 208. The invention also discovers a set of dependencies of the logic edits 210 and checks that the ordering of groups obeys the dependencies 212. Each group of edits is further submitted to formal verification 214 and any input constraints assumed for any partitions are verified in their enclosing partition 216. Finally, the method reports success if formal verification succeeds on each group of logic edits and on each set of input constraints 218. |
| US08448106B1 |
Large scale finite state machines
Large-scale finite state machines. An implementation is a method of splitting FSMs in which a dataflow graph is accessed that represents an expression. A cost analysis of computing sub-expressions of the expression corresponding to subsets of the dataflow graph is performed. Based on the cost analysis, the dataflow graph is split into separate dataflow graphs. A finite state machine is determined for each of the dataflow graphs. In another implementation, expressions are partitioned into groups that are implemented with respective FSMs without exploding the number of states in the FSMs. Another implementation is a computer-implemented method of relaxing a constraint when determining FSMs. |
| US08448105B2 |
Clustering and fanout optimizations of asynchronous circuits
Techniques are described for generating asynchronous circuits from any arbitrary HDL representation of a synchronous circuit by automatically clustering the synthesized gates into pipeline stages that are then slack-matched to meet performance goals while minimizing area. Automatic pipelining can be provided in which the throughput of the overall design is not limited to the clock frequency or the level of pipelining in the original RTL specification. The techniques are applicable to many asynchronous design styles. A model and infrastructure can be designed that guides clustering to avoid the introduction of deadlocks and achieve a target circuit performance. Slack matching models can be used to take advantage of fanout optimizations of buffer trees that improve the quality of the results. |
| US08448104B1 |
Method and an apparatus to perform statistical static timing analysis
A method and an apparatus to perform statistical static timing analysis have been disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes performing statistical analysis on performance data of a circuit from a plurality of libraries at two or more process corners using a static timing analysis module, and estimating performance of the circuit at a predetermined confidence level based on results of the statistical analysis during an automated design flow of the circuit without using libraries at the predetermined confidence level. |
| US08448102B2 |
Optimizing layout of irregular structures in regular layout context
Within a dynamic array architecture, an irregular wire layout region within a portion of a chip level layout is bracketed by placing first and second regular wire layout shapes on a first and second sides, respectively, of the irregular wire layout region. One or more irregular wire layout shapes are placed within the irregular wire layout region. A first edge spacing is maintained between the first regular wire layout shape and a first outer irregular wire layout shape within the irregular wire layout region nearest to the first regular wire layout shape. A second edge spacing is maintained between the second regular wire layout shape and a second outer irregular wire layout shape within the irregular wire layout region nearest to the second regular wire layout shape. The first and second edge spacings are defined to optimize lithography of the regular and irregular wire layout shapes. |
| US08448100B1 |
Tool and method for eliminating multi-patterning conflicts
A computer implemented system comprises: a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with data representing an initial layout of an integrated circuit pattern layer having a plurality of polygons. A special-purpose computer is configured to perform the steps of: analyzing in the initial layout of an integrated circuit pattern layer having a plurality of polygons, so as to identify a plurality of multi-patterning conflict cycles in the initial layout; constructing in the computer a respective multi-patterning conflict cycle graph representing each identified multi-patterning conflict cycle; classifying each identified multi-patterning conflict cycle graph in the computer according to a number of other multi-patterning conflict cycle graphs which enclose that multi-patterning conflict cycle graph; and causing a display device to graphically display the plurality of multi-patterning conflict cycle graphs according to their respective classifications. |
| US08448095B1 |
System, method and graphical user interface for controlling a game
A graphical user interface on an electronic device presents one or more selectable graphical objects, enables a selection of one or more of the graphical objects, generates a menu list on the graphical user interface upon selection of one of the graphical objects. The menu list includes one or more selectable options, detects a selection of one of the selectable options from the menu list, detects a substantially continuous selection of areas along a path on the graphical user interface, and executes an action corresponding to the selected option in each area along the path on the graphical user interface. |
| US08448092B2 |
Positional effects in a three-dimensional desktop environment
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for arranging display elements in a three-dimensional desktop environment. In one embodiment, each display element may include an attribute. A user request may be received to apply the positional effect to the display elements. The positional effect may be applied to the display elements based on the attribute, responsive to the user request. |
| US08448091B2 |
Information processor and recording medium
An icon processor acquires a first icon image from a recording medium. A menu screen creator creates on a default background image a menu screen in which the first icon and another icon image are arranged. When an input receiving unit receives operation information indicating an operation for selecting the first icon image is performed, a background image processor directs the menu screen creator to switch the default background image to a first background image acquired from the recording medium. When the input receiving unit receives operation information indicating an operation for determining the first icon image is performed, the background image processor directs the menu screen creator to switch the first background image to a second background image acquired from the recording medium. |
| US08448089B2 |
Context-aware user input prediction
Predicted input data is obtained by initially acquiring a set of operations that are performed on non-editable user interface elements of a user interface prior to a subsequent data input into an editable user interface of the user interface. The set of operations is then classified into a pattern class based on the operations in the set and the subsequent data input that corresponds to the set. Subsequently, a pattern type for the pattern class is generated that describes a relationship between the set of operations and the subsequent data input. Accordingly, when a new set of operations is received, input data is predicted for the new set by applying the pattern type to the new set. |
| US08448088B2 |
Image display system, image supply device, image display device, image display method, and computer program product
In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, an image display system includes an image display device configured to display a display image based on supply content, and a plurality of image supply devices. Each of the image supply devices includes a display section having a first display area configured to display the display image of the image display device. The image supply devices each include a content selection section configured to receive a selection of supply content from among a plurality of supply contents stored with the image supply device. The image display device is configured to receive the supply content from at least two of the image supply devices and display the supply content as the display image. |
| US08448075B2 |
Method and system for saving internet bookmark and computer-readable medium using the method
A method and a system for saving an Internet bookmark and a computer-readable medium using the method are provided. In the present method, a web page is first connected to. Then, an image of a particular area in the web page is captured and served as a representative image of an Internet bookmark of the web page. Next, the representative image is associated with a web address of the web page. Thereafter, the representative image and the web address are saved. |
| US08448074B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing portioned web pages in a graphical user interface
Methods and devices enable displaying selected portions of one or more webpages in user defined view windows presented on a computing device display desktop. A selected webpage may be rendered into a full-sized render buffer in order for a rendering engine to render all the elements properly. One or more view windows are created on the display desktop that show user selected portions of the render buffer. In this manner users can select portions of one or more websites for presentation on their computing device desktop, position the selected portions at their preferred locations. |
| US08448073B2 |
Multiple camera group collaboration system and method
An improved group collaboration system providing control and management of multiple cameras for multiple users (members). The system includes a server for system management and a server for video data. Multiple clients, each having multiple cameras, may access the system simultaneously. Each client has a browser interface that allows a user to access multiple member cameras. Each selected camera is displayed simultaneously in the selecting user's interface. A bandwidth distribution algorithm provides quality of service for the multiple camera feeds. |
| US08448072B1 |
Interception of automatic status updates for a social networking system
A wireless communication device comprises a wireless communication interface, a user interface, and a processing system. The wireless communication interface is configured to detect a wireless signal that indicates status update information for a social networking application. The processing system is configured to monitor the social networking application for an attempt to transfer the status update information for delivery to a social networking system, and if the social networking application attempts the transfer, to delay the transfer and direct the user interface to prompt a user to edit the status update information. The user interface is configured to receive edit instructions from the user. The processing system is configured to process the edit instructions to edit the status update information and to direct the wireless communication interface to wirelessly transfer the edited status update information for delivery to the social networking system. |
| US08448071B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for displaying information
A mobile terminal and method for displaying information in the mobile terminal may be provided that includes first and second touch screens, and a controller to display both an item list including a plurality of information items and first information related to a first information item selected from the item list on the first touch screen. The controller may display one of the item list and the first information on the second touch screen when the second touch screen is activated based on manipulation of the mobile terminal. The controller may display second information associated with a second information item on the touch screen on which the first information is already displayed as the second information item is selected from the item list in a state that the first information item is selected. |
| US08448070B2 |
Grapical user interface method and apparatus for communication assets and information in a dispatch environment
The invention pertains to methods and apparatus for displaying information and presenting user interface controls for interfacing with a communication network and controlling communication assets on the network. The invention is particularly suited to a dispatch environment and specifically to providing an interface that permits a dispatcher to efficiently organize assets and information around individual incidents. |
| US08448064B2 |
Webpage design system
The present disclosure provides a webpage design system including a storage and a processor. The storage stores a number of ActiveX controls, a number of ActiveX control description files each describing a corresponding one ActiveX control, and a number of modules. The modules include instructions executable by the processor to provide a webpage interface for a user to design a webpage. The webpage interface includes an ActiveX control option for the user to select at least one desired ActiveX control. The modules further include instructions executable by the processor to position the selected ActiveX control in a designed webpage under construction, provide a search interface for the user to input a description of a desired function, and search in the ActiveX control description files according to the description to determine whether at least one ActiveX control having the desired function exists in the storage. |
| US08448060B2 |
Method, system and software tool for processing an electronic form
A method, system and software tool for processing an electronic form, represented by a form template including data and user interface elements, are provided. The form is rendered in accordance with the data and user interface elements of the loaded form template. A form viewer provides one or more graphic objects representing form controls. A composite template is created by adding, to the form template, an action element associated with each form control for which a graphic object is provided by the form viewer. The form is then processed according to the composite template and displayed to a user. |
| US08448055B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for performing error detection and error correction for synchronization frame
According to methods and apparatuses for performing error detection and error correction for a synchronization frame in embodiments of the present invention, a transmitter acquires a transmitter check sequence according to contents of a synchronization frame sequence; and a receiver acquires a receiver information sequence related to the check sequence. When performing error detection, the receiver acquires a receiver check sequence according to the receiver information sequence and a generator polynomial and determines whether the synchronization frame transmission is valid according to the receiver check sequence and the transmitter check sequence; when performing error correction, the receiver acquires a syndrome sequence according to the receiver information sequence, acquires an error pattern according to the syndrome sequence and acquires a result of error correction according to the error pattern and the receiver information sequence. |
| US08448054B2 |
Signal mapper for reducing error coefficient
An improved mapping policy, signal mapper, transmitter, receiver, and communication system are introduced. The improved signal mapping policy alternates between standard and inverted bit mapping functions at selected phase states to reduce the error coefficient of MSK and other types of CPFSK signals. The proposed policy can more generally be applied to other types of signals with memory as well. Simulations show that the mapping policy can significantly improve performance particularly at lower to moderate SNR values. |
| US08448053B2 |
Method and system for data-rate control by randomized bit-puncturing in communication systems
Method and system for data-rate control by randomized bit-puncturing in communication systems. An encoder encodes at least one information bit thereby generating a group of encoded bits or an encoded frame. The encoder may be any type of encoder including a turbo encoder, an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) encoder, a RS (Reed-Solomon) encoder, or other type of encoder. Any sub-portion of an encoded frame generated by such an encoder can be viewed as being a group of encoded bits. If the encoded frame is sub-divided into multiple groups of bits, each group can under processing in accordance with the means presented herein to effectuate rate matching. Based on a number of bits to be punctured from the group or frame generated by the encoder, a set of pointers and random-generated displacements is used to generate addresses for bits in the group or frame to be transmitted or punctured. |
| US08448052B2 |
Method for data rate matching
A data rate matching method is disclosed. More particularly, a rate matching method using at least two parameters is disclosed. The rate matching method includes selecting bits from an input bitstream using a primary-indication parameter for selecting at least one bit and a secondary indication parameter for canceling the selection using the primary indication parameter or additionally selecting unselected bits, and processing the selected bits according to a rate matching mode so as to generate an output bitstream. By using the rate matching method, highspeed processing is realized by a simple calculation and the locations of target bits can be efficiently decided using at least two indication parameters. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a calculation amount or improve performance. |
| US08448049B2 |
Receiving apparatus, receiving method, program, and receiving system
Disclosed herein is a receiving apparatus including a reception device configured to receive a code sequence coded in LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) and punctured at least partially as a target to be decoded; and an LDPC decoding device configured to perform a punctured matrix transform process including a first and a second process on an original parity check matrix noted to have punctured bits or symbols and used in the LDPC coding. The LDPC decoding device further performs the first process to carry out Galois field addition operations on those rows of the original parity check matrix to set the non-zero elements to zero. The LDPC decoding device further performs the second process to delete the columns rid of the non-zero elements. The LDPC decoding device uses the matrix resulting from the process as the parity check matrix for performing an LDPC decoding process on the code sequence. |
| US08448048B2 |
Flash memory device and related programming method
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell array configured to store one or more bits per memory cell, a read and write circuit configured to access the memory cell array, a control logic component configured to control the read and write circuit to sequentially execute read operations of a selected memory cell at least twice to output a read data symbol, and an error correcting unit configured to correct an error in the read data symbol based on a pattern of the read data symbol to output an error-corrected symbol. |
| US08448045B2 |
Outer code error correction
Values are grouped into a first set of groupings of values. Based on inner codes, the number of groupings in the first set of groupings that have at least one erroneous value is determined. If the number of groupings in the first set of groupings that have an erroneous value is fewer than a maximum number of groupings that can be corrected by outer codes, a seek operation is begun. During the seek operation, the outer codes are used to detect and correct the erroneous values that were produced during the reading of values. In other aspects, a parity section for a data section of a data storage device is dirtied before writing any data to the data section such that if writing to the data section is interrupted, the parity section will indicate that it should not be used to correct data read from the data section. |
| US08448041B1 |
Multistage LDPC encoding
Low-density parity-check (LDPC) encoding is performed by encoding input data using a first sub-matrix of a parity check matrix to obtain intermediate data. The parity check matrix includes the first sub-matrix and a second sub-matrix having a matrix inversion. The intermediate data is encoded using the matrix inversion of the second sub-matrix of the parity check matrix. |
| US08448038B2 |
Method for transmitting data using HARQ
A data transmission method using an HARQ includes transmitting a first transmission block which is a portion of bit streams of a mother codeword, receiving a retransmission request with respect to the mother codeword, and transmitting a second transmission block which is a bit stream subsequent to the first transmission block, according to the retransmission request, wherein a modulation order obtained from a first range of a modulation order product code rate (MPR) is applied to the first transmission block, a modulation order obtained from a second range of the MPR according to the number of retransmissions is applied to the second transmission block, and the second range of the MPR is adjusted as much as a linear offset to the first range. |
| US08448037B2 |
Prescheduled retransmission for initial establishment
A method for a wireless communications network for data packet including a user equipment (UE) and a transceiver node (eNodeB). The user equipment (UE) and the node (eNodeB) intercommunicate over an air interface communication link. The user equipment (UE) transmits a first message (MSG3) in a first scheduled transmission in a random access procedure during setup of the communication link. The first message is transmitted in a first sub frame (TTI=3) and in a second sub frame (TTI=4; TTI=5) within a first roundtrip time (RTT) in a first HARQ- process triggered by the transmission of the first message in the first sub frame (TTI=3). |
| US08448024B2 |
Firmware assisted error handling scheme
A firmware assisted error handling scheme in a computer system has been disclosed. In one embodiment, firmware is used to access one or more hardware-specific error registers within the computer system in response to a system management interrupt (SMI) trap. Using the firmware, an error record in a common error record format is constructed. The error record is made available to an operating system (OS) within the computer system. |
| US08448021B1 |
Method and system for multi-dimensional raid
A method for storing data. The method including receiving a request to write data. In response the request, selecting, a RAID grid location in a RAID grid to write the data, writing the data to memory, updating a data structure to indicate that the RAID grid location is filled. The method further includes determining, using the data structure, whether a data grid in the RAID grid is filled, where the RAID grid location is in the data grid and based on a determination that the data grid is filled: calculating parity values for the RAID grid using the data, determining a physical address in persistent storage corresponding to the RAID grid location, writing the data to a physical location in persistent storage corresponding to the physical address, and writing the parity values to the persistent storage. |
| US08448014B2 |
Self-healing failover using a repository and dependency management system
Systems, devices, methods, and articles of manufacture employing repair modules are provided. The modules may be automatically deployed in conjunction with dependency mechanisms upon identifying a malfunctioning application. The modules may be specifically tailored for certain diagnosis or repair and may be selected for deployment to a second application using information regarding the malfunction of a first application. |
| US08448011B2 |
Increasing processor operating frequency when monitored loading level pattern of program matches recorded pattern of target program
A data processing system and an adjusting method thereof are disclosed. The data processing system includes a processor, a clock generator, a monitoring module and a determining module. When a target program is processed, the monitoring module monitors a first loading level of the processor, and transmits the first loading level to the determining module for recording. Furthermore, when a present program is processed, the monitoring module monitors a second loading level of the processor, and transmits the second loading level to the determining module. The determining module determines whether the second loading level matches with the first loading level within a preset period, and if it matches, the determining module generates and transmits a control signal to the clock generator, thereby making the clock generator generates a first clock signal to the processor, so as to increase the operating frequency of the processor. |
| US08448010B2 |
Increasing memory bandwidth in processor-based systems
The amount of data that may be transferred between a processing unit and a memory may be increased by transferring information during both the high and low phases of a clock. As one example, in a graphics processor using a general purpose register file as a memory and a mathematical box as a processing unit, the amount of data that can be transferred can be increased by transferring data during both the high and low phases of a clock. |
| US08448007B2 |
Power consumption management in a network device
A method includes buffering an initial amount of data of a data set transmitted from a MAC. When an amount of time for data associated with the data set to fill a PHY buffer approaches an amount of time for a far-end PHY to transition from a second far-end PHY power mode to a first far-end PHY power state, a remaining amount of data of the data set transmitted from the MAC is buffered and the data is transmitted to the far-end PHY after it transitions to the first far-end PHY power state. When the amount of time for data associated with the data set to fill the buffer exceeds the amount of time for the far-end PHY to transition to the first far-end PHY power state, a data delay indicator is transmitted to the MAC to preempt the MAC from transmitting the remaining amount of data. |
| US08447994B2 |
Altering performance of computational units heterogeneously according to performance sensitivity
One or more computational units of a computer system are selectively altered in terms of performance according to which of the one or more computational units has a higher performance sensitivity than others of the computational units. |
| US08447991B2 |
Card authentication system
A card authentication system. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for authenticating a data card having an intrinsic magnetic characteristic and recorded data on the data card, the method including reading information from the data card, the data card information including the intrinsic magnetic characteristic and the recorded data on the data card, encrypting the data card information, sending the encrypted data card information, receiving the encrypted data card information, decrypting a portion of the encrypted data card information, the portion including the intrinsic magnetic characteristic, generating a score indicative of a degree of correlation between the intrinsic magnetic characteristic of the data card information and a stored value, and determining an authenticity of the data card based at least in part on the score. |
| US08447990B2 |
Password encryption key
A password-encrypted key (PEK) is generated from a user-supplied password or other identifying data and then used to encrypt the user's password. The encrypted password is stored in a user record on a server. At login a would-be user's password is again used to make a key, which is then used to decrypt and compare the stored encrypted password with the would-be user's password to complete the login. The successful PEK is stored in a temporary session record and can be used to decrypt other sensitive user information previously encrypted and stored in the user record as well as to encrypt new information for storage in the user record. A public/private key system can also be used to maintain limited access for the host to certain information in the user record. |
| US08447988B2 |
Hash processing using a processor
In certain embodiments, a digital signal processor (DSP) has multiple arithmetic logic units and a register module. The DSP is adapted to generate a message digest H from a message M in accordance with the SHA-1 standard, where M includes N blocks M(i), i=1, . . . , N, and the processing of each block M(i) includes t iterations of processing words of message schedule {Wt}. In each iteration possible, the DSP uses free operations to precalculate Wt and working variable values for use in the next iteration. In addition, in each iteration possible, the DSP rotates the registers associated with particular working variables to reduce operations that merely copy unchanged values from one register to another. |
| US08447986B2 |
Accessing restricted content based on proximity
A license to use content (e.g., a movie, song, application, etc.) is provided to a consumer. The license allows for use of the content by the device the consumer is using (e.g., logged into) and devices near the device the consumer is using. For example, a first computing device obtains a license to restricted content. A second computing device obtains a copy of the restricted content; however, the second computing device is not licensed to use the content and may not be able to access the content because the content is encrypted or otherwise restricted. The first computing device is brought into proximity with the second computing device. In response to detecting that the first computing device is in proximity with the second computing device, the second computing device is provided with legal access to the restricted content. The second computing device can then decrypt (or otherwise access) and play the content. |
| US08447984B1 |
Authentication system and method for operating the same
A challenge string is sent from a server to an authentication card. The challenge string is encrypted using a private key on the authentication card. Then, the encrypted challenge string is sent as a response from the authentication card to the server. A unique identifier of the authentication card is correlated to a user record residing at the server to obtain an authentication certificate from within the user record. The authentication certificate includes a public key. The public key from the authentication certificate is used to decrypt the response at the server. A determination is then made as to whether the decrypted response matches the challenge string as originally sent from the server to the authentication card. If the decrypted response matches the original challenge string, the authentication is successful. Otherwise, the authentication fails. |
| US08447983B1 |
Token exchange
A value is associated with a token within a trust zone. The token is used in place of the value in operations executed within the trust zone. A key is defined for an entity outside of the trust zone. A processor encrypts the token using the key to form an encrypted token that cannot be decrypted by entities outside of the trust zone. The encrypted token is provided to the entity outside of the trust zone. |
| US08447980B2 |
System and method for processing encoded messages for exchange with a mobile data communication device
A system and method are provided for pre-processing encrypted and/or signed messages at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device. The message is received at the host system from a message sender. There is a determination as to whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device. For each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, the message is processed so as to modify the message with respect to one or more encryption and/or authentication aspects. The processed message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver. The system and method may include post-processing messages sent from a wireless mobile communications device to a host system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the host system to one or more receivers. |
| US08447978B2 |
Wireless communication method using WPS
A wireless communication method includes receiving a first frame requesting to start a registration protocol in Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) of wireless LAN security standards, transmitting, after receiving the first frame, a second frame containing security types and encryption keys for the respective security types, and transmitting a third frame, after transmitting the second frame, the third frame instructing to terminate WPS. The security types include at least one of Wi-Fi protected access (WPA), WPA2 and WEP. |
| US08447975B2 |
Workstation application server programming protection via classloader policy based visibility control
Provided is a method for providing Java modularity class loader protection by controlling the visibility of WebSphere, service provider, library and utility code interfaces. Interface access authorization is checked once, during module and class loading to effectively protect vulnerable programming interfaces, eliminating permission checking during execution. Code in a WebSphere Application server (WAS) computing environment is categorized into a finite number of sets in which one permission type is assigned to each set and the code in each set runs at the same privilege zone. Each set exposes programming interfaces to provide functional service and code in a particular set can only access code in the same or a lower security zone set. Also provided is a technique for explicitly providing to specific modules in lower security zones access to modules or designated interfaces of modules in higher security zones. |
| US08447966B2 |
Peripheral control module, computer system, and operation method thereof
This invention provides a peripheral control module, a computer system, and an operation method thereof. The peripheral control module is for a computer system. The computer system includes a power switch capable of outputting a power signal. The peripheral control module includes a control unit and a control circuit. The control unit has a program code for controlling a peripheral module. The control circuit is coupled with the power switch and the control unit for receiving the power signal and outputting a switching signal to the control unit, and the control circuit resets the program code to an initial state before the control unit receives the switching signal. This invention further provides a computer system using the peripheral control module and an operation method thereof. |
| US08447965B2 |
Apparatus for monitoring microprocessor
To provide a method for enabling a microprocessor to be restarted after rewriting a program without providing a dedicated circuit and an apparatus using the method, a timer for counting a predetermined clock is controlled in the following first and second modes, where in the first mode, the timer is reset (count-cleared) at predetermined intervals by a program so as to monitor an operating status of the program, and in the second mode, the microprocessor is restarted without resetting the timer at predetermined intervals by the program. |
| US08447960B2 |
Pausing and activating thread state upon pin assertion by external logic monitoring polling loop exit time condition
A system and method for enhancing performance of a computer which includes a computer system including a data storage device. The computer system includes a program stored in the data storage device and steps of the program are executed by a processer. The processor processes instructions from the program. A wait state in the processor waits for receiving specified data. A thread in the processor has a pause state wherein the processor waits for specified data. A pin in the processor initiates a return to an active state from the pause state for the thread. A logic circuit is external to the processor, and the logic circuit is configured to detect a specified condition. The pin initiates a return to the active state of the thread when the specified condition is detected using the logic circuit. |
| US08447959B2 |
Multithread processor and method of controlling multithread processor
A plurality of register windows in a multithread processor are each provided for a corresponding thread and capable of storing data to be used for instruction processing in an arithmetic unit. A work register in the multithread processor is capable of mutually transferring data with respect to the register windows and the arithmetic unit. A multithread control unit in the multithread processor controls data transfer among the register windows, the work register and the arithmetic unit on the basis of an execution thread identifier identifying the thread to be executed in the arithmetic unit. This enables conducting the multithread processing at a high speed. |
| US08447957B1 |
Coprocessor interface architecture and methods of operating the same
A novel coprocessor interface providing memory access without traversing the main processor, and methods of operating the same. A system includes a bus, a processor circuit, a memory circuit, a multi-channel memory controller, and at least one coprocessor. The processor circuit is coupled to the bus, the multi-channel memory controller is coupled between the bus and the memory circuit, and the coprocessors are coupled to both the processor circuit and the multi-channel memory controller. This circuit arrangement provides dedicated high speed channels for data access between the coprocessors and the memory circuit, without traversing the processor circuit or the bus. Thus, non-standard (e.g., non-sequential) data transfer protocols can be supported. In some embodiments, the system is implemented in a programmable logic device (PLD). The processor circuit can be, for example, a microprocessor included as hard-coded logic in the PLD, or can be implemented using programmable logic elements of the PLD. |
| US08447956B2 |
Running subtract and running divide instructions for processing vectors
The described embodiments provide a processor for generating a result vector with subtracted or mathematically divided values from a first input vector. During operation, the processor receives the first input vector, a second input vector, and a control vector, and optionally receives a predicate vector. The processor then records a value from an element at a key element position in the second input vector into a base value. Next, the processor generates a result vector. When generating the result vector, for each active element in the result vector to the right of the key element position, the processor is configured to set the element in the result vector equal to the base value minus a total of the values in each relevant element of the first input vector or to set the element in the result vector equal to the result of dividing the base value by a value in each relevant element of the first input vector, wherein the relevant elements include relevant elements from an element at the key element position to and including a predetermined element in the first input vector. |
| US08447941B2 |
Policy based data migration control method for storage device
In recent years reducing the operating cost of storage devices (hereafter, also referred to as storage sub-systems) has been an important task for the management of storage systems. As one method for solving this task, data life cycle management, in which data is relocated from, for example, a new storage sub-system to an older storage sub-system in accordance with how new the data is or the frequency of use of the data, has become important. One technology for achieving data life cycle management is technology for migrating the contents of a storage area (hereafter referred to as “volume”) of a storage sub-system to another volume without affecting the host computer that uses the volume. In the present invention, when an associated source volume (for example, the source volume in a copy pair association) of a pair of associated volumes (or groups) is migrated, migration of an associated destination volume (for example, the target volume in the copy pair association) is also controlled. In this way, it is possible to control the migration of a pair (or a group) of associated volumes in accordance with the user's requirements. |
| US08447937B2 |
Data migrating method taking end time into consideration
A data migrating method including calculating, in a case where data stored in a volume is migrated to another volume, a required period of time for migrating the data based on a size of data to be migrated and volume configuration information on the volume in which the migrated data is stored and the volume to which the data is to be migrated, determining a start time at which the data migration starts to generate a volume migration plan, setting a priority of the generated volume migration plan, prioritizing, in a case where a periods of time during which the generated volume migration plan is executed and a period of time during which an existing volume migration plan is executed are overlapped with each other, and changing the start time of at least one of those volume migration plans having a lower priority. |
| US08447936B2 |
Module state management in a virtual machine environment
A method for managing software modules of at least two operating systems sharing physical resources of a computing environment, but running in different partitions separated by a virtualization boundary comprises accumulating module information in a virtualization subsystem that directs the creation and management of the partitions. The accumulated module information is used across the virtualization boundary to manage the use of the software modules. Also, a method for managing software modules comprises making at least two operating systems aware that they are being hosted in a virtualized computing environment. |
| US08447934B2 |
Reducing cache probe traffic resulting from false data sharing
Disclosed herein are a processing unit and a multi-processing unit system that implement a cache-coherency method. Such a multi-processing unit system includes a main memory, a first processing unit, and a second processing unit. The first processing unit and the second processing unit are coupled to the main memory. The first processing unit includes a cache and logic. The cache is configured to store data from the main memory. The logic is configured to maintain an entry in a directory of the cache. The entry indicates whether either of the first processing unit and the second processing unit accesses a data object of a cache line for which the first processing unit is a home node. |
| US08447933B2 |
Memory access control system, memory access control method, and program thereof
In a multi-core processor of a shared-memory type, deterioration in the data processing capability caused by competitions of memory accesses from a plurality of processors is suppressed effectively. In a memory access controlling system for controlling accesses to a cache memory in a data read-ahead process when the multi-core processor of a shared-memory type performs a task including a data read-ahead thread for executing data read-ahead and a parallel execution thread for performing an execution process in parallel with the data read-ahead, the system includes a data read-ahead controller which controls an interval between data read-ahead processes in the data read-ahead thread adaptive to a data flow which varies corresponding to an input value of the parallel process in the parallel execution thread. By controlling the interval between the data read-ahead processes, competitions of memory accesses in the multi-core processor are suppressed. |
| US08447927B2 |
Storage system, control device and storage device
A storage system includes a storage device that includes a storage medium, and a control device that is connected to an upstream-side device, scans the storage device, writes the data in the storage device, and reads the data from the storage device, wherein the control device determines whether or not the data is being written in or read from the storage device, wherein when the data is being written or read, the control device scans the storage medium at intervals of a first time in a first direction that is either a direction in ascending order of logical block addresses of the storage medium or a direction in descending order of the logical block addresses of the storage medium, and wherein when the data is not written and read during the time period, the storage device scans the storage medium in a second direction. |
| US08447922B2 |
Memory controller, nonvolatile storage device, accessing device, and nonvolatile storage system
A memory controller, a nonvolatile storage device, an access device, and a nonvolatile storage system enable the storage architecture to be changed flexibly for intended use that can be changed variously. A nonvolatile storage system (100) sets a temporary area (23) and a normal access area of a nonvolatile memory (22) based on a use condition designated by a use condition designation unit (11) of an access device (1). This structure enables the nonvolatile storage system (100) to change the temporary area (23) and the normal access area (24) to be prepared in the nonvolatile memory (22) by changing the use condition in accordance with intended use. In other words, the nonvolatile storage system (100) enables the storage architecture to be changed flexibly for intended use that can be changed variously. |
