| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08468611B2 |
Thermochemical nanolithography components, systems, and methods
Improved nanolithography components, systems, and methods are described herein. The systems and methods generally employ a resistively heated atomic force microscope tip to thermally induce a chemical change in a surface. In addition, certain polymeric compositions are also disclosed. |
| US08468599B2 |
System and method for privacy-enhanced cyber data fusion using temporal-behavioral aggregation and analysis
A method of determining, within a deployed environment over a data communication network, network threats and their associated behaviors. The method includes the steps of acquiring sensor data that identifies a specific contact, normalizing the acquired sensor data to generate transformed sensor data, deriving, for the specific contact from the transformed sensor data, a contact behavior feature vector for each of a plurality of time periods, determining, for the specific contact, scores associated with each of a plurality of classification modules to form a contact score vector, the contact score vector being independent of an identity of the specific contact, identifying a type of the specific contact based on the contact score vector, and determining a threat type, based on the contact behavioral profile and the contact score vector, when the specific contact is determined to be a threat in the identifying step. |
| US08468597B1 |
System and method for identifying a phishing website
A system and method for enhancing spam avoidance efficiency by automatically identifying a phishing website without human intervention. The system receives a stream of suspect Internet urls for potential phishing websites and uses a comparison strategy to determine whether the potential phishing website has already be labeled as a bonefid phishing website. A comparison system is utilized in which similarity data is calculated on various elements of the potential phishing website and then compared to similarity data of known phishing websites. Various types of categorization structures and notification strategies are utilized in the system. |
| US08468591B2 |
Client authentication and data management system
Methods and systems for performing an authenticated boot (310); performing a continuous data protection (350); performing automatic protection and optionally a consolidation; and performing other defenses and protection of a protected computing device (110a, 110b, 110c) (such as a computer system) are provided. The aspects include integrating security mechanisms (which may include a “call home” function (330), role and rule-based policies (225), validating technologies, encryption and decryption technologies, data compression technologies, protected and segmented boot technologies, and virtualization technologies. Booting and operating (either fully or in a restricted manner) are permitted only under a control of a specified role-set, rule-set, and/or a controlling supervisory process or server system(s). The methods and systems make advantageous use of hypervisors (220) and other virtual machine monitors or managers. |
| US08468589B2 |
Computerized system and method for advanced network content processing
A computerized system and method for processing network content in accordance with at least one content processing rule. In accordance with the inventive method, the network content is received at a first interface. The inventive system identifies a transmission protocol information of the received network content and uses the identified transmission protocol information to intercept at least a portion of the received network content formatted in accordance with a transmission protocol. The intercepted portion of the network content is redirected to a proxy, which buffers the redirected portion of network content. The buffered network content is scanned in accordance with a scanning criterion and processed in accordance with the at least one content processing rule based on the result of the scanning. The processed portion of network content may be forwarded using the second interface. |
| US08468585B2 |
Management of credentials used by software applications
An identity management (“IdM”) system can change the credentials at certain intervals. If credentials change, there is no way for an application that uses the credentials to know that the credentials have changed because the application dependency relationships are unknown. When service account credentials change, credentials are typically manually updated for each dependent application. Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter allow IdM systems to track application dependencies for service accounts. The IdM systems can detect when service account credentials change and automatically notify dependent applications of the new service account credentials. |
| US08468582B2 |
Method and system for securing electronic transactions
A method for secure electronic transaction over a computer network, comprising: at a trusted relationship profile server computer: storing a unique identity of a trusted computing unit; generating a confirmation message regarding the unique identity of the trusted computing unit in response to a request from the trusted computing unit; at a security proxy server computer: storing real credentials and local credentials of a customer in a secure vault; receiving the confirmation message and permitting a login process to be performed with the security proxy server using the local credentials, provided the confirmation message is valid; and replacing the local credentials submitted in the login process with the real credentials. A corresponding system for secure electronic transactions is also provided. |
| US08468576B2 |
System and method for application-integrated information card selection
A selector daemon can run in the background of a computer. Applications that are capable of processing information cards directly, without requiring the use of a card selector, can request the selector daemon to list information cards that satisfy security policy. Upon receiving such a request, selector daemon can determine the information cards available on the computer that satisfy the security policy, and can identify these information cards to the requesting application. The applications can then use the identified information cards in any manner desired, without having to use a card selector: for example, by requesting a security token based on one of the information cards directly from an identity provider. |
| US08468568B2 |
Transmission of video signals
An apparatus, method, and system are described for transmitting a television program signal. A portion of a local frequency spectrum may be determined to be free, or relatively unused. A user selection of a television program or broadcast programming channel may be received from a program lineup in an electronic programming guide. The selected program may be selected from a gateway, translated, and transmitted over the portion of the frequency spectrum determined to be free. The translation may include converting a signal from the gateway into a National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) signal or a mobile TV signal. |
| US08468562B2 |
User interfaces for web-based video player
A system, method and various user interfaces enable association of advertising content with requested shared video content for access via a web-based video player. Advertising content is provided selectively in conjunction with playback of video content. Selection of how and where advertising is displayed is based on a flexibly managed balance between providing sufficiently noticeable opportunities to access advertising information and preserving a satisfying viewer experience in watching requested video content. |
| US08468561B2 |
Preemptible station inventory
Methods, apparatus, systems, processes, engines and computer program products are provided for preempting advertisements in a broadcast. In one exemplary system, a method is provided that includes determining one or more advertisements in a schedule that are available for preemption, identifying rules for preempting advertisements and automatically preempting the one or more advertisements using an advertisement from available inventory if the rules are satisfied. |
| US08468560B2 |
Apparatus and method of setting channel
A method and an apparatus of setting a channel are disclosed, wherein the method includes steps as follows. First, a channel is locked as a locked channel. Then, when the locked channel is switched to another channel, a screen is controlled to display information related to the locked channel, and first duration after the locked channel is switched to foresaid another channel is counted. Then, a prompting is performed when the first duration exceeds a first predetermined period. |
| US08468557B2 |
Receiving apparatus and control method
The present invention provides a receiving apparatus for receiving digital broadcast having a plurality of channels including a transition unit configured to transit a mode for controlling channel selection from a normal mode to a warning mode in the case that a determining unit determines that the broadcasting program is allowed to obtain a right to receive a reward, and a notifying unit configured to notify, in the warning mode, that the right to receive the reward will be lost, in the case that a detecting unit detects a channel selection operation that selects another channel from the viewing channel broadcasting a broadcast program which is allowed to obtain the right to receive the reward. |
| US08468556B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for evaluating performance of viewers
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for evaluating the performance of a viewer watching media programming. The media programming is received and includes at least one of a live media program and a recorded media program. Display is caused of the media programming and a cue. The cue prompts the viewer during presentation of the media programming to provide a response to the cue within a time period. Upon receiving the response to the cue within the time period, then the response is detected and a response time of the response is measured. The response time is a time between occurrence of the cue and receipt of the response. The viewer's performance is evaluated by comparing the response time to a reference response time. |
| US08468554B2 |
Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus
A spindle motor includes a shaft, a cone, a turntable provide with a disk support portion, a cylindrical closed-top rotor holder, a rotor magnet, a stator, and a bearing mechanism. The cone includes a disk holding surface inclined radially outward and downward. The turntable further includes a resin-made table body having a disk support portion and an annular groove portion depressed upward at a lower side of the disk support portion, a plurality of balls rotatably arranged within the annular groove portion, an annular closure portion arranged between the table body and the rotor holder to close a lower opening of the annular groove portion, and a disc-shaped portion arranged radially inward of the annular groove portion of the table body, the disc-shaped portion having an upper surface bonded to the table body by an adhesive agent and a lower surface bonded to the rotor holder by the adhesive agent. |
| US08468553B2 |
Optical element adjustment structure and optical pickup
The optical element adjustment structure is provided with a rotating side including an optical element to be rotationally adjusted, and a non-rotating side where the rotationally adjusted optical element is securely arranged. The rotating side includes a tapered distal end section, and a contact section provided in an end section on a side opposite the distal end section and adapted to be contacted by an adjustment jig. The non-rotating side includes a recessed section for engaging the distal end section. The adjustment jig contacting the contact section is moved, whereby the rotating side rotates, the distal end section engaged in the recessed section being used as a fulcrum, and the optical element is rotationally adjusted. |
| US08468550B2 |
Mobile devices having plurality of virtual interfaces
Mobile devices, systems and methods are described with a plurality of virtual machines, wherein each virtual machine executes a separate virtual interface, or guest operating system. Each guest operating system corresponds to a different virtual device having its own contact list, applications, and so on. A virtual “device” can be controlled by an employer or service provider, and is a secure space that provides authenticated applications that are walled off from another virtual device. A host operating system provides a hardware abstraction layer. A proxy server on the host operating system receives an incoming signal from a remote device on the external network, and routes the incoming signal to one of the first and second virtual machines based on a call context. A method and computer program product for providing a plurality of virtual interfaces on a mobile device are also disclosed. |
| US08468544B1 |
Managing consistent interfaces for demand planning business objects across heterogeneous systems
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. Specifically, example business objects include DemandPlanningScenario, DemandPlanningScenarioTemplate, and DemandPlanningView. |
| US08468543B2 |
System and method for preventing DRM client crash using process separate execution
A computer system includes a DRM client system in which a plurality of DRM clients are installed, comprising: a virtual OS managing unit that separates a kernel of an actual operating system installed in the DRM client system to generate and manage a virtual operating system; a branch process information managing unit that manages branch process information according to a type of a document that a user attempts to read; and an application program branching unit that analyzes the branch process information and executes DRM client agent for managing the DRM client in an actual OS region or a virtual OS region according to the type of a document that the user attempts to read to allow the user to read the document. |
| US08468538B2 |
Systems and methods of data storage management, such as dynamic data stream allocation
A system and method for choosing a stream to transfer data is described. In some cases, the system reviews running data storage operations and chooses a data stream based on the review. In some cases, the system chooses a stream based on the load of data to be transferred. |
| US08468536B2 |
Multiple level linked LRU priority
A method that includes providing LRU selection logic which controllably pass requests for access to computer system resources to a shared resource via a first level and a second level, determining whether a request in a request group is active, presenting the request to LRU selection logic at the first level, when it is determined that the request is active, determining whether the request is a LRU request of the request group at the first level, forwarding the request to the second level when it is determined that the request is the LRU request of the request group, comparing the request to an LRU request from each of the request groups at the second level to determine whether the request is a LRU request of the plurality of request groups, and selecting the LRU request of the plurality of request groups to access the shared resource. |
| US08468533B2 |
Virtual machine control device, method, and program wherein a switching task used to switch to the highest priority virtual machines is the highest priority task in the current virtual machine and the virtual machine that is the switching target
In a case where a task execution unit of a first virtual machine executes a dummy task according to task scheduling by an operating system, it notifies a virtual machine control unit of a priority acquired by a priority acquisition unit and a switching indication to switch the first virtual machine currently in operation to a second virtual machine. The virtual machine control unit receives the priority and the switching indication notified by the task execution unit and switches the first virtual machine currently in operation to the second virtual machine. |
| US08468528B2 |
Method for selective flushing logs within multiple queues concurrently
A logger in a process of a computer system creates a log queue for each execution context and/or processing resource in the process. A log is created in the log queue for each log request and log information associated with the log request is stored into the log. All logs in each log queue except for the most recently added log in each log queue are flushed prior to the process completing. |
| US08468527B2 |
Method and system for optimal batching in a production environment
A method for processing a plurality of jobs in a production environment may include receiving a plurality of jobs and receiving one or more instructions into a workflow management system to process the plurality of jobs. The one or more instructions may include a setup characteristic. The method may also include clustering, by the workflow management system, the plurality of jobs into super-groups based on the setup characteristic, determining, by the workflow management system, a processing sequence based on the clustering and processing the jobs according to the determined processing sequence. |
| US08468526B2 |
Concurrent thread execution using user-level asynchronous signaling
Various usage models are provided to utilize a Monitor and Call (“mcall”) instruction that incorporates user-level asynchronous signaling. The various usage models utilize the mcall instruction in a multithreading system in order to enhance concurrent thread execution. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08468525B2 |
Delaying initiation of maintenance process for running VM by delay value based on random number function seeded with unique ID
A method of managing resources in a virtual environment based on identifiers is disclosed. The method includes detecting an instantiation of a virtual machine and determining a delay value based on a unique identifier. The method also includes delaying an initiation of at least one support process for the virtual machine by the delay value. |
| US08468522B2 |
Virtual machine system, system for forcing policy, method for forcing policy, and virtual machine control program
A virtual machine system that builds one or more virtual machines on a real machine has a hypervisor for realizing access to virtualized hardware by a guest OS that is an operating system running on the virtual machines or an application running on the guest OS by means of a physical device that the real machine has. The hypervisor includes a setting item information holding unit that holds setting item information in which a security policy is indicated by the setting value of a setting item; a setting detecting unit that monitors an instruction executed by the guest OS and the output of the physical device to detect the setting value that is set in the setting item of the setting item information holding unit or a setting value that is about to be changed therein; and a setting applying unit that, when the detected setting value and the setting value indicated by the setting item information differ from each other, applies the setting value indicated by the setting item information to the guest OS or application that is the setting target of the setting item. |
| US08468521B2 |
System and method for utilizing a virtualized compute cluster as an execution engine for a virtual machine of a storage system cluster
A system and method employs one or more clients of a virtualized compute cluster as an execution engine for a portion of a storage operating system implemented as a virtual machine on a storage system node of a storage system cluster. If there is processing bandwidth of a client that is not fully utilized and the load on the storage system node is high, the portion of the storage operating system is ported to the client of the compute cluster in a manner that externally distributes the storage architecture from the storage system cluster. Advantageously, the processing performance of the storage system cluster is improved by, among other things, offloading some of the network processing load from the storage system node. |
| US08468520B2 |
Technique for distributing software
A computer program product and method for installing downloaded software on a client system over a network is described. The product and method include generating an access key by receiving an installation key produced using a random number generated from a seed that is the value of a client system internal clock at the exact moment in time to the millisecond at which a software installation program was run on the client produce the access code by modulo combining the installation key and user name received by the client system. |
| US08468519B2 |
Multiple organization support in a networked system
Some embodiments of multiple organization support in a networked system have been presented. In one embodiment, a centralized server manages a networked system, which includes the centralized server and a set of computing machines coupled to each other within an internal network of a customer. The centralized server segregates data within the networked system by grouping data into the concept of an organization created by the customer in order to isolate the organizations. |
| US08468516B1 |
Creating hot patches for embedded systems
A software patch is generated by determining the binary differences between a more secure version of the embedded system firmware and the currently operating, vulnerable version. The differences are extracted and analyzed to determine their basis in the source code for the more secure version. Source code that affects the binary differences may be compiled into a binary file and linked, off-line, with the binary executable file that contains the machine code for the currently operating version of the embedded system firmware, producing a security patch. The security patch may be installed on the embedded system at run-time, and it is then executed to modify the currently operating firmware to redirect firmware operation from vulnerable procedures toward the new, secure procedures contained in the software patch. |
| US08468512B2 |
Abstracting benefit rules from computer code
A method that includes: obtaining a computer code usable to process insurance claims; building a computer readable directed graph representing a control flow of the code, by identifying decisions and actions in the code, the graph comprising nodes connected by edges, some of the nodes being decision nodes associated with the decisions and some of the nodes being action nodes associated with the actions; determining, on the graph, benefit action nodes that are each associated with at least one monetary outcome of a specified insurance claim; identifying all logic paths that lead to each benefit action node by traversing the graph from each benefit action node backwards, each logic path comprising a sequence of preceding decision nodes and action nodes connected by edges, each set of paths being associated with a specified benefit action node representing a benefit rule; and outputting all benefit rules by presenting each specified benefit action vis à vis grouped logic paths associated with the specified benefit action. |
| US08468511B2 |
Use of name mangling techniques to encode cross procedure register assignment
Optimizing a program having a plurality of functions using an optimization technique that requires breaking a calling convention. A first function of the plurality of functions is modified as a result of optimizing. A name of the first function is mangled to form a unique first mangled name changing the name of the first function to include, as a result of mangling, first information conveying at least in part how the first function was modified. A second function of the plurality of functions, being a caller of the first function, is also modified to correctly invoke the first function using the unique first mangled name to apply the optimization technique. A compilation tool can, after optimizing, use the first information to take a first action with respect to the first procedure, wherein the compilation tool otherwise would require the calling convention to remain unbroken to take the first action. |
| US08468509B2 |
Advance trip count computation in a concurrent processing environment
A method for computing a trip count for a loop in advance of the execution of the loop is provided. The method comprises identifying the elements of a loop; returning infinity, if a first index value satisfies a first condition and that a first step size is equal to zero; modifying the first index value and the first step size, if the first index value satisfies the first condition, when the first step size is not equal to zero, and the first step size is greater than half of a first modulus; returning the result computed by applying a formula that divides the difference between a first condition value and the first index value by the first step size and rounds up to a next integer when there is a non-zero remainder; and returning a second trip count for a second loop based on the elements of the first loop. |
| US08468506B2 |
Method and system for generating object code to facilitate predictive memory retrieval
A method and system are described for generating reference tables in object code which specify the addresses of branches, routines called, and data references used by routines in the code. In a suitably equipped processing system, the reference tables can be passed to a memory management processor which can open the appropriate memory pages to expedite the retrieval of data referenced in the execution pipeline. The disclosed method and system create such reference tables at the beginning of each routine so that the table can be passed to the memory management processor in a suitably equipped processor. Resulting object code also allows processors lacking a suitable memory management processor to skip the reference table, preserving upward compatibility. |
| US08468503B2 |
Method for testing a computer program
Methods for testing a computer program after changing a first version of the computer program into a second version of the computer program due to a revision of the computer program are provided. In one aspect, the method includes determining mutations inserted into the first version of the computer program, and the mutations inserted into the second version of the computer program, and comparing the first version of the computer program with the second version of the computer program to determine changed and unchanged mutations in the second version against the first version. The mutations that can be inserted only in the first version of the computer program or only in the second version of the computer program are classified as changed mutations and the mutations that can be inserted in the first and the second version are classified as unchanged mutations. |
| US08468502B2 |
Generic, multi-instance method and GUI detection system for tracking and monitoring computer applications
Presented is a system and method for monitoring events derived from a computer target application presentation layer including the steps of providing, independent of recompiling the target application's source code, a script running at a level within the target application. The script scans run-time instantiations of objects of the target application, and allocates structures in real-time to the object instantiations. These allocated structures are adapted to create a reflection of the target application structure, which is used along with detected object instantiations that match a predetermined object structure to capture a portion of an environmental spectrum of the detected object. Further, the system can process state machine events occurring on at least one of a server machine and a client/localized machine, correlate the state machine events with the environmental spectrum, and deduce a user experience based on the correlated state machine events. |
| US08468500B2 |
Program debugging method and program transformation method, program debugging device and program transformation device using the same, and storage medium
A program debugging method of debugging a memory access to memory areas during an execution of a program includes changing only addresses allocated to segments among addresses of the memory areas to change an arrangement of the segments, executing the program in which the arrangement of the segments is changed, tracing memory accesses involved in the execution of the program to obtain reference addresses referred to by the memory access, and obtaining at least one of execution results, and analyzing the reference addresses of a memory access to be analyzed according to an execution command, which includes an analysis target, and determining whether the memory access to be analyzed is valid, when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of execution results, the numbers of accesses, and the execution orders are the same in all executions in the analyzing of the execution result. |
| US08468499B2 |
Directed testing for property violations
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for automated testing of an application. A processing system executes the application using test input values that are generated for testing the application with respect to a property of interest. During execution, constraints among symbolic variables of the application are collected. Property state is collected and is used to determine whether a branch in the application is relevant to the property. Based on the collected constraints and branch relevancy, new test input values are generated. The process is repeated until all paths in the application corresponding to relevant branches have been explored. |
| US08468495B2 |
Use of metadata for seamless updates
The invention provides a system and method for updating software in the CPU of a network device without interrupting the operation of the network device. The invention determines whether operating state information is recoverable. If it is not recoverable, then it will be stored in a metadata module or reload buffer. When the CPU is rebooted, after a software update or crash, it operates in a special reload mode and is able to recover any system state information not available in the network device from the metadata module. |
| US08468494B2 |
In-line editor
A software application, method of constructing same, and method for editing text displayed by same are disclosed. In a form, the software application is a web-format application with a core set of executable instructions dictating the display, operation, and user interaction, the instructions including identifiers for text to be displayed on pages thereof. The software application includes at least one secondary file containing text strings and keys therein, and the identifiers use the keys to locate the text strings to be displayed. An editor is provided that allows for direct editing of the displayed text items, and the edited text items are then saved back to the secondary file(s). The software application further includes a program, such as an AJAX program or module, for automatically and dynamically changing the displayed text item to the edited text item on the displayed web page, for every user of the application. |
| US08468491B2 |
Systems and methods for integrating process perspectives and abstraction levels into process modeling
Methods and systems for integrating process perspectives and abstraction levels into business process modeling are described. In one example embodiment, modeling business processes for an enterprise can include selecting a segmented view of an enterprise meta-model. The segmented view is associated with a business process to be modeled. The enterprise meta-model is a machine-readable representation of business rules and policies for the enterprise. A business process model is created using a set of visual modeling tools, which are limited by the segmented view. A business policy having some relevance to the process being modeled can be selected for annotation to the business process. Once completed, the business process model is transformed into a machine-readable representation and stored in a repository. |
| US08468490B2 |
Electronic device and method for checking layout of printed circuit board
In a method for checking layout of a printed circuit board (PCB) using an electronic device, a power line is selected from a layout diagram of the PCB. The method searches for one or more signal lines which are overlapping with the selected power line from the layout diagram of the PCB. The method further locates attribute data of the searched signal lines and the selected power line in the layout diagram of the PCB, and displays the attribute data of the searched signal lines and the selected power line on a display device of the electronic device. |
| US08468484B2 |
Layout method for soft-error hard electronics, and radiation hardened logic cell
This invention comprises a layout method to effectively protect logic circuits against soft errors (non-destructive errors) and circuit cells, with layout, which are protected against soft errors. In particular, the method protects against cases where multiple nodes in circuit are affected by a single event. These events lead to multiple errors in the circuit, and while several methods exist to deal with single node errors, multiple node errors are very hard to deal with using any currently existing protection methods. The method is particularly useful for CMOS based logic circuits in modem technologies (.ltoreq.90 nm), where the occurrence of multiple node pulses becomes high (due to the high integration level). It uses a unique layout configuration, which makes the circuits protected against single event generated soft-errors. |
| US08468482B1 |
Modeling and simulating the impact of imperfectly patterned via arrays on integrated circuits
A technique models and simulates the impact of imperfectly patterned via arrays on integrated circuits through the use of hierarchical models and a hierarchical circuit simulator. Through the hierarchical modeling and simulation approach discussed here, far more accurate electrical simulation and verification of networks is enabled for; performance, yield, and reliability. The approach further enables simulation of the effects of via process variations on large-scale circuit response. In an implementation, each via in a layout or in a via array is modeled as having an independent size from other vias based upon calibrated process simulation. The electrical characteristics of independent vias and via arrays are modeled and compiled into a reusable hierarchical distributed resistance via model. Hierarchical simulation is performed using these hierarchical distributed via models and enables more accurate results than traditional approaches. |
| US08468479B2 |
Consistent hierarchical timing model with crosstalk consideration
A method and apparatus to provide a hierarchical timing model with crosstalk consideration is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing block level analysis of a circuit, in one or a plurality of iterations, and storing per iteration data. The method further comprises, in one embodiment, utilizing the per iteration data in performing top level analysis of the circuit. |
| US08468473B1 |
Method for high volume e-beam lithography
The present disclosure describes a method of forming a pattern by an electron beam lithography system. The method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout data having a polygon and a forbidden pattern, modifying the polygon and the forbidden pattern using an electron proximity correction (EPC) technique, stripping the modified polygon into subfields, converting the stripped polygon to an electron beam writer format data, and writing the electron beam writer formatted polygon onto a substrate by an electron beam writer. Stripping the modified polygon includes finding the modified forbidden pattern as a reference layer, and stitching the modified polygon to avoid stitching the modified forbidden pattern. |
| US08468471B2 |
Process aware metrology
Systems and methods for process aware metrology are provided. |
| US08468469B1 |
Zooming user interface interactions
A computer-implemented user interface method includes receiving a first user selection at a first location on a graphically-displayed object on a graphical user interface, receiving a subsequent user selection, separate from the first user selection, at a second location on the graphically-displayed object, determining a relative orientation between the first location and the second location, and zooming on the graphically-displayed object centered on a point that is along a line between the first location and the second location. A direction of the zooming is determined from the relative orientation of the first location to the second location. |
| US08468465B2 |
Two-dimensional slider control
Some embodiments provide a computer program that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling an application. The GUI includes a contiguous two-dimensional sliding region for defining several values. The GUI also includes several sliders for moving within the sliding region. Each slider selects one or more values from the several values based on a position of the slider within the sliding region. The selected values are parameters for controlling one or more operations of the application. |
| US08468458B2 |
Dynamic and local management of hierarchical discussion thread data
Techniques are described for display and navigation of hierarchical messages, which displays include contextual data for the messages. Context information for a current message includes reply messages, parent messages, and metadata representations. Message representations are also associated with visual depth indicators that are independent of the text of the messages. Users may navigate displays of hierarchical message data using different navigational inputs. For example, more information may be requested for messages, without selecting a new message for viewing as a focal message, using swipes across portions of the display dedicated to displaying the messages. A limited number of messages for a requested list of messages is initially retrieved and displayed, and a mechanism for viewing more messages from the list is provided. Historical usage of the mechanism is recorded and the number of messages to be displayed for the list of messages is adjusted based on the historical usage data. |
| US08468457B1 |
Global keyboard shortcuts management for web applications
According to one general aspect, a computer-implemented method for managing global keyboard shortcuts is described. The method determines a web application or a browser extension accessible for execution by a browser of a client device. A user interface including available shortcut actions for the web application or the browser extension is provided, and a designation of a keyboard shortcut for an action from the available shortcut actions is received via the user interface. An association is created between the designated keyboard shortcut, the action, and a user account. The designated keyboard shortcut, the action, and the association may be stored on a server, and the designated keyboard shortcut, the action, and the association may be synced based on the user account. |
| US08468456B2 |
Directory device implementable electronic telephone directory
A system for providing directory information is disclosed. The system includes a computer and a directory device connected to the computer. The directory device includes a memory storage device for storing directory information and telecommunications information obtained from the computer. The telecommunications services information includes information on establishing telephone service. |
| US08468455B2 |
System and method for providing virtual desktop extensions on a client desktop
The system and method described herein may identify one or more virtual desktop extensions available in a cloud computing environment and launch virtual machine instances to host the available virtual desktop extensions in the cloud. For example, a virtual desktop extension manager may receive a virtual desktop extension request from a client desktop and determine whether authentication credentials for the client desktop indicate that the client desktop has access to the requested virtual desktop extension. In response to authenticating the client desktop, the virtual desktop extension manager may then launch a virtual machine instance to host the virtual desktop extension in the cloud and provide the client desktop with information for locally controlling the virtual desktop extension remotely hosted in the cloud. |
| US08468454B2 |
Method and system for displaying portions of recorded media content instances
A method and system for displaying a number of portions of a number of recorded media content instances during a single viewing session. A number of entries are defined to each correspond to one of the number of portions of the number of recorded media content instances. Each of the entries are included in a play list which is selected for viewing. The portions of the number of recorded media content instances included in the entries in the play list are then displayed during the single viewing session. |
| US08468452B2 |
System and method for calling attention to a location of departure in a display
A system and method that calls attention to a location of departure in a display includes and interaction system and a content presentation system. The interaction system identifies each interaction with an area in a first display. The content presentation system upon return to the first display from a second display changes the first display to draw attention to the identified area with an animation. The animation expires after a first period of time. |
| US08468450B2 |
OUTPUT CONTROL DEVICE, COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR THE SAME, AND OUTPUT CONTROL SYSTEM
An output control device includes an output unit configured to output information externally received or to be transmitted outside, a display unit configured to display a predetermined image, a position detecting unit configured to detect a position specified on the predetermined image displayed on the display unit, a display control unit configured to control the display unit to display the predetermined image when the output unit outputs the information, an area specifying unit configured to specify a predetermined area on the predetermined image as an output control area for controlling an output condition of the information to be outputted from the output unit, and an output control unit configured to control the output condition of the information when the specified position on the predetermined image detected by the position detecting unit is within the output control area specified by the area specifying unit. |
| US08468449B1 |
Generating CSS shorthand properties
An authoring tool for CSS retains original user syntax and generates CSS markup that minimizes a total number of properties in the markup. A directed graph is generated from the original user markup. Nodes in the graph can be collapsed and expanded to convert between longhand and shorthand properties. User input updating property values can result in the generation of compact CSS code that retains syntactical features of the original user syntax. |
| US08468448B2 |
Methods and systems for preparing mixed-content documents
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to automated methods and systems for generating mixed-content documents. In one embodiment, an automated method for generating a document layout includes receiving raw text, figures, references, and semantic information as input (901), and determining an allocation (1003) of text, figures, and references for each page of a document. The method also includes, for each page of the document, determining a template (1005) for displaying the allocation assigned to the page, and scaling template fields to exhibit the text, figures, and references assigned to the page. The method then renders (1007) the document with text, figures, and references allocated to each page within appropriate scaled template fields of the template selected for each page. |
| US08468447B2 |
Tracking tag content by keywords and communities
Techniques for tracking tag content by keywords and communities are described herein. According to one embodiment, a list of resources is displayed in a first display area of a browser including one or more document pages browsed by the browser. A list of one or more tags is displayed in a second display area of the main window, where each of the resources listed in the first display area is tagged by at least one tag displayed in the second display area. In response to selecting a tag from the list of tags displayed in the second display area, the list of resources is dynamically updated in the first display area, such that only resources tagged with the selected tag are displayed in the first display area. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US08468441B2 |
Cross-application support of charts
A chart is copied from a first application and pasted to a second application. A determination is made for which copy and paste option is selected for the chart. The chart is communicated to the second application using a clipboard application when the copy and paste operation corresponds to providing a link for the chart that is arranged communicating updated data of the chart. The chart is also communicated to the second application using a clipboard application when the copy and paste operation corresponds to representing the chart as a picture of assembled shapes. The chart is communicated to the second application using a separate data transfer interface when the copy and paste operation corresponds to embedding the chart in the second application. Furthermore, the formatting of the chart may be selected according to source formatting or destination formatting depending on the type of copy and paste operation selected. |
| US08468434B2 |
Error detection and correction system including a syndrome element calculating unit
An error detection and correction system in accordance with an embodiment comprises: an encoding unit; a syndrome calculating unit; a syndrome element calculating unit; an error search unit; and an error correction unit, read and write of a memory cell array being assumed to be performed concurrently for m bits, and error detection and correction being assumed to be performed in data units of M bits (where M is an integer multiple of m), and an encoding unit and a syndrome calculating unit sharing a time-division decoder for performing data bit selection according to respective tables of check bit generation and syndrome generation, the time-division decoder being operative to repeat multiple cycles of m bit concurrent data input. |
| US08468433B2 |
Optimizing the size of memory devices used for error correction code storage
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for optimizing the size of memory devices used for error correction code storage. An apparatus (such as a memory module) may include a number of memory devices to store data and a memory device to store error correction (ECC) bits. In some embodiments, the memory devices to store data may have a density of N and the memory device to store ECC bits has a density of ½ N. |
| US08468428B1 |
Early stopping rules for non-binary turbo codes
Methods and apparatus are provided for utilizing early stopping rules for non-binary turbo codes. Data can be received from a channel and decoded using a non-binary turbo code to generate extrinsic information and a posteriori information. The generated extrinsic information can be evaluated using an early stopping rule. A hard decision on a value of the received data can be made using the a posteriori information if the early stopping rule is satisfied. |
| US08468427B2 |
Retransmission scheme for communication systems
One embodiment relates to a method of transmitting data from a transmitter to a receiver. In the method, a payload data stream is provided which comprises a plurality of payload data units. A container stream is formed which comprises a plurality of containers having respective container identifiers, where a container includes an integer number of the payload data units and where the container identifiers collectively establish a predetermined order for consecutive containers. A codeword stream is formed which comprises a plurality of codewords having respective redundancy information, where a codeword includes at least a portion of the container and where redundancy information of the codeword facilitates detection of erroneous data in the codeword. The codeword is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver. Other methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08468421B2 |
