| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08661152B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing deterioration of a quality of experience of a multimedia service in a multimedia system
A method and an apparatus for reducing a deterioration of a Quality of Experience (QoE) in a multimedia service. The method includes reproducing a first multimedia stream by the multimedia device, receiving a command for reproducing a second multimedia stream during the reproducing of the first multimedia stream, and reproducing the second multimedia stream with reference to information regarding a unit image that is independently decoded from the second multimedia stream. The information regarding the unit image includes information regarding a number of unit images per unit time included in the second multimedia stream. |
| US08661150B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system providing multi-content in mobile broadcast service
Disclosed is a method and system for efficiently providing a multi-content, including a plurality of contents in one service, by means of a service guide upon providing the multi-content in an Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) mobile broadcasting system. When a broadcast transmitting apparatus provides a broadcast receiving apparatus with a multi-content by inserting a plurality of content into one service, the broadcast transmitting apparatus sets one of the plurality of content as a primary content, and provides a service guide including primary-content setting information to the broadcast receiving apparatus. The primary content represents a content set to be primarily provided to a user, among a plurality of content included in one service and simultaneously provided during a specific time period. The primary-content setting information represents information for identifying the primary content. The primary-content setting information may be included in a content fragment or schedule fragment of a service guide. |
| US08661149B2 |
Communication network comprising communication components having client and server functionalities and search functions
The invention relates to a communication network, especially a packet-switched communication network, provided with communication components having client and server functionalities. The client functionalities of the communication components have search functions for determining the current addresses of the communication components of the communication network which enable the server functionalities thereof to be used. A plurality of communication components have both client and server functionalities. Information relating to the intrinsic server functionalities can be directly retrieved by means of client functionalities of other communication components and can be directly used. |
| US08661147B2 |
Monitoring requested content
Requested content is monitored and metadata for the content is accessed and reported to an administrator communication device. The reported metadata may be indicative of a classification of the requested content, an address of the requested content, a title of the requested content, or portions (e.g., video images) of the requested content. Administrators are enabled to receive dynamic updates regarding requested and received content in real time and may block viewer requested content or send messages to the viewer that are related to the content. |
| US08661146B2 |
Systems and methods for IP reachability in a communications network
In a system and method for establishing communications in a communications network, a network service provider can assign IP addresses to mobile devices dynamically to conserve IP address resources. A network service provider can also implement network address translation to further conserve IP address resources and to provide improved security. If a requestor seeks to obtain an IP address of a mobile device and the address is a local address, the system determines if the mobile device has a network address translation (NAT) binding that associates the IP address of the mobile device with a public IP address. If the mobile device does not have a NAT binding, the system creates a NAT binding that associates the IP address of the mobile device with a public IP address. |
| US08661144B2 |
Method and system for automated user authentication for a priority communication session
An approach is provided for automated user authentication for a priority communication session. An authentication platform receives a session request for establishing a priority communication session over a data network between a user device and a service platform. The authentication platform determines network information and device information associated with the session request and the user device, respectively. The authentication platform further determines user history information regarding one or more prior communication sessions of a user of the user device. The authentication platform authenticates the user based on the network information, the device information, and the user history information for establishing the priority communication session. |
| US08661141B2 |
Managing a client application session based on a status of a local wireless connection between primary and secondary communication terminals
In an embodiment, a secondary communication terminal (CT) executes a client application to engage in a client application session (CAS), the secondary CT configured to connect to a primary CT over a local wireless connection (LWC), the primary CT having a higher-quality user interface environment as compared to the secondary CT. The secondary CT establishes the LWC with the primary CT during the CAS and, responsive to the establishment, negotiates with the primary CT to selectively transition the CAS to the primary CT. Alternatively, the primary CT executes the client application before the establishment and negotiates with the secondary CT to selectively transition the CAS to the secondary CT. In another embodiment, the primary CT hosts the CAS while the LWC is established with the secondary CT. Then, upon disconnection of the LWC, the secondary AT selectively transitions the CAS to the secondary CT. |
| US08661138B2 |
Group based allocation of network bandwidth
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for group based allocation of terminal server network bandwidth. Output packets are classified into groups based on classification criteria. Output packets for each group are queue into a corresponding queue. During a queue flush cycle each queue containing data is flushed for an essentially equal amount of time. Flushing each queue essentially equally reduces the negative impact that can otherwise result when a subset of sessions (or even a single session) request(s) a disproportional share of terminal server network bandwidth. Responsiveness can be further increased by distributing the essentially equal amount for each queue across the queue flush cycle. |
| US08661124B2 |
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 one or more user inputs for one or more activities associated with the social activity information. The feed serving module aggregates the social activity information based at least in part on the one or more user inputs 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 a graphic associated with the aggregated social activity information and sends the graphic to a client. |
| US08661122B2 |
Method for monitoring access networks
A technique enabling an access node to undertake more responsibility and render multicast streaming more effective by utilizing streaming service control messages SSCP which contain important information such as Quality of Experience or Quality of Service. The access node itself or in cooperation with a processing/monitoring entity may be enabled to analyze QOE data in SSCP report messages from different access network receivers, to identify specific receivers which encounter problems and to indicate the problems to the provider of the network. |
| US08661118B2 |
Detection of end-to-end transport quality
In various embodiments, methods and systems are disclosed for the real time detection of network conditions in conjunction with a remote presentation protocol. The link quality may represent the quality of the end-to-end connection between client and server with upper and lower bounds on the injection of additional traffic used for measurement. In some embodiments, the measurement technique may be selected based on the type of measurement that is desired. Accuracy may be maintained by selecting the type of measurement used based on current and previous network conditions. In one embodiment, a state model is used to determine the frequency of measurement and to determine when the measurements have produced a stable estimate of the link quality. |
| US08661115B2 |
Information communication apparatus
An object is to provide an information communication apparatus able to reliably transmit information to an intended site on a network and a program of the same. Before transmitting the information input from a key input portion (102) from a communication portion (101), it is judged based on registered content of an access list (107) whether or not the transmission of this input information is permitted. When this input information matches with the information included in the access list (107), and a URL address connected with the information matching with the input portion in the access list (107) differs from the address of the transmission destination of the input information, a warning screen is displayed in a display portion (105). |
| US08661113B2 |
Cross-cutting detection of event patterns
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for the detection of correlation rules in an enterprise computing monitoring and management system. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for detection of correlation rules can be provided. The method can include receiving events from multiple event sources, classifying the events according to a set of event attributes, determining a temporal proximity of occurrence of different classified events, further determining a frequency of occurrence of temporal proximity for particular classified events, and reporting a causal relationship between the particular classified events when the frequency of occurrence exceeds a threshold value. |
| US08661111B1 |
System and method for estimating prevalence of digital content on the world-wide-web
The present invention is a system, method and computer program product for tracking and measuring digital content that is distributed on a computer network such as the Internet. The system collects online advertisement data, analyzes the data, and uses the data to calculate measurements of the prevalence of those advertisements. The system processes raw traffic data by cleansing and summarizing the traffic data prior to storing the processed data in a database. An advertisement sampling system uses site selection and definition criteria and a probe map to retrieve Web pages from the Internet, extract advertisements from those Web pages, classify each advertisement, and store the data in a database. A statistical summarization system accesses the processed raw traffic data and the advertisement data in the database to calculate advertising prevalence statistics including the advertising frequency, impressions, and spending. |
| US08661103B2 |
Business application address determination
According to one general aspect, a method may comprise identifying a provider application that is associated with a consumer application, from amongst a plurality of provider applications hosted on a provider machine. In various embodiments, the identification may be based at least in part upon the provider application's business identifier (ID). In various embodiments, each provider application includes at least one web service. In some embodiments, the plurality of provider applications includes a plurality of instantiations of at least one of the web service. In various embodiments, the method may also include transmitting a message to one of the web services of the identified provider application. |
| US08661100B2 |
Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining and automatically programming network addresses for devices operating in a network
A method for configuring a network device includes activating a sensor of the network device to receive data. The data from the sensor is analyzed to determine physical location information indicated thereby. A network address is automatically assigned to the network device based on the physical location information indicated by the data from the sensor. Related methods, systems, and apparatus are also discussed. |
| US08661097B2 |
Service node, control method thereof, user node, and control method thereof
There is provided a service node that is capable of serving a first user node in a first network including a control node. The first network is capable of communicating with a second network including a second user node. The service node comprises: a request receiving unit that receives a first user identity that identifies the first user node and a second user identity that identifies the second user node; a determining unit that determines whether a received message includes the first user identity as a destination, or the message includes auxiliary information that corresponds to the first user identity; and a modifying unit that modifies the destination of the message to the second user identity and modifies the source of the message to the first user identity in accordance with the determination result by the determining unit. |
| US08661096B2 |
Collaborative editing in a video editing system
Included are embodiments of a method for collaborative editing. At least one embodiment includes receiving an indication to include at least one media effect with at least one media segment and sending at least one media attribute associated with the at least one media segment to a remote server. Some embodiments include receiving data related to at least one determined media effect, the at least one determined media effect being determined from the at least one media attribute. |
| US08661095B2 |
Identifying scripting form of text commands for a network device
In one example, a device includes a network interface configured to present a command interface to receive input comprising a command and an indicator, wherein the command conforms to an execution format and specifies one or more parameters to be applied during execution of the command, and wherein the indicator indicates, at least in part, that the command is not to be executed, and a control unit configured to reformat, based on the indicator, the command to conform to an extensible markup language (XML) format such that the reformatted command complies with a syntax supported by a script processing module of the network device and specifies the command and the one or more parameters in the XML format in a format that can be executed by the script processing module, and to output the reformatted command via the command interface. Thus, the device may provide XML formatted equivalents for commands. |
| US08661092B2 |
System and method for providing real-time data
A system and method for providing real-time data to a Rich Internet Application is disclosed. The graphical and networking features of RIA frameworks in conjunction with at least one real-time data server provides low-latency, real-time data applications in a web browser. In one embodiment, data is produced at a data source, propagated to a server, and collected at the server. A persistent connection is created from a RIA to the server, and the RIA is subscribed to the data, wherein the subscribed data comprises at least some of the data collected at the server, and wherein the server propagates the subscribed data to the RIA through the persistent connection as the data is collected at the server. |
| US08661089B2 |
VIOS cluster alert framework
In a data processing system including a virtual I/O server (VIOS) cluster and multiple logical partitions (LPARs), at least one VIOS of the VIOS cluster performs functions of: receiving first registration information from one or more entities within the VIOS cluster; registering, based on the first registration information, a handler associated with a first message type; responsive to receiving second registration information, registering, based on the second registration information, a listener associated with a second message type; receiving a first message associated with a first alert event of the cluster; determining, based on the first message, that the handler is associated with the first message type; and calling the handler. In one embodiment, the handler is associated with a pointer to a subroutine, and registering the handler includes storing the pointer in a data structure that associates the handler with the first message type. |
| US08661088B2 |
Mail object migration
A mail enabled object may be migrated from one hosting server to another by using a temporary buffer that may capture incoming mail during the migration operation. A new mail enabled object may be created and enabled on a target server, and the old mail object may be disabled and forwarded to a buffer that may collect incoming messages. While the buffer receives incoming messages, the contents of the old mail object may be copied to the new mail object. After verifying the transfer of the contents, the buffer may be released to forward any collected messages to the new mail object. The old mail object may then be cleaned up. The migration may be performed from one server to another, from one forest to another, and to and from a remotely hosted messaging service. |
| US08661087B2 |
Electronic communication reminder technology
Systems and methods concerning electronic communication reminder technology are disclosed. A receiving device having one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, receives a first electronic message addressed to a particular user, from a first sender, and in accordance with a determination that the particular user has not responded to the first electronic message, alerts the particular user, at a predefined time, to the first electronic message. The predefined time is determined based at least in part on response pattern data corresponding to one or more characteristics associated with the receiving device, the first electronic message, the particular user, or the first sender. |
| US08661085B2 |
Adaptation method and adapter apparatus based on multimedia messaging service
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for adaptation based on the multimedia messaging service. The apparatus comprises: an integrity detecting unit for performing integrity detection for first multimedia message data to determine that the first multimedia message data is integrated; and a data import unit for import the first multimedia message data from a mobile storage apparatus into a terminal. The technical solution according to the present invention can prevent the destroyed multimedia message data from being imported into the terminal, which avoids abnormity occurring when the terminal starting a multimedia message application. |
| US08661082B2 |
Extracting previous messages from a later message
A message extraction system is described that extracts a previous message from a current message in a conversation thread. The message extraction system receives a current message and identifies a previous message candidate within the current message. The system determines a checksum of the previous message candidate and compares the determined checksum to a previously stored checksum of the previous message. If the two checksums match, the system extracts the previous message from the reply message rather than from the server. |
| US08661081B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for social networking
A method, apparatus and system for social networking is provided. In an embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of mobile devices that can directly connect to each other via a peer-to-peer connection. The devices can additionally connect a server. The server maintains a profile schema which can be used to generate profiles for users for each of the mobile devices. |
| US08661078B2 |
Application of unreliable transfer mechanisms
A method for improved application of unreliable transfer mechanisms. An application uses application data delivered in data packets that become accessible from a peer entity via at least two packet data transmission mechanisms. The application is configured with a predefined operational range for a predefined application-specific characteristic. If the predefined application-specific characteristic exceeds the predefined operational range, the packet data transmission mechanism is changed. The mechanism facilitates maintaining an application-specific service level even if unreliable transmission mechanisms are applied. |
| US08661075B2 |
Method and apparatus for serving episodic secondary content
Methods, apparatus, systems and computer program products are presented for providing episodic secondary content to a mobile device. The present aspects provide for: receiving at least one of the plurality of episodic secondary content items an episodic secondary content set and an episodic manifest, the episodic manifest including indexes coupling at least two episodic secondary content items from the episodic secondary content set, presenting an initial episodic secondary content item during a predetermined break in presentation of a primary content item, prompting a user to select an additional episodic secondary content item from the set, the plurality of episodic secondary content items coupled to the initial episodic secondary content item and determined by the episodic manifest, and receiving a user selection of the additional episodic secondary content item to be presented during a subsequent predetermined break in presentation of the primary content item. |
| US08661073B2 |
Synthetic environment character data sharing
Synthetic environment character data sharing is described, including retrieving data from a plurality of sources configured to store the data, the data being generated from an interaction between a character and a synthetic environment, generating a feed comprising dynamic content associated with the character and the synthetic environment, the feed being configured to present the data to one or more clients associated with the synthetic environment in substantially real time, transmitting the feed to the one or more clients, extracting the data from the feed and presenting the data on the one or more clients after being extracted from the feed. |
| US08661072B2 |
Shared parallel adder tree for executing multiple different population count operations
A shared parallel adder tree for executing multiple different population count operations on a single datum includes a number of carry-save adders (CSAs) and/or half adders (HAs), arranged in rows, where certain CSAs and HAs are dedicated to a single population count operation, while other CSAs and HAs are shared among two or more population count operations. The datum is applied to the first row in the tree. Partial sums of the number of ones at various locations within the tree are routed to certain CSAs and/or HAs “down” the tree to propagate the particular population count operations. Carry-propagate adders generate at least a portion of the final sum of the number of ones in certain population count operations. An “AND” operation on a particular number of the bits in the datum provides the high order bit of the resulting sum of the particular population count operation. |
| US08661065B2 |
Systems and methods for providing a data glossary management system
Provided is a computer system for translating business information and associating the translated business information with user-defined business terms in a processor executable data management system. The computer system comprises a computer readable storage media for providing a data store and a data management system for execution on one or more data processors for storing information relating to a plurality of user-generated business terms in accordance with a schema. The data management system also includes a user interface engine configured to provide a plurality of user interfaces. |
| US08661063B2 |
Versioned file system with sharing
A method of data sharing among multiple entities is provided. Each entity exports to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system local to that entity. The method begins by forming a sharing group that includes two or more entities. Sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group is enabled. The filers use a single distributed lock to protect each version of the file system. This lock is managed to allow each filer access to the shared file system volume to create its new version. To share a fully-versioned file system, asynchronous updates at each of the filers is permitted, and each node is then allowed to “push” its individual changes to the store to form the next version of the file system. A mechanism also may be used to reduce the period during which filers in the group operate under lock. |
| US08661061B2 |
Data structure, data structure generation method, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and computer-readable storage medium having stored therein information processing program
A method for generating a tree-type data structure composed of a plurality of data strings includes the steps of: summing, with respect to a plurality of data strings classified in a parent node, the numbers of data types of data, respectively, at least one given string position in each of the plurality of data strings; and classifying, based on the numbers of the data types respectively summed at the at least one given string position in the summing step, the plurality of data strings into a plurality of child nodes, for the respective data types at a given string position. |
| US08661057B1 |
Methods and apparatus for post-search automated full-article retrieval
A system renders at least one content library in an organization region. The content library represents content that is accessible via a policy. The system receives a selection to obtain the content represented by the content library, and renders content information that represents a listing of the content contained within the content library. The content information is displayed within a listing region wherein the content may be accessible via the policy. The system downloads the content for which access has been granted via the policy. The content is downloaded from a content source provider. |
| US08661054B2 |
File management method and system
The invention provides a file management method and system for managing file retrieval and access. The method operates at the operating system level within a file system of a computer device and allows creating file move links upon detection of a file move request. The file move link associates the file source location with the file target location and is stored within a file move link table of the file system for subsequent file access request. File path to target location is automatically retrieved and file reached transparently for the user. |
| US08661049B2 |
Weight-based stemming for improving search quality
A technique including receiving a search query; identifying a first original query term based on the query; identifying a first expanded query term related to the first original query term; determining a first lexical distance between the first original query term and the first expanded query term; determining a first weight for the first expanded query term based on the determined first lexical distance; identifying a plurality of documents, from among a corpus of documents, as each relevant to the search query, the plurality of documents including a first document identified based on its inclusion of the first expanded query term; ranking the plurality of documents, with the ranking of the first document being based upon the calculated first weight; and generating a response to the search query identifying two or more of the plurality of documents, ordered according to the ranking. |
| US08661048B2 |
Crime investigation tool and method utilizing DNA evidence
Crime investigation systems and methods including an investigation tool for receiving and storing DNA information, attaching related case information, disconnecting identification information, matching the information against stored information, and generating and communicating reports of match results, and an interface in communication with the crime investigation tool for entering the related case information, updating the information, and receiving the reports. The systems and methods further provide evidence chain of custody tracking and real time entry and updating from the field. |
| US08661046B2 |
Using a content database to infer context information for activities from messages
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that infers activity-related context information from a message. Upon receiving the message, the system looks for activity-related keywords in the message, wherein the activity-related keywords are from a content database. If one or more activity-related keywords are found in the message, the system infers message-related context information from the one or more activity-related keywords. Next, the system uses the message-related context information to facilitate recommending an activity to a user. |
| US08661045B2 |
Determining potential relationships between individuals
A computer-implemented method for obtaining information corresponding to a first user. The computer-implemented method includes, obtaining information corresponding to a first user, accessing a database comprising information corresponding to a plurality of individuals, based on the information corresponding to a plurality of individuals. The method further includes determining whether a potential relationship exists between a first user and at least one of the plurality of individuals. |
| US08661040B2 |
Grid-based data clustering method
A grid-based data clustering method performed by a computer system includes a setup step, a dividing step, a categorizing step and an expanding/clustering step. The setup step sets a grid quantity and a threshold value. The dividing step divides a space containing a data set having a plurality of data points into a two-dimensional matrix. The matrix has a plurality of grids G(i,j) comprising a plurality of target sequences and a plurality of non-target sequences interlaced with the plurality of target sequences. The indices “i” and “j” of each grid G(i,j) represents the coordinate thereof. The categorizing step determines whether each of the grids is valid based on the threshold value. The expanding/clustering step respectively retrieves each of the grids of the target sequences, performs an expansion operation on each of the grids retrieved and clusters the plurality grids G(i,j). |
| US08661037B2 |
System and method for multithreaded text indexing for next generation multi-core architectures
A system and method for indexing documents in a data storage system includes generating a single document hash table in storage memory for a single document using an index construction in a multithreaded and scalable configuration wherein multiple threads are each assigned work to reduce synchronization between threads. The single document hash table includes partitioning the single document and indexing strings of partitioned portions of the single document to create a minor hash table for each document sub-part; generating a document level hash table from the minor hash tables; updating a stream level hash table for the strings which maps every string to a global identifier; and generating a term reordered array from the document level hash table. |
| US08661030B2 |
Re-ranking top search results
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates generating sorted search results for a query. An interface component can receive a query in a first language. A first ranker can be trained from a portion of data related to a second language. A second ranker can correspond to the first language, wherein the second ranker is untrained due to a limited amount of data related to the first language. A sorting component can invoke the first ranker to generate and order a pre-defined number of search results for the received query and subsequently invoke the second ranker to the pre-defined number of search results to generate a re-ordered number of search results in the first language for the received query. |
| US08661029B1 |
Modifying search result ranking based on implicit user feedback
Systems and techniques relating to ranking search results of a search query include, in general, subject matter that can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes determining a measure of relevance for a document result within a context of a search query for which the document result is returned, the determining being based on a first number in relation to a second number, the first number corresponding to longer views of the document result, and the second number corresponding to at least shorter views of the document result; and outputting the measure of relevance to a ranking engine for ranking of search results, including the document result, for a new search corresponding to the search query. The subject matter described in this specification can also be embodied in various corresponding computer program products, apparatus and systems. |
| US08661027B2 |
Vertical search-based query method, system and apparatus
Various embodiments of a method, system, and apparatus related to query based on vertical search are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of query based on vertical search receives a user query. The method obtains a first category model from a category model warehouse based on the user query to generate a first query result. The first category model includes one or more commodity categories that correspond to one or more keywords in the user query. The method also obtains one or more commodity categories corresponding to the user query from a commodity warehouse to generate a second query result. The method further generates a final query result by combining the first query result and the second query result. |
| US08661019B2 |
Join algorithms over full text indexes
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for processing join predicates in full-text indexes is provided. The method includes evaluating local predicates of an outer full text index to generate a first posting list of documents. For each document in the first posting list, the value of a join attribute is determined and an inner full text index is probed to obtain a second posting list of documents containing one of the join attributes determined for each document. Local predicates of an inner full text index are evaluated to generate a third posting list of documents, and the second posting list is merged with the third posting list to generate a merge list of documents. Documents in the first posting list may be paired up with documents in the merge list. |
| US08661015B2 |
Identification of name entities via search, determination of alternative searches, and automatic integration of data across a computer network for dynamic portal generation
A dynamic portal generation system includes an indexing module that indexes structured and unstructured data in a database. The database includes information residing in associated standalone applications having documents from information sources, and a name-entity repository that includes name entities and their corresponding name-entity types. A search module searches the information residing in the indexed information to obtain a search result. A name-entity extraction module extracts a matching name-entity that corresponds to a name-entity in the name-entity repository. A portal generation module dynamically generates a portal triggered by the search query. The portal generation module aggregates the search result by a type or a source to form search result segments, renders data extracted from the search result segments in corresponding formats, integrates relevant actions corresponding to search result segments and displays actionable portlets that enable the user to perform additional operations on the information residing in associated standalone applications. |
| US08661011B2 |
Managing file systems
A path request is generated by a secondary platform application, such as a word processor, and is received by invention. The path request may contain the location of a library required for the application to function, or a document saved previously by a user. The path request comprises a complete path for the requested file. The complete path is formatted for a file system and file structure for expected by the application.The elements of the path request, such as directories, disks, filenames, file types, etc. are analyzed by the invention in order to provide another complete path. The path provided by the invention is formatted for a different file system and file structure. The file pointed to by the path provided for the invention enables the secondary platform application to find and use the requested file. |
| US08661007B1 |
Enhanced search with user suggested search information
A method and system are disclosed for allowing a user to suggest information about content that can be utilized in processing subsequent searches. The suggested information may be different from a fixed set of information about an item, such as keywords, attributes, or characteristics of an item, generally provided by a manufacturer or seller of the item. Users can submit to a service the information that they feel is relevant to the item, such as a brief explanation of relevance and a detailed explanation that would help other users to make a decision about the item. The submitted information may be associated with the item information and stored in a data store and utilized as additional attributes of the item for a search. In addition, when a user requests detail information about an item, the user-submitted information may be displayed to the user. |
| US08661003B2 |
Policy performance in an information management system
In an information management system, policies are optimized before they are associated to a device in order to increase evaluation speed or reduce space requirements, or both. Optimization techniques may include common subexpression elimination, constant folding, constant propagation, comparison optimization, dead code or subexpression removal, map or lookup table generation, policy rewriting, redundant policy elimination, heuristic-based policy ordering, or policy-format transformation, and combinations of these. |
| US08660997B2 |
File system object-based deduplication
Systems and methods for optimizing deduplication in a data storage system are provided. The method comprises associating a first name with first data blocks including first content stored in a data storage system, wherein the first name is associated with the first data blocks by way of a reference to a first meta file that points to a data file which points to the first data blocks; storing a first signature derived from the first content in an indexing data structure, wherein the first signature is used to associate the first name with the first data blocks and as means to verify whether a second content is a duplicate of the first content, based on value of a second signature derived from the second content. |
| US08660995B2 |
Flexible event data content management for relevant event and alert analysis within a distributed processing system
Flexible event data content management for relevant event and alert analysis within a distributed processing system includes receiving, by an interface connector, a raw event from a component of the distributed processing system; analyzing custom data within the raw event to determine a location to store the custom data, the custom data in a first data format; storing extended data within the raw event in a common event data format, the extended data indicating the location of the custom data; receiving, by an event analyzer, the event; and determining whether there are custom customer rules that need the custom data; and if there are such custom customer rules, retrieving the custom data based on the extended data from the event; and applying the custom customer rules to the extended data; if there are no such custom customer rules, applying the base rules to a base portion of the event. |
| US08660994B2 |
Selective data deduplication
Data is selectively deduplicated such that portions of data suitable for deduplication are passed to a deduplication engine (1064) and stored in a first store (1072). |
| US08660990B2 |
Content reproduction system, content providing method, content reproduction apparatus, content providing apparatus, content reproduction program and content providing program
A content reproduction apparatus includes a communication unit that communicates with a content-providing apparatus. The content reproduction apparatus also includes a reproducing unit that reproduces content data. Further, the content reproduction apparatus includes a controller that transmits a request to the content-providing apparatus. The request indicates whether a data streaming reproduction service is available. The controller receives and reproduces a first one of an order of content data which is ordered by the content-providing apparatus based on the request. The controller also receives, after a determination that a second one of the order of content data exists, an attribute of the second one of the order of content data. |
| US08660989B2 |
Generic framework for application specific data exchange
Systems and methods to provide a generic framework for application specific data exchange are shown. In example embodiments a data container is received. The data container includes data saved to a master data system. The data container is buffered. At least one backup data system is determined based on attributes of the data container. A determination is made as to whether the at least one backup data system is available. When the at least one backup data system is available, the data container is forwarded to the at least one backup data system. |
| US08660988B2 |
Fine-grained and concurrent access to a virtualized disk in a distributed system
A method for updating a block on disk is provided. The method involves one or more clients committing log records to queues corresponding to blocks. The method further involves checkpointing, which includes obtaining a flushing lock on the queue by a client, receiving log records from the queue, applying the log records to a block on disk, and deleting the log records from the queue. A block on disk may be updated by first applying the log records from a queue to a locally cached version of the block corresponding to the queue. The locally cached version may then be stored on the disk replacing the original block on disk or being stored as a new version of the original block. |
| US08660986B2 |
Preserving user intent in merging ordered objects
Algorithms are provided to determine a final sequence of objects based on separating the objects from a base sequence and two derived sequences into common objects appearing in all three sequences and non-common objects missing from at least one of the sequences, then determining the final order of the common objects, and using the positioning of the non-common objects relative to the common objects in the original sequences. The final sequence represents changes made by the two derived sequences to the base sequence. |
| US08660985B2 |
Multi-dimensional OLAP query processing method oriented to column store data warehouse
A multi-dimensional OLAP query processing method oriented to a column store data warehouse is described. With this method, an OLAP query is divided into a bitmap filtering operation, a group-by operation and an aggregate operation. In the bitmap filtering operation, a predicate is first executed on a dimension table to generate a predicate vector bitmap, and a join operation is converted, through address mapping of a surrogate key, into a direct dimension table tuple access operation; in the group-by operation, a fact table tuple satisfying a filtering condition is pre-generated into a group-by unit according to a group-by attribute in an SQL command and is allocated with an increasing ID; and in the aggregate operation, group-by aggregate calculation is performed according to a group item of a fact table filtering group-by vector through one-pass column scan on a fact table measure attribute. |
| US08660981B2 |
System and method for hierarchical stream processing
A method, computer program product, and system for de-centralized stream processing is provided. The method may include providing a plurality of processing nodes each of said processing nodes configured to transmit and receive a stream of data. The method may also include providing a genome including a hierarchical set of tasks that represent a hierarchical functional decomposition of one or more problem scenarios. The method may further include identifying, at each of the processing nodes, one or more tasks for a first genome level. The method may additionally include differentiating, at one or more of the plurality of processing nodes, into one or more tasks, based upon, at least in part, the first genome level. The method may further include grouping a plurality of the processing nodes together to achieve a power level. The method may also include activating a second genome level once the power level has been reached. The method may further include repeating until one or more of the nodes differentiates into a further genome level. |
| US08660980B2 |
Monitoring system using kernel regression modeling with pattern sequences
A monitoring system for determining the condition of an object includes an empirical model with reference data that indicates the normal operational state of the object, and input pattern arrays. Each input pattern array has a plurality of time-ordered input vectors, while each input vector has input values representing a plurality of parameters indicating the current condition of the object. The empirical model generates estimate values based on a calculation that uses an input pattern array and the reference data to determine a similarity measure between the input values and reference data. A differencing module compares the estimates values to the corresponding input values so that resulting values from the comparison can be used to determine the condition of the object. |
| US08660977B2 |
Knowledge discovery tool relationship generation