| US08447919B1 |
Measure of health for writing to locations in flash
Flash memory is written to by determining a measure of health for each of a plurality of locations in flash memory. At least one of the plurality of locations in flash memory is selected based at least in part on the determined measures of health and the selected location(s) in flash memory is/are written to. |
| US08447912B2 |
Paging memory from random access memory to backing storage in a parallel computer
Paging memory from random access memory (‘RAM’) to backing storage in a parallel computer that includes a plurality of compute nodes, including: executing a data processing application on a virtual machine operating system in a virtual machine on a first compute node; providing, by a second compute node, backing storage for the contents of RAM on the first compute node; and swapping, by the virtual machine operating system in the virtual machine on the first compute node, a page of memory from RAM on the first compute node to the backing storage on the second compute node. |
| US08447909B2 |
Register access in distributed virtual bridge environment
Systems and methods to perform a register access are described. A particular method includes receiving a data frame at a bridge element of a plurality of bridge elements in communication with a plurality of server computers. The data frame may include a register access request and may be forwarded from a controlling bridge in communication with the plurality of bridge elements. A register may be accessed and execution of the register access request may be initiated in response to receiving the data frame. |
| US08447908B2 |
Multilevel memory bus system for solid-state mass storage
The present invention relates to a multilevel memory bus system for transferring information between at least one DMA controller and at least one solid-state semiconductor memory device, such as NAND flash memory devices or the like. This multilevel memory bus system includes at least one DMA controller coupled to an intermediate bus; a flash memory bus; and a flash buffer circuit between the intermediate bus and the flash memory bus. This multilevel memory bus system may be disposed to support: an n-bit wide bus width, such as nibble-wide or byte-wide bus widths; a selectable data sampling rate, such as a single or double sampling rate, on the intermediate bus; a configurable bus data rate, such as a single, double, quad, or octal data sampling rate; CRC protection; an exclusive busy mechanism; dedicated busy lines; or any combination of these. |
| US08447902B2 |
Method and apparatus for predictive switching
A method and apparatus for predictive switching an output have been disclosed. |
| US08447898B2 |
Task offload to a peripheral device
In one embodiment, to determine what tasks may be offloaded to a peripheral hardware device (e.g., to be performed in hardware on the peripheral device, rather than on the CPU(s) of the host computer), an indication from the at least one peripheral hardware device may be provided, without the peripheral hardware device first being queried to determine the task offload capabilities provided by the peripheral hardware device.In one embodiment, a large packet that includes a plurality of extension headers may be offloaded to the peripheral hardware device for segmentation. An indication of the offset where the extension headers end may be provided in connection with the large packet. In another embodiment, a packet with extension headers that come before an encryption header in the packet are not offloaded to peripheral hardware device for encryption, while packets with no extension headers before the encryption header may be offloaded. |
| US08447891B2 |
Dynamically assigning virtual functions to client applications
A computer-implemented method may include determining a number of virtual functions that each port of a hardware input/output adapter is capable of supporting. The computer-implemented method may include assigning a first portion of internal resources of the hardware input/output adapter to each port of the hardware input/output adapter. The computer-implemented method may also include, for a particular port of the hardware input/output adapter, assigning a second portion of the internal resources to each virtual function that the particular port is capable of supporting. The second portion of the internal resources may be a subset of the first portion of the internal resources. The computer-implemented method may further include configuring a virtual function prior to a runtime to use the assigned second portion of the internal resources. |
| US08447890B1 |
Operation of multiple masters/hosts through a hub
A multiple master USB hub device and method for enabling multiple OTG and host devices to control peripherals and slave devices with a connection of the multiple OTG and host devices to the USB hub device. The multiple master USB hub device is configured to enable at least two USB devices connected thereto to each be configured as host/master elements to control OTG and peripheral/slave devices connected to the USB hub device, the USB hub device comprising an element configured to switch configuration of each of the at least two USB devices to a host/master configuration at different predetermined times. |
| US08447889B2 |
Portable mass storage device with virtual machine activation
A portable mass storage device is used to store large files such as digital pictures, movies and music. The mass storage device has firmware with security mechanisms that limit access to read write operations to ensure reliable operation of the device to prevent unwanted copying or storing of secure content such a copyrighted material. Although the security mechanisms generally limit access, the firmware is operable to work with a virtual machine and allows the virtual machine to access the secure content and work in conjunction with the firmware to read and write data to the mass storage memory, if the virtual machine is present. The virtual machine is either loaded but not activated at the time of manufacture, or is downloaded and activated post manufacture. Any royalty for the virtual machine is paid for only if and when the virtual machine is both present and activated in the device. |
| US08447888B2 |
PCI express enhancements and extensions
A method and apparatus for enhancing/extending a serial point-to-point interconnect architecture, such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is herein described. Temporal and locality caching hints and prefetching hints are provided to improve system wide caching and prefetching. Message codes for atomic operations to arbitrate ownership between system devices/resources are included to allow efficient access/ownership of shared data. Loose transaction ordering provided for while maintaining corresponding transaction priority to memory locations to ensure data integrity and efficient memory access. Active power sub-states and setting thereof is included to allow for more efficient power management. And, caching of device local memory in a host address space, as well as caching of system memory in a device local memory address space is provided for to improve bandwidth and latency for memory accesses. |
| US08447887B1 |
Method and apparatus for enabling a network interface to support multiple networks
A network device comprises a host, including a device driver, and a network interface. The network interface includes a first media access controller, the first media access controller configured to, when activated, use a media access controller address for transferring data from the host to the first network, and transferring data from the first network to the host. A second media access controller is configured to, when activated, also use the media access controller address for transferring data from the host to the second network, and transferring data from the second network to the host. The device driver is configured to select either the first network or the second network for communication with the host, and the first media access controller or the second media access controller is respectively activated in response to the device driver selecting the first network or the second network. |
| US08447885B2 |
User terminal system, digital rights management system including the user terminal system, and method of managing digital rights
Provided is a digital rights management system, in which a process of combining digital content created by the original author with first metadata indicated with rights information of the original author and a process of combining revised digital content with second metadata indicated with rights information of a secondary author, are respectively and separately performed at the server and terminal sides. Thus, the digital rights management system can reduce the load generated at the server side compared to a system in which the server side performs both of the above processes. |
| US08447881B2 |
Load balancing for services
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for load balancing for services. Embodiments of the invention facilitate load balancing between instances of a service based on affinitization of messages, based on content of the message. For example, messages in the same session can be dispatched to the same service instance. A sequence or series of related messages associated with long running and/or stateful services are more likely to be dispatched to the same instance of the service. Thus, if the service instance has persisted client state, there is an increased likely of utilizing the persisted client state and not having another service instance recreate the client state. |
| US08447880B2 |
Network stack instance architecture with selection of transport layers
A method for configuring a network on a host includes obtaining a first virtual network stack and a second virtual network stack on the host, configuring a first transport layer implementation on the first virtual network stack, configuring a second transport layer implementation on the second virtual network stack, receiving a packet by the host, sending a packet to the first virtual network stack, and processing the packet using the first transport layer implementation. |
| US08447877B2 |
Always-on wireless internet protocol communication
In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for always-on wireless IP communication. An access provider network (APN) that includes an always-on packet data serving node (PDSN) may be used to communicate over a wireless communication link with a mobile station. The PDSN may include an inactivity timer and may be used to set the inactivity timer to an inactivity timer starting value and send a starting value estimate to the mobile station over the wireless communication link, wherein the starting value estimate is a function of the inactivity timer starting value. The mobile station may include an inactivity timer estimate and may be used to receive the starting value estimate and set the inactivity timer estimate to the starting value estimate. The mobile station may also be used to reset the inactivity timer estimate to the starting value estimate when the mobile station communicates with the APN. |
| US08447876B2 |
Content timing method and system
A computer method and related apparatus for delivering content files to a client computer are disclosed wherein a request for a content file on a content server is received from a client; a future time period during which the content file will be available on a cache server is determined; and a rewritten uniform resource locator comprising time period availability information, or a link to a file comprising the time period availability information, is returned from the server to the client. The client can use the information to obtain the content file in the determined future time period. |
| US08447874B2 |
Web page data streaming
A system generates a web page that includes a plurality of embedded data windows. The system receives a request for the web page from a browser and in response generates and displays a frame for the web page on the browser. The frame includes holes for the embedded data windows. The system also receives a data streaming request for each of the embedded data windows and determines if the data streaming requests are thread-safe. For all the data streaming requests that are thread-safe, the system generates a parallel thread to fetch the data for each corresponding data streaming requests. When the data has been fetched for a particular data streaming requests, the data is rendered and streamed to the browser where it is displayed in place of the hole by the browser. |
| US08447873B1 |
Managing object model communications
A method and system are used in managing object model communications. In a Flex operating environment, an information set is received conforming to an object model representation. A client side normalization is performed in the flex operating environment on the information to derive another information set conforming to another object model representation. Based on the other object model representation, a dialog is generated that is sufficient for legacy and current object models of Flex and Java operating environments having network communications with data storage systems. |
| US08447872B2 |
Load balancing in a storage system
Link level load balancing is provided based on time utilization of a link or workload utilization of a device. Time utilization achieves load balancing by giving each device the same amount of connection time to perform Input/Output tasks. Workload utilization achieves load balancing by managing a number of frames or bytes transmitted to each device. |
| US08447870B2 |
Wireless mesh networking in wagering game environments
Systems and methods for wireless mesh networking in a gaming environment are described herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a network interface unit to wirelessly receive gaming data from ones of a plurality of components of a wireless mesh network, the network interface unit to wirelessly transmit the gaming data to others of the plurality of components of the wireless mesh network. The system also includes a memory unit to store certain of the gaming data and to store instructions for conducting wagering games and a central processing unit to perform operations based in part on the certain of the gaming data and to perform operations based on the instructions. |
| US08447867B2 |
Content display-playback system, content display-playback method, recording medium having content display-playback program recorded thereon, and operation control apparatus
A content display-playback system includes at least one server that distributes audio-visual content via streaming, and at least one client that plays back, by streaming, the content distributed via streaming from the server, and the server and client are connected. The client beforehand makes settings regarding a client operation to be performed for submitting a streaming distribution request to the server to perform playback by streaming. |
| US08447861B2 |
Communication device, communication control method and program
There is provided a communication device including: a data acquisition unit that acquires sensed data related to a signal receiving condition in a spectrum assigned to a first communication service; a determination unit that determines which of a first area inside a service area of the first communication service where a signal receiving condition is suitable, a second area inside or in a peripheral part of the service area where a signal receiving condition is not suitable and a third area outside the peripheral part of the service area the communication device is located based on the sensed data acquired by the data acquisition unit; and a secondary usage starting unit that starts usage of a second communication service using a part or whole of the spectrum assigned to the first communication service by a procedure different depending on a kind of the area where the communication device is located determined by the determination unit. |
| US08447859B2 |
Adaptive business resiliency computer system for information technology environments
Programmatically adapting an Information Technology (IT) environment to changes associated with business applications of the IT environment. The programmatically adapting is performed in the context of the business application. The changes can reflect changes in the IT environment, changes to the business application, changes to the business environment and/or failures within the environment, as examples. |
| US08447856B2 |
Policy-managed DNS server for to control network traffic
Disclosed is a method, a computer system, and a computer-readable media product that contains a set of computer executable software instructions for directing the computer to execute a process for policy-based operation of a DNS server apparatus to manage traffic due to undesirable mail or requests for electronic documents. The policies operate according to owners, regions, or countries controlling source IP addresses and deterministically select from a plurality of non-equivalent replies to be sent to the source IP address. Accumulating previous activity records may assist in determining which traffic may be usefully deferred or suppressed. The process includes withholding certain information from certain DNS servers seeking IP addresses to improve overall security and integrity of the Internet. |
| US08447854B1 |
Edge analytics query for distributed content network
A system and method for accelerating web page delivery is disclosed in one embodiment. Web content requests are made to an edge server of a first point of presence (POP) of a content delivery network (CDN). The web content has embedded resource links. The first POP can rewrite the embedded resource links to route requests for the embedded resource links to any POP in the CDN or even the origin server. In some embodiments, the first POP can decide if the first POP and/or another POP referenced in a rewritten embedded resource link should cache and/or accelerate the resource referenced in the embedded resource link. |
| US08447853B2 |
Agent-less follow-me service for cloud-based applications
Technologies are generally described herein for providing an agent-less follow-me service. An example web browser may be configured to receive a first link to a reference table from a portable token. The web browser may be configured to retrieve a second link to an on-going web application from the reference table. The second link may reflect a first state of the on-going web application. The web browser may be configured to open the on-going web application corresponding to the second link. As a user interacts with the on-going web application, the on-going web application may be configured to transition from the first state to a second state. The web browser may be configured to update the second link in the reference table to reflect the second state of the on-going web application. |
| US08447847B2 |
Control of sensor networks
A method and apparatus is provided for generating an index and creating a network of devices based on the index. Information and data may be provided via the network. In one example, a request may be received from a user at a service. The service may maintain an index containing characteristics of devices. Any number or type of devices may be selected to participate in the network. Also, the network may be subsequently modified by the addition or removal of any device from the network. Information or data received from the network devices may be returned to the user requesting the information via the service. |
| US08447845B1 |
Setting a network device to default settings
Systems, apparatus, and methods are disclosed herein to provide default settings for a network device. For example, a network device includes a memory, and a processor that is configured to: transmit an outgoing signal through a network connector; receive the outgoing signal via the network connector; and set the network device to default settings after receiving the outgoing signal. |
| US08447843B2 |
System, method and computer program product for identifying, configuring and accessing a device on a network
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for identifying, configuring, and accessing a device connected to a network. In operation, a device connected to a network is automatically identified. Additionally, the device is automatically configured. Strictly as an option, the device may be accessed on the network. |
| US08447839B2 |
Three-layer web management protocol device emulation
A three-layer management protocol device emulator and method that emulates numerous Web management protocol devices using a single virtual machine. A client on a network believes that there are a large number of Web management protocol devices on the network. Embodiments of the emulator and method use a three-layer multiple-endpoint model. A proxy layer is used to emulate multiple devices by building an endpoint pool containing a large number of endpoint pairs corresponding to the emulated devices. The presentation layer is used to specifically translate and parse the Web management protocol, and the logic layer represents the logic for a specific Web management protocol device being emulated. Embodiments of the emulator and method receive a request from a client on the network, use the proxy layer, presentation layer and logic layer to process the request and obtain a response, and then send the response back to the requesting client. |
| US08447837B2 |
Site acceleration with content prefetching enabled through customer-specific configurations
A CDN edge server is configured to provide one or more extended content delivery features on a domain-specific, customer-specific basis, preferably using configuration files that are distributed to the edge servers using a configuration system. A given configuration file includes a set of content handling rules and directives that facilitate one or more advanced content handling features, such as content prefetching. When prefetching is enabled, the edge server retrieves objects embedded in pages (normally HTML content) at the same time it serves the page to the browser rather than waiting for the browser's request for these objects. This can significantly decrease the overall rendering time of the page and improve the user experience of a Web site. Using a set of metadata tags, prefetching can be applied to either cacheable or uncacheable content. When prefetching is used for cacheable content, and the object to be prefetched is already in cache, the object is moved from disk into memory so that it is ready to be served. When prefetching is used for uncacheable content, preferably the retrieved objects are uniquely associated with the client browser request that triggered the prefetch so that these objects cannot be served to a different end user. By applying metadata in the configuration file, prefetching can be combined with tiered distribution and other edge server configuration options to further improve the speed of delivery and/or to protect the origin server from bursts of prefetching requests. |
| US08447821B2 |
System and method for configuring access to electronic mailboxes
A system and method for configuring access to an electronic mailbox based on limited configuration parameters received from a user. A database stores configuration conventions for a mail domain. A mailbox interface module receives configuration information from a user that is limited in the configuration parameters required for accessing the electronic mailbox. The module retrieves configuration conventions for the mail domain from the database and generates sets of potentially valid configuration parameters based on the retrieved configuration conventions and user supplied configuration information for accessing the mailbox. |
| US08447819B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for processing a request for a resource in a communication
Methods and systems are described for processing a request for a resource in a communication. In an aspect, a criterion is received, by a second node, for requesting a resource via a first communication addressed to a first node. The first communication is sent, to the first node, including an attachment request based on the criterion. A second communication is received, by the second node, including the resource as an attachment.In another aspect a first communication is received by a first node representing a first user. The first communication includes a first message addressed to the first user. An attachment request is detected in the first communication. A resource is located based on the attachment request. A second communication is sent, to a second node representing a second user. The second communication includes the resource, as an attachment, and a second message addressed to the second user. |
| US08447817B2 |
Associating multiple physical mailboxes with same user object in messaging system
Architecture that employs an abstraction of a mailbox store that allows clients to connect to alternate mailboxes associated with a single mail-enabled user, using the same mechanism the user utilizes to connect to the user's main mailbox. On top of this basic infrastructure, new features can be built, including server-hosted e-mail archives and mailboxes mirrored from other e-mail systems. In support thereof, the architecture also includes a mechanism for mailboxes to expose all or only a subset of mailbox features, and to advertise which mailbox features are supported. |
| US08447812B2 |
Communication device and method thereof
A communication method is disclosed which includes: first step of sending content attachment information including content link information from a sending device to a receiving device; and second step of connecting either the receiving device or a host device connected therewith to a server on a network in accordance with the content link information so as to receive and download content body data, content preview data, or content-related information from the server. |
| US08447810B2 |
User contribution based mapping system and method
A computer implemented user contribution method is provided. The method includes receiving identifying information from a plurality of users and receiving from the plurality of users indications of one or more geographic areas. A quality value of the one or more geographic areas is determined based on the indications of the one or more geographic areas from the plurality of users, and the quality value is transmitted to one or more of the plurality of users. The present invention further provides a user contribution based mapping system. |
| US08447809B2 |
System and method for network conference
The present invention provides at least an electronic system for network conference. The electronic system includes a user right module for storing and maintaining a plurality of user rights associated to each user of the electronic system, and a meeting right module for creating a meeting having a plurality of meeting rights according to associated user rights of a meeting creator. A participant right module is presented for determining a plurality of participant rights according to the plurality of meeting rights of the meeting and the associated user rights of a participant of the meeting. The system includes a plurality of participant client modules for receiving and sending media stream according to the plurality of participant rights of corresponding participant, and a matrix module for processing and distributing media stream to and from the plurality of participant client modules according to the plurality of participant rights. |
| US08447804B2 |
Information gathering system using multi-radio telematics devices
The present disclosure relates to a method for intelligent procurement of data from a plurality of vehicles in a data-aggregation region using long-range communications, short-range communications, and group leader vehicles. The method includes a central server defining a plurality of data-aggregation areas and identifying at least one group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area. The method also includes the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area collecting data from other vehicles in the data-aggregation area using short-range communications and the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area determining to cease collecting data from the other vehicles in the data-aggregation area. The method further includes the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area generating a consensus report using the data collected from the other vehicles in its data-aggregation area. |
| US08447800B2 |
Mode-based multiply-add recoding for denormal operands
In a denormal support mode, the normalization circuit of a floating-point adder is used to normalize or denormalized the output of a floating-point multiplier. Each floating-point multiply instruction is speculatively converted to a multiply-add instruction, with the addend forced to zero. This preserves the value of the product, while normalizing or denormalizing the product using the floating-point adder's normalization circuit. When the operands to the multiply operation are available, they are inspected. If the operands will not generate an unnormal intermediate product or a denormal final product, the add operation is suppressed, such as by operand-forwarding. Additionally, each non-fused floating-point multiply-add instruction is replaced with a multiply-add instruction having a zero addend, and a floating-point add instruction having the addend of the original multiply-add instruction is inserted into the instruction stream. Upon inspection of the operands, if an unnormal intermediate result or a denormal final result will not occur, the addend may be restored to the multiply-add instruction and the add instruction converted to a NOP. |
| US08447799B2 |
Process for QR transformation using a CORDIC processor
A CORDIC processor has a plurality of stages, each of the stages having a X input, Y input, a sign input, a sign output, an X output, a Y output, a mode control input having a ROTATE or VECTOR value, and a stage number k input, each CORDIC stage having a first shift generating an output by shifting the Y input k times, a second shift generating an output by shifting X input k times, a multiplexer having an output coupled to the sign input when the mode control input is ROTATE and to the sign of the Y input when the mode input is VECTOR, a first multiplier forming the product of the first shift output and the multiplexer output, a second multiplier forming the product of the second shift output and an inverted the multiplexer output, a first adder forming the X output from the sum of the first multiplier output and the X input, and a second adder forming the Y output from the sum of the second multiplier output and the Y input. |
| US08447797B2 |
MIMO system method and device using sorted QR-decomposition (SQRD) for detecting transmission signal with division detection
The present invention relates to a method and device for detecting a transmission signal on the basis of a received signal by applying a division and detection algorithm. An embodiment of the invention provides a method of detecting a transmission signal including: obtaining a unitary matrix and an upper triangular matrix by performing a sorted QR-decomposition algorithm with respect to a matrix indicating a channel state; calculating a vector y by multiplying a transpose matrix of the unitary matrix by the received signal Y; dividing the upper triangular matrix R into a plurality of sub-upper triangular matrices and dividing the calculated vector y into a plurality of sub-vectors so as to correspond to the divided plurality of sub-upper triangular matrices; and detecting a lattice point corresponding to each of the divided sub-vectors using the divided plurality of sub-upper triangular matrices. |
| US08447796B2 |
Apparatus with a vector generation unit and encoder for receiving first and second inputs to generate at least significant zero (LSZ)
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a first and second inputs, calculating a sum/difference of the first and second inputs in parallel with determining a least significant zero (LSZ) vector using the first and second inputs, and determining a shift value based on the LSZ vector, where the shift value is used to perform a shift operation on the sum/difference. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08447795B2 |
Transactional processing for clustered file systems
Systems and methods for transactional processing within a clustered file system wherein user defined transactions operate on data segments of the file system data. The users are provided within an interface for using a transactional mechanism, namely services for opening, writing and rolling-back transactions. A distributed shared memory technology is utilized to facilitate efficient and coherent cache management within the clustered file system based on the granularity of data segments (rather than files). |
| US08447794B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for viewing file information
A data processing method for a memory system of a computer includes: determining one or more volume locations of a file; determining one or more locations of extents of the file associated with each of the one or more volume locations; retrieving data attributes for each of the extents of the file at each of the one or more volume locations; formatting the data attributes; and generating an output including the formatted data attributes. |
| US08447790B2 |
Electric device for executing process based on map data
An electric device for executing a process based on a map data includes: a map data memory; a work memory; and a CPU for developing a map data from the map data memory into the work memory. The CPU executes the process based on the developed map data. The map data provides a road network defined by unit links and link connection relationships, and includes an attribution data in each link. The CPU generates a node table according to the attribution data. The node table stores a link connection information in each node as the connection point coupled with links. The link connection information provides identification of the links coupled with each other at a corresponding node. The CPU writes the node table as the developed map data into the work memory. |
| US08447787B2 |
System and method for geocoding content
A system and method for generating a virtual tour on a display device is described. The method comprises providing at least one map. The method further comprises providing a plurality of sequenced images, wherein each of the images is associated with at least one location by a geo-coding module configured to generate a geo-location object data sheet that associates sequential images with a corresponding location. The sequenced images are organized based on the location of each of the sequenced images and displayed on the map. The method is implemented by the system. |
| US08447778B2 |
Adaptively optimizing order entry system
A system continuously improves the sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy of treatment ordering templates. A repository of information comprises multiple candidate order sets individually including multiple candidate items for order and associated corresponding related order parameters. An individual item for order is associated with multiple related order parameters. A data entry monitor monitors user selection of candidate items from a candidate order set and records candidate item usage data identifying items selected by a user for order from individual particular candidate order sets for multiple different candidate order sets. A data processor determines from the candidate item usage data at least one of, (a) data indicative of the number or proportion of candidate items of a particular candidate order set that were selected by a user during order entry and (b) data indicative of the number or proportion of candidate items of a particular candidate order set that were not selected by a user during order entry. |
| US08447777B2 |
System for tracking media content transactions
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a web server having a controller adapted to manage an archive of media content for a subscriber, and record a transaction description and a corresponding tracking identifier for a transaction that manipulates the archive. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08447775B2 |
Database query user interface to assist in efficient and accurate query construction
A database query user interface combines the user convenience of simple text searching with the expressive refinements of powerful query language. The database query user interface includes a query text string input from a user including one or more terms of a chunk expression language format. The database query user interface further includes a syntactical prompt for constructing a multi-element chunk expression language database query that is syntactically correct and complete and includes the text string input from the user. For example, the syntactical prompt is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the text string input from the user. A database query formed according to the present user interface may then be persisted or stored as a database query object. |
| US08447774B1 |
Database-independent mechanism for retrieving relational data as XML
Techniques are disclosed for retrieving both data stored in relational form and data stored in XML form responsive to a single XQuery query. The techniques allow applications to retrieve relational data residing in various relational database management systems by using XQuery and XQuery for Java. In one such embodiment, an embeddable serverless computer component implements the techniques, and includes a combination of one more relational adaptors and a mediator to access relational data and transform it into appropriate XML. The techniques are embeddable, and can be standards-based, database-independent, and operating-system independent. Optimized performance and scalability from desktop to enterprise applications are enabled as the number of users and/or database size increases. |
| US08447766B2 |
Method and system for searching unstructured textual data for quantitative answers to queries
Disclosed is a method of querying a collection of electronic documents, comprising defining a query for retrieving a numerical answer, said query comprising one or more search terms and a tolerance for said numerical answer; defining a set of document portions from said collection, each document portion in said set being extracted from an electronic document and comprising at least one term relevant to at least one of the one or more search terms and a numerical value associated with the at least one term; ordering the associated numerical values contained in said set; defining a plurality of results groups, each results group comprising an interval of ordered numerical values, each interval having a range not exceeding the tolerance; ranking the results groups; and returning at least the interval of the highest ranked results group as a response to said query A computer program product for executing this method on a computer processor and a server are also disclosed. |
| US08447764B2 |
Indexing and searching of electronic message transmission thread sets
A method is carried out by storing information describing configurations of discussion threads formed of respective series of EMTs that are exchanged among at least two individuals. The discussion threads have a root EMT, zero or more reply EMTs, and a last offspring EMT. The method is further carried out by compacting the EMT discussion threads, and indexing the compacted EMT discussion threads. |
| US08447763B2 |
Numbering system for antecedents and outcomes
A numbering system for antecedents and outcomes providing a method for numbering antecedents and outcomes that reveals underlying information of relationships. The numbering system for antecedents and outcomes utilizes a mathematical relationship and an antecedent's or outcome's existing characterizing information to assign a unique indexing number identifying each antecedent and outcome. In an antecedent numbering system, the unique indexing number is able to provide information about the contributor line number, the cohort, the combination of the preceding multiple antecedents, and the sequence number of the outcome. In an outcomes numbering system, the unique indexing number provides information about the sequence line number, the cohort, the combination of the antecedents, and the order numberof the outcomes. |
| US08447746B2 |
Methods and program product for enabling data records to be located
In large medical facilities such as hospitals or group practices run by physicians individual patients are often examined and treated by a number of specialists in succession. In view of this it is important, in spite of great differences in the workflows of the individual medical facilities, to coordinate the work of said specialists by way of an operator control device having a uniform user interface. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, methods and a program product for enabling data records to be located are provided for that purpose. By way of the methods and/or the program product, in at least one embodiment a basic page and at least one content page are provided, wherein by use of the basic page at least one display field for presenting information extracted from a data record can be generated on a screen display and wherein by use of the content page, information extracted from a data record can be displayed in a display field. |
| US08447742B2 |
Storage apparatus which eliminates duplicated data in cooperation with host apparatus, storage system with the storage apparatus, and deduplication method for the system
According to one embodiment, a storage apparatus includes a first storage unit, a second storage unit and a control module. The control module stores the address of a block data item and a block identifier unique to the block data item, included in a write request, in the second storage unit such that the address and the block identifier are associated with each other when a request to specify the writing of data including the block data item into the storage apparatus has been generated at a host apparatus and when the host apparatus has transmitted the write request because the data item has coincided with any one of the block data items stored in the cache of the host apparatus. |
| US08447737B2 |
System and method for versioning of configuration items
A system and method for reconstructing a previous state of a configuration item based on information regarding changes to one or more values of one or more attributes associated with the configuration item. |
| US08447735B2 |
Backing up data objects identified by search program and corresponding to search query
A backup program running on a computing device receives a search query. The backup program transmits the search query to a search program. The backup program receives search results corresponding to the search query from the search program. The search results include a list of data objects stored on a storage device and that satisfy the search query. The backup program backs up one or more selected data objects of the list of data objects. The backup program can periodically and automatically without user interaction retransmit the search query to the search program, and receive updated search results corresponding to the search query from the search program. The updated search results include an updated list of data objects stored on the storage device that satisfy the search query. The backup program can then back up the data objects within the updated list of data objects. |
| US08447727B2 |
Distributed processing device, and storage medium storing distributed processing program
A distributed processing device includes receiving unit receives a plurality of process requests to records stored on a database, an acquiring unit acquires execution frequency of each processes responsive to the plurality of process requests related to a record identified by an attribute name, on a per attribute name basis of a plurality of attribute names, each attribute name identifying each of the plurality of records, sorting unit sorts the plurality of process requests into a first set and a second set in accordance with the acquired execution frequency of each process on each of the plurality of attribute names, a determining unit determines a first node, serving as an allocation destination of the process request sorted in the first set, from among a plurality of nodes, each node having the database, and an allocating unit allocates the process request sorted in the first set to the first node. |
| US08447719B2 |
Compilation of causal rules into continuations
A method of compiling causal rules into continuations for use in root cause analysis of a system comprising a plurality of inter-related elements, comprising defining observable events occurring on system elements; defining at least one of a cause and a result of each of the events; defining causal rules, each rule describing a causal relationship between an event and one of its cause and its result; and compiling the causal relationships as continuations in a continuation passing style (CPS) for use in analyzing the root cause of subsequent observed events symptomatic of at least one problem on the system. |