Memory system for error checking fetch and store data
A memory system is provided. The memory system includes a memory element that is configured to selectively output data stored to and data fetched from the memory element. An error checking station is configured to receive the data stored to and the data fetched from the memory element. The error checking station is further configured to perform error checking on the data. |
| US08468413B2 |
Apparatus and method for setting hybrid automatic repeat request and automatic repeat request parameter in mobile communication system
An apparatus is capable of setting HARQ and ARQ parameters in a mobile communication system. The apparatus sets HARQ and ARQ parameters in a mobile communication system. The apparatus sets a default HARQ parameter based on the determined default HARQ parameter setting condition determined by using a plurality of QCIs. The apparatus sets a default ARQ parameter based on the determined default ARQ parameter setting condition determined by using the plurality of QCIs, and updates the set default HARQ parameter and the set default ARQ parameter according to a channel status of a UE. |
| US08468412B2 |
Downlink transmissions for type 2 relay
A method for transmitting data to a user agent. The method includes a relay node receiving information from an access node, the information containing the data that is to be transmitted to the user agent and control information that the access node will use to transmit the data to the user agent. The method further includes the relay node transmitting the data to the user agent at the time the access node transmits the data to the user agent, the relay node using the control information that the access node uses to transmit the data to the user agent. |
| US08468411B2 |
Packet retransmission
Through the identification of different packet-types, packets can be handled based on an assigned packet handling identifier. This identifier can, for example, enable forwarding of latency-sensitive packets without delay and allow error-sensitive packets to be stored for possible retransmission. In another embodiment, and optionally in conjunction with retransmission protocols including a packet handling identifier, a memory used for retransmission of packets can be shared with other transceiver functionality such as, coding, decoding, interleaving, deinterleaving, error correction, and the like. |
| US08468410B2 |
Address generation apparatus and method for quadratic permutation polynomial interleaver
An address generation apparatus for quadratic permutation polynomial (QPP) interleaver receives several configurable parameters and uses a plurality of QPP units to compute and outputs a plurality of interleaving addresses according to a QPP function Π(i)=(f1i+f2i2) mod k, where f1 and f2 are QPP coefficients, k is information block length of an input sequence, 0≦i≦k−1, and mod is a modulus operation. Each of the plurality of QPP units is a parallel computation unit, and outputs in parallel a corresponding group of interleaver addresses, where Π(i) is also a ith interleaving address generated by the apparatus. |
| US08468409B2 |
Speed-path debug using at-speed scan test patterns
Speed-path debug techniques based on at-speed scan test patterns. Potential speed paths are identified based upon detected at-speed scan pattern failures and unknown X-value simulation. When the number of identified speed paths is large, the suspect speed paths are ranked. |
| US08468404B1 |
Method and system for reducing switching activity during scan-load operations
A method and system for reducing switching activity of a spreader network during a scan-load operation is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a spreader network receives a plurality of scan input signals from a tester. A linear feedback shift register of the spread network is updated using the plurality of scan input signals. Each bit of the linear feedback shift register is shifted at each shift cycle for a plurality of shift cycles. The linear feedback shift register outputs a nonlinear gating signal using a first set of outputs and a data value feeding one or more scan chains of the spreader network using a second set of outputs. The pipeline clock of a pipeline element of the scan chains is gated using the nonlinear gating signal, and the data value is fed to the scan chains based on the pipeline clock. The scan chains are fed with updated values at the pipeline stage. |
| US08468403B2 |
Data register control from TAP+ATC or discrete WSP signals
In a first embodiment a Test Access Port (TAP) of IEEE standard 1149.1 is allowed to commandeer control from a Wrapper Serial Port (WSP) of IEEE standard P1500 such that the P1500 architecture, normally controlled by the WSP, is rendered controllable by the TAP. In a second embodiment (1) the TAP and WSP based architectures are merged together such that the sharing of the previously described architectural elements are possible, and (2) the TAP and WSP test interfaces are merged into a single optimized test interface that is operable to perform all operations of each separate test interface. One approach provides for the TAP to maintain access and control of the TAP instruction register, but provides for a selected data register to be accessed and controlled by either the TAP+ATC (Auxiliary Test Control bus) or by the discrete CaptureDR, UpdateDR, TransferDR, ShiftDR, and ClockDR WSP data register control signals. |
| US08468401B2 |
Apparatus and method for manufacturing a multiple-chip memory device with multi-stage testing
A method for manufacturing a multiple-chip memory device includes making a volatile memory element on a semiconductor substrate, examining the volatile memory element for one or more initial errors, correcting the one or more initial errors on the semiconductor substrate, incorporating the volatile memory element into the multiple-chip memory device, and incorporating a non-volatile memory element into the multiple-chip memory device. The volatile memory element is examined for one or more secondary errors, after incorporating the volatile memory element and the non-volatile memory element into the multiple-chip memory device. Repair information is stored in a non-volatile memory element, the repair information identifying the one or more secondary errors. |
| US08468400B2 |
Method for detecting flash program failures
One or more techniques are provided for programming a flash memory device. In one embodiment, the memory device is programmed such that a data pattern written to a page in the memory device has encoded therein an expected count value corresponding to the number of times a first binary value occurs in the data pattern. The data pattern includes the program data and the expected count value, and is written to the page in a single operation. The expected count value may be stored in a count field in the management area of the page. During a page read operation, the expected count value is compared to the actual count of the number of bits having the first binary value in the data area of the page. If the expected count is equal to the actual count, then the program data is determined to be valid. |
| US08468398B2 |
Loopback testing with phase alignment of a sampling clock at a test receiver apparatus
Methods and test receiver apparatus are provided for loopback testing of a unidirectional physical layer device. The disclosed methods and test receiver apparatus allow for the phase of a sampling clock implemented at the test receiver apparatus to be aligned with the phase of a test data signal. |
| US08468397B2 |
Error controlling system, processor and error injection method
An error controlling system includes a plurality of error generation target circuits, a plurality of pseudo error generating devices each having a pseudo error content holding register that holds directed pseudo error content, each plurality of pseudo error generating device generates a pseudo error corresponding to a pseudo error content held in a respective pseudo error content holding register in at least one of data to be written to one of the plurality of error generation target circuits and data to be read from one of the plurality of error generation target circuits upon being directed to generate the pseudo error, and a pseudo error controlling device that directs the plurality of pseudo error generating devices to generate a pseudo error corresponding to a respective pseudo error content held in each of the pseudo error content holding register provided in each of the plurality of pseudo error generating devices. |
| US08468396B2 |
Channel interleaver having a constellation-based block-wise permuation module
A channel interleaver comprises a novel constellation-based permutation module. The channel interleaver first receives a plurality of sets of encoded bits generated from an FEC encoder. The encoded bits are distributed into multiple subblocks and each subblock comprises a plurality of adjacent bits. A subblock interleaver interleaves each subblock and outputs a plurality of interleaved bits. The constellation-based permutation module rearranges the interleaved bits and outputs a plurality of rearranged bits. The rearranged bits are supplied to a symbol mapper such that a plurality of consecutively encoded bits in the same set of the encoded bits generated from the FEC encoder is prevented to be mapped onto the same level of bit reliability of a modulation symbol. In addition, the plurality of adjacent bits of each subblock is also prevented to be mapped onto the same level of bit reliability to achieve constellation diversity and to improve decoding performance. |
| US08468384B2 |
Method and apparatus for dealing with write errors when writing information data into memory devices
For writing, flash memory devices are physically accessed in a page-oriented mode, but such devices are not error-free in operation. According to the invention, when writing information data in a bus write cycle in a sequential manner into flash memory devices assigned to a common data bus, at least one of said flash memory devices is not fed for storage with a current section of said information data. In case an error is occurring while writing a current information data section into a page of a current one of said flash memory devices, said current information data section is written into a non-flash memory. During the following bus write cycle, while the flash memory device containing that defective page is normally idle, that idle time period is used for copying the corresponding stored section of said information data from said non-flash memory to a non-defect page of that flash memory device. |
| US08468378B2 |
Interface card, network device having the same and control method thereof
An interface card is capable of communicating with an external device and includes a power supplier; a non-volatile memory which stores executable instructions to operate in an active-mode and a sleep-mode; a small-capacity volatile memory which is supplied with power in the sleep mode; a transmitter-receiver which transmits and receives packet data to/from the external device; and a controller which retrieves sleep-mode instructions stored in the non-volatile memory and loads the sleep mode instructions in the small-capacity volatile memory to transition the interface card into the sleep mode if the transmitter-receiver does not receive the packet data for predetermined time period in an active mode. The interface card processes certain packet data in the sleep mode and transitions back into the active mode when sleep mode operations determine that the packet data cannot be processed in the sleep mode. The non-volatile memory, and other components of an external circuit, is powered down when the interface card is in the sleep mode. |
| US08468376B2 |
Integrated device, layout method thereof, and program
An integrated device includes at least one data processing device and at least one memory macro accessible by the data processing device. The data processing device and the memory macro are laid out so that a memory address and a power consumption have a correlation. |
| US08468374B2 |
Access point rotation for sharing power load
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for sharing power load in a network. The method includes identifying a first device to serve as an AP of the network in a next time interval, providing network information from a second device that presently serves as the AP to the first device. When the first device starts to serve as the AP of the network, the second device can be configured to enter into a power save state in order to reduce power consumption by the second device in the next time interval. |
| US08468373B2 |
Modifying performance parameters in multiple circuits according to a performance state table upon receiving a request to change a performance state
Systems and methods for coordinating performance parameters in multiple domains are described. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving a request to change a state of an electronic circuit, where the circuit includes a first domain and a second domain, causing a first parameter of a first circuit serving the first domain to be modified to a first modified parameter based on the request, and causing a second parameter of a second circuit serving the second domain to be modified to a second modified parameter based on the request. In some cases, a parameter may include a clock frequency. In other cases, a parameter may include a voltage. In some embodiments, a system may be implemented as a logic circuit and/or as a system-on-a-chip (SoC). Devices suitable for using these systems include, for example, desktop and laptop computers, tablets, network appliances, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, e-book readers, televisions, and game consoles. |
| US08468372B2 |
Diagnostic and managing distributed processor system
A network of microcontrollers for monitoring and diagnosing the environmental conditions of a computer is disclosed. The network of microcontrollers provides a management system by which computer users can accurately gauge the health of their computer. The network of microcontrollers provides users the ability to detect system fan speeds, internal temperatures and voltage levels. The invention is designed to not only be resilient to faults, but also allows for the system maintenance, modification, and growth—without downtime. Additionally, the present invention allows users to replace failed components, and add new functionality, such as new network interfaces, disk interface cards and storage, without impacting existing users. One of the primary roles of the present invention is to manage the environment without outside involvement. This self-management allows the system to continue to operate even though components have failed. |
| US08468371B2 |
Energy management for datacenters
A datacenter schedules and executes requests to conserve energy. The datacenter uses an event-based opportunistic approach to schedule and run the requests, which provides energy efficiency. The requests are hierarchically batched and sent to the datacenter for scheduling and execution. They are selectively sent over low power links and selectively serviced by low power processors. |
| US08468366B2 |
Method for securely storing a programmable identifier in a communication station
Disclosed is a method for storing an identifier in a first station having a secure non-volatile data store protected by cryptographic data, an identifier flag for indicating that the identifier has been written to the secure data store, and an authenticated trust agent that prohibits writing of an identifier to the secure data store if the identifier flag is set. In the method, the identifier is written to the secure non-volatile data store, wherein the identifier written to the secure data store is encrypted using the cryptographic data. The identifier flag is irreversibly set after writing the identifier to the secure data store so that the trust agent prohibits another write of an identifier to the secure data store. |
| US08468363B2 |
Time-domain reflectometry used to provide biometric authentication
An electronic device includes one or more of a time-domain reflectometry and security block within a processor. The time-domain reflectometry and security block may determine a digitized reflected waveform biometrics characterization of a biometric target. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08468361B2 |
System and method for securely provisioning and generating one-time-passwords in a remote device
A secure processor such as a TPM generates one-time-passwords used to authenticate a communication device to a service provider. In some embodiments the TPM maintains one-time-password data and performs the one-time-password algorithm within a secure boundary associated with the TPM. In some embodiments the TPM generates one-time-password data structures and associated parent keys and manages the parent keys in the same manner it manages standard TPM keys. |
| US08468360B2 |
Client terminal, server, server-client system, cooperation processing method, program and recording medium
An application on a client terminal transmits application session information indicating a state of the application itself and an application signature proving the identity of the application to a browser. The browser transmits the application session information and the application signature to a server. The server generates an HTML page in which a script specifying an operation to be performed by the application is inserted and server session information and transmits the HTML page and the server session information to the browser along with the application signature received from the browser. When the script is activated, the browser passes the information received from the server to the application. The application performs processing according to the server session information only if the application signature passed from the browser is an application signature generated by the application itself. |
| US08468351B2 |
Digital data authentication
A method for protecting a digital document and user data typed into a digital document is presented. The method comprises computation of an authentication tag when the document is sent from a server. A similar authentication tag is computed when the document is shown on a client. When another document referenced in the document is requested by the client from the server, the authentication tag computed by the client is attached to the request for that other document. The server receiving the request compares the authentication tag it computed with the one it received to verify if the request came from an authentic copy of the document. The method is suitable for protection of online banking, online investment, online shopping, and other electronic applications. |
| US08468345B2 |
Containerless data for trustworthy computing and data services
A digital escrow pattern and trustworthy platform is provided for data services including mathematical transformation techniques, such as searchable encryption techniques, for obscuring data stored at remote site or in a cloud service, distributing trust across multiple entities to avoid a single point of data compromise. Using the techniques of a trustworthy platform, data (and associated metadata) is decoupled from the containers that hold the data (e.g., file systems, databases, etc.) enabling the data to act as its own custodian through imposition of a shroud of mathematical complexity that is pierced with presented capabilities, such as keys granted by a cryptographic key generator of a trust platform. Sharing of, or access to, the data or a subset of that data is facilitated in a manner that preserves and extends trust without the need for particular containers for enforcement. |
| US08468341B2 |
System and method for content distribution with broadcast encryption
The claimed invention relates to system and method for providing encrypted content via a distribution network 630 with efficient key distribution and distribution network assignment. The claimed invention assigns users to content-specific distribution network in which the content is broadcast. This makes the content access much more efficient by conducting the authorization at the time of joining the content-specific distribution network and providing the content to entitled users through broadcasting. The claimed invention provides additional security by removing a user from the content-specific distribution network when his entitlement is no longer valid. |
| US08468336B2 |
System and method for providing security via a top level domain
A system and method is disclosed for providing end-to-end security for communications between registered clients of a top level domain without the need for further encryption/decryption protocols than those provided by said at least one of said plurality of secure communication links and said at least one secure message server. Clients registered with the top level domain are assigned at least one email and IM account and to ensure message security, are required to communicate with other registered others strictly via the assigned email and IM accounts. In this manner, non-registered users are denied secure access to the top level domain. In one embodiment, registered clients of the top-level domain may communicate with non-registered users via a gateway server in a secure or non-secure manner, as is the option of the registered client (sender). |
| US08468335B2 |
Reconfigurable system having plurality of basic function units with each unit having a plurality of multiplexers and other logics for performing at least one of a logic operation or arithmetic operation
A reconfigurable data processing platform is disclosed. The reconfigurable data processing platform includes a reconfigurable universal data processing module, a configuration memory, and a reconfiguration control unit. The reconfigurable universal data processing module contains a plurality of basic units each capable of being configured to perform a unit of at least one of a logic operation and an arithmetic operation. The configuration memory is coupled to the reconfigurable universal data processing module to provide configuration information to be used to configure the plurality of basic units. Further, the reconfiguration control unit is coupled to the reconfigurable universal data processing module and the configuration memory to provide control signals for configuration of the plurality of basic units. |
| US08468333B1 |
Updating the system management information of a computer system
A method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for updating the management information of a computer system are provided. According to one method, a system management information table is built during the execution of the computer system. The system management information table is built from a base set of management information and one or more updates to the base set of management information. The updates to the base set of management information may be stored a protected region of a non-volatile memory device. A utility program is provided for storing the updates to the management information in the non-volatile memory device. |
| US08468329B2 |
Pipeline configuration protocol and configuration unit communication
In a method of synchronizing data processing of processor arrangement, responsive to reaching, during execution of a program, a barrier included in a program sequence, the processor arrangement halts the program execution until it is determined that all instructions preceding the barrier in the program sequence have been successfully scheduled for execution. |
| US08468328B2 |
System and method for verifying compatibility of computer equipment with a software product
System and method for verifying compatibility of computer equipment with a software product. A system and method are provided to verify compatibility of computer equipment with software. This verification can include gathering information about configurations of the computer equipment, and creating at least one file based on the information. The file or files coordinate testing of the computer equipment. The testing produces results that can be stored and analyzed or evaluated. The results can be contained in a file or a plurality of files. The results provide a description of the configurations in addition to an indication of whether the testing has produced any failures. The configuration descriptions or parts thereof can be stored in a configuration database that can be used to apply credit against future testing of computer equipment so that future testing needs can be reduced. |
| US08468326B1 |
Method and apparatus for accelerating execution of logical “and” instructions in data processing applications
A hardware module configured to perform single instructions faster than is possible in software running on the microprocessor. In one implementation, the hardware module is configured to perform a single count instruction, including - counting a number of “ones” contained in a first register; and storing, in a second register, the count of the number of “ones” contained in the first register. |
| US08468322B2 |
Information processing apparatus using a plurality of file systems
In a copying apparatus, a storage capacity of an HDD which is used in a unique file system can be changed. In a partition area for image data formatted by a general-purpose file system, an area for a virtual unique high speed file system is provided and a reservation file having a data structure which can be used by the unique file system is constructed. A unique high speed file system accesses such an area, thereby enabling functions of the unique high speed file system to be virtually used and enabling information management of the image data to be made. |
| US08468321B2 |
Method relocating code objects and disc drive using same
A data storage device and a software method using same are described. The method dynamically relocates and includes; upon receiving a requirement to load a new code object to a first storage medium, allocating a dynamic relocation region of the first storage medium, writing information related a task to be performed in relation to the dynamic relocation region to a second storage medium, selecting the new code object from a plurality of code objects stored in the second storage medium, and loading the selected new code object to the allocated dynamic relocation region, and generating information for performing a task associated with the loaded new code object. |
| US08468320B1 |
Scalability of data deduplication through the use of a locality table
Methods for utilizing a locality table when performing data deduplication are disclosed. One method involves accessing a locality table stored in memory. The locality table includes several signatures, each of which identifies one of a several data units that were consecutively added to a deduplicated data store on a persistent storage device. The method then involves searching the locality table for a new signature of a new data unit, in order to determine whether a copy of the new data unit is already present in the deduplicated data store. If the new signature is not found in the locality table, a pointer table is accessed. The pointer table indicates a subset of a set of signatures stored on the persistent storage device. In response to accessing the pointer table, the subset of the set of signatures, indicated by the pointer table, is searched for the new signature. |
| US08468319B1 |
Concurrent access to a single disk track by combining reads and writes to a disk with a mask
A storage system, a disk controller, a disk drive and a method of operating thereof. The method includes: configuring a disk drive in a manner enabling executing one or more read requests concurrently with executing one or more write requests addressed to the same data track of the disk drive; responsive to a received write request addressed to a certain track of the disk drive, identifying with the help of the control layer one or more read requests concurrent to received write request and addressed to the same track; if the received write request and the identified one or more read requests match a predefined criterion, generating and issuing, with the help of the control layer, a command to the disk drive for executing a single task corresponding to the concurrent read and write requests combined in accordance with a certain mask. |
| US08468314B2 |
Storage system, storage apparatus, and remote copy method for storage apparatus in middle of plural storage apparatuses
Plural storage devices are cascade connected via a network, and the remote copy is executed among the plural storage devices. The data transferred from the copy source are temporarily stored in the buffer. Upon completion of the data reception, the data in the buffer are output to the data storage unit collectively, and the data are transmitted to the network connected storage device as the copy destination. |
| US08468311B2 |
System, methods, and apparatus for subdividing data for storage in a dispersed data storage grid
An efficient method for breaking source data into smaller data subsets and storing those subsets along with coded information about some of the other data subsets on different storage nodes such that the original data can be recreated from a portion of those data subsets in an efficient manner. |
| US08468308B2 |
System and method for non-migratory requests in a cache coherency protocol
A system comprises a first node including data having an associated state. The associated state of the data at the first node is a modified state. The system also comprises a second node operative to provide a non-migratory source broadcast request for the data. The first node is operative in response to the non-migratory source broadcast request to provide the data to the second node and to transition the associated state of the data at the first node from the modified state to an owner state without updating memory. The second node is operative to receive the data from the first node and assign a shared state to an associated state of the data at the second node. |
| US08468307B2 |
Information processing apparatus and order guarantee method
A scheme is provided that guarantees the completion of cache invalidation processing in an information processing apparatus that performs directory-based coherence control. Each processor includes a cache and a Fence control unit that transmits an identifier to be returned to its own processor toward each bank through a network at timing when guarantee of completion of consistency processing of data stored in shared memory and the cache is requested and confirms that the identifier is returned from each bank. Each bank includes a memory main body, a directory that issues an invalidation request for invalidating the data stored in the cache according to an area where the data is written to the memory main body, and an invalidation request queue that queues the invalidation request and the identifier and transmits one of the invalidation request and the identifier through the network in a sequence of queuing. |
| US08468304B1 |
Concentrated parity technique for handling double failures and enabling storage of more than one parity block per stripe on a storage device of a storage array
A method for constructing an array of storage devices is disclosed. A number of storage devices is selected. Each storage device stores data in data blocks. A redundancy is established, the redundancy being a number of data blocks for a parity block. A plurality of parity sets is established, a parity set having the number of data blocks for a parity block and having a set parity block. The set parity block for each parity set is computed. Each set parity block is stored on one of the data storage devices that does not store one of the data-block members of the parity set, to store more than one parity block on each storage device, with an exception that two parity blocks for the same data storage location are precluded from being stored on the same data storage device. |
| US08468301B2 |
Writing of data on an array of storage devices with controlled granularity
A disk array control apparatus controls writing of data onto an array of N storage devices such as disk drives, where N is an integer of 3 or greater. Each storage device writes data with a granularity of a sector having a predetermined sector size. The apparatus writes data with a granularity of a transfer unit having a transfer size which is T times the sector size, where T is a plural integer greater than (N−1). The apparatus is allows writing to an array of storage devices for which (N−1) is not a factor of T. In particular, the apparatus divides each transfer unit of data into plural stripes each consisting of a respective plural number of sectors of data having the sector size, the stripes each consisting of at most (N−1) sectors and at least one of the stripes consisting of less than (N−1) sectors, and calculates, in respect of each stripe, a parity sector of parity data. The sectors of data and the parity sector representing the parity of each stripe are written onto different storage devices. |
| US08468296B1 |
Method and apparatus for range encoding in TCAM
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for encoding ranges in a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM). The method includes determining first positive ranges and first negative ranges corresponding to a first encoding range to be encoded in the TCAM. The first encoding range is in association with a first action. The first positive ranges include the first encoding range. The first negative ranges exclude the first encoding range. At least a first positive range and a first negative range are overlapping. Further, the method includes encoding the first positive ranges in first TCAM entries, and encoding the first negative ranges in second TCAM entries. At least one of the second TCAM entries has a higher priority than one of the first TCAM entries. Then, the method includes associating the first TCAM entries to the first action, and associating the second TCAM entries to a reject action. |
| US08468295B2 |
System and method for reducing power consumption of memory
Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with power consumption in memory devices are disclosed. A method for reducing power consumption in memory may include tracking, by an operating system executing on a processor, one or more logical units of a memory system that are in use. The method may also include setting, by the operating system, a variable indicating a portion of the memory system in use based on the logical units of the memory system in use. The method may additionally include refreshing one or more of the one or more logical units of the memory system based on the variable. |
| US08468289B2 |
Dynamic memory affinity reallocation after partition migration
A method of dynamically reallocating memory affinity in a virtual machine after migrating the virtual machine from a source computer system to a destination computer system migrates processor states and resources used by the virtual machine from the source computer system to the destination computer system. The method maps memory of the virtual machine to processor nodes of the destination computer system. The method deletes memory mappings in processor hardware, such as translation lookaside buffers and effective-to-real address tables, for the virtual machine on the destination computer system. The method starts the virtual machine on the destination computer system in virtual real memory mode. A hypervisor running on the destination computer system receives a page fault and virtual address of a page for said virtual machine from a processor of the destination computer system and determines if the page is in local memory of the processor. If the hypervisor determines the page to be in the local memory of the processor, the hypervisor returning a physical address mapping for the page to the processor. If the hypervisor determines the page not to be in the local memory of the processor, the hypervisor moves the page to local memory of the processor and returns a physical address mapping for said page to the processor. |
| US08468288B2 |
Method for efficient guest operating system (OS) migration over a network
A method, data processing system and computer program product enables efficient transfer of a virtual machine from a first data processing system (DPS) to a second DPS using a combination of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Uniform Data Protocol (UDP). A virtual machine migration (VMM) utility identifies all memory pages of the first virtual machine. The VMM utility notifies the second DPS via TCP of the scheduled transfer of the virtual machine. The VMM utility copies and transfers the memory pages of the virtual machine to the second DPS via UDP. When all expected components of the virtual machine are not received by the second DPS and/or memory data is modified within the memory pages during the migration, the VMM utility combines the missing data and the modified data and transfers the final components of the virtual machine using TCP. Execution of the virtual machine resumes on the second DPS. |
| US08468284B2 |
Converting a message signaled interruption into an I/O adapter event notification to a guest operating system
One or more message signaled interruption requests from one or more input/output (I/O) adapters are converted to I/O adapter event notifications while retaining the message vector indication. An I/O adapter event notification may be routed and presented to a host or to a guest that the host is executing. To present the notification to the correct host or to the correct guest, various data structures in host and/or guest memory are used. |
| US08468278B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for flushing write-combined data from a buffer
Methods and apparatuses for flushing write-combined data from a buffer within a memory to an input/output (I/O) device. |
| US08468277B1 |
Installation of a device driver
A service device that comprises a storage drive, where the storage drive includes an installer program, a device driver, and a mass storage interface. The mass storage interface is configured to enumerate the storage drive to a client device when the service device is coupled to the client device for a first time. The client device auto-launches the installer program in response to the service device being enumerated to the client device for the first time. The installer program installs the device driver in the client device in response to being auto-launched. |
| US08468274B2 |
Digital data distribution system with switching unit, online acquisition unit, and conversion unit for converting from first to second format
A CD on which only music information specified by the CD-DA is recorded, or a CD on which both music information specified by the CD-DA and music information to be recorded on a CD-ROM are recorded is mounted upon an information processing terminal. When the CD on which only music information specified by the CD-DA is recorded is mounted, the information processing terminal acquires, from a directory server, an ISRC number that identifies the music information recorded on the CD, and distribution server location information that identifies a content distribution server. The information processing terminal acquires content that is the music information compressed according to the MP3 and encrypted, from the content distribution server identified by the acquired distribution server location information, and the decryption key. The information processing terminal then decrypts the acquired content using the acquired decryption key and reproduces music. |
| US08468273B2 |
Information storage apparatus, information transfer method, information transfer system, program, and storage medium
An information storage apparatus transmits or receives information to or from another information processing apparatus in one of a plurality of data transfer modes. The information storage apparatus includes first storage means for storing the information; information transmission/reception control means for controlling transmission or reception of the information between the first storage means and second storage means contained in the other information processing apparatus; command analysis means for analyzing a command supplied from the other information processing apparatus to determine which of the plurality of data transfer modes should be applied; and configuration means for configuring the information transmission/reception control means based on a result of determination of the data transfer mode by the command analysis means. |
| US08468272B2 |
Enterprise smart grid and demand management platform and methods for application development and management
A computer-implemented platform server and method is provided for energy management operations in a Smart Grid environment. The platform server includes an application module configured to operate any of a plurality of Smart Grid Applications. A consumer-side module is configured for bi-directional communication with a plurality of consumer-side intelligent appliances. An Operations Technology (OT) module is configured for communication with an electrical grid Energy Management System (EMS). A translation module is coupled to, and configured to translate data received from, the application, consumer-side, and OT modules, so that the platform is configured to selectively receive, translate, and transmit data from and among any of said application, consumer-side, and OT modules, to facilitate automated energy management operations in a Smart Grid environment. |
| US08468267B2 |
IMS diameter router with load balancing
A Diameter router is presented for performing load balancing and initial Diameter message routing in an IMS network, where clients in network elements are provisioned with the address of the router and send an initial Diameter request message for a given session to the router. The router selects a server based at least partially on a type of IMS message session, application services, subscriber information, or billing information, and sends a relayed initial Diameter request message to the selected server. The selected server sends an initial Diameter response to the router which then forwards a relayed initial response to the client. Thereafter, the client and the selected server send messages directly to each other for the remainder of the session. |
| US08468261B2 |
Content protection in a wireless network
A method for operating a device to protect an application from unauthorized operation is provided. The application will fail to operate on the device when the device is defined outside a selected operating region. The method includes transmitting the selected operating region for the application, and receiving the application and a geographic identifier associated with the application. The geographic identifier is configured to identify the selected operating region wherein the application will operate on the device. The method further includes transmitting a request to execute the application on the device. The request includes the geographic identifier. Further included in the method is receiving a code. The code prevents an execution of the application on the device if the code is a disable code. The disable code indicates that the device is operating outside the selected operating region. An apparatus for content protection in a wireless network is also provided. |
| US08468259B2 |
Middlebox control
In order to carry out actions such as setting up a call from an entity in the address realm of one middlebox to an entity in the address realm of another middlebox, then a middlebox control node such as a call server is used. Previously, the middlebox control node has needed to have pre-configured information about all the middleboxes and which address realms they are associated with. The present invention provides one or more middlebox-identity-providing nodes which are separate from the middlebox control node, and which are more directly connected to the end users of the service than the middlebox control node. This provides greater flexibility in network design and removes the need for middlebox information to be pre-configured at the middlebox control node. Instead, this information is sent to the middlebox control node, as part of signalling messages, from middlebox-identity-providing nodes. |
| US08468257B2 |
Communication system, communication apparatus, and control method thereof
A multiple control station transits a first broadcast frame including a first identifier for identifying a first host and a second broadcast frame including a second identifier for identifying a second host to a terminal station over a wireless channel using time division. The multiple control station then receives a connection request frame that requests connection with the first host or the second host from the terminal station. Arbitration is then performed so that the terminal station is connected to the first host or the second host in accordance with the first identifier or the second identifier included in the received connection request frame. |
| US08468254B2 |
Switching between connectivity types to maintain connectivity
Techniques are provided for leveraging narrowband connectivity (such as dial-up communications or other types of low bandwidth communications) to provision or configure broadband connectivity between a broadband access provider and a broadband device, such as a DSL modem or a cable modem. Specifically, because narrowband connectivity does not require advance configuration or provisioning by the host system of connectivity parameters for an access-seeking device, a modem at an access-seeking device may be leveraged to establish a narrowband connection between that device and a host system and to enable an exchange or negotiation of connectivity parameters necessary to enable future broadband connectivity. Thus, once established, the narrowband connection may be used as a conduit for communicating required provisioning information between the broadband-enabling host and the access-seeking device to enable broadband connectivity by the device in the future. |
| US08468253B2 |
Method and apparatus for multimedia collaboration using a social network system
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for multimedia collaboration using a social network system. In one embodiment, a method for using a social network to establish a collaborative multimedia interaction includes receiving a request from a user to establish the collaborative multimedia interaction, where the user has established the social network, and notifying one or more members of the social network of the collaborative multimedia interaction using, in some embodiments, information about the members' current or last known digital presence and a customizable set of notification rules. |
| US08468252B2 |
Selecting optimal transmission in a centralized network
A method of determining a transmission process is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a method of notifying a central coordinator of a group to receive a transmission and obtaining system parameters from the central coordinator. The method then determine at least one merit parameter using at least one of the system parameters and at least one local parameter and selects a method of transmission based upon the merit parameter. |
| US08468247B1 |
Point of presence management in request routing
A system and method for the management of client computing device DNS queries and subsequent resource requests within a content delivery network service provider domain are provided. The management of the DNS queries can include the selection of computing devices corresponding to various Point of Presence locations for processing DNS queries. Additionally, the management of the content requests can include the selection of computing devices corresponding to resource cache components corresponding to various Point of Presence locations for providing requested content. The selection of the computing devices can incorporate logic related to geographic criteria, performance threshold criteria, testing criteria, and the like. |
| US08468246B2 |
System and method for allocating resources in a distributed computing system