A system for managing a knowledge model defining a plurality of entities is provided. The system includes an extraction tool for extracting data items from disparate data sources that determines if the data item has been previously integrated into the knowledge model. The system also includes an integration tool for integrating the data item into the knowledge model that integrates the data item into the knowledge model only if the data item has not been previously integrated into the knowledge model. Additionally, a relationship tool for identifying, automatically, a plurality of relationships between the plurality of entities may also be provided. The system may also include a data visualization tool for presenting the plurality of entities and the plurality of relationships. |
| US08660972B1 |
System and method to provide a customized problem solving environment for the development of user thinking about an arbitrary problem
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a customized or specialized environment to facilitate customized development of thinking about a problem or inquiry based project. |
| US08660971B2 |
System and method for detecting respiratory insufficiency in the breathing of a subject
Respiratory insufficiency is detected by classifying preliminary breaths identified through a capnogram as being valid or artifact. Individual breaths are classified as being valid or artifact by determining values of a plurality of breathing parameters for a given breath, inferring a value for a key parameter from the determined values for the plurality of breathing parameters, and comparing the inferred value for the key parameter to a predetermined threshold. |
| US08660969B1 |
Training dependency parsers by jointly optimizing multiple objectives
A plurality of highest intrinsically-ranked parser outputs are scored using an extrinsic metric that is relevant to one or more downstream applications. The parser can be trained by using an extrinsically highly-ranked parse selected from among the intrinsically highly-ranked parses. The selected parse need not be the highest intrinsically-ranked parse. In this way, a parser can be trained to produce better results for downstream applications. |
| US08660968B2 |
Remote chemical assay classification
A portable device for remote chemical assay classification, comprising a computer processor, and an apparatus implemented on the computer processor, the apparatus comprising: an out-of-sample data receiver, configured to receive data defining an out-of-sample extension extracted on a remote computer from classifying test assays of a chemical reaction on the remote computer into at least two groups, and an assay classifier, in communication with the out-of-sample data receiver, configured to classify a new assay of the chemical reaction into one of the groups, using the data defining the out-of-sample extension. |
| US08660963B2 |
Contents copying management system, copying management device, copying management method, contents copying apparatus and contents copying method
The present invention can reliably prevent the contents of a recording medium from being illegally copied but allow them to be copied only for the purpose of personal use. The invention takes out title identifying information and medium identifying information of a DVD loaded on a hard-disk-containing DVD player and transmits those pieces of information to management server along with the apparatus identifying information of the hard-disk-containing DVD player so as to enquire about copying prohibition flag for a copying operation and control copying of the recorded contents of the DVD according to the copying prohibition flag. Thus, the invention prohibits copying when the management server judges that copying of the contents of the DVD by means of the hard-disk-containing DVD player is illegal, whereas it allows copying when the management server judges that copying of the contents of the DVD by means of the hard-disk-containing DVD player is for the purpose of personal use. |
| US08660958B2 |
Method and system for the supply of data, transactions and electronic voting
A method and system for supply of data, including generating a first digital certificate referred (empowerment certificate) signed with a first signing entity's electronic signature. The empowerment certificate includes attributes of the described entity, information identifying the first signing entity, indication of data relating to the described entity, indication of a source of the data, and identification of a relying entity to which the data can be supplied. The relying entity forwards the empowerment certificate to a source supplying the data indicated in the empowerment certificate. The data may be supplied to the relying entity by a second digital certificate (custom certificate), signed with a second signing entity's electronic signature. Custom certificates may appear in custom certificate revocation lists. A system and method for transfer of ownership of electronic property from a first entity to a second entity, and a method and system for electronic voting are also provided. |
| US08660956B2 |
Method and system for processing financial instrument deposits physically remote from a financial institution
A system that includes computer hardware, computer software, apparatus, and methodology that enables individuals, businesses, and all types of organizations (both for profit and non-profit) to capture and securely transmit check images (including, but not limited to, personal checks, business checks, travelers checks, money orders, merchant coupons, food coupons, line of credit checks, etc.), deposit information, and other information from remote locations (i.e., locations that could include the financial institution's remote locations, other financial institution's locations, businesses, private residences, etc.), for the purpose of having those checks credited to the depositing individual's or organization's bank account(s) and having the check images (and/or physical checks) entered into the bank check clearing channels for ultimate delivery to the maker bank for payment out of the maker's account. |
| US08660955B2 |
Method and apparatus for consumer driven protection for payment card transactions
Method and apparatus for facilitating a commercial transaction between an account holder and a merchant. The account holder has an account that is associated with respective account information. The account information includes at least one criterion for pre-authorizing a transaction. When the consumer initiates a purchase transaction, a transaction approval request is generated which includes information relating to the commercial transaction. A purchase approval entity compares the received transaction approval request to the account information to determine whether the at least one criterion for pre-authorizing the transaction is satisfied. The transaction approval request is denied when a determination is made that the at least one criterion for pre-authorizing the transaction is not satisfied. |
| US08660952B1 |
System and method for improved remote deposit user support
Systems and methods for improved remote deposit support and troubleshooting are disclose. In remote deposit sessions, such as a remote check deposit transaction that uses images of the front and back of a check, various errors, conflicts and issues can occur with each step of the session. Embodiments of the present invention can include generating a unique identifier for a particular remote deposit session at or before a particular session or transaction begins and then create a record for each event or task of that session and associate it with the identifier. During a support or troubleshooting session, all transactions can records associated with a particular identifier can be retrieved from a data store and displayed to a user. Such a display can include a listing of various detailed specifics for each record and embedded controls to various tools for detecting, diagnosing, and correcting errors. |
| US08660951B2 |
Presenting offers on a mobile communication device
Systems, methods, and computer program products provide for presentation of product offers in conjunction with a live video stream that includes images of the product or images associated with the product. The invention identifies products located proximate to a mobile communication, for example using real-time object recognition techniques, product codes, wireless communication or the like to identify products. Once the products are identified, related offers are determined and offer indicators are presented proximate to the location of the image in the live video stream. |
| US08660950B2 |
System and method for bill pay with credit card funding
An Internet based bill payment system and method is provided that allows a consumer to push payments and/or information to any payee from the consumer's credit card account. One embodiment of the invention allows the customer to make a payment to any payee from an enterprise credit card or any other credit account of the enterprise, referred to as “Bill Pay advance.” One embodiment of the invention is provided which allows an enterprise's consumer credit card customers to sign up for and use the enterprise's bill pay advance system, whether or not the consumer has a demand deposit account (DDA) account. The invention allows the customer to designate either source of funds for payment and for any payee they choose to pay. One embodiment of the invention offers an interchange push methodology with customer choice of the payment source of funds and intelligent routing. |
| US08660945B1 |
Method and system for identifying small businesses and small business operators
A method and system for identifying small businesses and/or small business operators includes a process for identifying small businesses and/or small business operators whereby financial transaction data for one or more consumers is obtained from one or more sources. The one or more consumers' financial transaction data is then analyzed to identify financial transactions typically associated with ownership and/or management of a business, i.e., business management related transactions. If more than a threshold number of business management related transactions associated with a given consumer are identified, that consumer is identified as a potential small business owner and/or manager. |
| US08660944B2 |
Systems and methods to select a credit migration path for a consumer
According to some embodiments, supplemental information about a consumer is determined, the consumer being associated with a first level of credit availability. One of a plurality of potential credit migration paths may then be selected for the consumer based on the supplemental information. Each potential credit migration path may, for example, begin at the first level of credit availability, include a plurality of intermediate credit products, and end at a level of credit availability higher than the first level. An offer for an intermediate credit product may then be transmitted to the consumer based on the selected credit migration path. |
| US08660943B1 |
Methods and systems for financial transactions
Relationship banking and mobile banking are discussed and presented here. In Section 1, we present Pre-approval, Fulfillment, and Application Process. In Section 2, we present Financial Products for Protection of Consumers. In Section 3, we present Relationship-Based Score. In Section 4, we present Application of Credit Report for a “Binding” Pre-Approval for Lending Products. In Section 5, we present Deposit Slip Purchase. In Section 6, we present Reducing Frauds on Credit Cards. We also discuss the system and components, with different variations on system and method, or their designs. Sections 7-9 discuss other applications and examples. |
| US08660942B2 |
Loan management system and methods
A system for managing loans and loan leads is described. The loan and loan lead management system features software and hardware that permit loan applications to be received, submitted, and processed in an automated electronic process while also generating leads based on loan applicants whose loan applications are rejected or withdrawn that may be sold to other lenders. Another module of the system's software permits loan applicant information to be cross-checked against databases containing details concerning defaulted borrowers to enhance the ability of lenders to engage in collection efforts against debtors. The system may also be installed at a retail location to provider store-level loan application submission and processing that can generate resalable leads that can be transmitted by a system administrator to lead purchasers. |
| US08660938B2 |
Distribution of electronic market data
A system and method are provided that, among other things, can reduce the burden on receiving computers, increase data throughput, reduce system failure, and provide components of a scalable and flexible network architecture. Specifically, the system and method provide a multichannel-multicast network environment for use in dynamically assigning data to channels. This configuration is particularly useful in a trading network environment, as it effectively performs channel reassignments in a way not to disturb the receipt of the underlying data. While the example embodiments described herein pertain to electronic trading, the principles of the present invention may be equally applied in other environments where the advantages presented herein are beneficial. |
| US08660937B1 |
Method, apparatus and system for advancing a bidder to a selected rank
Techniques for determining a suggested bid value that surpasses a selected bid are disclosed. A user selectable facility is provided. In response to receiving a selection event associated with the user selectable facility: (1) the value of the selected bid, which is other than the first ranked bid value, is established; (2) the suggested bid value is calculated by applying a predetermined minimum differential value to the selected bid value; and (3) the suggested bid value is conveyed to a user. |
| US08660928B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling portfolios
Systems and methods are disclosed which relate to the management of asset invested in a fund. The system includes a computer connected to a network which has constantly updated fund data available to compare a current fund with a plurality of possible new funds. The system automatically transfers from one fund to another according to user predetermined criteria. |
| US08660927B2 |
Collateralized loans with periodic draws subject to a triggering event
This document describes techniques for implementing a collateralized loan with periodic draws subject to a triggering event. These techniques include receiving funds from a client and establishing a credit line collateralized by the funds. The techniques may further include periodically dispensing an amount from the credit line upon occurrence of a predetermined event (e.g., the client's attainment of a certain age) and until death of the client. At the death of the client, any remaining funds may then be released to, for example, the client's estate. |
| US08660922B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for peer-to-peer third party distribution of gift cards and peer-to-peer transaction routing therefor
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for peer-to-peer third party distribution of gift cards and associated transaction processing are disclosed. In one method, a peer-to-peer gift card transaction router and a peer-to-peer gift card transaction database are configurable to facilitate peer-to-peer transaction processing for gift cards issued by a gift card provider and distributed by a third party seller where the gift card provider and the third party seller negotiate an agreement with each other regarding gift card distribution. A record is created in the database corresponding to the agreement. When a gift card transaction occurs, the record in the database is accessed and used to communicate notification of the gift card transaction from the gift card provider to the third party seller. |
| US08660919B2 |
Method for monitoring and reporting changes in the value of real estate
This invention discloses a process involving automatic notification to interested individuals of current real estate values. The process consists of a monitoring service entity, external data source, and end-user. The disclosed embodiments include a process whereby parties can be directly notified of real estate values or alternatively may initiate contact with the monitoring entity to receive data. |
| US08660917B2 |
Multipoint billing quality control and certification
A device is provided that includes a processor to: receive current billing information associated with an account of a customer; receive prior billing information associated with the account; compare the current billing information with the prior billing information; determine whether an inaccuracy exists in the current billing information based on the comparison; determine whether an inaccuracy exists in the current billing information due to improperly applied promotional information to the account; determine whether an inaccuracy exists in the current billing information due to an improperly applied set of rules to the account; correct, when one or more inaccuracies exist in the current billing information; the one or more inaccuracies; and create a final bill for the account based on the current billing information and the corrected one or more inaccuracies. |
| US08660914B2 |
Control of supply networks and verification of items
Methods and systems for use in enabling verification by entities on a path across a supply network of an item identification means traversing said path, the network comprising: at least one supplier entity able to introduce into the network an item identification means having stored therein an item identifier and a digital signature associated with said supplier entity, and to forward said item identification means along a path across said network; at least one intermediate entity able to receive said item identification means from said at least one supplier entity or from another intermediate entity in said network and forward said item identification means along said path; and at least one receiver entity able to receive said item identification means from an intermediate entity in said network. |
| US08660910B1 |
System for enabling electronic catalog users to create and share research data
Comparative decision systems and methods are disclosed for gathering and mining data representative of purchase decisions. One disclosed comparative decision system detects when a user is comparing items and provides the user with the ability to create a research note storing comparative information for the alternative items. The system displays information about items according to a variety of factors. The user can customize the factors and enter information for each alternative item according to the various factors. Some information may be pre-populated by the system. The research note may be made visible to other users, and may be suggested to another user based on the note's expected helpfulness and relevance to that user. One disclosed method for mining data stored within research notes identifies which factors are given higher relative priorities by users considering a purchase. Another mining method analyzes the effects of price changes on item popularity. |
| US08660903B1 |
Method and apparatus for placing interactive retail orders
A method and apparatus for providing local retailers, e.g., local restaurants, a network based interactive ordering service are disclosed. The network based interactive ordering service enables local retailers to display their menu online so that electronic orders can be placed by a subscriber of the network. If a selected item is not available, the network informs the subscriber in real time and alternative selections are displayed to the subscribers. The payment for the retail order is charged against the subscriber's network account, credit card account, or prepaid account. The approximate pick up or delivery time is also given to the subscriber at the end of the ordering process. |
| US08660901B2 |
Matching of advertising sources and keyword sets in online commerce platforms
Providing online advertisements includes selecting, among a plurality of advertising sources provided by a seller, a selected plurality of advertising sources that meet a predefined condition; generating a plurality of keyword sets that correspond to the selected plurality of advertising sources; establishing a programming model according to a set of predefined constraints, wherein the programming model represents match of the selected plurality of advertising sources and the plurality of keyword sets; and determining a substantially optimal match between at least some of the plurality of advertising sources and the plurality of keyword sets by solving the programming model. |
| US08660898B2 |
System and method for determining locations for placement of printed promotional material at point-of-purchase on a retail structure
A system and method of determining point-of-purchase placement locations for printed promotional materials on a retail structure includes loading, by a processing device from a database, data representative of a retail structure; determining a plurality of advertisement placement locations on the retail structure; determining a point-of-placement priority value for each of the plurality of advertisement placement locations; receiving an advertising campaign comprising data representing a plurality of advertising campaign items, each item including an associated item priority value; determining a location on the retail structure for each of the advertising campaign items based upon the item priority values and the point-of-placement priority values; and providing a report to an operator of the retail structure indicating where each of the advertising campaign items is to be displayed on the retail structure. |
| US08660897B2 |
Near-field communication enabled wearable apparel garment and method to capture geospatial and socially relevant data of a wearer of the wearable apparel garment and/or a user of a reader device associated therewith
A method includes providing, through a server device, a number of wearable apparel garments to an entity and monitoring readings of near-field communication tags associated with the number of wearable apparel garments procured from the entity through a number of reader devices of a corresponding number of another human mammals. The method also includes transmitting a profile information of the human mammal wearing the wearable apparel garment to the reader device of the another human mammal and/or a geospatial information of the reader device to the server device configured to collect information from the number of reader devices. Further, the method includes obtaining, through the server device and/or another server device, information related to market intelligence based on the transmitted profile information and/or the geospatial information. |
| US08660895B1 |
Method and system for rating of out-of-home digital media network based on automatic measurement
The present invention is a method and system for producing a set of ratings for out-of-home media based on the measurement of behavior patterns and demographics of the people in a digital media network. The present invention captures a plurality of input images of the people in the vicinity of sampled out-of-home media in a digital media network by a plurality of means for capturing images, and tracks each person. The present invention processes the plurality of input images in order to analyze the behavior and demographics of the people. The present invention aggregates the measurements for the behavior patterns and demographics of the people, analyzes the data, and extracts characteristic information based on the estimated parameters from the aggregated measurements. Finally, the present invention calculates a set of ratings based on the characteristic information. The plurality of computer vision technologies can comprise face detection, person tracking, body parts detection, and demographic classification of the people, on the captured visual information of the people in the vicinity of the out-of-home media. |
| US08660887B2 |
Method for visual presentation of key performance indicators of a business utilizing a squarified tree map including selectively displaying additional node data
In the process disclosed herein, data representing key performance indicators of a business are displayed by computer means as a squarified tree map containing major and minor nodes. Relative size, position, color and intensity of color of the node are used to form a display particularly appealing to the perceptive, intuitive, rather than cognitive, interpretive, processes of the human mind; thus enables users, such as managers of the business, to quickly assess the relative importance of large amounts of business data and thereby prioritize managerial action that may be necessary. Increasingly detailed information underlying each node may be displayed by panning over and zooming through a number linked displays, each of which may contain underlying, parallel and otherwise related data, thereby assist the user identify the specific cause or causes of a desirable or undesirable performance deviation. |
| US08660884B2 |
Method and system for estimating demand impact on a firm under crisis
Market demand is estimated for a firm under crisis, beginning with an operational demand forecast of a firm as input, correcting that forecast to account for the impact of a pandemic or other extraordinary market-disrupting circumstance, and providing a corrected operational demand forecast as output. The correction to account for the impact of an extraordinary market-disrupting circumstance is based on an estimated economic impact of the disruption and an estimated reduction of the firm's sales force attributable to the disruption. |
| US08660880B2 |
System and method for workflow enabled link activation
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and system for network-based workflow enabled project management that allows trade gateways to be established between a business entity and one or more trading partners. Embodiments of the invention facilitate, through the use of computer networks-based interfaces, the stages of assessment planning and assessing the readiness of partners, implementing the trade gateways, testing the gateways and migrating the gateways to production. Embodiments of the invention provide efficient on-boarding with a participant collaboration system, a consolidated view of readiness data of participants and activation schedules. A system embodying the invention also provides real-time reports with details of participant readiness assessment, integration plans, individual process implementation schedules for complete on-boarding status, and project management functionality comprising workflow alert capabilities. |
| US08660879B2 |
Method for processing a linked list of time segments
An appointment scheduling method and associated user interface wherein an overview of appointments of a patient, an overview of the agendas of involved resources and details on an instantiated appointment are displayed on a single screen permitting verification and confirmation of an instantiated appointment by the user. |
| US08660876B2 |
Document management system
The method, system and a computer program and a computer product for managing workers and documents is provided. The method includes storing industry representations and a list of workers with data related to the workers, linking the industry representations to the workers and selecting at least one worker from based on the industry representations for that worker. The method also includes scheduling workers to a job based on whether they have all of the required industry representations. In addition, the method includes uploading industry representations and bar code scanning industry representations into the database. The method further includes dispatching said industry representations to other users and automatically mapping fields of the dispatched data in the destination database. In addition, the method includes selectively encrypting only sensitive fields in data transmission between two entities. |
| US08660872B1 |
Systems and method for prioritizing real estate opportunities in a lead handling system based on lead quality and opportunity scores
Systems and methods for facilitating identification and prioritization of opportunities for marketers of goods and services. According to one aspect of the disclosed system, upon identification of one or more opportunities for a marketer, the system verifies whether or not the one or more opportunities satisfy certain preexisting threshold criteria. Those opportunities that satisfy certain preexisting threshold criteria are then scored, prioritized and presented to marketers. The disclosed system generates opportunity scores by analyzing various kinds of lead- and non-lead-based information and data. Aspects of the disclosed system are communicably coupled to marketers, leads, and third party information services to extract such information and data. |
| US08660870B2 |
Method and system for modeling a call center transformation process
A computer-implemented method, system and program product for modeling a business transformation process. In accordance with one embodiment, a transformation modeling tool receives as input multiple operational resource values associated with a specified transformation process. The operational resource values include at least one value expressed as a labor resource metric and at least one value expressed as a technology resource metric. The modeling tool comparatively processes the operational resource values with respect to one or more target operational resource values. Responsive to the comparative processing step, a cost value associated with the specified transformation process is generated. |
| US08660865B2 |
System and method for processing data related to life insurance policies issued prior to underwriting
A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of an application and an initial premium payment from a proposed insured for life insurance; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is uninsurable; responsive to a determination that the proposed insured is not uninsurable, generate an output signal having data indicative of a decision to respond to the application by issuing a policy and commencing a comprehensive underwriting process; receive data indicative of a result of the comprehensive underwriting process; based on the result of the comprehensive underwriting process, determine a rating of the proposed insured; and, based on the rating, provide an output signal indicative of a same or changed premium for the policy. |
| US08660863B2 |
Methods of offering and providing a variable life insurance product
A variable universal life insurance product that includes a death benefit and associated investment vehicles is selectively offered. A life insurance policy chassis is provided by an insurance company to an asset manager. The asset manager combines the life insurance policy chassis with one or more associated investment vehicles managed by the asset manager to form a variable universal life insurance product. The asset manager selectively makes the insurance product available to respective clients of the asset manager. The insurance company providing service for the death benefit and the asset manager providing service for the associated investment vehicles. |
| US08660862B2 |
Determination of healthcare coverage using a payment account
Healthcare insurance coverage is determined using an account within a payment processing system. A transmission addressed to the payment processing system is formed including an account number of an account associated with the payment processing system, a description of a healthcare related commodity rendered to a patient deriving healthcare insurance through an insured, and request for a specification of financial responsibility of the insured for the described said healthcare related commodity. A transmission is received from the payment processing system including the requested specification of financial responsibility. |
| US08660859B1 |
Systems and methods for executing an electronic pharmacy program that requires access to an electronic medical record
In a pharmacy computing network, executing an electronic pharmacy program that requires access to an electronic medical record (EMR) may include determining that the execution of the pharmacy program requires data that is accessible via an EMR of a patient. The EMR may be stored in a different computing network that supports a protocol different than a protocol supported by the pharmacy network. A request for the EMR data may be generated by pharmacy network using a first protocol. A response to the request that includes the EMR data may be received by the pharmacy network using the first protocol, where the EMR data was accessed by the different network using a second protocol. The electronic pharmacy program may be executed using the EMR data included in the response. The first protocol may be based on an NCPDP standard, and the second protocol may be based on an HL7 protocol. |
| US08660853B2 |
Application infrastructure platform (AIP)
Disclosed is an application infrastructure platform (AIP) having an application service provider (ASP) environment including multiple ASP systems providing application services to customers, and a common services environment including hardware and software and management systems providing to the ASP systems applications and integrated application, back-office, and management services used by the ASP systems in delivering their application services to their customers. In another aspect, the AIP is associated with a development and test bed environment which conducts product and service development and testing. |
| US08660850B2 |
Method for the semi-automatic editing of timed and annotated data
A method for editing timed and annotated data includes acquiring a multimedia data stream; performing a decoding operation upon the multimedia data stream, wherein the decoded data stream comprises a textual data stream; synchronizing the multimedia data stream and the decoded data stream by performing a time stamping operation upon the data streams; editing the decoded data stream; and realigning the time stamp data of the edited decoded data stream in order to synchronize the edited decoded data with the multimedia data stream. |
| US08660848B1 |
Methods and systems for detection from and analysis of physical signals
In the method of these teachings for detection of physical phenomena from or analysis of physical signals, an improved Empirical Mode Decomposition method decomposes physical signals representative of a physical phenomenon into components. |
| US08660846B2 |
User speech interfaces for interactive media guidance applications
A user speech interface for interactive media guidance applications, such as television program guides, guides for audio services, guides for video-on-demand (VOD) services, guides for personal video recorders (PVRs), or other suitable guidance applications is provided. Voice commands may be received from a user and guidance activities may be performed in response to the voice commands. |
| US08660840B2 |
Method and apparatus for predictively quantizing voiced speech
A method and apparatus for predictively quantizing voiced speech includes a parameter generator and a quantizer. The parameter generator is configured to extract parameters from frames of predictive speech such as voiced speech, and to transform the extracted information to a frequency-domain representation. The quantizer is configured to subtract a weighted sum of the parameters for previous frames from the parameter for the current frame. The quantizer is configured to quantize the difference value. A prototype extractor may be added to first extract a pitch period prototype to be processed by the parameter generator. |
| US08660839B2 |
System and method for leaving and transmitting speech messages
A system for leaving and transmitting speech messages automatically analyzes input speech of at least a reminder, fetches a plurality of tag informations, and transmits speech message to at least a message receiver, according to the transmit criterions of the reminder. A command or message parser parses the tag informations at least including at least a reminder ID, at least a transmitted command and at least a speech message. The tag informations are sent to a message composer for being synthesized into a transmitted message. A transmitting controller controls a device switch according to the reminder ID and the transmitted command, to allow the transmitted message send to the message receiver via a transmitting device. |
| US08660834B2 |
User input classification
Systems and methods of classifying user input are disclosed. The user input can be, for example, in the form of Roman characters. An ambiguous word (e.g., a word that is a non-pinyin word written in Roman characters and a valid pinyin word) can be identified in the user input. Contextual words (e.g., words adjacent to the ambiguous word) are classified as a pinyin context or a non-pinyin context. The ambiguous word is classified based on the context of the contextual words. |
| US08660833B2 |
Method, computer program product and apparatus for providing an interactive network simulator
An apparatus for providing an interactive network simulator may include processing circuitry configured to at least perform receiving an indication of messages or responses exchanged between a testing platform simulating one or more external systems and a system under test, storing data corresponding to the indications received, and providing for a visual display of information related to the indications received to a user interacting with the testing platform. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided. |
| US08660830B2 |
Machine emulator methods
Emulator computer program methods using an emulator module are disclosed. A computer program method includes a computer usable medium having computer readable program code for emulating a process of a machine having actuators and mechanical elements. The computer readable program code includes computer readable code instructions configured to display a graphical user interface having input fields corresponding to the actuators and mechanical elements, and to display a graphical representation of output response data of the machine using inputted parameters. Computer readable code instructions for receiving a plurality of parameters inputted into the plurality of input fields, and for emulating a mechanical operation of the machine using the plurality of parameters inputted into the plurality of input fields by simulating the programmable logic controller code are included. Output response data based on an emulation of the mechanical operation of the machine is generated and displayed. |
| US08660826B2 |
Method for determining ascending times in a diving computer, a diving computer and a computer program
A diving computer, a computer program, and a method for determining ascent time in a diving computer. Determining ascent time is accomplished by initially receiving initial data on the available gases and measuring the prevailing pressure and diving time. Then, based on information received in connection with the initial data, the gases are divided into at least primary (A) and secondary (B) gases, and an optimal dive plan is calculated based on the initial data of the primary gases (A), the prevailing pressure, and a surfacing model. |
| US08660825B2 |
Methods and systems for modeling a physical object
Methods and systems for modeling a porous physical object for layered manufacturing are provided. A model of an object includes geometric and material porosity models, each of which are divided into two-dimensional layer representations. Each two-dimensional layer represents a cross-section of the geometric model and material porosity model of the object, respectfully. The material porosity layer representations specify a material porosity variation for the layer. Geometric and material porosity contours of the model are created by iso-Z surface extraction for each layer. Using the contours, a boundary constrained line representation of each two-dimensional layer representation is generated using continuous space-filling fractal curves to characterize the material porosity variation for each two-dimensional layer. |
| US08660821B2 |
Designing utility networks for a geographic area
A method for use in designing a utility network to provide a utility to a geographic area. A computer system determines a demand point within the geographic area at which to provide the utility. The computer system also determines a source point to provide the utility to the utility network. A connection path through the geographic area is determined, connecting the source point to the demand point. In addition, a bill of materials may be generated, indicating a set of equipment required to convey the utility from the source point to the demand point along the determined connection path. |
| US08660820B2 |
Distortion cancellation using adaptive linearization
An adaptive distortion reduction system comprising: an input interface to receive a distorted signal comprising a distorted component and an undistorted component, the distorted component being at least in part attributed to an exogenous signal; and an adaptive distortion reduction module coupled to the input interface, to perform linearization based at least in part on the distorted signal and information associated with the exogenous signal, to obtain a corrected signal that is substantially similar to the undistorted component; wherein the adaptive self-linearization module includes: a first digital signal processor (DSP) that is adapted to obtain a filter transfer function that approximates a transfer function to be corrected; and a second DSP that is configured using configuration parameters of the first DSP. |
| US08660817B2 |
Hardware test and diagnosis system and method
There is provided a hardware test and diagnosis system including a diagnostic computer and a cellular communication device. The cellular communication device includes a peripheral chipset on a circuit board and a cellular baseband controller on the circuit board, wherein the cellular baseband controller is configured to execute an agent software on the circuit board. The agent software is configured to communicate with the diagnostic computer, the agent software further configured to communicate with the peripheral chipset, and provide a virtual communication channel between the diagnostic computer and the peripheral chipset. |
| US08660816B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for determining a hang state and distinguishing a hang state from an idle state
A system, method, and computer program product are described for distinguishing between a computing system that is hung in a hang state and systems that are in an idle or otherwise non-hang state which do not need intervention before regaining the ability to adequately process work. According to some approaches, heuristics are employed to perform hang and idle system detection and validation. Data representative of systems resources are analyzed and transformed in order to identify systems that are in a hang state. |
| US08660814B2 |
Package management system for tracking shipment and product integrity
A product integrity tracking shipping label includes a label body for attaching to a product to be shipped or to packaging containing the product. One or more movement monitoring configured with the label body detects a movement metric of the product. A microprocessor configured with the label body and in communication with the one or more movement monitoring devices time-tags the movement metric when the movement metric exceeds a pre-selected threshold. A product integrity tracking system includes a movement monitoring device with one or more sensors for attachment to a product or packaging containing the product. The movement monitoring device senses at least one movement event during handling of the product. A processor compares the movement event with a pre-selected event threshold, and time-tags and stores above-threshold movement events in a memory. Information in the memory is readable via an interrogation device during shipment or at product delivery. |
| US08660812B2 |
Methods for calibrating over-the-air path loss in over-the-air radio-frequency test systems
Calibration equipment for calibrating multiple test stations in a test system is provided. Each test station may include a test unit, a test chamber with an over-the-air antenna, and a radio-frequency (RF) cable that connects the test unit to the test chamber. Reference devices under test (DUTs) may be used to calibrate uplink and downlink path loss (e.g., OTA path loss, RF cable path loss, and variations of the test unit) associated with each test station. The reference DUTs may calibrate each test station at desired frequencies to generate a path loss table. Once calibrated, the test chambers may be used during production testing to test factory DUTs. During production testing, the transmit/receive power efficiency of each factory DUT may be calculated based on values in the path loss table to determine whether a particular production DUT is a passing or failing DUT according to pass/fail criteria. |
| US08660811B2 |
Estimating bit error rate performance of signals
A system for estimating bit error rates (BER) may include using a normalization factor that scales a BER to substantially normalize a Q-scale for a distribution under analysis. A normalization factor may be selected, for example, to provide a best linear fit for both right and left sides of a cumulative distribution function (CDF). In some examples, the normalized Q-scale algorithm may identify means and probabilistic amplitude(s) of Gaussian jitter contributors in the dominant extreme behavior on both sides of the distribution. For such contributors, means may be obtained from intercepts of both sides of the CDF(Qnorm(BER) with the Q(BER)=0 axis, standard deviations (sigmas) may be obtained from reciprocals of slopes of best linear fits, and amplitudes may be obtained directly from the normalization factors. In an illustrative example, a normalized Q-scale algorithm may be used to accurately predict bit error rates for sampled repeating or non-repeating data patterns. |
| US08660809B2 |
Method for accurate battery run time estimation utilizing adaptive offset values