| US08447718B2 |
Method and apparatus for filtering streaming data
A method of content filtering of data containers of multiple content types is based on generating a set of encoded filters and a set of encoded rules for each content type. Each encoded filter is expressed as a respective operator, from among user-defined operators, and two operands including a content descriptor and a descriptor criterion. A filter has a binary state and a rule may be based on a single filter or a number of selected filters. An apparatus implementing the method has a user interface for receiving user-defined configuration data, a configuration module for generating a set of encoded filters and a set of encoded rules for each content type, a network interface for receiving data containers from a network and transmitting filtered data containers to the network, and a filtering module for applying the rules to received data containers. |
| US08447706B2 |
Method for computer-aided control and/or regulation using two neural networks wherein the second neural network models a quality function and can be used to control a gas turbine
A method for a computer-aided control of a technical system is provided. The method involves use of a cooperative learning method and artificial neural networks. In this context, feed-forward networks are linked to one another such that the architecture as a whole meets an optimality criterion. The network approximates the rewards observed to the expected rewards as an appraiser. In this way, exclusively observations which have actually been made are used in optimum fashion to determine a quality function. In the network, the optimum action in respect of the quality function is modeled by a neural network, the neural network supplying the optimum action selection rule for the given control problem. The method is specifically used to control a gas turbine. |
| US08447705B2 |
Pattern generation method, pattern generation apparatus, and program
Disclosed is an apparatus that generates automatically a characteristic pattern in time series data by clustering a plurality of time series subsequences generated from the time series data. The apparatus includes a time series subsequence generation unit that generates a plurality of time series subsequences from the time series data, a phase alignment unit that aligns a phase of the generated time series subsequence, a clustering unit that performs clustering of a plurality of the time series subsequences, each having a phase aligned, a storage apparatus that stores the pattern obtained by the clustering, and an output apparatus that outputs the stored pattern. |
| US08447704B2 |
Recognizing gestures from forearm EMG signals
A machine learning model is trained by instructing a user to perform proscribed gestures, sampling signals from EMG sensors arranged arbitrarily on the user's forearm with respect to locations of muscles in the forearm, extracting feature samples from the sampled signals, labeling the feature samples according to the corresponding gestures instructed to be performed, and training the machine learning model with the labeled feature samples. Subsequently, gestures may be recognized using the trained machine learning model by sampling signals from the EMG sensors, extracting from the signals unlabeled feature samples of a same type as those extracted during the training, passing the unlabeled feature samples to the machine learning model, and outputting from the machine learning model indicia of a gesture classified by the machine learning model. |
| US08447701B2 |
Appraising domain names using comparative data
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for the spinning and appraisal of a domain name. A list of keywords may be extracted from a domain name entered into a user interface on a client. These keywords may be compared to potential matches in a database and a result set may be compiled and displayed to the user. The client may also display a certified domain name appraisal using a plurality of logical groupings within a domain name appraisal process. This appraisal process may also include a multiplier derived from comparisons of registration statistics for various top level domains. |
| US08447694B2 |
Commodity Futures Index and methods and systems of trading in futures contracts that minimize turnover and transactions costs
This invention relates to methods and systems for reducing transaction costs and minimizes turnover in the trading of futures contracts. The invention further describes an algorithm whose output is a unique method of investing in futures contracts that reduces the rate of turnover, and thus the cost of trading, of certain common trading strategies. The primary application of this method is to a class of strategies referred to as indexing strategies that incorporate a dynamic asset allocation approach using futures contracts. |
| US08447691B2 |
Systems and methods for NACHA compliant ACH transfers using an automated voice response system
Embodiments of the invention described a method for processing an ACH transfer in compliance with NACHA regulations. The method comprises receiving a request, through a phone call from a customer, to initiate an ACH transfer, the request including at least an account identifier and a payment amount. The method confirms the ACH transfer using speech recognition software and an interactive voice response unit, wherein the customer's identity, the date of transfer, the account identifier, the payment amount, a contact phone number, and the date of the confirmation, are confirmed by the customer using a verbal response recognized by the speech recognition software. This method also includes, recording, using a recording server, the verbal response of the customer in a sound file, tagging the sound file with at least the field of an account identifier, and storing the sound file for at least two years in a data repository. |
| US08447687B2 |
Method and system for centralized identity and account controls
The method and system provides consumers with the ability to define and control their identity and accounts to minimize vulnerability to identity theft and credit fraud. This is accomplished using a centralized system where consumers can define their identity and account profile and define rules that control access to their identity and accounts. This process works independently of existing credit bureaus and credit authorization processes, creating a dual authentication and authorization system. The primary feature of the invention is a centralized database that is controlled by consumers. The database contains information and rules defined by the consumer that will proactively protect their identity and accounts. The idea is to minimize the allowable access to consumer's identity and accounts. This creates an additional layer of protection that eliminates fraud. |
| US08447686B1 |
System and method for mitigating merchant debit balances
A system and method for collecting data about merchants or service establishments that accept credit cards or charge cards as payment for goods and services, segmenting the merchants into groups, generating risk scores for the merchants based upon each merchants' group and, based upon the risk scores, providing information to a card issuer to take remedial action for merchants that are at higher risk for entering into a debit balance. |
| US08447682B2 |
Method of operating a venture business
A method of operating a venture capital investment business, including establishing a business entity that establishes an investment fund and a fund managing entity thereof that attends to administrative matters relating thereto and makes investment decisions for the fund. The investment fund has investors that with the fund managing entity provide capital contributions to the fund that the fund utilizes to invest in portfolio entities. The investors receive a general participation interest in the fund, and the fund managing entity receives a carried interest in the fund. Investors provide at least a threshold capital contribution to the fund with stock rights in the business entity to enable such investors to become shareholders in the business entity. The business entity secures a portion of IPO shares that become available in the portfolio entities. The business entity enables shareholders thereof to purchase IPO shares that become available in the portfolio entities. |
| US08447678B1 |
Systems and methods for application processing
A method of utilizing voice authorization includes providing a processor and receiving demographic information related to an applicant for an insurance policy. The method also includes receiving a voice authentication from the applicant related to the demographic information, receiving, from the applicant, insurance information, and underwriting, using the processor and the insurance information, the insurance policy. The method further includes providing policy information to the applicant, receiving a voice authorization from the applicant related to the policy information, and issuing the insurance policy. |
| US08447677B2 |
Transaction range comparison for financial investigation
Systems and methods for determining the likelihood that a group of transactions may be structured to avoid a limit or reporting requirement, such as a government reporting requirement, are disclosed. The frequency distributions of a customer's transactions for different value ranges are compared to determine whether transactions within a target range occur randomly or at an unexpected level. In another embodiment, the frequency distribution of a customer's transactions is compared to a frequency distribution created by randomly sampling a distribution of similar transactions to determine whether the customer's transactions occur randomly. |
| US08447675B2 |
Methods and apparatus for recording legal tender decomposition of accounting system entries
Methods and apparatus for recording decomposition of accounting system entries are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more processors are employed to perform recording a legal tender value of an accounting system entry and recording a legal tender decomposition of the accounting system entry. |
| US08447674B2 |
Multi-stage filtering for fraud detection with customer history filters
A multi-stage filtering process and system for fraud detection is disclosed. The process includes one or more preliminary filtration stages followed by one or more additional filtration stages that may include customer history filters that provide for enhanced screening for fraudulent activity. Over a plurality of transactions, a portion of the transactions are cleared for processing (e.g., deemed not likely fraudulent or of too low value to continue processing) after each filtration stage. As such, acceptable transactions are not unnecessarily scrutinized. |
| US08447669B2 |
System and method for implementing financial assistance programs
A system and method to provide food stamp benefits to recipients. The state agency responsible for distributing food stamp benefits to eligible recipients employs an issuer to produce consumer access devices for distribution to the recipients. The consumer access device is encoded with information enabling the food stamp recipients to purchase specified items from merchants. By imprinting the consumer access device with indicia identifying a commercial payment processing network and employing the commercial payment processing network to process the transactions, transaction funded by the food stamp program will appear to be credit or debit transactions personally funded by the food stamp recipient. |
| US08447668B2 |
Audio-equipped transaction card systems and approaches
Approaches for using and implementing transactions involving audio-equipped transaction cards reduce both data-management efforts and costs. In addition, certain applications further facilitate loyalty to the business entity that issues the audio-equipped transaction cards by, e.g., facilitating transactions with the card-issuing entity and/or selected business partners. One example embodiment is directed to audio-equipped personal cards and an approach to purchase agreement that involve activating an audio transmission from a transaction card to establish a point-of-sale purchase agreement. Data relating to the purchase agreement is communicated to an account/payment institution to confirm the purchase agreement, optionally in response to the customer's PIN being received. In another embodiment, a two apparatus (or “card”) approach involves retailers entering data via a retailer card that is useable by selected users (e.g., the retailer's representatives or employees). For such retailer and/or customer cards, various implementations are directed to different approaches for entering user information and/or security information such as customer PIN, a retailer-employee ID or PIN number. |
| US08447667B1 |
Methods, systems and articles for facilitating loans using income tax refunds
Systems, methods and articles for online computerized methods and systems for facilitating a loan between a borrower and a lender in a financial services system having a loan processing application integrated with a tax return preparation application, in which a lender's tax refund is used to fund the loan. Tax returns are prepared for borrowers and for lenders using the tax return preparation application. The borrowers submits loan request to the system. The system asks lenders having a tax refund if they would like to loan the tax refund to other people and the system presents loan options to the lenders. If a lender likes a loan request, the lender instructs the system to enter into a loan for the request for a specified amount on agreed to loan terms, and the loan amount is then transferred to the borrower, funded by the tax refund. |
| US08447666B1 |
System and method for associating financial transaction data with user's project data using a portable electronic device
This invention relates to a system for viewing and manipulating a user's financial transaction data and a method for associating financial transaction data with a user's project data using a portable electronic device. |
| US08447665B1 |
Removal of expiring items from inventory
Systems and methods for the removal of expiring items from inventory are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method includes determining a breakeven holding time for an inventory item and calculating, based at least in part on a demand forecast for the inventory item and on the breakeven holding time, a first quantity of the inventory item to be removed from the inventory. The method also includes identifying an expiration time corresponding to the given inventory item and, in response to the expiration time being shorter than the breakeven holding time, calculating a second quantity of the inventory item, where a difference between the second and first quantities represents an additional quantity of the inventory item to be removed from the inventory. The method further includes causing at least one portion of the additional quantity of the inventory item to be removed from the inventory according to an inventory removal function. |
| US08447663B2 |
System and method for coordination of remote inspectors
A method and a system to automatically coordinate remote inspectors are provided. Initially, a listing is identified for remote inspection in an online publication system. The listing may describe an item for sale that is, in turn, associated with a geographical location and a category. One or more remote inspectors are identified based on the geographical location and the category associated with the item for sale. The listing and respective profiles of each of the one or more remote inspectors is published to a buyer. A selection of a selected remote inspector is received from the buyer. A template inspection report is provided to the selected remote inspector. Once the remote inspector has inspected the item for sale, the buyer is provided a completed inspection report received from the selected remote inspector. |
| US08447658B2 |
Electronic bearer bond online transaction system
An electronic transaction system, comprising bearer bond means for providing an online electronic bearer bond having a monetary value, transaction means for performing monetary transactions with said bearer bond means, and network means for providing user access to said bearer bond means and said transaction means. |
| US08447657B2 |
Architectural design for service procurement application software
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing service procurement. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include a Project Processing process component; a Purchase Request Processing process component; a Purchase Order Processing process component; a Purchasing Contract process component; a Goods and Service Acknowledgement process component; an RFQ Processing process component; and a Time and Labor Management process component. |
| US08447651B1 |
Bidding on pending, query term-based advertising opportunities
A facility for bidding on a pending advertising opportunity is described. The facility receives at an advertiser a notification from a publisher. The notification contains keywords relating to a content request received by the publisher, and is sent by the publisher between its receipt of the content request and its dispatch of a content response responsive to the content request. In response to receiving the notification, the facility sends to the publisher a dynamic bid. The dynamic bid specifies an advertising message and a bid amount that the advertiser is willing to pay to present the advertising message in connection with a content response responsive to the content request produced by the publisher. |
| US08447649B1 |
Systems and methods for increasing participation of liquidity providers on crossing system
In one aspect, the invention comprises a system for enabling a crossing system operator to calculate a rebate payment to a second participant for executing the block order of a first participant based on at least one of: (a) a difference between a benchmark price and an execution price of the block order; (b) total volume of block execution; and (c) an amount that decays exponentially with the time between the first participant's order and the order's execution by a liquidity provider. |
| US08447640B2 |
Device, system and method of handling user requests
Devices, systems and methods of handling user requests. For example, a method includes: receiving an electronic representation of a submitted request; calculating request-related information, submitter-related information, and/or recipient-related information; based on the request-related information and the submitter-related information, determining one or more recipients for the request; distributing the request to said one or more recipients; and storing the request and one or more responses received from said one or more recipients. |
| US08447639B2 |
Computer-implemented systems and methods for resource allocation
Systems and methods are described for processing queue data and for providing queue messaging over a network. An illustrative queuing system includes a first queue configured to hold resource requests from a plurality of users, and program code stored in computer readable memory configured to determine or estimate whether a resource requested by a first resource request submitted by a first requester will be available when the first resource request will be serviced, and to transmit a message over a network to the first requester indicating that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced if it is estimated or determined that the requested resource will not be available when the first request is serviced. |
| US08447638B2 |
Automation of auditing claims
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for automation of auditing claims. A data file is received comprising one or more auditable items, each auditable item comprising a word string having one or more words. Each word string for each auditable item is translated using one or more translation steps into a translated item description. Each translated item description is compared to a plurality of terms to generate matching information. Each translated item description is associated with an item identifier based on the matching information. Each auditable item is accepted or rejected based on the item identifier and one or more rules associated with the data file. |
| US08447637B2 |
System and method for processing data related to insurance coverage for multiple risks
A computer system for processing of data associated with insurance coverage includes a data storage device storing data indicative of: an insured; a maximum benefit amount payable under the insurance coverage; a first category of risks; a second category of risks; a first benefit allocation corresponding to the first category of risks; and a second benefit allocation corresponding to the second category of risks; the benefit allocations being fractions of and totaling the maximum benefit amount. A processor of the system is configured to, responsive to the receipt of data indicative of a claim, determine eligibility for a benefit, and responsive to determining that the insured is eligible, provide output data indicative of a benefit amount, the benefit amount for each of the categories of risks having a maximum equal to the corresponding benefit allocation. |
| US08447635B2 |
System and method for managing investment risk in satellite operator companies
In order to mitigate risk of satellite investment loss, a satellite loss event or failure event for a satellite that will be operated by a satellite operator company is identified. Financial investors in the satellite operator company are identified. Actuarial data corresponding to prior satellite loss events or failure events substantially corresponding to the satellite loss event or failure event are identified. An investment loss mitigation insurance policy based at least in part on the identified actuarial data is developed. The investment loss mitigation insurance policy is offered to the identified financial investors. Premiums are received from financial investors that subscribe to the investment loss mitigation insurance policy, and the investment loss mitigation insurance policy is placed with an underwriting pool in exchange for at least a portion of the received premiums. |
| US08447633B2 |
Methods and systems for providing vehicle insurance
According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided to determine (at a server) an initial first insurance rate for Provider A and a first insurance rate for Provider B. Both the initial first insurance rate for Provider A and the first insurance rate for Provider B correspond to a first insurance type. The initial first insurance rate for Provider A is adjusted A according to a first adjustment rule to form an adjusted first insurance rate for Provider A. A lower of the adjusted first insurance rate for Provider A or the first insurance rate for Provider B is selected. The adjusted first insurance rate for Provider A may be greater than the initial first insurance rate for Provider A and less than the first insurance rate for Provider B. An application fee for the adjusted first insurance rate for Provider A may be greater than an application fee for the initial first insurance rate for Provider A. |
| US08447632B2 |
Automation of auditing claims
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for automation of auditing claims. A data file comprising make model information, insurance company information, and one or more auditable items, each auditable item comprising a word string having one or more words. The make model information is automatically translated into a vehicle identifier. The insurance company information is automatically translated into an insurance company identifier. The one or more auditable items are automatically translated into one or more groups of identifiers, wherein the one or more groups of identifiers comprises one or more part item identifiers, one or more operational item identifiers, or both. A parts audit report is automatically generated based on the one or more groups of identifiers. An operational audit report is automatically generated. A multi-point estimate is automatically generated based on the parts audit report data and the operational audit report data. |
| US08447631B2 |
Insurance claim association method and apparatus
A computer-based insurance claim processing system (500) provides for the formation and segregated storage of associations (510) that link various active insurance claims (506) to one another. In addition, if desired, the associations can comprise additional information regarding, for example, the nature or type of association and/or other information as a user may wish to include to inform, control, or otherwise characterize the association and/or the associated claims. |
| US08447629B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for communicating heatlhcare information to and from a portable, hand-held device
A method and an apparatus for communicating healthcare information utilize a set of codes to communicate healthcare data in a convenient manner. A set of codes each corresponding to respective healthcare data is generated. The set of codes is stored in a memory associated with a portable terminal. Selection of at least one code corresponding to healthcare data relevant to a patient is detected, where after the selected at least one code is wirelessly transmitted to a recipient. |
| US08447627B1 |
Medical services claim management system and method
Methods for managing requests by a medical services provider for payment from a payer are described. In one embodiment, claims are aggregated into a single file and submitted for payment electronically. If a file level rejection occurs, rejected claims are removed and the single file reformed and resubmitted. This is repeated as necessary until the file is accepted. In another embodiment, claims are assigned first unique identifiers and line items in claims are assigned second unique identifiers. The unique identifiers are used to track every transaction. In another embodiment, an explanation of benefits relating to a claim is received and processed. Copayments are reallocated to line items according to the explanation of benefits. Writeoffs and transfers to next payers are performed automatically according to adjudication codes in the explanation of benefits. |
| US08447626B2 |
System and method for context dependent service discovery for mobile medical devices
A medical communication system (10) comprises peer devices (44, 46) which provide medical services which are used for patient monitoring, patient management or other medical procedures involving patients and/or clinicians. A mobile device (12) includes a short-range interface device (22) for discovering peer devices (44, 46) and associated peer devices services (66). A positioning component (14) determines a location of the mobile device (12). An identification component (60) reads a patient identification device (48) and a clinician identification device (50) and identifies a patient (32) and a clinician (30) at the location of the mobile device (12). A visibility manager (120) limits information and services available to the mobile device (12) to current context relevant information and services which are based at least on one of the identity of the patient (32), the identity of the clinician (30), and the identified mobile device location. |
| US08447624B2 |
Methods for managing infection risk incident to surgical procedures in health care provider environments
The invention provides methods and systems designed generally to managing the risk or occurrence of surgical site infection incident to a surgical procedure. The methods and systems employ perioperative process mapping tools that align, monitor and/or manage the operation of a plurality of health care delivery practices and thereby provide a desired level of infection risk management. |
| US08447621B2 |
Methods for improving high frequency reconstruction
The present invention proposes a new method and a new apparatus for enhancement of audio source coding systems utilizing high frequency reconstruction (HFR). It utilizes a detection mechanism on the encoder side to assess what parts of the spectrum will not be correctly reproduced by the HFR method in the decoder. Information on this is efficiently coded and sent to the decoder, where it is combined with the output of the HFR unit. |
| US08447614B2 |
Method and system to authenticate a user and/or generate cryptographic data
System and process for audio authentication of an individual or speaker including a processor for decomposing an audio signal received at the sensor into vectors representative of the speaker to be authenticated for transforming the super-vector V of the speaker resulting from the concatenation of the vectors associated with the said speaker into binary data 1001100 . . . 0 taking as an input the mean super-vector M resulting from the mean super-vector, and comparing the super-vector V of the speaker with the mean super-vector M, the said binary data thus obtained being transmitted to a module for extracting the speaker authentication taking as an input the public keys Kpub(l) in order to authenticate the speaker and/or to generate a cryptographic key associated with the speaker. |
| US08447610B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating synthetic speech with contrastive stress
Techniques for generating synthetic speech with contrastive stress. In one aspect, a speech-enabled application generates a text input including a text transcription of a desired speech output, and inputs the text input to a speech synthesis system. The synthesis system generates an audio speech output corresponding to at least a portion of the text input, with at least one portion carrying contrastive stress, and provides the audio speech output for the speech-enabled application. In another aspect, a speech-enabled application inputs a plurality of text strings, each corresponding to a portion of a desired speech output, to a software module for rendering contrastive stress. The software module identifies a plurality of audio recordings that render at least one portion of at least one of the text strings as speech carrying contrastive stress. The speech-enabled application generates an audio speech output corresponding to the desired speech output using the audio recordings. |
| US08447609B2 |
Adjustment of temporal acoustical characteristics
Embodiments may be a standalone module or part of mobile devices, desktop computers, servers, stereo systems, or any other systems that might benefit from condensed audio presentations of item structures such as lists or tables. Embodiments may comprise logic such as hardware and/or code to adjust the temporal characteristics of items comprising words. The items maybe included in a structure such as a text listing or table, an audio listing or table, or a combination thereof, or may be individual words or phrases. For instance, embodiments may comprise a keyword extractor to extract keywords from the items and an abbreviations generator to generate abbreviations based upon the keywords. Further embodiments may comprise a text-to-speech generator to generate audible items based upon the abbreviations to render to a user while traversing the item structure. |
| US08447607B2 |
Mobile systems and methods of supporting natural language human-machine interactions
A mobile system is provided that includes speech-based and non-speech-based interfaces for telematics applications. The mobile system identifies and uses context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for users that submit requests and/or commands in multiple domains. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network. |
| US08447606B2 |
Method and system for creating or updating entries in a speech recognition lexicon
In a method and a system (20) for creating or updating entries in a speech recognition (SR) lexicon (7) of a speech recognition system, said entries mapping speech recognition (SR) phoneme sequences to words, said method comprising entering a respective word, and in the case that the word is a new word to be added to the SR lexicon, also entering at least one associated SR phoneme sequence through input means (26), it is provided that the SR phoneme sequence associated with the respective word is converted into speech by phoneme to speech conversion means (4.4), and the speech is played back by playback means (28), to control the match of the phoneme sequence and the word. |
| US08447605B2 |
Input voice command recognition processing apparatus
A game apparatus includes a CPU core for creating an input envelope and a registered envelope. The input envelope has a plurality of envelope values detected from a voice waveform input in real time through a microphone. The registered envelope has a plurality of envelope values detected from a voice waveform previously input. Both of the input envelope and the registered envelope are stored in a RAM. The CPU core evaluates difference of the envelope values between the input envelope and the registered envelope. When an evaluated value satisfies a condition, the CPU core executes a process according to a command assigned to the registered envelope. |
| US08447601B2 |
Method and device for tracking background noise in communication system
A method and a device for tracking background noise in a communication system are provided. The method includes: calculating a SNR of a current frame according to input audio signals; increasing a frame counter, and calculating tone features and signal steadiness features of the current frame if the SNR of the current frame is not less than a first threshold; determining the possibility of a time window including a noise interval according to the calculated tone feature values and signal steadiness feature values of each frame of the time window when the frame counter is increased to the length of the time window; and extracting noise features in the time window. Existence of background noise is analyzed continuously in a time window, so that background noise that changes frequently. |
| US08447596B2 |
Monaural noise suppression based on computational auditory scene analysis
The present technology provides a robust noise suppression system that may concurrently reduce noise and echo components in an acoustic signal while limiting the level of speech distortion. An acoustic signal may be received and transformed to cochlear domain sub-band signals. Features, such as pitch, may be identified and tracked within the sub-band signals. Initial speech and noise models may be then be estimated at least in part from a probability analysis based on the tracked pitch sources. Speech and noise models may be resolved from the initial speech and noise models and noise reduction may be performed on the sub-band signals. An acoustic signal may be reconstructed from the noise-reduced sub-band signals. |
| US08447592B2 |
Methods and apparatus for formant-based voice systems
In one aspect, a method of processing a voice signal to extract information to facilitate training a speech synthesis model is provided. The method comprises acts of detecting a plurality of candidate features in the voice signal, performing at least one comparison between one or more combinations of the plurality of candidate features and the voice signal, and selecting a set of features from the plurality of candidate features based, at least in part, on the at least one comparison. In another aspect, the method is performed by executing a program encoded on a computer readable medium. In another aspect, a speech synthesis model is provided by, at least in part, performing the method. |
| US08447591B2 |
Factorization of overlapping tranforms into two block transforms
An audio encoder/decoder uses a combination of an overlap windowing transform and block transform that have reversible implementations to provide a reversible, integer-integer form of a lapped transform. The reversible lapped transform permits both lossy and lossless transform domain coding of an audio signal having variable subframe sizes. |
| US08447589B2 |
Text paraphrasing method and program, conversion rule computing method and program, and text paraphrasing system
A paraphrase model of a question text inputted by a user is learned, and a paraphrase expression is generated in real time. When information in text set storage unit is updated, text pair extracting unit extracts a paraphrase text pair from the text set storage unit and stores it in text pair storage unit. Model learning unit learns a question text paraphrase model from the paraphrase text pair in text pair storage unit, and stores it in model storage unit. Text pair extracting unit extracts a paraphrase text pair again from the text set storage unit by using the question text paraphrase model which the model storage unit possesses, and stores it in the text pair storage unit. In case where the stored paraphrase text pair is the same as the paraphrase text pair stored in the text pair storage unit, learning of the question text paraphrase model is ended. Candidate creating unit reads the question text paraphrase model from the model storage unit and generates a paraphrase candidate of the inputted question text. |
| US08447587B2 |
Providing a position-based dictionary
A computer executable method includes receiving word senses associated with respective definitions, and providing a position-based dictionary that assigns the word senses to respective semantic positions in a semantic space. |
| US08447584B2 |
Character input apparatus, character input assist method, and character input assist program
Disclosed herein is a character input apparatus including: a display section having a screen capable of displaying at least characters; an operation section configured to allow a user to input at least the characters; a first character input processing section configured to perform a first character input process of causing a character string to be displayed on the screen in accordance with a predetermined notation rule; a second character input processing section configured to perform a second character input process of causing a character string to be displayed on the screen not in accordance with the predetermined notation rule; a scene determination section configured to determine a character input scene; and an input process switch control section configured to switch between the first character input process and the second character input process in accordance with the character input scene. |
| US08447579B2 |
Method and system for pore pressure prediction
A method for performing an oilfield operation at a wellsite having a drilling rig configured to advance a drilling tool into a subsurface formation. The method includes generating a borehole temperature model for an area of interest using water depth information and a vertical stress model, generating a formation temperature model using the borehole temperature model, generating a mud-weight pressure model using the formation temperature model and pressure coefficients, generating a formation pore pressure model using the mud-weight pressure model, and adjusting the oilfield operation based on the formation pore pressure model. |
| US08447578B2 |
Method of designing a tire having a target residual aligning torque
A method of designing a tire, wherein a tire designer identifies a target residual aligning torque range for a tire design and creates a computer model of the tire, including a buttress angle. Further, the method includes calculating the residual aligning torque of the modeled tire and comparing the calculated residual aligning torque value to the target residual aligning torque to determine whether the calculated residual aligning torque value is within the target residual aligning torque range. The method produces a final tire design having a target residual aligning torque. |
| US08447576B2 |
System and method for producing editable three-dimensional models
A method and related CAD system and computer readable medium for creating a dimensioned object model in a CAD system, including automatically associating editable dimensions with an object model in the CAD system. The method includes receiving 2D CAD data, the 2D CAD data including dimension information, and creating a 3D model corresponding to the 2D CAD data. The method also includes associating the dimension information with features of the 3D model and storing the 3D model and associated dimension information in the CAD system. The dimension information can thereafter be edited to automatically produce corresponding changes in the 3D model. Other methods are also described. |
| US08447573B2 |
Method of manufacturing an optical system
The invention relates to a method of calculating an optical system (OS), the optical system (OS) being identified by a function (OF), the optical system (OS) comprising a first part (F1) defined by a first equation (EF1) and a second part (F2) defined by a second equation (EF2), the method comprising: —a generating step (GEN), in which a virtual optical system (VOS) is used to generate a virtual function (VOF); —a modification step (MOD), in which the virtual function (VOF) is modified so as obtain the function (OF); —a calculation step (CAL), in which the second equation (EF2) is calculated from the function (OF), and the first equation (EF1). The invention relates also to a method of manufacturing an optical system (OS). |
| US08447570B2 |
Predictive sensor readout
A predictive sensor readout is suitable for coupling to a sensor. The predictive sensor readout includes a sampling circuit, a predictor, and a preset circuit. The sampling circuit is configured to receive and over-sample previously digitized samples of signals previously input from the sensor. The predictor is coupled to the sampling circuit and is configured to receive the over-sampled digitized samples into a signal history and to generate a predicted input from the sensor based on the signal history. The preset circuit is coupled to the predictor and the sampling circuit and is configured to present the sampling circuit to receive the predicted input from the sensor prior to sampling an actual input from the sensor. |
| US08447567B2 |
Measuring line performance
A method of measuring the performance of a DSL line provides an indication of potential faults in the line. Analysis of broadband DSL is less straightforward than for other technologies, since “normal” behavior depends on a number of factors, including line length and line quality, where normal behavior for a long line could be regarded as poor for a short line. The data transmission characteristics of a DSL line under test are measured with reference to its upstream line attenuation, then the results are compared with the model for the corresponding data transmission characteristic. A performance measure is calculated for each characteristic indicative of the difference between the measured characteristic and the observed ‘average’ for other lines having the same upstream line attenuation. A final line performance indicator is calculated based on the combination of all the individual performance measures, which provides a quantitative measure of a line's performance. |
| US08447559B2 |
Systems and methods for an impact location and amplitude sensor
An impact location and amplitude sensory system is provided. Such an impact sensory system may be useful in conjunction with gaming, education, as a control and feedback mechanism for virtually any surface. One embodiment of the impact sensory system may include at least one sensor and a signal processor. The sensor(s) may couple to the object. Sensors may include any of microphones and accelerometers. The sensor(s) receive an impact wave from an impact to the object, either as a propagating acoustic wave or as a traverse phase shift in natural oscillation. The sensor(s) may generate an impact signal in response to the sensed impact wave. The signal processor may couple to the sensor(s). The signal processor may include a preamplifier, an impact triangulator, and an outputter. The impact triangulater may identify a location of the impact from the impact signals. The outputter may then output data regarding the location of the impact. |
| US08447554B2 |
System, method and computer program for remotely testing system components over a network
The invention is a turn-key, modular platform, including software and hardware, for testing physical system components such as motors remotely over the Internet. The system allows remote customers to test multiple physical system components under the specific loading conditions of the real-world application. This will provide more detailed and accurate information than what is usually given in the data sheets for system component performance, enabling the user to make a more-reliable decision. With respect to motors, the hardware consists of a torque motor that moves autonomously in xy plane to couple to the individual test motors, through a unique coupling mechanism, and emulate various load profiles on them. Test motors are mounted onto modular fixtures that allow for one-time manual positioning in xyz space. The software, consisting of server and target applications, creates user accounts and profiles, controls user access by means of a scheduler, and enables each user to connect to the hardware via Internet and run a customized experiment. |