According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for allocating resources in a distributed computing system are provided. In one embodiment, a distributed computing system includes a computing grid including a plurality of grid nodes, a web server configured in a service-oriented architecture and operable to provide one or more business applications to a plurality of clients by executing one or more services on the plurality of grid nodes, and a resource control system communicatively coupled to the web server. The resource control system is operable to receive one or more performance parameters of the business applications executed on the plurality of grid nodes, provision one or more of the grid nodes in response to the performance parameters falling below a predetermined minimum level, and un-provision one or more of the grid nodes in response to the performance parameters exceeding a predetermined maximum level. The plurality of clients comprises a plurality of client subsets, each client subset requiring a respective quality of service, and each of the grid nodes in the computing grid is assigned a particular client subset for which to execute services. |
| US08468244B2 |
Digital information infrastructure and method for security designated data and with granular data stores
Distributed computer system processes data having select content (SC) represented by one or more predetermined words, characters, etc. The system has a plurality of SC data stores in a server cloud for respective security designated (Sec-D) data and granular data, each with respective access controls thereat. The data stores are operatively coupled over a network. An identification module identifies SC data and granular data stores for in the server cloud. A processor activates data stores in the server cloud thereby permitting access to the SC data and granular data stores based upon an application of access controls thereat. The processor has a reconstruction module operating as a data process employing the respective access controls to combine one or more of the Sec-D data and granular data. |
| US08468243B2 |
Base station apparatus for distributing contents and terminal apparatus for receiving the contents
A content transmitter distributes contents. An update information management unit manages update information on the update of the contents distributed by the content transmitter. An identifier generator generates notifying identifiers containing the update information managed by the update information management unit. The update information contains the update time of each content or a time period until each content is updated. A beacon transmitter transmits, as beacon, the notifying identifiers generated by the identifier generator. |
| US08468242B2 |
Detecting the health of an operating system in virtualized and non-virtualized environments
A remote management controller is provided for use in conjunction with a managed host computer. The remote management controller exposes a virtual network interface controller, such as a driverless virtual USB network interface controller, to the managed host computer. Through the in-band connection provided by the virtual network interface controller, the remote management controller can send a command to the host operating system or one or more guest operating systems executing in a virtualized environment. If no reply is received to the command, the remote management controller takes corrective action to restore the operation of the host operating system or the non-responsive guest operating systems. |
| US08468238B2 |
Computer product, apparatus and method for generating configuration-information for use in monitoring information technology services
Computer product for generating configuration-information that performs obtaining a first process information operating on a server from each of a plurality of servers constituting an IT system prior to a start of processes in any of the servers, the processes including a process corresponding to an application for an IT service; repeatedly obtaining a second process information from each of the servers through the start to end of the processes performing the application; specifying third process information corresponding to the application by removing the first process information from the second process information; and generating configuration information for monitoring a process condition of the processes, from the third process information, a process name corresponding to the application and identification information of the server where the process corresponds to the process name of the application, the extracted process name being associated with the identification information. |
| US08468237B2 |
Normalization engine and method of requesting a key or performing an operation pertaining to an end point
A normalization engine and a method of requesting a key or performing an operation pertaining to an end point. In one embodiment, the normalization engine includes: (1) a data manager configured to receive a request to execute an operation or obtain a key/value pair pertaining to an end point and determine a normalized version of the key in the key/value pair and (2) a normalization mapping repository configured to contain normalization mechanisms, the data manager further configured to employ the normalized version to obtain one of the normalization mechanisms from the normalization mapping repository, carry out the normalization mechanism and employ a data source corresponding to the end point to retrieve a device-specific value corresponding to the normalized version. |
| US08468236B2 |
Systems and methods for providing frequency diversity in security transmitters
A system for transmitting and receiving communication messages in a wireless security system is provided. The security system comprises one or more security sensor devices and a receiving device. Each security sensor device is capable of monitoring a status change in an area and is capable of generating and transmitting a communication message at a first frequency and a communication message at a second frequency based on a change in status of the area being monitored. The receiving device capable of receiving the communication messages from the one or more security sensor devices and in response thereto is capable of generating one or more instruction signals based on the communication messages. A security sensor device of the one or more security sensor devices transmits the communication message at least one time at the first frequency and the communication message at least one time at the second frequency. |
| US08468230B2 |
Method, apparatus and recording medium for migrating a virtual machine
In one embodiment, a method for migrating a virtual machine (VM) under operation from one server to another server among a plurality of servers is provided. The method includes providing a schema defined beforehand by an operator, an Application-dependent policy using the schema, and an total optimization policy to optimize the system totally, receiving periodically a status information for the application on the VM and a static or dynamic information for the server and the VM from each server, judging whether there is any VM to migrate to another server by referring to the application-dependent policy and the total optimization policy, based on the status information of the application and the static or dynamic information of the VM, and determining a migration destination of the VM matched with the migration condition. |
| US08468226B2 |
Management server, boot server, network boot system, and network boot method
The management server saves boot images corresponding to boot nodes that are connected to itself through a network. When condition information is received from the boot server provided in each network, the management server transmits a boot image specified by the condition information to the boot server. The boot server provides the boot image received from the management server to the boot node to make the boot node perform a network boot. |
| US08468221B2 |
Network configuration method
A network I/O system includes a central communication unit having a communication port and a plurality of terminal communication units each having an upstream communication port and a plurality of downstream ports wherein the central communication unit transmits, to the terminal communication units, routing data of the central communication unit to the terminal communication units for setting identification numbers in the terminal communication units and data of the identification number of the terminal communication units, the terminal communication units refer to the data to transmit to the downstream communication port and set the identification number in a targeted terminal communication unit, and a communication port number of the downstream communication port is appended to routing recognition data to be transmitted from the terminal communication units to the central communication unit at a time of passing through the terminal communication units, thereby recognizing a network configuration. |
| US08468216B2 |
Automatic electronic publishing
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for publishing an electronic document. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. A distribution module retrieves a distribution list identifying at least one user that is to be notified about the publication of the electronic document. As such, when a transfer module sends the electronic document to a network location, a messaging module automatically notifies the at least user from the distribution list of the publication of the electronic document and provides instructions to the at least one user for retrieving the electronic document from the network location. Other systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08468212B2 |
Network repository for metadata
A method and apparatus for a network repository for metadata. Embodiments of a data repository include a memory to store data including one or more data content items, where each data content item is associated with zero or more metadata items, and where each data content item is associated with a handle and each metadata item is associated with an attribute name. The data repository further includes a network interface configured to communicate with a client device, and a control unit configured to control the storage of data in the memory, where the control unit provides functions for writing data to and reading data from the memory and where the control unit is to transfer the data without interpretation. |
| US08468201B2 |
Organizing social activity information on a site
A system and method for organizing social activity information on a website is disclosed. The system comprises a feed serving module and a presentation module. The feed serving module is configured to receive social activity of at least a first user from at least one third-parity source. The feed serving module aggregates the social activity information to form aggregated social activity information. The presentation module is communicatively coupled to the feed serving module and is configured to receive the aggregated social activity information from the feed serving module. The presentation module generates feed display associated with the aggregated social activity information and sends feed display to a client for display to a second user. |
| US08468200B2 |
Retransmission admission mechanism in a managed shared network with quality of service
According to various embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus, a node on a network submits to a network controller a request for the admission of a parameterized Quality of Service flow with in a MoCA network. A network controller receives the submission requesting creation of or update to a parameterized quality of service to support a flow with retransmission; sends a message to a first plurality of nodes in the network to request information from the first plurality of nodes regarding whether the retransmission flow can be created or updated; receives responses from the first plurality of nodes, wherein each response comprises information regarding whether its respective node can support the retransmission flow; and determines whether the retransmission flow can be supported by the first plurality of network nodes. |
| US08468187B2 |
Digital filter device, phase detection device, position detection device, AD conversion device, zero cross detection device, and digital filter program
A digital filter device capable of removing the effect of noise such as chattering from a zero crossing signal is provided. A digital filter device 4 filtering a binary digital signal DIN and outputting a binary digital signal DOUT is provided with a toggle flip-flop 12 which switches a signal level of the digital signal DOUT each time a trigger signal is input; an XOR circuit 13 which outputs a first enable signal EN1 while a signal level of the digital signal DIN does not match with the signal level of the output digital signal DOUT; and a charge counter 14 which counts in synchronization with a clock signal CLK while the first enable signal EN1 is input and resets the count to an initial value and outputs a carry on signal ON_RCO as the trigger signal to the toggle flip-flop 12 when the count has reached an upper limit value. |
| US08468182B1 |
Device for determining a chronological age of a person and method of use thereof
A specialty calculator for determining the chronological age of an individual based upon a birth date and a current date is herein disclosed. The device is also capable of performing standard arithmetic calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The device comprises dedicated circuitry, programming, and keys designed to determine the age of an individual based upon their birth date. A battery-maintained present date is stored in memory or may be entered manually to determine the chronological age of the user. The resultant output is provided in the form of years, months, and days on a digital display. The calculating device saves the time required to perform a difficult manual calculation and insures a user a reliable calculation. |
| US08468180B1 |
Porting storage metadata
Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device includes creating new paths to the new storage device, freezing old paths to the old storage device, transferring metadata corresponding to the old storage device to the new storage device, where state information is transferred from the old storage device to the new storage device, and thawing the new paths. Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device may also include creating new volumes on the new storage device and transferring data from the old storage device to the new storage device. Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device may also include dismantling the old paths. |
| US08468174B1 |
Interfacing with a virtual database system
User interactions with a database storage system allow creation of virtual databases based on point-in-time copies associated with a source database. Multiple point-in-time copies are obtained for each source database. A point-in-time copy retrieves data changed in the source database since the retrieval of a previous point-in-time copy. A virtual database (VDB) is created by creating a set of files in the data storage system and mounting the files on a database server allowing the database server to access the files. User interactions allow the user to specify the source database, a point in time associated with the source database and a destination server to create the virtual database. User input can specify other attributes associated with the virtual database including the file paths, database parameters etc. The user can specify schedules of various actions, including making and retention of point-in-time copies. |
| US08468172B2 |
Integrated application server and data server processes with matching data formats
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a computer-implemented method comprising storing data in an application using an application custom data type and application custom data structure. The data is stored in a database using the application custom data type and the application custom data structure. In one embodiment, a request is sent to access the data from the application to the database. The data is retrieved from the database in response to the request in the application custom data type and the application custom data structure. In one embodiment, the data is sent from the database to a shared memory in the application custom data type and the application custom data structure and the data is retrieved by the application from the shared memory in the application custom data type and the application custom data structure. |
| US08468169B2 |
Hierarchical software locking
A processor chip may have a built-in hardware lock and deterministic exclusive locking of the hardware lock by execution units executing in parallel on the chip. A set of software locks may be maintained, where the execution units set and release the software locks only by first acquiring a lock of the hardware lock. A first execution unit sets a software lock after acquiring a lock of the hardware lock, and other execution units, even if exclusively locking the hardware lock, are unable to lock the software lock until after the first execution unit has reacquired a lock of the hardware lock and possibly released the software lock while exclusively locking the hardware lock. An execution unit may release a software lock after and while holding a lock of the hardware lock. The hardware lock is released when a software lock has been set or released. |
| US08468168B2 |
Display of profile information based on implicit actions
Among other disclosures, a method may include collecting historical communication data and personal data relating to a portion of a plurality of communications, a sender of one or more of the communications or one or more recipients of the communications. The method may include generating a profile based on the collected historical communication data and personal data and presenting the profile, in response to user behavior. |
| US08468167B2 |
Automatic data validation and correction
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for data validation and correction. Such systems and methods can reduce costs, improve productivity, improve scalability, improve data quality, improve accuracy, and enhance data security. A data manager can execute such data validation and correction. The data manager identifies one or more anomalies from a given data set using both contextual information and validation rules, and then automatically corrects any identified anomalies or missing information. Identification of anomalies includes generating similar data elements, and correlating against contextual information and validation rules. |
| US08468164B1 |
Personalized recommendations based on related users
This disclosure describes systems and associated processes for generating recommendations for users based on usage, among other things. These systems and processes are described in the context of an interactive computing system that enables users to download applications for mobile devices (such as phones) or for other computing devices. Users' interactions with applications once they are downloaded can be observed and tracked, with such usage data being collected and provided to the interactive computing system. The interactive computing system can include a recommendation system or service that processes the usage data from a plurality of users to detect usage patterns. Using these usage patterns, among possibly other data, such as data about related users' applications, the recommendation system can recommend applications to users for download. |
| US08468163B2 |
Ontology system providing enhanced search capability with ranking of results
Ontology system providing enhanced search capability receives a search request specifying nodes and edges of interest and determines a set of matching ontologies stored in a knowledge store. The ontology system also generates a ranking for each of the matching ontologies based on the extent of matching. Data indicating the matching ontologies and corresponding rank is sent as a search result. |
| US08468160B2 |
Semantic-aware record matching
A method of semantic-aware record matching includes receiving source and target string record specifications associated with a source string record and a target string record, receiving semantic knowledge referring to tokens of the source string record and target string record, creating a first set of tokens for the source string record and a second set of tokens for the target string record based on the semantic knowledge, assigning a similarity score to the source string record and the target string record based on a semantic relationship between the first set of tokens and the second set of tokens, and matching the source string record and the target string record based on the similarity score. |
| US08468157B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method and program storage medium
An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program storage medium which can present associated information related to a document to be processed to a user by using an accumulation block that accumulates a database of associated information. A presentation block presents to the user the associated information corresponding to the document to be processed at occurrence of an event. An agent control block controls the manner of displaying an agent for example. |
| US08468156B2 |
Determining a geographic location relevant to a web page
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates searching through content which is accessible though web-based forms. During operation, the system receives a query containing keywords. Next, the system analyzes the query to create a structured query. The system then performs a lookup based on the structured query in a database containing entries describing the web-based forms. Next, the system ranks forms returned by the lookup, and uses the rankings and associated database entries to facilitate a search through content which is accessible through the forms. |
| US08468148B2 |
Searching by use of machine-readable code content
A method of searching the Internet or onboard database or other source through devices that contain or are coupled to cameras or other imaging devices, the method including extracting search terms from the human-understandable content encoded in a machine-readable code and displayed to the recipient on the device following the imaging of that code by the device's imager. The method of search utilizes a method of navigation and input that produces a location indicator on the device display that corresponds to the location of an image of a machine-readable code in the sensor of the device's imager. |
| US08468147B2 |
Search server interconnection method, search server and system for mobile search
A search server interconnection method, a search server, and a system for mobile search are disclosed The method includes: sending an information list of a first group of member engines to a search server; receiving an information list of a second group of member engines, where the information list of the second group of member engines is returned by the search server; and sending meta-index information of member engines in the information list of the second group of member engines to the search server. In the present invention, an effective mobile search service across search servers is realized. |
| US08468145B2 |
Indexing of URLs with fragments
A URL inspector may determine a uniform resource locator (URL) which includes an indexable fragment. A URL separator may separate, from the URL which includes the indexable fragment, a base URL occurring prior to the indexable fragment. An indexer may process content of the base URL to obtain processed content thereof. A rendering system may render the processed content together with the URL which includes the indexable fragment to obtain rendered content. A content converter may convert the rendered content into indexable content. |
| US08468142B2 |
Caching query results with binary decision diagrams (BDDs)
Construct a plurality of first binary decision diagrams (BDDs), each representing a different one of a plurality of words. Construct a plurality of second BDDs, each representing a different one of a plurality of search queries, each of the search queries comprising one or more of the words. Construct a plurality of third BDDs, each representing a different one of a plurality of web pages. Construct a plurality of fourth BDDs, each representing a different one of a plurality of search results, each search result comprising one or more web pages. Construct a plurality of fifth BDDs each representing a different one of a plurality of search tuples, each of the search tuples comprising a different one of the search queries and a different one of the search results. Construct a sixth BDD representing the search queries and the search results. |
| US08468138B1 |
Managing redundant immutable files using deduplication in storage clouds
A method includes receiving a request to save a first file as immutable. The method also includes searching for a second file that is saved and is redundant to the first file. The method further includes determining the second file is one of mutable and immutable. When the second file is mutable, the method includes saving the first file as a master copy, and replacing the second file with a soft link pointing to the master copy. When the second file is immutable, the method includes determining which of the first and second files has a later expiration date and an earlier expiration date, saving the one of the first and second files with the later expiration date as a master copy, and replacing the one of the first and second files with the earlier expiration date with a soft link pointing to the master copy. |
| US08468133B2 |
Workload learning in data replication environments
A method for replicating I/O performance in data replication environments, such as PPRC environments, is described. In selected embodiments, such a method includes monitoring I/O workload at a primary storage device over a period of time, such as a period of hours, days, or months. The method then generates learning data at the primary storage device describing the I/O workload over the selected time period. The learning data is replicated from the primary storage device to a secondary storage device. The method uses the learning data to optimize the secondary storage device to handle the I/O workload of the primary storage device. This will enable the secondary storage device to provide substantially the same I/O performance as the primary storage device in the event a failover occurs. |
| US08468132B1 |
Data replication framework
An eventually consistent replicated data store uses, for its underlying storage, a computer software library that provides a high-performance embedded database for data. The replicated data store employs a plurality of hosts interconnected to one another, allowing for writes to any host and full awareness of membership across all hosts. With such a data replication framework, various modes are allowed to be built up on top of the core system. |
| US08468129B2 |
Asynchronous replication of databases of peer networks
User data is shared among servers or server farms, referred to transaction nodes. A user is assigned to one of multiple transaction nodes as its home when the user enrolls in a web-based service. Each transaction nodes maintains records of the users assigned to it, including blocks which are formed when a specified number of new users are assigned. A block hash value is computed based on row hash values, where one row is provided for each user. A transaction node advertises its block identifiers when there is a changed full or partial block, or at other times, to allow other transaction nodes to request a block they do not have. Changed blocks can also be advertised with their recomputed block hash value. Advertisements can be provided to transaction nodes actively accepting new users, and to a subset of transaction nodes which are deactivated and not accepting new users. |
| US08468123B2 |
Lifecycle marketing object oriented system and method
The present invention involves a server for providing remote users a Lifecycle marketing system based on information in a data store of the customer enterprise. The server includes a database storing customer enterprise data. The customer enterprise data includes rules, criteria, and stages. Query software is capable of accessing data in enterprise data stores. Lifecycle definition software accesses the database and is capable of creating a lifecycle framework in the database based on information on contacts included in the enterprise data stores. |
| US08468121B1 |
Resolving resource time intervals in a distributed system
In one example embodiment, a method can include determining resource time data for an update contact data record corresponding to a state of a given resource in a distributed contact center system. A repository can be queried for conflicting data records associated with the given resource based on the resource time data. Any inconsistency for the resource time data can be resolved based on results to the querying and the update contact data record. |
| US08468117B1 |
System, method and computer program product for creating a visual component for tenants of an on-demand database service
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for creating visual components for tenants of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for creating visual components for tenants of an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to allow tenants to create reusable components for use in user defined interfaces, etc. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature may allow tenants to efficiently and effectively create interfaces. |
| US08468116B2 |
Rule creation method and rule creating apparatus
An information processing apparatus obtains, from an F-CMDB for managing CIs regarding resources and their attribute values, CIs with the type and attribute of the resource for which a rule is to be created for use at the time of comparison between CIs. From the F-CMDB for managing CIs of SRC and CIs of DST, and relations between SRC and DST together, the information processing apparatus also obtains CI pairs with SRC including any CI previously obtained and also having a relation corresponding to the determination objective of the rule. Then, the information processing apparatus subjects CIs of SRC with the same classification as that defined in a CI of DST to grouping. Then, the information processing apparatus stores a group of CIs of SRC obtained through grouping in a rule DB as a rule for the determination objective. |
| US08468114B2 |
Alert management system and method
A system and related method for automating alert decision-making in a computer network are disclosed. The system and method act to receive an alert request from an event management system, and then carries out operations using several sets of inference rules, associating the alert request to a generic conceptual data model of alert request and alert resolution. The generic model is specialized to represent the specific environment being monitored. The alert request is enriched with contextual and network information in order to generate one or several alert resolution actions. |
| US08468104B1 |
System for anomaly detection
Described is a system for anomaly detection to detect an anomalous object in an image, such as a concealed object beneath a person's clothing. The system is configured to receive, in a processor, at least one streaming peaked curve (R) representative of a difference between an input and a chosen category for a given feature. A degree of match is then generated between the input and the chosen category for all features. Finally, the degree of match is compared against a predetermined anomaly threshold and, if the degree of match exceeds the predetermined anomaly threshold, then the current feature is designated as an anomaly. |
| US08468103B2 |
System and method for managing information flow between members of an online social network
An online social network is provided in which members of the online social network control who may view their personal information and who may communicate with them. The members control who may view their personal information by setting a visibility preference. A member may not view another member's full personal profile if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the visibility preference of the other member. The members also control who may communicate with them by setting a contactability preference. A member may not communicate with another member if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the contactability preference of the other member. |
| US08468100B2 |
Issuing electronic vouchers
A method of issuing electronic vouchers (Vi) which a user (U) may submit to a merchant (M) in exchange for goods or services comprises the steps of: an issuer (I) receiving an electronic declaration (Di−1) from the user (U), the issuer verifying the electronic declaration (Di−1), and the issuer issuing a new electronic voucher (Vi) for use with the merchant (M) only if the electronic declaration comprises a signature (SM) of a merchant on a previous electronic voucher (Vi−1). The vouchers (Vi) and declarations (Di−1) are preferably blinded by the user such that the user remains anonymous. However, the electronic vouchers (Vi) may contain the identity (Q) of the user (U), which identity may be revealed when a voucher is submitted more than once. |
| US08468098B2 |
Method and system for subscription digital rights management
A system and method for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith. The system includes an activation device adapted to issue a software package having a public and private key pair, the public key being associated with a user, a license device adapted to issue a license, a usage device adapted to receive the software package, receive the license and allow the user to access the item in accordance with the license, and a subscription managing device adapted to maintain a subscription list including the public key associated with the user. License's is issued by the license device upon verifying presence of the public key in the subscription list corresponding to requested content. |
| US08468096B2 |
Systems and methods for verifying identities
A method for verifying the identity of one party on behalf of another party is provided. The method includes providing a money-transfer system and a communication system that communicates with the money-transfer system; receiving at the money-transfer system from the first party certain verification criteria for confirming the identity of a second party; and storing the verification criteria in the host computer system of the money-transfer system. When an ID is received from the second party at a money-transfer location; the verification criteria is retrieved from the host computer system; and the acceptability of the ID is determined in accordance with the verification criteria. If the identification device is acceptable, identification information is obtained from the identification device; and the identification information is processed to verify the identity of the second party. In other embodiments, a method for pre-verifying the identity of a party and a system for performing the method of the invention are provided. |
| US08468095B1 |
Method for launching an electronic wallet
A portable electronic device is disclosed. The portable electronic device comprises a contactless communication transceiver configured to provide payment information to a point-of-sale terminal, a first input device configured to receive inputs, and a processor. The first input device is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a microphone, a camera, and a biometric sensor. The processor is configured to activate an electronic wallet based on inputs from at least one of the first input device and the contactless communication transceiver, to access the payment information in the electronic wallet, and to provide the payment information to the contactless communication transceiver. |
| US08468090B2 |
Account opening computer system architecture and process for implementing same
The present invention provides, in alternative embodiments, a computer architecture and/or computer implemented methods for account opening. In some embodiments, the invention provides an integrated, component-based technology platform in which globally standardized, business configurable account opening processes are separate and decoupled from the user interface screens and are directly manageable by business functionality and/or personnel. In various embodiments, the invention provides pause and resume, save and retrieve, cross-channel, metrics, audit tracking, data logging, and/or straight-through processing capabilities for account opening. |
| US08468089B1 |
Method of improving security in electronic transactions
A computerized method (10) is provided which improves data security in electronic transactions in an insecure network (12). This is accomplished when the method (10) operates on a user (18) which has established a commercial relationship with a trusted third party broker (22), and merchants (20a-20d). The method utilizes network links (14, 24) between (a) the trusted third party broker and the user and (b) the trusted third party broker and the merchants. Protocols are selected to operate between each network link, the selection being made, at least in part, on the basis of the computer resources which may be expected to be available in each network link. |
| US08468088B2 |
Automated mining and processing of data associated with real estate
Computer-based processes are disclosed for efficiently mining and analyzing information associated with particular mortgage loans, borrowers and properties. The disclosed processes use property-related data aggregated from multiple sources and jurisdictions to, among other tasks, identify properties owned by an individual. |
| US08468083B1 |
Advertisement topic diversification and ranking
One or more first groups of one or more first content items are identified. A first score is determined for each of the one or more first groups. A second group of one or more second content items is identified. At least one of the one or more second groups correspond to at least one of the one or more first groups. A second score is determined for each of the one or more second groups. A third score is determined for the first groups and the corresponding second group based on the first scores and second scores. An adjustment is made to a ranking of the one or more first content items based on the third scores. |
| US08468081B2 |
Private company valuation
Systems and techniques are disclosed to value privately-held companies, at least in part, on publicly traded companies. A value is computed for a primary private company using a weighted average valuation multiple and a weighted average total return value associated with publicly traded companies. A confidence rating of the computed valuation is also provided. |
| US08468074B2 |
Rejected checks envelope and process
Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for processing rejected checks. Checks that are rejected for deposit at deposit locations are captured on-site. A carrier picking up the rejected checks at the deposit location sorts the rejected checks into envelopes with data recognition markings. The recognition markings on the envelopes help with sorting and identifying the checks as rejected, as well as providing data to associate the rejected checks with a customer or an account. Image files are created for the rejected checks using an image capture system. Data files are created to match-up with the image files. The rejected checks are investigated to populate the data file, in order to determine how to process the rejected checks. The checks are submitted for posting and settlement often before any claims are made by customers for provisional funds for their rejected checks. |
| US08468070B1 |
Local rendering in lieu of streaming
Disclosed are various embodiments including systems and methods relating to the rendering of media content items on clients. For example, a media content item is designated in a server to be rendered on a client, where the server is configured to stream the media content item to the client. It is determined whether a copy of the media content item is locally accessible to the client for rendering on the client. When the copy of the media content item is not locally accessible to the client, the media content item is streamed from the server to the client. |
| US08468064B1 |
Methods and systems for receipt management and price comparison
The present invention relates to shopping assistance solutions, and in particular, to methods and systems for maintaining purchase records, creating shopping lists, and comparing merchant pricing. The user experience in performing shopping functions is simplified and enhanced over existing methods. |
| US08468062B1 |
Multiple party order coordination method and system
A system and method for providing a multiple party order coordination system includes a process for providing a multiple party order coordination system whereby a given consumer, i.e., a first party, is provided the opportunity to try and combine one or more of the given consumer's product and/or service orders with one or more other consumers' product and/or service orders, i.e., with one or more other parties' product and/or service orders, into a combined multiple party order. A communication system is provided whereby the multiple parties can communicate, and/or negotiate, and/or coordinate, the merger/combination of their respective orders and establish one or more operating parameters such as, but not limited to, purchase dates, delivery dates, delivery locations, purchase price, and payment method and timing. The multiple parties' individual product and/or service orders are then merged into a single combined multiple party order that is then placed through one or more purchase systems provided by, or otherwise associated with, the process for providing a multiple party order coordination system. |
| US08468049B2 |
Systems and methods for providing direct communication from personalized targeted advertisements
A method of creating a personalized targeted advertisement for displaying on a webpage of a website is disclosed. The personalized targeted advertisement includes features to provide direct communication between a sender and a recipient of the personalized targeted advertisement. A selection of an advertisement template from a plurality of advertisement templates is detected. Then, a media file and a custom message are received to build the personalized targeted advertisement. The personalized targeted advertisement is then sent to the recipient identified by a unique identification. The advertising server is notified so that the personalized targeted advertisement can be displayed when the recipient identified by the unique identification logs into the website. |
| US08468044B2 |
Just-in-time insurer's flooring evaluation and replacement system
The present invention is directed to a system, and method for making and using the same, for an on-site evaluation of flooring materials, condition, and value, and further, for providing replacement flooring. The present invention provides an effective and uniform way to more objectively evaluate flooring and/or provide replacement flooring to the benefit of both an insurer and a customer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flooring evaluation system which includes flooring evaluators equipped with a portable apparatus for evaluating flooring which includes an objective evaluation approach using evaluation logic to determine a current monetary market value, or “as new” or pre-use value, which takes into account flooring characteristics, and/or a depreciated value which takes into account loss factors such as wear, appearance, and other degradative considerations. Further, the system of the present invention can include flooring providers which participate in the installation of a selected replacement flooring. The present invention is directed to an interconnected system which includes estimation logic, project management logic and installation logic for managing an insurance claim from start to finish in a just in time fashion. |
| US08468041B1 |
Using reinforcement learning to facilitate dynamic resource allocation
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that allocates resources to projects in a computer system. During operation, the system determines a current demand by a project for a resource, and a current allocation of the resource to the project. The system also uses a computational model to compute an expected long-term utility of the project for the resource. Next, the system trades the resource between the project and other projects in the computer system to optimize expected long-term utilities. During this process, the system uses a reinforcement learning technique to update parameters of the computational model for the expected long-term utility of the project based on performance feedback. |
| US08468040B1 |
System and method for identifying and upgrading a transmission grid
A system and method for upgrading or otherwise improving performance and/or operation of a transmission grid are provided. The system and method involve identifying transmission grid constraint(s), e.g., transmission bottlenecks or other causes of system congestion, and implementing step(s) to alleviate such constraint(s) on terms and conditions that shift initial capital requirements away from grid owners/operators. The capital-shifting mechanisms generally include installation of and/or access to equipment for monitoring and/or measuring grid performance parameter(s) on a predetermined basis, e.g., in real-time, on a daily basis or the like. A processor is provided that is programmed to calculate a payment stream to be paid to the independent party responsible for effectuating the grid performance upgrade based on measurement of performance parameters. |
| US08468036B2 |
Efficient market for financial products
A data processing system is disclosed that provides an efficient market for financial products in which statistics regarding a plurality of stored data records containing financial product underwriting standards are calculated, stored in a data storage device, then made available to a data processing system participant at a price which is reduced for fees obtained from transactions associated with the data processing system participant in accordance with a predetermined netbacking schedule stored in a netbacking database, and/or based on the data processing system participant providing one or more financial product data records. |
| US08468029B2 |
Subscriptions for assistance related to health
An interactive network-based health-related data management system provides provisions of health regimen information from an end-user and/or vendor and/or publisher. In an implementation, a subscription data for one or more subscriptions for the health regimen information is accepted by the system. To this end, the system provides the health regimen information according to the subscription data pertaining to the end/user and/or the vendor and/or the publisher. |
| US08468028B2 |
People engine optimization
Some embodiments promote website credibility and the optimization of websites for people by automatedly quantifying various elements of a website into component credibility scores. In some embodiments, a set of encoded credibility scoring rules are used to compute each of the component credibility scores, wherein the credibility scoring rules are derived based on factors that have been identified by a grouping of people that preferably represent a primary demographic of users that consume the content of a particular classified type of website. In some such embodiments, the credibility scoring rules are derived from commonality that is identified from a sample set of known credible and/or non-credible websites of a particular classification. Once the credibility scoring rules are defined, the system applies the rules to other websites having the same classification as those from which the rules are derived to automatically generate credibility scores for the other websites. |
| US08468024B2 |
Generating a frame of audio data
A method of generating a frame of audio data for an audio signal from preceding audio data for the audio signal that precede the frame of audio data, the method comprising the steps of: predicting a predetermined number of data samples for the frame of audio data based on the preceding audio data, to form predicted data samples; identifying a section of the preceding audio data for use in generating the frame of audio data; and forming the audio data of the frame of audio data as a repetition (602) of at least part of the identified section to span the frame of audio data, wherein the beginning of the frame of audio data comprises a combination of a subset of the repetition (602) of the at least part of the identified section and the predicted data samples. |