A disclosed method comprises calibrating adaptive offset values in an open-circuit voltage lookup table, a temperature lookup table, and an age lookup table, and then determining a present charge of the battery utilizing an open-circuit voltage of the battery and a temperature of the battery, determining a low-voltage-alarm charge of the battery utilizing a discharge current of the battery and an age of the battery, and utilizing the present charge and the low-voltage-alarm charge to estimate the run time of the battery. Utilizing the open-circuit voltage, temperature, and age comprises looking up a present battery capacity, temperature coefficient, and ageing coefficient in lookup tables, and adjusting the present battery capacity, temperature coefficient, and ageing coefficient by the respective offset values adaptive to the battery. |
| US08660808B2 |
Method for accurate battery run time estimation utilizing load-condition voltage
A method for accurately estimating a run time of a battery utilized by an electronic device. The method comprises determining a starting battery capacity utilizing an open-circuit voltage of the battery, determining a battery capacity decline rate utilizing a load-condition voltage of the battery, and determining a low-voltage-alarm battery capacity during an active operation of the electronic device. The method further comprises utilizing the starting battery capacity, the battery capacity decline rate, and the low-voltage-alarm battery capacity to estimate the run time of the battery which may be determined by dividing the difference of the starting battery capacity and the low-voltage-alarm battery capacity by the battery capacity decline rate. One embodiment utilizes an open-circuit voltage lookup table, a load-condition voltage lookup table, and a low-voltage-alarm lookup table that are configured for use with a certain type of battery. |
| US08660807B2 |
Method of substation-control center two-level distributed nonlinear state estimation for power system
A substation-control center tow-level distributed grid nonlinear state estimation method is provided. RTU measurement data and PMU measurement data at each voltage level in each substation are collected. Performing a first three-phase state estimation is performed to obtain a first estimation result. Bad data from the RTU measurement data and the PMU measurement data are removed to estimate a state of a CB. A new CB island at each voltage level is formed, and a second three-phase state estimation for the new CB island is performed to obtain a final estimation result, in which the new CB island is a bus. The final estimation result is processed to obtain ripe data. And the ripe data, a part of the RTU measurement data and a part of the PMU measurement data are collected and a whole grid state estimation is performed. |
| US08660795B2 |
Navigation apparatus
A navigation apparatus has a road learning function. When a new road is learned and a new road link is connected to one of a map road link present in a ready-made map data and a previously-learned road link, the navigation apparatus designates the one of the map road link and the learned road link as a base link and generates a supplement link that extends along the base link from a base-link-side end point of the new road link to an end point of the base link. The navigation apparatus specifies an entrance link and an exit link connected to a process target point on the guidance route, and determines content of the route guidance by using the base link corresponding to the supplement link when the entrance link or the exit link is the supplement link. |
| US08660794B2 |
System and method for providing shared information about traveled road segments
A system and method splices into, or replaces routes identified based on road geometry with routes taken by the same user or other users to create alternate routes that may be selected by a user to display, for example, on a map or for which driving directions can be displayed. Communication of routes traveled by different devices may be received from a server or from another device. A naming convention for road segments and ordered paths of road segments is described. |
| US08660791B2 |
Fleet tracking method using unicast and multicast communication
A method of tracking a fleet of machines operating at a common worksite is disclosed. The method may include receiving at a central controller an unacknowledged message from communicating devices onboard the fleet of machines, the unacknowledged message including a current location of each of the fleet of machines determined by locating devices onboard the fleet of machines. The method may also include updating a location listing of the fleet of machines with the current location, and repetitively multicasting the location listing to the communicating devices. |
| US08660789B2 |
Hierarchical and exact fastest path computation in time-dependent spatial networks
With real-world spatial networks the edge travel-times are time-dependent, where the arrival-time to an edge determines the actual travel-time on the edge. To speed up the path computation, exact and approximate techniques for computation of the fastest path in time-dependent spatial networks are presented. An exact fastest path computation technique based on a time-dependent A* search can significantly improve the computation time and storage complexity of existing approaches. Moreover, for applications with which approximate fastest path is acceptable, the approximate fastest path computation technique can improve the computation time by an order of magnitude while maintaining high accuracy (e.g., with only 7% increase in travel-time of the computed path on average). With experiments using real data-sets (including a variety of large spatial networks with real traffic data) the efficacy of the disclosed techniques for online fastest path computation is demonstrated. |
| US08660785B2 |
Method and apparatus for diagnosing driving operation
An apparatus is provided for providing users diagnosis on driving operations in the same manner as diagnosing vehicle failures and for presenting evaluation with supporting data so that users may recognize their driving operations. The apparatus reads out driving data for a plurality of driving cycles from an electronic control unit on board the vehicle. The electronic control unit includes a memory for storing driving data representing fuel efficiency condition of the vehicle in accordance with driving operation by a user in each driving cycle of the vehicle. Charts are produced representing fuel efficiency condition for each driving operation by the user for each driving cycle, based on the read out driving data. The charts are output as comparison results for each one of the driving cycles. |
| US08660781B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling commuter groups
A commuter groups service (CGS) allows commuters to join commuter groups so that they are able to socialize while commuting. Through the commuter groups, the users may share commuting routes, traffic updates, road conditions, and other information. Group members may arrange car pools, short term riding arrangements, and may anonymously or directly contact each other. The CGS may collect group member position information, e.g. GPS information, to enable the CGS to calculate traffic conditions and to select location specific information for group members. The system may include an on-line service accessible through a computer or wireless networking device. The user may log into the CGS, create or modify a user profile, and join groups of their choosing. Groups may be associated with specific events or with getting to/from work. Commuter groups may be formed for commuters that use private vehicles and/or public transportation. |
| US08660776B2 |
Method for starting an internal combustion engine
A method for starting an internal combustion engine, in which a control unit starts at least one function at a specific crankshaft angle, the function being shifted from the start of the internal combustion engine until a final condition is reached by a relative angle to a later crankshaft angle. |
| US08660773B2 |
Control device for internal combustion engine which operates a throttle corresponding to a controlled variable
A delay time is provided in a calculation process until an instructed throttle opening is outputted after a required cylinder inside air filling efficiency is inputted. When calculation timing of a fuel injection quantity comes, an actual cylinder inside air filling efficiency which is achieved in a time ahead by the delay time from the present time is estimated by using an air response model. When a read-ahead time from the present time to closing timing of an intake valve exceeds the delay time, a change amount of the actual cylinder inside air filling efficiency which occurs by the time the read-ahead time elapses from a time point when the delay time elapses is estimated by using an air response model with a deviation between an estimated actual cylinder inside air filling efficiency after the delay time and a target cylinder inside air filling efficiency as a step input value. |
| US08660771B2 |
Method for detecting the opening of a thrust reverser for a jet engine of an aircraft
A method for detecting the opening of a thrust reverser for a jet engine of an aircraft is disclosed. According to the method, an operating parameter of the turbojet (1) is determined being responsive to the opening of a mobile element (2a, 2b) of the thrust reverser and reacting to such an opening by a sudden variation of the value thereof, the parameter is measured continuously and the mobile element (2a, 2b) is considered as being opened when the sudden variation is detected. |
| US08660769B2 |
Vehicle motion control system
A vehicle motion control system which is to be installed on a vehicle having a single front wheel, a right wheel and a left wheel. The control system includes: (a) a front-wheel steering device configured to steer the front wheel; (b) a braking device configured to apply a braking force to each of the wheels; and (c) a controlling device including a braking-force controlling portion configured to control the braking force that is to be applied to each of the wheels. The braking-force controlling portion includes a slip-management controlling portion configured, when the vehicle is to be braked in a direction-change situation that there is a change of a heading direction of the vehicle due to slip of at least one of the right and left wheels and/or when the vehicle is to be braked in a direction-change risk situation that there is a risk of the change of the heading direction of the vehicle, to execute a slip managing control, such that a magnitude of the braking force applied to the front wheel varies depending on a direction of turning of the front wheel. |
| US08660768B2 |
Device for controlling the driving dynamics of a vehicle
A device for controlling the driving dynamics of a vehicle, including at least one steering-angle sensor, one yaw-rate sensor, one acceleration sensor for measuring at least the transverse acceleration of the vehicle, as well as evaluation electronics for evaluating the signals supplied by the sensors, and for influencing a brake system and/or a drive of the vehicle as a function of the signals. According to the system, the steering-angle sensor, the yaw-rate sensor and the acceleration sensor are combined into one shared subassembly. |
| US08660765B2 |
Idle stop system for vehicles
In an idle stop system for an engine mounted in a vehicle, when it is determined predetermined stop conditions are met, the engine is automatically stopped. During the engine stop, when it is determined that predetermined restart conditions are met, the engine is automatically restarted. Further, it is determined whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the restart of the engine. When it is determined that the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the clutch mechanism is controlled into the connection thereof at and after a time instant when it is determined that the predetermined period of time has elapsed. Hence, the connected state of the clutch mechanism is realized after a controlled delay. |
| US08660761B2 |
Method of effecting simultaneous displacement changes in hydrostatic drive machine
A method is provided for controlling a gear ratio change in a hydrostatic drive machine. The hydrostatic drive machine includes a variable displacement pump and at least one variable displacement motor fluidly connected with the variable displacement pump. The method includes a step of determining a gear ratio rate of change corresponding to a change from a current gear ratio to a new gear ratio. Start and stop overlap gear ratios corresponding to the gear ratio rate are determined and define an overlap range. The current gear ratio is changed to the new gear ratio using electronic signals at least in part by simultaneously changing displacements of the variable displacement pump and the at least one variable displacement motor at gear ratios within the overlap range, and sequentially changing displacements of the variable displacement pump and the at least one variable displacement motor at gear ratios outside the overlap range. |
| US08660760B2 |
Method for using mining vehicle, arrangement in mine, rock drilling rig, and mining vehicle
A method for using a mining vehicle, arrangement in a mine, rock drilling rig, and mining vehicle. Tasks according to a work cycle are performed at work sites with a mining work device in a mining vehicle. At the work site, the vehicle is connected to an external electrical network. An energy storage of the vehicle is charged during the work cycle defined by a excavation plan, when the vehicle is at a work site. After the work cycle is done, electricity obtained from the energy storage is used in a transfer drive. |
| US08660758B2 |
Payload system with center of gravity compensation
The present disclosure is directed to a payload calculation system for use with a work implement having at least two linkage members. The payload calculation system may have at least one state sensor configured to measure a state of the at least two linkage members. The payload calculation system may also have a processing device in communication with the at least one state sensor. The processing device may account for changes in a center of gravity of each of the at least two linkage members. The processing device may also be configured to use the at least one state sensor to determine a mass of a payload moved by the work implement. |
| US08660756B2 |
Collision mitigation system
A collision mitigation system for a vehicle has a frame assembly including a pair of frame members extending longitudinally along opposite lateral sides of a vehicle. A bumper beam extends across forward end portions of the pair of frame members. The bumper beam has a curved asymmetrical profile for guiding movement of the vehicle during a front-end offset crash event. |
| US08660753B2 |
Control method of wheel alignment apparatus using motor driven power steering
The present invention relates to a control method of a wheel alignment apparatus using an MDPS, which determines whether or not to cancel center alignment control due to a trouble or error is preferentially determined prior to each control step and then performs control when wheels of a vehicle having an MDPS mounted therein are aligned, such that the trouble or error is preferentially considered in the control priority, thereby increasing driver's convenience and improving safety performance for protecting the driver. |
| US08660751B2 |
Electric power steering apparatus and control method therefor
An electric power steering apparatus comprises a charge-discharge circuit capable of configuring a circuit for charging an auxiliary power supply and a circuit for discharging a battery and the auxiliary power supply as well as configuring a discharge-preference circuit which enables only the discharge of the auxiliary power supply while avoiding the charge thereof. In the apparatus, a control circuit performs a power latch operation of carrying on control till the end of a predetermined period of time following an operation of turning off an ignition key, and also causes the charge-discharge circuit to configure the discharge-preference circuit thereby enabling steering assist accompanied by the discharge of the auxiliary power supply. |
| US08660736B2 |
Autonomous mobile device and method for navigating the same to a base station
A method of navigating an autonomous mobile device to a base station is provided. In the method, when a detector detects a navigating signal sent out by the base station, the mobile device rotates in a first direction until the detector fails to detect the navigating signal, and a first time point is set at this time. Then, the mobile device rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the detector fails to detect the navigating signal, and a second time point is set at this time. Afterward, the mobile device rotates in the first direction by a time computed based on the first and second time points to make the detector face the base station, and then, moves toward a direction pointed by the detector. |
| US08660732B2 |
Vehicle with external charging
A vehicle can be charged by receiving electric power from an external power supply apparatus (600) via a charging cable (450) and includes an inlet (220), a lid (250) for protecting the inlet (220), and an electricity storage device (110). The inlet (220) includes a C terminal (227) for detecting connection to the power supply apparatus (600) and a G terminal that is connected to the body earth of the vehicle (100). The lid (250) is configured to electrically connect between the C terminal (227) and the G terminal (223) when the lid (250) is closed. The vehicle (100) further includes a PLG-ECU (350) that detects whether the lid (250) is open or closed, based on the voltage of the C terminal (227). |
| US08660726B2 |
Torque blending systems for hybrid electric vehicles with electrically continuous variable transmissions
A hybrid control system for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) includes a hybrid control module. The hybrid control module includes a first motor control module that controls output torque of a first motor. A second motor control module controls output torque of a second motor based on a second motor torque request signal. The second motor torque request signal is generated based on a transmission output torque request signal prior to startup of an engine of the HEV. An override module generates a torque override request signal during the startup. The first motor control module controls output torque of the first motor to crank the engine during the startup. The second motor control module adjusts output torque of the second motor based on the torque override request signal and not the transmission output torque request signal during the startup to minimize vehicle jerk during the engine start. |
| US08660721B2 |
Method and device for controlling engine speed of an aircraft during a take-off
A device for controlling engine speed of a multi-engine aircraft includes a series of components for automatically controlling the speed of the engines during the take-off, so as to avoid discrepancies in the engine speeds. To this end, as long as all engines of the aircraft do not have, at least at given intermediary moment of the take-off, a driving parameter value equal to a preset intermediate value of the parameter, the speed of all of the engines cannot exceed an intermediate speed associated with the preset intermediate value. Thus, all engines must reach the intermediate speed so that the acceleration to a higher take-off speed can continue simultaneously for all engines. |
| US08660720B2 |
Method and device for determining a takeoff trajectory allowing to maximize the takeoff weight of an aircraft
A trajectory analysis device automatically determines an auxiliary takeoff trajectory including a curvilinear lateral profile, which allows to maximize the takeoff weight of the aircraft. To this end, the device includes an initial data generation device, an auxiliary takeoff trajectory determination device, and a display device. The crew of the aircraft may then review the optimized auxiliary takeoff trajectory. |
| US08660711B2 |
Method and system for deactivating a steering system of an aircraft'S front landing gear
A method for deactivating a steering system of a front landing gear of an aircraft, including detecting an activated status of the steering system, detecting a pilot control unit in neutral position, detecting towing conditions of the aircraft, detecting a rotational movement of the nose gear, and deactivating the steering system when operations to are verified. The disclosed embodiments also concern a system for implementing this method. |
| US08660707B2 |
Automatic cutoff apparatus
Disclosed is an automatic cutoff apparatus that automatically cuts off a power source in a space where people go in and out when it is confirmed that no one is in the space. The apparatus includes: an entrance sensor; at least one moving object sensor; a controller connected to the entrance sensor, the moving object sensor, and configured to cut off the resources in the specific object device when the entrance sensor senses a passage of a moving object but the moving object sensor does not sense a presence of the moving object. |
| US08660705B2 |
Irrigation system with soil moisture based seasonal watering adjustment
A soil moisture based irrigation system includes a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature and a stand alone weather station including at least one soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture based irrigation system further includes a stand alone soil moisture control unit operatively connected to the irrigation controller and the soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture control unit includes programming configured to calculate an estimated soil moisture requirement value using a signal from the soil moisture sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated soil moisture requirement value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health. |
| US08660700B2 |
Video-based system and method of elevator door detection
A video-based system detects the position of elevator doors based on video data provided by one or more video detectors. Based on the detected position of the elevator doors, a distance between the elevator doors can be determined. The operation of the elevator doors is controlled based, at least in part, on the detected distance between the elevator doors. |
| US08660694B2 |
Method for computer-aided movement planning of a robot
A method for computer-aided movement planning of a robot is provided, in which a trajectory for the movement of a spatial point assigned to the robot is planned in a fixed coordinates system. The spatial positions are translated from a plurality of spatial positions of the spatial point into respective configuration positions in a configuration room of the robot based on inverse kinematics. The respective configuration positions are described by axial positions of one or several rotatory or translational movement axes of the robot and are tested for collisions and a trajectory is formed along spatial positions of the spatial point, the respective configuration positions of which are collision-free. Planning the movement in a fixed coordinates system improves the efficiency of the planning method and the planned movement corresponds more to the expectations of the persons or the operating staff in the surroundings of the robot. |
| US08660692B2 |
Current alternating robot system and method of electric bus
The system includes a robot body and a main robot control platform. The robot body includes a mechanical part and an electrical control part. The mechanical part includes a horizontal moving unit, an objective carrying platform unit and a bearing unit which are arranged in X, Y and Z cartesian coordinate directions. The objective carrying platform unit includes an objective carrying platform and a battery drive mechanism arranged on the objective carrying platform. A battery pushing mechanism is arranged on the battery drive mechanism. The electrical control part includes a data collection device connected with a main control computer system, a power drive mechanism, an I/O model and a wireless communication model I. The wireless communication model I, the wireless communication model II of a control backend and the wireless communication model III in the remote control device wirelessly communicate with each other. |
| US08660689B2 |
Vending kiosk
An open merchandise, multi-cubicle display, vending kiosk, custom-fabricated from a plurality of visually open materials and sized to suit the products being sold. The kiosk provides a self-service customer purchase via a barcode scan or touch selector, payment facilitator, and integrated computer assembly with programming to control the kiosk. Also incorporated are audio components which attract customers to the kiosk and a webcam video device which observes the kiosk environment, serves the kiosk's security and can provide customer inquiries to a remote manager via a VoIP communication feature. When necessary, wireless Internet components connect the kiosk functions to process financial transaction services, or to a remote manager for the kiosk's inventory, records management, and programming functions. In addition to its vending attributes, the kiosk has a full closure curtain with a tubular motor which secures the kiosk after business hours. |
| US08660688B2 |
Automatic working device
An automatic working device according to an aspect of an embodiment includes a robot hand and a determining unit. The robot hand grips a target workpiece. The determining unit determines the type of the workpiece on the basis of a gripping operation for making the robot hand grip a gripped piece that indicates the type of the workpiece provided in a supply vessel that supplies the workpiece to the robot hand. |
| US08660684B2 |
Method of removing stock material from a workpiece by machining with a tool
A method of determining a desired power level (P) as a function of relative tool to workpiece position, thereby enabling adaptive control advantages that were previously inaccessible for machining, such as bevel gear grinding, from solid applications. Preferably, set point power is expressed as a function of specific power (P′, P″) and roll position (Q) for a generated gear or as a function of specific power and plunge position for a non-generated (i.e. Formate) gear. Specific power is defined and preferably remains as defined during machining even as process conditions vary during machining. |
| US08660683B2 |
Printer driver systems and methods for automatic generation of embroidery designs
Printer driver systems and methods for automatic generation of embroidery designs are disclosed. An example method includes identifying intersections of line segments from different ones of first polygonal objects, determining relationships between the line segments based on the intersections, removing a redundancy between at least two of the line segments, generating, using a computer, second polygonal objects based on the intersections and the line segments, and outputting, from the computer, embroidery data representative of the second polygonal objects. |
| US08660679B2 |
Augmented reality system
Technologies are generally described for a system for processing an augmented reality image. In some examples, an augmented reality system may include an augmented reality engine configured to provide an augmented reality image by integrating a real-world image and a virtual object, and a message processing unit configured to receive a message related to the virtual object and to translate spatial attributes of the virtual object into audio attributes of a sound file. |
| US08660677B2 |
Sound pressure level-aware music playlists
The present document relates to media players, such as portable electronic devices, vehicle audio systems, home stereo systems, etc. In particular, it relates to the management of the sound pressure level generated by portable electronic devices. A method and system for controlling the cumulated audio dose of a user of a media player is described. The method comprises the steps of determining the audio dose already consumed by the user and of selecting one or more media tracks for play back on the media player based on the audio dose of the media track and the already consumed audio dose of the user. |
| US08660669B2 |
Concurrent treatment of oral maladies using direct current electricity
A method and apparatus for the concurrent treatment of multiple oral diseases and defects while promoting general oral hygiene utilizing direct current electricity. Electrodes are used to deliver a direct current to the gingival tissues of a mouth in order to achieve a number of therapeutic, prophylactic, and regenerative benefits. These benefits include killing oral microbes, increasing oral vasodilation, improving oral blood circulation, reversing oral bone resorption, promoting oral osteogenesis, treating gum recession, and fostering gingival regeneration. Other benefits include the treatment of gingivitis, perdiodontitis, and oral malodor while also promoting general oral hygiene. |
| US08660668B2 |
Lead fastener
Lead electrode assemblies for use with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator subcutaneously implanted outside the ribcage between the third and twelfth ribs comprising the electrode. Example assemblies include appendages of various types for use during implantation including fins, pinholes, loops, tubes, openings and other means for attachment to an implant tool. Several embodiments include first and second faces on the electrodes such that a first face is configured to be implanted facing the ribcage of the patient and the second face has the appendage. |
| US08660666B2 |
Microburst electrical stimulation of cranial nerves for the treatment of medical conditions
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus for treating a medical condition in a patient using an implantable medical device by applying an electrical signal characterized by having a number of pulses per microburst, an interpulse interval, a microburst duration, and an interburst period to a portion of a cranial nerve of said patient, wherein at least one of the number of pulses per microburst, the interpulse interval, the microburst duration, or the interburst period is selected to enhance cranial nerve evoked potentials. |
| US08660663B2 |
Lead having a conductive polymer conductor
A medical electrical lead includes a conductive polymer conductor fabricated from a conductor-filled polyisobutylene urethane, urea or urethane/urea copolymer. |
| US08660661B2 |
Implantable electrode
The invention concerns an implantable electrode which includes at least one electrical conductor having a proximal connecting region for a pulse generator and at least one working electrode which can be connected to the pulse generator by way of the conductor. The implantable electrode includes at least one portion which contains elementary magnesium. |
| US08660660B2 |
Power scheme for implant stimulators on the human or animal body
A power scheme for an implant on a human or animal body comprises: a charging circuit to provide power to deliver controlled stimulation currents to a body tissue; a capacitive storage arrangement connected with the charging circuit and charged by the charging circuit; a shunting arrangement to limit voltage on the capacitive storage arrangement; a driver array configured to transfer charges from the capacitive storage arrangement to the tissue; and an electrode array connected with the driver array and the tissue. |
| US08660658B2 |
Speech processor cases
Apparatus and methods for converting one type of speech processor unit into another type of speech processor unit. |
| US08660654B2 |
Selective high frequency spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side effects, and associated systems and methods
Selective high-frequency spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side effects and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In particular embodiments, high-frequency modulation in the range of from about 1.5 KHz to about 50 KHz may be applied to the patient's spinal cord region to address low back pain without creating unwanted sensory and/or motor side effects. In other embodiments, modulation in accordance with similar parameters can be applied to other spinal or peripheral locations to address other indications. |
| US08660651B2 |
Electrical stimulation method for treatment of peripheral neuropathy
An electrical stimulation method for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the method utilizes an electrical stimulation device that includes a plurality of channels of electrodes each of which includes a first and second electrode positioned in electrical contact with tissue of a target region suffering from peripheral neuropathy. Agonist/antagonist muscles involved in abduction/adduction, flexion/extension, supination/pronation, protraction/retraction, and/or eversion/inversion in the peripheral body regions are stimulated with a patterned series of electrical pulses through channels of electrodes in accordance with a procedure for treating peripheral neuropathy. The patterned series of electrical pulses may comprise: a plurality of cycles of a biphasic sequential pulse train pattern; a plurality of cycles of a biphasic overlapping pulse train pattern; a plurality of cycles of a triphasic sequential pulse train pattern; and a plurality of cycles of a triphasic overlapping pulse train pattern. |
| US08660649B2 |
Multi-site cranial stimulation method and system
The method includes applying individual stimuli to different regions of a brain the application of specific stimulus signals to corresponding stimulation elements arranged adjacent to the regions of the brain. The method includes constructing one or more simplified models of the brain, or of one or more sectors of the brain, considering the brain or the sector thereof, as appropriate, as a non-linear coupled oscillating system, and includes determining the stimulus signals so that the latter are suitable for exciting one or more natural vibration modes of the non-linear coupled oscillating system. The system includes stimulation elements (E1, E2 . . . En) arranged adjacent to regions of a brain, and an electronic system in connection with the stimulation elements (E1, E2 . . . En) and intended for applying thereto corresponding stimulus signals and for determining same by applying the proposed method. |
| US08660648B2 |
Implantable and rechargeable neural stimulator
One aspect of the present subject matter relates to an implantable medical device. An embodiment of the device comprises a rechargeable power supply adapted to be recharged through an ultrasound signal, a neural stimulator connected to the rechargeable power supply, and a controller connected to the rechargeable power supply. The neural stimulator is adapted to generate a neural stimulation signal for delivery to a neural stimulation target through an electrode. The controller is further connected to the neural stimulator to control the neural stimulator according to a neural stimulation protocol. Other aspects are provided herein. |
| US08660647B2 |
Stimulating cranial nerve to treat pulmonary disorder
A method for stimulating a portion of a vagus nerve of a patient to treat a pulmonary disorder is provided. At least one electrode is coupled to at least one portion of a left vagus nerve and/or a right vagus nerve of the patient. An electrical signal is applied to the portion of the vagus nerve using the electrode to treat the pulmonary disorder. The electrical signal may perform a blocking of an intrinsic neural activity on said at least one portion of the left vagus nerve and said right vagus nerve. |
| US08660646B2 |
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulator
A tibial nerve stimulation device including a percutaneous electrode for inserting adjacent a stimulation site of a patient and a neurostimulator unit attachable to a transcutaneous electrode configured to be applied to skin adjacent the stimulation site. The neurostimulator unit includes a pulse generator electrically coupled to the percutaneous needle electrode and transcutaneous electrode and a microcontroller in communication with the pulse generator for monitoring a number of available treatment credits and activating the pulse generator, each available treatment credit corresponding to a treatment session and the pulse generator operable to be activated for performing the treatment session when the number of available treatment credits is at least one. A computer system is operable to communicate with the microcontroller of the neurostimulator unit for receiving a treatment credit request and transmitting the number of treatment credits purchased to the microcontroller of the neurostimulator unit. |
| US08660645B2 |
Electronic network components utilizing biocompatible conductive adhesives for direct body fluid exposure
An implantable passive or active electronic network component or component network is provided which is suitable for prolonged direct body fluid exposure and is attachable to a conductive surface, circuit trace, lead or electrode. The electronic network component or component network includes (1) a non-conductive body of biocompatible and non-migratable material, (2) a conductive termination surface of biocompatible and non-migratable material, associated with the body, and (3) a connection material of biocompatible and non-migratable material, for conductively coupling the termination surface to the conductive surface, circuit trace, lead or electrode. The electronic network component may include a capacitor, a resistor, an inductor, a diode, a transistor, an electronic switch, a MEMs device, or a microchip. A biocompatible and non-migratable adhesive is utilized to conductively couple components of the individual components of the electronic network, such as the conductive surface, circuit trace, lead or electrode. |
| US08660638B2 |
Syncope logbook and method of using same
Methods and systems are directed to acquiring and organizing information associated with at least one syncope event. A syncope event may be a suspected syncope event, a verified syncope event or a syncope event that is suspected and verified. Automated processes are used to collect information associated with at least one syncope event and organize the information as a syncope log entry. At least one of acquiring the information and organizing the information is performed at least in part implantably. |
| US08660635B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimizing a computer assisted surgical procedure
A method and apparatus for optimizing a computer assisted procedure is provided. A method and apparatus for performing a procedure is also provided. Data can be accessed and processed to optimize and perform a procedure. The data can be augmented or supplemented with patient specific data. |
| US08660633B2 |
Small animal imaging capsule and bed system
In a small animal imaging system (10) at least one modality (12) and a docking station (36) are provided. The docking station (36) provides a workspace (47) and docking ports (48) for preparation and holding of anesthetized animals that are awaiting imaging. For the duplication of positions, a subject mold (26) is provided that holds the subject in a reproducible position on a subject bed (16). Vital signs monitoring is also provided for subjects awaiting scans. The bed (16) includes fiducials (28) to aid in registration of like modality images and different modality images. A capsule (14) can encapsulate a single bed (16), or for tandem imaging, the capsule can encapsulate multiple-bed configurations, such as two, three, or four beds (16). For better positioning and ease of user access, a positioner (34) positions the capsule (14) from the rear of the modality (12). |
| US08660621B2 |
Mobile phone
A mobile device includes a first housing, a second housing, and a hinge assembly rotatably coupling the first housing to the second housing and enabling movement of the device between an open configuration and a closed configuration. When the device is in the open configuration, the first housing is planar with the second housing. |
| US08660619B2 |
Apparatus and method for replacing a battery in a portable terminal
An apparatus and method for replacing a battery in a portable terminal are provided, in which there are a main battery and an auxiliary battery, a cover removal sensor senses the removal of a battery cover, and a controller switches from the main battery to the auxiliary battery for supplying a power in response to the battery cover removal, wherein the auxiliary battery supplies the power to some component of the portable terminal under the control of the controller. |
| US08660617B1 |
WiMAX enhanced sleep mode
Power consumption is managed in a subscriber station of a communication system. The subscriber station is engaged in a sleep mode, including reducing a frequency of a system clock of the subscriber station. When the subscriber station receives, while in the sleep mode, a message having downlink transmission parameters while, the frequency of the system clock of the subscriber station is increased to process the message. After processing the message, the frequency of the system clock is reduced. |
| US08660616B1 |
Ambient sound-based call functions
A mobile communications device includes a computer processor and logic executable by the computer processor. The logic is configured to implement a method. The method includes calculating a decibel level of ambient noise. In response to receiving an incoming call from a calling device, and prior to activating a ringtone on the mobile communications device, the method includes determining that the decibel level exceeds a threshold value, and sending an automated response to the calling device in lieu of connecting the call to the mobile communications device. |
| US08660615B2 |
LCD backlight duration proportional to amount of information on the LCD display screen
This relates to a method for controlling illumination of a display screen on a mobile device. A light source is turned on to illuminate the display screen. An amount of information displayed on the display screen is identified. An amount of time to keep the light source turned on is determined based at least in part on the identified amount of information. The light source is kept turned on at a first intensity level for the amount of time and then turned to a second intensity level. |
| US08660613B2 |
System and method for providing messages on a wireless device connecting to an application server
A system and method for providing a message on the graphic display of a wireless device while the wireless device is connecting to an application download server across a wireless network. When the wireless device attempts to communicate with an application download server or changes files while navigating an application download server, a message is transmitted across the wireless network to the computer platform of the wireless device and displayed to the user of the wireless device. The message can be transmitted to the wireless device from the same application download server that the wireless device is attempting to connect to or navigate, or alternately, the message can be transmitted from another server on the wireless network. |
| US08660611B2 |
Base station apparatus and method
A base station apparatus includes a distribution unit configured to distribute control information on a per-segmented area basis, the segmented area resulting from segmentation of a coverage area into multiple segmented areas, a storage unit configured to store the control information corresponding to the segmented areas, and a determination unit configured to determine a distribution method for each of the segmented areas. The determination unit determines one of a distribution method of periodically distributing the control information corresponding to the segmented areas in the coverage area in charge of the base station apparatus and a distribution method of distributing the control information corresponding to a segmented area requested by a terminal apparatus in response to the requesting by the terminal apparatus. |
| US08660610B2 |
Self-configuring cellular basestation
A basestation 110 provides coverage for voice and data services within a building using GSM/GPRS and UMTS interfaces within existing networks, allowing use of existing mobile phones. The basestation also provides flexible interfacing to the network operator's core network 130 via the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) standards as opposed to the usual Iub (UMTS) or Abis (GSM) interfaces used by conventional cellular basestations. Backhaul from the basestation units is achieved through the use of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections over fixed telephone lines. This approach enables low-cost transport of data and voice using VoIP. |
| US08660608B2 |
Apparatus and methods for recordation of device history across multiple software emulations
Apparatus and methods for maintaining hardware history profiles for a software-based emulator. In one embodiment, the disclosed software-based emulator monitors the history of the actual hardware device in a secondary device history, the history of the emulated hardware is presented within a primary device history. However, the primary device history is linked to the secondary device history, and receives the device wear history therefrom. In another aspect of the present invention, wear-leveling strategies are disclosed for handling various update sizes. Unlike existing solutions which are optimized for a single SIM that receives small data updates; various embodiments of the present invention are suitable for handling varying data sizes. |
| US08660604B2 |
Method and system for a transceiver for bluetooth and near field communication (NFC)
Frequency conversion methods and systems for a transceiver for Bluetooth and near field communication. NFC data may be received and/or transmitted via the NFC radio and Bluetooth data may be received and/or transmitted via the Bluetooth radio. With an integration of frequency conversion for Bluetooth and NFC, both systems may operate from a single frequency source, thereby reducing part count and power consumption. Communication between Bluetooth and NFC channels may be enabled via a single chip. |
| US08660602B2 |
Intelligent communication with contact lists
A telecommunication device (e.g., mobile phone, smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, personal computer) and method are described herein that utilize multiple communication applications (e.g., phone call, SMS, email, social networking applications (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn . . . )) and a smart address book device (e.g., master contact list, user approved contact lists) to enable a user to send a communication event (e.g., voice call, SMS, email, social networking communication, multimedia session, web based real time communication session) to one or more recipients. |