| US08447552B2 |
Conditioned medical testing
The invention refers to a computer implemented method, a computer system a test machine and a computer program product for executing conditioned and qualified test. An ordering instance may order a set of tests, comprising an initial test and a set of follow-up tests, wherein the execution of each of the follow-up tests is dependent of the result of the respective predecessor test, like the initial test. The conditions for executing the follow-up tests are dynamically definable and are analyzed automatically. |
| US08447545B2 |
Module for measuring the current flowing in a conductor distribution of a low-voltage distribution board
A module is provided for measuring current flowing in a conductor of a low-voltage distribution board. The module includes a current sensor for detecting the current, a microprocessor circuit for processing an output signal from the current sensor, and a module housing which accommodates the current sensor and the microprocessor circuit. The module housing has an opening for passing the current conductor, an interface with two current connections, and a connection element for releasably fastening the module in the low-voltage distribution board. To enable the module to be simply installed in the low-voltage distribution board and ensure operational reliability of the module, the passage opening extends from a side of the module housing bearing the interface, through the current measuring module, to an opposite side of the module housing, and the module is DC-isolated from the current conductor after it has been installed in the low-voltage distribution board. |
| US08447543B2 |
Electric vehicle simulator and analyzer (EVSA) for electric vehicle supply equipment
Embodiments pertain to devices and systems having simulator circuitry, particularly to simulator circuitry configured to simulate an electric vehicle and test an electric vehicle charger. A test unit is configured to simulate a GFI current via modulator and to simulate electric vehicle loads via switched and combined resistor loads. The test unit provides for reprogramming of the electric vehicle charger via a pilot line. The test unit self-confirms its usability via associating received codes. |
| US08447538B2 |
Apparatus and methods for monitoring quantities of fluid in a container
The present technology relates to a volumetric measurement device and various methods for operation of the device. The device comprises at least one accelerometer for detecting the angle of tilt/tip of a container. The device also comprises at least one fluid property processor capable of providing at least one fluidic property value of a fluid, a flow-rate processor capable of continuously calculating the present flow rate of the fluid when poured from the container, and a volume processor capable of continuously calculating the present volume of the fluid within the container. The flow-rate processor calculates the rate of flow of the fluid poured from the container based on the angle of tilt/tip of the apparatus, the at least one fluid property value, and the present volume of fluid within the container. |
| US08447536B2 |
Medium density measuring system
A measuring system for the precise measuring a density of a medium, flowing in a line. compressible. The measuring system comprises: a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor. Both sensors communicate with a measuring electronics of the system.The measuring electronics are operable to provide, based on temperature measurement and pressure measurement signal, density measured-value representing, instantaneously, a local density, of the flowing medium at a virtual density measuring point, predeterminably spaced from the pressure measuring point and/or from the temperature measuring point, along the flow axis. |
| US08447534B2 |
Digital flowmeter
A controller for a flowmeter includes an input module operable to receive a sensor signal from a sensor connected to a vibratable flowtube. The sensor signal is related to a fluid flow through the flowtube. The controller also includes a signal processing system operable to receive the sensor signal, determine sensor signal characteristics, and output drive signal characteristics for a drive signal applied to the flowtube. An output module is operable to output the drive signal to the flowtube and a control system is operable to modify the drive signal and thereby maintain oscillation of the flowtube during a transition of the flowtube from a substantially empty state to a substantially full state. |
| US08447531B2 |
Device for measuring retention force
A Centrifugal Adhesion Balance apparatus for measuring retention forces between a body and a surface. This CAB apparatus decouples the normal and lateral retention forces by allowing any combination of the gravity force and a centrifugal force. This CAB apparatus includes a rotatable arm and an independently rotatable flat surface wherein the angle between the arm and the flat surface is precisely controlled. |
| US08447530B2 |
High density structural health monitoring system and method
A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of a structure. The method includes providing a plurality of damage monitoring units each having at least one actuator, at least one sensor and a data collection device. The sensors are arranged and disposed to measure vibration produced by the actuator and provide a signal corresponding to the measured vibration to the data collection device. The actuator is activated and the vibration is measured with the sensor. The signal is compared to a reference signal and a damage index value is determined in response to the comparison between the signal and reference signal. The damage index value is transmitted for each vibratory path to a central processing device and the damage index values are analyzed for the plurality of damage monitoring units to determine the location of damage to the structure. |
| US08447529B2 |
Method and system for predicting corrosion rates using mechanistic models
A computer system and method for predicting the aqueous phase CO2 corrosion rate of a pipe useful in the production and transportation of oil and gas. Input parameter values corresponding to water chemistry and physical fluid and pipe properties are received. Based on these input parameter values, the system and method derive current-voltage relationships for multiple cathodic reduction reactions according to an electrochemical model of the corrosion reaction, and a current-voltage relationship for the anodic oxidation reaction of iron dissolution. A current density is obtained, at the intersection of an extrapolation of the anodic current-voltage relationship and an extrapolation of the summed cathodic current-voltage relationships. The predicted corrosion rate is then calculated from the obtained current density. The effects of secondary parameters such as scale and flow regime, and the efficacy of a corrosion inhibitor, can also be evaluated. |
| US08447527B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing retention-time matching
A method for matching a precursor ion with one or more related product ions includes providing input data sets obtained from sample injections, each of the data sets including a precursor ion and one or more product ions, normalizing the input data sets in accordance with a single retention time for the precursor ion, determining which product ions are within a predetermined retention time window with respect to the single retention time, and, if a product ion is within the predetermined retention time window for a specified number of the input data sets, determining that the product ion is related to the precursor having the single retention time. An apparatus for analyzing a sample includes a chromatography module, a mass-spectrometry module in communication with the chromatography module, and control unit in communication with the chromatography module and the mass-spectrometry module. |
| US08447526B2 |
Methods and computer systems for analyzing high-throughput assays
The present invention provides methods and computer programs for detecting variations in measurements of a biological variable, e.g., variations in cell viability, under different conditions, e.g., with or without treatment of a drug, under the treatments of different drugs, or under different environmental conditions. The methods and programs of the invention determine a metric of difference between measurements under different condition, and make use of predetermined errors of the measurements, e.g., errors determined from an error model, to estimate the errors in the metric of difference. Such an approach provides a more accurate estimate of the errors of measurements, which, in turn, provides a more accurate estimate of the error of the difference metric. |
| US08447525B2 |
Interactive structural restoration while interpreting seismic volumes for structure and stratigraphy
A method for performing seismic interpretation of a subterranean formation by enabling dual-domain interpretation of seismic features in the present day depth domain and simultaneously in a structurally restored “mapped” seismic domain. Specifically, seismic interpretation is performed on structurally restored seismic volumes while concurrently viewing the interpretation results in the structural domain. This increases the interpretation confidence by improved correlation of structural deformed events to their pre-structurally deformed geometry. The method includes the ability to progressively remove structural deformation from the seismic volume, corresponding to moving back in geologic time. The interpretation can be performed in either domain (present-day structure or structurally restored to a defined geologic event), and the interpretation will be mapped to any other computed geologic age or present structural age. |
| US08447521B2 |
Subsurface electrical conductivity contrast reconstruction using narrow-band electromagnetic data and fullwave imaging
Methods and related systems are described for analyzing electromagnetic survey data. Electromagnetic survey data of a subterranean formation is obtained using at least a downhole transceiver deployed in a borehole and a transceiver positioned on the surface or in another borehole. The electromagnetic survey data includes an incident wave component and a scattered wave component. The incident and scattered components are correlated so as to generate an image of the subterranean formation indicating spatial locations of one or more features, for example, electrical properties such as resistivity variations, in the formation. The image is based at least in part on one or more interference patterns of the incident and scattered wave components. The correlation preferably includes generating a simulation of the incident wave component propagated into the formation, and convolving the simulated propagated incident wave component with the scattered wave component. The simulation can be performed using an analytic continuation or a fullwave simulation. |
| US08447520B2 |
Device for aiding the navigation and guidance of an aircraft, and system comprising such a device
Device for aiding the navigation and guidance of an aircraft, and system comprising such a device. The device (1) comprises at least three independent channels and it comprises at least one computer (2) which contains means (4) for storing and means (6, 7) for calculating positions and deviations. |
| US08447519B2 |
Method of augmenting GPS or GPS/sensor vehicle positioning using additional in-vehicle vision sensors
A method is provided for augmenting GPS data using an in-vehicle vision-based module. A vehicle position is determined utilizing position-related data obtained from a position module. A position error is estimated on a periodic basis. A determination is made whether the position error estimate exceeds a first predetermined error threshold. Tracking data is generated for the vehicle over a course of travel utilizing captured images from the in-vehicle vision based module. The tracking data is integrated with the position-related data to estimate the vehicle position in response to the position error estimate exceeding the first predetermined error threshold. A determination is made whether the position error estimate decreases below a second predetermined error threshold. The vehicle position is re-determined using only the position-related data when the position error estimate decreases below the second predetermined error threshold. |
| US08447518B2 |
Current position detector for vehicle
A current position detector for a vehicle includes: an angular speed sensor; a speed sensor; a GPS receiver; a traveling trajectory estimating element for estimating a relative trajectory based on an orientation change amount and a traveling distance, and for estimating a traveling trajectory based on the relative trajectory and a GPS signal; and an error estimating element for estimating and correcting each error of an angular speed signal, a speed signal and the GPS signal. The error estimating element estimates a gain error of the angular speed signal such that an attachment angle gain error attributed to an attachment angle of the angular speed sensor and an angular speed gain error attributed to a non-linear gain property of the angular speed sensor are independently estimated. |
| US08447517B2 |
Tightly-coupled GNSS/IMU integration filter having speed scale-factor and heading bias calibration
Embodiments of the invention provide a tightly-coupled integration filter for inertial sensor-assisted GNSS (global navigation satellite system) receiver. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) contains inertial sensors such as accelerometer, magnetometer, and/or gyroscopes. Embodiments include blending filter based on extended Kalman filter (EKF), which optimally integrates the IMU navigation data with all other satellite measurements (tightly-coupled integration filter). The proposed blending filter includes two states for estimating/compensating the speed scale-factor and the heading bias in the INS measurement. |
| US08447516B1 |
Efficient proximity detection
A server device may receive from a first computing device current location information associated with the first computing device. The server device may estimate a travel radius of a second computing device based at least in part on location information previously received from the second computing device, and may determine that the travel radius of the second computing device overlaps a proximity radius of the first computing device. The server device may query the second computing device for updated location information. The server device may receive the updated location information for the second computing device, and may determine that the second computing device is physically located substantially within the proximity radius of the first computing device based at least in part on the updated location information. In response, the server device may send to the first computing device an identification of the second computing device. |
| US08447515B2 |
Method for operating a navigational system
A method for operating a navigational system, especially a navigational system for a motor vehicle, having a memory, a display unit and at least one operating element, map data being loaded from a map data memory into the memory; the map data being subdivided into first map data and second map data; the first map data including geometric data of edges of a map network stored as graphs, and the second map data including topological data and applications being carried out using the first and/or second map data loaded into the memory. |
| US08447513B2 |
System and method for navigating a mobile device user interface with a directional sensing device
An electronic mobile device includes a display for displaying a graphical element. A tilt sensor is configured to sense first and second tilt angles of the mobile device. A processor is coupled to the display and the tilt sensor and configured to move the graphical element relative to the display in a first direction based on the first tilt angle, and to move the graphical element relative to the display in a second direction based on the second tilt angle. |
| US08447512B2 |
Process for generating computer flight plans on the Internet
A process for generating computer flight plans on the Internet with the elements of: a raw XY&Z database of chart data, a data base containing aircraft data, a software system to create VFR, IFR and Road charts, an Internet web site accessible by a Client computer, a software system which computes flight plans requested by the Client computer, a software system which allows for navigation data and aircraft editing by means of the Internet web site Client computer, and a software system which allows for outputting flight plans by means of the Internet web site Client computer.A alternate embodiment includes wherein said elements include a local area network consisting of a service and number of local Client computers or an Intranet network which is connected by means other than wires such as infrared or radio signals. A preferred embodiment includes further comprising the step(s) of computing by means of a software systems a cross section of the flight plan and displaying same in a profile window in which the route is displayed relative to terrain elevation, obstruction elevation, airspace, weather and flight altitude. |
| US08447510B2 |
Apparatuses, methods and systems for determining and announcing proximity between trajectories
Apparatuses, methods, and systems for signaling proximity of mobile devices. First activity information of a first mobile device and second activity information of a second mobile device are accumulated. A proximity boundary is established for the first mobile device. A location of the first mobile device is determined from the first activity information and a location of the second mobile device is determined from the second activity information. A determination is made whether the second mobile device is on or within the proximity boundary of the first mobile device. An alert is sent to at least the first mobile device that the proximity boundary has been breached when the second mobile device is on or within the proximity boundary of the first mobile device. |
| US08447505B2 |
Method and system for extending an operating range of a motor vehicle
A method and system are described for extending an operating range of a motor vehicle, the vehicle having an economy mode of operation. When the vehicle fuel level decreases below a first threshold, an indication is provided to a vehicle user that the vehicle will enter the economy mode of vehicle operation. The economy mode of vehicle operation is automatically entered a predetermined period of time after providing the indication to the vehicle user. The economy mode of vehicle operation is exited in response to a user command to exit the economy mode of vehicle operation. |
| US08447498B2 |
Control device for internal combustion engine
Even when an engine is started in various combustion states, an excessive increase in engine speed at the start of the engine is suppressed without an influence of the combustion states and with an excellent responsiveness. Ignition timing (or a combustion injection amount) at the start of an internal combustion engine is corrected in accordance with a crank angle cycle ratio which is a ratio of a combustion period crank angle cycle and a reference crank angle cycle. |
| US08447497B2 |
Apparatus for determining an air-fuel ratio imbalance among cylinders of an internal combustion engine
An apparatus for determining an air-fuel ratio imbalance among cylinders based on an output value of an air-fuel ratio sensor, an imbalance determination parameter which becomes larger or smaller as a difference among air-fuel ratios becomes larger, and performs determining an air-fuel ratio imbalance among cylinders based on a result of a comparison between the imbalance determination parameter and a imbalance determination threshold. The determining apparatus calculates a purge correction coefficient which compensates for a change in the air-fuel ratio due to an evaporated fuel gas which is generated in a fuel tank, while the evaporated fuel gas is being introduced into an intake passage, and corrects a fuel injection amount with the purge correction coefficient FPG. |
| US08447496B2 |
Fuel-based injection control
Systems and methods of operating an engine with a varying fuel composition. In one example, a split injection is performed during engine cranking with at least some fuel injected in the intake stroke and some fuel injected in the compression stroke. Further, a split ratio of the injection is adjusted based on the alcohol content of the injected fuel. |
| US08447495B2 |
Method and system for fuel vapor control
A method and system for fuel vapor control in a hybrid vehicle (HEV). The HEV fuel vapor recovery system includes a fuel tank isolation valve, which is normally closed to isolate storage of refueling from storage of diurnal vapors. The method for fuel vapor control includes selectively actuating the fuel tank isolation valve during interrelated routines for refueling, fuel vapor purging, and emission system leak detection diagnostics to improve regulation of pressure and vacuum the HEV fuel vapor recovery system. |
| US08447491B2 |
Method and controller for controlling output torque of a propulsion unit
Method for controlling output torque (Teng) of a propulsion unit in a vehicle powertrain including driven wheels drivingly connected to the propulsion unit via a mechanical transmission with a drive shaft, wherein the method including the steps of registering driver torque demand (Td) for vehicle propulsion, registering propulsion unit rotational speed (ωe), and controlling the output torque (Teng) of the propulsion unit to asymptotically follow the driver torque demand (Td) using a closed-loop linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) based controller (9) having the driver torque demand (Td) and the propulsion unit rotational speed (ωe) as input data, in order to minimize driveline oscillations. |
| US08447484B2 |
Branch-lane entry judging system
A branch-lane entry judging system includes a traffic-line detecting means for detecting traffic lines on right and left sides of a vehicle, a length and width detecting means for detecting lengths and widths of the traffic lines in a real space, a lane-type judging means for judging types of the traffic lines and a type of a lane in which the vehicle is running, a branch-lane detecting means for detecting a branch lane when one of the traffic lines changes from a solid line to a broken line having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, the branch lane existing near the changed traffic line, and a branch-lane entry judging means for judging that the vehicle will enter the branch lane when the vehicle moves toward the branch lane or a directional indicator is operated toward the branch lane while the branch lane is detected. |
| US08447483B2 |
Method for operating a working machine and a working machine with an improved transmission line
A working machine and a method for operating the same are provided. The working machine is provided with: a power source and a plurality of driving wheels; a working hydraulic system including at least one hydraulic pump powered by the power source for moving an implement on the working machine and/or for steering the working machine; a transmission line arranged between the power source and the driving wheels for transmitting torque from the power source to the driving wheels; and a transmission unit arranged in the transmission line for reducing the mechanical interaction between the power source and the driving wheels. The method includes: detecting at least one operational parameter indicative of a working condition of the working machine; determining if the characteristic of the transmission unit should be altered on the basis of a magnitude of the detected operational parameter; altering the characteristic of the transmission unit if it is determined to be required. |
| US08447481B2 |
Transmission
A transmission, such as an automated manual transmission for a motor vehicle, with at least one shift group, such that the shift group or each shift group comprises a shift rail which actuates a shift fork that co-operates with a shift sleeve of the shift group concerned. Associated with the shift rail of the shift group or of each shift group there is a sensor that moves together with the respective shift rail relative to a corresponding measurement receiver such that in the area of at least one shift group, a first relative position between the measurement receiver and the sensor in the actuation direction and a second relative position between the measurement receiver and the sensor perpendicular to the actuation direction of the shift rail concerned can be detected, and from the second relative position, an evaluation device deduces system conditions of the shift group concerned. |
| US08447480B2 |
Transmission control method for continuously variable transmission
A transmission control method for a continuously variable transmission for enhancing the response of a change in engine speed to a driver's accelerating/decelerating operation. In a hydraulic type continuously variable transmission, when a sport operating mode is being selected (step S1: SPORT OPERATING MODE), a target engine speed T_NE (rpm) is calculated from the vehicle velocity V (km/hr) and the position θ (degrees) of a throttle valve 60 (step S4). Further, a target angle T_A (degrees) for a motor swash plate is calculated from the vehicle velocity and the target engine speed T_NE (step S5). The motor swash plate is moved according to the difference between the actual angle A of the motor swash plate 46 and the target angle T_A. |
| US08447479B2 |
Speed change system for work vehicle
A speed change system for work vehicle having a continuously variable transmission device selects a first change gear ratio which is set larger than a smallest change gear ratio, when an engine rotational speed is a first set rotational speed which is set equal or close to an idling rotational speed of an engine; retains the change gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission device at the smallest change gear ratio, when the engine rotational speed is equal to or above a second set rotational speed set on a high-speed side relative to the first set rotational speed; and makes the change gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission device larger between the first change gear ratio and the smallest change gear ratio, as the engine rotational speed at that moment becomes lower, when the engine rotational speed is between the first and second set rotational speeds. |
| US08447478B2 |
Electro-hydraulic control apparatus for a motor vehicle transmission with at least five forward gears and one reverse gear
The control apparatus comprises, in its version intended for a double-clutch transmission, first, second and third shift forks each movable between first and second engagement positions to engage a respective gear, of which the first shift fork is able to engage at least the first gear and the second shift fork is able to engage at least the second gear, first, second and third double-acting hydraulic actuators arranged to control each the movement of a respective shift fork between the first and second engagement position, of which the first hydraulic actuator is associated to the first shift fork and the second hydraulic actuator is associated to the second shift fork, a slide valve selectively movable into one of at least three operating positions in each of which the slide valve selects a respective hydraulic actuator, and first and second gear shift solenoid valves for controlling the supply of fluid to the hydraulic actuator each time selected by the slide valve or the connection of that actuator to a tank. The first shift fork is moved into the engagement position of the first gear upon energization of the first gear shift solenoid valve, whereas the second shift fork is moved into the engagement position of the second gear upon energization of the second gear shift solenoid valve. |
| US08447477B2 |
Forklift engine control device
A control device of a forklift engine that secures operability by keeping down fuel consumption when the accelerator pedal is floored in an unloaded or lightly loaded state, and once a heavy cargo is loaded, by lifting the cargo at a maximum lifting speed and traveling with maximum travel performance without acceleration problems. At least two maximum torque curves of different magnitudes are set in advance on a torque curve diagram. Then, the weight the cargo loaded on an attachment is measured. A threshold value for selecting at least two maximum torque curves is determined. If the measured weight is less than the threshold value, the maximum torque curve with a smaller maximum torque value is selected. If the measured weight is not less than the threshold value, the maximum torque curve with a larger maximum torque value is selected. The engine is controlled using the selected maximum torque curve. |
| US08447471B2 |
Vehicle driveability control system
In a vehicle driveability control system for determining a control variable that is applied to a vehicle for a given control input including a front wheel steering angle according to a response of a vehicle model (10) to the given input, a parameter of the vehicle model is changed according to an output of a vehicle operator skill determining unit (14). Thereby, the vehicle driveability control system can provide a driving property that suits the driving skill of the particular vehicle operator, and can satisfy vehicle operators of all skill levels. In particular, if the vehicle operator is skilled enough to cope with emergency situations, the vehicle is enabled to respond to a quick input with a high responsiveness. Also, the control system is able to adapt itself to an improvement in the skill of a vehicle operator over time. |
| US08447464B2 |
System and method for interfacing between an on-board diagnostic output and a distance measuring instrument input
A method and system for interfacing and communicating between an in-vehicle device such as an on board diagnostic (OBD) system and an existing distance measurement instrument (DMI) are provided. In one embodiment, the interface sends a plurality of vehicle speed requests to the OBD system to obtain a plurality of vehicle speed measurements, uses the plurality of vehicle speed measurements and time stamps associated therewith to compute a distance travelled during a time interval, converts the distance travelled to a series of pulses, and sends the series of pulses to the DMI. |
| US08447455B2 |
Target route generation system
A target route generation system which generates a target route for a robot (R) to travel along autonomously is provided with a route candidate generation element (110) which generates a plurality of travel route candidates to connect the terminating point and the starting point by connecting links stored at a link storing element (211), state recognition elements (115 to 118) which recognize a state of the robot (R), and a route evaluation IC element (120) which evaluates a cost of a travel route candidate including therein an action point stored in an action point storing element (212) lower as the necessity for passing by the action point is higher in view of the state of the robot (R) recognized by the state recognition elements (115 to 118). According to the system, the robot can be made to travel through the action point with a high necessity in view of the state of the robot. |
| US08447452B2 |
Vehicle-use electricity management system, vehicle-use electricity information management apparatus and vehicle-use electrical load
The vehicle-use electricity management system includes an electricity demand detection means to detect electricity consumed by electrical loads, and an electricity price information generation means to generate electricity price information indicative of a price of electricity supplied to the electrical loads based on the electricity demand. At least one of the electrical loads includes an electricity consumption ability determination means to determine whether electricity supplied to the own electrical load can be consumed unconditionally based on comparison between the electricity price information received from the electricity price information generation means and electricity consumption ability information stored in the own electrical load, and an electricity consumption control means to control an amount of electricity consumed by the own electrical load based on a determination result made by the electricity consumption ability determination means. |
| US08447451B2 |
System and method for controlling operation of an electric all-wheel drive hybrid vehicle
A method of controlling operation of an electric all-wheel drive hybrid vehicle having an engine, automatic transmission, and first and second motor-generators includes driving the vehicle via the second motor-generator. The method also includes determining desired engine speed and transmission gear ratio. The method also includes starting the engine via the first motor-generator and locking up all but one of a plurality of transmission torque transmitting devices required to be engaged for selecting the gear ratio. The method additionally includes modulating engagement of the one remaining torque transmitting device while controlling the engine to generate the desired engine speed. Furthermore, the method includes regulating the engine and the first motor-generator such that their combined torque is approximately zero, locking up the remaining torque transmitting device to select the gear ratio, and controlling the engine to generate desired transmission output torque. A system for controlling such a vehicle is also disclosed. |
| US08447450B2 |
Method and device for specifying a boost control strategy of a hybrid vehicle drive
A method and a device are provided for specifying a boost control strategy of a hybrid vehicle drive. The method includes predefining a driving track (R) with a multiplicity of track sections (G1-G4; K1-K4); determining a dependency of a lap time gain (Δt) on a boost energy quantity (Eboost) used, proceeding from a vehicle-specific lap time without boost assistance from the electric motor (G1, G2) for a plurality of predetermined track sections (G1-G4); and defining a respective partial boost energy quantity (EBoost1, EBoost2, EBoost3, EBoost4) for each track section (G1-G4) based on the determined dependencies, with a sum of the partial boost energy quantities (EBoost1, EBoost2, EBoost3, EBoost4) corresponding to a predefined available total boost energy quantity (EBoostm). |
| US08447449B2 |
Belt slip detection diagnostic
A vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a belt, and a controller. The engine is configured to output torque via a crankshaft. The motor is configured to apply torque to and/or receive torque from the engine via an output shaft. The belt is operably disposed on the crankshaft of the engine and the output shaft of the motor. Rotation of the output shaft is transferred to the crankshaft via the belt. The controller is configured to identify a slip event by comparing a speed of the motor to a speed of the engine. The controller is further configured to count the number of slip events and diagnose a belt failure if the number of slip events exceeds a predetermined number of slip events over a predetermined number of drive cycles. |
| US08447447B2 |
Actuation system for a drive unit of a motor vehicle
The invention relates to an actuation system for a drive unit of a motor vehicle, having has a drive control unit which is assigned to the drive unit and which has a function level and a function monitoring level. A (4), a first data transmission device (5) which is arranged in the function level (3), of the drive control unit and is connected to a separate external control unit via a first communication path via which a predefined setpoint torque (Msoll) can be forwarded from the external control unit to the first data transmission device. In addition, the drive control unit also has a second data transmission device which is likewise additionally connected to the external control unit via a second communication path. The same predefined setpoint torque can also be forwarded from the external control unit to the second data transmission device via the second communication path. |
| US08447444B2 |
Method and device for automatically detecting a lateral dissymetry of an aircraft
The device (1) includes means (2, 3, 4) for observing the overall conditions of the aircraft and for determining whether the lateral behavior thereof is normal. |
| US08447440B2 |
Autonomous behaviors for a remote vehicle
A method comprising running a persistent self-righting behavior comprising sensing an orientation of the remote vehicle and performing a progression of flipper movements until the remote vehicle is righted, and performing a retrotraverse behavior comprising: generating a list of time stamped waypoints separated by at least a minimum difference in time and distance; storing the list of time stamped waypoints in the memory; and generating, using a control system, a current return path interconnecting previously-traversed waypoints in reverse order of timestamps upon losing communication with the operator control unit or upon receiving a command from the operator control unit. |
| US08447439B2 |
Three-way airplane model control system with 2.4G communication mode
The utility model provides an airplane model control system capable of conducting omnidirectional and long-distance transmission of signals without being interfered by the sunlight and other visible lights. The airplane model control system can transverse obstacles for data communication, and comprises a remote control transmitting control device and an airplane receiving control device which all work in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz and 83 communication channels are included; and each remote control transmitting control device has unique ID number, which will not be controlled and interfered due to the reason of same frequency, realizes a share port of multiple functions simultaneously on one main controller and can realize reduction of cost. |
| US08447435B1 |
System and method for routing power across multiple microgrids having DC and AC buses
Systems and methods are described herein for managing the operations of a plurality of microgrid modules. A microgrid module includes transformers and/or power converters necessary for modifying the input AC or DC power sources to meet the required characteristics of the output power. The microgrid module further comprises a control software module and a power router software module. The control software module receives data from sensors in the microgrid module and controls the flow of power with controllable elements. The power router software module controls the operation of the power router. The power router can detect changes in demand for power within the microgrid module or from other microgrid modules. The power router can adjust the flow of power between the microgrid modules in response to changes in the supply of power to the microgrid module and changes in the demand for power from the microgrid module. |
| US08447434B1 |
System and method of dynamic and distributed control with topology discovery in an isolated power grid
A system and method of dynamic distributed control with network topology discovery in an isolated distribution grid is provided. Source modules connect to AC generators and output high voltage DC power on ports. Load modules receive the high voltage DC power on connected ports and convert the DC power to AC power. Loads are connected to AC outlets on load modules. A source module discovers the connected network topology through a series of states following the reading of a configuration file. Each module has a microprocessor. Each microprocessor runs control algorithms using its adjacency map as input. Respective adjacency maps are monitored, compared, and amended as needed to maintain consistency across all adjacency maps, thus ensuring consistent distributed control of the power distribution grid. |
| US08447429B2 |
Apparatus and method for balancing and damping control in whole body coordination framework for biped humanoid robot
Apparatus and a method for balancing and damping control in whole body coordination framework for a biped humanoid robot. The method comprises the steps of: (a) damping the structural vibration of the main body of the robot caused when the robot walks; (b) compensating for the trajectories of the zero moment position (ZMP) and the center of mass (COM) of the robot which changes in accordance with the damping of the structural vibration; and (c) compensating for the body orientation of the robot which changes in accordance with the damping of the structural vibration and the trajectory of the COM. |
| US08447427B2 |
System and method for carrier identification in a pneumatic tube system
A system and method provides for the identification and monitoring of carriers within a pneumatic carrier system. Each carrier which is to be employed within the system includes an identification device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip which has stored thereon identification information for the carrier. Positioned throughout the system are communications devices such as antennas and readers which are employed to read and/or write identification information on the chip. When a carrier is put in the system, a destination location can be associated with the particular carrier ID. This associated information is then employed to, among many things, monitor and confirm identity of the carrier as it moves to its destination. |
| US08447425B2 |
Device and method for controlling a web
An adaptive assembly line for assembly of a continuous first web to a continuous or discontinuous second web. The assembly line includes a control device. The control devices includes a first camera arranged to take a first picture of the first web before assembly of the first web to the second web. The control device is arranged to use the first picture for determining the position of a first center line in the first web. The control device is arranged to use the first picture for controlling the position of the first web and/or the second web so that the first center line becomes aligned with a second center line comprised in the second web during assembly of the first web to the second web. |
| US08447420B2 |
Methods for predicting performance of sports players based on players' offsetting and complementary skills
A method includes receiving statistical data associated with a past performance of a player at a position at a past sporting event. The player is associated with a plurality of skills that correspond to the position of the player. Each skill has a corresponding offsetting skill and complementary skill. A skill rating is calculated for each skill based on the received statistical data and an expert's subjective input. The subjective input includes (1) an importance rating of that skill to the position of the player, (2) a predicted strength rating of the corresponding offsetting skill at a future sporting event, or (3) a predicted strength rating of the corresponding complementary skill at the future sporting event. An output associated with the calculated skill ratings is sent to an output module and is used to predict a future performance of the player at the position at the future sporting event. |
| US08447419B1 |
Pseudo-genetic meta-knowledge artificial intelligence systems and methods
Systems and methods for artificially intelligent physical and virtual actors including pseudo-genetic information and configured to retain meta-knowledge are described. The actors are adapted with unique behavioral and physical attributes which may independently evolve over time. The attributes may include reproduction based attributes which direct how, when, and with whom the actor reproduces and may be subject to mutation and reproductive forces. The attributes may include evaluation attributes which dictate when and how each actor evaluates their performance. The evaluation attributes may also be subject to mutation and reproductive forces. The attributes may consider meta-knowledge which is a reflection of information gathered by an actor. What and how much meta-knowledge is collected may also be expressed as one or more evolvable attributes. |
| US08447417B2 |
Multi-level controller system and method
The invention is a state machine having a host controller that controls a level-1 controller, wherein the level-1 controller controls the level-2 controller. The level-2 controller controls system component controllers, which in turn control system components to execute a process segment. For example, the machine includes a host controller that selects a set of states to be executed, a level-1 controller that activates the set of states in a predetermined order, wherein each state includes commands, and a level-2 controller that controls system components according to the commands. A method of executing a process includes identifying a set of states to be executed, issuing state commands that need to be issued to execute the current state in the set of states, and activating a next state only after all expected status reports have been received for the current state. |