| US08468023B1 |
Handsfree device with countinuous keyword recognition
A handsfree device, which is coupled to a data processing device, may be operable to monitor at least one audio stream for occurrence of at least one keyword. Upon recognition of the at least one keyword, the handsfree device may establish a first connection between the handsfree device and the data processing device for launching a voice interface in the data processing device. The handsfree device may send audio data received after the recognition of the at least one keyword to the data processing device, via the first connection for responding to the audio data via the voice interface. During a keyword configuration operation, the handsfree device may send at least one inputted keyword to the data processing device for recording. The handsfree device may receive, via a second connection, the recorded at least one keyword from the data processing device for keyword configuration of the handsfree device. |
| US08468012B2 |
Acoustic model adaptation using geographic information
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for enhancing speech recognition accuracy. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an audio signal that corresponds to an utterance recorded by a mobile device, determining a geographic location associated with the mobile device, adapting one or more acoustic models for the geographic location, and performing speech recognition on the audio signal using the one or more acoustic models model that are adapted for the geographic location. |
| US08468010B2 |
System and method for language translation in a hybrid peer-to-peer environment
An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method enables an endpoint to send and/or receive audio speech translations to facilitate communications between users who speak different languages. |
| US08468009B1 |
Hardware emulation unit having a shadow processor
A hardware emulator having an emulation unit with a shadow processor is described. The shadow processor is capable of performing an extra look up table (LUT) operation in addition to the LUT operation performed by a processor within the emulation unit. The emulation unit comprises a memory for supplying a first amount of data to a shadow processor register, wherein the shadow processor register stores the first amount of data for later retrieval. The data stored in the shadow processor register function as operands for a truth table stored in the memory and are used to select a function bit out from the memory. The selected function bit out represents a Boolean evaluation of the operands. |
| US08468004B2 |
Methods of use of a nonwoven keratinous tissue mimic
In one embodiment, a method of modeling interactions with keratinous tissue may comprise the steps of providing a nonwoven mimic and performing an act on the mimic as may be performed on keratinous tissue. The nonwoven mimic has a surface energy representative of keratinous tissue. In another embodiment, a method of modeling interactions with keratinous tissue may comprise the steps of: providing a mimic comprising from about 60% or greater rayon, from about 40% or less polyester, and a surface energy representative of keratinous tissue; and performing an act on the mimic as may be performed on keratinous tissue. The mimic is preferably a nonwoven mimic. |
| US08468003B2 |
Automated fiducial marker planning system and related methods
A system and method are described for determining candidate fiducial marker locations in the vicinity of a lesion. Imaging information and data are input or received by the system and candidate marker locations are calculated and displayed to the physician. Additionally, interactive feedback may be provided to the physician for manually selected or identified sites. The physician may thus receive automatic real time feedback for a candidate fiducial marker location and adjust or accept a constellation of fiducial marker locations. 3D renderings of the airway tree, lesion, and marker constellations may be displayed. |
| US08467999B2 |
Method of three-dimensional optimization design for asymmetric cusp magnetic field in MCZ single crystal furnace
A method of three-dimensional optimization design for an asymmetric cusp magnetic field in an MCZ single crystal furnace is disclosed. An optimization design for structural parameters of the magnetic field includes first establishing a three-dimensional magnetic model by using ANSYS software, varying parameters of the model, determining a span between upper and lower parts of coils, determining a number of transverse turns of the coils and the thickness of a shield. An optimization design for specification parameters of the coils of the magnetic field includes determining a relationship between heat and specification parameters of the coils and between heat transfer of the coils at their copper pipe walls and the specification parameters of the coils, analyzing heat absorbed by cooling water, establishing an optimization model of a system, and optimizing the specification parameters of the coils of the magnetic field using the ANSYS software. |
| US08467996B2 |
Spectral analysis operating system
Collecting and analyzing spectral data can be challenging when multiple analysis instruments need to be integrated and monitored by a quality control agent within a laboratory, industrial plant, field operation, or even an aerospace environment. The spectral analysis system and method, as presented, provides improved quality control, process control, and data management through unique feedback mechanisms between all hardware and software components within an analytical environment. Through spectral analysis presented, meaningful information is extracted from a spectral signal and fed back into the spectral analysis system to enhance overall system performance. A centralized database is provided to allow multiple users the opportunity to query the database for historical spectral records that can lead to the generation of meaningful reports. Additional hardware can be adapted to the present spectral analysis system in order to monitor a variety of physical phenomena in addition to monitoring a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. |
| US08467994B2 |
Monitoring system and display for use in a monitoring system
A monitoring system for use in monitoring a machine includes at least one sensor for use in measuring at least one operating condition of the machine and at least one monitoring module coupled to the at least one sensor. The at least one monitoring module includes at least one display formed integrally with the monitoring module and configured to display real-time data representative of a currently measured operating condition of the machine and to display historical data representative of a previously measured operating condition of the machine such that a user is enabled to visually compare the historical data with the real-time data. |
| US08467989B2 |
Clearance measuring method and measuring unit
The present invention provides a method for measuring a clearance (13) between facing surfaces of a first member (11) and a second member (12). The method includes a step (S1) of bringing a pair of probes each having a tip end (14) slightly larger than the clearance (13) into direct contact with the clearance (13) and measuring a separation distance between the two tip ends (14), and a calculating step (S2) of calculating and measuring a clearance value (d1) on the basis of the separation distance between the tip ends (14). |
| US08467985B2 |
Automated synchronization of data between electrical grids
A method and system of automatically correlating data measured by monitoring devices that monitor first and second electrical grids. The second electrical grid producing alternating current signals that are electrically isolated from alternating current signals produced by the first electrical grid. An example power monitoring device includes a controller, a first monitoring device interface and a second monitoring device interface. The first monitoring device interface is coupled to a first monitoring device in the first electrical grid and the second monitoring device interface is coupled to a second monitoring device in the second electrical grid. A first counter stores data counts of occurrences from the first electrical grid. A second counter stores data counts of occurrences from the second electrical grid. A synchronization monitoring algorithm automatically synchronizes the first and second counters by associating a data count from the first counter with a data count from the second counter with a time from either the first or second grid corresponding to the occurrence of an event on either the first or the second electrical grid or both. |
| US08467984B2 |
Systems, methods and computer readable media for estimating capacity loss in rechargeable electrochemical cells
A system includes an electrochemical cell, monitoring hardware, and a computing system. The monitoring hardware periodically samples charge characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system periodically determines cell information from the charge characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system also periodically adds a first degradation characteristic from the cell information to a first sigmoid expression, periodically adds a second degradation characteristic from the cell information to a second sigmoid expression and combines the first sigmoid expression and the second sigmoid expression to develop or augment a multiple sigmoid model (MSM) of the electrochemical cell. The MSM may be used to estimate a capacity loss of the electrochemical cell at a desired point in time and analyze other characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The first and second degradation characteristics may be loss of active host sites and loss of free lithium for Li-ion cells. |
| US08467983B2 |
Method for detecting conflicts between outage requests and power supply guarantee requests in a power grid
A method detects conflicts between a power supply guarantee request (PSGR) and an outage request (OR) in a power grid. The method comprises receiving a first outage device set including OR related devices and a power supply guarantee device set including PSGR related devices. Geographic information about devices in the power grid is used to determine a second outage device set, which includes devices in the first outage device set and accompanying outage devices that need to be in outage together with devices in the first outage device set. Power grid topology information is used to determine a power grid outage scale in which all devices in the second outage device set can be in outage. For each device in the power supply guarantee device set, the method detects whether the device is included in the power grid outage scale, to determine any conflict between the PSGR and OR. |
| US08467982B2 |
Device and method for locating partial discharges
A method for locating partial discharges occurring at a discharge site (2) in an electric apparatus (3) with elongate geometry and generating corresponding electric pulses (4) propagating in opposite directions along the apparatus (3) from the discharge site (2) comprises the steps: (11) of detecting the pulses (4) picked up by a first and a second sensor (5, 7), connected to the apparatus (3) and spaced out along the same; (15) of deriving shape, phase and amplitude parameters for each of the signals detected; (17) of separating the sets of signals detected in each sensor into respective subsets which are uniform in terms of pulse waveform; (18) of identifying the subsets of signals relating to partial discharges and classifying them; (19) of correlating the subsets relating to different sensors and similarly classified, in order to derive a pair of subsets of signals relating to the same discharge site (2); (12) of selecting, for the pair of correlated subsets, at least one pair of homologous pulses (4) detected in different sensors in the same time interval; and (13) of calculating the distance between the discharge site (2) and the sensors, based on the selected pair of homologous pulses (4). |
| US08467976B2 |
Fetal genomic analysis from a maternal biological sample
Systems, methods, and apparatus for determining at least a portion of fetal genome are provided. DNA fragments from a maternal sample (maternal and fetal DNA) can be analyzed to identify alleles at certain loci. The amounts of DNA fragments of the respective alleles at these loci can be analyzed together to determine relative amounts of the haplotypes for these loci and determine which haplotypes have been inherited from the parental genomes. Loci where the parents are a specific combination of homozygous and heterozygous can be analyzed to determine regions of the fetal genome. Reference haplotypes common in the population can be used along with the analysis of the DNA fragments of the maternal sample to determine the maternal and paternal genomes. Determination of mutations, a fractional fetal DNA concentration in a maternal sample, and a proportion of coverage of a sequencing of the maternal sample can also be provided. |
| US08467973B2 |
Pairing processes for preparing alloreactive cytotoxic T cells
Provided in certain embodiments are methods for pairing patient cells and donor cells to prepare cytotoxic T cells. Such cytotoxic T cells could be administered to the patient for treating certain disorders, such as a cancer (for example, brain cancer). |
| US08467971B2 |
Structure based alignment and clustering of proteins (STRALCP)
Disclosed are computational methods of clustering a set of protein structures based on local and pair-wise global similarity values. Pair-wise local and global similarity values are generated based on pair-wise structural alignments for each protein in the set of protein structures. Initially, the protein structures are clustered based on pair-wise local similarity values. The protein structures are then clustered based on pair-wise global similarity values. For each given cluster both a representative structure and spans of conserved residues are identified. The representative protein structure is used to assign newly-solved protein structures to a group. The spans are used to characterize conservation and assign a “structural footprint” to the cluster. |
| US08467970B2 |
Function homology screening
A method of screening biologically active agent based on the analysis of complex biological responses in culture. Methods for selecting cells and culture conditions for such screens are provided, as well as the identification of an optimized set of discrete parameters to be measured, and the use of biomap analysis for rapid identification and characterization of drug candidates, genetic sequences acting pathways, and the like. A feature of the invention is simultaneous screening of a large number of cellular pathways, and the rapid identification of compounds that cause cellular responses. |
| US08467969B2 |
Marking apparatus having operational sensors for underground facility marking operations, and associated methods and systems
Methods, apparatus and systems for performing a marking operation to mark a presence or absence of at least one underground facility using a marking device. Marking material is dispensed onto a target surface via actuation of an actuation system of the marking device. A location tracking system detects a location of the marking device. One or more input devices of the marking device detect(s) one or more operating conditions of the marking device, and marking information is logged into local memory of the marking device. In one aspect, at least some operating information relating to the one or more detected conditions of the marking device are included in the marking information logged into memory. |
| US08467963B2 |
Map building system, building method and computer readable media thereof
A map building system, method and computer readable media thereof are provided, which are applied to a movable apparatus or which with a server apparatus. The system includes at least two distance sensing units, a inertial sensing unit, a parameter processing unit, and a display unit. The distance sensing units detect a distance between the movable device and at least one obstacle object and create at least two range data. The inertial sensing unit detects moving mode of the movable device and creates at least one moving data. The parameter processing unit calculates an area map data according the range data and the moving data. The area map data is shown on the display unit. |
| US08467962B2 |
Navigation system and lane information display method
A navigation system includes a lane information acquiring unit 27 for acquiring both the number of lanes of a road which forms an intersection, and lane information which defines a road branching off from each of the lanes, a lane direction determining unit 28 for determining the direction of each of the lanes on the basis of both the lane information acquired by the lane information acquiring unit, and a road attribute of an incoming road coming into the intersection and a road attribute of an outgoing road extending from the intersection, the road attributes of the incoming and outgoing roads being included in map data acquired by a map data acquiring unit, and a lane information display unit 29 for displaying the direction of each of the lanes determined by the lane direction determining unit with an arrow. |
| US08467961B2 |
Technique for effective navigation based on user preferences
In a navigation device, user profiles may be stored and used to navigate a user who may be driving in a vehicle, on foot, or in another mode of transportation. Each user profile corresponds to one of the user's personae. In one embodiment the user business profile corresponds to the user's business persona, which is different from the user personal profile corresponding to the user's personal persona. The navigation device provides the user with a navigated route, together with information concerning the favorite facilities and events surrounding the navigated route, which satisfy the preferences in a selected user profile. In some embodiments, blockages may be established using the device to avoid selected areas, e.g., high crime areas, in the navigated route, or to block transmission of selected information concerning, e.g., uninteresting facilities and events, to the navigation device. |
| US08467958B2 |
System and method for trip routing with configurable constraints
A method of analyzing a path by defining a plurality of contiguous geographical regions, each to have a uniform value of a characteristic affecting travel through the region and evaluating the path from a point in an origin region through an intermediate region to a point in a destination region. Related methods and means of representing paths, and systems to implement the methods are also described and claimed. |
| US08467957B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating routes using real-time public transportation information
A method and system are provided for providing a transportation route to a user terminal. Travel information is received at a route-generating unit from the user terminal. Public transportation information, including real-time public transportation information, is received at the route-generating unit from a public transportation information unit. One or more transportation routes are determined in accordance with the received travel information and the received public transportation information at the route-generating unit. The one or more transportation routes are transmitted from the route-generating unit to the user terminal. |
| US08467956B2 |
Navigation system with lane-level mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: detecting an acceleration for monitoring a movement of a device; determining a travel state based on the acceleration; identifying a travel sequence involving the travel state; setting a lane-level granularity movement as a predetermined sequence of the travel state; and determining the lane-level granularity movement with the travel sequence matching the predetermined sequence for displaying on the device. |
| US08467954B2 |
Electronic guide system, contents server for electronic guide system, portable electronic guide device, and information processing method for electronic guide system
Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels. |
| US08467952B2 |
Map generating device, and memory medium storing map generating program
A map generating device constructed to generate a map wherein character rows of a first kind which are disposed near road symbols representing roads selected as a route from a start point to a destination point and which identify buildings and other facilities, for example, are oriented according to respective different directions of movement of the user of the map on the respective roads toward the destination point, so that the character rows of the first kind can be easily read by the user tracing the route while relying on the character rows of the first kind. Also disclosed is a memory medium storing a map generating program which is executed by a computer to generate the map. |
| US08467950B1 |
Air demand adjusted compressor control
A motor controller unit facilitates modifying pressure thresholds and motor operation mode for an air compressor in a hybrid commercial vehicle as a function of vehicle air demand and comprises a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions comprising monitoring vehicle air system pressure, calculating air demand generated by the vehicle air system, and determining that the vehicle air system air demand is greater than a predetermined air demand threshold. A cut-out pressure threshold for the compressor motor is increased and the air compressor motor is switched from an on/off mode to a continuous run mode wherein pressure is maintained in the air system to be between a cut-in pressure threshold and the increased cut-out pressure threshold. The compressor motor operates in the continuous run mode until air demand falls below the predetermined air demand threshold. |
| US08467949B2 |
Methods and systems for turbine line replaceable unit fault detection and isolation during engine startup
Systems and methods for isolating a performance anomaly within one or more line replaceable units (LRUs) on a gas turbine engine by monitoring the start up transient are presented. The system comprises a set of sensors, an anomaly detector and a fault isolation reasoner. Each sensor of the set monitors at least one operating parameter of at least one engine component. The anomaly detector is configured to detect an anomaly in a component by comparing a particular value of an operating parameter to a base line value of that parameter. The specific cause of the startup anomaly is isolated utilizing a set of component reasoners that is based on the nature of the detected anomaly. The key events during the engine startup are identified by the combination of monitoring physically relevant phases of a startup and monitoring the engine control schedule. The values at these key events are used for comparing at the anomaly detector. |
| US08467948B2 |
Omnidirectional moving body operation system and omnidirectional moving body operation method
A vehicle target velocity calculator of an omnidirectional moving body converts a manipulated vector which is a manipulated variable of the omnidirectional moving body instructed by an operator by using an operation portion of an operation device to a manipulated vector of the omnidirectional moving body in the relative coordinate system based on an angle difference between the presence direction of the omnidirectional moving body detected by the operation device sensor unit and the presence direction of the operation device detected by the vehicle sensor unit, and determines the target moving velocity vector according to the converted manipulated vector. The wheel velocity command calculator instructs a wheel drive unit to drive the base body according to this target moving velocity vector. |
| US08467943B2 |
Method for controlling a work machine during operation in a repeated work cycle
A method is provided for controlling a work machine during operation in a repeated work cycle including the steps of establishing a control strategy on the basis of at least one condition that varies in the course of the work cycle, and controlling at least one device in a work machine power transmission system in response to the established control strategy. |
| US08467935B2 |
Automobile electronic control unit comprising a voltage step-up device and control method
An electronic control unit (3) for a motor vehicle includes a microcontroller (30) which controls the operation of an engine of the motor vehicle, a regulator (31) of a voltage delivered to the microcontroller (30) by an electric power source (2), and a voltage step-up device (32) including control elements (321) suitable for activating at least one inductive load (320) coupled to the power source (2), an activation which consists of successive energy accumulations and discharges by the at least one inductive load. The at least one inductive load (320) is shared with at least one second device (4) that is internal or external to the electronic control unit (3), a second device whose operation is controlled by the electronic control unit. A method for controlling at least one inductive load (320) coupled to an electric power source (2) of a motor vehicle is also described. |
| US08467933B2 |
System and method for controlling an emergency notification feature based on driver status
A system for controlling the operation of performing emergency notification in a vehicle is provided. The system comprises a controller configured to receive at least one driver status signal indicative of whether the driver is one of the primary driver and the secondary driver from a key ignition device positioned on at least one of a primary key and the secondary key. The controller is configured to determine whether the driver of the vehicle is one of the primary and the secondary driver based on the at least one driver status signal. The controller is configured to selectively control the operation of performing emergency notification based on whether the driver of the vehicle is one of the primary driver and the secondary driver. |
| US08467929B2 |
Good checking for vehicle wheel speed sensors
A controller for determining whether a previously-detected vehicle wheel speed sensor malfunction still exists. The controller includes an electronic, non-volatile memory, and an electronic processing unit connected to the electronic, non-volatile memory. The electronic processing module includes a malfunction monitoring module, a failure handling module, and a signal checking module. The malfunction monitoring module monitors the operation of at least one wheel speed sensor and generates a fault signal when the at least one sensor malfunctions. The failure handling module causes drive cycle information and the fault information to be stored in the electronic, non-volatile memory. The signal checking module performs a signal check on information from the at least one wheel speed sensor. A tell-tale indicator is deactivated and/or a vehicle control system resumes normal operation if the wheel speed sensor passes the signal check. |
| US08467926B2 |
Method and system for valve operation control
Methods and systems are provided for raising the speed of a hybrid electric vehicle operating in an electric-only mode. During conditions when the vehicle is driven only by an electric motor, vehicle speed may be raised by spinning the engine unfueled using power from a system battery, while adjusting valve operation to reduce engine pumping losses. In this way, vehicle speed may be raised more efficiently and without damaging rotating transmission components. |
| US08467924B2 |
Control apparatus and control method for hybrid vehicle
In a hybrid vehicle including: a first battery; a first boost converter for converting an output voltage of the first battery and outputting the output voltage to a motor generator; a second battery; and a second boost converter for converting an output voltage of the second battery and outputting the output voltage to the motor generator, an ECU performs HV drive control for driving the hybrid vehicle by using driving power of both an engine and the motor generator, and stops the second boost converter, when an SOC(1) that is a value indicating a state of charge of the first battery is smaller than a threshold value α or when an SOC(2) that is a value indicating a state of charge of the second battery is smaller than a threshold value β. |
| US08467908B2 |
Home energy management system incorporating a pool pump
An energy management system for a home network comprising a plurality of power consuming devices including a pool pump is provided. The system comprises a central controller operatively connected to the power consuming devices and configured to receive and process a signal indicative of the current state of an associated utility, including at least a peak demand state and an off-peak demand state, and a display device. The central controller further includes a scheduling algorithm configured to enable a user to program a schedule for the pool pump. |
| US08467907B2 |
Automated valve with self-contained valve actuator system
A self-contained valve actuator of the present invention can comprise an actuator component. This actuator can be linear or quarter turn depending on the valve. The actuator can be double acting which means the piston will move once to open and once to close. The self-contained valve system uses hydraulic fluid to operate the valve. The valve system is directly powered with electric power from a battery. Solar panels are also incorporated to capture solar energy and convert this energy into electrical energy. This converted electrical energy is stored in the battery which enables the battery to continuously supply energy while substantially reducing the possibility of exhausting battery power. This resupply of electrical energy and the use of the hydraulic fluid creates a self-contained valve actuation system. |
| US08467905B2 |
Environment control system
A control system for governing temperature and humidity levels within a confined space including a controller communicatively coupled to a cooling system, a heating system, a duct system, a plurality of environmental sensors for detecting temperature and humidity levels within the confined space and external to the confined space, and an external air intake for introducing air external to the confined space to within the confined space. The control system may further include predictive heating and predictive cooling configurations having a computing device communicatively connected to the controller and to an environmental forecast source. |
| US08467904B2 |
Reconstruction, retargetting, tracking, and estimation of pose of articulated systems
A control system and method generate joint variables for motion or posing of a target system in response to observations of a source system. Constraints and balance control may be provided for more accurate representation of the motion or posing as replicated by the target system. |
| US08467902B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating pose of mobile robot using particle filter
A method and apparatus for estimating the pose of a mobile robot using a particle filter is provided. The apparatus includes an odometer which detects a variation in the pose of a mobile robot, a feature-processing module which extracts at least one feature from an upward image captured by the mobile robot, and a particle filter module which determines current poses and weights of a plurality of particles by applying the mobile robot pose variation detected by the odometer and the feature extracted by the feature-processing module to previous poses and weights of the particles. |
| US08467901B2 |
Calibration of a base coordinate system for an industrial robot
A method for calibration of a base coordinate system of an industrial robot in relation to a work area includes: mounting a first part of a kinematic coupling which is constrained in the same number of degrees of freedom as the robot, on the robot wrist interface of the robot, mounting a second part of the kinematic coupling in the work area, moving the robot including the base portion to the work area, set the robot in compliant control mode, move the first part of the kinematic coupling to mate with the second part, storing axis positions of the robot during mating of the kinematic coupling, determining the position and orientation of the base portion based on the stored axis positions and a kinematic model of the robot, and on basis thereon calibrating the base coordinate system of the robot. |
| US08467899B2 |
Apparatus for dispensing solid pharmaceutical articles
An apparatus for dispensing solid pharmaceutical articles includes a housing, a drive mechanism and a sensor system. The housing defines a dispensing passage having a dispensing inlet and a dispensing outlet downstream of the dispensing inlet. The drive mechanism serves to force the articles along a path through the dispensing passage between the dispensing inlet and the dispensing outlet. The sensor system includes first and second sensors operative to detect articles passing through the dispensing passage and a controller to receive and use detection signals from the first and second sensors to monitor dispensing performance of the apparatus. The first and second sensors are spaced apart along the dispensing channel such that the second sensor is located downstream of the first sensor. |
| US08467897B2 |
Pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system and methods of storing and retrieving pharmaceuticals
A pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system and a method of storing and retrieving pharmaceutical containers from the system. The system includes a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval and a controller operatively coupled to the device to control storage and retrieval functions of the device. The device includes a gantry assembly, a shelving assembly, a user access assembly, and a user authorization system that function in a coordinated manner to carry out the storage and retrieval functions of the device. |
| US08467896B2 |
Feedback for polishing rate correction in chemical mechanical polishing
A substrate having a plurality of zones is polished and spectra are measured. For each zone, a first linear function fits a sequence of index values associated with reference spectra that best match the measured spectra. A projected time at which a reference zone will reach the target index value is determined based on the first linear function, and for at least one adjustable zone, a polishing parameter adjustment is calculated such that the adjustable zone has closer to the target index at the projected time than without such adjustment. The adjustment is calculated based on a feedback error calculated for a previous substrate. The feedback error for a subsequent substrate is calculated based on a second linear function that fits a sequence of index values associated with reference spectra that best match spectra measured after the polishing parameter is adjusted. |
| US08467893B2 |
Objective measurement of audio quality
In an apparatus for objective perceptual evaluation of speech quality, parameters BandwidthRef and BandwidthTest representing the bandwidth are forwarded to a calculator 30 for calculating the relative bandwidth difference ΔBW between a reference signal and a test signal. ΔBW is forwarded to a calculator 32, which determines the value of a weighting parameter α. Preferably a sealing unit 33 scales or normalizes the disturbance density D and the asymmetric disturbance density DA, for example to the range [0,1]. The values of ΔBW and α are forwarded to a bandwidth compensator 34, which also receives the preferably scaled disturbance density D and asymmetric disturbance density DA. The bandwidth compensated disturbance densities D*, DA* are forwarded to a linear combiner 42, which forms a score representing predicted quality of the test signal. |
| US08467890B2 |
Method and system for detecting interrupts from detachable electronic accessories or peripherals
Aspects of a method and system for detecting interrupts from detachable electronic accessories or peripherals are provided. In this regard, a hardware audio CODEC may be operable to compare a voltage on one or more biased pins of an accessory or peripheral port to one or more reference voltages and filter one or more output signals generated from the comparison. When an accessory or peripheral is coupled to the accessory or peripheral port, interrupts from the accessory or peripheral may be detected based on results of the comparison and/or the filtering. An interrupt may be detected when the voltage on the one or more pins may be below the one or more reference voltages. An interrupt may be detected when the voltage on the one or more pins may be below the one or more reference voltages for a plurality of consecutive clock cycles. |
| US08467889B2 |
Mixing signal processing apparatus and mixing signal processing integrated circuit
User is allowed to designate a desired mode defining the respective numbers of channels and mixing buses, and processing for mixing input signals of the number of channels corresponding to the designated mode is performed repetitively to generate signals for the individual buses. The time of arrival of the last step in the mixing processing for the number of channels, corresponding to the designated mode, is detected to output an accumulation result obtained at the last step, and new accumulation is started with a digital audio signal inputted at a step following the last step. Digital audio signals processed by a first signal processing circuit are stored into a memory and transmitted to a second signal processing circuit via a cascade-connection. The second signal processing circuit adds the audio signal, processed for each of the steps, to audio signals input via the cascade-connection and writes added signal into the memory. |
| US08467887B2 |
System for controlling lighting devices
Disclosed is a lighting control system including: a switching means for selecting one of a plurality of scenarios; a gateway for matching at least one of on/off control signals, color temperature control signals, color control signals, or dimming control signals for a plurality of lamps with the plurality of scenarios, storing a resultant data, and outputting control signals matched with the scenario selected from the switching means; and a lighting device for receiving the control signals outputted from the gateway, and according to the received control signals, turning on/off each of the lamps, adjusting a color temperature or a color of each of the lamps, or a dimming level of each of the lamps. |
| US08467886B2 |
Mobile object apparatus, mobile object system, imaging device and method, and alerting device and method
A mobile object apparatus is provided. The mobile object apparatus includes an object having a first function; a moving unit that is capable of moving so as to move the object; a driving unit configured to drive the moving unit; and a receiver configured to receive a command from outside. The driving unit controls the moving unit according to the command received so that a second function is achieved. |
| US08467885B2 |
Networked electrical interface
An electrical interface may include a switching mechanism and a control module. The switching mechanism can selectively couple a source of electricity to a load and the control module can be coupled to the switching mechanism. The control module may generate a query for information from a web server and control the switching mechanism based on a response to the query. |
| US08467884B2 |
Gastrointestinal electrical stimulation
The present invention is directed to a method of stimulating the vagus nerve of a subject. |
| US08467883B2 |
Spring passive lead anchor and methods and devices using the anchor
A lead anchor includes a body defining at least one first portion of a lead lumen, the body having a first opening and a second opening. An obstructing member is disposed within the body. The obstructing member defines a second portion of the lead lumen. A spring is disposed in the body and configured and arranged to operate on the obstructing member so that the second portion of the lead lumen is coterminous with the at least one first portion of the lead lumen and forms a continuous lead path when the spring is compressed and the second portion of the lead lumen is offset from the at least one first portion of the lead lumen when the spring is not compressed. |
| US08467880B2 |
System for transmitting electrical current to a bodily tissue
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a substrate, a power source, a connector, electrical circuitry, and an electrode assembly. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface different than the first surface. The power source has a positive terminal and a negative terminal Each of the positive terminal and the negative terminal are coupled to the substrate. The power source is configured to provide power to an external stimulator coupled to the apparatus. The connector is disposed proximate to the first surface of the substrate and is electrically coupled to at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the power source. The connector is configured to electrically couple the external stimulator to the power source. The electrical circuitry is coupled to the substrate. The electrical circuitry is configured to electrically couple the connector to at least one of the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the power source. At least one of the connector or the electrical circuitry is configured to prevent a short circuit of the electrical circuit. The electrode assembly is coupled to the second surface of the substrate. At least one electrode of the electrode assembly is configured to contact bodily tissue and to facilitate transmission of an electrical current through the bodily tissue. |
| US08467876B2 |
Breathing disorder detection and therapy delivery device and method
A device and method are provided for managing the treatment of a patient with respiratory disorders or symptoms. Respiratory parameters are sensed and recorded and communicated to an external device to provide information to a patient and/or provider for further treatment or diagnosis. Also respiratory disorders such as apnea or hypoventilation may be treated by electrically stimulating the diaphragm muscle or phrenic nerve in response to a sensed respiratory parameter or characteristic. |
| US08467871B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for cardiac resynchronization therapy mode selection based on intrinsic conduction
Systems and methods for selecting a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) mode involve sensing electrocardiogram (ECG) data for a patient, identifying a PR interval from the sensed ECG data, comparing the PR interval to a threshold, and selecting a CRT mode by selecting between a synchrony optimization mode and a preload optimization mode, the selection based on the comparison of the PR interval to the threshold. A synchrony optimization mode may be selected if the parameter is less than the threshold, and may optimize CRT for fusion between a left ventricular pulse and an intrinsic wavefront. The preload optimization mode may be selected if the parameter is greater than the threshold, and may optimize CRT for fusion between respective wavefronts of the left ventricular pace and a right ventricular pace. |
| US08467869B2 |
Method and system for modulating eating behavior by means of neuro-electrical coded signals
A method for modulating eating behavior comprising (i) generating at least one confounding neuro-electrical signal that is adapted to modulate the sense of taste in the body, (ii) generating at least one confounding neuro-electrical signal that is adapted to modulate the sense of smell in the body, and (iii) transmitting at least one of the confounding neuro-electrical signals to a subject to modulate the subject's sense of taste or smell. In a preferred embodiment, both confounding neuro-electrical signals are transmitted to the subject to modulate the subject's sense of taste and smell. |
| US08467866B2 |
Biosignal detecting apparatus
A biosignal detecting apparatus is disclosed. The biosignal detecting apparatus includes a pair of detecting electrodes which is attached to a human body for detecting a biosignal from the human body, a biosignal detecting circuit which receives the biosignal detected by the detecting electrodes and processes the detected biosignal, a transmitting electrode which is attached to the human body for transmitting the biosignal processed by the biosignal detecting circuit via the human body to an external apparatus and for transmitting a radio wave generated by a circuit in the biosignal detecting apparatus, and a circuit connected to one of the detecting electrodes which circuit receives the radio wave transmitted from the human body via the transmitting electrode and executes impedance matching between the biosignal detecting apparatus and the human body based on the received radio wave transmitted from the human body via the transmitting electrode. |
| US08467865B2 |
Method for detecting both pre-cancerous and cancerous tissues
A method for characterizing tissues within a subject as cancerous or non-cancerous includes determining the electrical properties of the subject. The electrical properties of the subject are fit to a model and a characteristic frequency of each tissue is then calculated. Each tissue is finally characterized as cancerous or non-cancerous if its characteristic frequency lies above a threshold value. |
| US08467861B2 |
Accessory for performance-monitoring device
There is provided an electric apparatus for monitoring an electrocardiogram signal of a person, comprising an attaching mechanism configured to enable the attachment of the electric apparatus to a wearable item, first and second electrodes for electrical contact with the skin of the person, wherein, during operation, the first electrode is placed between the wearable item and the skin of the person and the second electrode is placed on the opposite side of the wearable item, a detector configured to detect the electrocardiogram signal between the two electrodes, and a transmitter configured to transmit wirelessly information regarding the electrocardiogram signal detected by the detector. |
| US08467860B2 |
Portable system and method for monitoring of a heart and other body functions
Portable systems and methods for continuous and discontinuous monitoring of a user's heart activity, for obtaining a complete, up to twelve-lead electrocardiogram reading are disclosed. A plurality of wearable wired or wireless sensors obtain raw electrocardiogram data from the user. The raw electrocardiogram data is transmitted to data storage media, which include computer instructions for converting the raw data to a complete, up to twelve-lead electrocardiogram reading. The computer instructions can compare the electrocardiogram to one or more predetermined threshold parameters and/or medical standards. The results of the comparison, the electrocardiogram, the parameters, the raw data, the user's location, or combinations thereof, can be transmitted to one or more destinations, which can include medical facilities, insurance providers, emergency responders, and/or family physicians or specialists. The system is thereby usable both for transmitting alerts during emergency situations, and for routine monitoring and diagnosis. |
| US08467855B2 |
Syringe needle guiding apparatus
Provided is a syringe needle guiding apparatus 4 which creates images of a blood vessel 9 which cannot be directly seen with the naked eyes and of a syringe needle 10 inserted into a body, and which includes a monitor 3 allowing the recognition of the three-dimensional relationship between the blood vessel 9 and the needle 10. In the syringe needle guiding apparatus 4 provided here, the blood vessel 9 is seen through by using near infrared rays and also a part of the needle 10, which cannot be seen through because it is inserted into a body, is reproduced in a form of virtual image. A virtually synthesized image of the blood vessel 9 and the needle 10 is displayed on the monitor 3. Then, a target 88 at which the needle 10 is to be inserted, a direction, a distance 12-A, an angle 12-B of the needle with respect to the blood vessel, and the like are displayed in the synthesized image, so that the positional relationship between the blood vessel and the needle 10 is recognized in a three-dimensional manner. |