| US08660599B2 |
Radio channel control method and receiving apparatus
A radio channel control method for controlling, in a radio communication system having a transmitter and a receiver, a radio channel from the transmitter toward the receiver. The method includes receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter by the receiver, measuring reception quality of the signal, generating information which indicates increment or decrement of the reception quality, and controlling a modulation or coding for the radio channel based on the information. |
| US08660596B2 |
Electronic apparatus and associated frequency adjusting method
An electronic apparatus includes a processing unit. The processing unit, when detecting a frequency offset between an radio frequency (RF) module and a corresponding base station (BS), controls an oscillator to change a frequency of a first reference clock signal outputted therefrom by a first frequency variation, and controls a compensation unit to change a frequency of a second reference clock signal outputted therefrom by a second frequency variation. Wherein the compensation unit receives and adjusts the first reference clock signal from the oscillator to output the second reference clock signal, and the frequency offset substantially equals the first frequency variation plus the second frequency variation. |
| US08660592B2 |
System and method for enhancing short message service (SMS) text messages
A method of assembling a communication system includes providing a short message service (SMS) system. The SMS system includes at least one SMS text message transmission device coupled in communication with at least one SMS text message receiving device. The method also includes configuring the SMS system to transmit to the at least one SMS text message transmission device an SMS text message that includes an SMS character string that includes at least one character defined to represent a predetermined priority of the SMS text message. The method also includes configuring the at least one SMS text message receiving device to notify a user of the predetermined priority of the SMS text message. |
| US08660588B2 |
Method and apparatus for forming a page message in a radio communication system
Apparatus and an associated method is provided for facilitating paging of an access terminal in a radio communication system. A page message with partial identities is generated that includes an access sequence ID. The access sequence ID is used by the access terminal when responding to a page. The access terminal sends an access probe using the access sequence ID included in the page. The page message includes a message structure with partial identities where the access sequence ID is conditionally included. If the access terminal is to use a regular pool of access sequence IDs, the access terminal is not sent an access sequence ID in the page. |
| US08660572B2 |
Method and apparatus for centrally managed allocation of bandwidth in a wireless network
A method for allocating bandwidth in a wireless network includes communicating wirelessly with at least one endpoint using a first frequency bandwidth. The method may also include receiving a measurement of a signal quality from the at least one endpoint and communicating an indication of the signal quality to a server. The method may further include receiving from the server a second frequency bandwidth based on the signal quality and a cost per unit of frequency bandwidth. The second frequency bandwidth may indicate an amount of frequency bandwidth to use in communicating wirelessly with the at least one endpoint. The method may additionally include communicating wirelessly with the at least one endpoint using the second frequency bandwidth. |
| US08660567B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and subcarrier assignment method
Wireless communication apparatus capable of increasing transmission efficiency by selecting data for scheduling according to data type, and capable of achieving low power consumption and high-speed signal processing is disclosed. With this apparatus, a control section (108) allocates transmission data sequence 1 to subcarriers of superior quality by carrying out scheduling for the transmission data sequence 1 based on CQI sent from communication terminal apparatus and required transmission rate information for each communication terminal apparatus, and allocates transmission data sequence 2 to preassigned subcarriers. Channel allocation section (115) allocates data for transmission data sequence 1 to subcarriers designated by control section (108). Channel allocation section (116) allocates data for transmission data sequence 2 to subcarriers designated by control section (108). |
| US08660564B2 |
Method and apparatus for routing voice traffic over a residential gateway
A system and method for managing voice communication between devices located within a local network and other devices. The present invention permits the managing and selective routing of voice communications over VoIP systems, circuit-based cellular systems and public switched telephone network systems based upon predefined criteria such as Quality of Service (QoS) considerations, geographic considerations, cost considerations and other factors. |
| US08660559B2 |
Method and apparatus for measurement reporting in carrier aggregation wireless communication systems
When detecting occurrence of an event for transmitting a measurement report of a radio condition of a cell at a frequency set for a base station apparatus, to the base station apparatus (3) communicating with a terminal apparatus (2), the terminal apparatus (2) in a wireless communication system (1) creates a measurement report including information indicating radio conditions of cells at a frequency at which the event occurred and at another different frequency. The base station apparatus (3) controls whether or not to perform handover of the terminal apparatus (2) to another cell, on the basis of the measurement report transmitted from the terminal apparatus (2). Thereby, there is provided a wireless communication system in which a base station apparatus and the terminal apparatus are communicable with each other using multiple frequencies, the wireless communication system being capable of shortening time required for handover. |
| US08660554B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for optimization of bearer resources for IMS roaming
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for optimization of bearer resources for IMS roaming are disclosed. According to one aspect a system for optimization of bearer resources for IMS roaming includes a home media resource function controller module (HMRFC) for managing local media resources and for selecting a visited media resource function controller module (VMRFC) to provide media resources to a home subscriber that is roaming in the visited network (“visiting subscriber”), and a VMRFC for managing media resources within the visited network and for providing media resources to the visiting subscriber in response to a request to provide media resources to the visiting subscriber. |
| US08660553B2 |
Method and system for bypassing called intelligence
The invention provides a method for bypassing intelligent services of a called user, applied in the case that a GMSC and VMSC are not the same MSC. The method comprises: the GMSC sending information to the VMSC as to whether the intelligent services of the called user are bypassed in the GMSC; the VMSC determining whether the intelligent services are bypassed in the GMSC, and determining whether the intelligent services are bypassed in the VMSC; and when the VMSC determines that the intelligent services are bypassed in the GMSC and are not bypassed in the VMSC, the VMSC not triggering the intelligent services; when the VMSC determines that the intelligent services are not bypassed in the GMSC and are bypassed in the VMSC, the VMSC sending a call release message to the GMSC. The invention further provides a system and VMSC for bypassing intelligent services of a called user. |
| US08660548B1 |
Multi-radio time base
A method including selectively operating a wireless local area network (WLAN) module of a first wireless device in a power save mode. The method includes, while not operating the WLAN module in the power save mode, communicating wirelessly with a second wireless device using the WLAN module. The method includes receiving, in accordance with a mobile phone protocol, base station time reference information from a base station. The method includes maintaining, at least while operating the WLAN module in the power save mode, a base station time reference based on the base station time reference information received in accordance with the mobile phone protocol. The method includes controlling, based on the maintained base station time reference, when the WLAN module exits the power save mode to permit the WLAN module to communicate with the second wireless device. |
| US08660547B2 |
Optimized energy consumption management in wireless base stations
A method, apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium include comparing two or more access points in a wireless communication network based upon one or more scenarios to minimize energy consumption, identifying one or more energy conservation constraints in the wireless communication network and controlling each of the two or more access points by selectively distributing traffic based upon the one or more energy conservation constraints. |
| US08660544B2 |
Mobile terminal, method of displaying data therein and method of editing data therein
A mobile terminal, method of displaying data therein and method of editing data therein are disclosed, by which an alignment sequence of data can be changed. The present invention includes a touchscreen displaying a first data and a second data thereon and a controller, if the second data is touched and dragged to the first data, the controller generating a single data file using the first and second data in a specific sequence based on a dragged position of the second data. |
| US08660543B2 |
Call management system
A method, performed by a user device, may include detecting an incoming call; determining whether the incoming call is associated with a very important person contact; directing the incoming call to a voicemail system, when the incoming call is not associated with a very important person contact; and providing, when the incoming call is associated with the very important person contact, an instant response message to a device associated with the incoming call without answering the incoming call. The method may further include providing reminder, including a ranked callback list of missed calls, to the user at particular intervals. |
| US08660538B2 |
Method of communicating business contact information to a wireless user
A method for providing business services to a customer via a wireless device used by the customer. The method includes asking a customer for a wireless telephone number associated with a wireless device used by the customer, receiving the wireless telephone number, storing the wireless telephone number, and sending the customer a short message service (SMS) message to the wireless telephone number, wherein the SMS message contains a phone number or universal resource locator (URL) that allows the customer to use the wireless device to interact with the business. |
| US08660535B2 |
Electronic devices that communicate via magnetically coupled and RF coupled communication circuits
An electronic communication device includes a RF wireless transmitter circuit that transmits a block of data to another communication device via RF signals transmitted at a first rate. A magnetically coupled receiver circuit receives a communication control signal from the other communication device via magnetic coupling thereto at a second rate which is less than the first rate, and is configured to respond to the communication control signal by selectively triggering the RF wireless transmitter circuit to transmit another block of data when available for transmission. An inductive charging circuit converts magnetic signals received from the other communication device into power, and supplies the power to the RF wireless transmitter circuit. The RF wireless transmitter circuit transmits data blocks in RF bursts. |
| US08660531B2 |
Access to locked functions
A mobile communications device can have a locked mode in which the mobile communications device is protected against unauthorized use. A mobile communications device includes device applications implemented by a software program or firmware program that enables an application to be temporarily operable or operable under certain conditions when the mobile communications device is locked. Device applications can include a camera enabled for image data acquisition and a microphone or an audio recorder or a microphone and an audio recorder enabled for audio data acquisition. Acquired image data and audio data can be stored locally to the mobile communications device or stored externally to the mobile communications device. The mobile communications device can be configured to operate applications under different conditions. The mobile communications device can be configured to display a message that applications have been operated while the mobile communications device was locked or in a locked mode. |
| US08660525B2 |
Method for segregating billable transactions in a multimode communication device
A system and method are disclosed for segregating transactions in a multimode communication device. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device (102) has a controller (206) for managing operations of a wireless transceiver (202) that supports a plurality of access technologies. The controller can be programmed to update (301) a phonebook stored in the communication device, wherein each entry in the phonebook comprises a calling number and one among a plurality of account designations, and submit (344) the phonebook to a network management system (110) for segregating (514) billing of incoming and outgoing calls directed to and from the communication device on each of the access technologies according to a corresponding account designation retrieved (510) from the phonebook according to said calls. |
| US08660521B1 |
Systems and methods for providing renewable wireline and wireless services and goods
Methods for provisioning wireline or wireless services and goods to at least one prepaid or postpaid customer in a communications network are provided. In one such method, a request is received for at least one service or good from a prepaid customer and it is determined based upon the request if sufficient funds are available to pay for the requested service and, if not, a warning message is sent to the customer. If funds are available a payment for the requested service or good is deducted form the customer's account, the account balance is updated, and an authorization is sent to the service node for that facilitates the requested service or good. Upon receipt of the authorization, the service node is permitted to access the requested service or good in accordance with a parameter. Other similar methods are provided for postpaid customers. |
| US08660516B2 |
Emergency notification method and a node
A network controller node is configured to transmit an emergency message to a mobile station within a cell of an access point connected to the network controller node within a telecommunications network. The network controller node receives information of the mobile station and determines a location of the mobile station based on the received information. In addition, the network controller node receives an emergency notification comprising an indicator indicating an affected area and determines that the mobile station is within the indicated affected area based on the determined location. The network controller node then transmits the emergency message via the access point to the mobile station in the cell. |
| US08660513B2 |
Method and system for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, and transforms for same, and aperture relationships
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, and combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal are described herein. Briefly stated, in embodiments the invention operates by receiving an EM signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles (½, 1½, 2½, etc) of the carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a hasehand information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal. |
| US08660510B2 |
Apparatus for receiving analog baseband signal
Provided is a receiving apparatus for processing an analog baseband signal in an information terminal that communicates using a dielectric. The receiving apparatus includes an electrode for receiving an electric-field signal; a first gain adjuster for gain adjustment by amplifying the received signal; a channel selection filter for selecting a signal corresponding to a receive channel bandwidth from the gain-adjusted signal; a second gain adjuster for gain adjustment by amplifying the selected signal; a comparator for converting a signal output from the second gain adjuster into a digital signal; an oversampler for oversampling the digital signal at a frequency fClock higher than a receive channel frequency fSignal; a demodulator for demodulating the oversampled signal; and a clock generator for providing necessary a clock signal to the oversampler and the demodulator. |
| US08660504B2 |
Method for controlling the transmission power of a transmitter system integrated in an electronic housing of a motor vehicle, and electronic housing thus obtained
Method for regulating the transmission power of a transmitter system (2, 5-7) incorporated in an electronic module (1) of an automobile. A transmitter system (2, 5-7) is produced which includes an amplification stage (2, 5) having an adjustable amplification gain. Furthermore, in a phase prior to the operation of the electronic module, a compensation table is stored for each type of transmitter system, which is representative of the amplification gains to be applied to maintain a constant transmission power according to the value of external parameters representative of the environment of the transmitter system, and the value of the offset of the amplification stage is stored for each electronic module. Finally, during the operation of an electronic module, the amplification gain is adjusted so as to compensate the offset of the amplification stage, and according to the environment by the use of the compensation table. |
| US08660501B2 |
Wireless communications circuitry with simultaneous receive capabilities for handheld electronic devices
Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry has simultaneous reception functions that allow the handheld devices to simultaneously receive multiple communications signals in a single communications band. The handheld electronic devices may include cellular telephones with music player functionality or other portable devices. The handheld electronic devices may have local wireless communications capabilities for supporting local wireless links such as WiFi and Bluetooth links. Using the simultaneous reception functions of the wireless communications circuitry, users of the handheld electronic devices can simultaneously receive signals such as WiFi and Bluetooth signals. |
| US08660497B1 |
Beamsteering in a spatial division multiple access (SDMA) system
A method in a communication network includes obtaining a description of a first communication channel associated with a first receiver; obtaining a description of a second communication channel associated with a second receiver; and generating a steering vector using each of the description of the first communication channel and the description of the second communication channel; where the steering vector is used to transmit first data to the first receiver via a plurality of antennas over the first communication channel simultaneously with second data being transmitted to the second receiver via the plurality of antennas over the second communication channel. |
| US08660495B2 |
Accessory display system
Embodiments of the present invention disclose an accessory display system. According to one embodiment, the system includes an external accessory display and a portable electronic device. Furthermore, the portable electronic device is configured to power and transmit data to said display for remote viewing by an operating user. |
| US08660494B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for configuration automation
Methods and apparatuses for automated configuring of user preferences. In one aspect of the present invention, a method to operate a data processing system, includes: detecting whether or not a portable device is connected to the data processing system; and automatically configuring one or more user preferences of the data processing system according to an identity of the portable device in response to a change in whether or not the portable device is connected to the data processing system. In one aspect of the present invention, call forwarding of at least one of a land line phone and a mobile phone is automatically configured when the mobile phone is brought close to the land line phone or when the mobile phone is taken away from the land line phone. |
| US08660491B1 |
RF-based system for close-proximity data and energy transfer
A wireless data and energy transfer system includes transmitting and receiving devices. The transmitting device includes a transmitting device controller and an RF transceiver, a proximity sensor, and a memory module each connected to the transmitting device controller, and a transmitting antenna connected to the RF transceiver and having a diagonal dimension, D. The receiving device includes a receiving device controller, an RF memory module connected to the receiving device controller, and a memory antenna connected to the RF memory module. The transmitting device controller is configured to simultaneously transfer data from the memory module to the RF memory module and RF energy from the transmitting antenna to the memory antenna when the proximity sensor senses the receiving device within a distance less than or equal to the distance D from the transmitting device. |
| US08660490B2 |
Wireless hardware device for detecting relations of distance, and system for monitoring relations of distance between wireless hardware devices
Described herein is a wireless device, provided with: a transceiver module, which transmits data packets that have a transmission-power level selectable from among a number of power levels and include information of the transmission-power level, and receives data packets from surrounding devices; and a control unit, which is connected to the transceiver module and controls the transmission and reception of the data packets by the transceiver module. The control unit carries out processing operations on the data packets received from the surrounding devices in a detection time interval in order to determine proximity relations between the wireless device and said surrounding devices. |
| US08660488B2 |
Communication device
A communication device includes: a first communication interface configured to perform a first wireless communication with a first counterpart device; a second communication interface configured to perform a second wireless communication with a second counterpart device; an identification information acquiring module configured to acquire identification information unique to the second counterpart device from the second counterpart device by the second wireless communication performed by the second communication interface; and a transmission controller configured to perform a control so that data is sent to the second counterpart device that is identified by the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring module by performing the first wireless communication with the second counterpart device according to the first communication method. |
| US08660484B2 |
Filter using a transmission line as a delay line
Methods and systems for a configurable finite impulse response (FIR) filter using a transmission line as a delay line are disclosed and may include selectively coupling one or more taps of a multi-tap transmission line to configure delays for one or more finite impulse response (FIR) filters to enable transmission and/or reception of signals. The delays may be configured based on a location of the one or more selectively coupled taps on the multi-tap transmission line. The FIR filters, which may include one or more stages, may be impedance matched to the selectively coupled taps. The multi-tap transmission line may be integrated on the chip, or a package to which the chip is coupled. The multi-tap transmission line may include a microstrip structure or a coplanar waveguide structure, and may include ferromagnetic material. The distortion of signals in the chip may be compensated utilizing the FIR filters. |
| US08660481B2 |
Techniques for providing broadcast services on spot beam satellites
Techniques for providing broadcast services on spot beam satellite are provided. These techniques enable the mission of a spot beam satellite system to be changed from providing spot beam transmission to broadcast transmissions, and vice versa, without requiring that the satellite be reconfigured. Broadcast data may be encoded and transmitted concurrently on a plurality of spot beams. According to some embodiments, the broadcast data may be encoded using a space-time code and/or forward error corrected (FEC) encoded to enable a receiver to correct errors in the signal received from the spot beam satellite. |
| US08660479B2 |
Digital radio broadcast receiver, broadcasting methods and methods for tagging content of interest
A digital radio broadcast system includes a processing system that receives first audio content, first program data identifying a first item for the first audio content, second audio content, and second program data identifying a second item for the second audio content such that a start of the first program data is received at the processing system within 0.5 seconds of a start of the first audio content. A digital radio broadcast signal including the audio content and the program data is processed for digital radio broadcast transmission via a transmitter. The processing system stops delivery of the first program data to the transmitter upon receipt of the second program data, the first program data thereby being truncated, and begins delivery of the second program data to the transmitter. A digital radio broadcast receiver can tag content of interest based on a user command registered at the receiver. |
| US08660478B2 |
Vehicle media and communications access
Methods, systems, devices and/or apparatus relate to vehicle media and communications systems and/or providing communications network and/or satellite network access in a vehicle. Specifically, the disclosed methods, systems, devices and/or apparatus relate to providing access to data, communications and/or satellites using a modular vehicle media and communications system. |
| US08660476B2 |
Image formation device
An image formation device is configured such that a feed roller and a discharge roller are rotated in a first direction so that the sheet is fed from the fixing unit to the discharge opening at a first speed V1, in a second direction so that the sheet is fed from the discharge opening to the diverging point at a second speed V2 if the entire sheet has reached a discharge opening side with respect to the diverging point, and the feeding speed is changed to a third speed V3 if the sheet has reached a position where it is nipped by the sheet feed rollers after the sheet was started to be fed at the second speed V2. |
| US08660473B2 |
Intermediate transfer device, image forming apparatus and secondary transfer method
An intermediate transfer device including an intermediate transfer body having a primary transfer portion and a secondary transfer portion which bears a secondary image formed by transferring a primary image from an image bearing member; a pair of secondary transfer rollers having a secondary transfer roller and a support roller provided in contact with each other via the intermediate transfer body at the secondary transfer portion, which transfers the secondary image to a recording medium at the secondary transfer portion; a variation detection device that detects an amount of variance occurring to a transfer rotation body when the recording medium is transferred to the secondary transfer portion; and an adjustment device that adjusts the distance between the pair of the secondary transfer rollers according to the amount of variance detected by the variation detection device. |
| US08660470B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus including the same
A developing device includes first and second developer carriers facing each other in a facing region, a regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of developer, and a separation member. The first and second developer carriers respectively include first and second magnetic members that are respectively magnetized with first and second facing magnetic poles having opposite polarities. The separation member separates the developer so that the developer is supplied toward the first and second developer carriers. The separation member is disposed such that distances between the separation member and the first and second developer carriers are the smallest in a region in which a magnitude of a combined magnetic field of the first and second magnetic poles locally decreases as compared with a case where at least one of the first and second developer carriers is independently disposed due to interaction between the first and second facing magnetic poles. |
| US08660469B2 |
Toner delivery system for a shake-free toner cartridge
A toner delivery system for a shake-free toner cartridge comprises a toner paddle assembly having a plurality of scrapers. A main scraper scrapes toner adhering to interior surfaces and directs toner from a first region of the toner reservoir into the opening in a first portion of the front of the housing. A secondary scraper positioned adjacent with the main scraper scrapes and directs toner from a second region of the toner reservoir into the first region. A side scraper scrapes toner adhering to interior surfaces of respective side walls of the housing. |
| US08660464B2 |
Image-forming apparatus
An image-forming apparatus is equipped with a neutralization light source that is disposed between a primary transfer position and the cleaning unit, in a direction of rotation of the first image carrier that composes the image-forming unit; irradiates a first neutralization light from a position opposing the primary transfer position on a first image carrier up to a position opposing the cleaning unit; and irradiates a second neutralization light from a position opposing the developer unit for a second image carrier that composes an image-forming unit disposed adjacent to the image-forming unit at a downstream side in the direction of transfer belt rotation, up to a position opposite the primary transfer position. |
| US08660463B2 |
Image forming apparatus having structure for securing removable unit
An image forming apparatus includes a main body that includes a first engagement part, a first unit configured to be removably installed in the main body, and a second unit configured to be removably installed in the main body. The first unit includes a frame, a pivot shaft formed on the frame, a grip part that is rotatable around the pivot shaft and that includes a second engagement part that is configured to engage with the first engagement part, a pivot shaft hole that is configured to receive the pivot shaft, and a user operable operation part. When the second unit is laid on the first unit, the second unit presses the operation part and causes the grip part to rotate in a first direction such that the second engagement part engages with the first engagement part. |
| US08660460B2 |
Developing device
A developing device is provided which includes a developer carrier configured to carry developer and rotate, a developing frame configured to rotatably support the developer carrier, and a seal member disposed between the developing frame and an end portion of the developer carrier in an axial direction of the developer carrier. The seal member includes a base and a mesh textile disposed on top of the base and configured to contact the developer carrier. The mesh textile includes interlacing warp threads and weft threads such that there are spaces between adjacent warp threads and adjacent weft threads. |
| US08660458B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a detachable toner particle collecting unit
An image forming apparatus includes a first air flow duct for guiding air including flying toner particles created in the image forming apparatus, a second air flow duct having a fan for exhausting cleaned air to an exterior of the image forming apparatus, and a toner particle collecting unit arranged between the first air flow duct and the second air flow duct. The toner particle collecting unit includes a cyclone separator including a cyclone main body, an air flow inlet, and an outlet tube. The cyclone separator centrifuges the toner particles from the air including toner particles and exhausts the cleaned air through the outlet tube. The apparatus further includes a toner particle collection box, mounted under the cyclone separator, and an air channel section for guiding the cleaned air from the outlet tube to the second air flow duct. The toner particle collecting unit is detachable. |
| US08660457B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a duct, a fan, a filter, and a guide duct. Air flows through the duct from an intake port in a front face of an apparatus body toward a first exhaust port in a rear face of the apparatus body. The fan takes in and exhausts the air via the intake port and the first exhaust port. The filter removes a foreign object from the air. The guide duct is provided at the rear face and covers one of the first exhaust port and a second exhaust port from which exhaust air containing an odorous component is exhausted. The second exhaust port is provided at the rear face. The guide duct guides the exhaust air from one of the exhaust ports upward in a vertical direction while keeping the exhaust air separated from a passage of the exhaust air from the other exhaust port. |
| US08660456B2 |
Imaging forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, an image forming portion for forming a toner image using an electrophotographic process, an air supply opening for fluid communication between an inside and an outside of the main assembly, and an air supply device for supplying ambient air into the main assembly through the air supply opening. In addition, an exhausting device discharges air from inside of the main assembly, and a mounting portion selectively mounts, to the air supply opening, one of a cooling device for taking the ambient air in and for decreasing a temperature of the air taken in, and a cover for partly blocking the air supply opening and forming an air passage portion. When the cooling device is mounted to the mounting portion, the air supply device supplies the cooled air into the main assembly, and when the cover is mounted to the mounting portion, the air supply device supplies the ambient air directly into the main assembly through the air passage portion of the cover. When the cooling device is not mounted to the mounting portion, a control device continues air supply from the air supply opening irrespective of a detected temperature, and when the cooling device is mounted to the mounting portion, the control device controls on and off of the cooling device on the basis of an output of the detecting device, and on and off supply of air from the air supply opening in interrelation with the cooling device. |
| US08660454B2 |
Image forming apparatus with developing unit drawer
An image forming apparatus includes installation/separation of a high-voltage connector to apply high-voltage current to a developing unit, a connector to transmit developing information, and a coupling connector to connect or disconnect a coupling to transmit power to rollers of the developing unit is performed as a drawer is pushed into or pulled out of a main body. |
| US08660451B2 |
Cleaning apparatus and image forming apparatus
A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P1, and the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet is made P2, the contact pressure changing section changes the contact pressure to satisfy the conditional formula: (P1 |
| US08660448B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a developing apparatus, a developing bias supply power source, a control section for controlling a developing bias, a density sensor, and an arithmetic section. When an image density adjustment operation is performed, the arithmetic section determines a print-time developing bias in accordance with a detection result obtained by detecting, by the density sensor, a plurality of image density adjustment toner images formed by changing a developing bias. The print-time developing bias is set by the control section when printing is performed. also, In a case where a previous print-time developing bias falls within at least a low range of a predetermined range of the developing bias, the arithmetic section determines the print-time developing bias to a value between a reference developing bias for a target image density and the previous print-time developing bias. |
| US08660446B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A blade is configured to come into contact with a belt disposed at a position of a separation suspension roller to remove a patch image. A push-up unit disposed adjacent to the separation suspension roller is configured to push up a surface of the belt to separate a recording member. In this configuration, when a patch image is transferred to a transfer unit, separation of the push-up unit from the belt is carried out prior to timing in which the blade comes into contact with the belt so that the patch image can be removed. |
| US08660443B2 |
Systems for detecting low toner in an electro-photographic toner cartridge
An electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes an optical emitter positioned to emit a light beam through a window into a reservoir holding toner toward a reflective surface in the reservoir as a paddle positioned within the reservoir rotates. An optical receiver is positioned to sense an amount of the light beam reflected by the reflective surface. At least one processor is configured to receive a signal related to the amount of light sensed by the optical receiver. The at least one processor includes computer executable program instructions including: instructions for calculating an average value for the signal for each of a plurality of sets of paddle revolutions, instructions for calculating a variation value for the signal for each of the plurality of sets of paddle revolutions, instructions for filtering each variation value to determine a plurality of short term variation values, instructions for monitoring whether at least one short term variation value exceeds a first threshold, and instructions for signaling that a toner level in the reservoir is low when the at least one short term variation value exceeds the first threshold. |
| US08660439B2 |
Digital automatic gain control apparatus and method in burst mode optical receiver
A transimpedance amplifier for a burst mode optical communication converts a burst current signal into differential output voltage signals. Using a multi-level digital AGC mechanism, the transimpedance amplifier is rapidly adapted to a burst signal whose amplitude varies in a wide range. By using an adaptive level detection method, a multi-level digital AGC can be implemented without using ADC. In addition, because the transimpedance amplifier uses a selective reset generation scheme that performs a reset operation for itself after a high power burst, a burst mode operation can be performed without external reset signals. Accordingly, the transimpedance amplifier can be integrated with an optical detector within a TO-can. Furthermore, the transimpedance amplifier can have the burst mode capability and the best sensitivity. |
| US08660437B1 |
Minimizing distortion due to wavelength dependent loss in WDM optical networks
A fiber optic network reduces distortion present in modulated optical signals received at an optical receiver from an optical transmitter via a fiber optic link. The optical receiver analyzes a received modulated optical signal, where the wavelength of the received signal is periodically varied at the transmitter around a center wavelength over a wavelength range. Based on the analysis, the receiver generates a link transmission curve indicative of the optical power of the received signal over the wavelength range. The network disclosed herein subsequently uses the link transmission curve to reduce the distortion caused by misalignment between the operating wavelength of a transmitter laser and a peak power wavelength at the peak power of the link transmission curve. For example, the transmitter may adjust the laser operating wavelength based on a control signal received from the receiver and generated at the receiver based on the link transmission curve. |
| US08660435B2 |
Optical power distribution system
A system for delivering optical power over optical conduits includes more than one optical power source and an optical power distribution node configured for selectively delivering optical power to multiple optical power sinks. |
| US08660434B2 |
Printed circuit board and optical transmission device
A printed circuit board includes a substrate, a signal output circuit formed on the substrate for outputting a clock signal, a shield for covering the signal output circuit, a power supply wiring for connecting the signal output circuit and a power source, and a trap filter provided to the power supply wiring and provided inside the shield, for attenuating a frequency component corresponding to a frequency of clock signal. The trap filter includes a resonance circuit having one portion of the power supply wiring, an inner-layer wiring of the substrate located below the one portion of the power supply wiring, an inner-layer ground wiring of the substrate located below the inner-layer wiring, and a via hole for connecting the one portion of the power supply wiring and the inner-layer wiring. |
| US08660432B2 |
Image-rotation prisms and optical interconnects employing the same
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a family of image-rotation prisms. Each image-rotation prism has the property that as an image-rotation prism is rotated, an image passing through the image-rotation prism rotates at twice the angular rate of the image-rotation prism. Embodiments of the present invention include optical systems that can be used for board-to-board communications and employ the image-rotation prisms to compensate for arbitrary axial rotations and misalignment of optical signals and can be used to direct optical signals output from transmitters on one board to particular detectors of a detector arrangement located on an adjacent board. |
| US08660431B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing communication using a terahertz link
A method and apparatus for establishing a terahertz link using a multi-element lens array that comprises a liquid lens are disclosed. For example, the method receives detected terahertz signals from one or more detectors, where a liquid lens is deployed with each of the one or more detectors. The method determines, for each of the detected signals, if the detected signal is out of focus, and applies a corrective voltage to each liquid lens that corresponds to a detected terahertz signal that is out of focus, wherein the corrective voltage adjusts a focus of the detected signal. The method measures a signal-to-noise ratio of the detected signals, and establishing a terahertz link via at least one of the detected terahertz signals with a highest signal-to-noise ratio. |
| US08660426B2 |
Optical signal to noise ratio monitoring technique and system
For determining OSNRreal of a real optical signal carried in an optical network link, the following has been proposed: tapping a portion of the real optical signal, altering the tapped signal portion by adding to it in-band artificial noise signal, thus obtaining a combined signal, scattering the combined signal by stimulated Brillouin or Raman scattering (SBS or SRS) in an optical element, extracting a signal back reflected by SBS/SRS from the optical element, determining OSNRcomb of the back reflected signal and deriving the OSNRreal from the OSNRcomb knowing absolute and/or relative power of the added artificial noise. |
| US08660425B2 |
Optical transmitting device and optical receiving device
There is provided an optical transmitting device including a detector to detect a transmission rate of a transmission signal, a transmission method selector to determine a transmission method of the transmission signal, based on the transmission rate detected by the detector, a modulation signal generator circuit to generate a modulation signal from the transmission signal, based on the transmission method determined by the transmission method selector, and an optical modulator to generate a modulated optical signal from the modulation signal generated by the modulation signal generator circuit. |
| US08660424B2 |
Scalable high speed gigabit active bundle link and tester
A scalable signal processing test device and related signal processing techniques are provided herein for processing signals at a signal processing module of the scalable signal processing test device. Source electrical signals are processed to generate test electrical signals that model electrical signals produced by an optical module from received optical signals in accordance with a high speed optical standard for optical transmission. The test electrical signals are transmitted over transmit links to a host device that is configured to receive the test electrical signals in a format that would normally be produced by an optical module in accordance with the high speed optical standard. The test electrical signals are received after they have been looped back from the host device over receive links from the host device. The host device is a device that is configured to output the test electrical signals in a format suitable for processing by an optical module in accordance with the high speed optical standard. The test electrical signals received from the host device are analyzed in order to determine whether the host device outputs the one or more sets of test electrical signals in compliance with the high speed optical standard. |