| US08447416B2 |
Field decoupling element for use with an implantable line and implantable medical device
A field decoupling element for use with an implantable line with an elongated line body and a function conductor which extends in the longitudinal direction of the line body and acts to implement a medical function of the line, such that the field decoupling element is in electric contact with the function conductor in the use state connected to the line and reduces coupling of the function conductor to an external field. |
| US08447412B2 |
Apparatus and methods for wireless communication via electrical pulses conducted by the interstitial tissues of the body for an active implantable medical device
An active implantable medical device having wireless communication of data via electrical pulses conducted by the interstitial tissues of the body. This device (12, 14) includes a pair of electrodes (22, 24) and generates pulse trains consisting of a series of electrical pulses applied to the electrodes. The pulse train is modulated by digital information (data) that is produced by the device. A regulated current or voltage source (42) is used to generate (44, 48) current or voltage pulses to form the pulse train. Each current or voltage pulse is a biphasic pulse comprising a positive and negative alternation. The biphasic current or voltage modulated by the digital information, is injected between the electrodes (22, 24) and wirelessly communicated. |
| US08447409B2 |
Electroneural interface for a medical implant
Embodiments are generally directed to improving the interface between one or more electrode contacts of a medical implant and the neurons of a recipient of the medical implant. In an embodiment, a growth factor is applied to stimulate the growth of peripheral processes (also referred to as dendrites). Then an electric field is applied to direct the growth of the peripheral processes towards the electrode contact. Growing peripheral processes towards the electrode contacts may reduce the charge required to stimulate the peripheral processes and improve operation of the medical implant. |
| US08447407B2 |
Method and system for detecting epileptogenesis
Neuronal excitation and inhibition of the brain is tracked in the hippocampal CA1 network during a latent period, wherein biomarkers are observed which include a sustained increase in the firing rate of the excitatory postsynaptic field activity, paired with a subsequent decrease in the firing rate of the inhibitory postsynaptic field activity; the mean amplitude profiles of both fEPSP and fEPSP field potential activity during the latent period have characteristic shapes; both excitatory and inhibitory CA1 field activity firing rates are observed to follow a circadian rhythm that drifts during epileptogenesis; the circadian rhythms described are in-phase in controls and anti-phase during epileptogenesis; and the fEPSP rate drifts from a circadian rhythm to a greater extent than the fEPSP rate. An additional biomarker is a change in a circadian rhythm of core body temperature. Therapeutic measures can include thermal, chemical, or electrical modulation, in an open or closed loop process. |
| US08447404B2 |
Device and implantation system for electrical stimulation of biological systems
The present specification discloses devices and methodologies for the treatment of diurnal GERD. Individuals with GERD may be treated by implanting a stimulation device within the patient's lower esophageal sphincter and applying electrical stimulation to the patient's lower esophageal sphincter, in accordance with certain predefined protocols. The presently disclosed devices have a simplified design because they do not require sensing systems capable of sensing when a person is engaged in a wet swallow and have improved energy storage requirements. |
| US08447391B2 |
Detection method for detecting QRS wave
A detection method for detecting a QRS wave is disclosed. An electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is provided. The ECG signal is enhanced to generate a processed signal. A first crest of the processed signal is determined. Each crest following the first crest is defined as a second crest. The level of each second crest is higher than a first threshold value. The result of defining the second crest is utilized to determine whether the QRS wave has occurred and approached a first crest. |
| US08447389B2 |
Methods and systems to monitor and identify transient ischemia
A system and method are provided for monitoring ischemic development. The system and method identify a non-physiologic event and obtain cardiac signals along multiple sensing vectors, wherein at least a portion of the sensing vectors extend to or from electrodes located proximate to the left ventricle. The system and method monitor a segment of interest in the cardiac signals obtained along the multiple sensing vectors to identify deviations in the segment of interest from a baseline. The system and method record at least one of timing or segment shift information associated with the deviations in the segments of interest; and identify at least one of size, direction of development or rate of progression of an ischemia region based on the at least one of timing or segment shift information. |
| US08447385B2 |
Handheld medical microwave radiometer
A microwave handheld radiometer for measuring subsurface tissue temperature of a subject includes a microwave antenna disposed relative to a handheld radiometer housing and adapted to electromagnetically couple to a skin surface of a subject, a circulator having a first circulator input and a second circulator input, wherein the first circulator input is electrically coupled to said antenna via a microwave feedline. A switch is electrically disposed between the antenna and an microwave feedline, said switch having a calibrate state and a measure state. A noise source, electrically coupled to the circulator, is being configured to provide a first source of thermal noise at a first temperature and a second source of thermal noise at a second temperature, wherein the noise source is switched between the first source and second source upon external command wherein a detector provides an output wherein surface temperature effects are corrected for the sub-surface measurement. |
| US08447383B2 |
System and method for providing 2-dimensional computerized-tomography image corresponding to 2-dimensional ultrasound image
Embodiments for providing a 2-dimensional (D) computerized-tomography (CT) image corresponding to a 2-D ultrasound image through image registration between 3-D ultrasound and CT images are disclosed. An imaging system comprises a CT imaging unit, an ultrasound image forming unit, a storing unit, a processor and a display unit. The processor extracts the 2-D CT image from the 3-D ultrasound-CT registered image by performing a rigid-body transform upon the 3-D ultrasound image and calculating similarities between reference images and the 2-D ultrasound images, wherein the reference images are obtained through the rigid-body transform. |
| US08447382B2 |
Positioning system and method of position detecting
A body-insertable device including a resonance circuit for emitting a resonance magnetic field by being induced by a drive magnetic field received from the outside. An external device for deriving position information of the resonance circuit by using a detection signal of detected resonance magnetic field. The external device includes a drive coil driving unit for outputting a drive signal having a predetermined frequency, a drive coil for receiving the output drive signal and generating the drive magnetic field, and a drive magnetic field generation control unit for calculating an amplitude value of the drive signal by using a current amplitude value of the drive signal, detecting a degree of stability indicating whether a sharp change occurs in the drive magnetic field based on the calculated amplitude value, and controlling the deriving of a position information based on the detected degree of stability in the drive magnetic field. |
| US08447377B2 |
Cardiac mapping catheter
A multi electrode catheter for non contact mapping of the heart having independent articulation and deployment features. |
| US08447374B2 |
Systems and methods for determining blood oxygen saturation values using complex number encoding
The disclosure includes pulse oximetry systems and methods for determining point-by-point saturation values by encoding photoplethysmographs in the complex domain and processing the complex signals. The systems filter motion artifacts and other noise using a variety of techniques, including statistical analysis such as correlation, or phase filtering. |
| US08447371B2 |
Mobile terminal device
A mobile terminal device with a first case including a rotation base portion having a first axis of rotation parallel to a side of the first case, a second case openable and closable relative to the first case by rotating the second case about the first axis of rotation, and a supporting portion attached to the second case, wherein the supporting portion includes a rotation portion integral therewith and rotatable relative to the rotation base portion about the first axis of rotation and covers at least a part of the rotation base portion. |
| US08447370B2 |
Microphone techniques
Among other features, a boom microphone has a microphone connector; an earcup module includes an earcup connector jack to connect to a headphone and a boom lead-in to receive the microphone connector; and a control module communicates voice signals wirelessly between (a) the boom microphone and headphone and (b) a telephone. |
| US08447367B2 |
Process measurement instrument adapted for wireless communication
A process measurement instrument adapted for wireless communication, comprising a measurement unit (7) arranged to determine a measurement value of a process variable, a memory (21) arranged to store a current measurement value of the process variable, a wireless communication unit (8), arranged to access the current measurement value and communicate the current measurement value over a wireless communication channel according to a protocol with intermittently active communication, and arbitration logic (22), in communication with the measurement unit and the wireless communication unit, and arranged to ensure that active periods of the measurement unit occur when the wireless communication is inactive.The measurement unit and communication unit are thus able to share information via the common memory, e.g. by sequential read/write access. This avoids the need for simultaneous activity. The invention can be especially advantageous when the instrument is powered by an internal power store, such as a battery, and extend the lifetime of such a power store. |
| US08447365B1 |
Vehicle communication system
A vehicle has a dashboard, a windshield, a driver area with a steering wheel. A transceiver transmits and receives digital data for both text messages and voice messages. A voice activated wireless electronic device with a keyboard and a screen is built into the dashboard. A voice assembly includes a speaker and a microphone. A text assembly includes a display mounted in the dashboard. A joystick is adapted to allow a driver to manipulate data on both the screen of the electronic device and the display. A central processing unit operatively couples the transceiver, electronic device, speaker, microphone, and joystick. |
| US08447364B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal including a terminal body having first and second regions on a front surface thereof, a touch screen part on the first region and configured to display visual information and perform an inputting operation in a tactile manner, and a touch pad part corresponding to the second region and configured to input information corresponding to a touch applied to a pre-set position on the second region. |
| US08447362B2 |
Function updating system and function updating method
A function updating system and function updating method enabling a user to recognize what functions are installed in a mobile terminal of a communicating party, by automatically notifying the functions in the mobile terminal and updating the address book with the functions. When a mobile terminal (1A) makes a call to another mobile terminal (1B), the mobile terminal (1A) transmits information of functions available in the mobile terminal (1A) to a function notifying server (31), the function notifying server (31) generates icon information based on the function information, and transmits the icon information to the mobile terminal (1B), and the mobile terminal (1B) updates the address book with the icon information. When the mobile terminal (1B) does not have an icon corresponding to the updated function, the mobile terminal (1B) downloads the icon from an icon server (32). |
| US08447357B2 |
Apparatus and method for identifying a sim card owner
A communications terminal is provided. The terminal has a SIM card reader that allows a user to easily identify the owner of a SIM card. Owner identification data may be stored on the SIM card, and when power is first applied to the communications terminal, the owner identification data may be read from the SIM card and played by the communications terminal, including reading an image from the SIM card and displaying the image on a display screen of the communications terminal, and/or reading audio data from the SIM card and playing the audio data over a speaker of the communications terminal. Owner identifying data may be attached to a SIM card. When inserted into a receiving slot of a communications terminal, the identifying data may be viewed through a transparent window adjacent the SIM card receiving slot, either in the terminal itself, or in a SIM card holder attached to the SIM card and inserted into a slot. |
| US08447356B2 |
Mobile phone and method of utilizing dial telephone in communication
The disclosure provides a mobile phone and a method of utilizing a dial telephone in communication by the mobile phone. The mobile phone is electrically connected to the dial telephone via an audio interface and positioned on a dial plate of the dial telephone, and is rotated with the dial plate. The mobile phone stores a plurality of relationships between sensing parameters and numbers. A user of the mobile phone dials numbers via the dial plate, the mobile phone senses the number-dialing operations, dials out the dialed numbers, and makes a call via a receiver of the dial telephone, thus, it is no need to physically hold the mobile phone to communicate, thereby reducing the amount of radiation received by the user. |
| US08447355B2 |
Communication system, settlement management apparatus and method, portable information terminal and information processing method, and program
The present invention provides a communication system that enables safe and easy addition of a function for use of credit card settlement services to a portable information terminal. In this system, if a user brings his credit card close to the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal reads a card ID stored in a contactless IC card provided in the credit card. Then, the card ID is transmitted to a card management system which checks whether or not the card ID is valid. If confirming that the card ID is valid, the card management system instructs the portable information terminal to write the card ID thereto. If the user places an order of a merchandize, the card ID written to the portable information terminal is provided therefrom to use credit card settlement services. |
| US08447352B2 |
Method and apparatus for communicating via virtual office telephone extensions
A system for (and a method of) selectively establishing communication with at least one wireless device associated with a single telephone number serving as a virtual office extension is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a wireless connect unit in communication with an enterprise private branch exchange (PBX) network. The wireless connect unit preferably serves as a gateway between the PBX and one or more remote communication devices, including at least one wireless device, associated with a virtual extension telephone number. The remote wireless device can be used as a standard PBX office telephone for both inbound and outbound telephone calls. Thus, features of the PBX network (e.g., voice mail, direct extension dialing, corporate calling plan, etc.) are available to the remote wireless device even though it is not physically connected to the PBX. When the system receives an incoming call, it can route the call to a remote wireless device associated with a virtual extension, or to combination of devices simultaneously, or as desired by the user. |
| US08447345B2 |
Uplink power control for multiple component carriers
A first method includes determining if a sum of the transmit powers of individual component carriers is less than a maximum user equipment transmit power, adjusting the transmit power of one or more of the component carriers if the sum of the transmit powers of the individual component carriers is not less than the maximum user equipment transmit power, and transmitting the component carriers to a network access node. A second method includes identifying a component carrier with minimum transmit power and a component carrier with a maximum transmit power, calculating a power difference, determining if the power difference is greater than a predetermined maximum power difference and, if it is, increasing the transmit power of the component carrier with minimum transmit power by a first amount and decreasing the transmit power of the component carrier with the maximum transmit power by a second amount. |
| US08447344B2 |
Uplink power control for channel aggregation in a communication network
A system and method for uplink power control for aggregated channels in a communication network includes a step 300 of defining power scaling parameters to be used to derive power scaling factors to be applied to associated aggregated uplink channels. A next step 302 includes providing the power scaling parameters to user equipment. A next step 304 includes applying power scaling factors derived from the power scaling parameters to the associated aggregated uplink channels when the user equipment will exceed a maximum transmit power. |
| US08447342B2 |
Power control in a wireless communication system
A method of power control in a wireless communication system, wherein blocks are transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver via a wireless transport channel. The method comprises comparing a target signal quality value with a received signal quality value and providing the results of the comparing step to the transmitter to adjust transmit power based on the comparing step. The target signal quality value is set by the following steps: determining an initial target value; detecting if a data block has been received; detecting if received blocks have been successfully decoded; and decreasing the target value when pass blocks are received and increasing the target value when failed blocks are received subject to monitoring a period of inactivity on the transport channel in which no blocks are received. |
| US08447338B2 |
Data unit reception management method and related system and device
A method of managing reception of data units transmitted from a radiocommunication network to a plurality of user equipments via a plurality of common upper level channels mapped to a same common lower level channel. The method comprises the following steps carried out by any user equipment of said plurality of user equipments: receiving a list of information relating respectively to each common upper level channel of said plurality of common upper level channels in a determined order, said information including no common upper level channel identifier; and setting a common upper level channel identifier for each common upper level channel of said plurality of common upper level channels according to the received list of information. |
| US08447330B2 |
System for wireless location estimation using radio transceivers with polarization diversity
A system and method for wireless location estimation of a mobile node using radio transceivers with polarization diversity have been disclosed. The system includes a plurality of pre-defined fixed reference nodes distributed over a predetermined area adapted to transmit fixed reference signals. The system further includes mobile node transmission module at the mobile node adapted to transmit mobile reference signals with respect the mobile node and plurality of pre-defined fixed reference nodes. The horizontal polarization module and vertical polarization module polarize the transmitted mobile reference signals and the strength of the signals is measured. The derivation module derives the range of the signals. Subsequently, a profile of the derived range with reference to the measured signal strength is created by the system. The system further employs a trilateration algorithm to determine localization of the node using the created profile, thereby providing the location estimation for the mobile node. |
| US08447329B2 |
Method for spatially-accurate location of a device using audio-visual information
A system to determine positions of mobile computing devices and provide direction information includes a first mobile computing device configured to broadcast a first chirp signal, a second mobile computing device configured to broadcast a second chirp signal indicating receipt of the first chirp signal and a first time information about when the first chirp signal is received, and a third mobile computing device configured broadcast a third chirp signal indicating (a) receipt of the first and second chirp signals and (b) a second time information about when the first and second chirp signals are received. The first mobile computing device is configured to use the first and second time information to determine a position of the second mobile computing device. The first mobile computing device is also configured to transmit text messages to the second mobile computing device to direct a user of the second mobile computing device to a position of a user of the first mobile computing device. |
| US08447328B2 |
Location estimation of a mobile device in a UMTS network
The present disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods to utilize relative timing offset information reported by one or more mobile devices. When coupled with AGPS information reported by one or more mobile devices, the offset information is be used to calibrate calculations and subsequently to locate all 3G mobiles with GPS-like accuracy, whether or not a GPS receiver is available on said mobile device being located. A determination of a propagation delay between one or more cell sites and a mobile device is reported to a network and used to calibrate unknown information such as a timing offset, to improve the accuracy of a detected location. The relative timing offset can be applied to determine a location for all other mobile devices within the area served by the known base station. The present disclosure utilizes this method in conjunction with information crowd-sourced from a plurality of mobile devices. |
| US08447326B2 |
Selective location determination
Methods, program products, and systems for selective location determination are described. A mobile device can determine a location of the mobile device using various techniques. When there is a conflict between the locations determined using different techniques, the mobile device can select a most trustworthy location from the locations, and designate the most trustworthy location as a current location of the mobile device. The mobile device can determine a first location of the mobile device (e.g., a coarse location) using a cell identifier (cell ID) of a cellular network. The mobile device can determine a second location of the mobile device (e.g., a fine location) using one or more media access control (MAC) addresses of a WLAN. The first location and second location can be associated with confidence values that can indicate trustworthiness of the first location and second location. |
| US08447323B2 |
Downlink silent period for positioning
A method for acquiring positioning information includes receiving, at a mobile terminal (MT), downlink data in a plurality of downlink slot frames from a serving base station transmitting the downlink data over a first time period generally corresponding to the plurality of downlink slot frames. The MT experiences a relatively silent period during which the serving base station substantially ceases transmission to the mobile terminal during a second time period that defines a transmission power modification period. The MT also receives a preamble broadcasted by various neighbor base stations, the preamble broadcasted by such base stations occurring during a third time period which at least partially overlaps the second time period. The location or position estimate of the MT can be calculated based upon at least the preamble broadcasted by the neighbor base stations. |
| US08447310B2 |
Apparatus and method for interference cancellation in broadband wireless communication system
An Apparatus and a method for interference cancellation in a wireless communication system are provided. When a resource of an Interference Cancellation (IC) zone is allocated to a terminal traveling in a service coverage, resource allocation information relating to an IC zone of neighbor cells is gathered. Resource allocation information is generated relating to the resource allocated to the terminal comprising resource allocation information of the IC zone of the neighbor cells. The resource allocation information relating to the resource allocated to the terminal is transmitted to the terminal. Accordingly, when the interference is present, the interference cancellation is carried out to reduce the load on the terminal and enhance the reception performance. |
| US08447308B2 |
Detection of failures in a telecommunication system
Determining a network transmitter that is more likely to cause handoff failures in a telecommunication service based on historical data records. The historical data records may be standard Call Data Records. A probability that a service provided by a first network transmitter will be handoffed to a second network transmitter is determined. An indication that a target network transmitter is overly busy is determined based on the number of failed services for each network transmitter that may handoff a service the target network transmitter and the probability that a service will be handoffed to the target network transmitter. Based on the indication, measures may be taken to increase quality level of the target network transmitter. |
| US08447307B2 |
Handover for an intermediate node in a wireless communication network
The disclosure relates to an intermediate node arranged to relay information between a donor node and at least one served node, and comprises a served antenna arrangement that communicates by means of at least a first and second electrically steerable antenna radiation lobe. During a first mode of operation, all antenna radiation lobes are directed towards a first donor node. During a second mode of operation, the antenna radiation lobes are directed such that the intermediate node is in contact with both the first donor node and the second donor node. During a third mode of operation, all antenna radiation lobes are directed towards the second donor node. A first polarization is associated with each lobe directed towards the second donor node during the second mode of operation and a second polarization is associated with each lobe directed towards the first donor node during the second mode of operation. |
| US08447306B2 |
Method for acquiring information for media independent handover
This document is related to a method for acquiring information for media independent handover. More specifically the method comprises: submitting a media independent handover (MIH) query to a base station (BS) by sending a first request message, and receiving a response to the MIH query. Because the first request message is used for authorization, preferably the PKM message, the MS can acquire information for handover between heterogeneous networks before the MS finishes the network entry. |
| US08447295B2 |
System and method for obfuscating satellite terminal transmission activity
A network for obfuscating satellite terminal transmission activity may include a satellite, a plurality of distributed satellite terminals transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the satellite, and a computer. The computer may compute how much transmission power spectral density each of the distributed satellite terminals is or would be transmitting based on allocated data rates of each of the distributed satellite terminals. The computer may calculate an aggregate transmission power spectral density which is being used or would be used by all of the distributed satellite terminals. The computer may calculate how much unused transmission power spectral density is available to the network for obfuscation by subtracting from a total network regulatory transmission power spectral density limit the aggregate transmission power spectral density. The computer may determine a random distribution of at least a portion of the unused transmission power spectral density to one or more of the distributed satellite terminals. The transmission power spectral density levels of one or more of the distributed satellite terminals may be adjusted by the computer to distribute the portion of the unused transmission power spectral density according to the random distribution determination. |
| US08447289B2 |
Dynamically configurable wireless device and server communication system
A wireless communication and control system including a wireless device. There is a central server for storing communication protocols and control protocols and communicating the communication protocols and selectively communicating the control protocols between the wireless device and the central server. A communication protocol configures the system for communication and control protocols configure the system as one of a selection of intelligent appliance controllers. Alternately the control protocols configure the system as one of a selection of Internet terminals. The wireless device is any hand-held communication device, such as a hand-held computing device, wireless telephone, or cellular phone. |
| US08447285B1 |
Methods and systems for managing telecommunications and for translating voice messages to text messages
Systems and methods that can be utilized to convert a voice communication received over a telecommunication network to text are described. In an illustrative embodiment, a call processing system coupled to a telecommunications network receives a call from a caller intended for a first party, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. At least a portion of the call signaling information is stored in a computer readable medium. A greeting is played the caller, and a voice communication from the caller is recorded. At least a portion of the voice communication is converted to text, which is analyzed to identify portions that are inferred to be relatively more important to communicate to the first party. A text communication is generated including at least some of the identified portions and including fewer words than the recorded voice communication. At least a portion of the text communication is made available to the first party over a data network. |
| US08447284B1 |
Multi-service content broadcast for user controlled selective service receive
A multimedia communications system for broadcast distribution of multimedia content to mobile terminals over a cellular network is disclosed. The disclosed system accesses content providers, receives corresponding content information associated with provider content, and broadcasts content information to user terminals. The user terminals include software and/or hardware for receiving the content information and enabling a user to subscribe to one or more content items. Once a subscription is in place for one or more content items, corresponding content IDs are sent to and stored at the terminal. The system facilitates broadcast of the content. Content IDs stored in the terminal and broadcasted content IDs are compared. Only the content associated with the matching content IDs is then downloaded to the user terminal for storage and/or presentation. Content associated with unmatched content IDs is prevented from being received. |
| US08447282B2 |
Technique for providing personalized information and communications services
A communications system for providing a service includes an interface configured to receive a directory assistance communication from a requester seeking a desired listing from among a plurality of available desired listings. A processor is configured to obtain a stored profile associated with the requester, the profile including at least one delivery preference set by the requester relating to the format in which said requester desires to have the desired listing delivered to them. A device configured to provide a communication listing associated with the desired listing to the requester, in response to the directory assistance request, in accordance with the preference proscribed by the requester in the profile and then connecting the requester to a second communication listing associated with the desired listing. |
| US08447280B2 |
Interface between 3GPP networks and 3GPP2 networks for WAP text messaging
Systems and methods are disclosed for interworking WAP text messages between 3GPP and 3GPP2 networks. One embodiment comprises a system that receives a WAP text message from a sending entity that supports 3GPP standards, where the WAP text message is in a 3GPP format. The system determines that a receiving entity for the WAP text message supports 3GPP2 standards, and converts the WAP text message from the 3GPP format to a 3GPP2 format. The system then transmits the WAP text message in the 3GPP2 format to the receiving entity. |
| US08447278B2 |
Communication assistance system and method
A communication assistance system has a first database haying a plurality of listings therein, each having at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number. A device is configured to receive a directory assistance communication from a device of a user requesting at least one listing. A past requested listing table for at least one of said users is configured to store prior requested listings obtained from the database, as previously requested by the user. The past requested listing table is generated by the system and transmitted for storage on the device of the user so that when the user contacts the system, with the at least one listing stored on the past requested listing table being masked, the system may allow a communication connection between the device and the listing on the past requested listing table. |
| US08447277B2 |
Multi-femto cell service platforms
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for performing automated events using a multi-femto cell service platform. For example, in one embodiment, one or more femto cells may communicate directly with each other in a decentralized network for performing user specified actions based on the detection of a cellular device. In other embodiments, the multi-femto cell platform may include a central server for controlling, managing, and monitoring the plurality of femto cells. Additionally, in some embodiments, a multi-femto cell platform may be utilized in an office environment to perform automated events within the office environment, such as, but not limited to, automatically logging a user on and off of a network device based on the presence of a cellular device corresponding to the user. |
| US08447275B2 |
Lossless inductor current sensing in a switch-mode power supply
A lossless inductor current sense technique integrates a matched, tunable complimentary filter with a switch mode power supply (SMPS) controller for accurately measuring current through the power inductor of the SMPS without introducing losses in the power circuit. The complimentary filter can be adjusted in-circuit to significantly reduce the effects of component tolerances, accurately measuring the power inductor current for over current protection and/or closed loop control. The frequency pole and gain of the complimentary integrated filter can be adjusted on the fly in order to adapt to dynamically changing operating conditions of the SMPS system. |
| US08447269B2 |
Systems and methods for joint analytics on user level and network level data of a communications network
Systems and associated methods provide for joint analytics on user level data and network level data. Systems and methods provide for accessing telecommunication network user level data and network level data and integrating analysis on both data types to produce a common result. Embodiments utilize joint analytics to generate patterns and rules concerning the content and services accessed by a user, when they are accessed, and how they are accessed. |
| US08447268B2 |
System for billing rating and selection of accounts
A method and system adapted for use in a mobile telecommunication network is described. The invention describes a rating and routing system which is adapted to enable an efficient rating and routing of data transactions being transmitted through a network. Based on a comparison of identifiers associatable with a subscriber to the network, with a set of parameters defined for data transactions, the system of the present invention is adapted to enable an accurate assessment and allocation of the correct rating tariff value to a specific transaction and the routing of that rated value to an appropriate destination defined for the user. |
| US08447266B2 |
Method for providing a service for monitoring the movement of subscribers amongst the coverage areas of the mobile cellular communication networks and a system for carrying out said method
Methods and system are provided for travelling subscribers of a mobile cellular communication networks (MCC) with a service for monitoring their movement in the coverage areas of the network and informing third persons about their movements. Travelling subscribers are provided a service for monitoring their movements between the MCC networks of GSM and UMTS standards, or between the segments of the networks, and for informing the recipients selected by the subscriber, or another authorized person, about the arrival of the subscriber. The service does not require modification or updating of the existing network infrastructure, or additional functionality for the infrastructure elements. Subscribers, upon their arrival at a new place, need not call relatives or send short SMS. The service is of particular value to the disabled. |
| US08447264B2 |
System and method for cell sector correction
A system and method for using location data from actual 911 cell phone calls, to determine the coverage areas (orientation and range) of any sector (antenna) in a cell phone system. This coverage area is typically described as the area enclosed by a circular sector with the antenna at the center of the circle. The physical locations of the actually received 911 cell phone calls are determined with respect to the physical location of the antenna. These locations are typically defined in terms of latitude and longitude. A percentage of locations of the origins of the cell phone calls that is desired to be captured by the area enclosed by the circular sector are determined. Two variables are used to adjust the capture of the desired number of calls—the length of the arc (expressed in terms of the percentage of phone calls enclosed by a given length) and the radius of the circle (range of the antenna) (again expressed in terms of the percentage of calls enclosed by the resulting area). The purported coverage area of the antenna is received from the cell phone service provider. The actual determined coverage area (including the locations of received calls) and the purported coverage area can be graphically represented on a single output. This output can be used by various agencies to determine the proper routing of future emergency 911 cell phone calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) to assist them in determining how cell phone calls to the antenna should be routed. |
| US08447263B2 |
Emergency call analysis system
A method for communicating information associated with emergency calls communicated to emergency response centers includes receiving, by an emergency call analysis system, emergency call information that defines an emergency call communicated to an emergency response center within a geographic region. The emergency call information includes location information of the emergency call. The emergency call analysis system may then determine statistical information associated with emergency calls made within a geographic region. A computer server may then generate browser code executable by a browser to cause the browser to display the statistical information. |
| US08447255B2 |
Variable impedance matching network and method for the same
An improved variable matching network for use in a multi-band, multi-mode communications device provides dynamic, fine-tune impedance matching based on current operational conditions associated with a given signal. In one embodiment, gross parameters are selected based on one or more of the operational conditions. Delta parameters are provided using an optimization algorithm based on one or more of the operational conditions. And the gross and delta parameters are combined to obtain overall matching parameters that dynamically fine-tune discrete matching circuitry. |
| US08447250B2 |
Method and system for an integrated voltage controlled oscillator-based transmitter and on-chip power distribution network
Methods and systems for an integrated voltage controlled oscillator (VCO)-based transmitter and on-chip power distribution network are disclosed and may include supplying bias voltages and/or ground to a chip utilizing conductive lines. One or more VCOs and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) may each be coupled to a leaky wave antenna (LWA) integrated in the bias voltage and/or ground lines. One or more clock signals may be generated utilizing the VCOs, which may be transmitted from the LWAs coupled to the VCOs, to the LWAs coupled to the LNAs. RF signals may be transmitted via the LWAs, and may include 60 GHz signals. The LWAs may include microstrip and/or coplanar waveguides, where a cavity length of the LWAs may be dependent on a spacing between conductive lines in the waveguides. The LWAs may be dynamically configured to transmit the clock signals at a desired angle from a surface of the chip. |
| US08447249B1 |
System and method for providing open loop transmit power control
This disclosure is directed to systems and methods that provide control of transmitted signal power that do not require the use of an external power detector. By determining the expected transmit power based upon conditions such as temperature or voltage, the settings of the transmitters amplifier can be adjusted to more closely match the desired transmit power. |
| US08447247B2 |
Apparatus and method for compensating Tx gain in wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method for compensating for a Transmission (Tx) gain in a transmitter of a wireless communication system are provided. The apparatus includes a Tx Automatic Gain Control (AGC) for generating at least an adjustment value for controlling a Tx gain; a Tx Power Adjust (TPA) controller for generating a compensation value for compensating for Nonlinear Compensate Table (NCT) control information using frequency and temperature changes according to operations of the transmitter and the adjustment value provided from the Tx AGC; and an NCT controller for generating the NCT control information using the adjustment value provided from the Tx AGC, and compensating for the NCT control information with the compensation value output from the TPA controller. |
| US08447245B2 |
Radio frequency transmitter having an amplifier with power supply modulation
A circuit including a carrier amplifier having an input, an output, a first transistor coupled to a first power supply voltage terminal for receiving a modulated power supply voltage, and a second transistor coupled to a second power supply voltage terminal for receiving a fixed power supply voltage is provided. The circuit further includes a peaking amplifier having an input coupled to the input of the carrier amplifier and an output coupled to the output of the carrier amplifier. |
| US08447244B2 |
Communication terminal device and communication relay method
There is provided a mobile station device in a multi-hop system capable of realizing relay of communication of another station while suppressing increase of power consumption of the local station. In this device, at timing t1, a mobile station MS2 transmits data S2 destined to a base station BS1, to a mobile station MS1. The mobile station MS1 receives the data S2 and temporarily stores it in a buffer. The mobile station MS1 waits until timing t4 when the data S1 of the mobile station MS1 is to be transmitted. When this timing has come, the data S2 stored in the buffer is multiplexed with the data S1 of the mobile station MS1 and transmitted to the base station BS1. |
| US08447240B2 |
Tunable antennas for mobile handsets