| US08467854B2 |
Neurovascular intervention device
The present invention generally relates to medical devices, and more particularly to an improved intravascular intervention device. In one embodiment, an intravascular intervention device includes a microcatheter configured for intravascular delivery, an imaging wire received within the microcatheter, and a treatment device received within the microcatheter, wherein the imaging wire and the treatment device may be simultaneously advanced. The treatment device is configured to perform intravascular intervention. For example, the treatment device may be configured to deliver a stent, an embolic coil and/or a thrombolytic agent. In this embodiment, the intravascular intervention device may image the area of interest while performing the intravascular intervention, thus allowing imaging to take place in real time. |
| US08467850B2 |
System and method to determine the position of a medical instrument
A medical imaging method for the navigation of a guidable medical instrument intended to be moved inside the body of a patient, comprising: receiving at least one 2D image of a cavity of a patient, acquired by an acquisition device, for which cavity a 3D representation is available; receiving at least one data item on the force applied to the medical instrument to control a guiding of the medical instrument inside the patient's body; and combining data derived from information on applied force, the 2D image and the 3D representation to determine the position of the medical instrument. |
| US08467841B2 |
Superconducting magnet coil system with quench protection for the prevention of excessive localized currents
A superconducting high-field magnet coil system comprising several radially nested main coil sections (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) which are connected to each other in series in such a fashion that currents of the same direction flow through them during operation, wherein a first main coil section (EHS) is disposed radially further inward than a second main coil section (ZHS) and at least one intermediate main coil section (ZW) is disposed radially between the first and the second main coil section (EHS, ZHS), and with a superconducting switch (11) via which all main coil sections (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) can be superconductingly short-circuited in series, is characterized in that the first main coil section (EHS) and the second main coil section (ZHS) are directly successively series-connected and the first main coil section (EHS) and the second main coil section (ZHS) are bridged by a common quench protection element, which does not bridge the at least one intermediate main coil section (ZW). The magnet coil system realizes quench protection for selectively preventing excess currents in magnet coil areas in which the excessive mechanical force load associated with an excess current would damage the superconductor. |
| US08467837B2 |
MAC controlled sleep mode/wake-up mode with staged wake-up for power management
A power management scheme for a wireless communications device processor substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit is described. By incorporating controls for sleep and wake-up mode transitions in the processor's control logic, improved power savings with reduced latency is provided, obviating the need for hardware-focused solutions with elaborate signaling mechanisms. A fully integrated power management with staged wake-up operations controlled by the MAC solution consumes less power than the conventional wireless LAN solutions in standby mode. |
| US08467832B2 |
Mobile communication method and server device
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes step of determining to change a manager of a radio base station from a first network device to a second network device, step of notifying the first network device and the second network device of the determination result, step of transmitting a reset request to the radio base station, step of performing reset operation by the radio base station, step of notifying the radio base station of address information of the second network device and step of connecting to the second network device by the radio base station using the notified address information. |
| US08467831B2 |
Method of and apparatus for interfacing and connecting a wireless device and a wireless network using a subscriber identity module having plural IMSI associates with different network operators
A wireless device includes a single SIM, plus an application module adapted to enable the device to operate as though it included two or more different SIMs. The module, referred to as a ‘proprietary applications module’ (PAM) is connected to, or built into, a wireless device (WD). The PAM is capable of switching all incoming traffic by associating the WD to one specific subscriber identity sub-module, referred to as “Local SIM” (LS). It can also switch or re-route all outgoing traffic by associating the same WD with a different subscriber identity sub-module, typically a “Roaming SIM” (RS). In a preferred embodiment, the PAM, RS and LS are built-into a single SIM for use in a WD; alternatively the PAM is built-into a WD and the RS and LS are built-into the single SIM. |
| US08467830B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of providing broadcasts thereto
A terminal, a computer program product and a method of providing broadcasts thereto by which a single SIM card can receive broadcasts provided by a plurality of broadcast providers in a manner of deactivating a function of receiving broadcasts provided by a first broadcast provider. A function of only receiving a broadcast provided by a first broadcast provider is deactivated, broadcasts of a plurality of broadcast providers in a current area are searched, and information for the searched broadcasts are displayed. |
| US08467828B2 |
Audio I O headset plug and plug detection circuitry
A single prong, multiple signal conducting plug and plug detection circuitry is provided. The plug may be electrically coupled to a stereo headset including a microphone. The plug may include four signal conducting regions arranged in a predetermined order along the length of the prong. Detection circuitry may be operative to determine whether a microphone type of plug (e.g., a four region plug including a microphone region and two audio regions, or a three region plug including microphone region and only one audio region) or a non-microphone type of plug (e.g., stereo plug) is inserted into the jack of an electronic device (e.g., mobile phone). Detection circuitry may also detect user activated functions performed in response to user activation of one or more switches included with the headset. For example, the headset may include a single switch for performing a function with respect to a microphone (e.g., end-call function). |
| US08467825B2 |
Semiconductor device
An object is to achieve low power consumption and a long lifetime of a semiconductor device having a wireless communication function. The object can be achieved in such a manner that a battery serving as a power supply source and a specific circuit are electrically connected to each other through a transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor. The hydrogen concentration of the oxide semiconductor is lower than or equal to 5×1019 (atoms/cm3). Therefore, leakage current of the transistor can be reduced. As a result, power consumption of the semiconductor device in a standby state can be reduced. Further, the semiconductor device can have a long lifetime. |
| US08467823B2 |
Method and system for CPRI cascading in distributed radio head architectures
A method of communicating between a base band unit and a plurality of remote radio heads includes the steps of receiving a first signal through an antenna in a first remote radio head, transmitting the first signal to a second remote radio head through a digital radio interface, receiving a second signal through an antenna in the second remote radio head, compensating for a delay accrued in the first signal, adding the first signal and the second signal to obtain a resulting signal, and transmitting the resulting signal to a base band unit through a digital radio interface. |
| US08467822B2 |
Method of transmitting data block information in a cellular radio system
A method in a transmitter for transmitting a transport format indication from a transmitter to a receiver (505) where each value of the transport format indication identifies at least two transport block sizes. Hereby a more flexible use of different transport block sizes is enabled. |
| US08467821B1 |
System and method for anticipating transmit power requirements in wireless mobile units communicating with a base station
In wireless communications systems, power conservation is important. The communications system anticipates the need to vary the signal strength of transmitting mobile units, and provides that base station with information concerning the direction of the mobile unit relative to the base station which is utilized in handing off the mobile unit from one base station to another. |
| US08467818B2 |
Communication system and management method thereof
Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication system and management method thereof. The communication system includes: a radio transceiving layer, including a radio transceiving node combination, where the radio transceiving node combination includes at least one type of the following: a macro cell RRU, a Pico cell RRU, and a Pico cell BRU; a local computing layer, including a local computing node, connected to a radio transceiving node in one or multiple neighboring radio transceiving node combinations and configured to execute all communication processing or a first part of communication processing of a cell corresponding to the local computing node; a centralized computing layer, including a centralized computing node, connected to the local computing node in the local computing layer and configured to execute a second part of communication processing, where the all communication processing includes the first part and second part of communication processing. |
| US08467817B2 |
Generic business notifications for mobile devices
The present disclosure involves systems and computer-implemented methods for providing generic push notifications to mobile devices. One process includes monitoring at least one business process for an occurrence of a triggering event. In response to the occurrence of the triggering event, at least one parameter associated with the particular triggering event is identified. A user associated with the at least one business process and the particular triggering event is identified, and a message for the user is generated, where the generated message identifies a mobile business application associated with the particular triggering event and includes the at least one identified parameter. The generated message can then be sent to a mobile device associated with the user. In some instances, the generated message may be an SMS message, and can include embedded code to allow the mobile device to launch the identified mobile business application. |
| US08467813B2 |
Method for monitoring a paging message without paging lost and communication apparatuses utilizing the same
A communication apparatus is provided. A processor is coupled to a transceiver and includes at least a first processor logic unit for initiating a cell selection or a cell reselection procedure to camp on a target cell and obtain a plurality of paging parameters carried in one or more system information messages transmitted by the target cell via the transceiver and a second processor logic unit for monitoring a paging identifier on a downlink control channel via the transceiver to check whether there is any forthcoming paging message before the paging parameters are obtained from the target cell. |
| US08467808B1 |
Mobile object location-based privacy protection
A system, method and apparatus for creating and implementing a privacy zone around a mobile object are described herein. A privacy zone is a geographic location proximate to a mobile object in which mobile device functionality is reduced when a mobile device is inside the boundaries of the privacy zone. A locator subsystem tracks the location of the mobile object to update the location of the privacy zone. Further, the locator subsystem monitors for mobile devices that may interface with the privacy zone. Once a mobile device is found to be within a privacy zone, the pre-determined mobile device features will preferably be disabled. |
| US08467807B1 |
Mobile coupon with varying discount based on consumer location
A method for distributing a location aware mobile coupon (LAMC) based on a current location of a consumer using a mobile device. The method includes: receiving the current location of the mobile device from a location aware service (LAS) provider; comparing the current location of the mobile device to a retail location of a merchant to determine that the consumer is in proximity to the retail location of the merchant; obtaining pre-generated LAMC terms of the merchant specifying a maximum price discount of an item offered by the merchant; determining, in response to determining that the consumer is in proximity to the retail location, a price discount of the LAMC using a pre-determined formula based on the maximum price discount and a distance of the consumer to the retail location; and sending the LAMC including the price discount to the mobile device used by the consumer. |
| US08467806B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting location services with a streamlined location service layer
Techniques for supporting location services with a streamlined location service layer are described. In one design, a terminal may receive a location service request from an application that is internal or external to the terminal. The terminal may exchange at least one message with a location server to establish an extended location session of a particular duration via the streamlined location service layer. The terminal can thereafter obtain location service from the location server at any time within the particular duration of the extended location session, e.g., whenever a location request is received from the application. The terminal may obtain location service any number of times and at any time during the extended location session. The terminal or application may emulate a more complex location service based on location information received from all of the times in which location service is obtained by the terminal. |
| US08467804B2 |
Mobile terminals and methods for regulating power-on/off of a GPS positioning circuit
A method for determining location of a mobile terminal includes repetitively switching power-on and power-off to a GPS receiver circuit which determines location of the mobile terminal using GPS signals. The power-on to power-off duty cycle of the GPS receiver circuit is regulated in response to distance that the mobile terminal has moved from a previously determined location. The power-on to power-off duty cycle can be regulated in response to identifying GPS isolation, in response to an acceleration-determined distance from previous GPS-determine location, an acceleration-determined velocity of the mobile terminal, availability of position assistance information from a cellular system, presence/absence of signals from a WLAN/Bluetooth device, and/or detection of a new cellular base station ID. |
| US08467803B2 |
Communications system
A method performed by a EUTRAN base station, the method including generating a request for resource status information. The request defines a periodicity when update messages including said resource status information should be sent. The method further including sending the generated request to a neighboring EUTRAN base station, receiving one or more resource status update messages from the neighboring base station in response to the requested resource status information in accordance with said defined periodicity, and performing load balancing operations in dependence upon the received one or more resource status update messages. |
| US08467801B2 |
Channel sounding techniques for a wireless communication system
A technique for channel sounding in a wireless communication system includes determining respective geometries of multiple subscriber stations with respect to a serving base station. Respective time periods for sounding a channel between the multiple subscriber stations and the serving base station are then set based on the respective geometries of the multiple subscriber stations. |
| US08467800B2 |
Method for monitoring radio equipment for communication between a mobile terminal and a cellular infrastructure with spread spectrum and arrangement for performing said method
Parameters for the propagation channels between each mobile terminal (14, 14A, 14B) and several fixed transceivers (13) are measured and a report message transmitted to a radio network controller (12), indicating at least one part of the measured parameters. The radio network controller processes the report messages. The parameters measured for each fixed transceiver are a propagation profile, including at least one propagation path associated with a reception energy and the parameters given in the report messages for at least one transceiver, comprise data on the energetic distribution in the propagation profile, taken into account by the radio network controller in processing. |
| US08467799B2 |
Method and system for assigning physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources
A base station includes a transmit path circuitry to transmit a downlink (DL) grant in a single control channel element (CCE) to a subscriber station in a subframe n-k while the subscriber station performs an orthogonal transmit diversity scheme using N transmit antennas (N-Tx ORT) with N being a positive integer greater than 1. The transmit path circuitry is further configured to transmit data streams to the subscriber station. The base station also includes a receive path circuitry to receive an acknowledgement signal from the subscriber station in response to the data streams. The acknowledgement signal is carried in at least two physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources in a subframe n. A first resource of the PUCCH resources corresponds to the control channel element used to transmit the downlink grant, and a second resource of the PUCCH resources is assigned by a mapping function. |
| US08467796B2 |
Radio resource group selection method for a radio resource management
Disclosed is the radio (wireless) communication system providing a radio communication service and the terminal, and more particularly, to a method of managing radio resource(s) using a group selection indicator so as to effectively utilize the radio resource(s) in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) evolved from the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. |
| US08467790B2 |
Mechanism to update the CSG cell access check upon PLMN change at handover
Solving dual errors for user equipment UE checking whether a private cell is allowed when handing over between serving and target cells, where the PLMN and/or EPLMNs list of the serving and target cells may differ. The serving cell may send a one-bit indication that there is a change in a handover command or system information SI6 message after which the UE may or may not refrain from reporting new cells until it performs a registration/location area update in the target cell. The target cell may trigger in the UE a registration update then provide the UE with the PLMN of the target cell. The serving cell can provide the PLMN of the target cell in a SI6 message or handover command, which the UE may use in place of or in addition to the PLMN/EPLMN of the serving cell when checking whether a private/closed subscriber group cell is allowed. |
| US08467789B2 |
Telephone with automatic switching between cellular and VoIP networks
A mobile communication device includes, in part, a cellular communication module, a first antenna adapted to receive and transmit data between the mobile communication module and a cellular network, a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication module, a second antenna adapted to receive and transmit data between the Wi-Fi communication module and a VoIP network, a signal monitoring circuit, and a switching circuit adapted to switch an existing communication from the cellular communication module to the Wi-Fi communication module or vice versa. |
| US08467787B2 |
Method and apparatus for searching for modes and frequencies
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for searching for modes and frequencies. The method includes: obtaining signal energy of all frequency grids within a frequency range; obtaining energy of each mode on a smallest bandwidth according to the signal energy of the grids; sorting the energy on the smallest bandwidths of all modes; and accessing a specified number of frequencies and modes of the highest energy in the sorting result. With the present invention, energy on the smallest bandwidths of all modes at a frequency band is obtained and sorted and then an access mode is determined according to the sorting result. Thus the access mode to use for a specified frequency can be quickly determined so as to improve the access success rate of a terminal in the subsequent access process. |
| US08467781B2 |
Apparatus and method of reporting logged measurement in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus of reporting logged measurements of an user equipment in a wireless communication system is provided. The user equipment in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected mode receives from a base station a Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) configuration. The user equipment transitions from the RRC connected mode to an RRC idle mode and logs measurements based on the MDT configuration. The user equipment transmits to the base station a logging indicator indicating an availability of the logged measurement. |
| US08467774B2 |
System for targeting advertising content to a plurality of mobile communication facilities
A system for targeting advertising content includes the steps of: (a) receiving respective requests for advertising content corresponding to a plurality of mobile communication facilities operated by a group of users, wherein the plurality includes first and second types of mobile communication facilities with different rendering capabilities; (b) receiving a datum corresponding to the group; (c) selecting from a first and second sponsor respective content based on a relevancy to the datum, wherein each content includes a first and second item requiring respective rendering capabilities; (d) receiving bids from the first and second sponsors; (e) attributing a priority to the content of the first sponsor based upon a determination that a yield associated with the first sponsor is greater than a yield associated with the second sponsor; and (f) transmitting the first and second items of the first sponsor to the first and second types of mobile communication facilities respectively. |
| US08467773B1 |
System and methods for pre-caching broadcast content for merchandising on a wireless mobile device
Systems and methods for providing users of wireless mobile devices with content available for purchase are disclosed. Content is loaded into a cache memory in the wireless mobile device and the user is provided with a preview of the content and the ability to purchase the content. If the user does not purchase the content, then the content is purged from the cache memory. |
| US08467772B2 |
Mobile terminal and teletext information providing system and method using the same
Disclosed are a mobile terminal and a Teletext information providing system, and particularly, a system and method for providing latest updated Teletext information. The mobile terminal comprises: a wireless communication unit which receives a Teletext updated from a WAP server; a Teletext buffer memory which stores specific page information of the received Teletext; a central processing unit which controls the display of the specific page information of the Teletext on the basis of time information set by a user; and a Teletext update display unit which displays that the specific page information of the Teletext is received. |
| US08467768B2 |
System and method for remotely securing or recovering a mobile device
The present invention provides a system and method for remotely securing, accessing, and managing a mobile device or group of mobile devices. The invention enables a remote access web page to be generated by a server and displayed on a client computer. The server receives requested actions from the client computer and interacts with the mobile device to perform the actions. In the case of a lost or stolen device, the invention enables a user to take actions leading to the recovery or destruction of the device and data stored on it. The invention enables multiple types of remote access, including: locking the device, backing up data from the device, restoring data to the device, locating the device, playing a sound on the device, and wiping data from the device. The invention may be used to provide both self-help and administrator-assisted security for a device or group of devices. |
| US08467766B2 |
Methods and systems for managing payment sources in a mobile environment
Methods and systems for selecting a payment source for use in making a mobile financial payment utilizing a mobile device such as a mobile telephone (cellphone) or wireless connected personal digital assistant (PDA). A mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) is coupled for electronic communications with one or more financial service providers with which the user maintains one or more accounts, and also for wireless communications with mobile devices. The mobile device displays information corresponding to accounts available to the user as a payment source for use in connection with making a payment using the mobile device. The user selects a payment source for making a payment. The mobile device generates a mobile payment instruction comprising information corresponding to the payment and a selected payment source. The mobile payment instruction is wirelessly communicated to the MFTS. The MFTS generates an MFTS payment instruction that includes an amount, information corresponding to the identified payee, and information indicating the selected payment source. The MFTS payment instruction is communicated to the payment instruction recipient, which effects the payment utilizing the selected payment source. |
| US08467765B2 |
Apparatus and method of explicit indication of call from emergency call centre
A method in a mobile device includes receiving an incoming call. An emergency signal, associated with an incoming call, is detected. The emergency signal indicates the incoming call is from an emergency call center. Responsive to detecting the emergency signal, the emergency call is automatically answered, and information identifying the incoming call as an emergency call is displayed on the mobile device. |
| US08467763B2 |
Alarm system with two-way voice
Techniques are described for establishing a two-way voice communication session with an alarm system. The alarm system may establish a two-way voice communication session with an operator associated with a monitoring service that provides monitoring services for alarm events detected by the alarm system. The alarm system also may establish a two-way voice communication session with a notification recipient that is interested in receiving notifications associated with events detected by the alarm system. |
| US08467762B2 |
Frequency converting device, television device and frequency converting method
According to an embodiment, a frequency converting device is provided with a duty adjusting unit that generates a 1/N local signal, which is a local signal with a duty ratio of 1/N, when N is an integral number not smaller than 3 and an N-th high-frequency component included in the local signal is a target of inhibition. Further, this is provided with a mixer that outputs difference or sum between/of the 1/N local signal and an input signal. |
| US08467758B2 |
Frequency tuning circuit, phase-locked loop circuit, communication apparatus, and storage apparatus
According to one embodiment, a register outputs a first control code in first and second operation modes, saves the first control code as a third control code at an end of the first operation mode, and outputs the third control code at a beginning of a third operation mode. In the first operation mode, a digital-to-analog converter supplies a control signal with a control voltage to a voltage controlled oscillator. In the second operation mode, the control signal is supplied to a buffer amplifier, the amplifier drives a bandlimiting filter, and the filter generates the control voltage. In the third operation mode, the control signal is supplied to the filter, and the filter generates the control voltage. |
| US08467755B2 |
Direct conversion tuner
A direct conversion tuner down-converts television signals, cable signals, or other signals directly from an RF frequency to an IF frequency and/or baseband, without an intermediate up-conversion step for image rejection. The direct conversion tuner includes a pre-select filter, an amplifier, an image reject mixer, and a poly-phase filter. The pre-select filter, amplifier, and the image reject mixer can be calibrated to provide sufficient image rejection to meet the NTSC requirements for TV signals. The entire direct conversion tuner can be fabricated on a single semiconductor substrate without requiring any off-chip components. The tuner configuration described herein is not limited to processing TV signals, and can be utilized to down-convert other RF signals to an IF frequency or baseband. |
| US08467752B2 |
Receiving device and control method for receiving device
A receiving device that can maintain a desired search condition is provided.There are provided storing means (RAM 15b) for storing a category contained in upper category information of a channel under reception, display means (LCD 17) for displaying the stored category, instructing means (touch panel 18) for accepting an instruction of execution of search, searching means (main microcomputer 15) for searching a channel containing the stored category as the upper or lower category information when the search execution is instructed, tuning means (satellite tuner 12) for tuning and receiving the searched channel, and control means (main microcomputer 15) for shifting to a state that the category of the search condition can be input when the search execution is instructed, storing the category concerned as a new search condition into the storing means when the category is input and making the searching means perform search, and making the display means display the category concerned. |
| US08467751B2 |
Serial interface communication test apparatus and test method using the same
A test apparatus for testing quality of serial interface communication between two CPUs of a dual-mode handset includes a processor module and a switch module. The processor module includes two serial ports, each serial port includes an output connector and an input connector, and the two input connectors respectively connected to the two CPUs. The output connector of either serial port connected to either CPU via the switch module. The processor module controls the CPU connected to the output connector to work when the switch module is switched on, and checks data transmission between the two CPUs via the two input connectors when the switch module is switched off. |
| US08467747B2 |
Multi-band wide band power amplifier digital predistortion system
A high performance and cost effective method of RF-digital hybrid mode power amplifier systems with high linearity and high efficiency for multi-frequency band wideband communication system applications is disclosed. The present disclosure enables a power amplifier system to be field reconfigurable and support multiple operating frequency bands on the same PA system over a very wide bandwidth. In addition, the present invention supports multi-modulation schemes (modulation agnostic), multi-carriers and multi-channels. |
| US08467743B2 |
Multi-antenna reception scheme
A device comprises a first antenna and a second antenna. During data transmission, only the first antenna transmits data. During data reception, the second antenna is the main reception antenna and the first antenna operates as a diversity antenna. |
| US08467741B2 |
Mobile tower system
This invention discloses a mobile tower system in which a telescoping tower may be with a plurality of tower structures may be extended to a height much greater than its contracted length. The tower may be transported horizontal, rotated to a vertical position and then the individual tower structures extended and secured via spring pins relative to the adjacent tower structure, the erection of the tower sections may be with external equipment such as a boom truck, or utilizing an internal hydraulic cylinder. |
| US08467740B2 |
High-frequency module
A high-frequency module includes a switch IC. An antenna filter is connected to a common terminal of the switch IC and arranged adjacent to an antenna. The antenna filter is a low-pass filter whose attenuation band includes higher harmonic frequency bands of GSM1800/GSM1900 transmission signals and TDS-CDMA transmission signals. An individual-terminal filter is connected to one individual terminal of the switch IC. The individual-terminal filter is a low-pass filter whose attenuation band includes higher harmonic frequency bands of GSM850/GSM900 transmission signals. |
| US08467734B2 |
Wireless transceiver within an electrical receptacle system
An electrical receptacle assembly having a housing that includes a wireless transceiver electrically coupled to one or more antennas that can be integrated into the receptacle housing itself or in the receptacle's faceplate. The one or more antennas can be one or more dipoles or a single loop antenna. The housing also houses a power converter that derives its power directly from the line connection to the outlet. A junction box includes an integrated antenna reflector for improved radio direction and propagation relative to the antenna(s). Or, an antenna reflector insert is placed within the junction box behind the electrical receptacle assembly. The electrical receptacle assembly further includes a temperature sensor, a PLC module, or a current/voltage sensor and communicates associated data via its wireless transceiver. A status indicator is disposed on the front of the housing. A reset switch on housing resets the electronics to a default state. |
| US08467733B2 |
System and methods for wireless broadband delivery of data
A system and method for wireless data delivery is provided. The communication may be between the antenna arrays of an airborne platform (such as aircraft) and a surface base station. The antenna arrays may generate a plurality of directional synchronization beams directed in at a plurality of corresponding spatial directions. Other antenna arrays receive the directional synchronization beam and respond in kind, providing the original antenna array a way to determine directionality of the other antenna arrays. The antenna arrays may then receive a training beam. The training beam includes known data, such as a Fourier Matrix, which may then be utilized to generate weights. Weights may then be utilized to modify either of the phase or amplitude of a base signal which is then sent to each of the elements of the antenna array in order to achieve directionality of the signal propagation. Thus, a directional beam may be formed which is oriented toward the source of the training beam, which may be a base station or the like. It may also be desirable to identify sources of interference. Interference sources are all non-desired sources of radiation within the target frequency range. Lastly, the system may steer one or more nulls in order to substantially attenuate the sources of interference. |
| US08467731B2 |
Radio resource scheduling for intra-system interference coordination in wireless communication systems
A radio resource scheduling method for scheduling radio resources used for communications in a radio communication system includes user equipment configured to communicate with transceiver stations on the radio resources. The transceiver stations are configured to exchange coordination messages concerning radio resources affected by intra-system interference. The radio resource scheduling method includes allocating to each user equipment served by a transceiver station a corresponding radio resource and a corresponding transmission power level to communicate with the serving transceiver station. Allocating is based on coordination messages exchanged by the serving transceiver station. |
| US08467728B2 |
Method of allocating radio resources in multi-carrier system
A method of allocating radio resources in a multi-carrier system is disclosed, by which a signaling message can be efficiently transmitted according to necessity of a user equipment. In a user equipment of a mobile communication system transceiving data using a plurality of subcarriers, the present invention includes the steps of if the signaling message to be transmitted is generated in the user equipment, generating a preamble sequence according to a user equipment identifier to identify the user equipment, transmitting a preamble signal including the preamble sequence and the signaling message to a base station, and receiving an acknowledgement signal for the preamble signal generated according to the user equipment identifier. |
| US08467725B2 |
Initiating wireless communication between a vehicle and an access point
Methods and a vehicle are provided for initiating a short range radio frequency (RF) connection between the vehicle and an access point. The vehicle includes transceiver circuitry comprising receiver circuitry and transmitter circuitry, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS coordinates, and a controller. The controller is coupled to the GPS receiver for determining a location of the vehicle in response to the GPS coordinates. The controller is also coupled to the transmitter circuitry for providing a probe request thereto for transmission to the access point in order to initiate the short range RF connection in response to the location of the vehicle. |
| US08467723B2 |
Base station apparatus, mobile apparatus, and communication method
A mobile communication system includes a plurality of RAT (Radio Access Technology) and can eliminate the need of a control channel for reporting RAT information. An LTE relay station has a cover area identical to a cover area owned by a WLAN host station and relays/transmits the signal received from an LTE base station to a mobile station in the cover area of the LTE relay station. The LTE relay station adds to the signal received from the LTE base station, one of the offsets: a frequency offset, a time offset, and a power offset as information indicating that the mobile station which receives a relay signal from the local station is located in the cover area of WLAN and transmits the signal after offset addition to the mobile station located in the cover area of the LTE relay station (i.e., the cover area of WLAN). |
| US08467718B2 |
Communication system, information analyzing apparatus and information analyzing method
For easily and quickly collecting data regarding macroscopic population distribution, and easily and quickly obtaining the survey results, an RNC includes: a location registration signal receiver that receives location registration signals, and a signal number counting module that counts the number of the location registration signals for each sector, and an information analyzing apparatus includes: a population distribution calculation module that calculates population distribution information based on the number of the location registration signals; and an output module that outputs the population distribution information. |
| US08467716B2 |
Automated essay scoring
Systems and methods for building a trait model for essay evaluation are provided. At least one evaluated essay is received. A plurality of features pertaining to one or more traits from the at least one evaluated essay are identified and extracted. The one or more traits comprise writing errors, discourse, or vocabulary usage. A plurality of vector files based upon the plurality of features are created. A trait model for essay evaluation based upon the plurality of vector files is built. The trait model is evaluated, where the evaluation includes mapping features of a new essay to the trait model by navigating a multi-branched decision tree. At each branch of the decision tree, a value associated with the features of the new essay is used to determine how to proceed through the trait model. |
| US08467710B2 |
Image forming apparatus for controlling fixing of toner on a paper and controlling cooling of the paper based on a conveyance path to which the paper is to be conveyed
Disclosed in an image forming apparatus including a conveyance section to convey a paper, a first fixing device to fix a toner on the paper by heat fixing, a first cooling device to cool the paper in which the toner is fixed, a second fixing device to fix the toner on the paper by heat fixing, a second cooling device to cool the paper in which the toner is fixed, a conveyance path switching section to switch a conveyance path of the paper between a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path and a control section to control so as to carry out cooling by operating the second cooling device and not operating the first cooling device when the paper is to be conveyed to the first conveyance path and so as to carry out cooling by operating the first cooling device when the paper is to be conveyed to the second conveyance path. |
| US08467708B2 |
Developer unit for an image forming apparatus with a circulative structure for developer agent
A developer unit for an image forming apparatus is provided. The developer unit includes a developer device with a developer agent carrier, a developer agent container arranged in an upper position with respect to the developer device. The developer agent container is formed to have a fitting wall, which is curved inward at a position to be adjacent to the developer device. The developer agent container includes an agitator, which is rotated to sweep an inner surface of the fitting wall and stir developer agent in the developer agent container. The fitting wall is formed to have a first feeding hole and a first collecting hole. A first angle between a direction, in which the first collecting hole is oriented, and a vertical direction is larger than a second angle between a direction, in which the first feeding hole is oriented, and the vertical direction. |
| US08467707B2 |
Image forming agent storage unit, method for filling image forming agent storage unit with image forming agent, and image forming apparatus
An image forming agent storage unit includes a body portion and a pair of a protrusion portion. The body portion extends in an insertion direction in which the image forming agent storage unit is inserted into an image forming apparatus. The pair of a protrusion portion is disposed on an outer face of the body portion and extends along the insertion direction. An approximate geometrical center of gravity of a cross-sectional shape of the body portion is disposed between the pair of the protrusion portion. One of the protrusion portions is disposed on an upper right angle position between an upper portion of the body portion and a right portion of the body portion and the other of the protrusion portions is disposed on a lower left angle position between a lower portion of the body portion and a left portion of the body portion. |
| US08467701B2 |
Color electrophotographic image forming apparatus
A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a transfer member for transferring a developed image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum onto the recording material, and mounting portions for demountably mounting cartridges arranged substantially in a vertical direction, the unit being movable, in a state that the cartridge is demountably mounted to the mounting portions, between a transfer position for transferring the developed image from the transfer member onto the recording material in a main assembly of the apparatus, and a mounting and demounting position, different from the transfer position, for mounting and demounting the cartridges relative to the mounting portion; a first path for mounting and demounting the cartridge relative to such a mounting portion of the mounting portions as is provided at a topmost position; and a second path, different from the first path, for mounting and demounting the cartridge relative to the mounting portion. |
| US08467698B2 |
Image forming apparatus with multiple driving units for driving different components of the image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus may include a sheet conveying belt that conveys a sheet to a position opposed to an image carrier, and a cleaning unit that cleans the sheet conveying belt. The sheet conveying belt may be driven by a first driving unit such as a first motor while the cleaning unit may be driven a second driving unit such as a second motor. In one or more arrangements, the second driving unit is independent from the first driving unit. Additionally or alternatively, the first driving unit may also be configured to drive an image carrier and/or a developing unit. |
| US08467697B2 |
Cleaning member for image forming apparatus, charging device, unit for image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a cleaning member for an image forming apparatus, including: a shaft body; and an elastic material that is wound on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body in a spiral shape, the elastic material satisfying the following expressions. (A1): 1 |
| US08467696B2 |
Heating roller having resistive heating element and fusing device including heating roller
The present invention provides a heating roller including a resistive heating layer and a fusing device including the heating roller. By separately disposing a plurality of electrodes in an axis direction of the heating roller, and by independently controlling each electrode, the heating roller may correspond to various papers having different sizes. Accordingly, the temperature of the heating roller may be stably controlled. |
| US08467691B2 |
Image forming apparatus including two sensors for detecting toner image density
An image forming apparatus includes a belt; a plurality of rollers for stretching the belt; a mechanism for generating a force, at an end portion of the belt, in a direction in which lateral deviation of the belt is corrected; a forming device for forming a toner image on the belt; a first sensor capable of detecting a density of the toner image formed on the belt on one end side of the belt; a second sensor capable of detecting the density of the toner image formed on the belt on the other end side of the belt; and a control device for selecting one of the first and second sensors which provides smaller variation in a result of detection when the belt is free from the toner image, and for controlling an image forming condition of the forming device on the basis of a detection result of the density of the toner image by the selected sensor. |
| US08467690B2 |
Method and system for cancellation of chromatic dispersion combined laser phase noise
Methods and systems are provided for cancellation of chromatic dispersion combined laser phase noise. A method may include measuring a differential of laser phase noise using two optical pilot signals, the pilot signals each having a different optical frequency, or using an optical carrier and a pilot signal. The method may also include determining an approximate laser phase noise present in an optical system based on the measured differential of laser phase noise. The method may further include compensating for laser phase noise based on the determined approximate laser phase noise. |
| US08467683B2 |
Mapping method, apparatus, and system for data transmission