| US08660423B2 |
Circuit, system and method for monitoring an optical fiber network
The present invention is related to a front-end circuit for an optical communication system including a laser module arranged for transmitting bursts of data signals over an optical network and a driving circuit for providing the bursts of data signals to the laser module. The front-end circuit further includes receiver means in connection with said laser module and arranged for receiving from the optical network optical echo signals. The laser module includes a laser diode arranged for transmitting the bursts of data signals. The driving circuit is arranged for setting a disabling signal for stopping the laser diode from transmitting bursts of the data signals. Fiber-related information can be extracted from the echo signals, such as distance-resolved optical fiber reflections and fiber attenuation. |
| US08660419B2 |
Lens barrel and camera system
A lens barrel includes a fixed portion with an optical system including a focusing lens. An operation member is placed so as to be movable to first and second positions along an optical axis of the fixed portion, and turnable around the optical axis at the first and second positions. A turning member turns along with the operation member when moved to the second position, and does not operate with the operation member when moved from the second position to the first position. Positioning means position the operation member at the first or second position through a plurality of balls. When the operation member is at the first position it is urged to the first position by the plurality of balls. When the operation member is at the second position, it is urged to the second position by the plurality of balls. |
| US08660415B2 |
Intravenous fluid warming system
A fluid warming device may include a housing comprising a main body, a heat exchange body receiving compartment, and a cover movably coupled to the main body between an open position and a closed position; a heater assembly disposed within the main body and having a heat conducting surface disposed proximate the heat exchange body receiving compartment; and a heat exchange body removably disposable in the heat exchange body receiving compartment of the main body and having an input port and an output port to couple the heat exchange body to tubing to flow a fluid to be warmed through the heat exchange body. In another aspect, a fluid warming system increases or decreases power to a heater assembly to adjust the fluid temperature to ensure that the fluid is at an appropriate temperature when it reaches the patient. |
| US08660413B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamic content play list creation
Systems and associated methods for dynamic content play list creation are described. A fastplay application provides for dynamic play list generation, using feature categorization and local storage to present a set of custom play list(s) that are tailored to a user's preference(s). The settings may be stored locally on the media player storage device such that the preference(s) can be utilized across titles. |
| US08660412B2 |
System and method for dynamically adjusting recording parameters
Content receivers may be configured to simultaneously record multiple instances of content for multiple programming channels based on content provider instructions. Systems and methods utilize the content receivers to dynamically adjust recording parameters to account for instances of content with a start time and/or end time that falls outside of predefined recording parameters. The dynamically adjusted recording parameters may adjust the number of channels recorded and/or instances of content recorded. The content receiver may compare programming information received at a processing unit with predefined recording parameters and may dynamically adjust the recording parameters based on the comparison. The content receiver may generate on screen display content to include information on the dynamically adjusted recording parameters and may transmit the on screen display content to a content display device for notifying the user of the dynamically adjusted recoding parameters. |
| US08660411B2 |
Display device
Disclosed is a display device that makes recording and scheduling programs chosen by a user simpler than was conventionally possible. While viewing a broadcast program of any channel on the display device, a user gives an instruction for different-channel program guide display (S1). The display device displays different-channel programs broadcasted at the time as a list (S2). In that state, the user presses down the cursor button of a remote controller (S3), the position of the cursor is changed (S4), and the user press down a record button (45) (S5) to start recording the program at the cursor position (S6). |
| US08660407B2 |
Method and system for altering the presentation of recorded content
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and system for altering a presentation of recorded content. More specifically, embodiments provide an accurate and efficient mechanism for suppressing advertisements by using downloaded templates to identify advertisements before suppression for a duration indicated by information downloaded about the advertisement, where the suppression is effectuated by controlling a display, set-top box or personal video recorder using remote-control functionality. In one embodiment, a digital signal representing the recorded content is accessed. Thereafter, a plurality of templates are received and stored, wherein each template represents a known portion of the recorded content. The digital signal is then compared against a portion of the plurality of stored templates. Upon a match, a control signal operable to alter a component of a presentation of the recorded content is generated. |
| US08660403B2 |
Content continuous-reproduction device, reproduction method thereof, and reproduction control program thereof
According to one embodiment, a reproduction device includes a presenter, a repository, and a reproduction controller. The presenter presents a metadata group including a plurality of items of metadata to a first display, allows selection of the metadata from among the metadata group, and receives selected metadata. The repository holds the metadata received by the presenter. The reproduction controller obtains moving image on the basis of the metadata held in the repository, and outputs the moving image to a second display. When the metadata are selected from among the metadata group in the presenter while the is output by the reproduction controller, the presenter outputs the selected metadata to the repository and obtains a metadata group further related to the selected metadata without interrupting the which is output by the reproduction controller, and thereafter presents this obtained result to the first display. |
| US08660400B2 |
Imaging apparatus and method of starting the same
When a power source 22 is turned on, recording management information is obtained from a recording medium 70 and the obtained recording management information is analyzed. Whether or not recording of new image data on the recording medium 70 is possible is determined, based on the analysis result. If it is determined that recording the new image data on the recording medium 70 is possible, reception of recording start input that allows the image generation unit and the media management section respectively to generate and record the new image data generation of the new image data by an image generation unit 104 and recording of the new image data on the recording medium 70 is permitted. |
| US08660396B2 |
Multi-cladding optical fiber, optical fiber module, fiber laser, and fiber amplifier
Provided is a multi-cladding optical fiber which includes: a core with an average refractive index n1; and a cladding including an inner cladding with an average refractive index n2 formed on the periphery of the core, an intermediate cladding with an average refractive index n3 formed on the periphery of the inner cladding, and an outer cladding with an average refractive index n4 formed on the periphery of the intermediate cladding where n1>n2>n3>n4. Two or more axisymmetric modes exist in the core at a wavelength of the signal light; the two or more axisymmetric modes including a fundamental mode and at least a high-order mode. When the fiber is bent at a predetermined bending diameter, the high-order mode in the core disperses within the inner cladding due to coupling with an inner cladding mode, so that only the fundamental mode substantially propagates through the core. |
| US08660393B2 |
Cables with bend insensitive optical fibers
Fiber optic cables and methods of manufacturing fiber optic cables are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a fiber optic cable includes a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber optic cable also includes strength material having a relatively long lay length, the strength material surrounding the plurality of optical fibers and a polymer jacket surrounding the strength material. Each of the optical fibers is configured to exhibit a bend-induced optical attenuation of less than or equal to about 0.5 dB when wrapped one turn around a 10 mm mandrel at a wavelength of 850 nanometers. |
| US08660392B2 |
Optical cable and optical cable system
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an optical cable and an optical cable system, where the optical cable includes an SZ-shaped optical cable skeleton and a plurality of optical fiber units. Skeleton slots is recessed in a periphery of the optical cable skeleton, and the plurality of optical fiber units is grouped and respectively disposed in the corresponding skeleton slots, thereby having the advantages of being easy to strip and draw, high reliability, and long lifetime. Moreover, the optical fiber does not need to be connected when being diverged on floors during installation, thereby reducing the fusion splicing/termination connection time, simplifying the optical cable wiring, greatly reducing deployment cost of an Optical Distribution Network (ODN), and speeding up the scale deployment of the FTTX ODN; in addition, interference among the optical fibers is avoided when the optical fibers are drawn, thereby increasing reliability of the optical fibers after installation. |
| US08660387B2 |
Athermal ring optical modulator
An athermal ring optical modulator includes a first clad layer, a ring optical resonator, a second clad layer, an input-output optical waveguide, a first conduction type region, and a second conduction type region. The ring optical resonator has a rib optical waveguide with a convex portion formed on a semiconductor slab layer. The semiconductor slab layer is formed on the first clad layer. The second clad layer covers an upper side of the rib optical waveguide. The input-output optical waveguide couples optically with the ring optical resonator. The first and second conduction type regions are formed in the semiconductor slab layer inside and outside the ring optical resonator, respectively. In addition, the second clad layer includes a material having a negative thermo-optical coefficient. The semiconductor slab layer outside the convex portion is thinner than the semiconductor slab layer inside the convex portion. |
| US08660383B1 |
System and method of aligning images
A system and method is provided for aligning images of one resolution based on both features contained in the images and the alignment of related images of a different resolution. |
| US08660380B2 |
Method and system for performing two-dimensional transform on data value array with reduced power consumption
In some embodiments, a method for performing and a system configured to perform a 2D transform (for example, an inverse discrete cosine transform) on each block of a sequence of data blocks, where the 2D transform includes a row transform and a column transform. To perform the row or column transform on a row or column of data, these embodiments determine whether each of different subsets of the data values comprising a partition of the row (column) includes at least one zero value, whether each of different subsets of a first subset of the partition includes at least one zero value, and whether each of different subsets of at least one other subset of the partition includes at least one zero value. When performing the row (column) transform on each row or column that includes at least one zero value and at least one non-zero value, at least one transformation operation on at least one zero value is bypassed or performed in a reduced-power manner, where such transformation operation would otherwise be performed in a manner consuming full power if the zero value were a non-zero value. In some embodiments, the system is a pipelined video decoding system or other video processing system (or a video processing subsystem of a portable media player or other system) including a transform engine implemented in accordance with the invention. Other aspects are transform engines and transform engine circuitry for use in any embodiment of the system. |
| US08660379B2 |
Image processing method and computer program
To obtain an output image where contrast relating to the luminance of an input image has been adjusted. In an image processing method for adjusting the luminance value of each pixel contained in an input image, first, a closed region β(x, y) made up of a plurality of pixels in the input image is demarcated as a target region, and the target region is moved within the input image by predetermined pixel units. At this point, a maximum value and a minimum value of luminance energy defined as a luminance arrangement in the target region are calculated, and difference data of the luminance energy is calculated (step S4). Next, the difference data calculated in step S4 is adapted to the input image to generate an output image (step S6). |
| US08660378B2 |
Image evaluating device for calculating an importance degree of an object and an image, and an image evaluating method, program, and integrated circuit for performing the same
Provided is an image evaluation apparatus for evaluating each of a plurality of images, the images including objects that each belong to a cluster. The image evaluation apparatus calculates (i) a first value pertaining to an object appearing in an image (for instance, the first value indicates a frequency at which the object appears in the plurality of images) according to a cluster that the object belongs to and (ii) a second value pertaining to the object (for instance, the second value indicates an occupation degree of the object in the image) according to an appearance characteristic that the object exhibits in the image. The image evaluation apparatus further calculates, according to the first value and second value, an importance degree of the object and an importance degree of the image. |
| US08660377B2 |
Method and apparatus to prioritize video information during coding and decoding
A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information. |
| US08660370B1 |
Principal component analysis based seed generation for clustering analysis
Clustering algorithms such as k-means clustering algorithm are used in applications that process entities with spatial and/or temporal characteristics, for example, media objects representing audio, video, or graphical data. Feature vectors representing characteristics of the entities are partitioned using clustering methods that produce results sensitive to an initial set of cluster seeds. The set of initial cluster seeds is generated using principal component analysis of either the complete feature vector set or a subset thereof. The feature vector set is divided into a desired number of initial clusters and a seed determined from each initial cluster. |
| US08660362B2 |
Combined depth filtering and super resolution
Systems and methods for increasing the resolution of a depth map by identifying and updating false depth pixels are described. In some embodiments, a depth pixel of the depth map is initially assigned a confidence value based on curvature values and localized contrast information. The curvature values may be generated by applying a Laplacian filter or other edge detection filter to the depth pixel and its neighboring pixels. The localized contrast information may be generated by determining a difference between the maximum and minimum depth values associated with the depth pixel and its neighboring pixels. A false depth pixel may be identified by comparing a confidence value associated with the false depth pixel with a particular threshold. The false depth pixel may be updated by assigning a new depth value based on an extrapolation of depth values associated with neighboring pixel locations. |
| US08660361B2 |
Image processing device and recording medium storing image processing program
An image processing device includes a storage unit that stores dictionary information; a generating unit that extracts, from an input image, a plurality of characteristic point candidates, and generates a plurality of combinations that each include a plurality of characteristic point candidates; a removing unit that removes, for each of the combinations, at least one characteristic point candidate based on at least one of the dictionary information and information obtained by analyzing the input image; and a determining unit that acquires, for each of the combinations, results of matching the dictionary information with the combination of which the at least one characteristic point candidate has been removed, selects a combination of characteristic point candidates based on the acquired matching results, and determines, as the characteristic points, the plurality of characteristic point candidates included in the selected combination. |
| US08660358B1 |
Rank-based image piling
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selectively providing images. In one aspect, a method includes receiving image data that specify feature values for a plurality of images. The image data include, for each image, location data that specify a geographic location for the image. A group of images in which each image has location data specifying a geographic location that is within a threshold distance of a reference location are selected. Pairs of matching images are selected from the group of images. A reference image for the geographic location is selected from the pairs of matching images. Data that cause presentation in a map space of a photo collection image that includes a visual representation of the reference image are provided. The photo collection image is presented in the map space and at a map position for the geographic location. |
| US08660357B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method, and computer program
An overlap determining unit determines whether or not a stamp character string is readable using image data of a stamp image and image data of a scan image read by a scanner unit when the stamp image and the scan image area overlapped. A stamp image generating unit generates a correction stamp image obtained by correcting the stamp image to improve readability of the stamp characters when it is determined that the stamp characters are not readable. A synthesis image generating unit generates a synthesis image in which the correction stamp image and the scan image are overlapped. A printer unit forms the synthesis image on a printing medium. |
| US08660353B2 |
Function-based representation of N-dimensional structures
A method for modeling an object, particularly suited to complex objects such as anatomical objects, and manipulating the modeled object in a CAD environment includes obtaining volumetric scan data of a region and segmenting the scan data to identify a first object to produce a first set of signed distance values on a grid. Wavelet analysis of the first set of signed distance values provides a function-based representation of the object. A signed distance value model of a second object is obtained, and one or both sets of signed distance values are manipulated to perform a CAD operation. |
| US08660352B2 |
Quality assessment of images with extended dynamic range
Given a set of two images with visual dynamic range (VDR), wherein the second image is an approximation of the first image, a standard dynamic range (SDR) equivalent peak value (EPV) is computed, wherein the EPV is smaller than the maximum pixel value of the first VDR image. An image assessment metric for the second image is computed using the EPV and an error measurement between the first image and the second image. The EPV may be computed using image statistics (e.g., mean and standard deviation) derived from the first VDR image or, if available, from its corresponding SDR image. |
| US08660348B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
An information processing apparatus that suppresses occurrences of color conversions not intended by the user. Information on affected regions for individual color conversion processes applied to an image is stored in the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus determines whether or not the affected region of a color conversion process that the user is attempting to apply overlap an affected region of a color conversion process that has already been applied, and if so, informs the user by, for example, displaying the affected regions on a chromaticity diagram. |
| US08660346B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer readable medium for image processing
An image processing apparatus includes a first calculating section that calculates a non-contour degree for pixel of a processing target image data, a second calculating section that calculates a thin line degree for pixel of the processing target image data, a region extracting section that extracts a thin line or non-contour region based on the non-contour degree and the thin line degree and a color value extracting section. The color value extracting section extracts a color value within a range of a predetermined number of colors based on a color used in the thin line or non-contour region extracted by the region extracting section in the processing target image data. |
| US08660340B2 |
Defect classification method and apparatus, and defect inspection apparatus
A defect classification method to classify defects by using a classifier having a binary tree structure based on features of defects extracted from detected signals acquired from a defect inspection apparatus includes a classifier construction process for constructing the classifier by setting a branch condition including defect classes respectively belonging to groups located on both sides of the branch point, a feature to be used for branching, and a discriminant reference, for each branch point in the structure based on instruction of defect classes and feature data respectively associated therewith beforehand. The process includes a priority order specification process for previously specifying target classification performance of purity and accuracy for each defect class, whole and in worst case, with priority order, and an evaluation process for evaluating whether the specified target classification performance under the branching condition is satisfied and displaying a result of evaluation, every item. |
| US08660333B2 |
Functional imaging
A method includes determining, via a processor, functional information about tissue of interest in image data for a functional image acquisition based on reference information generated based on non-tissue of interest. |
| US08660331B2 |
Method and a system for assessing the relative pose of an implant and a bone of a creature
A method and a system assess a relative pose of an implant and a bone of a patient. The method includes: acquiring multiple medical X-ray images of the bone with the implant preliminarily mounted to the bone; providing a database of virtual 3D implant models and selecting the implant used; fitting the virtual implant to the medical X-ray image; selecting a bone model; and fitting the chosen bone model to the medical X-ray image. The system and method now allow directly in the operation room to assess the relative pose of the implant and the bone/bone fragments by a comparison of the medical image and the respective virtual image both having the same orientation in view. The resulting image is an image of the matching virtual 2D image of the implant used and the real medical image taken from the C-arm X-ray device. |
| US08660330B2 |
High efficiency computed tomography with optimized recursions
A system comprising: one or more transmitters to transmit an excitation energy into an object under observation; one or more detectors to generate projection space data encoding an energy received by the one or more detectors in response to the transmitted excitation energy into the object under observation; a controller to control the one or more transmitters to transmit the excitation energy and the one or more receivers to generate the projection space data; and an image reconstructor having at least one processor to receive the projection space data and to process the projection space data by: computing a first quantity characterizing a difference between the projection space data and predicted projection data, wherein the difference between the projection space data and predicted projection data is associated with a projection gain; recording, in a data storage device, a first data encoding the difference; computing a revised first quantity based on recorded first data from preceding iterations; computing an update value using the revised first quantity; and reconstructing an object space image representing the object under observation using the update value. |
| US08660318B2 |
Living body information registration method, biometrics authentication method, and biometrics authentication apparatus
A vein authentication apparatus registers vein data and vein characteristic amounts, determines comparison order at vein data identification time by sorting records in descending order of degree of similarity on the basis of vein characteristic amounts for comparison and the registered vein characteristic amounts, and makes vein data comparison in accordance with the comparison order. The vein authentication apparatus uses 32 frequencies obtained by performing a Fourier transform, 12 angles obtained by performing a Fourier transform, curvature directions in 36 angle areas, segment directions in 18 angle areas, and a vein amount as the vein characteristic amounts. By doing so, the accuracy of comparison order is improved and a comparison using a record for which a degree of similarity is low can be omitted. As a result, the speed of a comparison process and the maximum number of pieces of living body information which can be registered can be increased. |
| US08660317B2 |
Object image detection method and object image detection device for detecting an object image from an input image
An object image detection device is disclosed that is able to rapidly detect an object image from an input image without a great deal of computation. The object image detection device includes an object image classification unit for determining whether the object images are included in an image having a given orientation, an image orientation detection unit for detecting orientation of the input image, an image rotation unit for rotating the object image classification unit according to the detected orientation of the input image, and a detection unit for detecting the object images from the input image by using the rotated object image classification unit. |
| US08660312B2 |
Quantitative differential interference contrast (DIC) devices for computed depth sectioning
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for computing depth sectioning of an object using a quantitative differential interference contrast device having a wavefront sensor with one or more structured apertures, a light detector and a transparent layer between the structured apertures and the light detector. The method comprises receiving light, by the light detector, through the one or more structured apertures. The method also measures the amplitude of an image wavefront, and measures the phase gradient in two orthogonal directions of the image wavefront based on the light. The method can then reconstruct the image wavefront using the amplitude and phase gradient. The method can then propagate the reconstructed wavefront to a first plane intersecting an object at a first depth. In one embodiment, the method propagates the reconstructed wavefront to additional planes and generates a three-dimensional image based on the propagated wavefronts. |
| US08660311B2 |
System for assessment reflective objects along a roadway
A system for the assessment of reflective surfaces disposed along a roadway repeatedly illuminates an area along the roadway that includes at least one reflective surface using a light source. Multiple light intensity values are measured over a field of view which includes at least a portion of the area illuminated by the light source. A computer processing system is used to identifying a portion of the light intensity values associated with a reflective surface and analyze the portion of the light intensity values to determine assessment for that reflective surface. In one embodiment, a virtual nighttime drive through along a roadway is simulated using a plurality of intensity values to simulate reflections from each reflective surface disposed along the roadway during the virtual drive through. |
| US08660308B2 |
Methods and apparatus for detecting a composition of an audience of an information presenting device
Methods and apparatus for detecting a composition of an audience of an information presenting device are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes: capturing at least one image of the audience; determining a number of people within the at least one image; prompting the audience to identify its members if a change in the number of people is detected based on the number of people determined to be within the at least one image; and if a number of members identified by the audience is different from the determined number of people after a predetermined number of prompts of the audience, adjusting a value to avoid excessive prompting of the audience. |
| US08660305B2 |
Method and apparatus for removing a visual object from a visual data stream
Methods and apparatuses for removing a visual object from a visual data stream. A live visual data stream containing present and subsequent images is received. A visual object is selected by defining a contour. A binary mask based on said contour is determined. Starting at the coarsest layer, regions outside the mask for replacing a region within the mask are selected. The region within the mask is replaced by content of the selected regions. The selecting and the replacing are successively repeated at each of the finer layers of the resolution pyramid finishing at the finest layer. The repeated replacing is also based on the content replaced at the next coarser layer. The step of determining a binary mask, calculating a resolution pyramid, and repeated selecting and repeated replacing are repeated for the received subsequent image. The repeated replacing is also based on the content replaced in the preceding image. |
| US08660300B2 |
Apparatus and method for optical gesture recognition
An optical gesture recognition system is shown having a first light source and a first optical receiver configured to receive reflected light from an object when the first light source is activated and output a first measured reflectance value corresponding to an amplitude of the reflected light. A processor is configured to receive the first measured reflectance value and to compare the first measured reflectance value at first and second points in time to track motion of the object and identify a gesture of the object corresponding to the tracked motion of the object. |
| US08660297B2 |
Cooker and control method thereof
Provided are a cooker and a method of controlling the cooker. An image of food scanned by an image sensor is corrected, and thus, can be free from distortion due to vapor generated while cooking the food in a cooking chamber. Accordingly, a user can more accurately recognize a cooking state of the food. |
| US08660289B2 |
Multiple receiver venting system
An earphone housing has a sound output port to be inserted into an ear. Multiple drivers are located in the housing. Each driver has a respective motor and a respective diaphragm. The diaphragm of one of the drivers is vented but that another is not. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08660287B2 |
Seamless headsets and related systems and methods of manufacture
Seamless headsets and related systems and methods of manufacture are provided. In this regard, a representative headset includes: an earpiece assembly having a ribbon cable portion and an earpiece portion; the ribbon cable portion having a body and multiple elongated conductors, the body being formed of electrically insulating material; the earpiece portion extending from a distal end of the body, the earpiece portion being configured as a contiguous extension of the insulating material of the body such that the earpiece assembly exhibits a seamless transition from the ribbon cable portion to the earpiece portion. |
| US08660286B2 |
Speaker system
A speaker system includes a case defining a center hole and a body surrounding the center hole, an electroacoustic transducer received in the center hole of a case, and a microphone. The body of the case defines a sidewall, a bottom extending outwards from the sidewall, and a projecting element extending upwardly from the bottom and opposite to the sidewall. A slot is formed between the projecting element and the sidewall, and the microphone is positioned in the slot. |
| US08660284B2 |
Hearing aid
This hearing aid comprises a main body case (1), a battery case (7) provided so that it can be pulled from inside the main body case (1) to outside of the main body case (1), a control device (14) that is actuated by electromotive force of an air battery (8) housed in the battery case (7), a microphone (4) and speaker (3) electrically connected to the control device (14), and a switching portion for cutting off power from the air battery (8) to the control device (14) in conjunction with manipulation that pulls at least part of the battery case (7) out of the main body case (1). A magnet (11) that blocks off air holes (10) in the air battery (8) is provided to the bottom part of the (7). The magnet (11) closes off the air holes (10) in conjunction with manipulation that pulls at least part of the battery case (7) out of the main body case (1). |
| US08660282B2 |
Amplification circuit and hearing aid
Certain embodiments of the present technology provide improved amplification circuits and hearing aids that can utilize such amplification circuits. In an embodiment, for example, an amplification circuit includes: a first sub circuit configured to create a voltage drop when a supply voltage is above a first voltage; and a second sub circuit configured to create a reverse voltage drop when the supply voltage is below a second voltage, wherein the first and second sub circuits operate to maintain idling current within a range. Certain embodiments of the present technology also provide hearing aids that include removable dampers. |
| US08660281B2 |
Method and system for a multi-microphone noise reduction
A method for a multi microphone noise reduction in a complex noisy environment is proposed. A left and a right noise power spectral density for a left and a right noise input frame is estimated for computing a diffuse noise gain. A target speech power spectral density is extracted from the noise input frame. A directional noise gain is calculated from the target speech power spectral density and the noise power spectral density. The noisy input frame is filtered by Kalman filtering method. A Kalman based gain is generated from the Kalman filtered noisy frame and the noise power spectral density. A spectral enhancement gain is computed by combining the diffuse noise gain, the directional noise gain, and the Kalman based gain. The method reduces different combinations of diverse background noise and increases speech intelligibility, while guaranteeing to preserve the interaural cues of the target speech and directional background noises. |
| US08660280B2 |
Methods and apparatus for providing a distinct perceptual location for an audio source within an audio mixture
In accordance with a method for providing a distinct perceptual location for an audio source within an audio mixture, a foreground signal may be processed to provide a foreground perceptual angle for the foreground signal. The foreground signal may also be processed to provide a desired attenuation level for the foreground signal. A background signal may be processed to provide a background perceptual angle for the background signal. The background signal may also be processed to provide a desired attenuation level for the background signal. The foreground signal and the background signal may be combined into an output audio source. |
| US08660279B2 |
Nested compound loudspeaker drive unit
A loudspeaker driver (22) also suitable for compound applications comprising a rigid speaker frame (11, 13, 15, 19, 8) to which is attached a permanent magnet (13) with which a voice coil winding (9) is adapted to interact through electromagnetic force. The voice coil winding (9) is adapted to deliver axial motion to a diaphragm assembly (21), which includes an elastic outer section (2), whose outer rim (5) is attached to the outer part of the speaker frame (11). The diaphragm assembly (21) comprises an essentially rigid primary vibrating diaphragm (4) attached between the elastic outer section (2) and an elastic inner section (3), whose inner rim (10) is attached to the inner part of said speaker frame (8). Said voice coil winding (9) is fixed to the primary vibrating diaphragm (4) through said voice coil former (6), which is adapted to move said diaphragm assembly (21). |
| US08660277B2 |
Amplifier circuit and methods of operation thereof
A signal amplifying circuit and associated methods and apparatuses, the circuit comprising: a signal path extending from an input terminal to an output terminal, a gain controller arranged to control the gain applied along the signal path in response to a control signal; an output stage within the signal path for generating the output signal, the output stage having a gain that is substantially independent of its supply voltage, and a variable voltage power supply comprising a charge pump for providing positive and negative output voltages, the charge pump comprising a network of switches that is operable in a number of different states and a controller for operating the switches in a sequence of the states so as to generate positive and negative output voltages together spanning a voltage approximately equal to the input voltage. |
| US08660275B2 |
Microphone non-uniformity compensation system
A microphone compensation system responds to changes in the characteristics of individual microphones in an array of microphones. The microphone compensation system provides a communication system with consistent performance despite microphone aging, widely varying environmental conditions, and other factors that alter the characteristics of the microphones. Furthermore, lengthy, complex, and costly measurement and analysis phases for determining initial settings for filters in the communication system are eliminated. |
| US08660273B2 |
Interface circuit and electronic device using the same
An electronic device includes a processing unit for outputting a right channel audio signal and a left channel audio signal, and an interface circuit for generating a processed right channel audio signal and a processed left channel audio signal accordingly. The interface circuit includes two output units for electrically connecting two plugs of two speakers respectively. Each output unit includes a first pin, a second pin, and an anti-jam member. When a plug is inserted into the output unit, the first pin transmits the processed right channel audio signal to the plug, the second pin transmits the processed left channel audio signal to the plug, and the anti jam member is in an open state. When the plug is dependent from the output unit, the first pin is in series with the second pin by the anti jam member. |
| US08660269B2 |
Method and system for securing data utilizing redundant secure key storage
A system and method which protects a data processing system against encryption key errors by providing redundant encryption keys stored in different locations, and providing the software with the ability to select an alternate redundant key if there is any possibility that the encryption key being used may be corrupted. In the preferred embodiment, a memory control module in the data processing device is configured to accommodate the storage of multiple (for example up to four or more) independent password/key pairs, and the control module duplicates a password key at the time of creation. The redundant passwords and encryption keys are forced into different memory slots for later retrieval if necessary. The probability of redundant keys being corrupted simultaneously is infinitesimal, so the system and method of the invention ensures that there is always an uncorrupted encryption key available. |
| US08660264B2 |
Method and apparatus for minimizing differential power attacks on processors
A method of masking a cryptographic operation using a secret value, comprising the steps of dividing the secret value into a plurality of parts; combining with each part a random value to derive a new part such that the new parts when combined are equivalent to the original secret value; and utilizing each of the individual parts in the operation. |
| US08660259B2 |
Automatic permutation setup and calibration of a headset interface unit
A method for automatically configuring an interface unit (112, 212, 912, 1012, 1112) for connecting a headset (110, 210, 910, 1110) and a telephone (100) by electrical connections (992, 993, 1092, 1093). The electrical connections (992, 993, 1092, 1093) between the interface unit (112, 212, 912, 1012, 1112) and the telephone (100) comprise two pairs of electrical paths having a number of distinct permutation settings. Each of the number of distinct permutation settings have a complementary setting together forming a number of distinct complementary setting pairs. The method comprises the steps of: a) receiving a test signal, b) for each distinct permutation setting generating an output signal in response to the test signal, c) determining a least preferred distinct permutation setting based on the output signals, d) selecting the complementary setting to the least preferred distinct permutation setting as a preferred setting. |
| US08660249B2 |
System and method for remote home monitoring and intercom communication
A system and method for remote home monitoring and intercom communication. An indicator is received for activating an interactive feature of a telephone. A determination is made whether the indicator authorizes the interactive feature. The audio interface of the telephone is activated. |
| US08660244B2 |
Machine translation instant messaging applications
An instant messaging translation plug-in interacts with an instant messaging program to intercept incoming messages and forward these messages to a language translation service. The plug-in then displays a translation received from the service along with the original message. This provides translation which can be used by instant messaging users to communicate across language barriers, and without local translation or knowledge of the internal workings of the translation services used. Additionally, the translation plug-in also provides for manual translation of messages, which allows communication with users who use a different language but do not use the translation plug-in. Messages are modified before translation in order to correct spelling, to prevent particular words or phrases from being translated, and to change instant messaging language into standard language form. The techniques can be performed on various messaging services, including instant messaging on computers or mobile devices, as well as SMS. |
| US08660241B2 |
Method of notifying a party of an emergency
An emergency notification system. The system includes a first server for receiving a communication from a telecommunications network and for transmitting a message to a subscriber of the notification system. The system also includes a second server in communication with the first server, the second server for supplying the first server with information associated with a subscriber. |
| US08660239B2 |
Detector apparatus and method
A detector apparatus is described for scanning of and obtaining radiation data from an object and generating an image therefrom. The apparatus comprises a radiation detector system spaced therefrom to define a scanning zone and to collect a dataset of information about radiation incident at the detector after interaction with an object and to resolve collected information spatially in two dimensions across a scan area and spectroscopically across a plurality of frequency bands in the spectrum of the source. A detector exhibits a spectroscopically variable response across at least a part of the spectrum of the source and to resolve collected information spatially with a rastering module configured to divide the scanning area into a plurality of pixels two dimensions; and a control to move the detector to scan such pixels successively and thereby collect a dataset for each pixel. A method is also described. |
| US08660238B1 |
Method for detecting a nuclear weapon in a shipping container or other vehicle using x-rays
A method of improving the detection of nuclear weapons in cargo containers. The container moves through an imaging region. An x-ray source emits a cone beam through the imaging region and to two or more detector columns, each detector column defining a fan beam. This hardware combines (1) the use of at least two detector assemblies, (2) use of both the current method and the photon counting method to determine x-ray intensities, and (3) use of large detector elements to increase the measured x-ray intensity by a typical factor of 270. The x-ray intensity for a pixel is read by each detector assembly at the appropriate time and the resulting x-ray intensities from each detector assembly are summed. A method of detecting a nuclear weapon includes identifying the nuclear device as the area of the image wherein a high absorption area is surrounded by a lower absorption area. |
| US08660235B2 |
Computed tomography apparatus