A system and method for providing a tunable antenna system within a mobile device that enables the mobile device to receive broadcast communication signals. The antenna system includes a tunable antenna and a tuning module that is operable to selectively adjust the resonant frequency of the tunable antenna, such that the antenna may efficiently receive a plurality of discrete narrow band signals across a broad frequency spectrum. The tuning module may also include a lookup table for use by the tuning module to selectively adjust the resonant frequency of the antenna. Further, the antenna system may include a temperature compensation module that is operable to compensate for any temperature sensitive components in the tunable antenna system. |
| US08447234B2 |
Method and system for powering an electronic device via a wireless link
A method and system for providing power to a chargeable device via radio frequency link are provided. In one aspect, a method of providing power to a chargeable device via radio frequency link comprises generating a substantially unmodulated signal. The method further comprises radiating a substantially unmodulated radio frequency (RF) signal to the chargeable device via a transmit antenna based on the substantially unmodulated signal. The method further comprises powering or charging the chargeable device with power delivered by the substantially unmodulated RF signal. |
| US08447230B2 |
Variable gain antenna for cellular repeater
A cellular repeater and method of operating a cellular repeater are disclosed. The cellular repeater includes a variable-gain donor antenna adapted to communicate with a base station and a variable-gain server antenna adapted to communicate with a mobile device. A signal from a selected base station selected from one or more available base stations that are available to the cellular repeater is measured at the donor antenna. The gain of the donor antenna is adapted to maximize a signal level of the signal received at the donor antenna from the selected base station. A calibration signal from the server antenna is measured at the donor antenna to determine a radio frequency isolation between the donor antenna and the server antenna. The gain of the server antenna is adapted to maximize the radio frequency isolation between the donor antenna and server antenna. |
| US08447229B2 |
Radio communication system, base station apparatus and relay station apparatus
In a radio communication system including a base station apparatus 10, a relay station apparatus 20 that receives a signal transmitted from base station apparatus 10 and re-transmits the signal to terminal apparatuses, a terminal apparatus 30 that directly receives the signal transmitted from the base station apparatus and a terminal apparatus 32 that receives the signal transmitted from base station apparatus 10 via relay station apparatus 20, base station apparatus 10 sets the transmission power of a signal addressed to terminal apparatus 30 high and the transmission power of a signal addressed to terminal apparatus 32 low, adds up the signals and transmits the resultant signal. With this, the signal addressed to the terminal apparatus that directly communicates with the base station apparatus and the signal addressed to the terminal apparatus that communicates with the base station apparatus via the relay station apparatus are multiplexed and transmitted simultaneously, whereby it is possible to provide a radio communication system and the like that enable efficient communication. |
| US08447228B2 |
Power distribution apparatus, power distribution method, and non-instant computer readable medium thereof
A power distribution apparatus (PDA), a power distribution method, and a non-instant computer readable medium thereof are provided. The PDA is used in a relay transmission system (RTS) comprising a mobile station (MS), a relay station (RS) and a base station (BS). The MS communicates with the BS through the RS. The PDA may communicate with the MS, BS and RS. The PDA computes optimum transmission parameters of the MS and BS and an optimum relay forward parameter of the RS according to a power threshold, transmission information of the RTS, an optimum condition and an algorithm. Accordingly, the MS, RS and BS may determine the optimum transmission power of the MS, RS and BS according to the optimum transmission parameters and the optimum relay forward parameter respectively. |
| US08447227B2 |
Jukebox system
A jukebox is described where users having mobile telephones can access a server (2) located remote from the jukebox location and select tracks for playing on the jukebox at the user's location. The user's mobile telephone communicates on WAP or WEB on a mobile with the server (2) thereby allowing the user to view any information relating to the tracks selectable on the jukebox at the user's location. The user's selection is transmitted to the jukebox via a wireless communications network and the track played at the user's location. The communication between the remote server (2) and the jukebox allows information such as track lists selectable and information relating to the tracks to be remotely accessed by owners to allow suitable track lists to be provided for selection for different venues or different times of the day or of the year. For example, all rock songs could be removed from the selection list after 11 pm at night. |
| US08447225B2 |
Mobile terminal and group chat controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and recording controlling method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes performing a call with a counterpart terminal, buffering a call content of the performed call by a predetermined time unit, receiving an input of a recording command signal for the performed call, and if receiving the input of the recording command signal, recording the call content from an input point of the recording command signal by including the call content from a random point in a time interval corresponding to the call content buffered up to the input point of the recording command signal. |
| US08447224B2 |
Data processing terminal system and transmitting and receiving method using the same
An information processing terminal system includes an information processing terminal (6); and a transmitting and receiving unit (5) which is attached to the information processing terminal. The transmitting and receiving unit (5) converts a reception wave signal from a network into a reception analog baseband signal. The transmitting and receiving unit (5) converts the reception analog baseband signal into a reception digital baseband signal in synchronization with a clock. The information processing terminal (6) converts the reception digital baseband signal into a reception data in synchronization with a clock, and a transmission data into a transmission digital baseband signal in synchronization with the clock. The transmitting and receiving unit (5) converts the transmission digital baseband signal into a transmission analog baseband signal in synchronization with the clock. The transmitting and receiving unit (5) converts the transmission analog baseband signal into a transmission modulation wave signal to output to the network. |
| US08447219B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device has a regulating mechanism for maintaining a contact portion of a pressing member in a state in which the contact portion does not contact with a fixing roll through a fixing belt from a second area to a first area or a state in which a pressure is reduced so that the contact portion contacts with the fixing roll when switching from a state in which the contact portion is placed in the second area to a state in which the contact portion is placed in the first area is carried out by a switching mechanism, and making a transition for the contact portion of the pressing member into a contact state at a predetermined pressure when the first area is reached. |
| US08447217B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A toner image can properly be transferred onto the second side of a paper sheet without being influenced by the toner image on the first side. There are provided a detection unit 20 for detecting overlap of the toner images on the first side and the second side of the paper sheet based on image data, and a transfer output adjustment unit 22 which changes a transfer voltage output for the second side in an area with the overlap of the toner images depending on the toner adhering amount of the first side. |
| US08447215B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method
An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that uses a developer carrier to advance to an image carrier a developer including a toner and a carrier and supplies the toner to the image carrier by applying a developing bias between the developer carrier and the image carrier. In the image forming apparatus, the following operation is performed before the developer in the developing device is taken out. The toner is supplied to the image carrier by applying the developing bias between the developer carrier and the image carrier, the developing bias increased in a direction to supply the toner to the image carrier. The toner supplied onto the image carrier is not transferred to a transfer receiving material but is advanced into a toner recovery device for recovery. The recovered toner is prevented from being returned to the developing device. |
| US08447214B2 |
Charging member and process for its production
To provide a charging member to the surface of which any toners and so forth can be kept from adhering and which can exhibit a stable charging performance. The charging member has a substrate, an elastic layer and a surface layer; the surface layer containing a high-molecular compound having an Si—O—B linkage and having a constitutional unit represented by the following formula (1) and a constitutional unit represented by the following formula (2). BO3/2 Formula (2) |
| US08447209B2 |
Process cartridge and image forming apparatus
A process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller. The coupling member includes a driven portion, and an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion. The intermediary portion is also configured to be movable relative to the driven portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the driven portion. The coupling member further includes a driving portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for rotating the developing roller. The driving portion is also configured to engage with the intermediary portion, and to be movable relative to the intermediary portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the intermediary portion. |
| US08447206B2 |
Image forming apparatus having guide body including chamber where gas mixture is formed and fan for discharging gas mixture
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, wherein a first gas is generated during image formation, and a fixing unit configured to fix the image onto the recording medium by heat, wherein a second gas is generated during image fixing by heat. A body includes a chamber and an opening through which the first gas and the second gas are guided into the chamber to be mixed into a gas mixture. A fan discharges the gas mixture from the chamber. |
| US08447202B2 |
Printing without margins-enabled image forming apparatus and control method
The present invention provides a printing without margins-enabled image forming apparatus that forms toner image matched to the size and position of the conveyed printing material and suppresses waste toner generation. To accomplish this, the present image forming apparatus includes a printing material detection unit that detects orthogonal direction length, conveying direction length, orthogonal direction position, and conveying direction position associated with the conveyed printing material when a printing without margins is selected by the selection unit. In addition, the present image forming apparatus includes a matching unit which, based on the detected length and conveying position, matches the size of the toner image formed on the printing material to the size of the printing material and matches the formation position of the toner image to the position of the printing material conveyed along the conveying path. |
| US08447201B2 |
Image forming apparatus for controlling image density
An image forming apparatus includes plural image holding members; an intermediate transfer material; a transfer unit that transfers the toner images onto a recording medium; a density control toner image creating unit that creates a density control toner image at a constant position on each of the image holding members; a density detection unit that detects density of the density control toner image transferred onto a non-image region; and a creation timing control unit that controls timing of creating the density control toner image to create the density control toner image in the non-image region of the intermediate transfer material at a position where a length obtained by integrally multiplying the length obtained by adding the non-image region to the image region along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer material becomes equal to a length obtained by integrally multiplying the circumferential length of the image holding member. |
| US08447190B2 |
Distortion compensating apparatus, optical receiving apparatus, and optical transmitting and receiving system
A distortion compensating apparatus which compensates for distortion in a waveform of a received light signal through a digital signal processing includes a plurality of fixed amount compensators which compensate for the distortion in the waveform at respective given compensating amounts. The combination of operating states of the plurality of fixed amount compensators is changed by on/off switching of each of the plurality of fixed amount compensators, and the plurality of fixed amount compensators are cascaded. |
| US08447188B2 |
Dynamic optical reflector and interrogation system
A retro-reflective identification tag capable of modulating an optical signal whereby to support bi-directional communication with an associated remote optical interrogation device. The tag comprises a MOEMS modulating layer over a retro-reflective substrate, giving the tag a wide angle of effective operation. The tag modulator may optionally be switched on only responsive to detection of a precursor beam from the interrogation system in order to save power. The interrogation device may make use of multiple optical wavelengths for communicating with the tag. |
| US08447186B2 |
Distortion compensator, optical receiver, distortion compensator and optical receiver controlling methods, and optical transmission system
A distortion compensator, an optical receiver and a transmission system including an operation selectively compensating for linear waveform distortion exerted on an optical signal via a plurality of distortion compensators and compensating for nonlinear waveform distortion exerted on the optical signal using nonlinear distortion compensators. |
| US08447183B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing directionless and contentionless wavelength addition and subtraction
In today's reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) based optical node, ROADMs multiplex (and demultiplex) colored optical signals to form wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signals. Transponders connected to the ROADMs' add/drop ports convert noncolored optical signals to colored optical signals (and vice versa). Dedicating transponders to given ports degrades the node's ability to route around network failures. Example embodiments of the invention include an optical node and corresponding method for routing optical signals within an optical node that compensate for this inflexibility. The optical node may include two ROADMs to transmit respective WDM signals onto at least two internode network paths and a routing module that can direct channels of the same wavelength along different internode network paths. Advantageously, a transponder may transmit (receive) different signals at the same wavelength to (from) different network node interfaces within the optical node, thereby improving the optical node's ability to route around network failures. |
| US08447179B2 |
Method and apparatus for applying multi-autofocusing (AF) using contrast AF
A method applies fast and accurate autofocusing (AF) by using a contrast AF method in a digital photographing apparatus. In the digital photographing apparatus, when AF peaks of a subject of a central multi-point and a subject of a nearest multi-point are detected, further scanning is not performed. In addition, scanning is not performed on a region from which it is difficult to detect a peak, so that fast and accurate AF may be performed. |
| US08447177B2 |
Heat treatment apparatus heating substrate by irradiation with light
A capacitor, a coil, a flash lamp, and a switching element such as an IGBT are connected in series. A controller outputs a pulse signal to the gate of the switching element. A waveform setter sets the waveform of the pulse signal, based on the contents of input from an input unit. With electrical charge accumulated in the capacitor, a pulse signal is output to the gate of the switching element so that the flash lamp emits light intermittently. A change in the waveform of the pulse signal applied to the switching element will change the waveform of current flowing through the flash lamp and, accordingly, the form of light emission, thereby resulting in a change in the temperature profile for a semiconductor wafer. |
| US08447175B2 |
Energy delivery system for a gas transport vessel containing low vapor pressure gas
A system for delivering vapor phase fluid at an elevated pressure from a transport vessel containing liquefied or two-phase fluid is provided. The system includes: (a) a transport vessel positioned in a substantially horizontal position; (b) one or more energy delivery elements disposed on the lower portion of the transport vessel wherein the energy delivery devices include a heating means and a first insulation means, wherein the energy delivery devices are configured to the contour of the transport vessel; (c) one or more substantially rigid support devices disposed on the outer periphery of the energy delivery devices, wherein the support devices hold the energy delivery devices in thermal contact with a lower portion of the transport vessel; and (d) one or more attaching devices secure the rigid support devices onto the transport vessel and hold the energy delivery devices between the substantially rigid support device and a wall of the transport vessel. |
| US08447173B2 |
Information storage medium having multi-angle data structure and apparatus therefor
An information storage medium which stores data structures supporting multi-angles includes clip AV streams for respective angle data of multi-angle motion picture data. As additional information for each clip AV stream, clip information is recorded on a separate storage area from that of the clip AV streams. The clip information includes jumping-point information for jumping into another angle. Each of the clip AV streams may be recorded in a contiguous recording area, or divided into smaller interleaved units that are interleaved with units of the other clip AV streams. |
| US08447172B2 |
Recording medium having a data structure for managing reproduction of text subtitle data recorded thereon and recording and reproducing methods and apparatuses
In the data structure for managing reproduction of text subtitle data, a text subtitle information area stores at least one text subtitle information segment. The text subtitle information segment is represented by a single PES packet of transport packets. In one embodiment, the text subtitle information segment includes an identifier identifying the text subtitle information segment as a text subtitle information segment. |
| US08447171B2 |
Storage medium for storing text-based subtitle data including style information, and reproducing apparatus and method for reproducing text-based subtitle data including style information
A storage medium for storing text-based subtitle data including style information, a reproducing apparatus and methods are provided for reproducing text-based subtitle data including style information separately recorded on the storage medium. The storage medium includes: multimedia image data; and text-based subtitle data for displaying subtitles on an image based on the multimedia image data, wherein the text-based subtitle data includes dialog information indicating subtitle contents to be displayed on the image, style information indicating an output style of the dialog information, and partial style information indicating an output style applied to a portion of the dialog information. Accordingly, subtitles can be provided in a plurality of languages without limited to the number of units of subtitle data. In addition, subtitle data can be easily produced and edited. Likewise, an output style of the subtitle data can be changed in a variety of ways. Also, a special style can be applied in order to emphasize a portion of the subtitles. |
| US08447164B2 |
Recording medium, reproduction device
A BD-ROM has a video stream, playlist information, and an entry map recorded thereon. The playlist information defines a playback path by indicating a sequence of one or more pairs of a playback start time (In_time) and a playback end time (Out_time) within the video stream. The entry map (EP_map) indicates positions (SPN_EP_start) and playback times (PTS_EP_start) of a plurality of intra pictures in the video stream, in one-to-one correspondence with flags (is_angle_change_point). Each flag indicates whether a corresponding intra picture is an intra picture (IDR picture) for causing decoder refresh or an intra picture (Non-IDR picture) having reference to a preceding picture. |
| US08447157B2 |
Optical device with cantilevered fiber array and method
A fiber alignment device comprises a base having at least one alignment groove, a stripped portion of an optical fiber positioned in the at least one alignment groove, where a terminal end of the fiber extends beyond at least one of an end face of the base, and an end face of a cover bonded to the base to secure the optical fiber between the base and the cover, where an end face of the cover and the end face of the base are substantially non-parallel. |
| US08447156B2 |
Multi-core optical fiber
The present invention relates to a multi-core optical fiber having a structure to effectively reduce crosstalk between adjacent core regions among a plurality of core regions. The multi-core optical fiber (1) has a leakage reduction portion (50), at least a portion of which is arranged at a position on a straight line connecting adjacent core regions together among a plurality of core regions (10). The leakage reduction portion (50) reduces leakage light in the multi-core optical fiber (1) from each of the core regions (10), thereby effectively reducing crosstalk between adjacent core regions. |
| US08447154B2 |
Fiber optic cables and assemblies and the performance thereof
A fiber optic cable having optical fibers such as a microstructured bend performance optical fibers disposed within a protective covering. The protective covering is highly flexible and the fiber optic cable has extremely low delta attenuation when aggressively bent compared with the conventional fiber optic cable designs. Other variations of the present invention include a connector attached to the fiber optic cable. |
| US08447153B2 |
Low inductance optical transmitter submount assembly
A low inductance structure for improving the integrity of data signals carried in an optical subassembly is disclosed. In one embodiment the optical subassembly comprises a housing containing a lens assembly and an optical isolator. The optical subassembly further includes an optoelectronic package having a base defining a mounting surface that cooperates with a cap to define a hermetic enclosure. First and second signal leads of the subassembly include ends that extend into the hermetic enclosure. A submount is disposed on the base mounting surface. A low inductance structure is integrally formed with the submount and includes a dielectric body interposed between the first and second leads. The body includes shaped edges and conductive pad structures in electrical communication with conductive traces disposed on the submount. Each pad structure is also in electrical communication with a respective one of the first and second signal leads via a plurality of wirebonds. |
| US08447148B1 |
Latching micro optical switch
An optical switch reliably maintains its on or off state even when subjected to environments where the switch is bumped or otherwise moved. In addition, the optical switch maintains its on or off state indefinitely without requiring external power. External power is used only to transition the switch from one state to the other. The optical switch is configured with a fixed optical fiber and a movable optical fiber. The movable optical fiber is guided by various actuators in conjunction with a latching mechanism that configure the switch in one position that corresponds to the on state and in another position that corresponds to the off state. |
| US08447147B2 |
Communication methods, methods of forming an interconnect, signal interconnects, integrated circuit structures, circuits, and data apparatuses
Some embodiments include communication methods, methods of forming an interconnect, signal interconnects, integrated circuit structures, circuits, and data apparatuses. In one embodiment, a communication method includes accessing an optical signal comprising photons to communicate information, accessing an electrical signal comprising electrical data carriers to communicate information, and using a single interconnect, communicating the optical and electrical signals between a first spatial location and a second spatial location spaced from the first spatial location. |
| US08447134B1 |
Image warp caching
An apparatus including a local shared memory and a processor. The local shared memory and the processor may be connected as a circuit. The circuit may be configured to communicate with an external memory device. The local shared memory may comprise a plurality of cache blocks. Each of the cache blocks generally corresponds to one pane of a current horizontal strip of a warped image region to be generated from unwarped image data stored in the external memory. A size of the cache blocks may be set to provide a sufficient amount of data to correct distortion for a corresponding section of the current horizontal strip. The circuit may be further configured such that each pixel of the unwarped image data stored in the external memory is fetched only once. |
| US08447132B1 |
Dynamic range correction based on image content
Disclosed are method and a corresponding apparatus, where the method according to one embodiment includes making a determination that a first portion of digital image data represents a physical object of a predetermined type, determining an amount of a parameter, such as a gain, to apply to the first portion of the digital image data, based on the determination that the first portion of the digital image data represents a physical object of the predetermined type, and applying the determined amount of the parameter to the first portion of the digital image data. The method may be part of a dynamic range correction operation. |
| US08447127B2 |
Film grain simulation method
Briefly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present principles, simulation of a block of film grain for addition to a block of an image occurs by first establishing at least one image parameter in accordance with at least one attribute of the block. Thereafter, a block of film grain is established in accordance with the image parameter. Deblocking filtering can be applied to the film grain block. |
| US08447121B2 |
Efficient integrated digital video transcoding
Efficient integrated digital video transcoding is described. In one aspect, an integrated transcoder receives an encoded bitstream. The integrated transcoder transcodes the encoded bitstream by partially decoding the encoded bitstream based on a first transform associated with a first media data format. The decoding operations generate an intermediate data stream. The integrated transcoder then encodes the intermediate data stream using a second transform associated with a second media data format. The first and second transforms are not the same. |
| US08447118B2 |
Method of cipher and picture cipher system
A design method of cipher is provided. First, a database with a plurality of picture units is provided. Then, a part of the picture units of the database are selected to form a passing picture, and the passing picture is transferred to an encoder. The encoder selects at least parts of the picture units of the database to form a plurality of option pictures, in which a part of the picture units of the option pictures correspond with the picture units of the passing picture. A picture cipher system is also provided. |
| US08447117B2 |
Block-edge detecting method and associated device
A block-edge detecting method, for processing an image including a plurality of pixels, includes performing a difference calculation on the plurality of pixels of the image; generating statistic data according to a difference calculation result with an accumulation approach; determining a block width according to the statistic data; and obtaining a plurality of block-edge positions corresponding to the image according to the block width. |
| US08447116B2 |
Identifying true feature matches for vision based navigation
An example embodiment includes a method for identifying true feature matches from a plurality of candidate feature matches for vision based navigation. A weight for each of the plurality of candidate feature matches can be set. The method also includes iteratively performing for N iterations: calculating a fundamental matrix for the plurality of candidate feature matches using a weighted estimation that accounts for the weight of each of the plurality of candidate feature matches; calculating a distance from the fundamental matrix for each of the plurality of candidate feature matches; and updating the weight for each of the plurality of candidate feature matches as a function of the distance for the respective candidate feature match. After N iterations candidate feature matches having a distance less than a distance threshold can be selected as true feature matches. |
| US08447112B2 |
Method for automatic license plate recognition using adaptive feature set
A method for determining a confidence level to be used in identifying a vehicle. The method includes receiving a vehicle image, extracting a license plate image from the at least one vehicle image, determining a license plate number and associated confidence level based upon the license plate image, and comparing the associated confidence level against a confidence threshold. If the associated confidence level is below the confidence threshold, the method further includes extracting auxiliary data from the at least one vehicle image, corresponding the extracted auxiliary data and a set of stored auxiliary data, and updating the associated confidence level to produce an updated confidence level based upon the correspondence of the extracted auxiliary data and the set of stored auxiliary data. |
| US08447109B2 |
Method for utilizing segementation of raster image for compression of an image
The invention relates to a method for the compression of a raster type image material by using segmentation, such that: a widespread start image (1) is divided into segments (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D), such that the segments contain distinct image sections different from each other at least in terms of color qualities thereof, and each segment is compressed with an image compression algorithm chosen according to internal qualities of the segment or with a different set of parameters for the image compression algorithm, coordinates for each segment portion are stored in a memory, and compressed segments (A, B, C, D) and coordinates (XA, XB, XC, XD) therefore are processed for a compression result R. |
| US08447108B2 |
Apparatus and method for extracting target, and recording media storing program performing the method
Provided are an apparatus and a method for extracting a target related to an algorithm separating the target and a background by using statistical characteristics of the target and the background among target extracting methods required in a weight value center tracking method, and recording media storing a program performing the method. According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively separate the target region and the background region from each other and it is possible to improve reliability in target extracting performance. |
| US08447106B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic and adaptive enhancement of colors in digital video images using value bright-gain
System and method for dynamically and adaptively enhancing user chosen colors on a frame-by-frame basis of an incoming digital video signal using a saturation dependent value bright-gain is disclosed. In one embodiment, a value-saturation 2D-histogram for each of the user chosen colors is formed using a substantially current video frame. Further, a saturation dependent value bright-gain is dynamically computed for each of the user chosen colors using the corresponding value-saturation 2D-histogram of the substantially current video frame and corresponding value-saturation 2D-histogram information and a saturation dependent value bright-gain of a substantially previous video frame. Furthermore, which one of the dynamically computed saturation dependent value bright-gains associated with the user chosen colors to be applied on a per-pixel basis is determined. The determined saturation dependent value bright-gain is applied to value component on the per-pixel basis in the substantially current or next video frame. |
| US08447103B2 |
Methods and arrangements for image processing
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for compressing images. The invention is based on the fact that edge blocks contain much information in one direction (across the edge), but very little information in the other direction (along the edge). By encoding edges explicitly, it is possible to obtain a high quality to a very low cost for many blocks. A block is encoded by first specifying the orientation of the edge in the block, and then specifying the profile across the edge using a function with a small number of parameters. |
| US08447102B2 |
Vector embedded graphics coding
A method of coding High Definition (HD) color pictures is described. The method divides the HD picture into individual bit planes of the three colors. The method then interleaves the bit planes such that bit planes of the three colors having the same significance are coded together. The method codes a block of the picture based on the bit distribution in corresponding groups of the corresponding bit planes of the three colors. The method performs a first level grouping of bits in a bit plane of an image and a second level grouping of the first level grouping bits of different color components within a group. |
| US08447101B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium
Unevenness in density (line noise) resulting from color misregistration among RGB components in a halftone region or a line screen region is suppressed. With respect to a document that is discriminated as a printed photo document or a text/printed photo document that includes black halftones by a document type discrimination section, or to a region segmented into a black halftone region by a segmentation section, a non-uniform image suppressing operation mode is executed. In the non-uniform image suppressing operation mode, a black generation and under color removal section does not carry out a black generation and under color removal process on a pixel in which a minimum value of the image data of the plurality of color components is at least equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. |
| US08447100B2 |
Detecting apparatus of human component and method thereof
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method of detecting a human component from an input image. The apparatus includes a training database (DB) to store positive and negative samples of a human component, an image processor to calculate a difference image for the input image, a sub-window processor to extract a feature population from a difference image that is calculated by the image processor for the positive and negative samples of a predetermined human component stored in the training DB, and a human classifier to detect a human component corresponding to a human component model using the human component model that is learned from the feature population. |
| US08447099B2 |
Forming 3D models using two images
A method for determining a three-dimensional model from two images comprising: receiving first and second images captured from first and second viewpoints, respectively, each image including a two-dimensional image together with a corresponding range map; identifying a set of corresponding features in the first and second two-dimensional images; removing any extraneous corresponding features in the set of corresponding features responsive to the first and second range maps to produce a refined set of corresponding features; determining a geometrical transform for transforming three-dimensional coordinates for the first image to be consistent three-dimensional coordinates for the second image responsive to three-dimensional coordinates for the refined set of corresponding features, the three-dimensional coordinates comprising two-dimensional pixel coordinates from the corresponding two-dimensional image together with a range coordinate from the corresponding range map; and determining a three-dimensional model responsive to the first image, the second image and the geometrical transform. |
| US08447097B2 |
Calibration apparatus and method for assisting accuracy confirmation of parameter for three-dimensional measurement
When computation of a three-dimensional measurement processing parameter is completed, accuracy of a computed parameter can easily be confirmed. After a parameter for three-dimensional measurement is computed through calibration processing using a calibration workpiece in which plural feature points whose positional relationship is well known can be extracted from an image produced by imaging, three-dimensional coordinate computing processing is performed using the computed parameter for the plural feature points included in the stereo image used to compute the parameter. Perspective transformation of each computed three-dimensional coordinate is performed to produce a projection image in which each post-perspective-transformation three-dimensional coordinate is expressed by a predetermined pattern, and the projection image is displayed on a monitor device. |
| US08447093B2 |
Bank note processing device and authenticating method
A bill processing apparatus capable of conducting accurately an authenticity judgment of a bill, which is caused to expand or contract, and an authenticity judgment process method employed therein. The bill processing apparatus includes a bill reader reading a bill, a reference data storage part storing an allowable range acceptable from a reference value as a standard length of a printed area on each surface thereof; and a comparison judgment part executing an authenticity judgment process by comparing the corrected data with an allowable ranged for the other surface stored in the storage part, the actual measurement data on the other surface being corrected based on a correction value calculated with respect to the actual measurement data for the one surface, when the actual measurement data of the length of the printed area of the one surface is out of the allowable range. |
| US08447092B2 |
Observation device for observing cells or the like
An observation device that observes a test specimen such as cultured cells or the like includes: an illumination device that illuminates the test specimen; an image-capturing device that acquires an image of the test specimen illuminated by the illumination device; a storage unit that stores correlation data manifesting a correlation relationship between an occupation ratio of the test specimen within a culture vessel, and statistically processed data regarding to luminance information of the test specimen; and a calculation unit that obtains the statistically processed data based upon luminance information in a specified color of the test specimen captured by the image-capturing device, and calculates the occupation ratio of the test specimen within the culture vessel using the correlation data in the storage unit. |
| US08447089B2 |
Systems and methods for susceptibility tensor imaging
The present disclosure provides a method and system for quantifying and making images of tissue anisotropy property based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The systems and methods provided herein utilize orientation distribution of magnetic susceptibility to characterize magnetic susceptibility anisotropy (MSA) inside biological tissues. This MSA may be intrinsic property of the tissue or may be induced by the presence of external agents. In certain embodiments, the MSA is displayed as an orientation distribution function of susceptibility and/or may be described by mathematical quantities such as tensors (e.g., symmetric or asymmetric second order or higher order tensors) and spherical harmonics. In other embodiments, the MSA is characterized using a second order tensor named apparent susceptibility tensor (AST). |
| US08447082B2 |
Medical image displaying apparatus, medical image displaying method, and medical image displaying program
A medical image display apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a means (13) for selectively inputting a desired medical image from among medical images taken by a medial-image radiography system, a deployed image creating means (11a) for reading the selectively inputted medical image from the medical-image radiography system or an external storage device, and producing a deployed image of a region of a luminal organ contained in the read medical image, and a control means (11) for controlling display of the created deployed image on a display means (18). The control means (11) includes a correcting means (11b) for calculating a magnitude of a variance between radial information, which contracts or expands to a predetermined value in the region of the luminal organ, and radial information on a nearby position, and correcting a distortion of the deployed image, which is created by the deployed image creating means (11a), on the basis of the calculated magnitude of the variance between the pieces of radial information. |
| US08447076B2 |
Image processing method, pattern detection method, pattern recognition method, and image processing device
An image processing device clips a plurality of partial images from an image, and calculates difference values of pixel values between a target pixel and surrounding pixels surrounding the target pixel in the partial images. Then, the image processing device decides parameter values corresponding to respective surrounding pixels based on identification information that identifies the partial image from among the plurality of the partial images and the difference values, and calculates a feature amount corresponding to the target pixel using the parameter value decided. Then, the image processing device obtains a feature amount of the partial images by calculating the feature amount with the above-described steps, using each pixel in the partial images as the target pixels. |
| US08447072B2 |
Inattention determining device
An inattention determining device includes range changing unit and inattention determining unit. When a curve detection result is output from curve detector, the range changing unit changes a first predetermined range to a second predetermined range by the predetermined amount in the curve direction before a turning direction of an acquisition result is changed in the curve direction of the curve detection result. The inattention determining unit determines whether or not a driver is in an inattention state on the basis of the second predetermined range. |
| US08447068B2 |
Method for characterizing the exhaust gas burn-off quality in combustion systems
A method for characterizing a flue gas burnout quality of a combustion process in a combustion system having a gas burnout zone includes optically detecting in a visible wavelength range, in a flow cross section of the gas burnout zone, low-soot combustion regions, regions without combustion, and sooting regions, so as to provide a plurality of successive individual images, the regions without combustion and the sooting regions having different dynamics. The plurality of successive individual images are analyzed so as to distinguish regions of transition, to the low-soot combustion regions, of the regions without combustion and the sooting regions. |
| US08447067B2 |
Location-based arrangements employing mobile devices