A mapping method, an apparatus, and a system for data transmission are provided, so as to solve a problem that mapping between a Passive Optical Network (PON) service transmission path and a Pseudo Wire (PW) and/or a Packet Switched Network (PSN) tunnel cannot be realized on a premise of ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) of data transmission. Data packets are classified according to own attribute information in PSN tunnel information and/or PW information. When Multi Protocol Label Switch (MPLS) tunnel information carried in the data packets includes the PSN tunnel information or the PW information, the data packets are classified according to Class of Service (CoS) information, and/or label information in the PSN tunnel information or the PW information; and then the classified data packets are respectively mapped to service transmission paths of different PONs. The invention is applied to a PON to support packet switching technology. |
| US08467682B2 |
Reliable load-balanced multi-photonic star configuration
A photonic-based distributed network switch that utilizes multiple photonic broadcast stars and separate optical transmitters to improve overall reliability, allow load balancing, and provide failover for the network switch and the network with which the switch is used. |
| US08467681B2 |
Method for characterizing wavelength switched optical network signal characteristics and network element compatibility constraints for generalized multi-protocol label switching
An apparatus comprising a path computation element (PCE) configured to perform a path computation using signal compatibility constraints information for a network element (NE) in a wavelength switched optical network (WSON), wherein the signal constraints information are communicated at a Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) control plane layer and comprise a plurality of signal attributes and a plurality of NE compatibility constraints. A network component comprising a transmitter unit configured to transmit signal compatibility constraints via GMPLS signaling, wherein the signal compatibility constraints define the signal compatibility constraints for a NE in a WSON. A method comprising receiving signal compatibility constraints for a NE in a WSON, performing a path calculation based on the signal compatibility constraints for the NE, and sending signal compatibility constraints associated with a computed path. |
| US08467680B2 |
Optical bandwidth control device
An in-line optical control device, method, and computer-readable medium for controlling bandwidth in a dry fiber line are provided herein. The in-line optical control device includes a splitter, an optical switch, and a processing device. The splitter may be configured to split an input signal. The optical switch may be configured to receive and selectively connect a first portion of the split input signal to the dry fiber line. The optical switch may thereby control a rate of data transmitted over the dry fiber line. The processing device may be configured to control the optical switch based on whether a characteristic of the input signal conforms to a predetermined limit using a second portion of the split input signal. The processing device may thereby control bandwidth in the dry fiber line. |
| US08467676B2 |
Sparing for multi-wavelength optical transmitter
A multi-wavelength optical transmission system includes a plurality of primary optical transmitters, each being configured to provide directly modulated analog optical signals at non-uniformly spaced apart wavelengths. An optical multiplexer having a plurality of optical input ports receives the analog optical signals from each of the plurality of primary optical transmitters and provides a wavelength division multiplexed signal over an optical fiber coupled at an output thereof. A spare optical transmitter is coupled to an input port of the optical multiplexer and, in response to detecting failure of a failed one of the plurality of primary optical transmitters, is tuned to provide a directly modulated analog optical signal at a spare wavelength that is selected as to be non-uniformly spaced relative to at least some of the non-uniformly spaced apart wavelengths according to tuning data. |
| US08467674B1 |
Walking stick with IMU
An elongated member is provided with one or more imaging sensors, location sensors, and a switch in its bottom end. For example, in an embodiment the elongated member may be a walking stick and the one or more imaging sensors may be one or more cameras Such a walking stick takes pictures of its surrounding environment and keeps records of its location when the switch touches the ground, so that the pictures and location information can be used to create a virtual simulation of the area that a user of the walking stick has walked through. |
| US08467671B2 |
Patient infusion media warmer and method of use
A warming unit and method for warming an infusion medium prior to introducing the medium into a patient's body. The apparatus includes an outer casing, inlet and outlet tubes secured to the outer casing, a fluid conduit for transporting the infusion medium through the warming unit, and a heating element disposed proximate to the fluid conduit for warming the infusion medium flowing therethrough. The warming unit can form part of a system, which further includes a controller for controlling various functions of and separate from the warming unit, a reservoir containing the infusion medium, and a power source for powering the warming unit. |
| US08467665B2 |
Playback device, computer program, playback method
A playback device judges whether a connected display device is equipped to display only interlaced video or both interlaced and progressive video. If equipped to display both interlaced and progressive video, a mode setting unit 15 sets an operation mode of the playback device to an image quality mode for interlaced signal output or a continuity mode for progressive signal output, according to a user selection received via a GUI. If continuity mode is set, the playback device decodes the video stream and performs progressive signal output. |
| US08467664B2 |
Recording medium, playback device, and integrated circuit
A pair of main-view and sub-view video streams and a graphics stream are recorded on a BD-ROM disc. Metadata is provided in each GOP in the sub-view video stream. The metadata includes offset information. The offset information specifies offset control for a plurality of pictures constituting a GOP. Offset control is to provide a left offset and right offset for the horizontal coordinates in a graphics plane to generate a pair of graphics planes, and to combine them separately with main-view and sub-view video planes. The sub-view video stream is packetized and multiplexed in a transport stream. A header of each TS packet includes a TS priority flag. TS packets containing the metadata have a different value of TS priority flag from TS packets containing sub-view pictures. |
| US08467662B2 |
Playback terminal, time-of-day management method, and content playback system
A playback terminal (10) prevents a problem that content cannot be viewed because of a time adjustment carelessly made to a clock by a user. The playback terminal (10) receives content and usage expiration information of the content from a content server (20) and plays back the content, the playback terminal including: a content storage unit (14) which stores the content; a content expiration information storage unit (15) which stores the usage expiration information; a clock unit (16) which manages time-of-day information; a clock setting instruction unit (12) which receives an entry of a time of day to be set to the clock unit (16); and a control unit (11) which rejects the entry from the clock setting instruction unit (12) or performs control so that the time-of-day information of the clock unit (16) is not updated to the time of day entered from the clock setting instruction unit (12), while the usage expiration information corresponding to the content stored in the content storage unit (14) is stored in the content expiration information storage unit (15). |
| US08467659B2 |
Information recording method, information recording medium, and information reproducing method, wherein information is stored on a data recording portion and a management information recording portion
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface. |
| US08467658B2 |
Information recording method, information recording medium, and information reproducing method, wherein information is stored on a data recording portion and a management information recording portion
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface. |
| US08467655B2 |
Patch panel cable information detection systems and methods
A communications system includes a plurality of patch panels, wherein each patch panel has a plurality of connector ports on a front surface thereof that are each connected to a respective communication line, and one or more optical couplers/connector ports on a rear surface thereof for linking two or more patch panels together. A cable for linking patch panels includes opposite ends and a respective connector at each end that is configured to be removably secured within a respective coupler/connector port on the rear surface. Each connector has an RFID tag attached thereto. An RF antenna is secured to each patch panel adjacent each respective coupler, and each antenna is configured to activate and read information from a cable RFID tag when a cable connector is secured within a coupler adjacent thereto. |
| US08467652B2 |
Glass fiber connection module
The invention relates to an optical fiber connection module, comprising a housing (1) for accommodating optical fiber connection interfaces, the housing (1) being formed with first fixing means (9) in order to fix the optical fiber connection module on round bars (11), the housing (1) being formed with second fixing means (13) in order to fix the optical fiber connection module to round bars (11), the second fixing means (13) being arranged offset towards the rear with respect to the first fixing means (9). |
| US08467649B2 |
Large effective area fiber
An optical fiber with a glass core extending from a centerline to a radius R1 wherein R1 is greater than about 5 μm; a glass cladding surrounding and in contact with the core. The cladding has a depressed annular region, the inner radius of said depressed annular region is spaced from said core a distance greater than 1 μm and less or equal to than 5 μm. The core and the cladding provide a fiber with cable cutoff less than 1550 nm, and an effective area at 1550 nm greater than 120 μm2 and bend loss of ≦0.7 dB/turn on a 20 mm diameter mandrel. |
| US08467647B2 |
Splittable optical fiber ribbons
A splittable optical fiber ribbon has a decreased propensity for fiber fallout along a longitudinal split. Fibers adjacent to a split location, called border fibers, have increased bond strength between their ink-coating and a surrounding matrix material. The bond strength is increased by first partially curing an ink that covers the border fibers, coating the partially-cured fibers with a matrix material, and then substantially fully curing the ink and the matrix material substantially simultaneously. The ribbon may include one or more grooves to enhance splitting the ribbon into subsets. |
| US08467644B1 |
Light guide assembly for a radiation detector
A method of fabricating a light guide assembly includes the steps of providing an array of generally frustum-shaped light guides made of a light-transmissive material, providing an optical isolation frame of interconnected slats made of an opaque material, wherein the slats are arranged and profiled to correspondingly match the gaps between the light guides and the outer gap around the periphery of the light guide array, and bonding the light guide array and the optical isolation frame to each other. |
| US08467642B2 |
Waveguide type optical device
An arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer according to the present invention including an input channel waveguide, an input slab waveguide, an arrayed waveguide, a polarization dependence eliminating means, an output slab waveguide, a temperature compensating means, and an output channel waveguide is characterized in that the temperature compensating means compensates for the temperature dependence of the optical path lengths in the channel waveguides of the arrayed waveguide, and the polarization dependence eliminating means eliminates the temperature dependence and the polarization dependence of the arrayed waveguide grating optical multiplexer/demultiplexer at the same time. |
| US08467639B2 |
Zinc oxide diodes for optical interconnections
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for zinc oxide diodes for optical interconnections. One system includes a ZnO emitter confined within a circular geometry in an oxide layer on a silicon substrate. An optical waveguide is formed in the oxide layer and has an input coupled to the ZnO emitter. A detector is coupled to an output of the optical waveguide. |
| US08467638B2 |
Suspension board with circuit
A suspension board with circuit includes a circuit board including a metal supporting board, an insulating layer formed on the metal supporting board, a conductive layer formed on the insulating layer, and an optical waveguide disposed on the circuit board. The optical waveguide includes an under clad layer, a core layer formed on the under clad layer, and an over clad layer formed on the core layer and included in the core layer when projected in the thickness direction of the core layer. The optical waveguide is provided with a positioning portion to position the optical waveguide and a near-field light generating unit for generating near-field light by a light emitted from the optical waveguide, and a protective layer to cover the positioning portion. |
| US08467635B2 |
Optical modulator
An optical modulator having a high stability is provided. In the optical modulator according to the present invention, a phase modulation by an electro-optic effect is made on an optical substrate of an electro-optic material while the setting of an operating point by a thermal-optic effect is made on a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) substrate of quartz, silicon, or the like. Such configuration can suppress the influence of thermal drift or the like because no heat is applied directly to the optical substrate of the electro-optic material. In addition, breakage and warpage of the substrate due to heat are also mitigated. Further, quartz used for the PLC has a low thermal conductivity, approximately one-fifth of that of the LN substrate (approximately 1 W/(m·K)), and therefore, a desired phase difference can be maintained with a low power consumption, and thus, the operating point becomes stabilized. |
| US08467632B2 |
Waveguide electro-absorption modulator
During operation of an electro-absorption modulator, an optical signal is conveyed, using an optical waveguide in the electro-absorption modulator, to a semiconductor layer that substantially fills a gap between two portions of the optical waveguide. Then, the optical signal is electro-absorption modulated by selectively applying a voltage to electrodes that produces an electric field, approximately perpendicular to the midline of the optical waveguide, in the semiconductor layer. These electrodes are coupled to the edges of the semiconductor layer at the periphery along the width of the semiconductor layer by intervening layers. Furthermore, the intervening layers include a material that has a lower index of refraction than the semiconductor layer, and a lower optical absorption than the electrodes. |
| US08467631B2 |
Method and apparatus for identification of image uniqueness
A processor executing a display driver receives a new image object that has one or more identifiers. The processor makes a first determination as to whether the new image object matches one of a plurality of previously received image objects based on the one or more identifiers. If no match is found, the processor makes a second determination as to whether the new image object matches one of the plurality of previously received image objects based on comparing a hash of the new image object to hashes of the plurality of previously received image objects. If a matching previously received image object is found from either the first determination or the second determination, a reference to the matching previously received image object is sent to a client. If no matching previously received image object is found, the new image object is sent to the client. |
| US08467630B2 |
Image processing device and processing method for generating a super-resolution image
An image processing device and the processing method thereof are provided. The device includes an image correcting module, an object-motion detection module and an image blending module. The image correcting module estimates a plurality of local motions of the non-selected images relative to the target image and a plurality of global motions, and performs a plurality of motion corrections to generate a plurality of corrected images. The object-motion detection module judges whether or not the difference between each of the local motions and the corresponding global motion is greater than a threshold value to generate a plurality of object-motion indicators. The image blending module performs an arithmetic operation on each pixel of the target image and each pixel of the corrected images according to the object-motion indicators so as to generate a super-resolution image. |
| US08467624B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing circuit, and image processing method
A disclosed image processing apparatus divides an image into code-blocks of different levels by a wavelet transform, generates information codes of code-block-related information items related to the code-blocks of the different levels using separate tag trees corresponding to the different levels, and generates code data in which the image is encoded. The image processing apparatus comprises a coordinate generating unit that generates an x coordinate and a y coordinate of each of the code-blocks of each of the levels wherein a unit in an x direction and in a y direction is defined by a size of the individual code-blocks of the corresponding level; and an address generating unit that generates a multiple so a combination value of a bit combination of the y coordinate and the x coordinate of each code-block as an address for storing the information code of the code-block in a first storage unit. |
| US08467621B2 |
Method of determining motion vectors and a reference picture index for a current block in a picture to be decoded
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining first and second motion vectors of blocks other than the current block. The other blocks neighbor the current block at one of a left, top and top right position. A direction of the first and second motion vectors of the at least one neighboring block is obtained by a decoder. First and second prediction motion vectors of the current block are determined based on the obtained directions of the at least one neighboring block and by applying a median operation to the first motion vectors of the at least one neighboring block and applying a median operation to the second motion vectors of the at least one neighboring block. |
| US08467618B2 |
Data processing device, image encoding/decoding device and data processing system
An image encoding/decoding device includes a first circuit and a second circuit for providing initial setting to image processing modules. The image encoding/decoding device does not receive information, which is initially set to the image processing modules, directly from an external CPU, and control information for the initial setting is set to the first circuit from the CPU. The second circuit reads in initial setting information and setting-target information of the initial setting information from outside using the control information set in the first circuit and transfers the initial setting information to an image processing module according to the setting-target information. The CPU does not need to set the whole information, which is initially set to the image processing modules, directly to the image encoding/decoding device, and also does not need to set both a transfer source address and a transfer destination address as in DMA transfer. |
| US08467612B2 |
System and methods for navigation using corresponding line features
A method for navigating identifies line features in a first three-dimensional (3-D) image and a second 3-D image as a navigation platform traverses an area and compares the line features in the first 3-D image that correspond to the line features in the second 3-D image. When the lines features compared in the first and the second 3-D images are within a prescribed tolerance threshold, the method uses a conditional set of geometrical criteria to determine whether the line features in the first 3-D image match the corresponding line features in the second 3-D image. |
| US08467602B2 |
Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object. |
| US08467601B2 |
Systems, methods, and media for creating multiple layers from an image
A method for creating a plurality of layer images from an input image is provided. The method includes analyzing an input image for color content to detect at least one dominant color in the image and for shape recognition to detect at least one object in the image. The method also includes generating a concentric grid for the input image based on the color content analysis and the shape recognition for a depth calculation of the input image. The concentric grid includes a center point, a plurality of lines that radiate from the center point, and a plurality of concentric circles that expand at a spatial distance in the input image. The concentric circles divide the input image into a plurality of sections, each of which represents an equal spatial depth. The method further includes generating a plurality of layer images using at least two of the plurality of sections. |
| US08467600B2 |
Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object. |
| US08467599B2 |
Method and apparatus for confusion learning
A method and apparatus for processing image data is provided. The method includes the steps of employing a main processing network for classifying one or more features of the image data, employing a monitor processing network for determining one or more confusing classifications of the image data, and spawning a specialist processing network to process image data associated with the one or more confusing classifications. |
| US08467598B2 |
Unconstrained spatially aligned head-up display
A system for providing a spatially aligned head-up display to a user viewing a scene through a display the system includes: an image sensing system including at least one image sensor deployed to sample images of the user's face, the image sensing system generating data derived at least in part from the images; a display for displaying visible indications to the user superimposed on the scene; and a control system associated with the image sensing system and the display, the control system being configured to: process data from the image sensing system to determine a position and attitude of the user's face, determine a viewing direction from at least one eye of the user to a point of interest within the scene, and actuate the display to display a visible indication aligned with the viewing direction that provides a spatially aligned head-up display to the user. |
| US08467595B2 |
Defect review system and method, and program
A system is provided that realizes both reduction in coordinate error and improvement in throughput and allows observation of a micro-defect. The system includes: a function of measuring an amount of displacement between preliminarily calculated coordinates and an actual specimen position; a function of optimizing a coordinate correction formula so as to minimize the amount of displacement from the measured amount of displacement; and a function of calculating variation of displacement between the preliminarily calculated coordinates and the actual specimen position by statistical processing. When a value of coordinate variation is sufficiently small with respect to the field of view of an image for observation, which is to be a defect observation image, the system acquires only the image for observation without performing acquisition of an image for search, which is to be a defect search image. |
| US08467593B2 |
Method and system for calculating weight of variable shape product manufactured from product blank
A computerized system, method, and computer-readable media implementing a method for determining a weight of a product, and optionally its shipping weight and postage are described. A product having a variable shape in two dimensions wherein the shape is defined in the two dimensions by a set of cutlines is manufactured from a product blank of known weight. The weight of the product is determined from the number of pixels in a scaled image of the cutlines, the image having the same aspect ratio as the product blank. The weight of the product blank and the ratio of the pixels to corresponding to product surface area relative to the total number of pixels in the image are used to calculated the actual weight of the product. |
| US08467592B2 |
Substrate media distortion analysis
Embodiments described herein are directed to detecting and/or measuring distortions of substrate media that can occur during a printing process. The distortion can be detected and/or measured using a composite image generated from a reference image having a first periodic pattern and print image, disposed on a test substrate media, having a second periodic pattern. The first and second periodic patterns are specified so that the composite image includes a moiré pattern having moiré fringes resulting from interference between the first periodic pattern associated with the reference image and the second periodic pattern associated with the print image. The moiré fringes can be used to detect and calculate an amount of distortion of the test substrate media. |
| US08467591B1 |
Apparatus and system for imaging currency bills and financial documents and method for using the same
A batch of currency bills is received, transported, and imaged to produce image data that is reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of each of the currency bills. Serial numbers are extracted from the image data for each of the currency bills. Each extracted serial number is compared with a plurality of serial numbers in a first currency bill database to determine if a currency bill associated with an extracted serial number is a suspect currency bill. Each extracted serial number is further compared with a plurality of serial numbers in a second currency bill database to determine if one of the plurality of currency bills associated with an extracted serial number is a suspect currency bill. |
| US08467585B2 |
Methods and apparatus to analyze computed tomography scan data
Methods and apparatus to analyze healthcare images are disclosed. An example method includes performing a threshold procedure and a watershed procedure on data obtained via a scan of a brain to generate a plurality of segments based on blood volumes associated with the segments; generating one or more statistics related to the each of the segments; and integrating the statistics into image data associated with the scan such that a first one of the statistics corresponding a first one of the segments is to be displayed to a user of the image data in response to receiving an input from the user in connection with the first one of the segments. |
| US08467571B2 |
Ordered recognition of connected objects
An image recognition apparatus that recognizes an object related to a certain object in an image sequentially recognizes an object from the image in accordance with recognition-order information that indicates an object order in an object sequence including the certain object, the related object, and an object connected between those objects. The apparatus determines whether or not an object recognized in a current turn of recognition has a connective relationship with an extracted object obtained in a previous turn of recognition, and obtains the object that has been determined as having a connective relationship as an extracted object. Based on an object extracted by a repetition of the above processing, that is, recognition, connective relationship determination, and obtaining, in the above-described recognition order, the related object is associated with the certain object. |
| US08467568B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for gesture-activation
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed recognizing gestures. A sequence of images is captured by a camera and compared to a stored sequence of images in memory. A gesture is then recognized in the stored sequence of images. |
| US08467562B2 |
Ear canal fitting unit and biological signal measuring device
Disclosed herein is an ear canal fitting unit including: a tube configured to be capable of being inserted into an ear canal; an electrode configured to have flexibility and be so disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the tube that a predetermined gap is formed between the electrode and an inner surface of the ear canal; pressing means for deforming the electrode in such a direction as to get away from the outer circumferential surface of the tube and pressing the electrode against the inner surface of the ear canal; and suppressing means for suppressing push-back of the electrode pressed against the inner surface of the ear canal. |
| US08467559B2 |
Silicon microphone without dedicated backplate
Various embodiments of a silicon microphone sensing element without dedicated backplate are disclosed. The microphone sensing element has a circular or polygonal diaphragm with a plurality of perforated springs suspended above the front side of a conductive substrate. The diaphragm is aligned above one or more back holes in the substrate having a front opening smaller than the diaphragm. In one embodiment, a continuous perforated spring surrounds the diaphragm and has a shape that conforms to the diaphragm. A plurality of perforated beams connects the spring to rigid pads that anchor the movable diaphragm and spring. In another embodiment, there is a plurality of perforated springs having double or triple folding configurations and a plurality of perforated beams connecting the diaphragm to rigid pads. Also disclosed is a scheme to integrate the silicon microphone sensing element with CMOS devices on a single chip. |
| US08467557B2 |
Coaxial speaker system with improved transition between individual speakers
A coaxial speaker system that minimizes detrimental sound wave reflections from its high frequency speaker. The coaxial speaker system includes a high frequency speaker coaxially mounted within a low frequency speaker. The high frequency speaker includes a sound reproducing membrane, a voice coil assembly and magnet assembly for actuating the sound reproducing membrane in response to an electrical audio signal, and optionally a wave guide horn for directing sound waves produced by the sound reproducing membrane. The wave guide horn has a throat disposed adjacent the sound reproducing membrane and a mouth disposed opposite the throat. The low frequency speaker also includes a sound reproducing membrane assembly and a voice coil assembly and magnet assembly for actuating the sound reproducing membrane assembly in response to an electrical audio signal. At least a portion of the low frequency speaker sound reproducing membrane assembly is positioned adjacent the mouth of the wave guide horn (or adjacent the outer edge of the high frequency speaker sound reproducing membrane when no horn is provided) to inhibit the detrimental effects of sound waves produced by the high frequency speaker that reflect off the low frequency speaker. |
| US08467551B2 |
Vehicular directional microphone assembly for preventing airflow encounter
A microphone mounting assembly (800A/800b) include one or more transducers (801) mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) (805) where a spacer (803) is used having a channel (807) positioned on the PCB (805) for allowing acoustical energy to pass through the channel (807) to a port (809) in the PCB (805). A first cover (811) is positioned over the channel (807) for disrupting the direct encounter with airflow into the channel (807) while a top section (813) having a second cover (815) is further positioned adjacent to the first fabric cover (811) for preventing debris from obstructing the first fabric cover (811). |
| US08467544B2 |
Filter coefficient setting device and echo prevention device
A filter coefficient setting device for setting a filter coefficient of an echo prevention device including a first FIR filter, and a second FIR filter, comprises: a filter coefficient initial setting portion configured to set a predetermined filter coefficient for the first and second FIR filters when the echo prevention device is started. |
| US08467542B2 |
Sound recording device, sound recording method, and sound recording program embodied on computer readable medium
In order to facilitate the operation to select a directional microphone and a non-directional microphone, an IC recorder includes a directional microphone having directivity, a non-directional microphone not having directivity, a scene selection portion to select one of the four scenes of oral dictation, conference, lecture, and music, a first EEPROM for storing in advance a correspondence table that assigns either one of the directional microphone and the non-directional microphone to each of the four scenes, and a microphone switching portion to switch, between the directional microphone and the non-directional microphone, to the one assigned to the selected scene by the correspondence table in response to one of the four scenes being selected by the scene selection portion. |
| US08467541B2 |
Universal auxiliary component connecting system for a personal audio-set
A universal auxiliary component connection system that operably connects an auxiliary component to a variety of different personal audio-sets using the connection cables supplied with each personal audio-set. In one embodiment, a clip operably connects the personal audio-set engaging fitting of the connection cable, and the clip is detachably secured to the auxiliary component. Accordingly, this connection system allows a variety of different personal audio-sets to be operably connected to the same auxiliary component without requiring the auxiliary component to offer a variety of different fixed connectors. |
| US08467535B2 |
Accelerated verification of digital signatures and public keys
Accelerated computation of combinations of group operations in a finite field is provided by arranging for at least one of the operands to have a relatively small bit length. For example, a technique for verifying a signature of a message can include applying a first mathematical function to a combination of the first signature component and the second message portion to obtain an intermediate component, using the intermediate component to generate a first value and a second value, where a second mathematical function applied to the first value and the second value obtains the intermediate component, and determining the ephemeral public key based on the first value, the second value, the second signature component, the base point of the elliptic curve, and a long-term public key of the long-term private-public key pair. The technique can include verifying whether a representation of the first message portion satisfies a predetermined characteristic. |
| US08467532B2 |
System and method for secure transaction of data between a wireless communication device and a server
The present invention provides a system and method for a set of Extensible Authentication Protocols (EAPs) that can serve Confidentiality, Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (CAAA) issues at an affordable cost. According to one embodiment of the invention, a system and method is provided to generate random sequences (through prime numbers) which can be used in the authentication process of certificateless extensible authentication protocols (EAPs) for mobile and wireless communications. The invention also provides a light weight security with better performance in comparison to the lower layer chip level security provided by 2G, 3G or 4G applications. |
| US08467531B2 |
Mobile terminal with encryption chip and related network locking/unlocking method
A mobile terminal is provided with a network lock functionality for a network. The mobile terminal includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) slot configured to host a SIM card or an unlocking device, a control chip, an encryption chip, and a network locking module. The control chip is coupled to the SIM slot through a first interface, the encryption chip is coupled to the SIM slot through the first interface to communicate with a module inserted into the SIM slot, and the network locking module is coupled to the encryption chip through a second interface. Further, the network locking module is configured to perform the network lock functionality. The network locking module also has an “open” state supporting a network unlocking operational mode and a “close” state supporting a network locking operational mode. In addition, the encryption chip is configured to determine whether the module inserted into the SIM slot is the SIM card or the unlocking device and, when the encryption chip determines that the inserted module is not the unlock device, to set the “open” state or the “close” state of the network locking module to control the mobile terminal to enter in the network unlocking operational mode or the network locking operational mode, respectively. |
| US08467530B2 |
System and method for encrypting and decrypting document reproductions
The present invention is directed to a system and method for secure document transmission. A sender selects a portion of an original document containing confidential information using a highlighter, bracketing, underlining, or other identifying marks. The original document is then scanned to generate an electronic version, which is subject to optical character recognition to locate the portions of the document containing confidential information based on the identifying marks. These portions containing confidential information are then encrypted and a hybrid document containing non-encrypted portions and encrypted portions is generated. The hybrid document is then sent to a recipient, along with a decryption key. The hybrid document is then marked by the recipient to designate those areas containing encrypted information. The marked document is then scanned to generate an electronic version, which is analyzed to identify which portions require decryption based on the identifying marks made by the recipient. These portions are decrypted and a complete reproduction of the original document is generated for the recipient. |
| US08467522B2 |
Universal ISDN/POTS splitter
A 7th order splitter for replacing the known 9th order splitter of an ISDN/POTS telecommunication system and reducing thereby the space occupied on the board as well as the cost. The 7th order splitter comprising, between line terminals (Line+, Line−) and POTS/ISDN terminals, the cascade connection of a LC filter cell (L21a, L12b, C21) and several elliptical filter cells (L22a, L22b, C22, C24, C25; L23a, L23b, C23, C26, C27). One or more of these filter cells is associated with a damped series resonance circuit comprising a capacitor (C21; C22; C23) series coupled with an RL circuit (R21, L24; R22, L25; R23, L26) between two winding (L21a, L21b; L22a, L22b; L23a, L23b) of a symmetrical coil of the associated filter cell. Each RL circuit is constituted by the parallel coupling of a resistor (R21; R22; R23) and a coil (L24; L25; L26). |
| US08467519B2 |
System and method for processing calls in a call center
A system and method for processing calls in a call center are described. A call session from a caller via a session manager and including incoming text messages of a verbal speech stream is assigned. The incoming text messages are progressively visually presented throughout the call session to a live agent on an agent console operatively coupled to the session manager. The incoming text messages are progressively processed through a customer support scenario interactively monitored and controlled by the live agent via the agent console. The incoming text messages are processed through automated script execution in concert with the live agent. Outgoing text messages are converted into a synthesized speech stream. The synthesized speech stream is sent via the agent console to the caller. |
| US08467512B2 |
Method and system for authenticating telephone callers and avoiding unwanted calls
A service that handles incoming telephone calls without bothering the telephone subscriber is disclosed. The service permits a call to go through to a subscriber if the service determines that the call is not unwanted and the caller has been unauthenticated. The authentication is based on challenging the caller to prove its identity rather than relying on caller ID displays. Prospective callers pre-register with the service providing caller account information. When a caller is issued a challenge, the caller may prove its authenticity by supplying the challenge back to the service along with its registered information. |
| US08467497B2 |
System and method for motion adaptive optimization for radiation therapy delivery
A system and method of optimizing delivery of a radiation therapy treatment. The system optimizes treatment delivery in real-time to take into account a variety of factors, such as patient anatomical and physiological changes (e.g., respiration and other movement, etc.), and machine configuration changes (e.g., beam output factors, couch error, leaf error, etc.). |
| US08467496B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring moisture content in a biological material
A method for measuring moisture content in a biological material in an automated procedure is disclosed. The method comprises the step of: providing a reference database for a plurality of different material types with known moisture content. Further, a sample of biological material, such as chips of wood, pulp, grain, crop or sugar canes, are scanned with electromagnetic radiation of at least two different energy levels and the amount of radiation transmitted through the sample of the biological material is determined at said two energy levels. Subsequently, a material type in the reference database most resembling the biological material of the biological material of the sample is identified, and the moisture content of the sample of biological material is determined based on the identified material type and the determined amounts of radiation transmitted through the sample. |
| US08467495B2 |
Radiographic image capturing apparatus and radiographic image capturing method
In a radiographic image capturing apparatus, a biopsy region positional information calculator calculates a three-dimensional position of a biopsy region in an object to be examined based on two radiographic images which are acquired in a stereographic image capturing process, an irradiated field calculator calculates a new irradiated field covering the biopsy region based on the calculated three-dimensional position of the biopsy region and two angles at which a radiation source is disposed in the stereographic image capturing process, and a collimator controller controls a collimator to change the irradiated field of the radiation to the new irradiated field in a next stereographic image capturing process. |
| US08467489B2 |
Data clock recovery system and method employing delayed data clock phase shifting
A data clock recovery system is provided. A phase detector is configured to sample an input data stream by way of a data clock and a second clock to generate a first signal indicating whether a data clock lags or leads a preferred phase of the data clock in relation to an input data stream. A phase controller is configured to process the first signal to shift a phase of the second clock toward a second preferred phase, and to shift a phase of the data clock toward the first preferred phase after the shifting of the phase of the second clock. |
| US08467484B2 |
Reception control method and wireless communication apparatus
When receiving a signal from the antenna #1 (initially receiving a signal from an omnidirectional antenna), a guard interval correlator 12 calculates correlation of a guard interval portion of the received signal and an output measuring unit 13 measures a peak output of the guard interval correlator 12. A comparator 14 compares the peak output measured by the output measuring unit 13 with a preset threshold, and when the peak output falls below the preset threshold and outputs an antenna switching control signal to an antenna switch 11, and the antenna switch 11 switches to the antenna #2 having a different directivity. |
| US08467481B1 |
Channel estimation for a WLAN through increased use of preamble
A method and system for improving channel estimation in a wireless device is disclosed. Aspects of the exemplary embodiment include receiving a data packet wirelessly transmitted from a transmitter, the packet including a preamble portion and a data portion containing data, wherein the preamble portion includes at least one training field and a second field; performing a first channel estimation using the training field; and using the second field to refine the first channel estimation. |
| US08467478B2 |
Propagation channel estimation apparatus, receiver, and propagation channel estimation method
An apparatus includes a selection unit that selects an estimation target path to be used to estimate a propagation channel estimation value, among a plurality of paths based on a characteristic value of each path; a determination unit that determines an estimated reception time at which a signal as a target of estimation of the propagation channel estimation value among signals propagating through the estimation target path is received; an estimation unit that estimates an amplitude and a phase of the signal propagating through the estimation target path at the estimated reception time as a propagation channel estimation value of the estimation target path; and a processing unit that performs an interpolation/extrapolation process using the propagation channel estimation value of the estimation target path to estimate the propagation channel estimation value at a time other than the estimated reception time of the signal propagating through the estimation target path. |
| US08467474B2 |
Monitor for spectral degradation of transmitter or receiver
A monitor for a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver is proposed. The transmitter, receiver or transceiver has at least one component with at least one varying setting parameter controlled by a parameter controller to adjust a spectral degradation of a signal processed by the transmitter, receiver, or transceiver. The monitor comprises an input for receiving the at least one varying setting parameter from the parameter controller, and a setting parameter analyzer for evaluating the at least one varying setting parameter to determine whether the at least one component is normally operating within a desired operating range and to issue a warning signal in case the at least one component is abnormally operating within the desired operating range. The varying setting parameter may be, for example, predistortion parameters or tuning parameters of a voltage controlled oscillator. A corresponding method for monitoring a transmitter, receiver or transceiver is also proposed. Furthermore, a computer program product comprising instructions for the manufacture of the monitor and a computer program product that enable a processor to carry out the monitoring method are proposed. |
| US08467469B2 |
Method and user equipment for transmitting precoding matrix information, and method and base station for configuring precoding matrix
An apparatus and method for a precoding matrix are disclosed. A codebook used for selecting a precoding matrix is comprised of m subgroups each including n precoding matrices. A user equipment indicates a specific precoding matrix selected from the codebook by transmitting to a base station a first codebook index indicating one of the m subgroups and a second codebook index indicating one of n precoding matrices in a subgroup. The base station configures the specific precoding matrix from the codebook based on the first and second codebook indexes. |
| US08467467B2 |
Apparatus and method for partial adaptive transmission in multiple-input multiple-output system