The invention relates to a computed tomography apparatus comprising a radiation source (2) and a detector (6) for generating detection values depending on a conical radiation beam (4). A weight providing unit (12) provides, for combinations of voxels of an image and detection values, weights for weighting the detection values, and a beam shaper shapes the conical radiation beam (4) such that for at least a part of the detection values the inverse of the variance of a respective detection value is positively correlated with an average of the weights corresponding to the combinations of the voxels, which correspond to the respective detection value, and the respective detection value. This shaping of the conical radiation beam improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the weighted detection values. |
| US08660232B2 |
Supersafe and simply-/easily-decommissionable nuclear power plant
The invention relates to an inexpensively-/easily-decommissionable nuclear power plant, where a nuclear isle of one or more nuclear power-stations is installed in caverns, and further, side by side with them, a center for characterizing, treating and conditioning radioactive wastes and two repositories are installed in suitable caverns, with a final repository being adapted to store low-intermediate level nuclear wastes and a temporary repository being adapted to store spent fuel, high-level long-life radioactive materials and, in case, spare nuclear rods for reactor refueling. |
| US08660231B2 |
Storage rack arrangement for the storage of nuclear fuel elements
A storage rack arrangement (10) for the storage of nuclear fuel elements in a storage pool includes at least two storage racks (1.1-1.3) which each contain a plurality of vertical channels (9) arranged next to one another for the reception of the fuel elements, with positioning elements (6) being provided at the storage racks at the bottom. The storage racks are connected to one another at the top and the storage rack arrangement (10) additionally includes one or more base plates (2.1-2.3) which are provided with positioning members (8) which fit with the positioning elements (6) of the storage racks (1.1-1.3) and which, together with the positioning elements, position the storage racks with respect to the base plate or base plates (2.1-2.3) to prevent a displacement of the storage racks on the base plate or plates. |
| US08660229B2 |
Nuclear reactor primary circuit
The invention relates to a nuclear reactor primary circuit comprising a primary pipeline (30), which defines an internal volume (32) and in which a primary nuclear reactor coolant downwardly runs, an additional pipeline (26) which is branched to the primary pipeline (30) and defines an internal volume communicating with the internal volume (32) of the primary pipeline (30) and a cuff (36) whose first end (50) is connected to the additional pipeline (26) and the second free end (52) is positioned in the internal volume (32) of the primary pipeline (30). According to said invention, the second end (52) is delimited by a free peripherial edge (53) comprising at least one upstream and downstream sections (56, 58) which are oriented towards the upstream, wherein the upstream section (56) penetrates into the internal volume (32) deeper from the primary pipeline (30) than the downstream section (58). |
| US08660224B2 |
Method and system for pre-equalization in a single weight spatial multiplexing MIMO system
Certain aspects of the method may comprise receiving a plurality of spatially multiplexed communication signals from a plurality of transmit antennas at a base station. A plurality of vectors of baseband combined channel estimates may be generated based on phase rotation of the received plurality of spatially multiplexed communication signals. A plurality of pre-equalization weights may be generated based on the generated plurality of vectors of baseband combined channel estimates. The received plurality of spatially multiplexed communication signals may be modified based on the generated plurality of pre-equalization weights. At least a portion of the generated plurality of pre-equalization weights may be fed back to the base station for modifying subsequently transmitted spatially multiplexed communication signals which are transmitted from at least a portion of the plurality of transmit antennas at the base station. |
| US08660221B2 |
Fast and robust AGC apparatus and method using the same
The present invention discloses apparatus and method for fast and robust automatic gain control (AGC). By using the power statistics and/or the amplitude statistics of multiple pairs of signed ADC outputs, the additional gain control can be determined and included in a statistics-aided AGC to successfully complete the AGC function for a received signal having a dynamic range up to 100 dB within a few micro-seconds. |
| US08660214B1 |
Quadrature bandpass-sampling OFDM receiver
A quadrature bandpass-sampling receiver for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver is provided. A transmitted OFDM signal is received by a low-noise amplifier, has its image frequency removed by a subsequent image reject filter, and is frequency-translated to an intermediate frequency by a mixer. A quadrature bandpass-sampling delta-sigma analog-to-digital demodulator (QBS-ADD) down-converts the frequency-translated OFDM signal to baseband based on a high-frequency sampling clock equal to the intermediate frequency, and generates in-phase and quadrature outputs in the form of high-frequency bit streams. The bit streams are fed to a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) engine, which generates in-phase and quadrature Fourier components. |
| US08660213B1 |
Bandpass-sampling wide-band receiver
A wide-frequency band quadrature bandpass-sampling receiver is provided. An RF signal received at the antenna is amplified by an LNA and filtered by an image-reject filter. The filtered RF signal is then frequency-shifted to an intermediate frequency which is located in between 1 GHz to 4 GHz. A quadrature bandpass-sampling analog-to-digital demodulator down-converts and digitizes the frequency-shifted signal at the intermediate frequency to baseband yielding a bi-level in-phase component and a bi-level quadrature component. |
| US08660208B2 |
Apparatus and methods for QAM modulation using dual polar modulation
Apparatus and methods for QAM modulation are disclosed using dual polar modulation. QAM modulation of a signal is accomplished by translating a QAM signal into two phasors having the same or constant amplitude and then phase shifting one of the phasor by 180 degrees for a differential load. The phasors are then polar modulated such that, when differentially combined in the load through summation or superposition, a QAM modulated symbol results. The use of constant amplitude phasors when power amplified for transmission of QAM modulated signals allows amplifiers to be operated in a saturation mode with greater efficiency than conventional amplifiers used in QAM modulation, which operate in a less efficient linear mode to effect amplitude modulation. Additionally, differential combining of the phasors affords relaxation of the turns of a transformer used in amplifying the phasors. |
| US08660207B2 |
Digital pre-distortion with carrier cancellation
A non-linear power amplifier generates an amplified output signal based on a pre-distorted signal generated by a digital pre-distorter (DPD) based on an input signal. A feedback path generates a feedback signal based on the amplified output signal. The feedback signal is aligned with the input signal, or vice versa, and the aligned signals are used to adaptively update the DPD processing. In particular, a linear FIR filter is estimated to minimize a cost function based on the input and feedback signals. Depending on how the filter is generated, the filter is applied to the input signal or to the feedback signal to generate the aligned input and feedback signals. |
| US08660204B2 |
Data transmitter and method for forming symbol thereof
Provided is a data transmission device and a symbol generation method of the same. A data processing unit of a data transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention accesses a memory device for reading another data block while symbols for one data block are generated. |
| US08660195B2 |
Using quantized prediction memory during fast recovery coding
A method for quantizing prediction memory during fast recovery coding is disclosed. A best shape vector that describes prediction memory for a current frame is quantized. It is determined whether to send the quantized best shape vector. The quantized best shape vector is sent based on the determination. An encoded current frame is sent. |
| US08660194B2 |
DVC delta commands
A video compression system compresses video frames comprising pixels defined by n-bit color values. Encoder of video compression system determines the difference between a current pixel value and a plurality reference pixel values. Encoder sends difference value to decoder. Decoder determines current pixel value by adjusting a reference pixel color value by delta value. |
| US08660176B2 |
Resolving geometric relationships among video data units
An apparatus performs efficient coding techniques to more efficiently resolve geometric relationships between video data units and thereby determine neighboring video data units for a current video data unit. The apparatus comprises a geometric resolution unit that obtains video data defining a plurality of video data units, and determines, for the current one of the plurality of video data units to be processed, a partition width and a video unit number of the current video data unit. The geometric resolution unit accesses, using the determined partition width and video unit number, a plurality of look-up tables (LUTs) to output one or more indices identifying one or more of the plurality of video data units that neighbor the current video data unit. |
| US08660171B1 |
Method and apparatus for timing jitter measurement
A timing jitter measurement circuit for measuring timing jitter in the digital domain may use an interpolator bank to over-sample a signal from a media reader, a zero crossing estimator to estimate a zero crossing moment in the output of the interpolator bank and a time interval analyzer (TIA) to calculate the timing jitter as the deviation of the estimated zero crossing moment from an expected zero crossing moment in a clock signal. The timing jitter measurement circuit may be integrated into digital circuitry since it avoids using analog devices. Consequently, it may simplify the chip design, lower power consumption and save space. |
| US08660169B1 |
Systems/methods of adaptively varying a bandwidth and/or frequency content of communications
A bandwidth that is allocated to a transmitted waveform need not be contiguous in frequency space and a frequency content of the transmitted waveform may vary, as needed, even on a signaling interval by signaling interval basis, in order to accommodate a desired transfer rate, reduce or avoid interference and/or enhance an end user experience. According to embodiments of the invention, a set of frequencies that is used to provide frequency content to elements of a waveform alphabet, used to form the transmitted waveform, is varied thus varying a frequency content of the transmitted waveform. A time span associated with the elements of the waveform alphabet may also be varied. Various transmitter/receiver embodiments are disclosed including direct synthesis transmitter/receiver embodiments. |
| US08660167B2 |
Device and method for distortion-robust decoding
A device for decoding code symbols which are interfered with a distortion during a predetermined distortion time interval includes a reliability information generator to provide reliability information based on the code symbols and a decoder to decode the code symbols into code words. The decoder is configured to decode the code symbols based on weighted reliability information, wherein the weighted reliability information is generated from the reliability information by applying a first weight during times not coinciding with the distortion time interval, and by applying a second weight different from the first weight during times coinciding with the distortion time interval. |
| US08660166B2 |
Method for synchronizing a receiver with a received ambiguous signal having a known number of at least two peaks
Method and receiver synchronizing receiver with received ambiguous signal having at least two peaks. Method includes providing information about known transmitted signal having a number of at least two peaks, the information including number of peaks and distances between at least two peaks, determining ratios between peaks of known transmitted signal and assigning determined ratio value to each peak, and deducing theoretical auto-correlation function from known transmitted signal. Auto-correlation function has number of correlations corresponding to number of peaks in known transmitted signal and correlators of the auto-correlation function are provided in same distance and have the same relative ratio as peaks in known transmitted signal. Further includes tracking received signal with auto-correlation function so that correlator pattern of auto-correlation function is aligned with peak pattern of received signal by assigning each peak of the received signal to a correlator of the auto-correlation function, and identifying each peak. |
| US08660162B2 |
Semiconductor laser apparatus and optical apparatus
In this semiconductor laser apparatus, a first wire-bonding portion is arranged at a position in a fourth direction from a first semiconductor laser device and in a first direction from a photodetector, and a second wire-bonding portion is arranged at a position in the fourth direction from the first semiconductor laser device and in a third direction from the first wire-bonding portion. A third wire-bonding portion is arranged at a position in a second direction from a third semiconductor laser device and in the first direction from the photodetector, and a fourth wire-bonding portion is arranged at a position in the second direction from the third semiconductor laser device and in the third direction from the third wire-bonding portion. |
| US08660156B2 |
Method and system for powering and cooling semiconductor lasers
A semiconductor laser system includes a diode laser tile. The diode laser tile includes a mounting fixture having a first side and a second side opposing the first side and an array of semiconductor laser pumps coupled to the first side of the mounting fixture. The semiconductor laser system also includes an electrical pulse generator thermally coupled to the diode bar and a cooling member thermally coupled to the diode bar and the electrical pulse generator. |
| US08660153B2 |
Methods and apparatus for frame number synchronization in wireless communication networks
A method for frame number synchronization in a wireless communication network may be implemented by a base station. The method may include determining a current time from a timing source that is common to multiple other base stations. The method may also include determining a time offset between the current time and a reference time, wherein the base station and the multiple other base stations use the same reference time for determining the time offset. The method may also include determining a current frame number based on the time offset. |
| US08660152B2 |
Multi-frame network clock synchronization
A network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising promoting transmission of a first frame comprising a first timestamp associated with a transmission time of the first frame, recognizing a reception of a second frame having a reception time, wherein the second frame comprises a second timestamp comprising a downstream node delay associated with a downstream node, measuring a total delay between the transmission time of the first frame and the reception time of the second frame, and calculating a transport delay using the total delay and the downstream node delay. Also disclosed is a clock synchronization method comprising receiving a first frame comprising a first timestamp associated with an upstream clock at a reception time, sending a second frame at a transmission time, and measuring a downstream node delay between the reception time and the transmission time, wherein the second frame comprises the downstream node delay. |
| US08660148B2 |
Integrated access device and associated modem box and splitting module
The present invention concerns a modem box, a splitting module, and an integrated access device.The modem box comprises upside communication means for coupling with central equipments through central signals, the latter being modulated for at least one of the central equipments, downside communication means coupling the modem box with terminal equipments through terminal signals, transfer means between the upside and downside communication means, and modem means for doing transformation between the modulated central signals and demodulated signals among the terminal signals.The modem box comprises an outer contact surface receiving a splitting module, which does transformation between the central signals and grouped signals formed with a multiplexing of the latter, and the upside communication means comprise at least one connection element arranged with that contact surface, in contact with at least one respective connection element of the splitting module. |
| US08660147B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and data processing method
A digital broadcasting system and a method of processing data are disclosed, which are robust to error when mobile service data are transmitted. To this end, additional encoding is performed for the mobile service data, whereby it is possible to strongly cope with fast channel change while giving robustness to the mobile service data. |
| US08660141B2 |
Method and apparatus for establishing metazones across dissimilar networks
A system and method for creating and enforcing meta-zones that cross the interface between different network protocols are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of enforcing meta-zones comprises: (a) receiving an Infiniband (IB) packet destined for a Fiber Channel (FC) target device; (b) comparing a partition key in the IB packet to a partition key associated with the FC target device; and (c) converting the IB packet to a FC frame only if the partition keys match. The method may further comprise receiving FC frames destined for an IB target device and converting the FC frame into an IB packet having a partition key associated with the source of the FC frame. Also disclosed are a gateway configured to create and enforce meta-zones, and computer networks having such a gateway. |
| US08660137B2 |
Method and system for quality of service and congestion management for converged network interface devices
Certain aspects of a method and system for quality of service and congestion management for converged network interface devices are disclosed. Aspects of a method may include processing at least one of: input/output (I/O) requests and network packets in a converged network interface card (CNIC) based on a class associated with each of the I/O requests and network packets by storing on the CNIC, information that identifies the I/O requests and network packets, without storing on the I/O requests and network packets on the CNIC. |
| US08660134B2 |
Systems and methods for time-based hailing of radio frequency devices
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for communicating with a radio frequency (RF) device. An exemplary method includes: sending to the RF device a hailing signal based on a system time; and sending to the RF device a data message. |
| US08660132B2 |
Control plane packet processing and latency control
A switch resource receives control plane packets and data packets. The control plane packets indicate how to configure the network in which the switch resource resides. The switch resource includes a classifier. The classifier classifies the control plane packets based on priority and stores the control plane packets into different packet priority queues. The switch resource also includes a flow controller. The forwarding manager selectively forwards the control plane packets stored in the control plane packet priority queues to a control plane packet processing environment depending on a completion status of processing previously forwarded control plane packets by a packet processing thread. The control plane packet processing environment includes a monitor resource that generates one or more interrupts to an operating system to ensure further forwarding of the packets downstream to the packet processing thread for timely processing. |
| US08660130B2 |
Transmitting a packet
Provided are a method, system, and program for selecting one of a plurality of adapters to use to transmit a packet. A packet is generated by a protocol driver having connection information in a packet header. A determination is made as to whether there is one value in a table for the connection information. The packet and the determined value are forwarded to a network driver in response to determining that the table has one value for the connection information. The network driver uses the forwarded value to determine one of a plurality of adapters to use to transmit the packet over a network. |
| US08660128B2 |
Systems and methods for a multiport synchronous-asynchronous client for scheduling and delivering content for digital radio broadcast transmission
Systems, methods, and processor readable media are disclosed for scheduling and delivering content for digital radio broadcast transmission. To overcome the inefficiencies of conventional scheduling and delivery techniques, the present disclosure describes a novel multiport synchronous-asynchronous client for receiving content from multiple sources and then scheduling and delivering that content to an importer. |
| US08660126B2 |
Method and system for automatic selection of transmission media
A method for the selection of transmission media in a communication infrastructure comprises at least the following steps: applying at least one routing rule so as to select the medium over which to transmit the packet, if no routing rule is applicable to said packet, selecting the medium over which to transmit said packet with the aid of a routing table, updating said routing table with the aid of a routing protocol and of a function for computing the routing cost of each medium, applying at least one quality-of-service management rule to said packet by means of filtering. |
| US08660123B2 |
Broadcast-content transmission apparatus, and broadcast-content transmission method
A transmitting side (101) transmits broadcast content (100) through a communication network (111) or a broadcast network (110). Transmission through the communication network (111) involves an addition of an IP header (100b) to the broadcast content (100) for packetization as an IP packet (100a) and transmission to a terminal device (112) on a receiving side (102). Transmission through the broadcast network (110) involves encapsulation of the IP packet into a given transmission packet (105) used with a digital broadcast signal for transmission to the terminal device on the receiving side (102). |
| US08660122B2 |
Data transmission over low powered nodes
A communication technique facilitates transmission of low rate traffic over communication nodes. The nodes may be, for example, MoCA nodes. The communication happens while keeping the nodes in ultra low power mode. Accordingly, the technique increases the communication capabilities and coverage of networked nodes without impacting the overall power consumption budget. In one implementation, the technique includes encapsulating a datagram into a datagram information element, appending the datagram information element to a discovery request message, and sending the discovery request message to a network controller. The network controller extracts the datagram information element and forwards it (e.g., by broadcasting) to ultra low powered nodes, for example in an admission control frame. |
| US08660121B2 |
Advanced commissioning of wireless network systems
A wireless network system and a method of commissioning a wireless network system is described. The network system comprises at least a network device (1) and a joining device (21). The network device (1) comprises a communication interface (2) for transmitting and receiving data over a wireless medium and a first network address of a first network system (30). The joining device (21) comprises a communication interface (2) for transmitting and receiving data over a wireless medium, a second network address of a second network system (35) and a configuration memory (28) for storing at least a network address. The network device (1) and the joining device (21) are configured for operation in a discovery mode, in which said joining device (21) broadcasts a discovery message. Said network device (1) upon reception of said discovery message enters a commissioning mode, in which the network device (1) provides joining information to said joining device (21), comprising at least a third network address of said first network system (30). The joining device (21) accordingly stores said joining information in said configuration memory (28), so that said joining device (21) is addressable in said first network system (30) and said second network system (35). |
| US08660109B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling communication
Apparatus and method for communication are provided. The solution comprises communicating on a synchronized shared channel having a frame structure comprising symbols; receiving from a network element a given number for each frame or sub frame, and during the given number of symbol periods in the beginning of a frame or sub frame measuring interference and making a decision whether to transmit or not during the rest of the symbol periods of the frame or sub frame. |
| US08660107B2 |
Uplink HARQ feedback channel design for carrier aggregation in OFDMA systems
HARQ feedback channel design for carrier aggregation (CA) is proposed in a multi-carrier LTE/LTE-A system. In one novel aspect, a predefined rule for HARQ feedback channel format switching is adopted by the system. Different HARQ formats are supported: single component carrier (non-CA) mode, carrier aggregation with small payload size (CA-S) mode, carrier aggregation with large payload size (CA-L) mode, and fallback mode. From the various CA and non-CA formats, the format to be used for uplink HARQ feedback channel is determined based on: UE capability for the maximum number of CCs supported; CC configuration information by RRC layer; and detection results of downlink schedulers. The CC configuration information may include the number of CCs that are configured and a specific HARQ format to be used. Because more reliable upper layer configuration is used to make the HARQ format-switching decision, the risk of UE and eNB mismatch is greatly reduced. |
| US08660101B2 |
Method and apparatus for updating presence state of a station in a wireless local area network (WLAN)
A method and apparatus for presence state determination at an access point of a station determines whether a station associated with the access point is responsive to the access point to indicate the station is “present” or “not present”. The access point informs a presence server when the station's presence state changes. The presence server does not therefore need to rely on presence handshaking between the presence server and the station. |
| US08660098B2 |
Wireless communication method, base station apparatus and wireless communication system
A base station apparatus includes a base-station receiver which receives information indicating the occurrence of the given event in the wireless terminal device, the information being transmitted from the wireless terminal device using the common slot. The base station apparatus includes a base-station transmission and reception manager which determines the number of random slots assigned as random slots to transmit the bandwidth request information for the given event among random slots in the random access period, based on the occurrence of the given event received by the base-station receiver. The base station apparatus includes a base-station transmitter which transmits, in the base station apparatus, information on the assigned random slots to the wireless terminal device of random access period. |
| US08660096B2 |
Base station device in multi-carrier transmission, mobile station device, and cell search method
There is provided a mobile station device capable of reducing processing of cell search. In this device, an FFT timing detection unit (603) detects a symbol timing and a frame timing detection unit (606) detects a frame timing by using the frame timing detection symbol. After a frame timing is detected, a code group detection unit (608) detects a code group and a scrambling code identification unit (610) identifies a scrambling code. That is, the frame timing detection process is separated from the code group detection process and after detecting the frame timing, a symbol timing multiplied by the code group sequence is identified so that the code group is detected only at the symbol timing. |
| US08660091B2 |
Handling call transfer in a communication network
A method and apparatus for handling a call transfer from a circuit switched access network to a packet switched access network. A Mobile Switching Center Server receives a notification that a call for a terminal requires handover from a circuit switched access network to a packet switched access network. The MSC Server determines whether the terminal is currently registered in an IMS network and/or whether the MSC Server is registered such that it can perform handover from the circuit switched access network to the packet switched access network. If so, then return Single Radio Voice Call Continuity is invoked to perform a handover of the call from the circuit switched access network to the packet switched access network. If not then the MSC Server invokes error handling procedures. |
| US08660085B2 |
Methods and apparatus for transferring a mobile device from a source eNB to a target eNB
A method used in a wireless communication system including a plurality of cells, the method includes transmitting to a mobile device from a source enhanced node B, and sending a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) status report to a target enhanced node B. Another method includes transmitting to a mobile device from a source enhanced node B, and sending a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) status report to the source enhanced node B prior to a re-pointing to a target enhanced node B. |
| US08660082B2 |
Method and arrangement in a radio-access network
The invention relates to a method and arrangement for transmitting and receiving control information in a radio-access network. A network node transmits first control information in a first part and second control information in a second part of a time-frequency region that is transmitted after a control region in a subframe. The second part is located later in the subframe than the first part. The second control information may be less time-critical than the first control information. An intermediate node receives and decodes the first control information at the end of the first part. When the first control information indicates that the subframe comprises data payload to the intermediate node, the intermediate node receives and decodes the data payload. The intermediate node receives second control information at the end of the second part. |
| US08660081B2 |
Apparatus for dimensioning the control channel for transmission efficiency in communications systems
Embodiments of the invention provide methods for optimizing the spectral efficiency of control channel transmissions carrying scheduling assignments from a serving Node B to user equipments. This is accomplished by adjusting the control channel size between successive transmission time intervals according to the number of user equipments having scheduling assignments and possibly according to the modulation and coding scheme used for the transmission of each scheduling assignments. |
| US08660074B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating resources among multiple users
A method and apparatus for allocating resources among multiple users are provided. The method includes: determining the code allocation manners of multiple users involved in resource allocation, and determining a CQI value for each user in each code allocation manner; obtaining a TBS of each user corresponding to the determined CQI value and code for each user; and obtaining the total TBS of all users involved in resource allocation in each code allocation manner, and selecting the combination of the CQI value and code allocation manner corresponding to the largest TBS from the total TBS to serve as the manner for resource allocation. During the resource allocation among multiple users, the channel conditions of other users are considered while allocating resources to each user. This maximizes the sent data amount. |
| US08660070B2 |
Base station, communication terminal, transmission method, and reception method
A base station includes a scheduler configured to perform frequency scheduling for each subframe; a control channel generating unit configured to generate a control channel including common control information to be mapped to radio resources distributed across a system frequency band and specific control information to be mapped to one or more resource blocks allocated to each selected user device; and a transmission signal generating unit configured to generate a transmission signal by time-division-multiplexing the common control information and the specific control information according to scheduling information from the scheduler. The common control information includes a format indicator representing one of preset options that indicates the number of symbols occupied by the common control information in one subframe. The common control information includes information units with a predetermined data size. The number of the information units is less than or equal to a specified multiplicity included in broadcast information. |
| US08660067B2 |
Other protocol message routing over a wireless network of metering devices
Methods and apparatus are provided for routing DNP (or other) protocol messages over a network of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system that employs a different communications protocol. |
| US08660060B2 |
System and method for communications using spatial multiplexing with incomplete channel information
A system and method for communications using spatial multiplexing with incomplete channel information are provided. A method for wireless communications includes receiving, at a controller, a reference signal transmitted by a communications device, computing channel statistics based on the received reference signal, computing a first beamforming vector and a second beamforming vector, and transmitting information to the communications device. The reference signal being transmitted using a subset of antennas used for data reception at the communications device, and the controller and the communications device utilize cross-polarized antennas. The computing being based on the channel statistics, the transmitting uses the first beamforming vector and the second beamforming vector, the first beamforming vector precodes information for a first antenna at the communications device, and the second beamforming vector precodes information for a second antenna at the communications device. |
| US08660058B2 |
Relay node, base station, and user equipment for wireless communications network
A relay node includes a processor that determines, based on uplink scheduler information, a target frequency band from plural frequency bands assigned to signals received from plural user equipments and multiplexes the signals received from the plural user equipments and a wireless communication interface that transmits the signals as a single carrier signal to a base station based on the target frequency band. |
| US08660055B2 |
Pseudo hub-and-spoke wireless audio network
An apparatus induces a first wireless device to transmit audio-related data to both the apparatus and a second wireless device by providing the first wireless device with a false indication of the apparatus being capable of performing an audio function that the apparatus is incapable of performing so as to enable the second wireless device to receive the audio-related data simultaneously with the apparatus, and wherein the second wireless device cooperates with the apparatus to leave the first wireless device unaware of the simultaneous receipt of the audio-related data by the second wireless device. |
| US08660048B2 |
Wireless resource scheduling method and occupied information sending method for multi base station MBS
The present invention discloses a method for scheduling wireless resources of a multi-base station MBS and a method for sending occupation information. The scheduling method comprises: dividing wireless resources of downlink sub-frames of all base stations in an MBS Zone into two parts, local service schedulers on the base stations scheduling one part for local services, and a multi-base station MBS resource scheduler in the MBS Zone scheduling the other part for the multi-base station MBS. The sending method comprises: a sender informing a receiver of multi-base station MBS wireless resource occupation situation through a message carrying multi-base station MBS wireless resource occupation information; the occupation information including configuration information and a scheduling result. When supporting the macro diversity multi-base station MBS, the present invention not only can avoid the conflict of unicast and MBS scheduling, but also can fully utilize the limited wireless resources of the system. |
| US08660046B2 |
Data communications method and mobile communications system
In a communications system including a base station capable of altering a frequency bandwidth which is used for transmitting broadcast data for providing point-to-multipoint broadcasting communications service and which is used for transmitting individual communications data for providing point-to-point individual communications service, and a mobile terminal capable of altering a receivable bandwidth which is used for receiving at least the broadcast data and the individual communications data transmitted from the base station, decision processing of making a decision as to whether the mobile terminal can receive reception-desired content it desires to receive among contents provided by the broadcasting communications service is executed in accordance with a frequency occupying bandwidth used for transmitting the reception-desired content. Thus, the mobile terminal becomes able to make a decision as to whether it can receive particular E-MBMS content considering its own UE position. |
| US08660037B2 |
Designing minimum total cost networks using iterative rounding approximation methods
Minimum cost networks, such as fiber optic networks used in telecommunications, are obtained by defining available network elements having cost, required pairs, connectivity and penalty cost values and selecting from these available elements using an iterative rounding approximation method that constructs an LP relaxation incorporating the element parameters, finds an optimal basic solution, applies a selection criterion to pairs and edges in the optimal basic solution, and constructs a residual LP relaxation with selected pairs and edges. By fixing selected pairs and edges values to 1 in the residual LP, successive iterations of the method provide a design which is a 3-approximation solution to the minimum cost design problem. |
| US08660026B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing mapping management
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for performing mapping management are disclosed. For example, the method monitors network performance measurements of long term evolution mobility elements, monitors a class type and a bandwidth type of long term evolution interfaces, determines if an impairment state is detected based upon the monitoring network performance measurements and the monitoring the class type and the bandwidth type, determines if the impairment state is due to a class of service and a quality of service mismatch and reconfigures the quality of service if the impairment state is due to the class of service and the quality of service mismatch. |
| US08660014B2 |
Method and system for MPLS-TP tunnel protection processing
The present invention discloses a method and system for processing an MPLS-TP tunnel protection, including: a tail node of a multiprotocol label switching transport profile (MPLS-TP) tunnel, after receiving a data message, querying a private network label table of the tail node according to a private network label carried in the data message, and acquiring a value of a protection flag field; when judging that a protection type of the MPLS-TP tunnel is 1+1 according to the value of the protection flag field, acquiring a value of a difference bit number field, and determining a value of a corresponding difference bit in a public network label of the MPLS-TP tunnel; and acquiring a value of a decision field, and carrying out corresponding processing on the data message according to a comparison result of the value of the difference bit and the value of the decision field. |
| US08660012B2 |
Method, electronic component and system for the diagnosis of communication connections
The invention relates to a method and system for diagnosing communication connections in a communication system. The invention enables the provision of a plurality of first diagnosis units and at least one second diagnosis unit, wherein the first and second diagnosis units each are assigned to a communication connection of the communication system and are configured for determining a value of a diagnosis variable of the respectively assigned communication connections, and provides for determining a value of at least one diagnosis variable by each of the first diagnosis units, determining a value of at least one diagnosis variable by the at least one second diagnosis unit, transferring the values determined by the first diagnosis units to an evaluation unit, statistically evaluating the transferred values by the evaluation unit, and diagnosing the values determined by the at least one second diagnosis unit depending on the statistical evaluation by the evaluation unit. |
| US08660003B2 |
Dynamic, asymmetric rings
Dynamic, asymmetric rings and related communication equipment and methods are disclosed. Various features may be implemented to provide any or all of several degrees of freedom for managing resources in a communication network. Communication rates may be optimized on a node-to-node basis or overall on a network level. Different rates may be configured and possibly dynamically adjusted between different nodes, and/or for different directions of traffic transfer. Bandwidth can be dynamically allocated along a string of the communication nodes in a ring or linear topology in some embodiments. Direction of traffic transfer represents an additional possible degree of freedom in a ring topology, in that traffic can be transferred in either direction in a ring, such as the direction of least delay. |
| US08660001B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing per-subscriber-aware-flow QoS
A packet scheduling apparatus and method to fairly share network bandwidth between multiple subscribers and to fairly share the bandwidth allocated to each subscriber between multiple flows are provided. The packet scheduling method includes calculating first bandwidth for each subscriber to fairly share total bandwidth set for the transmission of packets between multiple subscribers; calculating second bandwidth for each flow to fairly share the first bandwidth between one or more flows that belong to each of the multiple subscribers; and scheduling a packet of each of the one or more flows based on the second bandwidth. |
| US08659996B2 |
Network capacity management system and method
A network capacity management system and method are disclosed. In one form, a capacity management system for use with an optical network includes a network capacity management engine operable to actively access a network element. The system further includes a network-based application interface associated with the network capacity management engine. The application may facilitate providing information associated with a network element to a user in near real-time. |
| US08659988B2 |
OFDM apparatus using three-dimensional hexadecimal signal constellation
A three-dimensional OFDM apparatus of the present invention comprises: a serial-parallel conversion unit for converting a serial input signal into N parallel input signals; a three-dimensional signal mapping unit for mapping the N parallel input signals on three-dimensional coordinates of a cube-in-cube type constellation, respectively; and a two-dimensional inverse Fourier transform unit for performing an inverse Fourier transform by generating a two-dimensional matrix on the basis of the mapped three-dimensional coordinates. |
| US08659987B2 |
Adaptive modulation for fixed wireless link in cable transmission system
In one embodiment of a communications network, the predetermined encoding scheme and symbol constellation configurations are chosen so that the range in channel qualities that the encoding scheme and symbol constellation configurations are designed to be utilized within overlap with each other. This overlapping provides hysteresis, which reduces the frequency with which a subscriber must alter encoding scheme and symbol constellations. Reducing the frequency of changing encoding scheme and/or symbol constellation eliminates the communication overhead associated with these changes and increases throughput by enabling the subscriber to spend more time transmitting data. |
| US08659984B2 |
Medical-data management device
A medical-data management device includes: a medical data determination unit 32 that determines whether medical data to be recorded on an optical disc 14 is EMR data or not; and a medical-data access control unit 33 that causes an optical pickup 27 to access a write-once recording layer 18 of the optical disc 14 to write the data in the case where the medical data to be recorded according to a determination result of the medical data determination unit 32 is EMR data, and causes the optical pickup 27 to access rewritable recording layers 16 and 17 of the optical disc to write the data in the case where the medical data is not EMR data. A feature of the present invention is to prevent recording errors in medical data. |