In one arrangement, a first user sends information from a portable device and receives a response that depends, at least in part, on the location of a second user's portable device. The information sent from the first portable device may be based on data captured by a sensor in that device. In another arrangement, a user of a portable device sends two types of data, sensor-related data and location-related data, and receives a response that is based on both of these of data. In one particular such embodiment, the user scans a barcode or watermark from a coupon or other printed object, and sends decoded payload data—together with location data (e.g., GPS data)—to a remote server. The remote server routes the information to a vendor near the user who can, e.g., fulfill an order for food delivery to the user. |
| US08447065B2 |
Method of facial image reproduction and related device
To modify a facial feature region in a video bitstream, the video bitstream is received and a feature region is extracted from the video bitstream. An audio characteristic, such as frequency, rhythm, or tempo is retrieved from an audio bitstream, and the feature region is modified according to the audio characteristic to generate a modified image. The modified image is outputted. |
| US08447064B2 |
Providing travel-logs based geo-locations relative to a graphical map
The present invention relates generally to generating travel-logs or geographical representation of encountered media. One claim recites a method including obtaining a plurality of imagery, wherein each item of imagery from the plurality of imagery comprises steganographic encoding, the steganographic encoding altering data representing the imagery, the steganographic encoding comprising multi-bit data, and wherein the presence of the multi-bit data is imperceptible to a human observer of the imagery absent machine-detection; detecting the multi-bit data from the plurality of imagery, wherein the multi-bit data is associated with geolocation metadata; and providing a geographic path associated with the plurality of imagery based at least in part on the geolocation metadata. The geographic path is provided for display to a user relative to a graphical map. Of course, other different claims are provided as well. |
| US08447055B2 |
Passive directional acoustic radiating
An audio system for a television using a pipe type passive directional acoustic device mounted in a television cabinet. The slotted pipe type passive directional acoustic device includes a first acoustic driver, acoustically coupled to a pipe to radiate acoustic energy into the pipe. The first pipe includes an elongated opening along at least a portion of the length of the pipe. Acoustically resistive material is in the opening. Pressure waves are radiated to the environment through the opening. The pressure waves are characterized by a volume velocity. The pipe, the opening, and the acoustically resistive material are configured so that the volume velocity is substantially constant along the length of the pipe. The passive directional acoustic devices directionally radiate sound waves laterally from the television cabinet. |
| US08447053B2 |
Flat speaker apparatus with heat dissipating structure and method for heat dissipation of flat speaker
A flat speaker apparatus including a driving circuit module, a flat speaker and a thermally conductive connector, and with a heat dissipating structure is introduced. The flat speaker includes a porous electrode and a vibrating film. The porous electrode causes the vibrating film to vibrate according to an audio signal output from the driving circuit module for generating sound. The thermally conductive connector connects the driving circuit module and the flat speaker to conduct heat from the driving module to the flat speaker for dissipation. A method for heat dissipation of the flat speaker is also introduced herein. |
| US08447048B2 |
Electronic device, control volume system and method
In the specification and drawing a control volume system is described and shown for synchronizing a sound volume of an electronic device and another sound volume of the peripheral device according to a volume specification of the electronic device and another volume specification of the peripheral device. Moreover, a control volume method and the electronic device are also disclosed in the specification and drawing. |
| US08447046B2 |
Circuit with three-stage of power-on sequence used for suppressing the pop noise in audio system
The present invention discloses a circuit with three-stage of power-on sequence used for suppressing the pop noise in audio system. It mainly comprises a first resistor (R1); a capacitor (Cout); a first switch (SW1); a second switch (SW2); a soft start device; a first feedback amplifier; and a second feedback amplifier. By using the three-stage of power-on sequence, the present invention can effectively suppress the pop noise when the audio driver is power on. |
| US08447041B2 |
Audio output apparatus, audio output method, audio output system, and program for audio output processing
An electricity-to-sound converter reproduces a sound according to a first audio signal. A sound collector outputs a second audio signal. A first frequency band limit filter filters the second audio signal. A sound leakage evaluating block evaluates a leakage of a sound reproduced by the electricity-to-sound converter on the basis of the first audio signal and the filtered second audio signal. A multiplier multiples the first audio signal by a coefficient approximating a transmission characteristic between the electricity-to-sound converter and the sound collector when the sound reproduced by the electricity-to-sound converter leaks outside a housing to be picked up by the sound collector. A second frequency band limit filter filters the multiplied first audio signal and supplies the filtered first audio signal to the sound leakage evaluating block. The first frequency band limit filter and the second frequency band limit filter have passing bands of 1 kHz to 3 kHz. |
| US08447039B2 |
Active-active hierarchical key servers
In one embodiment, group member devices may be divided into at least one cluster, wherein each cluster includes a primary key server designated to synchronize with a master key server. Each cluster further includes at least one registration server configured to communicate with member devices in the group within the cluster and to synchronize with the primary key server. |
| US08447036B2 |
Multi-party key agreement method using bilinear map and system therefor
The present invention provides an efficient method and system in which a plurality of participants share a secret key in a communication environment that is not ensured. According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the participants is assigned with a secret key from a key generation party, generates exchange information, and transmits its own exchange information to the other participant to exchange the exchange information with each other. Each of the participants generates a shared key on the basis of the exchange information and its own secret key. |
| US08447035B2 |
Contract based memory management for isochronous streams
A method of displaying an image includes generating a contract in the display engine, transferring the contract to the memory controller before the end of a sweep, generating a contract amendment in response to changes in the display engine, transferring the contract amendment to the memory controller, making a decision whether the contract amendment can be processed, fetching data from the memory controller according to the contract incorporating the contract amendment if the decision is that the contract amendment can be processed, sending the fetched data to the display engine in an isochronous stream; and processing the fetched data using the display engine. |
| US08447023B2 |
Automatic audio priority designation during conference
During a conference, a multipoint control unit (MCU) designates priority and non-priority endpoints. The MCU forms priority audio from the priority endpoint and sends that audio to the other endpoints at a normal level. However, the MCU forms non-priority audio from the non-priority endpoint and handles that audio based on whether the input audio from the priority endpoint is from speaking or not. If the priority endpoint's audio indicates a participant at that endpoint is speaking, then the MCU sends the non-priority audio to the other endpoints at a reduced level. Designation of which endpoint has priority can be based on which endpoint has a current duration of audio indicative of speech that is longer than other endpoints. Alternatively, the designation can be based on which endpoint is currently presenting content during the conference or based on a mix of speech audio and content presentation. |
| US08447022B2 |
Method and system for providing to a second party, computer-network related information about a first party
A method and system for providing computer-network related information about a second party. First, the second party receives a telephone number of a first party. The second party's customer premises equipment (CPE) or elements in a telephone network then use the telephone number to index a database, which contains combinations of telephone numbers and computer-network addresses. Once the first party's computer-network address is retrieved, computer network information present at the computer-network location specified by the computer-network address can be sent to and displayed on the second party's CPE. Also, the first party's telephone number can be sent to an application in the computer network, causing the first-party-customized information to be automatically displayed on the second party's CPE. |
| US08447021B2 |
Hold detection and handling
A communication system comprising: a terminal having: an interface to a network, whereby the terminal can be connected to another party on a communication session; an output for outputting a communication stream received from another party on a communication session; and a source of play-out stream independent of a communication session; and a communication controller for managing a communication session terminated at the terminal, the communication controller being configured to: a) when it detects that the terminal has been placed on hold in a communication session, cause play-out stream from the source of play-out stream to be directed to the output; and b) when it detects that the terminal has been taken off hold in the communication session, cause communication stream from the communication session to be directed to the output. |
| US08447019B2 |
Method and system for providing call screening in a packet-switched network
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for determining whether a call in a packet-switched network to a first destination is to be forwarded, forwarding the call to a second destination based on a determination that the call is to be forwarded, notifying the first destination that the call has been forwarded, receiving a request from the first destination to screen the call, and enabling the first destination to screen the call. |
| US08447017B2 |
Method and apparatus for connecting a caller previously diverted to voicemail
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for enabling communication between a first party and a second party. The method and apparatus determine that the second party is calling the first party while the first party is leaving a message on the voicemail of the second party. The message is then aborted and the first party is connected to the second party. |
| US08447004B2 |
Estimation and compensation of clock variation in received signal
A method and system for estimating and compensating for variation between a receiver clock and a transmitter clock, where a receiver utilizes a high frequency clock signal to generate a receiver clock and then adjusts the receiver clock to compensate for variations between the receiver and transmitter clocks. The adjusted receiver clock is used to sample nibble pulses in a received data frame. Counter based compensation of the receiver clock eliminates the need for the receiver to perform floating point calculations, improves the accuracy of nibble pulse sampling and also reduces area and power consumption of the device. |
| US08447003B2 |
Clock synchronization method for use in communication system for transmitting at least one of video data and audio data
A source device counts a clock CLKpixel for pixel data using a transmitting counter, adds a counted value Csource(t) of the transmitting counter at a timing of transmitting a video packet Pvideo to the sink device to a header part of the video packet Pvideo as a time stamp value Csource(t), and transmits the video packet Pvideo to the sink device. The sink device receives the video packet Pvideo, extracts the time stamp value Csource(t) from the header part of the video packet Pvideo, generates a fixed reference clock CLKref based on the counted value Csource(t) of the transmitting counter using a first PLL, circuit, and generates the clock CLKpixel for the pixel data of the source device based on the reference clock CLKref using a second PLL circuit. |
| US08447000B2 |
Transceiver system with analog and digital signal echo cancellation having adaptably adjustable filter characteristics
A receiver that easily receives signals from transmission channels having long cable lengths is presented. The receiver includes an analog pre-filter that removes distortions and intersymbol interference from a predetermined transmission channel. The analog pre-filter is coupled with a digital receiver that provides digital equalization. The combination of analog equalization with digital equalization allows for simplified digital equalization while retaining the versatility of digital signal processing. |
| US08446998B2 |
Multiple antenna receiver system and method
A technique for processing received signals in multiple-antenna systems. Received signals from the different antennas may be amplified by a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) and time-multiplexed by a switch to form a single analog signal. The time-multiplexed analog signal is down-converted and processed using a single RF chain for each signal component. This may result in an N-fold decrease in hardware in multiple antenna receiver systems. |
| US08446995B2 |
Method and device for correcting IQ imbalance of baseband signals in wireless communication receiver
A method and a device for correcting In-phase/Quadrature (IQ) imbalance in baseband signals of a wireless communication receiver are disclosed. The method includes the following: the receiver receives Radio Frequency (RF) signals, and processes the signals to generate In-phase (I) signals and Quadrature (Q) signals; the receiver calculates to obtain an autocorrelation value E(|I|2) of the I signal, an autocorrelation value E(|Q|2) of a current Q signal, and a cross-correlation value E(IQ) of the I signal and the current Q signal; the receiver computes E(|I|2), (|Q|2) and E(IQ) through arithmetical operations to obtain an estimate value Ân of a current amplitude imbalance calibration factor and an estimate value {circumflex over (P)}n of a current phase imbalance calibration factor; and the receiver corrects the current Q signal according to Ân and {circumflex over (P)}n. The embodiments reduce operations. |
| US08446994B2 |
Gain control in a communication channel
Methods and apparatuses for reducing DC offsets in a communication system are described. In a first aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a wireless local area network (WLAN) receiver channel. The frequency response of the feedback loop circuit can be variable. In a second aspect, a circuit provides gain control in a WLAN receiver channel. The stored DC offset is subtracted from the receiver channel. First and second automatic gain control (AGC) amplifiers are coupled in respective portions of the receiver channel. In a third aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a WLAN receiver channel. The feedback loop circuit includes a storage element that samples and stores receiver channel DC offset. The loop is opened, and the DC offset stored in the storage element is subtracted from the receiver channel. Circuits for monitoring DC offset, and for providing control signals for controlling the frequency response of the DC offset reducing circuits are also provided. |
| US08446993B2 |
Receiving apparatus and method for receiving signals in a wireless communication system with improved equalization performance
Described herein is a receiving apparatus and method for receiving signals in a wireless communication system, the signals including a dedicated channel estimation sequence, including a gain control means that controls the gain of a received signal, a channel estimation means that performs a channel estimation on the basis of a dedicated channel estimation sequence included in a received signal, a gain error correction means that corrects a gain error in the result of said channel estimation caused by said gain control means on the basis of the dedicated channel estimation sequence comprised in the received signal, and an equalizing means that performs an equalization on the received signal on the basis of the gain corrected channel estimation result. |
| US08446991B2 |
Method of detecting a frame synchronization pattern or unique word in a received digital signal
The recognition of a frame synchronization pattern or unique word of a received signal may be enhanced using a data-aided estimator of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) together with a correlation detector of the unique word to be received. Detecting a frame synchronization pattern or a unique word in a received signal, the SNR is estimated on the received signal with a data-aided SNR estimator using the unique word to be received. If the estimated SNR exceeds a certain threshold, an eventual recognition of the unique word established by a correlation correlator of the receiver is considered reliable. Comparing the SNR with the threshold may be carried out either before or after the correlator has processed the unique word. |
| US08446990B2 |
Method and apparatus for carrier frequency offset synchronization of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing receivers
A carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation and synchronization method and apparatus of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver receiving an OFDM modulated signal. The OFDM receiver's CFO synchronization method includes step (a) performing an initial CFO estimation pull-in step using double correlation, step (b) performing a coarse residue CFO estimate acquisition step using independent combination of the double correlation and auto-correlation, and step (c) performing a small residue CFO tracking step by using the double correlation. Aspects of the invention solves the problems in the related art that a CFO tracking range cannot be reliably used in practice when the CFO tracking range is too narrow and a CFO estimation error increases when the CFO tracking range is too wide. |
| US08446980B2 |
Distortion compensation circuit and a distortion compensation method
A distortion compensation circuit is provided with an input level limitation unit that limits signal level of an input signal and outputs a signal before distortion compensation, a distortion compensation unit that performs distortion compensation processing to the signal before distortion compensation and outputs a signal after distortion compensation, an distortion compensation coefficient calculation unit that calculates a coefficient for compensating distortion of the output signal of an amplifier as a distortion compensation coefficient, a storage unit that stores the distortion compensation coefficient and a limit value calculation unit that calculates signal level of the signal before distortion compensation. |
| US08446976B2 |
Signal generator with adjustable phase
Phase of an output signal is based on comparison of an oscillating signal with an adjustable threshold. Here, adjustment of the threshold results in a corresponding adjustment of the phase of the output signal. For example, the adjustable threshold may comprise an adjustable bias signal for a transistor circuit whereby the oscillating signal is provided as an input to the transistor circuit and the output of the transistor circuit provides the output signal. In some aspects these phase adjustment techniques may be employed to provide one or more tunable multiphase clocks. |
| US08446972B2 |
Communication system, reception device, and communication method
A reception device which communicates with a transmission device including multiple transmission antennas, the reception device including: at least one reception antenna which receives multiple transmission signals transmitted by the transmission device from the multiple transmission antennas; a propagation channel response estimation unit which estimates propagation channel responses among the multiple transmission antennas and the reception antenna; a block division unit which divides a reception signal of at least one of the reception antennas into multiple blocks based on a multipath; and a transmission signal detection unit which detects the transmission signals transmitted by the transmission device based on the reception signal divided by the block division unit into the multiple blocks and the propagation channel responses estimated by the propagation channel response estimation unit. The transmission signal detection unit includes: an interference cancellation unit and a signal separation unit. |
| US08446966B2 |
Block noise reducing apparatus
A calculation is made as to first and second differences in level represented by an input video signal at first and second inter-block boundaries adjoining opposite edges of every rectangular block respectively. A corrective value at every pixel in the rectangular block is calculated from a position of the pixel and the first and second differences according to a predetermined equation. The corrective value is added to a level represented by the input video signal to get an output video signal. The predetermined equation is designed so that levels represented by the output video signal at respective pixels in the rectangular block will be on a line given by a predetermined function of pixel position and connecting a first point in a range corresponding to the first difference and a second point in a range corresponding to the second difference. |
| US08446958B2 |
Image coding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, image coding method, and image decoding method
An image coding apparatus using an encoder which places restrictions on the bit depth to codes a current image to be coded having a bit depth greater than a predetermined bit depth, and includes: a down-converter (102) which down-converts the current image into a base view image having a bit depth equal to or less than the predetermined bit depth; an MVC (multiview video coding) encoder (101) which codes the base view image and decodes the coded base view image to generate a reconstructed image; and a subtracter (103) which calculates differences between characteristics of pixel values of the pre-down-conversion current image and characteristics of the corresponding pixel values of the reconstructed image, and generates, using the calculated differences, a non-base view image having a bit depth equal to or less than the predetermined bit depth, wherein the MVC encoder (101) further codes the non-base view image. |
| US08446957B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method using extended affine transformations for motion estimation
An image processing apparatus includes: motion vector detection section configured to detect a motion vector of each of a plurality of blocks of a predetermined size set in an image and formed from a plurality of pixels; and global motion calculation section configured to carry out convergence mathematical operation, from the motion vectors of the blocks detected by the motion vector detection section, using extended affine transformation in which at least one of affine parameters is represented by a function of a variable regarding a displacement axis of the image to calculate a global motion representative of deformation applied to the entire image. |
| US08446954B2 |
Mode selection techniques for multimedia coding
This disclosure describes techniques for improving mode selection decisions during the encoding of macroblocks (or other blocks) of multimedia frames of a multimedia sequence. During motion estimation, the encoding modes for macroblocks can be determined so that a desirable encoding rate and acceptable levels of distortion (i.e., acceptable rate-distortion) can be achieved. The techniques may include selecting a set of multimedia coding modes between at least two sets of possible multimedia coding modes for a macroblock of a multimedia frame based on a detail metric associated with the macroblock and mode information associated with neighboring blocks to the macroblock. |
| US08446953B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding video, and method and apparatus for decoding video
Disclosed are method and apparatus for encoding and decoding an image which divides a current picture into blocks with various sizes and varies a number of intra prediction modes according to the sizes of the divided blocks. |
| US08446951B2 |
Dynamic image receiving apparatus, dynamic image receiving method and program
To provide a dynamic image receiving apparatus which receives dynamic image streams coded with inter-frame prediction such as MPEG from a plurality of channels, and collects the dynamic image streams containing intra-frame coded pictures from each channel in a short time. The dynamic image receiving apparatus includes: a time information accumulative processing device which accumulates code receiving time of the intra-frame coded picture of the dynamic image stream, and periodicity time information containing one of or both of presentation time information and decoding time information contained in the dynamic image stream for each dynamic image stream of the plurality of channels; code receiving time predicting devices which predict the code receiving time of the intra-frame coded pictures based on the periodicity time information; and a channel selection control device which controls channel selection of the dynamic image stream to be received based on the predicted code receiving time information. |
| US08446950B2 |
Method of estimating the motion in image processing
A method is described for selecting a motion vector for a first image block of an image of an image sequence from a number of test vectors, to which respectively a significance measurement is assigned, wherein at least one of these test vectors is a motion vector of a further image block that is arranged temporally and/or spatially adjacent to the first image block, or a vector formed by modification of this motion vector, and wherein the method covers: Determining a distance measurement for each test vector, Determining a modified distance measurement to each test vector depending on the distance measurement determined to this test vector and additionally at least on the significance measurement assigned to this test vector, Selecting one of the test vectors as motion vector depending on the modified distance measurements, Determining a new distance measurement of the test vector selected as motion vector depending on whether the selected motion vector meets at least one significance criterion, and assigning this new significance measurement as significance measurement to the motion vector for the selection of a motion vector for a third image block, in which the motion vector of the first image block or a vector formed by modification of this motion vector is selected as test vector. |
| US08446948B2 |
Method of progressively coding/decoding 3-D mesh information and apparatus thereof
A method of progressively coding/decoding 3-D mesh information, and an apparatus therefor are provided. The progressive 3-D mesh information coding method includes the steps of reconstructing an input 3-D mesh into a plurality of mesh components, coding each of the plurality of mesh components, and multiplexing the plurality of coded mesh components into a compressed bit stream and transmitting the compressed bit stream. The method of progressively decoding the transmitted, compressed bit stream which has been coded by the coding method, includes dividing the transmitted bit stream into a plurality of coded mesh components, decoding each of the plurality of coded mesh components, and reconstructing a 3-D mesh by synthesizing the plurality of decoded mesh components. |
| US08446945B2 |
Apparatus and method for decoding picture data
A decoding apparatus for decoding two encoded field data obtained by hierarchically encoding two field data associated with each of a plurality of picture data composing a moving picture image. The decoding apparatus comprising: a first decoding unit configured to decode one of the two encoded field data and obtain information associated with the two encoded field data; a conversion unit configured to interpolate first predicted image data generated by decoding by the first decoding unit according to the information and generate second predicted image data of a scanning position of the other encoded field data of the two encoded field data; and a second decoding unit configured to decode the other encoded field data of the two encoded field data based on the second predicted image data generated by the conversion unit. |
| US08446942B2 |
Waveform equalization circuit and waveform equalization method
A waveform equalization circuit includes: a decision feedback equalization unit that feeds back and equalizes an input signal; a clock phase adjustment unit that adjusts a clock phase of a signal equalized by the decision feedback equalization unit based on a signal determined with a prescribed potential as a threshold; and a duo-binary decoder that encodes, into a duo-binary signal, the signal determined with the prescribed potential as a threshold based on a clock adjusted by the clock phase adjustment unit from the signal equalized by the decision feedback equalization unit; wherein the equalized signal is generated by adding the duo-binary signal encoded by the duo-binary decoder to the input signal. A first post-tap of the input signal is equalized by the clock phase adjustment unit without feedback equalization by the decision feedback equalization unit. Second and subsequent post-taps of the input signal are fed back and equalized by the decision feedback equalization unit. |
| US08446939B2 |
Channel quality estimation for MLSE MIMO receiver
A receive signal processor jointly detects two or more symbols in a signal-of-interest in the presence of one or more other MIMO signals. The signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio for each signal-of-interest is determined by computing per-subcarrier signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios for a plurality of subcarriers allocated to the signals-of-interest, and computing a total signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio for the subcarriers based on the per-subcarrier signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios of the subcarriers. A controller determines one or more transmission formats for uplink transmissions based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios. The process of computing per-subcarrier signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio reflects the amount of MIMO interference already cancelled or still remaining in the signal arriving at the joint detector. |
| US08446938B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating carrier frequency offset
In order to improve precision for estimating carrier frequency offset and reduce computing load, the present invention provides a method for estimating carrier frequency offset, which comprises steps of calculating a plurality of corresponding intermediate CFOs, respectively, based on one received sync sequence and one prestored sync sequences stored sync sequence through multi-step calculation, wherein, in each step, one corresponding intermediate CFO is calculated based on said received sync sequence and said pre-stored sync sequence; and weighting said plurality of intermediate CFOs in accordance with channel quality of a channel transmitting said received sync sequence to generate one final CFO. Each of the selected sequence segments may have a length and a mutual distance which are both, at its maximum, the full length of the sync sequence minus 1 so as to improve precision for the intermediate CFOs. Further, the estimation precision for the final CFO is improved by considering the impact of quality difference of reception channels on the intermediate CFOs. |
| US08446937B1 |
Technique for the measurement of I/Q impairments associated with a sampled complex signal
Systems and methods for measuring transmitter and/or receiver I/Q impairments are disclosed, including iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using shared local oscillators, iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using intentionally-offset local oscillators, and methods for measuring receiver I/Q impairments. Also disclosed are methods for computing I/Q impairments from a sampled complex signal, methods for computing DC properties of a signal path between the transmitter and receiver, and methods for transforming I/Q impairments through a linear system. |
| US08446933B2 |
Direct link relay in a wireless network
Disclosed herein are exemplary techniques for power conservation in a wireless network. A wireless device identifies another wireless device suitable to act as a relay node. Uplink information is transmitted to the other wireless device, which is in turn relayed to an access point for transmission to its destination. Downlink information may be transmitted directly from the access point to the wireless device. The use of a relay node may reduce transmit power consumption as the relay node may be closer to, or support a higher transmit rate, than the access point with which the wireless device is associated. |
| US08446929B2 |
Furnace refractory brick hearth system
A brick hearth system includes a rigid containment shell in which a concave bottom is lined with a hearth refractory sub-layer and hearth brick working layer. The outer perimeter of the hearth refractory is ringed with thrust blocks to compress the whole toward the center and to thereby deny gaps from forming between the separate bricks. Many individual thrust rods penetrate the outer bottom of the containment shell, and such are used to transmit compression forces generated outside the shell to be applied against the thrust blocks in unison. Each thrust rod receives an adjustable amount of inward force from a spring, acting either directly or through a beam or rocker arm. These are anchored to and use the hoop strength of the containment shell as leverage. As the hearth brick working layer grows during its service life, the ring of thrust blocks grows in diameter as well inside the margins provided within the containment shell. The individual thrust rod springs are periodically adjusted to keep the pressures in the optimal range. |
| US08446928B2 |
Extendable electrode for gas discharge laser
A movable electrode assembly for use in laser system includes a first electrode, a second electrode arranged opposite from the first electrode, the second electrode being spaced apart from the first electrode by a discharge gap and a discharge gap adjuster interfaced with at least one of the second electrode or the first electrode, the discharge gap adjuster configured to adjust the discharge gap. A movable electrode assembly for integration into a housing of a laser system includes a first electrode having a discharge surface, a second electrode having a discharge surface, such that the discharge surface of the first electrode and the discharge surface of the second electrode face each other in a spaced apart setting that defines a desired discharge gap, and a mechanism for moveably adjusting the spaced apart setting toward the desired discharge gap. A method of adjusting a discharge gap is also disclosed. |
| US08446927B2 |
Semiconductor laser device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor laser device includes a p-type clad layer and an n-type clad layer, a p-side guide layer and an n-side guide layer interposed between the p-type clad layer and the n-type clad layer, and an active layer interposed between the p-side guide layer and the n-side guide layer. The active layer includes at least two quantum well layers and a barrier layer interposed between the quantum well layers adjoining to each other. Each of the p-type clad layer and the n-type clad layer is formed of a (Alx1Ga(1-x1))0.51In0.49P layer (0≦x1≦1). Each of the p-side guide layer, the n-side guide layer and the barrier layer is formed of a Alx2Ga(1-x2)As layer (0≦x2≦1). Each of the quantum well layers is formed of a GaAs(1-x3)Px3 layer (0≦x3≦1). The (Alx1Ga(1-x1))0.51In0.49P layer has a composition satisfying an inequality, x1>0.7. The Alx2Ga(1-x2)As layer has a composition satisfying an inequality, 0.4≦x2≦0.8. |
| US08446923B2 |
Fiber laser device
When an output instruction is input to the control unit, the control unit controls the seed laser light source and the pumping light source to be either in a pre-pumped state or in an output state. In the pre-pumped state, laser light is not output from the seed laser light source, and pumping light with a predetermined intensity based on a laser light intensity set by the output setting unit is output from the pumping light source for a certain period of time. In the output state, laser light is output from the seed laser light source, and pumping light is output from the pumping light source, so that laser light with the intensity set by the output setting unit is output. |
| US08446922B2 |
Method and device for multiplexing and mapping services to an OTU
A method for multiplexing and mapping services to an Optical channel Transport Unit (OTU) includes: filling the service data into a container block covering an Optical channel Payload Unit (OPU) area container having at least one frame. The container block includes at least one OPU area container having a frame. The OPU area container is composed of at least one OPU area sub-timeslot, and is configured to fill the service clock information into the Optical Channel Payload Unit Overload (OPU OH) area. A device for multiplexing and mapping services to an OTU is provided in an embodiment of the present invention. |
| US08446921B2 |
Serial bus device and clock difference compensation method thereof
A serial bus device for transmitting a packet to a link partner is provided. The serial bus device includes a processing unit and a clock difference compensation unit coupled to the processing unit. The processing unit generates the packet. The clock difference compensation unit determines whether to transmit at least one skip ordered set to the link partner prior to the packet according to a type of the packet, so as to compensate for a clock difference for the link partner. |
| US08446918B2 |
Method for operating a mobile wireless network
A method of operating a mobile wireless network is described to ensure proper function of protocol entities during the transmission of data units between two wireless stations of the mobile wireless network. In this case, user data is assembled by a first convergence protocol layer of the first wireless station into at least one first data unit, particularly a packet data unit, before transmission to a second convergence protocol layer of a second wireless station, particularly on the same protocol level, with the user data being supplied to the first convergence protocol layer by at least one user in a network layer. At least one protocol entity of the first convergence protocol layer is configured as a function of a configuration request received by the second wireless station, in order to form the at least one first data unit from the data received from the at least one user and to transmit it through a carrier to a link control layer. |
| US08446915B2 |
Method of operating internet protocol address and subnet system using the same
A method of operating an Internet protocol (IP) address allocates, creates, and processes an interface identifier (ID) of an IP address area. In the allocation, the IP address area includes a subnet prefix area and an Interface ID area, and certain bits of the Interface ID area are used as an index area of a subnet gateway. The allocation is implemented in order from the higher layer to the lower layer so that the Interface ID area is sequentially allocated from the higher bits for the index areas of the respective layers. The combination of the certain bits of the allocated Interface ID and the subnet prefix area of the IP address area is used as the subnet ID of the subnet layers. The lowest subnet gateway allocates the Interface ID to terminating equipment to access the IP network based on a format of the IP address. |
| US08446912B2 |
Mechanism for implementation of system signaling 7 (SS7) layers as microcontainer beans in a media gateway
A mechanism for implementation of system signaling 7 (SS7) layers as microcontainer beans in a media gateway is disclosed. A method of the invention includes implementing one or more System Signaling No. 7 (SS7) Message Transfer Part (MTP) layers as plain old JAVA objects (POJOs), associating each of the one or more SS7 MTP layers with JBoss Microcontainer Beans, and installing the one or more SS7 MTP layer Microcontainer Beans in a media gateway. |
| US08446909B2 |
Extension of audio/video bridging reservation protocol
An audio/vide bridging (AVB) system using an extended AVB reservation protocol, and a resource reservation method are provided where an AVB system using an extended AVB reservation protocol includes an egress device for transmitting a Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) or Multiple Registration Protocol (MRP) message comprising an AVB stream identifier or an application stream identifier to a relay device, the relay device for registering the AVB stream identifier or the application stream identifier according to the GARP/MRP message, and transmitting the GARP/MRP message comprising the application stream identifier, to an ingress device, and the ingress device for allocating the AVB stream identifier corresponding to the application stream identifier via the GARP/MRP message comprising the application stream identifier, and transmitting a reservation signal to the relay device. |
| US08446906B2 |
Providing access to client overhead while transparently transmitting the client signal
A method includes receiving client data; extracting overhead data from the client data; mapping the client data into one or more frames, where each of the one or more frames has a frame payload section and a frame overhead section, where the client data is mapped into the frame payload section of the one or more frames; inserting the overhead data into the frame overhead section of the one or more frames; transporting the one or more frames across a network; extracting the overhead data from the frame overhead section of the one or more frames; recovering the client data from the one or more frames; inserting the extracted overhead data into the recovered client data to create modified client data; and outputting the modified client data. |
| US08446901B2 |
Communication system for VoIP using an internet protocol converter
A proprietary internet converter (PIC) is disclosed, which allows a calling party end-user device with internet access such as a mobile telephone, to initiate voice communication with a called party VoIP (Voice Over Internet protocol) end-user device. The ID (Internet Device with a built-in PIC) converts the protocols used by the calling party end-user device so that the switch that routes calls to the called party VoIP end-user device understands instructions sent from the calling party end-user device. The switch has a call forwarding function. The calling party gives the calling party user name (e.g. ISP user name/contact or VoIP user name/contact) to the PIC over the internet. The PIC then sets call forwarding function on the switch, for that particular calling party, so that an incoming call from the calling party is automatically forwarded to the ISP user or VoIP user defined by the calling party. |
| US08446900B2 |
System and method for transferring a call between endpoints in a hybrid peer-to-peer network
An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method enables an endpoint to move (e.g., transfer or forward) a call to another endpoint in a peer-to-peer environment. |
| US08446889B2 |
Network time reservation cancellation
Methods and systems that support, for example, canceling or trimming reservations of a shared communication medium are described. In one embodiment, a method that adapts a network time reservation in a communication network may include, for example, one or more of the following: transmitting a preamble field; transmitting a legacy signal field; transmitting at least one paired field, each paired field comprising a signal field and a protocol data unit; and generating an interframe gap. |
| US08446886B2 |
Antenna port mapping for demodulation reference signals
The present invention provides a unified, rank independent mapping between antenna ports and group/code pairs. Each antenna port is uniquely associated with one code division multiplexing (CDM) group and one orthogonal cover code (OCC). The mapping between antenna ports and group/code pairs is chosen such that, for a given antenna port, the CDM group and OCC will be the same for every transmission rank. |
| US08446882B2 |
Method for performing an adaptive modulation and coding scheme in mobile communication system