An apparatus and method for partial adaptive transmission in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system are provided. The method includes estimating a correlation matrix between Transmit (Tx) antennas and an average Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and generating a long-term precoding matrix composed of a predetermined number of dominant eigen dimensions of the correlation matrix by using the estimated correlation matrix and average SNR. The apparatus and method provide a new adaptive MIMO transmission method capable of reducing the feedback information overhead and maximizing performance. |
| US08467457B2 |
System and a method for controlling one or more signal sequences characteristics
The present invention provides controllers, systems and methods that apply techniques for determining signal sequence characteristics that propagate through a sequence of buffers. One of the buffers represents buffering characteristics of a network through which the signal sequence propagates. The signal sequence may include packets of a media stream and the network may include a wireless network. |
| US08467453B2 |
Motion vector calibration circuit, image generating apparatus and method thereof
A motion vector calibration circuit includes a select circuit, a local minimum detection circuit, a sine wave detection circuit, a threshold value detection circuit and a decision circuit. Correct motion vectors are passed using a recursive method, thereby achieving high accuracy and reducing computational volume. |
| US08467452B2 |
Distributing candidate vectors based on local motion complexity
A system and method for distributing candidate motion vectors divides a picture frame (110) into a plurality of segments (120), where each segment (120) includes a plurality of pixel blocks (130). The local motion complexity of each segment may then be measured by determining a Sum-of-Absolute Differences (SAD) between pixel blocks (130) of the frame (110a) and pixel blocks (130)of an adacent frame (110b) and summing the SAD values for the pixel blocks (130) within each segment (120). The maximum, minimum and average SAD value for the segments may be used to define a distribution function that distributes candidate vectors to conform with a desired maximum, minimum and average number of candidate vectors per block. This distribution function is then used to determine the number of candidate vectors to assign to pixel blocks (130) based on the measured SAD value of the associated segment (120). |
| US08467445B2 |
Video watermarking
A method of watermarking a video signal includes encoding the video signal using at least one encoding parameter that is time-varied according to a watermarking pattern. The parameter affects information lost while encoding the signal. The parameter may be a quantization factor corresponding to a particular coefficient of an encoding transform. The parameter may be an element of a quantization matrix corresponding to a particular coefficient in a block DCT transform. The method may be implemented in devices with limited processing resources by means of a software update. The method enables the devices to imprint an encoded signal with a robust watermark, which may survive subsequent decompression and recompression. Alternatively, a video signal may be watermarked by modifying a magnitude of a non-dc spatial frequency component in a manner which varies with time according to a watermarking pattern. Corresponding watermark detection methods and watermarking devices also are disclosed. |
| US08467444B2 |
Information processing system, information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
An information processing system for performing processing of dividing a moving image into tiles and packetizing and outputting information corresponding to each tile includes a process time measuring packet generation unit adapted to generate and transmit a process time measuring packet in which a packet sending time is set to measure a packet process time, a packet process time measuring unit adapted to measure, based on the packet sending time set in the process time measuring packet and the reception time of the process time measuring packet, the packet process time necessary for processing a packet, a determination unit adapted to determine, based on the packet process time, the timestamp of the moving image divided into the tiles, and a packetization unit adapted to execute processing of packetizing and outputting the timestamp and the information of the moving image divided into the tiles. |
| US08467443B2 |
Object priority order compositor for MPEG-4 player
An object priority order compositor for an MPEG-4 player having a drawing node list generator including an object priority order register, a drawing node extractor, a field-node extractor, and an object priority order manager including an object rendering sequencer and an object instruction manager. The drawing node list generator makes a list by receiving a scene tree from a parser manager and extracting drawing nodes necessary for presentation on a screen from the scene tree by a depth first search. The object priority order manager handles insert, delete, and replace commands received from scene constitution information to determine priority order of an object. The object priority order compositor performs presentation of objects based on a priority order for objects when a scene change, in which an object is inserted, deleted, or replaced in real time by user interaction, as required in an MPEG-4 scene of high capacity multimedia objects. |
| US08467442B2 |
Image searching device and method, program and program recording medium
An encoded code stream is searched for a frame generally coincident with a specific frame without having to decoding the frame to its original image. The present invention provides an image search device that searches an object encoded code stream formed by compression coding of a plurality of frames for a frame generally coincident with a specific one, which includes a decoder for making entropy decoding of the object encoded code stream to generate quantization coefficients of each frame, a matching unit for making matching between the quantization coefficients of the specific frame and those of each frame which are generated by the decoder and correspond in sample position to those of the specific frame, and a judging unit for judging, based on the result of matching, whether the frame is generally coincident with the specific one. |
| US08467441B2 |
Pulse width modulation communication system
In a PWM communication system, a sensor unit transmits as reference pulses transmission signals, which exhibit duty cycles of 100% and 0%, respectively, prior to transmission of a transmission signal, which has data items compressed thereinto by a signal processing circuit. An input capture circuit of an ECU measures the duty time and the PWM cycle of the transmission signal according to a timer clock of a timer circuit. A signal processing circuit of the ECU produces a duty cycle correction factor k based on the measured duty times and PWM cycles of the reference pulses, produces receiving data based on the duty time and the PWM cycle of the transmission signal, and the duty cycle correction factor, and separates the receiving data into sensor output values of a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. |
| US08467439B2 |
Adaptively switching equalization operations in a node of a wireless network
At a node of a wireless network, equalization operations performed on signals received from a transmitter are adaptively switched to be equalized by an iterative turbo receiver or a linear receiver. A theoretical expression of a post-equalization SINR of a capacity-achieving receiver is used to estimate the post-equalization SINR performance of the turbo receiver. The estimated post-equalization SINR performance is then used as a basis to determine whether the received signal is to be equalized by the turbo receiver or the linear receiver. |
| US08467433B2 |
Apparatus for and method of making pulse-shape measurements
A receiver includes a pre-correlation filter that forms an image of the average chip shape of a received signal over a specified period of time. The filter includes an array of complex accumulation registers that accumulate measurements that are associated with signal samples from specific ranges of locations, or code chip phase angles, along a spread-spectrum chip. Using the accumulated measurements, the receiver estimates the location of the chip transitions in a direct path signal component. The receiver may thereafter change the starting point, size and number of ranges, such that the accumulation registers accumulate more detail from the chip edges. The receiver in addition may compare the accumulated measurements with a reference pulse shape to determine if any interference is present in the received transmission that will distort ranging information calculated from the received signal. |
| US08467425B1 |
Method for generating high-energy and high repetition rate laser pulses from CW amplifiers
A method for obtaining high-energy, high repetition rate laser pulses simultaneously using continuous wave (CW) amplifiers is described. The method provides for generating micro-joule level energy in pico-second laser pulses at Mega-hertz repetition rates. |
| US08467420B2 |
Systems and methods for synchronizing various types of data on a single packet
Data recording systems and methods for synchronizing data of a plurality of different data types on a single packet. The methods involve: receiving the data and an audio frame containing voice data and timing data communicated over a plurality of channels; generating, in response to the reception of the audio frame, a combined packet on which the audio frame and at least a portion of the data are time synchronized to each other; and substantially simultaneously storing the combined packet in a primary data store and a secondary data store of a data recorder for subsequent use in reconstructing events leading up to a crash of a land vehicle, aircraft or vessel. The portion of data may include data link data, flight data and/or image/video data. The channels may include a cockpit channel and a plurality of pilot channels. |
| US08467419B2 |
System and method for delivering content in a unicast/multicast manner
The present invention is a system and method for enabling multicast synchronization of initially unicasted content. Multiple unicast streams are synchronized in order to convert the unicast streams into a multicast stream. Each unicast stream may be accelerated or slowed down in relation to a reference stream to a common point within each stream upon which the unicast streams are replaced by a multicast stream of the same content. |
| US08467417B2 |
Method and system for synchronization between network elements
A system for synchronizing a first network device and a second network device. The first network device comprises an interface configured to release over a communication link a first signal carrying a first data stream clocked by a first clock signal. The second network device comprises an interface configured to receive the first signal over the communication link. The second network device also comprises a clock extraction module configured to generate an extracted clock signal from the received first signal; and a data coding module configured to clock a second data stream with an output clock signal selected based on a speed of a locally generated clock signal relative to the first clock signal or the extracted clock signal, thereby to produce a second signal for transmission from the second network element to the first network element. By clocking the second data stream with the fastest available clock signal, greater link utilization can be achieved. Furthermore, synchronism between the first and second network elements reduces the incidence of sync slips, which permits a reduction in the size of inter-frame gaps and also affords the use of a clock frequencies exceeding the nominal rate, leading to even greater link utilization. |
| US08467412B2 |
Adaptive rate shifting for delivery of video services to service groups
A video stream is provided to a set top box of a viewer to fulfill the viewer's request for a video on-demand service. The video stream is encoded at one of a plurality of encoding rates selected by a Service Quality Manager based on parameters defined for a service group, which in various embodiments may comprise the viewer, or the viewer along with other customers serviced by a single QAM. The parameters used for determining the encoding rate may involve currently allocated bandwidth, the viewer's service parameters, other customer's service parameters, and historical data regarding encoding rate selection data. The encoding rate used to encode a stream may be modified during streaming in response to other service requests. The encoding rate may be shifted based on anticipated service requests from other members in the service group. |
| US08467410B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication method, and computer program
Random access operation is performed under a communication environment in which a plurality of communication modes having different transmission rate coexist with small overhead. A high-grade communication station spoofs information of a packet length and a rate in a decoding portion so that a value of (packet length)/(rate) corresponds to a duration where the communication is hoped to be stopped. The other station receiving the spoofed information receives the rest of the packet with the designated rate during the interval designated by the value of (packet length)/(rate). In this case, the packet length and the rate are not those of actually transmitted packet so that this packet is discarded. |
| US08467402B2 |
Digital audio communication system
Embodiments of the present invention allow users to post or publish audio information to a destination on a digital network. A particular embodiment provides a user interface for recording and uploading a short comment, remark, song segment, sound effect or any other audio portion. The comment can be sent directly to another user's device or can be published or uploaded to a network site, web page, user group or other location. A user interface allows organizing, reviewing, editing, tagging, transferring and other types of processing or manipulation in association with the audio portion to be transferred, or which has been received. |
| US08467398B2 |
Subscriber network system and method of setting information in concentrator thereof
A subscriber network system is provided which is capable of reducing the response time and reducing the device cost. In the subscriber network system, a control cell is received that includes an ID portion, a data portion, and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) portion. The control cell is processed in cooperation with a virtual path identifier (VPI), where the processing obtains the ID portion and the CRC portion. The ID portion and the CRC portion are processed and the ID portion is compared to a first stored value and the CRC portion is compared to a second stored value to produce information. A cell is produced to include the information and the produced cell is used to facilitate a connection in a network. |
| US08467397B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a wireless feeder network
An apparatus and method are provided for controlling a wireless feeder network used to couple access base stations of an access network with a communications network. The wireless feeder network connects base stations coupled to the communications network and feeder terminals coupled to associated access base stations. Each feeder terminal has a feeder link with a feeder base station. The method includes allocating resource blocks for the feeder base stations and feeder terminals to establish the feeder links. The resource blocks are allocated between a centrally administered schedule and at least one feeder base station administered schedule. Network traffic being carried by the feeder links is monitored to determine at least one characteristic. The resource blocks are reallocated between the centrally administered schedule and the at least one feeder base station administered schedule in dependence on the at least one characteristic of the network traffic. |
| US08467393B2 |
Packet flow offload to remote destination with routing bypass
A network utilizes centralized control for the transport of a packet flow to a destination via an intermediary network. The network identifies the intermediary network best suited for offloading the packet flow and then develops a routing policy based on Multiprotocol Label Switching or other circuit-switching type techniques. This ensures that the packets of the packet flow are automatically forwarded to a peering router connected to the identified intermediary network, and ensures that the peering router automatically outputs the packets of the packet flow to the identified intermediary network in a manner that bypasses autonomous routing decisions by the routers of the network. |
| US08467389B2 |
Subscription Management and Routing Protocol (SMRP) and Method
A method of propagating multicast subscription and routing information between routers in a network, and constructing forwarding tables in the routers, allowing providers of the data (the publishers), and the multicast recipients of the data (the subscribers) to be decoupled from and have no knowledge of one another. This is done without the need to maintain (Source Network, Published-Multicast-Group) State in the routers, for a highly scalable solution in those applications where there is a possibility for a large, or infinite number of Published-Multicast-Groups, and in those applications where messages are being routed by content, so it is impossible to identify published-multicast-groups. |
| US08467388B2 |
Reporting multicast bandwidth consumption between a multicast replicating node and a traffic scheduling node
A multicast replicating network node (203) according to the present invention reports to a traffic scheduling network node (205) information (231) indicative for the bandwidth consumed by multicast services or indicative for the bandwidth available for unicast services on a line coupled to the multicast replicating network node (203). The traffic scheduling network node (205) this way stays aware of the multicast bandwidth occupancy on different subscriber lines and access node uplinks without serious impact on its processing requirements. |
| US08467387B2 |
System and method for peer-to-peer hybrid communications
An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method enables two endpoints to directly establish and maintain a communication session after authenticating with an access server. |
| US08467384B2 |
Method and system for call processing
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method includes receiving a first setup message transmitted by a first endpoint, the first setup message an attempt by the first endpoint to setup a call with a second endpoint, the setup message sent by the first endpoint to an IP address of a call manager after the first endpoint registered with a gatekeeper, the IP address of the call manager supplied to the first endpoint by the gatekeeper in response to a request by the first endpoint to the gatekeeper for an IP address of the second endpoint. The method further includes attempting to setup the call between the first and second endpoints by transmitting a second setup message to the second endpoint. |
| US08467382B1 |
Method and apparatus for providing a control plane across multiple optical network domains
Method and apparatus for providing a control plane across multiple optical network domains is described. In one example, topology and resource discovery is employed in a transport network having a plurality of control domains. Topology information for each of the control domains is summarized to produce summarized topology information. The summarized topology information for each of the control domains is exchanged among the control domains. At each of the control domains, the summarized topology information of each of the control domains is combined to produce combined topology information. The combined topology information is passed among network elements within each of the control domains using an intra-domain routing protocol. |
| US08467378B2 |
Intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over ATM and point-to-multipoint connectivity
An illustrative intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over ATM and point-to-multipoint connectivity are provided that can provide significant advantages. A method for providing a point-to-multipoint service to control point-to-multipoint connections using an intelligent network and a switched virtual circuit over an ATM network includes receiving a request from a calling party to establish a point-to-multipoint connection, determining if the calling party is authorized to make point-to-multipoint connections, rejecting the request if the calling party is not authorized to establish point-to-multipoint connections, analyzing the request to determine if the bandwidth requested for the point-to-multipoint connection is within authorized bandwidth limits, and rejecting the request if the bandwidth requested is not within authorized bandwidth limits. An intelligent network for providing VToA and point-to-multipoint connectivity is also provided. |
| US08467375B2 |
Hybrid packet-optical private network systems and methods
The present disclosure provides hybrid packet-optical private network systems and methods for a private and dedicated multi-point Ethernet Private Local Area Network (EPLAN). The network systems and methods include a Layer 1 infrastructure service with the inclusion of reserved, dedicated packet switch capacity upon which clients can build their personal, private packet networks. In the systems and methods described herein, packet networking methods are not used to partition the isolated LAN connectivity. Instead, dedicated Ethernet Private LANs (EPLs) are defined between dedicated virtual switching instances (VSIs) that are defined, as necessary, within larger packet-optical switches. Each VSI is partitioned from the remainder of its packet switch fabric as a dedicated, private resource for a specific EPLAN. A packet network is then built by the customer on top of the private EPLAN bandwidth and operated as an isolated, private network with no influence by other carrier's network resources. |
| US08467374B2 |
Communication device, communication method and communication system
There is provided a communication device including a first communicating unit, a second communicating unit that has a plurality of antennas, a first communication processing unit that processes a signal received by the first communicating unit, allows the first communicating unit to transmit a signal, and a second communication processing unit that processes a signal received by the second communicating unit, allows the second communicating unit to transmit a signal. The second communication processing unit includes an adjusting unit that adjusts a signal to be transmitted from each of the plurality of antennas based on an adjustment factor, a transmission beam pattern candidate setting unit that derives at least one transmission beam pattern based on a first transmission request and a second transmission request, and a beam pattern applying unit that applies any of the set at least one transmission beam pattern candidate based on first requested-beam-pattern identification information. |
| US08467372B2 |
Wireless communication system with reordering of data symbols and related methods
A wireless communication system may include a wireless transmitter configured to transmit a message including data symbols arranged to include an attention packet and sequencing packets thereafter. The sequencing packets may include common value first portions with each data symbol having a same value, and marker second portions having a marker data symbol. The wireless communication system may include a wireless receiver configured to receive the message from the wireless transmitter based upon the attention packet and the sequencing packets by determining a time delay based upon the positions of the marker data symbol, and reordering data symbols of the message based upon the determined time delay. |
| US08467370B2 |
Beaconing techniques in frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) wireless mesh networks
Methods include those by which nodes in a Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) wireless network may be flexibly configured for beacon transmission and reception. The method may allow for any node to synchronize to any other node's given frequency to receive one or more beacon (broadcast) packets from that node at the designated period. The method may include sending, by a first node, a message to one or more neighbor nodes and responding, by the one or more neighbor nodes, with a message to the first node, the response message including a beacon frequency, a beacon transmit time and information about the current hopping sequence. The first node periodically programs its receiver to the beacon frequency at the beacon transmit time and uses the hopping sequence to receive information including at least one of routing information and timing updates for hopping channel synchronization from the one or more neighbor nodes. |
| US08467367B2 |
Multiplexing and transmission of traffic data and control information in a wireless communication system
Techniques for transmitting traffic data and control information in a wireless communication system are described. In an aspect, traffic data and control information may be multiplexed at a coded data level. A user equipment (UE) may encode traffic data to obtain coded traffic data, encode control information to obtain coded control data, multiplex the coded traffic data and the coded control data, modulate the multiplexed data, and generate SC-FDMA symbols. In another aspect, traffic data and control information may be multiplexed at a modulation symbol level. The UE may encode and modulate traffic data to obtain data modulation symbols, encode and modulate control information to obtain control modulation symbols, multiplex the data and control modulation symbols, and generate SC-FDMA symbols. The UE may perform rate matching for traffic data to account for control information. The UE may also perform multiplexing and puncturing for different types of control information. |
| US08467361B2 |
Intelligent wireless access point notification
In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can perform determining identification information associated with the first wireless access point from at least a first signal; determining that a first instance of encountering the first wireless access point has concluded; storing information associated with the first instance of encountering the first wireless access point; determining the identification information associated with the first wireless access point from at least a second signal; determining that a second instance of encountering the first wireless access point has concluded; storing information associated with the second instance of encountering the first wireless access point; determining that the first wireless access point has been encountered at least a number of times; and displaying, in a menu usable by a user, at least a portion of the identification information associated with the first wireless access point. |
| US08467360B2 |
Base station, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method
A base station includes at least one first application section, a determining section, and a controlling section. Each of the first application sections executes one of a plurality of first application programs corresponding to one of a plurality of first application services utilizing a first wireless communication service provided by a mobile virtual network operator. The determining section receives a connection request to connect to the first application service from a first terminal for using the first wireless communication service, and determines the first application section corresponding to the first application service specified in the connection request. The controlling section controls communications between the determined first application section and a server managed by the mobile virtual network operator and between the determined first application section and the first terminal. |
| US08467357B2 |
Flexible MAC superframe structure and beaconing method
A flexible wireless system and method that support both centralized and distributed modes of MAC protocols, use a new recurring MAC superframe comprising: a beacon period, a data/sense/sleep period for data selective communication, sleep and channel sensing for detecting primary users in cognitive systems; and a signaling window used for exchanging network entry messages and channel reservation requests, the system including beacon operation, a peer beacon device in distributed mode and a master beacon device in centralized mode which are used to selectively participate in the beacon operation, as well as a slave beacon device associated with the master device. The system may employ controlled channel access for the beacon period, the channel access being reservation based. The invention provides a unified MAC protocol that can be adopted in the standards, and supports flexible operation in distributed mode or centralized mode, and seamless transfer from one to the other. |
| US08467355B2 |
System and method for providing wireless local area networks as a service
A wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The system comprises a WLAN network controller and a plurality of access points. The WLAN network controller is in communication with each of the plurality of access points via a transport data network. The WLAN network controller is configured to perform one or more network control functions for the benefit of the plurality of access points. The network control functions may be selected from management and operation, client authentication, mobility, and per-user administration. The WLAN network controller is remotely located and operated with respect to the plurality of access points. |
| US08467354B1 |
Systems and methods for software-implemented telephony devices in a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) system
Systems and methods for providing configurable, reusable software-implemented telephony devices for use in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) system. A device platform data store associates account owners with information identifying at least one instance of a telephony device provided on behalf of the account owner. The instances are implemented via a computer program component which comprises (a) reusable device logic (in a CCXML document) defining the behavior of the telephony device and (b) configuration information (also in a CCXML document) comprising specific device properties for the telephony device. In response to an incoming communication, a processor accesses the device platform data store to identify the device logic of a telephony device that is to be activated, and (b) executes the device logic in accordance with the configuration information to provide the specific telephony function of the telephony device for a communication session on behalf of the account owner. |
| US08467353B2 |
Time-slotted data packets with a preamble
A method and apparatus are used to support the transmission of data to a user over multiple allocated data channels. Data packets are transmitted in time-slots of the allocated data channels to corresponding target receivers without the need for explicitly assigning particular time-slots to a target user well in advance of transmitting any data packets in the time-slots. Instead, each data packet transmitted in a time-slot includes a header label or preamble indicating to which of multiple possible receivers a data packet is directed. The preamble also preferably includes decoding information indicating how a corresponding data payload of the data packet is to be processed for recapturing transmitted raw data. |
| US08467350B2 |
Conferencing PSTN gateway methods and apparatus to facilitate heterogeneous wireless network handovers for mobile communication devices
For initially establishing a voice call, a first connection leg for the voice call is established between a mobile device operating in a wireless network and a conference room of a conferencing gateway. A second connection leg is established via the conferencing gateway between a processor and a communication device connected in a telephone network. Subsequently, the processor sends a message to the conferencing gateway for transferring the second connection leg from between the processor and the communication device to the conference room and the communication device, for initially establishing the voice call. The conference gateway is configured to combine media streams of connection legs of the voice call. |
| US08467347B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing signals
Incoming signals that are sparse in the code-correlation domain, such as CDMA signal (GPS signals being a specific example of such signals) are processed by sampling the incoming signal at irregular time intervals at an average rate that is significantly lower than the Nyquist rate; which in the case of GPS signals is the chip rate of a pseudorandom code sequence that is embedded in the signal. The sampled signal is processed with locally generated signals that are also sampled the same irregular time intervals. |
| US08467343B2 |
Method for preparing random access procedures and terminal thereof
A random access procedure between a mobile terminal and a network is performed based upon the characteristics of a RACH preamble. If the RACH preamble was explicitly signaled by the network, a downlink channel is monitored until a new transmission is indicated according to radio resource allocation information received from the network. If the RACH preamble was not explicitly signaled by the network, a contention resolution timer is started and the downlink channel is monitored until the contention resolution timer expires. Such monitoring of downlink channels in a more efficient manner, results in effective reduction in power consumption. |
| US08467338B2 |
Scheduling wireless communication
A method of scheduling wireless communication for one or more data flows, wherein, for each data flow, there is: a corresponding queue to store data of that data flow; one or more quality-of-service parameters associated with that data flow; and a flow type associated with that data flow, there being a plurality of possible flow types; wherein the method comprises, during each time frame of a sequence of time frames, the steps of: maintaining, for each of the plurality of possible flow types, a queue list that identifies the queues corresponding to data flows of that flow type; and processing the queue lists in a predetermined order, in which processing a queue list comprises, for each queue identified in that queue list, attempting to schedule the communication of data stored on that queue during a current time frame in dependence upon the one or more quality-of-service parameters associated with the corresponding data flow and an amount of bandwidth available for the wireless communication during the current time frame. |
| US08467336B2 |
Transmission of synchronization information in a heterogeneous wireless communication system
A communication system includes at least a large service area (LSA) base station and a small service area (SSA) base station. Primary synchronization information is required by mobile communication devices for communication with the LSA and SSA base stations. Secondary synchronization information is required for communication with the LSA base station and tertiary synchronization information is required for communication with the SSA base station. A controller allocates transmission of the primary synchronization information from at least one of the base stations over a physical channel having a defined transmission time and transmission frequency. The controller also allocates transmission of the secondary synchronization information from at least one of the base stations over a second physical channel having a second defined transmission time and second transmission frequency. |
| US08467334B2 |
Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication method and apparatus using the same
A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication method and apparatus are provided. A MIMO communication apparatus includes a selected beamforming vector determining unit to determine a selected beamforming vector corresponding to a selected user, a performance information generating unit to generate performance information corresponding to where a non-selected beamforming vector is allocated to a non-selected user, and an additional beamforming vector selecting unit to select an additional beamforming vector corresponding to the non-selected user based on the performance information. |
| US08467332B2 |
Information receiving apparatus and information transmitting apparatus
A transmitting apparatus sequentially transmits a wireless packet PK1 for data streaming transmission with a non-transmission period therebetween to a receiving apparatus. A predetermined proportion of non-transmission periods are assigned to a period for transmitting a wireless packet PK2 for control information transmission from the information receiving apparatus to the information transmitting apparatus. The wireless packets PK1, PK2 contain time-position information indicating a second non-transmission period that is not assigned to the transmission from the receiving apparatus to the transmitting apparatus. The receiving apparatus and another transmitting apparatus different from the transmitting apparatus transmitting the wireless packet PK1 can identify the time position of the second non-transmission period by the time-position information contained in the wireless packets PK1, PK2, and can communicate to each other during the second non-transmission period. |
| US08467331B2 |
Common mode and unified frame format
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for generating a frame structure that can be used with multiple transmission schemes, such as a Single Carrier (SC) transmission scheme and an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) transmission scheme. |
| US08467330B2 |
Method of scheduling and admission control for guaranteed bit rate and/or maximum bit rate services
The present invention provides a method of scheduling guaranteed bit rate and/or maximum bit rate applications. Embodiments of the method may include setting, for a mobile node during a time interval, a first weight equal to a sum of a previous first weight associated with the mobile node during a previous time interval and a correction factor that is a linear function of a difference between a first bit rate and an indication of a throughput of the mobile node. Embodiments of the method may also include scheduling communication with the mobile node based on the first weight. |
| US08467329B2 |
Method of transmitting system information related to point-to multipoint service
A method of receiving system information performed by a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes receiving, from a network, an indicator indicating a change of system information related to a point-to-multipoint service on a physical control channel, and receiving changed system information related to the point-to-multipoint service in response to the indication. |
| US08467328B2 |
Scheduling method and scheduling device for MBMS, and base station including this scheduling device
A scheduling method for multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) is provided according to the present invention, comprising steps of: configuring service specific information and service scheduling information separately from MBMS service data to form an MCCH control message of an MBMS control channel; and transmitting the MCCH control message and the MBMS service data to a receiving end, wherein the service specific information and the service scheduling information are applied with a single-frequency network combining scheme. |
| US08467327B2 |
Sensor network system and communication method thereof
Provided are a communication method and system for sensor network. In reporting event occurrence in a real-time sensor network application, a cycle time is divided into an event announcement period and a data transmission period to provide real-time transmission performance and energy efficiency. Each of the periods is again divided into the number of slots equal to the maximum depth of a network. Respective nodes sequentially operate according to their depths in a routing tree during the event announcement period to receive the signal transmitted from the lower node. To remove sleep delay, a slot next to the signal reception slot becomes a signal transmission slot. A node sensed an event transmits a signal informing event occurrence during its signal transmission slot, and this signal includes only the address of the transmission node. When a signal does not exist in the event announcement period, no traffic occurs in the data transmission period and the upper nodes maintain a sleep state. When a signal is transmitted during the event announcement period, nodes transmitting/receiving a corresponding signal operate during the data transmission period to transfer data packets. |
| US08467323B2 |
Method in a communication device providing data services over a packet access radio interface and a communication device
A method in a communication device (200) providing data services over a packet access radio interface comprises monitoring (400) a control channel for signalling messages for data packets for the communication device, receiving data packets for a data service of a first type with a first periodicity and receiving (402) data packets for the data service of a second type with a second periodicity, the second periodicity being greater than the first periodicity. The method further comprises selecting (404) to not monitor the control channel for signalling messages for a period of time in response to detecting a data packet of the second type received by the communication device. A communication device is also described. |
| US08467321B1 |
Real time voice quality statistics in audio teleconferencing
A method and system and computer readable medium for a voice quality measuring device that provides real-time, near real-time or contemporaneous voice quality statistics about impairments external to the voice quality conference bridge system, i.e. from participant's calls coming from a communication network into a voice quality conference bridge system is disclosed. The reports generated by the voice quality statistics provided by the voice quality measuring device will enable carriers to identify voice quality impairments. Moreover, the reports will also enable the customers to see, by means of the voice quality statistics, on a call-by-call basis, whether any voice quality impairments are external to the conferencing bridge system. |
| US08467319B1 |
Systems and methods for setting up a session in a collaborative communication system
A collaborative communication system comprises a highly flexible architecture that facilitates connecting communication devices and networks to establish multimedia collaboration sessions in a manner that allows distribution of various services and features throughout the collaborative communication system to provide scalability and selectable combination of cost, resource usage, and performance. |
| US08467313B1 |
PHY bandwidth estimation from backpressure patterns
The present invention provides a system and method of determining available bandwidth at a physical layer (PHY) device at a server on a broadband network. A link layer controller of a master administrator adaptively polls a PHY device over a set of time intervals. During polling, the controller places a PHY device's address on a line of a bus and awaits a response from the PHY device. Based upon the response from the PHY device, the administrator can determine whether the PHY device has available bandwidth. The link layer controller uses this information to recalculate its polling scheme to better make use of the available bandwidth over the shared transmission medium to which each PHY device in the network is attached. |
| US08467312B2 |
Verifiable and accurate service usage monitoring for intermediate networking devices
Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, an intermediary networking device provides a service intermediary or intermediate connection between a network and one or more communications devices; implements a service policy set for assisting control of the intermediate networking device use of a service on the network, in which the service policy set includes one or more service policies, each policy being associated with either the intermediate networking device or a communications device; and monitors use of the service based on the service policy set; and in which the one or more of the communication devices include a service usage notification capability, and the implementation of the first service policy set is verified. |
| US08467311B2 |
Method and system for avoiding flooding of packets in switches
Certain aspects of a method and system for avoiding flooding of packets in switches may include a network comprising a plurality of switches interconnected to one or more hosts. One of the plurality of switches may communicate a discovery request to the one or more hosts to determine a MAC address of the one or more hosts. One of the plurality of switches may receive a discovery response from the one or more hosts in response to the communicated discovery request. One of the plurality of switches may update their L2 databases with the MAC addresses of the one or more hosts based on the received discovery response. If the MAC address of a destination host is listed in the L2 database, a switch may communicate a received packet to the destination host using one or more other switches based on the MAC address in the L2 database. |
| US08467308B2 |
Communication session quality indicator
An approach for providing a quality indicator in support of a communication session between a near end station and a far end station over a data network. The quality of the communication session in a direction of the near end station sending to the far end station is determined. A message containing statistics associated with the communication session is transmitted according to a prescribed protocol to the near end station to notify the near end station of the quality of the communication session. The prescribed protocol supports real-time data exchange. The present invention has particular applicability to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) IP (Internet Protocol) telephony services. |
| US08467306B2 |
Blending telephony services in an internet protocol multimedia subsystem
An Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) gateway application server includes an originating application server module adapted to invoke call control services in response to requests initiated by a voice over Internet Protocol (IP) (VoIP) client associated with a communication device such as an IP telephone. Disclosed gateway application servers include a proxy server module adapted to notify the communication client of session control messages intended for the communication device. |
| US08467300B2 |
Methods and arrangements in a mobile telecommunications network
The basic concept of the present invention is to utilize the terminal as an auxiliary information collector in networks where the regular network-based information collection is not possible and/or for providing information that complements the information that the network-based Access Awareness Entity collects by itself. The terminal collects information related to the access network directly, through retrieval of explicitly available information, and indirectly, through measurements and statistics. The collected information is delivered to the network-based Access Awareness Entity. |
| US08467298B2 |
Applying a table-lookup approach to load spreading in forwarding data in a network
A method provides load distribution that selects one of a set equal cost paths for each flow that minimizes imbalance in the distribution of flows across the set of equal cost paths. The method includes calculating the set of equal cost paths to each destination node, generating a set of next hop discriminators, each next hop discriminator to uniquely identify one of the equal cost next hops, populating the load distribution table by storing, according to a distribution mechanism, in each load distribution table entry one of the next hop discriminators from the set of next hop discriminators, receiving a first PDU from a first flow and performing a lookup of one of the next hop discriminators in the load distribution table by using values at the bit locations of the first PDU directly as an index into a CAM. |