| US08659983B2 |
Blu-ray optical pick-up devices and methods
New and useful methods and systems for reading optical discs, such as multi-layer Blu-ray discs are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment a device for reading two-layered optical discs includes a laser diode capable of emitting light, a set of optics including a fixed collimator, the set of optics providing a numerical aperture (NA) of substantially less than 0.85, and a detector for detecting laser light focused on a two-layer optical disc to produce a stream of detected bits. |
| US08659981B2 |
Media processing apparatus and controlling method of the same that prevents processing of the media from being stopped
A processor is provided in a main body and performs at least one of writing data on a plate-shaped medium, reading data from the medium and printing on the medium. A drawer tray is provided in the main body, includes a stacker portion which is configured to accommodate a plurality of plate-shaped media processed by the processor and is movable between an accommodated position where the stacker portion is capable of receiving the media and a drawn position where the drawer tray is pulled out from the main body to take out the media accommodated in the stacker portion. |
| US08659979B2 |
Inner frame and case unit
An inner frame includes a side wall being set its outer diameter to be smaller than a diameter of an inner periphery of a case and arranged along an inner peripheral surface of the case when the frame is housed within the case. The wall is divided into spread portions by cut outs, each cut out in a thickness direction of the case, and the spread portions are spread to make an outside surface thereof fit on the inner peripheral surface of the case when the module is press-fitted from an opening of the case. An inside surface of each spread portion is provided with a projection to be brought into contact with an outside surface of the module and to push and spread outward the spread portion when the module is press-fitted into the frame. A case unit includes the module, the case, and the frame. |
| US08659978B2 |
Memory card programmable timer device and method
A timing device, that may be used in connection with food preparation, holding or service equipment, is programmable via a portable, replaceable media. In particularly, the timing device may be adapted to receive or associate with a media containing a set of instructions to affect operation of the timing device. Upon association with the timing device, transfer of the programming instructions from the media to the timing device occurs affecting programming of the timing device. |
| US08659971B2 |
Word-line voltage regulating circuit and single power supply memory
A word-line voltage regulating circuit and a single power supply memory are disclosed. The word-line voltage regulating circuit includes: a charge pump for raising an input voltage to a desired value and outputting the raised input voltage as an output voltage; a controller for inputting a refresh signal to the charge pump according to the output voltage of the charge pump; and a comparator for inputting a feedback signal to the charge pump according to a comparison result between the output voltage of the charge pump and a reference voltage. The charge pump works under control of the refresh signal when the memory is in an active mode, and works under control of the feedback signal when the memory is in a standby mode. The word-line voltage regulating circuit can effectively reduce the power consumption and can meet the requirement for proportional scale-down of integrated circuits. |
| US08659966B2 |
Method compensation operating voltage, flash memory device, and data storage device
Disclosed is a method generating a compensated operating voltage, such as a read voltage, in a non-volatile memory device, and a related non-volatile memory device. The operating voltage is compensated in response to one or more memory cell conditions such as temperature variation, programmed data state or physical location of a selected memory cell, page information for selected memory cell, or the location of a selected word line. |
| US08659964B2 |
Bipolar primary sense amplifier
A sense amplifier for a memory includes two bipolar transistors and isolation switches for selectively coupling and decoupling the base of the bipolar transistors to bit lines during portions of a read cycle. The sense amplifier has a feedback circuit that couples the collector of one of the bi polar transistors to the base of the other bipolar transistor and vice versa. |
| US08659958B2 |
Memory device and related control method
A memory device includes: a first memory cell at least controlled by a first word line; a first auxiliary circuit coupled to an auxiliary bit line and controlled by the first word line, the first auxiliary circuit capable of storing a predetermined data value; and a control circuit capable of controlling a first word line voltage of the first word line according to a bit line voltage of the auxiliary bit line. |
| US08659956B2 |
Integrated circuit having voltage generation circuitry for memory cell array, and method of operating and/or controlling same
A method of generating a voltage on an integrated circuit device comprising a memory cell array including (i) a plurality of memory cells, arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, and (ii) a plurality of bit lines, wherein each bit line includes a plurality of memory cells. The integrated circuit device further comprises voltage generation circuitry, coupled to a plurality of the bit lines, to (i) apply a first voltage to a first group of associated bit lines, (ii) apply a second voltage to a second group of associated bit lines, (iii) generate a third voltage by connecting the first group of associated bit lines and the second group of associated bit lines, and (iv) output the third voltage. Also, disclosed is a method of operation and/or control of such an integrated circuit device as well as such voltage generation circuitry. |
| US08659954B1 |
CBRAM/ReRAM with improved program and erase algorithms
Structures and methods for controlling operation of a programmable impedance element are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of controlling a programmable impedance element can include: (i) receiving a program or erase command to be executed on the programmable impedance element; (ii) selecting an operation algorithm for executing the command, where the operation algorithm is selected from among a plurality of operation algorithms by decoding at least two bits stored in a register; (iii) determining, using the register, a plurality of option variables for the selected operation algorithm, where the option variables are used to set conditions for one or more of a plurality of program and erase operations of the selected operation algorithm; and (iv) executing the command on the programmable impedance element by performing the one or more of the plurality of program and erase operations of the selected operation algorithm. |
| US08659953B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A power supply control circuit which can cut off a power supply independently is provided for each column in a memory cell array. The power supply control circuit is controlled by a circuit which is provided for each column and determines whether or not it is necessary to hold information, whereby a power supply for a memory cell which does not need to hold information is cut off. |
| US08659950B1 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device performing high speed reading with a miniaturized sensing circuit is provided. A pre-charge voltage from a virtual potential VPRE′ is provided to an odd bit line when an even bit line is selected, the pre-charge voltage is provided from a source voltage supply unit 230 to a shared odd source line SL_o, a ground potential is provided from the source voltage supply unit 230 to an even source line SL_e. |
| US08659947B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of memory blocks, each including a plurality of cell units and each configured as a unit of execution of an erase operation. Each of the cell units comprises a memory string, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a diode. The first transistor has one end connected to one end of the memory string. The second transistor is provided between the other end of the memory string and a second line. The diode is provided between the other end of the first transistor and a first line. The diode comprises a second semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a third semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type. |
| US08659941B2 |
Semiconductor memory cell having an oxide semiconductor transistor and erasable by ultraviolet light
A nonvolatile memory includes a memory cell including a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a first channel, a first gate electrode, a first source electrode, and a first drain electrode. The second transistor includes a second channel made of oxide semiconductor material, a second gate electrode, a second source electrode, and a second drain electrode. One of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode is electrically connected to the first gate electrode. Data writing in the memory cell is done by raising the potential of a node between one of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode and the first gate electrode. Data erasure in the memory cell is done by irradiating the second channel with ultraviolet light and lowering the potential of the node. |
| US08659940B2 |
Carbon nanotube-based neural networks and methods of making and using same
Physical neural networks based nanotechnology include dendrite circuits that comprise non-volatile nanotube switches. A first terminal of the non-volatile nanotube switches is able to receive an electrical signal and a second terminal of the non-volatile nanotube switches is coupled to a common node that sums any electrical signals at the first terminals of the nanotube switches. The neural networks further includes transfer circuits to propagate the electrical signal, synapse circuits, and axon circuits. |
| US08659937B2 |
Implementing low power write disabled local evaluation for SRAM
A method and circuit for implementing low power write disabled local evaluation for Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. The circuit includes a write disable function to prevent discharge of a global bit line during a write operation. The write disable function disables a NAND gate driving a global pull down device during the write operation preventing the global pull down device from discharging the global bit line. |
| US08659935B2 |
Semiconductor memory device with transistor having oxide semiconductor channel formation region
Disclosed is a semiconductor device functioning as a multivalued memory device including: memory cells connected in series; a driver circuit selecting a memory cell and driving a second signal line and a word line; a driver circuit selecting any of writing potentials and outputting it to a first signal line; a reading circuit comparing a potential of a bit line and a reference potential; and a potential generating circuit generating the writing potential and the reference potential. One of the memory cells includes: a first transistor connected to the bit line and a source line; a second transistor connected to the first and second signal line; and a third transistor connected to the word line, bit line, and source line. The second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer. A gate electrode of the first transistor is connected to one of source and drain electrodes of the second transistor. |
| US08659934B2 |
Semiconductor device
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a novel structure. A first wiring; a second wiring; a third wiring, a fourth wiring; a first transistor including a first gate electrode, a first source electrode, and a first drain electrode; a second transistor including a second gate electrode, a second source electrode, and a second drain electrode are included. The first transistor is provided over a substrate including a semiconductor material and a second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer. |
| US08659930B2 |
Non-volatile memory device
A non-volatile memory device includes a memory cell including a resistance variable device and a switching unit for controlling a current flowing through the resistance variable device; a read reference voltage generator configured to generate a reference voltage according to a skew occurring in the switching unit; and a sense amplifier configured to sense a voltage corresponding to the current that flows through the resistance variable device based on the reference voltage. |
| US08659928B1 |
Valid command detection based on stack position identifiers in memory devices configured for stacked arrangements
Disclosed are various embodiments related to stacked memory devices, such as DRAMs, SRAMs, EEPROMs, ReRAMs, and CAMs. For example, stack position identifiers (SPIDs) are assigned or otherwise determined, and are used by each memory device to make a number of adjustments. In one embodiment, a self-refresh rate of a DRAM is adjusted based on the SPID of that device. In another embodiment, a latency of a DRAM or SRAM is adjusted based on the SPID. In another embodiment, internal regulation signals are shared with other devices via TSVs. In another embodiment, adjustments to internally regulated signals are made based on the SPID of a particular device. In another embodiment, serially connected signals can be controlled based on a chip SPID (e.g., an even or odd stack position), and whether the signal is an upstream or a downstream type of signal. |
| US08659923B2 |
System and method for converting AC power to DC power using sensorless field oriented control
High voltage DC power, which is produced by rectifying AC power generated by an AC generator, is controlled and regulated without the need for measuring the position of the rotor with hardware. A Field oriented controller uses a sliding mode observer to estimate the position of the rotor without the use of position detection hardware. The estimated position of the rotor and the AC current are then used by the field oriented controller algorithm to regulate a DC output from a rectifier driven by an AC generator. |
| US08659919B2 |
Circuit to improve light load power factor of power supply
A circuit to improve the power factor of a power supply at light load, the circuit including a rectifier bridge, a filter positioned before or after the rectifier bridge, a logic control and power drive circuit, a switching transistor, a light load detecting circuit configured to output a control signal to the logic control and power drive circuit which controls the switching transistor to conduct when a heavy load is experienced and to cut off when a light load is experienced, in order to control the working status of the filter capacitor, and a power factor correction circuit. |
| US08659917B2 |
Direct-type converting apparatus and method for controlling the same
An output voltage of a converter is given to a pair of DC power supply lines. Inverters are connected in parallel with each other between the DC power supply lines. When one inverter is operated based on a first zero vector and the other inverter is operated based on a second zero vector, a commutation is caused in the converter. The first zero vector and the second zero vector are different from each other. For example, all of high-arm side switching elements of the one inverter and low-arm side switching elements of the other inverter are rendered non-conducting, and all of side switching elements of the one inverter and high-arm side switching elements of the other inverter are rendered conducting. |
| US08659914B2 |
Cable management apparatus and cable module
A cable management apparatus for managing a cable includes a mounting bracket slidably receiving the cable and fixing a rear end of the cable, a sliding bar slidably connected to the front end of the cable, and a rotating arm rotatably mounted to the mounting bracket and engaging with the cable. The sliding bar defines a guiding slot, which includes a driving portion extending slantingly relative to a sliding direction of the sliding bar. The rotating arm includes a rod slidably received in the guiding slot of the sliding bar. By sliding the sliding bar forward or rearward, the rod of the rotating arm slides along the driving portion of the guiding slot to rotate the rotating arm forward to stretch the cable or rotate the rotating arm rearward to wind up the cable. |
| US08659912B2 |
Shielding device for shielding an electronic component
A shielding device for shielding an electronic component (102) to be mounted on a printed circuit board (132). The shielding device exhibiting a top shielding (110) and a bottom shielding (120; 140; 160; 180) separable from each other, wherein the top shielding includes an electrically and/or magnetically conductive material and the bottom shielding is multilayered. The bottom shielding exhibits at least one electrically and/or magnetically conductive metal sheet layer (122; 162; 164) embedded between at least two insulating layers (126; 124) and includes at least two electrically conductive transmission lines (172; 174; 176) for conducting electric current to the electronic component. The top shielding and the conductive metal sheet layer are electrically isolated from the electronic component. The bottom shielding integrated into the printed circuit board and the top shielding and the bottom shielding designed such when they are attached to each other, they completely envelope the electronic component. |
| US08659909B2 |
Method for reducing loadline impedance in a system
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of mounting a semiconductor device to a first side of a circuit board; and mounting at least one voltage regulator device to a second side of the circuit board, the second side opposite to the first side. The voltage regulator devices may be output filters, inductors, capacitors, and the like. In certain embodiments, the devices may be located directly underneath the semiconductor device. |
| US08659908B2 |
Protective circuit board cover
A protective, anti-tamper coating and methods of coating creation and application are provided. The coating may include an elastomeric layer to allow for strippability/removal. The coating may also include a “smart layer” for tamper detection, imaging prevention, and tamper prevention or underlying device de-activation/alteration upon tamper detection. The coating may also include one or more ground planes around the smart layer and one or more frangible layers designed to interrupt or alter smart layer function in the event of a tamper attempt. |
| US08659906B2 |
Printed circuit board
A methodology for connecting device components with circuitry located at different levels and orientations relative to one another is described. First circuitry can be located on a multi-plane rigid circuit board where the multi-plane rigid circuit board can include at least one flexible member sharing a common substrate with the multi-plane rigid circuit board that extends from a body portion of the multi-plane rigid circuit board. The flexible member can include traces used to convey power and/or data and an interface coupled to the power and/or data traces. The flexible member can be deflected or twisted to connect first circuitry on the body portion of the multi-plane rigid circuit board to second circuitry associated with another device component. |
| US08659903B2 |
Heat switch array for thermal hot spot cooling
A device has a passive cooling device having a surface, at least one active cooling device on the surface of the passive cooling device, and a thermal switch coupled to the passive cooling device, the switch having a first position that connects the active cooling device to a path of high thermal conductivity and a second position that connects the passive cooling device to the path of high thermal conductivity. |
| US08659900B2 |
Circuit board including a heat radiating plate
A circuit board is provided with a plurality of arms and a heat radiation plate. The insulating substrate of the each of the arms includes: a passive element region to which a passive element is connected; an active element region to which an active element is connected; and a wiring region on which wiring lines of the element group are laid. In the each of the arms, the passive element region, the active element region and the wiring region align in a lengthwise direction of the insulating substrate, and the passive element region and the wiring region are arranged on both sides of the active element region which is located centrally. |
| US08659894B2 |
Computer system with heat dissipation apparatus
A computer system includes a computer case, a cover, and an air duct. The computer case includes a display, a housing connected to the display, a motherboard attached to the housing, and a fan module. The motherboard includes a heat generating component. An input opening and an output opening are defined in the cover. The output opening corresponds to the fan module. The air duct is mounted over the heat generating component. The air duct includes a top plate substantially parallel to the motherboard and a first side plate extending from the top plate. The first side plate is substantially perpendicular to the top plate. The first side plate defines a plurality of first airflow holes corresponding to the input opening. The top plate defines a plurality of through holes corresponding to the heat generating component. |
| US08659893B2 |
Protection casing of electronic device with function of supporting
A protection casing of an electronic device with a function of supporting includes a lower casing having an approximately rectangular shape; a periphery of the lower casing being formed with a frame for enclosing a tablet computer; a supporting sheet including at least one kind of foldable traces; the supporting sheet being foldable along the foldable traces so as to present a three dimensional structure; a combining band (201) formed at an upper side of the supporting sheet adhering the supporting sheet to the lower casing; and wherein after assembly the supporting sheet to the lower casing, the supporting sheet can be folded along the foldable traces to form as a seat for standing the lower casing; and an electronic device can be placed on the lower casing for supporting the casing thereon. |
| US08659891B2 |
Heat dissipation system
A heat dissipation system includes a computer case has a base plate and a back plate, a heat sink, a second heat source, and an air partition panel. The back plate defines a plurality of first air outlet holes aligned with the heat sink, and a plurality of second air outlet holes aligned with the second heat source. The heat sink is positioned on the base plate in contact with a first heat source. The second heat source is positioned on the base plate adjacent to the base plate. The air partition panel is positioned on the base plate between the motherboard and the second heat source. A first air path is defined between the air partition panel and the plurality of first air outlet holes. A second air path is defined between the air partition panel and the plurality of second air outlet holes. |
| US08659890B2 |
eUSB duplication system
An eUSB duplication system allows for digital data copy from a master eUSB storage device to target eUSB storage devices and includes a duplicator chassis with multiple sockets capable of receiving installation of multiple standard 5.25 inch optical disc drives. A controller is secured in a tray-shaped frame with overall dimensions of one 5.25 inch optical disc drive. An electronic circuit is mechanically secured within the controller and includes a digital logic circuit for reading digital data from one eUSB storage device and writing the read digital data to other eUSB storage devices. Multiple eUSB decks through which eUSB storage devices can be connected to the eUSB duplication system. |
| US08659884B2 |
Brake stand systems
A stand for an electronic display. The stand includes a brake mechanism to selectively fix the position of the display at a desired vertical position. An actuator proximate an outer edge of the display to selectively lock and unlock the brake mechanism. A brake mechanism locked and unlocked by tilting a display. |
| US08659883B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with connector
A liquid crystal display device with connector, wherein the front frame includes a front plate and a front plate side frame which defines with a front plate opening and has a first hole; the back plate includes a bottom plate and a bottom plate side frame which defines with a back plate opening, has an area smaller than that of the front plate opening, disposes with a second hole, moreover, a third hole is disposed on the bottom plate at a position corresponding to the second hole; the connector includes a first sheet body and a second sheet body which is provided with a first snap and a second snap, respectively; wherein, during the assemble process of the front frame and the back plate, the first snap engages with the first hole and the second hole, while the second snap engages with the third hole. |
| US08659876B2 |
Electrode foil for capacitor and electrolytic capacitor using the electrode foil
An electrode foil for capacitor includes a substrate made of valve metal and a rough-surface layer on the substrate. The rough-surface layer includes a base layer on the substrate and a cover layer on the base layer. The base layer includes first fine particles made of valve metal. The cover layer includes second fine particles made of valve metal. The first fine particles have an average particle diameter larger than that of the second fine particles. This electrode foil has the rough-surface layer that can be produced stably by vapor deposition and provides an electrolytic capacitor having a large capacitance. |
| US08659872B2 |
Multilayer capacitor that includes a capacitor element body and at least four terminal units
A multilayer capacitor comprises a capacitor element body, a first terminal electrode connected to a first inner electrode, a second terminal electrode connected to a second inner electrode, a third terminal electrode connected to a third inner electrode, and a fourth terminal electrode connected to a fourth inner electrode. The capacitor element body includes therewithin a first capacitor unit having first and second inner electrodes stacked adjacent to each other through a dielectric layer and a second capacitor unit having third and fourth inner electrodes stacked adjacent to each other through a dielectric layer. The first and second terminal electrodes have high resistance layers exhibiting electrical resistances higher than those of the third and fourth terminal electrodes. |
| US08659868B2 |
Variable capacitor and method for driving the same
Disclosed herein is a variable capacitor and its driving method, the variable capacitor including, a movable first electrode; and a second electrode formed with an insulating film, fixed in place, and its insulating film contacting the first electrode that is moved. |
| US08659865B2 |
System and method for protection of electrical appliances
An electrical circuit for protecting an electrical load from overload current is provided. The system includes a voltage transformer configured to receive AC mains voltage from an electric mains supply and further configured to apply reduced voltage to the electrical load. A control switch comprising metal contacts is connected to the voltage transformer. The control switch is configured to facilitate application of reduced value of AC mains voltage to the electrical load. A reduced value of current flowing through the electrical load is measured by a current transformer connected in series with the electrical load. The reduced value of current is then used for estimating a current consumption value in event of AC mains voltage being directly applied to the electrical load. A control signal is then used for disconnecting the electrical circuit if the estimated current consumption value is greater than threshold overload current value. |
| US08659864B2 |
Power semiconductor device current detector circuit and detection method
A small power semiconductor device current detector circuit and detection method with low loss by detecting current using the sensing function of a power semiconductor device is disclosed. An already known current is caused to flow through a main region of the power semiconductor device. The current is detected by a current detector unit connected to a sense terminal of the power semiconductor device. A deviation in characteristics between the main region and a sensing region is detected by a variable voltage source circuit based on the detected current. An offset amount and gain amount in an output regulator are regulated in such a way that the characteristics of the two coincide. The offset amount and gain amount to be regulated may be supplied to the output regulator, serially or in parallel, from a CPU provided externally. |
| US08659863B2 |
Circuit protection device and protection method thereof
A circuit protection device and a protection method thereof are provided. The circuit protection device includes a pulse width modulation unit which detects in order for a plurality of current phase of a plurality of transistors. The pulse width modulation unit decides the current phase of the transistors override a first threshold value whether. Then, the pulse width modulation unit sends a control signal to close the transistor that the current phase exceeds the first threshold value, so as to avoid the transistor burn down. |
| US08659858B2 |
Ground-fault detecting device, current collecting box using the ground-fault detecting device, and photovoltaic power generating device using the current collecting box
A photovoltaic power generating device comprising a current collecting box side detector for detecting a ground fault in each of the photovoltaic strings, a switch disposed in correspondence to each of the photovoltaic strings and interposed between the photovoltaic string and a connecting cable, a current collecting box including a control unit providing an on/off control of the switch according to the detection result from the detector, a detector that detects a ground fault in a connecting cable between the current collecting box and the power conditioner, a switch interposed between the connecting cable and the inverter, and a power conditioner including a control unit providing an on/off control of the switch according to the detection result from the detector. |
| US08659857B2 |
Leakage current detection and interruption circuit powered by leakage current
A circuit is disclosed for disconnecting a power source upon the detection of a leakage current from one of a first and a second wire connected to the power source. A sensing conductor is located adjacent to one of the first and second wires for sensing a leakage current from one of the first and second wires. A disconnect switch is interposed within the first and second wires connected to the power source. A disconnect switch control circuit is connected to the sensing conductor for opening the disconnect switch upon the presence of a leakage current from the sensing conductor. The disconnect switch control circuit operates solely from the leakage current from the sensing conductor. |
| US08659853B2 |
Sensor arrangement
An ultrahigh differential current perpendicular to the plane dual spin valve read head with high pinning stability. The high pinning stability may be achieved using the same anti-ferromagnetic materials for two spin valves by introducing a double synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure in one of the two spin valves. |
| US08659852B2 |
Write-once magentic junction memory array
A magnetic junction memory array and methods of using the same are described. The magnetic junction memory array includes a plurality of electrically conductive word lines extending in a first direction, a plurality of electrically conductive bit lines extending in a second direction and forming a cross-point array with the plurality of electrically conductive word lines, and a memory cell proximate to, at least selected, cross-points forming a magnetic junction memory array. Each memory cell includes a magnetic pinned layer electrically between a magnetic bit and an isolation transistor. The isolation transistor has a current source and a gate. The current source is electrically coupled to the cross-point bit line and the gate is electrically coupled to the cross-point word line. An electrically conductive cover layer is disposed on and in electrical communication with the magnetic bits. |
| US08659851B2 |
Permanent magnet member for voice coil motor and voice coil motor
A magnetic head is controlled more stably when retracted from above a magnetic disk. When a permanent magnet member 10 having a protrusion projecting from the longer periphery to a side opposite to the center of a fan is mounted on a yoke 15, the end part P side where the sum of thicknesses (P1+P2) is the largest, i.e., the upper face side of a magnet matrix 111 on the protrusion side, is higher than the upper face side of the magnet matrix in the other area. Therefore, since the magnet matrix 111 in the protrusion is located closer to a lock pin 21, the magnetic attraction force between the lock pin 21 and the permanent magnet member 10 becomes stronger, so that the permanent magnet member 10 is locked more firmly when retracted from above the magnetic disk (at the time of locking), whereby the stability can be enhanced. |
| US08659846B2 |
Inter-track interference cancelation in the presence of frequency offset
An initial phase offset between a center track and a side track is determined. An initial side track pulse shape is determined using the initial phase offset and side track interference. The initial side track pulse shape minimizes a contribution of the side track interference to a center track bit. The contribution of the side track interference is removed from the center track bit using the initial side track pulse shape and the side track interference. |
| US08659845B2 |
High-precision monolithic optical assemblies and methods for fabrication and alignment thereof
High-precision monolithic optical assemblies are formed using low-cost standard optical components, such as wedge plates and/or wedge second surface mirrors. By rolling and/or shifting the components relative to each other with matched optical surfaces in contact, a precise alignment solution is found for a particular optical assembly. The resulting arrangement of components can be bonded or held together so as to form a high-precision monolithic optical assembly, which can be inserted into an optical system, according to the assembly's function. The functionality of the monolithic optical assembly can be independent of the optical system in which it is used. |
| US08659841B2 |
Superwide-angle lens system
A superwide-angle lens system includes a negative first lens group, an aperture diaphragm, and a positive second lens group. The first lens group includes two negative meniscus lens elements, and a positive lens element. The second lens group includes a cemented lens having negative and positive lens elements; and a positive lens element. The following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: −1.45 |
| US08659833B2 |
Color separating optical system and image pickup apparatus including the same
A color separating optical system includes a first prism including a second surface for separating an beam into reflected and transmitted beams; and a second prism including a third surface disposed to have an air gap interposed between the third and second surfaces and a fourth surface for separating a beam from the third surface into reflected and transmitted beams. At least one of the second and third surfaces has a multi-layer film, and 0.70 |
| US08659832B2 |
Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus including the same
A zoom lens includes a first lens unit, a magnification-varying system including at least a second lens unit and a third lens unit, and a fourth lens unit. The fourth lens first unit has a first lens subunit having a negative refractive power, a second lens subunit having a negative refractive power, and a third lens subunit having a positive refractive power. The fourth lens unit satisfies the following conditional expression: 1.2 |
| US08659830B2 |
Optical films enabling autostereoscopy
Optical films used for 3D autostereoscopic displays include lenses on one surface of the optical film that are registered to prisms on the opposing surface of the optical film. The lenses may be a-cylindrical lenses or cylindrical, and the rotation of the lenses can vary with position on the surface of the optical film. The prisms may be contiguous or non-contiguous. The prisms of the optical film can have a pitch that is different from a pitch of the lenses, or the prism pitch can be substantially the same as the pitch of the lenses. |
| US08659826B1 |
Worn display system and method without requiring real time tracking for boresight precision
A worn display, such as a head worn display, includes a projector and a periscopic system configured to be wearable. The periscopic system includes at least one diffraction grating member. The member includes an input end for receiving an image from a projector and a combiner end for receiving light from a scene and providing the image received at the input end and the light received from the outside scene to the user. The head worn display can be used in aircraft applications to provide guidance information to a pilot. |
| US08659825B2 |
Sample carrying apparatus capable of revolving sample
An apparatus adapted to a microscope includes a body, a revolvable structure, a stage and a driving device. The body has a slot for holding a liquid to form a horizontally level surface of the liquid. The revolvable structure partially accommodated within the slot and pivotally connected to the body is revolvable relative to the body about a horizontal axis and is for supporting a sample, which is immersed in the liquid. The revolvable structure penetrates through the body in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the horizontal axis and is pivotally engaged to the body through a sealing ring, which makes the liquid be held in the slot and stops the liquid from leaking in the horizontal direction. The stage supports the body. The driving device is disposed on the stage and connected to the revolvable structure to revolve the revolvable structure. |
| US08659823B2 |
Unit-magnification catadioptric and catoptric projection optical systems
Ring-field, catoptric and catadioptric, unit-magnification, projection optical systems having non-concentric optical surfaces are disclosed. Each system has a system axis with object and image planes on opposite sides of the system axis. The non-concentric surfaces allow for working distances of the object and image planes in excess of 100 millimeters to be achieved, with a ring-field width sufficient to allow a rectangular object-field having a long dimension in excess of 100 mm to be projected. |
| US08659822B2 |
Multilayered infrared light reflective structure
The invention provides a multilayered infrared light reflective structure. The multilayered infrared light reflective structure includes a transparent substrate. A doped oxide film is disposed on the transparent substrate. An oxide isolated layer is disposed on the doped oxide film, thereby allowing incident light to be incident from a top surface of the transparent substrate into the multilayered infrared light reflective structure. |
| US08659816B2 |
Mechanical layer and methods of making the same
This disclosure provides mechanical layers and methods of forming the same. In one aspect, a method of forming a pixel includes depositing a black mask on a substrate, depositing an optical stack over the black mask, and forming a mechanical layer over the optical stack. The black mask is disposed along at least a portion of a side of the pixel, and the mechanical layer defines a cavity between the mechanical layer and the optical stack. The mechanical layer includes a reflective layer, a dielectric layer, and a cap layer, and the dielectric layer is disposed between the reflective layer and the cap layer. The method further includes forming a notch in the dielectric layer of the mechanical layer along the side of the pixel so as to reduce the overlap of the dielectric layer with the black mask along the side of the pixel. |
| US08659814B2 |
Parametric regenerative oscillators based on opto-electronic feedback and optical regeneration via nonlinear optical mixing in whispering gallery mode optical resonators
Techniques and devices based on optical resonators made of nonlinear optical materials and nonlinear wave mixing to generate RF or microwave oscillations using an active opto-electronic loop. |
| US08659813B2 |
Nanoscale integrated beam scanner
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a beam scanner may comprise a nanophotonics chip to provide a scanned output beam. The nanophotonics chip comprises a substrate, a grating in-coupler formed in the substrate to couple a beam from a light source into the substrate, a modulator to modulate the beam, and a photonic crystal (PC) superprism to provide a scanned output beam that is scanned in response to the modulated beam. |
| US08659809B2 |
Image forming apparatus provided with a color misregistration correction processing unit
An image forming apparatus having a temperature detection unit that detects a current interior temperature based on a detection signal from a temperature sensor. A temperature change detection unit calculates a difference between the current interior temperature and an interior temperature detected in a last color misregistration correction processing as a temperature change amount. When the temperature change amount is equal to or higher than a threshold, a determination unit determines that a color misregistration correction operation needs to be executed. A mode setting unit determines whether a monochrome printing processing is currently carried out. When the monochrome printing processing is currently carried out, the mode setting unit sets an estimation color misregistration correction mode as a color misregistration correction mode, and an estimation color misregistration correction processing unit executes an estimation color misregistration correction processing based on a previously determined color misregistration amount in accordance with the interior temperature. |
| US08659799B2 |
IR specialty imaging methods and systems
Disclosed are methods and systems of printing an image encoded with an IR watermark on a substrate. According to an exemplary method, an effective gamut is used to render the image, wherein the effective gamut is formed by the intersection of a first and second gamut associated with producing a constant IR response. |
| US08659798B2 |
Multi-function printer and calibrating method for multi-function printer
A multi-function printer and a method for calibrating the multi-function printer is disclosed The calibrating method for a printer comprises printing a calibration pattern on a medium by the printer; obtaining a scanned image of the calibration pattern on the medium printed by the printer; comparing the scanned image against the calibration pattern; detecting defects of the scanned image; and if the defects exceed an pre-determined value, adjusting print settings of the printer according to the defects of the scanned image. |
| US08659796B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming program
An image forming apparatus includes: a ground image producing unit which produces a ground image that determines a print position of an information image; a ground image printing unit which prints the ground image produced by the ground image producing unit, with a printing color material which does not have a sensitivity in a reading wavelength of a reading apparatus that reads the information image; and an information image printing unit which prints the information image at a print position that is determined by the ground image printed by the ground image printing unit. |
| US08659792B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus performs a density adjustment process for generating an image containing a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image for warning against the use of copy products. To help users to easily adjust the density of a latent image portion and a background portion in the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image, the image processing apparatus determines a density relationship of the latent image portion and the background portion by performing a plurality of adjustment operations, in combination, different in the amount of adjustment relating to the range of variable density in at least one of the latent image portion and the background portion, and sets, based on the density relationship, the density data of each of the latent image portion and the background portion in the data of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image. |
| US08659791B2 |
LED emission wavelength estimation method, image reading apparatus, and multifunction printer apparatus
In a prior art, since the wavelengths of R, G, and B LEDs serving as the light sources of a CIS scanner vary, read colors vary between individual scanners. Since the behavior of metamerism also changes due to the same reason, measures against the metamerism are hard to take. To solve this problem, a color patch is irradiated with light from an LED, and its spectral reflectivity is measured using a spectroreflectometer, thereby estimating the emission wavelength of the light source LED. A signal change characteristic representing the relationship to the output signals of three LEDs obtained from the spectral reflectivity of the patch is stored in a memory. In actual image reading, color correction is performed based on the signal change characteristic stored in the memory. |
| US08659788B2 |
Reduced printing width printer, printer control method, and operation control method
A printer can print to paper with a narrow width while maintaining a print format with good legibility without changing the application program and printer driver installed on the host computer. The control method of a printer that prints based on print data 5 sent from a host computer 3 has a step S105 of extracting data attributes contained in the print data 5 and assigning the print data 5 to data segment areas for each data attribute; a step of setting the data segment areas to specific printing areas based on the data attribute; an actual print data generating step (steps S122, S107, S133, S134, S111) of converting the print data 5 assigned to the data segment areas to actual print data according to the data attributes; and a printing step S113 of printing the actual print data in the printing areas. |