An efficient link adaptive scheme according to a channel status in a broadband wireless communication system is disclosed. In applying an adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) scheme, modulation and coding selection (MCS) subsets are determined from all or part of MCS set in accordance with a service type or channel status, whereby feedback overhead is reduced and efficient link adaptation is performed in conjunction with a downlink power control scheme. |
| US08446873B2 |
Method for uplink transmission of control information in mobile communication system
A method for uplink transmitting control information in a mobile communication system is disclosed. A method for uplink transmitting control information in a mobile communication system includes receiving control channel configuration information for indicating a first period about a time interval in which a control channel is repeatedly allocated and a second period about a time interval in which the control channel is repeatedly allocated in accordance with the first period, generating a control channel at a predetermined position in a time-frequency resource region for uplink transmission in consideration of the first period and the second period, and transmitting control information through the generated control channel. |
| US08446868B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing blind decoding results in a wireless communication system
Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate processing and pruning of blind decoding results (e.g., associated with grant signaling) within a wireless communication environment. As described herein, blind decoding results associated with grant signaling and/or other suitable signaling can be pruned in various manners, thereby reducing false alarm probabilities associated with such results. For example, techniques are provided herein for constraining respective decoding candidates to possible radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) values, performing validity checking on payload of respective decoding candidates, and selecting a most likely decoding candidate from a previously pruned set of candidates. Further, techniques are described herein for generating filler bits (e.g., padding bits, reserved bits, etc.) in a grant message according to a predefined pattern, thereby enabling checking of such bits to further reduce false alarm rates. |
| US08446867B2 |
Method of controlling uplink power in wireless communication system
A method of controlling uplink power in a wireless communication system includes receiving a power control offset with respect to a data burst including user data from a base station, receiving a power control offset with respect to a control burst including control information from the base station, and controlling transmission power of the data burst and transmission power of the control burst according to the power control offset with respect to the data burst and the power control offset with respect to the control burst. |
| US08446866B2 |
Base station apparatus and wireless resource allocation method
A base station apparatus in a wireless communication network system includes an information obtaining unit that obtains a delay request value for application data which is transmitted and received between a terminal and a communication partner thereof through an application layer, where the terminal performs data transmission and reception by wirelessly accessing the base station apparatus; and a resource allocator that computes, based on the delay request value for the application data, a residual time up to a time by which an application data transmitting side, which is one of the base station apparatus and the terminal, should complete wireless transmission of TCP packets which store the application data, and performs allocation of a wireless resource used in wireless communication between the base station apparatus and the terminal, based on a degree of margin of the residual time for a prearranged transmission time of the wireless transmission from the application data transmitting side. |
| US08446865B2 |
Multi-channel directional devices with beacons
A communication system includes first and second devices, where a processor of at least one of the first device and the second device is configured to assign a control channel common to the first device and the second device; exchange control information over the control channel; from the control information, find a data channel available to both the first device and the second device for data communications between the first device and the second device; and communicate data over the data channel between the first device and the second device. |
| US08446864B2 |
EPS connectivity during operator determined barring
A node and method for handling barring of services in an Evolved Packet System (EPS) enabled network using an amended full Access Point Name (APN). The Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of the APN is amended to include an extension, which indicates that the corresponding APN is to be excluded from Operator Determined Barring (ODB). |
| US08446859B2 |
Method for controlling uplink load in cell— FACH state
A method for a user equipment (UE) to perform uplink re-access in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes performing an uplink access procedure to establish a data transmission channel, checking whether or not the data transmission channel has been released, and delaying uplink re-access to the data transmission channel by a wait time when the data transmission channel has been released. |
| US08446856B2 |
System and method for relay node selection
A method for recommending a relay node to which a user agent attaches. The method includes recommending the relay node based on a relay node selection rank. |
| US08446854B2 |
Signal processing apparatus, signal processing method, and reception system
Disclosed herein is a signal processing apparatus including a first detection block; a second detection block; a duration detection block; a duration information output block; and a demodulation block. |
| US08446852B2 |
System and method for selecting an access link in a multi-hop relay network
A method for selecting an access link in a multi-hop relay network includes determining a first effective spectrum efficiency value of a first connection between an endpoint and a base station. The first effective spectrum efficiency value is indicative of the spectrum efficiency from the endpoint to the base station when the first connection is used. The method also includes determining a second effective spectrum efficiency value of a second connection between the endpoint and the base station via a relay station. The second effective spectrum efficiency value is indicative of the spectrum efficiency from the endpoint to the base station when the second connection is used. The method also includes comparing the first and second effective spectrum efficiency values. The method further includes establishing a connection using one of the first or second connections based on the comparison of the first and second effective spectrum efficiency values. |
| US08446850B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing broadcast services
A network element (for providing multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS) over a communication system that comprises a broadcast multicast service centre (BM-SC) wherein the network element comprises logic for allocating broadcast control plane traffic to at least one first radio network control entity dedicated to handle control plane traffic and allocating broadcast data plane traffic to at least one second radio network control entity dedicated to handle data plane traffic. |
| US08446848B2 |
Full duplex network radio bridge with low latency and high throughput
A full duplex radio bridge using two transceivers coupled to a first packet network, one for transmitting data toward another radio bridge coupled to a second packet network, and the other for receiving data transmitted from the first packet network toward said second packet network by a transceiver of the other radio bridge. Each radio bridge is coupled to its packet network through one network port whose transmit data path is coupled to one of the transceivers, and whose receive data path is coupled to receive data from the other transceiver. An inner loop and outer loop is used. Management packets are routed to the various transceivers using the inner loop and outer loop by routing and filtering functions. Payload packets are transmitted from one packet network to the other using only the outer loop. |
| US08446845B2 |
Advanced bandwidth management audit functions
An auditing function detects and corrects reservation and routing topology map errors by monitoring the operation of an advanced bandwidth manager (ABM). A session/call admission controller (S/CAC) attached to a network manages loading with policy enforcement points (PEP's) when the network nears or exceeds its capacity. Ever-changing network topology information is monitored, modeled, and analyzed from remote listeners. A correct model of how traffic is being routed through various parts of the network is critical to admission control. The PEP's at the network edges provide short-term, application-aware controls on their own that are applied to the corresponding network ingress traffic. The S/CAC uses the path tables to calculate whether particular PEP's can admit more traffic, or should they shed sessions/calls to keep service up for the existing application traffic. Long-term controls are periodically downloaded as admission tables from the S/CAC to the PEP's. |
| US08446843B2 |
Rapid local address assignment for wireless communication networks
A method of operating a wireless communication device includes transmitting a query to a wireless network. The query requests information about a type of Internet Protocol (IP) address assignment in use on the wireless network. The method also includes receiving a reply from the wireless network, wherein the reply includes the information about the type of IP address assignment in use on the wireless network. The method further includes determining an IP address for the wireless communication device, including: only in response to the information about the type of IP address assignment in use on the wireless network, as set forth in the reply, indicating that dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) is in use by the wireless network, transmitting a DHCP discovery message to the wireless network in order to determine the IP address for the wireless communication device. |
| US08446840B2 |
TCP proxy insertion and uninstall method, and service gateway device
A TCP proxy insertion and uninstall method is provided, including: during establishment of a TCP connection, forwarding a TCP connection establishing packet between a TCP client and a TCP server through an L3, and recording option information and sequence number information of the TCP connection establishing packet; performing determination on a packet according to a proxy policy; forwarding the received packet if it is determined that no proxy process is required for the packet, and updating the recorded sequence number information according to sequence number information of the received packet; and generating a client pseudo socket and a server pseudo socket according to the option information and sequence number information if it is determined that a proxy process is required for the packet, terminating the received packet by adopting the client pseudo socket and server pseudo socket, processing the terminated packet through an L7 and forwarding the processed packet. |
| US08446837B2 |
Data filtering method
A data filtering method for removing invalid data in 3G data stream which is received. The data filtering method includes the following steps. At first, a step (a) of receiving a 3G data stream continually is performed. Then, a step (b) of determining whether the 3G data stream comprises a complete filtering unit is performed. If the 3G data stream comprises a complete filtering unit, a step (c) of determining whether the 3G data stream includes invalid data is performed. If the 3G data stream includes invalid data, a step (d) of marking the invalid data according to a predetermined protocol is performed. Finally, a step (e) of filtering out the marked invalid data is performed. |
| US08446833B2 |
Measurement apparatus, displays and methods for indicating channel status
The present invention is directed to a display for easily understanding time changes of communication conditions of channels using a plurality of sub-carriers. Layers corresponding to the plurality of channels are displayed along the time base in such a manner that width of each layer is determined in accordance with the number of sub-carriers used for each channel at any given time. Additionally, colors or patterns of each layer may be modified in accordance with modulation types or power levels of the corresponding layer. The relationship between colors or patterns of the layer and modulation types or power levels is displayed. |
| US08446831B2 |
Meter-based hierarchical bandwidth sharing
Example methods and apparatus for hierarchical bandwidth management are disclosed. An example method includes, receiving a data packet included in a first data traffic flow having a first rate of traffic. The example method further includes marking the data packet with a first marker type if the first rate of traffic is less than or equal to a first threshold, otherwise marking the data packet with a second marker type. The example method also includes combining the first data traffic flow with a second data traffic flow having a second rate of traffic to produce a third data traffic flow having a third rate of traffic. The example method still further includes, if the data packet is marked with the first marker type, forwarding the data packet in the third data flow. The example method yet further includes, if the data packet is marked with the second marker type and the third rate of traffic is less than or equal to a second threshold, forwarding the data packet in the third data flow, otherwise, discarding the packet. |
| US08446830B2 |
System, method and device for switching between WWAN and WLAN in a mobile wireless hotspot device
An apparatus comprises a first interface module configured to interface with one or more user devices through a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection; a second interface module configured to interface with a wireless communication network through a wireless wide area network (WWAN) connection; and a controller. The controller is configured to detect availability of carrier hotspots; if no carrier hotspot is detected, route traffic to and from the one or more user devices through the WWAN connection; and if a carrier hotspot is detected, route traffic to and from the one or more user devices through the detected carrier hotspot. |
| US08446828B2 |
Method and system for controlling communication network and router used in the network
The present invention provides a communication network comprising a host network, a plurality of base stations, at least a mobile host capable of establishing links to the base stations, and a hierarchy-network of plural routers which are improved in transferring performances for ensuring continuous operations with a reduced load without packet loss. |
| US08446824B2 |
NUMA-aware scaling for network devices
The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus for network traffic processing in a non-uniform memory access architecture system. The method includes allocating a Tx/Rx Queue pair for a node, the Tx/Rx Queue pair allocated in a local memory of the node. The method further includes routing network traffic to the allocated Tx/Rx Queue pair. The method may include designating a core in the node for network traffic processing. Of course, many alternatives, variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment. |
| US08446821B2 |
Offering incentives under a flat rate charging system
The invention describes a method of providing incentives to users via supporting mechanisms and algorithms for facilitating the move of DT traffic to off-peak hours. It proposes an efficient utilization of the network resources during peak hour under a flat-rate pricing scheme with the cooperation and blessing of the users and without adding complexity to billing. |
| US08446817B2 |
Distributed virtual fibre channel over Ethernet forwarder
A virtual Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) forwarder (vFCF) distributed in the core layer of an FCoE environment between two or more FCoE-enabled core switches by using a single virtual domain ID for the FCoE forwarders (FCFs) in a fabric is provided. In this manner, the network problem of having a single point of failure in a fabric is eliminated without needing to double the number of core switches in the FCoE environment for redundancy. Because the login and state information is distributed between the FCoE-enabled core switches of a fabric, the loss or failure of a core switch no longer means that the fabric goes down. Instead, when a core switch fails, the hosts and initiators may stay logged in through the other core switches. |
| US08446816B2 |
Control method for access gateway and communication system
In order to provide a redundancy configuration to an access gateway apparatus in which a control plane and a user plane are separated, the access gateway apparatus includes: a control computer for receiving control signals from the networks to establish the communication path, thereby determining packet transfer information for the data; and a transfer computer for receiving the packet transfer information from the control computer to transfer the data through the communication path. The transfer computer includes: a plurality of first transfer computers for executing the transfer of the data; and a second transfer computer for taking over, when a fault occurs in any one of the plurality of first transfer computers. The control computer includes: a first control computer for processing the control signals received from the networks; and a second control computer for taking over, when a fault occurs in the first control computer. |
| US08446815B2 |
Failure independent path protection with p-cycles
A telecommunications network, comprising plural nodes connected by plural spans and arranged to form a mesh network. There is at least one pre-configured cycle of spare capacity established in the mesh network, the pre-configured cycle including plural nodes of the mesh network. The plural nodes of the pre-configured cycle are configured to protect a set of plural mutually disjoint working paths end to end. |
| US08446814B2 |
Radio communication system, radio communication device, radio communication method, and program
A radio communication system according to the present invention has a plurality of radio communication devices that transmit and receive subframes one by one. Each of the plurality of radio communication devices includes a subframe generation unit that generates the subframe with a plurality of symbols and causes an effective symbol length of a last symbol of the subframe to be 1/X (where X is an integer equal to or greater than 2) and a transmission unit that transmits the subframe to another radio communication device. |
| US08446813B1 |
Method, apparatus and computer program for solving control bits of butterfly networks
Control bits for switches of a butterfly network are directly solved iteratively for each successive functional column of switches to route data values in parallel according to a multiple access scheme through the butterfly network to memory spaces. A memory space address and appended bus index leading into the butterfly network are generated. A linear order bus index and a physical address are determined for a switch having an unsolved control bit. The solved control bits are applied to solve control bits to a next functional column in a linear and an interleaved order by starting from the bus index and physical address. The linear order is moved to the interleaved order by a reduced turbo de-interleaver and the interleaved order is moved to the linear order by a reduced turbo interleaver until solving a sequence of control bits related to the start bus index and the start physical address. |
| US08446812B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting signals, and method and apparatus for receiving the signals
A storage unit stores a preamble signal defined in a legacy system and a preamble signal defined in a MIMO system. A monitoring unit in a transmitting apparatus monitors the existence of any communication apparatus which is not compatible with the MIMO system but accepts the legacy system. A channel characteristics acquiring unit derives the characteristics of a radio channel between the transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. A selector selects a packet format based on a monitoring result obtained by the monitoring unit. The selector also selects where to place LTS, based on the characteristics of wireless channel derived by the channel characteristics acquiring unit. |
| US08446811B2 |
Constellation re-arrangement and bit grouping
Methods and systems for subpacket generation using a convolutional turbo code in hybrid automatic repeat request re-transmissions that includes separating a codeword into subblocks of bits, interleaving the subblocks, and performing a permutation to group the bit streams and rearrange a symbol constellation such that bits are assigned to bit positions based on a number of re-transmissions. |
| US08446809B2 |
Optical pickup device and optical disc device
An optical pickup device imparts different astigmatisms from each other to light fluxes in four light flux areas A through D formed around an optical axis of laser light, out of the laser light reflected on a disc. The optical pickup device also changes the propagating directions of the light fluxes in the light flux areas A through D to separate the light fluxes in the light flux areas A through D from each other. A signal light area where only signal light exists is defined on a detection surface of a photodetector. Sensing portions are arranged at a position corresponding to the signal light area. Accordingly, only the signal light is received by the sensing portions, thereby suppressing deterioration of a detection signal resulting from stray light. |
| US08446808B2 |
Use of feedback error and/or feed-forward signals to adjust control axes to optimal recovery position of hologram in holographic data storage system or device
A method for adjusting at least one alignment control axis of a holographic data storage system or device to or towards a sufficiently optimal recovery position for recovery of a hologram based on a derived feedback error signal and/or a derived feed-forward signal. For the next hologram in the sequence, the derived feedback error signal estimates the direction and magnitude of misalignment of the at least one alignment control axis for one or more previously recovered holograms based on alignment-indicating data. The derived feed-forward signal estimates an optimal alignment value for the at least one alignment control axis for one or more holograms based on recording and recovery operating condition data for the holograms. An iterative alignment procedure may also be used to derive a feedback error signal for one hologram. |
| US08446806B2 |
Media record/play device and media record/play method
In the case where a spare area management method using an NAP of a spare area on a recordable medium is applied to a spare area management method of a spare area on a rewritable medium, in order to alleviate a recording stop caused by retry over in a replacement process or unnecessary conversion processes in a record/reproduce device, the NAP is updated in a format process or in the replacement process in such a way as to avoid defective blocks within the spare area which is registered as Unusable Cluster or Usable Cluster Type 2 entries on the DFL. |
| US08446800B2 |
Time information acquisition apparatus and radio wave timepiece
A time information acquisition apparatus comprises an input waveform data pattern generator configured to sample a standard time radio wave signal in order to generate an input waveform data pattern, a predicted waveform data pattern generator configured to generate predicted waveform data patterns, represents a string of codes based on a base time, and has a head position, an error detector configured to detect non-coincidence between the input waveform data pattern and each of the predicted waveform data patterns in order to acquire a number of errors indicative of a number of non-coincidences, a current time correction module configured to correct the base time based on the predicted waveform data pattern indicative of a minimum value of the number of errors, and a controller configured to determine the number of predicted waveform data patterns to be generated. |
| US08446799B2 |
Container cap with a timer
The invention is a container cap with a timer. The timer has a centralized activation pin or mechanism that activates the timer when the cap is secured to a container. The timer is used to determine how much time has passed since the cap was secured to the container. The timer cap of the present invention is streamlined, easier to use, more reliable, and has a lower manufacturing cost than currently available timer caps. |
| US08446791B2 |
Process tolerant large-swing sense amplfier with latching capability
A process-tolerant large-swing sense amplifier with latching capability includes top-array and bottom-array access. The sense amplifier provides improved tolerance to process variation, reduces design complexity, reduces power consumption, and reduces the physical footprint of the circuit. In addition, the sense amplifier provides write-through functionality through the read data bus. |
| US08446788B2 |
Programmable memory repair scheme
The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices and methods, systems, and apparatus for testing and operating the same. A semiconductor memory device includes data storage elements and a repair circuit. The data storage elements include primary data storage elements and one or more redundant data storage elements, the primary data storage elements having respective addresses for memory access operations. The repair circuit is programmable by another semiconductor device separate from the memory device to recognize a malfunctioning address of the primary data storage elements and the programmed repair circuit is configured to reroute memory access from a primary data storage element having the recognized malfunctioning address to a corresponding redundant data storage element. |
| US08446785B2 |
Latency control circuit, latency control method thereof, and semiconductor memory device including the same
A latency control circuit of a semiconductor device includes a phase detection unit configured to generate phase information regarding a phase difference between an external clock and an internal clock, a delay amount deciding unit configured to decide a latency delay amount based on path information of an input signal, a latency value of the input signal, and the phase information, and a latency delay unit configured to generate a latency signal by delaying the input signal according to the latency delay amount and the phase information to produce a delayed input signal and by synchronizing the delayed input signal with the internal clock. |
| US08446781B1 |
Multi-rank partial width memory modules
A system is provided for multi-rank, partial-width memory modules. A memory controller is provided. Additionally, a memory bus is provided. Further, a memory module with a plurality of ranks of memory circuits is provided, the memory module including a first number of data pins that is less than a second number of data pins of the memory bus. |
| US08446776B2 |
Method of programming memory cells for a non-volatile memory device
A method of programming memory cells for a non-volatile memory device is provided. The method includes performing an incremental step pulse program (ISPP) operation based on a program voltage, a first verification voltage, and a second verification voltage, and changing an increment value of the program voltage based on a first pass-fail result of the memory cells, the first pass-fail result being generated based on the first verification voltage. The ISPP operation is finished based on a second pass-fail result of the memory cells, the second pass-fail result being generated based on the second verification voltage. |
| US08446775B2 |
Methods of programming semiconductor memory devices
To program a semiconductor memory device, a plurality of target threshold voltage groups are set by dividing target threshold voltages representing states of memory cells. The target threshold voltage groups are substantially simultaneously programmed by applying a plurality of program voltages to a word line. Program end times for the target threshold voltage groups are adjusted. |
| US08446774B2 |
Semiconductor memory device comprising memory cell having charge accumulation layer and control gate and method of erasing data thereof
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell, a bit line, a source line, and a sense amplifier. The memory cell has a stacked gate including a charge accumulation layer and a control gate. The bit line is electrically connected to a drain of the memory cell. The source line is electrically connected to a source of the memory cell. The sense amplifier, during erase verification to determine whether or not a threshold voltage of the memory cell in an erased state is at a threshold level, reads the data from the memory cell and senses the data with a first voltage applied to the control gate of the memory cell, with a positive second voltage higher than the first voltage applied to the semiconductor substrate and the source line, and with a third voltage higher than the second voltage applied to the bit line. |
| US08446769B2 |
Nonvolatile memory devices with common source line voltage compensation and methods of operating the same
A memory device includes a plurality of memory cells serially connected between a bit line and a common source line and a plurality of word lines, respective ones of which are connected to respective gates of the plurality of memory cells. The memory device further includes a common source line compensation circuit configured to generate a compensated bias voltage on the bit line or at least one of the plurality of word lines responsive to a common source line voltage on the common source line. Related methods of operating memory devices are also provided. |
| US08446766B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and related programming method
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory blocks each divided into a plurality of regions, and a control logic component. The control logic component selects a memory block to be programmed based on program/erase cycles of the memory blocks, and selects a program rule used to program the regions of the selected memory block. |
| US08446765B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having memory block configuration
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having first and second edge lines, address pads along the first edge line, and memory mats, each including normal memory blocks and a spare memory block. Each normal memory block has nonvolatile memory cells and is a unit of batch erase. The memory mats are arranged in a U-shaped area having a hollow portion facing the second edge line. The device includes column decoders arranged correspondingly to the memory mats, an analog/logic circuit arranged in the hollow portion, and a power supply pad arranged between the analog/logic circuit and the second edge line. The analog/logic circuit includes a charge pump circuit. The device further includes a first power supply interconnection supplying power supply voltage to the charge pump circuit from the power supply pad, and a second power supply interconnection supplying power supply voltage to the column decoder from the power supply pad. |
| US08446762B2 |
Methods of making a semiconductor memory device
One-transistor (1T) capacitor-less DRAM cells each include a MOS transistor having a bias gate layer that separates a floating body region from a base substrate. The MOS transistor functions as a storage device, eliminating the need of the storage capacitor. Logic “1” is written to and stored in the storage device by causing majority carriers (holes in an NMOS transistor) to accumulate and be held in the floating body region next to the bias gate layer, and is erased by removing the majority carriers from where they are held. |
| US08446759B2 |
Multilevel programming of phase change memory
A method and device for performing a program operation of a phase change memory (PCM) cell. The method includes the steps of applying one or more programming pulses according to a predefined programming scheme to achieve a target resistance level of the PCM cell, wherein the programming scheme is operable to perform in a first programming mode one or more annealing steps to approach the target resistance, wherein the programming scheme is operable to perform in a second programming mode one or more melting steps, wherein the programming scheme is operable to start in the first programming mode and to switch to the second programming mode if the target resistance level of the PCM cell has been undershot in the first programming mode. |
| US08446757B2 |
Spin-torque transfer magneto-resistive memory architecture
A memory array device comprising a first memory cell comprising a first magnetic tunnel junction device having a first terminal connected to a first bit line (BLTE) and a second terminal, and a first field effect transistor (FET) having a source terminal connected to a second bit line (BLC), a gate terminal connected to a word line (WL), and a drain terminal connected to the second terminal of the first magnetic tunnel junction device, and a second memory cell comprising, a second magnetic tunnel junction device having a first terminal connected to a third bit line (BLT0) and a second terminal, and a second field effect transistor (FET) having a source terminal connected to the second bit line (BLC), a gate terminal connected to the word line (WL), and a drain terminal connected to the second terminal of the second magnetic tunnel junction device. |
| US08446755B2 |
Multiple cycle memory write completion
A memory system that reduces the memory cycle time of a memory cell by performing an incomplete write operation. The voltage on a storage node of the memory cell does not reach a full supply voltage during the incomplete write operation. The incomplete write operation is subsequently completed by one or more additional accesses, wherein the voltage on the storage node is pulled to a full supply voltage. The incomplete write operation may be completed by: subsequently writing the same data to the memory cell during an idle cycle; subsequently writing data to other memory cells in the same row as the memory cell; subsequently reading data from the row that includes the memory cell; or refreshing the row that includes the memory cell during an idle cycle. One or more idle cycles may be forced to cause the incomplete write operation to be completed in a timely manner. |
| US08446751B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
The demand for reducing the size and increasing the degree of integration of semiconductor memory devices has increased. In a semiconductor memory device, a smoothing capacitor which has to be provided therein for stabilizing a power supply voltage etc. is formed in an underlying layer of memory cells A and B to overlap the two memory cells A and B which are adjacent each other. Thus, an area occupied by the smoothing capacitor having a large capacity can be reduced to increase the degree of integration, and the smoothing capacitor having a large capacity can be provided in the semiconductor memory device. |
| US08446750B2 |
Memory module using optical signal
Disclosed is a memory module which includes a memory chip; an external input/output terminal having an electrical signal input/output terminal and an optical signal input/output terminal; an optical signal processor configured to convert a first optical signal input through the optical signal input/output terminal into a first internal electrical signal and to convert a second internal electrical signal into a second optical signal; and a controller configured to provide a first data signal to the memory chip in response to a first external electrical signal input through the electrical signal input/output terminal or the first internal electrical signal and to transfer the second internal electrical signal to the optical signal processor or to output a second external electrical signal to the electrical signal input/output terminal in response to a second data signal output from the memory chip. |
| US08446747B2 |
Power converter using normally on field effect transistors
A power converter includes a bus capacitor connected between a positive line and a negative line of a power supply bus and multiple switching legs connected between the positive line and the negative line of the power supply bus. Each switching leg includes two field-effect type transistors connected in series. The power converter also includes a first switch connected to the positive line of the power supply bus, upstream of the bus capacitor, a second switch connected to the positive line of the power supply bus, downstream of the bus capacitor, and a controller that controls the first switch and the second switch. |
| US08446742B2 |
Inverter control circuit and interconnection inverter system having that inverter control circuit
An inverter control circuit (6) controls the operation of a plurality of switching elements in a three-phase inverter circuit (2) by a PWM signal. A phase voltage output from the three-phase inverter circuit (2) is outputted through a low-pass filter (3). A waveform of the phase voltage output from the low-pass filter (3) assumes the following waveforms through the control of the PWM signal. The waveform becomes zero in a first one-third period of a cycle; forms a sine wave corresponding to a phase from 0 to 2π/3 in a second one-third period; and forms a sine wave corresponding to a phase from π/3 to π in a remaining one-third period of the cycle. Such PWM signal cyclically includes a period where a pulse is not generated. Therefore, the switching action of the switching element is periodically stopped. |
| US08446736B2 |
Circuit board and manufacturing method thereof
An upper board having an opening and forming a circuit on a surface layer, a connection sheet between boards having an opening and forming conductive holes filled with conductive paste in through-holes, and a lower board forming a circuit on a surface layer are stacked up, heated and pressed. In particular, the connection sheet between boards is made of a material different from the upper board and the lower board. A multi-layer circuit board having a cavity structure, and a full-layer IVH structure with high interlayer connection reliability can be manufactured. |
| US08446731B2 |
Removable device and method for establishing ESD protection thereon
For a removable device such as a USB pen drive, two components are relatively moveable with each other by sliding, rotating, or rolling over. When a second component moves with respect to a first component, the clearance between the two components ensures durability of the removable device. As the second component moves to and is configured at an extended position, a first biasing element on the first component abuts and pushed a second biasing element on the second component so that ground nodes of the second component contact with a conductive section of the first component. The ground path way is then established for ESD protection. As the second component moves out of the extend position, the connection between the ground nodes and the conductive section no longer exists and the clearance between the two components exists again. |
| US08446729B2 |
Modular mass storage system and method therefor
A modular mass storage system and method that enables cableless mounting of ATA and/or similar high speed interface-based mass storage devices in a computer system. The system includes a printed circuit board, a system expansion slot interface on the printed circuit board and comprising power and data pins, a host bus controller on the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the system expansion slot interface, docking connectors connected with the host bus controller to receive power and exchange data therewith and adapted to electrically couple with industry-standard non-volatile memory devices without cabling therebetween, and features on the printed circuit board for securing the memory devices thereto once coupled to the docking connectors. |
| US08446723B2 |
Wall mounted modular workstation system and method
A wall mounted modular workstation system utilizes individually mountable modules, such as a keyboard/monitor module, a CPU module, and a medical supply module, that may be each be selectively positioned, mounted, rearranged, used or not used, and/or added or removed at a later time. The individually mountable modules are formed with mountings and vertically located openings for electrical lines and module to module ventilation, which reduce/prevent creation of dust during mounting or later modification of the system. |
| US08446716B2 |
Flat panel display and its combinative outer frame
A combinative outer frame for a flat panel display (FPD) and a FPD and a manufacturing method of the FPD are provided. The outer frame for the FPD includes a front frame, a support frame, and an elastic pad. The support frame is disposed opposite to the front frame and includes a ridge which protrudes upon it; two sides of the elastic pad are joined to the front frame and the support frame respectively so that the ridge is pressed into it. This design causes tighter joining between different components of a frame, so as to prevent dust from invading FPD modules. |
| US08446712B2 |
Portable electronic apparatus
Disclosed is a portable electronic apparatus including a main body formed with an opening on a surface thereof; a plurality of connection ports disposed to be exposed through an opening of the main body; a door disposed on the opening to be rotated between a first configuration that covers the connection ports and a second configuration that opens the connection ports; a moving mechanism formed to move the connection ports in a direction to be protruded from the opening when the door is rotated to the second configuration, and configured to be operated in conjunction with being pressed of the door; and a locking mechanism formed such that the connection ports are locked in the second configuration in conjunction with the rotation of the door to limit the movement of the connection ports in a direction to be inserted into the opening. |
| US08446711B2 |
Housing and electronic device using the same
A housing includes housing and a cover. The housing defines a receiving chamber and an open end communicating with the receiving chamber. The housing includes an opaque plastic member and a transparent glass member adhered to the plastic member. The opaque plastic member defines a display window hole. The cover seals the open end. The present disclosure further discloses an electronic device using the housing. |
| US08446709B2 |
Electrical system and automatic identification system therefor
An identification system is provided for an electrical system. The electrical system includes a switchgear enclosure, a number of electrical switching apparatus, and a racking mechanism movably coupling the electrical switching apparatus to the enclosure. The identification system includes a control mechanism having a controller and a plurality of software programs. The controller includes a number of inputs from a corresponding one of the electrical switching apparatus, and a number of outputs to the racking mechanism. Each software program provides functionality to the outputs to control racking movement of a predetermined type of electrical switching apparatus. Responsive to the inputs from the electrical switching apparatus, the controller identifies the predetermined type of electrical switching apparatus, and then automatically selects a corresponding one of the software programs to control movement of the electrical switching apparatus. Thus, the same controller is operational with different predetermined types of electrical switching apparatus. |
| US08446708B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor and power circuit
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a capacitor element having two opposite cathode surfaces, a cathode terminal metal plate having a first cathode connecting portion electrically connected to one of the two opposite cathode surfaces, and an auxiliary cathode metal plate having a second cathode connecting portion electrically connected to the other one of the two opposite cathode surfaces of the capacitor element. The cathode terminal metal plate includes a groove electrically connected to the first cathode connecting portion. The auxiliary cathode metal plate includes an end portion that is electrically connected to the second cathode connecting portion and engages with the groove. The cathode terminal metal plate further includes an outer terminal portion. |