| US08467295B2 |
System and methods for distributed quality of service enforcement
A grid router including devices forwarding session data over an unreliable network between the devices, and distributed means providing quality of service levels defined per session given network or device congestion, the devices including session-handling units and egress units forwaring session data to devices external to the network, the router transporting the data across a link with acknowledgement, identifying link congestion and modifying the transporting as a function of the congestion, the router also connecting a multicast session, token bucket shaper with token bucket shapers of external devices, joining session token bucket shapers used for unicast and multicast sessions to the multicast session, token bucket shaper and deducting tokens consumed by the multicast session from a token budget of the session token bucket shaper, the router attributing priorities to a single traffic session as the session moves through the router while keeping packet order within the session. |
| US08467294B2 |
Dynamic load balancing for port groups
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet at an input port of a network device, the input port having a plurality of queues with at least one queue for each output port at the network device, identifying a port group for transmitting the packet from the network device, the port group having a plurality of members each associated with one of the output ports, and selecting one of the queues based on utilization of the members. An apparatus for load balancing is also disclosed. |
| US08467290B2 |
Methods and systems for distributed authentication and caching for internet protocol multimedia subsystem and other session initiation protocol systems
Network elements in IMS or other SIP systems are configured to pre-authenticate SIP requests either as proxy or by snooping. One or more of these network elements are pre-loaded with a local database copy of the user profiles as typically contained in the HSS inside of the IMS control structures. A master database, such as the one typically contained in the HSS, is distributed to all network elements using database distribution methods. Advantageously, pre-authentication solves bottleneck issues in the SIP mechanism by allowing an end user device to use fully authenticated SIP requests. This prevents the requirement to perform authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) all the way back to the core IMS network, alleviating lag and scaling issues. Additionally, network elements including can become aware of the services requested through SIP requests, and track these requests for optimization. Specifically, resources requested based upon SIP requests can be cached. |
| US08467288B2 |
Method of path switching and node apparatus
An intermediate node apparatus in a first path including a start node apparatus, an end node apparatus, intermediate node apparatuses, and links between these node apparatuses, including a failure notification message transmission unit transmitting a failure notification message to the start node apparatus, when it is detected that a level of deterioration in transmission quality of a link among the links included in the first path is equal to or higher than a first threshold, and backup path setting device that receives a path setting message for setting a second path from the start node and sets the second path. |
| US08467287B2 |
High available method for border gateway protocol version 4
High availability BGP4 is based on redundant hardware as well as redundant software that replicates the RUN state of BGP4. There are two copies, respectively active and backup, of BGP4 running on two separate redundant hardware platforms. All BGP4 internal implementations apply various methods to replicate the running state of BGP4 independently of peer network routers. When this hardware or software fails on one redundant hardware platform, peer routers are unaware of the failure. Internally, based on duplicative states, the local router recovers from the failure and keeps the protocol running. During the recovery period, the local router can bring up a backup again. In the HA architecture, these activities are not detected by peer routers, such that there is no instability to the Internet backbone caused by BGP4 failure. |
| US08467283B2 |
Short-pulse light source, laser light emitting method, optical device, optical disk device, and light pickup
The present invention can control output of pulses from a semiconductor laser.In the present invention, a short-pulse light source (1) applies a laser drive voltage (DJ) having a pulse-shaped drive voltage pulse (DJw) to a semiconductor laser (3), thereby causing the semiconductor laser (3) to emit specific output light (LAp), as laser light (LL), having a pulse-shaped specific peak (APK) and a specific slope (ASP), an emission intensity of the specific slope (ASP) being lower than an emission intensity of the specific peak (APK). The short-pulse light source (1) controls a voltage pulse half-width (Thalf), which is a pulse width of the drive voltage pulse (DJw), by setting a pulse width (Ws) of a set pulse (SLs), thereby adjusting a ratio between the specific peak (APK) and the specific slope (ASP). |
| US08467281B1 |
Techniques for identifying devices having slow response times
Described are techniques for identifying a data storage volume exhibiting a performance problem. First information indicating a sorted ordering of a plurality of maximum response times is displayed for a plurality of data storage volume. A first of the plurality of data storage volumes having a largest one of the plurality of maximum response times is selected. In response to such selecting, additional information is displayed in the user interface about the first data storage volume. The additional information includes at least one workload or performance characteristic of the first data storage volume. |
| US08467279B2 |
Magnetic and optical rotating storage systems with audio monitoring
An integrated circuit for controlling a data storage device. The integrated circuit includes: a drive module configured to control operation of the data storage device, wherein the data storage device is of a particular quality; and an audio monitoring module in communication with the drive module, wherein the audio monitoring module is configured to analyze an audio signal generated by the data storage device while the drive module is controlling the operation of the data storage device. The particular quality of the data storage device is determinable based on the analysis of the audio signal. |
| US08467273B2 |
Leap second and daylight saving time correction for use in a radio controlled clock receiver
A novel and useful system and method for leap second and daylight saving time (DST) correction for use in a radio controlled clock (RCC) receiver. The RCC receiver extracts schedule information from the frame, including the time for the DST transition and whether a leap second needs to be added at the end of this half-year. Linear error correcting coding is used for the leap second and the DST on/off indications, while non-linear error correcting coding (e.g., a look up table) is used for the DST schedule to enhance reception reliability in the presence of noise and interference. The one second/one hour corrections are scheduled to occur when they should take place and the correction is applied exactly when DST or leap second is to go into effect, without having to receive anything around the time of the correction. |
| US08467272B2 |
Timepiece with internal antenna
A timepiece with an internal antenna, including: a case that is made from a conductive material; a movement that is housed in the case and has a plurality of motors that drive staffs disposed at a plurality of locations; a dial that is made from a nonconductive material; and a patch antenna that is disposed inside the case on the back side of the dial, receives radio signals transmitted from an external source, and includes a dielectric and an electrode formed in the dielectric; wherein the patch antenna is disposed separated at least a specific distance from the inside surface of the case, and the staffs are disposed between the case and the patch antenna. |
| US08467270B2 |
Smart-watch with user interface features
A smart-watch can include a wristband, a base, a battery and a first auxiliary component. The wristband can include a voltage line. The base can be coupled to the wristband and include a housing, a processor, and a wireless transceiver in communication with the processor. The wireless transceiver can be configured to connect to a wireless network. The battery can be coupled to the housing and be in communication with the processor and the voltage line. The first auxiliary component can be coupled to the wristband in communication with the voltage line and be powered by the battery. |
| US08467268B2 |
Pressure release encoding system for communicating downhole information through a wellbore to a surface location
A pressure release encoding system for communicating downhole information through a wellbore to a surface location include a downhole tool with a valve for providing a fluid restriction to fluid passing in the wellbore, a sensor positioned in the wellbore for sensing a downhole condition in the wellbore, a brake cooperative with the valve for moving the valve between at least two positions in timed relation to the downhole condition sensed by the sensor, and a detector positioned at the surface location for providing a measurement value at the surface location correlative to the time between the changes of the pressure of the fluid in the wellbore. The system associates position of the valve with pressure transduction. The sensor is an inclination sensor for sensing an angle of inclination of the wellbore. |
| US08467265B2 |
Interpolation and deghosting of seismic data acquired in the presence of a rough sea
A technique for processing seismic data acquired in a seismic survey conducted in the presence of a rough sea includes receiving a first dataset that is derived from data acquired by a first set of seismic sensors generally towed at a first depth in the seismic survey and receiving a second dataset that is derived from data acquired by a second set of seismic sensors generally towed at a second depth that is different than the first depth in the seismic survey. The first dataset is indicative of at least pressure measurements, and the second dataset is indicative of at least crossline particle motion measurements. The technique includes determining crossline particle motion measurements in the presence of a relatively flat sea surface based at least in part on the crossline measurements that are indicated by the second dataset and the pressure measurements that are indicated by the first dataset. |
| US08467264B2 |
Acquiring near zero offset survey data
To acquire near-zero offset survey data, a survey source and a first streamer attached to the survey source are provided, where the first streamer has at least one survey receiver. A second streamer separate from the survey source and the first streamer includes survey receivers. Near-zero offset data is measured using the at least one survey receiver of the first streamer. |
| US08467262B2 |
Method of controlling non-volatile memory device
A method of controlling a non-volatile memory device includes comparing the number of banks that are in operating states with a threshold value. If the number of the banks is smaller than the threshold value, data stored in a standby bank is read. If there is no bank having data to be read, a standby bank is programmed. If the number of the banks is equal to or greater than the threshold value or if the reading or the programming is performed, it is determined whether there is a reading or programming command to be performed. If there is the reading or programming command to be performed, the process is repeated from the comparing step. The programming may include programming of a most significant bit (MSB) page or a least significant bit (LSB) page. |
| US08467254B2 |
Memory apparatus
A memory apparatus includes a mimic redundant device comparator, a reference delay signal generator, and a signal comparison controller. The mimic redundant device comparator is configured to receive an input signal and to delay the input signal according to a mimic delay, so as to generate a comparison signal. The reference delay signal generator is configured to receive the input signal and to delay the input signal according to a plurality of reference delays, so as to generate a plurality of reference delay signals. The signal comparison controller is configured to receive the reference delay signals and the comparison signal. According to a time difference between the comparison signal and the reference delay signals, the signal comparison controller is configured to generate a selected signal and to generate a delay control signal according to the selected signal. |
| US08467246B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device, operating method thereof and memory system including the same
A method of operating a non-volatile memory device includes storing one or more addresses of word lines (WLs), but not the entire addresses of the WLs, into a latch, the WLs disposed between a string selection line (SSL) and a ground selection line (GSL), selecting a first WL from the latch, performing an erasing operation on memory cells associated with the string selection line (SSL), the memory cells associated with the SSL constituting a memory block, and verifying the erasing operation on memory cells associated with the selected first WL. |
| US08467243B1 |
nvSRAM with inverted recall
A process of operating a memory circuit involves RECALLing a state of a volatile memory cell from a nonvolatile memory cell, and inverting an output of the volatile memory cell after every other RECALL. |
| US08467241B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
In a semiconductor layer, information is written by applying a first potential to a first electrode, applying a second potential that is lower than the first potential to all of back gate electrodes, applying a third potential that is higher than the first potential to the first to (i−1)th front gate electrodes, and applying a fourth potential that is between the second and third potentials to the ith and subsequent front gate electrodes, where “i” is a positive integer and identifies a specific location to which information is to be written. |
| US08467239B2 |
Reversible low-energy data storage in phase change memory
A phase change memory (PCM) device utilizes low energy pulses to write data to PCM storage elements (cells). Methods, devices and systems are described that use low energy reset pulses to reset cells that have been previously set using a method that keeps a portion of the PCM cells in an amorphous phase. The reset is reversible by utilizing a low energy set pulse. |
| US08467236B2 |
Continuously variable resistor
A continuously variable resistor is disclosed. The continuously variable resistor may comprise a first chalcogenide layer and a second chalcogenide layer. The second chalcogenide layers may be connected to the first chalcogenide layer and may have a metal interspersed within it. The second chalcogenide layer may be metal-rich, in a state of solid solution with the interspersed metal. The continuously variable resistor may be configured to exhibit NDR behavior. The continuously variable resistor may be configured to have three or more substantially non-volatile resistance states. |
| US08467234B2 |
Magnetic random access memory devices configured for self-referenced read operation
A magnetic random access memory cell includes a sense layer, a storage layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the sense layer and the storage layer. During a write operation, the storage layer has a magnetization direction that is switchable between m directions to store data corresponding to one of m logic states, with m>2. During a read operation, the sense layer has a magnetization direction that is varied, relative to the magnetization direction of the storage layer, to determine the data stored by the storage layer. |
| US08467233B2 |
Asymmetric static random access memory cell with dual stress liner
A solid-state memory in which each memory cell is constructed of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) inverters implemented with dual stress liner (DSL) technology. Asymmetry is incorporated into each memory cell by constructing one of the inverter transistors or the pass-gate transistor using the stress liner with opposite stress characteristics from its opposing counterpart. For example, both of the p-channel load transistors and one of the n-channel driver transistors in each memory cell may be constructed with a compressive nitride liner layer while the other driver transistor is constructed with a tensile nitride liner layer. In another implementation, one of the n-channel pass-gate transistors is constructed with a compressive nitride liner layer while the other pass-gate transistor is constructed with a tensile nitride liner layer. Improved cell stability due to the resulting asymmetric behavior is implemented in a cost-free manner. |
| US08467232B2 |
Semiconductor device
In a semiconductor device which includes a bit line, m (m is a natural number of 3 or more) word lines, a source line, m signal lines, first to m-th memory cells, and a driver circuit, the memory cell includes a first transistor and a second transistor for storing electrical charge accumulated in a capacitor, and the second transistor includes a channel formed in an oxide semiconductor layer. In the semiconductor device, the driver circuit generates a signal to be output to a (j−1)th (j is a natural number of 3 or more) signal line with the use of a signal to be output to a j-th signal line. |
| US08467231B2 |
Semiconductor device and driving method thereof
The semiconductor device is formed using a material which allows a sufficient reduction in off-state current of a transistor; for example, an oxide semiconductor material, which is a wide gap semiconductor, is used. When a semiconductor material which allows a sufficient reduction in off-state current of a transistor is used, the semiconductor device can hold data for a long period. In addition, the timing of potential change in a signal line is delayed relative to the timing of potential change in a write word line. This makes it possible to prevent a data writing error. |
| US08467226B2 |
Programming an array of resistance random access memory cells using unipolar pulses
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a memory device, and more particularly to programming a non-volatile memory device. |
| US08467220B2 |
DRAM device and manufacturing method thereof
The present invention relates to a DRAM device having 4F2 size cells and a method for fabricating the same. The DRAM device comprises plural word lines arranged parallel to each other in one direction, plural bit lines arranged parallel to each other and in an intersecting manner with the word line, and plural memory cells having a transistor and a capacitor connected electrically to a source terminal of the transistor. A gate terminal of the transistor is filling an associated trench between two adjacent memory cells in a bit line direction and simultaneously covering a sidewall of said two adjacent memory cells via a gate insulating film interposed between the gate terminal and said two adjacent memory cells. An interval between the gate terminals in the bit or the word line direction, is more distant than 1F, and the F means minimal processing size. |
| US08467212B2 |
Rectifier circuit
A high power factor rectifier circuit, provided with switching sections connected to an AC power supply for converting an AC voltage to a DC voltage, is formed with a bypass circuit provided. The bypass circuit, when the voltage of the AC power supply becomes higher than the voltage across a smoothing capacitor provided on the DC output side, makes a charge current flowing from the AC power supply to the capacitor bypass the switching section by making the switching section out of conduction. Thus, a rectifier circuit is provided which can be safely operated without causing any damage, or with minimized damage, even though an inrush current flows at turning-on the power or at recovery from a power interruption. |
| US08467204B2 |
High voltage power supply
A high voltage power supply is provided. The high voltage power supply includes an inverter which converts a DC voltage input to the high voltage power supply into a first AC voltage, a transformer including an input winding unit and a plurality of output winding units, wherein the input winding unit receives the first AC voltage from the inverter and the plurality of output winding units generates and outputs a second AC voltage, and a voltage multiplier unit which boosts the second AC voltage output by the transformer and outputs a boosted voltage, and the voltage multiplier unit includes a plurality of voltage multipliers which are connected to each other in series and the plurality of voltage multipliers may be connected to the plurality of output winding units respectively. |
| US08467199B2 |
Two-stage insulated bidirectional DC/DC power converter using a constant duty ratio LLC resonant converter
A two-stage insulated bidirectional DC/DC power converter is disclosed. A two-stage insulated bidirectional DC/DC power converter according to an embodiment of the invention has the characteristic of including: an LLC resonant converter operating at a constant duty ratio; a bidirectional converter joined to a front part of the LLC resonant converter and configured to perform a booster converter function of outputting the input voltage at a consistent input voltage for the LLC resonant converter, and a buck converter function of reducing the voltage by way of the LLC resonant converter and then outputting a consistent voltage; and a bidirectional converter control unit configured to control changes in an input voltage of the bidirectional converter and regulate an output voltage of the LLC resonant converter to thereby maintain a consistent input voltage of the LLC resonant converter, such that the LLC resonant converter operates at a constant duty ratio. |
| US08467198B2 |
DC-to-AC converting circuit with wide input voltage
A DC-to-AC converting circuit includes a transformer, a first modulation switching circuit, a second modulation switching circuit and a third modulation switching circuit, an inverter switching circuit and a controlling unit. Under control of the controlling unit, two of the first, second and third modulation switching circuits are selectively enabled according to the magnitude of the input voltage, so that electric energy of the input voltage is magnetically transmitted to the first primary winding, a second primary winding or a serially-connected winding assembly of the first primary winding and the second primary winding, and a turn ratio of the transformer is adjustable. |
| US08467197B2 |
Systems and methods for compensating for electrical converter nonlinearities
Systems and methods are provided for delivering energy from an input interface to an output interface. An electrical system includes an input interface, an output interface, an energy conversion module coupled between the input interface and the output interface, and a control module. The control module determines a duty cycle control value for operating the energy conversion module to produce a desired voltage at the output interface. The control module determines an input power error at the input interface and adjusts the duty cycle control value in a manner that is influenced by the input power error, resulting in a compensated duty cycle control value. The control module operates switching elements of the energy conversion module to deliver energy to the output interface with a duty cycle that is influenced by the compensated duty cycle control value. |
| US08467195B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus includes: a first circuit board having a mounting surface; a shield casing disposed so as to face the mounting surface of the first circuit board and cover an electronic component mounted on the mounting surface; a battery disposed so as to face the shield casing at a position next to the first circuit board in a first direction which is parallel to the mounting surface of the first circuit board; and a first rib provided on a surface of the shield casing so as to extend in the first direction, one end of the first rib being disposed at a position corresponding to the first circuit board in a second direction, the other end of the first rib being disposed at a position corresponding to the battery in the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the mounting surface. |
| US08467193B2 |
Electronic control unit
A resin board is fixed to a plate member made of metal by a fixing member. A semi-conductor module and a capacitor are mounted on a first surface of the resin board. A first ground pattern is formed on the first surface and electrically connected to the plate member by means of the fixing member. A connector is also provided on the first surface such that the first ground pattern is interposed between the semi-conductor module and the connector. The heat from the semi-conductor module and the capacitor is transmitted to the plate member via the first ground pattern and the fixing member. |
| US08467192B2 |
Method for producing a rollable web and a rollable web
A method for producing a rollable web with successive antennas, where an electronic chip is attached to an antenna in a predetermined position. The position of an electronic chip changes with respect to the antenna when compared to at least some of the chips within individual and successive antennas. A rollable web includes successive antennas, where electronic chips are attached to antennas in a predetermined position. In the rollable web, the position of a chip changes with respect to the antenna compared to at least some of the chips within individual and successive antennas. |
| US08467191B2 |
Assemblies including heat sink elements and methods of assembling
A heat sink assembly comprises a plurality of components and a plurality of mounting tabs. A component attachment surface of each mounting tab is attached to a component and heat sink attachment surfaces of the plurality of mounting tabs are at least substantially coplanar. A heat sink element is attached to at least some of the plurality of mounting tabs at the heat sink attachment surface thereof. A method of assembling a heat sink assembly comprises attaching a plurality of mounting tabs to at least one substantially planar assembly surface of an assembly fixture. Each mounting tab is attached to a heat-generating component to form a mechanical and thermal coupling therebetween. The assembly fixture is removed from the plurality of mounting tabs, and a heat sink element is attached to mounting tabs of the plurality. |
| US08467190B2 |
Balanced cooling system and method for high-density stacked cages
Systems and methods for balanced cooling of electrical systems, including electrical systems containing transceivers used in electrical and optical communication. An electrical system includes a cage, where the cage has a top, front and bottom. The cage contains a plurality of upper bays disposed in the front of the cage. Each of the plurality of upper bays is configured to receive a transceiver. The cage also contains a plurality of lower bays disposed in the front of the cage. Each of the lower bays is configured to receive a transceiver. Additionally, each of the plurality of upper bays is stacked on one of the plurality of lower bays. An upper heat sink extends from the outer surface of the top of the cage and a lower heat sink extends from the outer surface of the bottom of the cage. |
| US08467186B2 |
Tablet PC cover with integral keyboard
A cover for a tablet PC with an integral keyboard provides two outer covering faces and a resilient mounting frame fixing a tablet PC therein, hinged on a keyboard component. By hinging partway along one outer covering face, the mounting frame can assume a wide variety of angles. The keyboard component has embedded within its underside a ferromagnetic member attracted by an embedded metal strip in the other covering face, fixing the keyboard and mounting frame at any desired angle. The resilient mounting frame has an ejection assembly opposite the hinging of the resilient mounting frame and keyboard component, allowing one-handed release of the tablet PC, and an embedded implant corresponding to and detectable by a configurable circuit board encased in the keyboard component. |
| US08467183B2 |
Tablet computer case and associated methods
Tablet computer cases and associated methods are disclosed and described. In one embodiment, a tablet computer case may include a first panel configured to releasably engage and hold a tablet computer of a predetermined size and shape, a second panel having a keyboard a hinge rotatably attaching the two panels, and a communication connector that allows the keyboard to communicate with the tablet computer. |
| US08467182B2 |
Docking station
A docking station including a housing and a linkage mechanism is provided. The housing has a supporting-surface and an inner-surface opposite to each other, in which the supporting-surface is suitable to support an electronic apparatus. The linkage mechanism includes a sliding-member disposed on the inner-surface, at least one latching-member slidably coupled to the sliding-member and a connector disposed on the sliding-member. The sliding-member slides back-and-forth along a sliding-path to bring the latching-member sliding back-and-forth along the sliding-path. The travel distance of the sliding-member on the sliding-path is greater than the travel distance of the latching-member on the sliding-path. The connector slides with the sliding-member and is protruded out of or hidden into the housing. The latching-member locks or unlocks the electronic apparatus and the connector is connected to or separated from the electronic apparatus with the sliding of the sliding-member. |
| US08467181B2 |
Fixing mechanism for fixing a portable device and related computer system
A fixing mechanism for fixing a portable device includes a casing. A track is disposed on the casing for guiding the portable device to slide. At least one hole is formed on the casing. The fixing mechanism further includes at least one spherical component installed inside the hole on the casing for wedging into a sunken part on the portable device so as to fix the portable device inside the casing. The fixing mechanism further includes a resilient component installed on a side of the casing and the spherical component for providing resilient force to the spherical component so as to push the spherical component to wedge into the sunken part on the portable device. |
| US08467178B2 |
Tablet computer case and associated methods
Tablet computer cases and associated methods are disclosed and described. In one embodiment, a tablet computer case may include a first panel configured to releasably engage and hold a tablet computer of a predetermined size and shape, a second panel having a keyboard a hinge rotatably attaching the two panels, and a communication connector that allows the keyboard to communicate with the tablet computer. |
| US08467175B2 |
System and method for an optimizable rack solution
In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for an optimizable rack solution is presented. The system and method is directed to an optimizable rack that includes a frame. The frame has both a primary portion and a detachable portion. The primary portion may contain a primary enclosure and the detachable portion may container a secondary enclosure. Each of the primary enclosure and secondary enclosure are sized to hold a plurality of computing systems. Detaching the detachable portion of the frame both reduces the size and computing systems capacity of the frame. |
| US08467174B2 |
Portable electronic device with fastening structure
A fastening structure for a portable electronic device includes a main housing and a frame. The main housing defines a slot. A protrusion and a block are formed at two opposite sides of the slot. The frame includes a tab. The tab defines a locking hole. The block pushes the tab toward the protrusion to allow the protrusion to be latched in the locking hole for connecting the frame to the main housing. |
| US08467171B2 |
Temporary power distribution panel
A temporary power distribution panel for use at a construction site comprises a box-like cabinet with an interior, an exterior, and a rear side having upper and lower hangers positioned on the rear side of the cabinet for securing the cabinet to a post, wall, or wall stud. The panel further comprises an electric power inlet for electrically coupling the cabinet to a source of electric power and a plurality of electric power outlets for providing electric power to the construction site and internally coupled to the electric power inlet. The temporary power distribution panel further includes an interior fire extinguisher closet and an emergency alarm bell. |
| US08467170B2 |
Electrodes and electric double layer capacitance devices comprising an activated carbon cryogel
Electrodes and electric double layer capacitance (EDLC) devices containing an activated carbon cryogel having a tunable pore structure are disclosed. The disclosed electrodes and devices find utility in any number of electrical energy storage and distribution applications. |
| US08467161B2 |
Device for protecting a DC voltage converter
A device for controlling and regulating a DC voltage converter. The device may have one or more power output stages and a control unit with a signal ground line. The one or more power output stages and the control line have a mutual ground potential. A switch for electrically disconnecting the signal ground line is provided. The switch is opened, when the DC voltage converter is active and the switch is closed, when the DC voltage converter is inactive. |
| US08467153B1 |
Disk drive head gimbal assembly having a flexure tail with folded bond pads
A head gimbal assembly for a disk drive includes a read head and a suspension assembly. The suspension assembly includes a load beam and a laminate flexure. The laminate flexure includes a structural layer, a dielectric layer, and a conductive layer. The laminate flexure includes a tongue portion that connects to the read head and a flexure tail that extends away from the tongue portion. The flexure tail includes a plurality of flexure bond pads. Each of the plurality of flexure bond pads is folded upon itself. |
| US08467151B1 |
Disk drive comprising an interconnect with transmission lines forming an approximated lattice network
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated over the disk, a preamp, and an interconnect for coupling the head to the preamp. The interconnect comprises a first transmission line stacked with a second transmission line, and a dielectric between the first transmission line and second transmission line. The transmission lines form an approximation of at least one inductor/capacitor ladder network and an approximation of at least one inductor/capacitor lattice network. The lattice network comprises a first leg and a second leg, and a cross-over hub for interconnecting the first leg and the second leg. |
| US08467150B2 |
Recording head, disk drive with recording head, and recording method using recording head
According to one embodiment, a recording head includes a main pole configured to apply a recording magnetic field to a recording medium, a trailing shield opposed to the main pole with a gap therebetween, a spin-torque oscillator at least a part of which is located between the main pole and the trailing shield and configured to apply a high-frequency magnetic field to the recording medium, and an auxiliary oscillator configured to apply an auxiliary magnetic field to the spin-torque oscillator. |
| US08467146B2 |
Apparatus for clamping disk and motor assembly having the same
There are provided an apparatus for clamping a disk and a motor assembly having the same. The apparatus for clamping a disk according to the present invention includes an apparatus for clamping a disk, including: a rotor case jointed with an outer peripheral surface of a shaft and rotating together with the shaft; a flange part including a disk mounting surface formed at a radial outer side of the rotor case and formed to be inclined as the disk mounting surface is toward the radial outer side; and a clamping member pressing and clamping the disk to the rotor case, wherein an inclination of the disk mounting surface of the flange part is changed depending on the position of the pressing point to the disk of the clamping member. |
| US08467143B2 |
Servo patterning and writing compatible with planarization of patterned magnetic disks
Embodiments herein illustrate patterned servo data that is used to facilitate subsequent servo writing to a magnetic disk while allowing the patterned disk to be planarized with a relatively simple planarization process. One disk drive system includes a magnetic disk that is patterned with magnetic lands and nonmagnetic grooves. The magnetic disk also includes bootstrap bands that may be configured at an inner diameter of the magnetic disk. The magnetic lands of the bootstrap bands have varying sizes and are patterned as servo data having a uniform polarity of magnetization. The bootstrap bands have a width that is sufficiently narrow to support an air bearing surface of a slider. The data tracks are circumferentially configured proximate to the bootstrap bands. The slider reads the patterned servo data to facilitate writing of additional servo data in the data tracks. |
| US08467141B2 |
Read channel with oversampled analog to digital conversion
Methods and apparatus are provided for processing a signal in a read channel using an oversampled analog to digital conversion. An oversampled analog to digital conversion is performed on an analog input signal to generate a plurality of digital samples corresponding to the analog input signal for a given bit interval. A data detection algorithm can then be applied on one or more of the digital samples to obtain a detected output. The oversampled analog to digital conversion simplifies the analog design by transferring at least a portion of the equalization and/or filtering processes to the digital domain. |
| US08467140B2 |
Magnetic recording apparatus and magnetic recording evaluating apparatus
A magnetic recording apparatus includes: a magnetic recording medium having a recording surface on which a plurality of magnetic recording cells magnetically isolated from each other are arranged; a magnetic writing element recording information to the magnetic recording cells under a condition in accordance with setting information; a magnetic reading element reproducing information recorded in the magnetic recording cells; a memory storing the setting information for writing; and a processor for executing a program code. The program code includes a test module, responsive to a test write start signal, for repeating writing and reading test information by the magnetic writing and reading elements and calculating a quality index value representing quality of writing of the reproduced test information with the setting information changed, and a write module for selecting setting information with which the quality index value satisfies a predetermined condition, and writing the selected information in the memory. |
| US08467135B2 |
Zoom lens with high optical performance and image pickup apparatus having the same
A zoom lens comprises a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear group including at least two lens units and having a positive refractive power as a whole, in order from an object side to an image side. An interval of each of the lens units changes in a zoom operation, the rear group includes a lens unit R having a positive refractive power at the most image side, the lens unit R includes a lens having a concave surface at the image side and having an aspherical surface shape where a negative refractive power becomes stronger with increasing distance from an optical axis, and focal lengths f1, fR, and fw of the first lens unit, the lens unit R, and a whole system at a wide-angle end, respectively, are appropriately set. |
| US08467134B2 |
Compact zoom lens
A zoom lens includes: a first lens group having a negative refractive power; a second lens group having a positive refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power and including one piece of positive lens; and a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth lens groups are sequentially disposed in an order from an object side to an image surface side of the zoom lens, all distances between adjacent lens groups change and the third lens group performs focusing while zooming from a wide angle position to a telephoto position, and a following condition is satisfied: 0<(L23W−L23T)/L23W<0.5, wherein L23W denotes a distance between a lens surface of the image surface side of the second lens group and lens surface of the object side of the third lens group in the wide angle position, and L23T denotes a distance between a lens surface of the image surface side of the second lens group and a lens surface of the object side surface of the third lens group in the telephoto position. |
| US08467133B2 |
See-through display with an optical assembly including a wedge-shaped illumination system
This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display and an integrated image source for introducing the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content. The optical assembly includes a light transmissive wedge-shaped illumination system with angle selective coatings and an LED lighting system coupled to an edge of the wedge. An angled surface of the wedge directs light from the LED lighting system to uniformly irradiate a reflective image display to produce an image that is reflected through the illumination system to provide the displayed content to the user. |
| US08467130B2 |
Retardation film, method of producing the same and display device
A retardation film is provided and is formed by laminating a thermoplastic norbornene resin film, an anchor layer, an alignment film and a phase difference layer in this order. In this retardation film, the anchor layer is formed by applying an anchor material including a tri-, or more-functional acrylate monomer of 50 parts by weight or more and 90 parts by weight or less onto the thermoplastic norbornene resin film and then, drying and curing the anchor material with ultraviolet light. |
| US08467128B2 |
Polarizing cube and method of fabricating the same
A polarizing cube includes a pair of identical and symmetric triangular prisms which sandwich a thin optical composite plate containing a planner array of reflective straight wires spaced apart in parallel as a built-in wire grid polarizer. All of its subcomponents and the polarizing cube itself are physically and optically symmetrical to one of its diagonal planes so as to provide improved integration and robustness for projection display application. The cubic configuration of the disclosed polarizer can be readily produced through common means and sequences typically used in semiconductor wafer fabrication processes, including photolithographic patterning, gap dielectric filling and planarization, and wafer thinning, bonding and cutting among others. |
| US08467125B2 |
Image taking optical system and image taking apparatus
Disclosed herein is an image taking optical system including at least one lens provided on an optical path; a first infrared-ray absorption filter made from a resin material with a film shape and provided on the optical path; a multi-layer film provided with an infrared-ray absorption function and provided on the optical path; and a second infrared-ray absorption filter made from a resin material with a film shape and provided on the optical path, wherein the first infrared-ray absorption filter, the multi-layer film and the second infrared-ray absorption filter are provided at locations arranged along the optical path in a direction from a photographing-object side to an image side, and the multi-layer film has a spectroscopic-characteristic adjustment function and a light reflection characteristic. |
| US08467121B2 |
Optical signal processing
An optical signal processor may include an optical waveguide loop, and first and second phase modulator loops. Each of the first and second phase modulator loops may be in optical communication with the optical waveguide loop. The first and second phase modulator loops may include respective control signal input ports to control phase modulation applied by the first and second phase modulation loops. The optical waveguide loop may include two input ports to direct input signals in opposite directions in the optical waveguide loop and may further include an output port to output resulting signals. |
| US08467112B2 |
Image reading device
An image sensor reads an image from a document sheet disposed on a document holding portion of a platen glass while the image sensor is moving along the platen glass in a predetermined direction or reads an image from a document sheet fed by a document feeder while the image sensor is stopped at the image reading position. A discharge guide member guides a document sheet which has passed the image reading position in a direction downstream from the platen glass. A sliding mechanism slides a first plate that faces the document holding portion selectively between a first position and a second position along the platen glass in a sliding direction parallel to the predetermined direction. The image reading position is within the document holding portion. The first plate, when in the first position, covers the image reading position, and the first plate, when in the second position, is separated from the image reading position. |
| US08467110B2 |
Image reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image reading method
An image reading apparatus of the present invention includes a document placing unit on which a document is placed, a light source unit in which light sources are arrayed in a depth direction, a light source drive unit that drives the light sources, and a light source control unit that controls so that the light sources are divided into a plurality of groups to be driven. An image sensor is provided at a position capable of receiving light emitted from the light sources and reflected by the document on the document placing unit. Further, the document size is detected through detection of a position of an edge of the document from an output signal from the image sensor. Then, the light source drive unit is controlled so that, when the image is to be read, the light sources are activated to illuminate the document. |
| US08467109B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method
An apparatus includes: a scanner to scan an image; a first determiner to determine an attribute of a feature of the image; a processor to perform a first processing on data representing the image; a storer to store the data subjected to the first processing; a receiver to instruct to output the image represented by the data stored and to receive an input for deciding an output image to be output of the image; a decider to decide, according to the input received, the output image; a second determiner to determine an attribute of a feature of the output image; a reliability determiner to determine, in accordance with the input, whether the attribute determined by the first and/or second determiner is reliable; and a processor to output, by performing a second processing on the data, output data representing the output image, in accordance with a result of the reliability determination. |
| US08467100B1 |
Halftoner block employing average values and shifts
Halftoning apparatus and method that may generate and employ average values and shifts are described herein. The apparatus may include an unpacker to determine shifts and average values for a plurality of input pixel values, each pair of average value and shift being associated with a corresponding pair of the input pixel values. The apparatus may further include a halftone core coupled to the unpacker to receive the shifts and the average values from the unpacker and to generate pairs of output pixel values based at least in part on the received shifts and average values, wherein the output pixel values are for generating pixels of an image. |