| US08659787B2 |
Manufacturing a physical medium configured to store data and obtaining additional information associated with an article in a book
A computer program product to implement a method for manufacturing a physical medium configured to store data. A layout design of visible information to be printed with visible ink in a book is generated, the visible information including an article. A layout design of invisible information to be printed with invisible ink in a book is generated, the invisible information including a Universal Resource Locator (URL) of an address of a web server at which additional information is located, the URL being encoded in a code within the invisible information, the additional information being associated with the article. |
| US08659784B2 |
Methods and systems for creating structural documents
A method of generating a structural document may include causing, by a cloud system, a graphical representation of a structural document associated with a structural document kit to be displayed on a user computing device. The cloud system may be located remotely from the user computing device. The method may include receiving a selection of a content item, determining a position of the selected content item on a portion of the graphical representation, and transmitting the selected content item to the user computing device. The user computing device may be configured to transmit the selected content item to a print device. The print device may be configured to print the selected content item on a label of the structural document kit. The label may be configured to be affixed to a portion of the structural document that corresponds to the portion of the graphical representation. |
| US08659781B2 |
Medium transporting apparatus and image forming apparatus that employs the medium transporting apparatus
A medium transporting apparatus is incorporated in an apparatus, and includes a first transport path and a second transport path. The first transport path is defined in the body of the apparatus. The second transport path is disposed on a medium cassette. The medium cassette is movable in a direction in which the medium cassette is pulled out of the apparatus and in a direction in which the medium cassette is inserted into the apparatus, so that the second transport path is detachably coupled to the first transport path. When the medium cassette has been inserted completely into the apparatus, a guide member extends to cover a joint portion between the first transport path and the second transport path, thereby facilitating advancement of the medium from the second transport path to the first transport path. |
| US08659780B2 |
Print management for plurality of print requests in image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a buffering unit, an information storage unit, a print processing unit, and a print management unit. The buffering unit receives print requests transmitted from the information processing apparatuses. The information storage unit stores information about documents that are requested to be printed in response to the print requests in an order in that the print requests are received by the buffering unit. The print processing unit performs a printing process. The print management unit, based on the print requests, designates the documents in an order in which the information about the documents is stored in the information storage unit, and directs the print processing unit to print the designated documents. |
| US08659774B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and computer-readable medium
A web page of a server placed on a network and the operation description of a browser by an operation terminal for the web page are stored and the operation description is played back (repeated), whereby the same operation as the previous browser operation is executed in the operation terminal. At this time, various types of operation are recorded and are repeated by software, so that the user need not perform the same various types of operation as those previously performed. |
| US08659773B2 |
Image sending apparatus and preview display method
Provided is an image sending apparatus capable of preventing an erroneous sending effectively using a preview display without causing a user to feel troublesome with unnecessary confirmation operation. An image forming apparatus (illustrated as a digital multi-functional peripheral) is provided with a setting storage portion (illustrated as a control memory) for storing setting information (illustrated as a table) related to a preview display by a display control portion (illustrated as a panel control portion) for each sending destination. The setting information includes forcible execution information showing whether or not a preview image is displayed forcibly by the display control portion. The display control portion performs a display control based on the stored setting information. |
| US08659772B2 |
Print processing apparatus and method of controlling the same, and management apparatus and method of controlling the same provide information to be fed back in second or subsequent job data printing using information of the operation history
After operation histories are appropriately selected and merged, the merged operation history is converted into a job definition file (A) and transmitted to upstream. When resending the job, the designation of the job definition file (A) is added to the original job definition file and transmitted. |
| US08659770B2 |
Image forming device, image forming system and computer readable medium with state of security level notification
An image forming device includes an image forming section, a connection section, a request receiving section, an illegality detection section, a notice section and a web page creation section. The image forming section performs image formation on a medium. The connection section communicates with an information processing device. The request receiving section receives a request from the information processing device through the connection section. The illegality detection section detects an illegal access to the request receiving section through the connection section. The notice section notifies, to the information processing device, a detection result by the illegality detection section through the connection section. |
| US08659769B2 |
Control apparatus, state detection method of control apparatus, storage medium, and program therefor
A control apparatus includes a state change detection unit configured to detect a state change of a particular unit and to output a state change information indicating the state change; a state detection unit configured to detect a state of the particular unit; a storage unit operable with electricity supplied by a battery and configured to store information indicating that the state change information was input; and a control unit operable with electricity supplied by a power supply different from the battery configured to determine whether the information indicating that the state change information was input is stored in the storage unit during the off-state of electricity supplied by the power supply and, when it is determined that the information is stored, to acquire the state detected by the state detection unit. |
| US08659766B2 |
Image reading apparatus, multifunction printer, and image reading method
This invention is directed to image reading capable of suppressing EMI unwanted radiation while maintaining image quality. To accomplish this, the following processing is executed when reading an original image by a photoelectric transducer. More specifically, a first driving signal where SSCG spread modulation is applied, and a second driving signal where no SSCG spread modulation is applied are generated from a reference signal. Either the first or second driving signal is selected, and a timing signal for reading the original image is generated based on the selected driving signal. The image signal obtained by the photoelectric transducer is latched using the timing signal. The latched image signal is transferred for subsequent image processing. Upon reading a one-line image original, the second driving signal is selected till the completion of the latch operation, and after the latch operation, the first driving signal is selected for an image signal transfer operation. |
| US08659764B2 |
Estimating physical parameters using three dimensional representations
Methods, systems, and apparatus for estimating physical parameters using three dimensional representations. In one aspect, predetermined light patterns are projected onto an object and light patterns resulting from an interaction of the projected light patterns and portions of the object are detected. Three dimensional locations of multiple light elements in the detected light pattern are determined, and physical parameters of the object, for example, weight, are estimated based on the locations. |
| US08659763B2 |
Method for machine measurement
A method for machine measurement for an NC processing machine is provided. The processing machine has a machine head, for example, a fork head and an associated mechanical and electrical spindle changing interface for holding a motor spindle. A laser interferometer with a beam generator and a beam detector is also provided and at least one measurement optic which interacts with the laser interferometer, for example, in the form of a reflector, and laser interference measurements, which are directed at a measurement optic, in particular distance measurements, carried out for machine measurement. The laser interferometer has an interface which corresponds to the spindle changing interface, and the laser interferometer is substituted for the motor spindle via the spindle changing interface for machine measurement, and is aligned by means of the machine axes for the laser interference measurements. |
| US08659757B2 |
Visual testing method for evaluating chromatic aberration
This invention comprises a method of visually comparing the chromatic aberration in two or more optical devices. The test reveals differences in the ability of an optical product to minimize chromatic aberration, so that ideally, various colors (corresponding to specific wavelengths) will have a sharp focus at almost the same distance away from the last optical element. The method provides a consistent way to test the chromatic aberration in various optical products that is more visually observable than the process of noting the halo of colors that appears along the edge of a dark object on a light background. The test is especially geared toward comparing binoculars with different optical material composition such as ED glass (Extra-low Dispersion) or FL (Fluorite) glass to those with conventional types of glass. |
| US08659755B2 |
Luminescence reference standards
The present teachings provide for systems, and components thereof, for detecting and/or analyzing light. These systems can include, among others, optical reference standards utilizing luminophores, such as nanocrystals, for calibrating, validating, and/or monitoring light-detection systems, before, during, and/or after sample analysis. |
| US08659748B2 |
Scanning non-scanning LIDAR
An all fiber optic laser based scanning system for real time terrain mapping under degraded visual conditions is disclosed. A laser output is modulated to achieve a desired pulse width and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and the modulated signal is amplified. The amplified optical signals are split into N channels that correspond to N elements of an optically phased array that steers light by modulating the phase of light entering and exiting the optical system. By applying a linear phase shift across the beam's wave front, the light propagating along the system's optical axis is steered to an off-axis angle. A real time map of an underlying terrain is accomplished by sweeping the N channel array across the terrain while collecting range information from each scan grid. |
| US08659747B2 |
Determining thresholds to filter noise in GmAPD LADAR data
In one aspect, a computerized method to automatically determine thresholds includes receiving data generated from a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GmAPD) laser detecting and ranging (LADAR) sensor of a scene, determining an overall threshold value for the scene using a binomial distribution and determining post threshold values for each x-y position in the scene. The computerized method also includes, for each x-y position, using a maximum value of the post threshold values and the overall threshold value to filter the data from the scene. |
| US08659741B2 |
Lithographic apparatus, removable member and device manufacturing method
A sealing member is provided to prevent immersion liquid ingress to a gap between components. The sealing member has a plastic or polymer sealing portion that is adhered to the components forming the gap being sealed. The sealing member is constructed so as to reduce the force-coupling, in particular the time-related force-coupling, between the components being sealed. |
| US08659738B2 |
Phase difference layer laminated body for three dimensional liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof
A phase difference layer laminated body used in a three-dimensional liquid crystal display device, wherein unit cells are divided into groups for left and right eyes, which are given different degrees of polarization, thereby creating a three-dimensional image, further wherein the phase difference layer laminated body has a base material having orientability, and a phase difference layer made of a liquid crystal material that can form a nematic phase and formed in a pattern with two different portions, and the liquid crystal material in each of two different portions is oriented to have different refractive index anisotropy each other that conforms to the two different degrees of polarization and fixed as it is. |
| US08659737B2 |
Liquid crystal medium and liquid crystal display
The instant invention relates to mesogenic media exhibiting a blue phase, comprising two or more components selected from the following components, components A to C,component A comprising one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula I-T component B consisting of one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula I-N component C consisting of one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula I-E wherein the parameters are as specified in the text, preferably stabilized by a polymer, and their use in electro-optical light modulation elements and their respective use in displays, as well as to such displays. |
| US08659736B2 |
Dual mode liquid crystal display device and a method of driving a dual mode liquid crystal display device
A dual mode LCD device includes first and second substrates facing each other; a first electrode on an inner surface of the first substrate and having a plate shape; a first insulating layer on the first electrode; a second electrode and a third electrode on the first insulating layer, being spaced apart from each other and extending along a first direction; a fourth electrode on an inner surface of the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates and including chiral dopants, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are stably arranged in a first twist state and a second twist state, wherein the first and second twist states are used for a memory mode and the second twist state and a vertical alignment state are used for a dynamic mode. |
| US08659727B2 |
Barriers for reflective pixel electrodes of display devices and methods
In one or more embodiments, barriers for reflective pixels electrodes of display devices and methods are disclosed. In one such embodiment, a reflective spatial light modulator for a display device has a plurality of reflective pixel electrodes. Each reflective pixel electrode may include a conductor, a tantalum containing barrier over the conductor, and a conductive reflector over the conductive barrier. |
| US08659723B2 |
Liquid crystal display module
A liquid crystal display module is disclosed, which facilitates to improve luminance of a liquid crystal panel by enhancing a light transmittance, the liquid crystal display module comprising a liquid crystal panel with plural unit pixels, wherein each unit pixel includes red(R), green(G), blue(B), and white(W) sub-pixels, for converting incident light into colored light; a light source for supplying light to the liquid crystal panel; a light-guiding plate for changing a horizontal direction of incident light from the light source into a vertical direction; and a polarizing plate including a polarization area for polarizing the light outgoing from the liquid crystal panel, and a hole for transmitting the light therethrough. |
| US08659722B2 |
Optical device and imaging device
There are provided an optical device including a dimming cell capable of performing low illumination imaging without varying an optical path length, and an imaging device using the optical device. The optical device includes a cell having a containing layer between a first transparent substrate disposed on a light incident side and a second transparent substrate which is disposed on a light emitting side and faces the first transparent substrate, a variable transmittance section provided in a first region of the containing layer and allowing light transmittance to be varied within a predetermined range, and a fixed transmittance section provided in a second region different from the first region as seen from the light incident side and having a light transmittance higher than that of the variable transmittance section. |
| US08659720B2 |
Backlight device and liquid crystal display
A backlight device includes a housing, a light source, a diffuse plate and a fixing member. The housing has an open surface. The light source is arranged in the housing. The diffuser plate is arranged on the open surface of the housing and allows light emitted from the light source to pass therethrough while diffusing the light. The fixing member prevents the diffuser plate from bending in a direction in which light passes through the diffuser plate. A part of the fixing member has transmittance adjusted to substantially equalize luminance distribution of light passed through the diffuser plate. |
| US08659719B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a front casing, a back casing, a backlight module and a display panel. The back casing is connected to the front casing. The backlight module is disposed between the front casing and the back casing. The backlight module includes a bezel fixed on the back casing. The display panel is disposed between the front casing and the back casing and disposed on the backlight module. The display panel includes an optical film. The optical film has a first fixing portion, wherein the first fixing portion is extended out of an edge of the bezel and fixed on the back casing. |
| US08659715B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus is provided. The LCD apparatus includes a frame, a liquid crystal panel which is disposed inside the frame, at least one fluorescent lamp which is disposed inside the frame to project light toward the liquid crystal panel, a voltage supply printed circuit board (PCB) which supplies a driving voltage to the fluorescent lamp and includes a connection end and at least one connection terminal arranged on the connection end; and at least one fluorescent lamp connector to which the fluorescent lamp and the voltage supply PCB are connected and which includes a PCB insertion recess into which the connection end is inserted, and the PCB insertion recess has opposite sides which are open in a width direction of the fluorescent lamp connector. |
| US08659710B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same
A liquid crystal display device includes: a first auxiliary line connected to the blocking pattern and below a gate line; a second auxiliary line in each touch block, and located at the same layer as, the first auxiliary line being made of the same material as the gate line; a first connection pattern contacting the first and second auxiliary lines; a common electrode in each touch block; x and y sensing lines on the common line and overlapping the gate and data lines, respectively; a pixel electrode in each pixel region, connected to a drain electrode through a drain contact hole, and including a plurality of openings; and a second connection pattern contacting the first connection pattern and the x sensing line through first and second contact holes, respectively. |
| US08659709B2 |
Display device and television receiver
An object of the present invention is to obtain a display device having excellent display quality by appropriately modifying the chromaticity of images. In this display device, a correction processing part (CPU 30) determines a first chromaticity change amount stored in memory (31) on the basis of a first cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative usage amount of an LED (17) up to a present time, the cumulative value having been measured by a counter (32), and the correction processing part also determines a second chromaticity change amount stored in the memory (31) on the basis of a second cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative usage amount of the LED (17) up to a time when the chromaticity of a pixel is adjusted by a chromaticity adjusting part (CPU 30), the cumulative value having been measured by the counter (32). Then, by subtracting the second chromaticity change amount from the first chromaticity change amount, the correction processing part obtains the value to which the chromaticity is to be modified, and modifies an image signal on the basis of the value to which the chromaticity is to be modified. |
| US08659708B2 |
3-D pointing device, DTV, method of controlling the DTV, and DTV system
The present invention relates to Digital Television (DTV) controlled by a 3-Dimensional (3-D) pointing device, including a receiving unit configured to receive an operation signal generated by a manipulation for the 3-D pointing device; a display configured to display a movable indicator and at least one pop-up object selectable by the indicator when the operation signal is received; and a controller configured to generate a control signal corresponding to the received operation signal and to make the indicator disappear from the display if the operation signal is not received during a preset first time. According to the present invention, the 3-D pointing device may not transmit an operation signal if the 3-D pointing device is not manipulated during a set time. Accordingly, the period for which the power source of the 3-D pointing device is used can be increased by optimizing the consumption of the power source of the 3-D pointing device. |
| US08659707B2 |
Television receiver apparatus and control method for battery and power-saving operations
According to one embodiment, a television receiver apparatus capable of operating with a battery, includes a receiver, a first switching module, a second switching module, and a power supply controller. The receiver is configured to receive first and second mode signals. The first switching module is configured to turn on/off a battery operation mode according to the first mode signal received by the receiver. The second switching module is configured to turn on/off a power saving mode according to the second mode signal received by the receiver. The power supply controller is configured to control power supply according to the modes set by the first and second switching modules. |
| US08659698B2 |
Compact 3D scanner with fixed pattern projector and dual band image sensor
A structured light 3D scanner consisting of a specially designed fixed pattern projector and a camera with a specially designed image sensor is disclosed. A fixed pattern projector has a single fixed pattern mask of sine-like modulated transparency and three infrared LEDs behind the pattern mask; switching between the LEDs shifts the projected patterns. An image sensor has pixels sensitive in the visual band, for acquisition of conventional image and the pixels sensitive in the infrared band, for the depth acquisition. |
| US08659695B2 |
Method of controlling digital image processing apparatus, medium for recording the method, and digital image processing apparatus operating according to the method
Provided are a method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, and a digital image processing apparatus operating according to the method. The method includes receiving a menu content selection signal, generating meta data corresponding to the menu content selection signal, selecting menu content corresponding to the meta data, and displaying the selected menu content. |
| US08659692B2 |
Solid-state image sensor and image sensing apparatus
In an image sensor including a first column readout line and a second column readout line provided to each pixel column, a plurality of pixel rows are divided into pixel rows of a first group and pixel rows of a second group, pixels of the pixel rows of the first group output signals to the first column readout line, and pixels of the pixel rows of the second group output signals to the second column readout line. A shortest distance between a conversion region of a first pixel of a pixel row of the first group and the first column readout line to which a signal from the first pixel is output is not more than a shortest distance between the conversion region of the first pixel and the second column readout line to which the signals from the pixels belonging to the pixel rows of the second group are output. |
| US08659690B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit, imaging system, and signal conversion method
An adjacent color difference data generator calculates a differential between adjacent data in a data row having different color information per pixel of the digital signal to thereby generate a first color difference data having a first code format. A code converter converts the first color difference data into a second color difference data having a second code format. The second code format is a code format where only a small number of bits change before and after the code conversion from the first code format. The number of changing bits in the switching between codes when, for example, an image monochromatic but having gradation change is imaged to reduce any noise generated when digital image data is outputted. |
| US08659689B2 |
Fast measurement of alignment data of a camera system
Methods are disclosed for digital cameras to gain tilt information of an image sensor of the camera in order to achieve a fast correction for this tilt. By moving the lens of the camera to positions providing a maximum sharpness of at least three regions of interest (ROI) in the image sensor the tilt of the image sensor is calculated by using the correspondent lens/sensor distances and the distances of the different ROIs to the center of the image sensor. Yaw and pitch values of the tilt of the image sensor are calculated to enable an alignment of the sensor. |
| US08659686B1 |
Target detection systems and methods
System and methods of target detection utilize quantum mechanical transition in surface material of a target, such as a weather balloon in flight against a background (sky, clouds), to produce an inflection in spectral reflectance. The system includes at least two filters alternating in front of the lens as the camera attempts to acquire alternate filtered data. The filters can include a rotating filter wheel with two filters alternately sampling the brightest and darkest points around an inflection point in the spectral reflectance curve of the target's material. Target material is observed to blink, or alternate between bright and dark, as filters alternate in front of the camera lens while the background is unchanging, rendering optimal first detection of the target, and may be readily automated. The described process can use a filter wheel, but use of an electrically tunable filter can provide a device with no moving parts. |
| US08659685B2 |
Method and apparatus for calibrating and correcting shading non-uniformity of camera systems
The invention includes methods and apparatus for correcting shading non-uniformity in camera systems. A method includes capturing at least two sets of flatfield images from at least two sets of camera modules under first and second illuminant, respectively. Pixels for each image in the sets of flatfield images are then averaged to form first and second averaged flatfield images, respectively. The first averaged flatfield image is transformed using the second averaged flatfield image to create a transform image. The transform image is then saved in memory for calibrating the shading non-uniformity of the camera module. |
| US08659682B2 |
Solid-state imaging apparatus
A solid-state imaging apparatus including: a pixel section having pixels two-dimensionally arranged into rows and columns each pixel containing a photoelectric converter, an amplifier for amplifying and outputting as pixel signal a signal electric charge of the photoelectric converter, and a reset circuit for resetting signal electric charges accumulated at the amplifier; a vertical scanning section for selecting a row to be read out of the pixel section; a vertical signal line provided column by column for outputting the signal from the pixel section; and a sample-and-hold type bias section connected to the vertical signal line containing at least a hold circuit for setting an electric current flowing into the amplifier. The sample-and-hold type bias section causes to generate an electric current corresponding to a voltage set at the hold circuit when signal electric charges accumulated at the photoelectric converter is read out from the amplifier. |
| US08659679B2 |
Hardware-constrained transforms for video stabilization processes
The video stabilization method can generate output data for an output frame from input data of an input frame according to a perspective transform of a transform matrix. The input data used for the perspective transform can be obtained from a buffer of a predetermined depth. The transform matrix can be altered when the input data required for the transform exceeds the depth of the buffer. |
| US08659678B2 |
Image recording apparatus, image reproducing apparatus, method of controlling image recording apparatus, method of controlling image reproducing apparatus, computer program, and recording medium, with storing of a plurality of frame images, a plurality of attribute information in EXIF format, and plurality of offset data in one image file
A system, method and computer program product for arranging digital data in a file in an apparatus-implemented system, is disclosed. One or more pages are generated, where each page includes: i. a mode field containing a camera operation mode, ii. an image data field containing image data, iii. an offset field containing an offset to a next page in the file, and a total size field containing a page size. Each page is recorded in the file using the same format. |
| US08659676B2 |
Image analysis device and method thereof
A method for analyzing images includes: obtaining at least one brightness value of at least one area of an image of a scene; obtaining a brightness value of the same at lease one area of each of a predetermined number of previous images of the scene and calculating an average brightness of the same at lease one area of the predetermined number of previous images to obtain at least one average brightness value; comparing the at least one brightness value of the image with that of the predetermined number of previous images to obtain at least one brightness difference value; comparing the at least one brightness difference value with a first value and a second value; adjusting a reference background model according to a first adjustment mode or a second adjustment according to the comparison result. |
| US08659668B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing motion capture using a random pattern on capture surfaces
A method is described comprising: applying a random pattern to specified regions of an object; tracking the movement of the random pattern during a motion capture session; and generating motion data representing the movement of the object using the tracked movement of the random pattern. |
| US08659664B2 |
Thermography camera configured for leak detection
A portable camera system (100) includes a lens (104) for forming a focused image of a survey scene (106) onto a focal plane array (108). The focal plane array (108) comprises a cooled two dimensional array of quantum well infrared photo detectors, (QWIP) having a peak spectral responsivity in the wavelength range of 10.4 to 10.8 μm. The camera includes a cooled band pass optical filter (110) having a peak spectral transmittance approximately centered at a wavelength of 10.57 μm and a full width half maximum spectral transmittance bandwidth of approximately 10.3 to 10.7 μm. The camera system (100) is usable to detect an invisible gas plume in a video image of a survey scene if the gas plume contains sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), ammonia, (NH3), Uranyl Fluoride (U2O2F2), or any other gas having an absorption band that that at least partially falls within the wavelength band 10.3 to 10.8 μm. |
| US08659663B2 |
Video tracking of baseball players to determine the start and end of a half-inning
Video frames of a baseball game are analyzed to determine a track for the participants in the game, e.g., players, coaches and umpires, and to update a digital record of the game. The start and/or end of a half-inning can be indicated by factors such as: the participants leaving the dugout region and entering the playing field, including the outfield, a participant leaving the dugout region and entering the region of a base coach's box, a pitcher throwing pitches when no batter is present, and players on the playing field throwing the ball back and forth to one another. In one approach, the combination of detecting an event which is known to occur most often or always between half-innings followed by detecting another event which is known to occur most often or always during a half-inning, can be used to signal that a half-inning has started. |
| US08659658B2 |
Physical interaction zone for gesture-based user interfaces
In a motion capture system having a depth camera, a physical interaction zone of a user is defined based on a size of the user and other factors. The zone is a volume in which the user performs hand gestures to provide inputs to an application. The shape and location of the zone can be customized for the user. The zone is anchored to the user so that the gestures can be performed from any location in the field of view. Also, the zone is kept between the user and the depth camera even as the user rotates his or her body so that the user is not facing the camera. A display provides feedback based on a mapping from a coordinate system of the zone to a coordinate system of the display. The user can move a cursor on the display or control an avatar. |
| US08659657B2 |
System and method for pattern based thresholding applied to video surveillance monitoring
A system, method, and program product is provided that configures video handlers pertaining to a dependent individual. Configuring includes setting alert thresholds. Visual locations are configured. Visual images that pertain to caregivers of the dependent individual are configured. Video streams are received from video sources. Video streams are compared to configured locations to classify the dependent individual's location. Video stream is analyzed to determine whether the dependent individual is alone or with others. If with others, a list of known persons is determined by comparing the video streams with the configured visual images. The configured video handlers are initiated based on the inputs of the location and the people present with the dependent individual. Video handlers trigger alerts when thresholds are reached. Alerts include performing actions to protect the dependent individual from harm. |
| US08659655B2 |
Method of selecting an optimal viewing angle position for a camera
This invention relates to a method of selecting an optimal viewing angle position for a camera. A first quantitative score is determined for a first viewing angle position of the camera using pre-selected regions of interest as reference areas, the determining being performed in accordance to a pre-defined quantitative score rule. The angle position is adjusted from the first viewing angle position towards at least one second viewing angle position. For each at least one second viewing angle position a second quantitative score is determined in accordance to the pre-defined quantitative score rule, and finally a target viewing angle position is determined based on the determined quantitative scores. |
| US08659652B2 |
Visual inspection device
A visual inspection device includes a body having a support portion and a grip portion extending from the support portion. The device also includes a flexible cable having a first end portion coupled to the body and a second end portion, and a camera assembly coupled to the second end portion of the flexible cable. The camera assembly includes an image sensor operable to transmit image data through the flexible cable. The device further includes a display supported by the support portion of the body. The display is electrically connected to the flexible cable to display image date from the image sensor. The device is powered by a rechargeable battery pack removably coupled to the body. |
| US08659650B2 |
Portable apparatus for biometric and biographic data collection, storage and delivery, and method therefor
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for biometric and biographic data capture. The apparatus includes a main unit, a display monitor having a lower end that is pivotably attached to the main unit, a lower casing that houses the main unit, a bay formed in the lower casing for storing an input unit, an image capture device attached to an upper end of the monitor, the upper end being located on an opposite end of the display monitor compared to the lower end wherein the image capture device includes an illumination section for illuminating a subject to be imaged and an image capture section that captures an image of the subject, a secondary data input unit that is removably attached to the bay and is in communication with the main unit via a data transfer path, an upper casing securable to the lower casing so as to form an outer shell section, and a handle. |
| US08659648B2 |
Endoscope apparatus
In an endoscope apparatus, a first color separation section separates an image picked up by an image pickup section into a first luminance signal and a first color difference signal, then a first color conversion section and a second color separation section convert the first luminance signal and the first color difference signal to first three primary color signals and second three primary color signals respectively, a signal intensity ratio calculation circuit calculates a signal intensity ratio among the first three primary color signals, matrix coefficients of the second color separation section are changed based on the calculated signal intensity ratio and the second color separation section converts the first luminance signal and the second color difference signal to the second three primary color signals. |
| US08659647B2 |
Image pickup device and image pickup system with bit value inversion
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup section that acquires an image by image pickup of an object and acquire digital data of the image, a determining section that determines whether there are a predetermined number or more of consecutive bits with a first bit value or a second bit value in data per pixel included in the digital data, a bit value inversion processing section that inverts, when a determination result that there are the predetermined number or more of consecutive bits with the first or the second bit value is obtained, the bit values so that a ratio between the first bit value and the second bit value included in the corresponding pixel data becomes a predetermined ratio, and a serial conversion section that serializes and outputs the respective bit values of the digital data obtained as the processing result of the bit value inversion processing section. |
| US08659641B2 |
Stereoscopic 3D liquid crystal display apparatus with black data insertion
A display apparatus includes an liquid crystal display panel having a frame response time of less than 5 milliseconds, drive electronics configured to drive the liquid crystal display panel to black between images that are provided to the liquid crystal display panel at a rate of at least 90 images per second, and a backlight positioned to provide light to the liquid crystal display panel. The backlight includes a right eye solid state light source and a left eye solid state light source capable of being modulated between the right eye solid state light source and a left eye solid state light source at a rate of at least 90 Hertz. |
| US08659638B2 |
Method applied to endpoint of video conference system and associated endpoint
Method applied to endpoint of video conference system and associated endpoint; in a receiving endpoint which receives video conference packets, while obtaining pictures from contents of video and data within the video conference packets, capturing the pictures as images on a user capture command or a result of automatic scene change detection. |
| US08659631B2 |
Digital drop patterning and deposition device
A liquid dispenser includes a downwardly inclined slide surface. A carrier liquid dispensing channel includes an outlet that exits onto the downwardly inclined slide surface. A carrier liquid source provides a carrier liquid that flows continuously through the carrier liquid dispensing channel, through the outlet of the carrier liquid dispensing channel, and down the downwardly inclined slide surface. A functional liquid supply channel includes an outlet that exits onto the downwardly inclined slide surface. A functional liquid source provides a functional liquid to the outlet of the functional liquid supply channel. A drop formation device, associated with an interface of the outlet of the functional liquid supply channel and the downwardly inclined slide surface, is selectively actuated to form a discrete drop of the functional liquid in the carrier liquid flowing down the downwardly inclined slide surface. The functional liquid is immiscible in the carrier liquid. |
| US08659628B2 |
Method for controlling gate signals and device thereof
A method for controlling gate signals of a liquid crystal display (LCD), including generating gate signal with a modulated pulse width according to the gate signal with a default pulse width; when the LCD is booting up, outputting the gate signal with the modulated pulse width; and when a backlight module of the LCD is turned on, switching the gate signal with the modulated pulse width to the gate signal with the default pulse width. This way, the pulse width of the gate signal is increased after the LCD is boot up and before the backlight module is turned on, enabling the LCD to be boot properly in low temperature, without the need to raise the voltage level of the gate signal. |
| US08659626B2 |
Projection control
A mobile terminal may include a projection device to project, from a first position of the mobile terminal, visual content onto a projection surface to form a projected image; a sensor to sense movement information indicative of displacement of the mobile terminal with respect to the first position; and a controller to activate, based on the displacement, at least one of a zoom mode or a pan mode, wherein the projection device is further configured to perform, in the at least one of the zoom mode or the pan mode, at least one of zooming or panning with respect to the projected image. |
| US08659622B2 |
Systems and methods for creating and editing seam carving masks
Systems and methods for creating and editing seam carving masks may allow a user to combine masks, and/or to modify automatically generated suggested masks, manually created masks, combination masks, or previously stored masks using tools of a graphical user interface in a graphics application (e.g., a mask brush or mask eraser). The method may include accessing data representing an image and automatically generating a suggested mask for the image (e.g., based on a color or color range, a threshold energy value, or input specifying two or more previously stored masks for combination). The method may include displaying the suggested mask as an overlay of the image, highlighting mask pixels using a respective color or pattern. The user may indicate pixels to be added to or removed from the suggested mask to produce a modified mask for application in an image editing operation (e.g., a resizing, filtering, or feature identification operation). |
| US08659619B2 |
Display device and method for determining an area of importance in an original image
Display devices and methods for operating a display device are provided. A display device has a source of an original image and a display. A user input system is adapted to generate a non-directional signal in response to a user input action. A controller is provided and is adapted to detect the non-directional signal and to successively designate a different one of a set of portions of the original image in response to each non-directional signal. The controller is further adapted to cause the display to present a portion evaluation image showing the currently designated portion of the original image and to determine and area of importance in the original image based upon the currently designated portion. At least one of the portions of the set of portions of the original image is non-central with respect to the original image. |
| US08659617B2 |
Apparatus and method for driving image display apparatus
An apparatus and method for driving an image display apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a display panel having a plurality of pixels, for displaying an image, a panel driver for driving the pixels of the display panel, an image data converter for detecting a smooth region, an edge region, and a detail region from externally input image data in units of at least one frame and generating converted image data by changing a gray scale or chrominance of the image data at different rates in the smooth region, the edge region and the detail region, and a timing controller for arranging the converted image data suitably for driving of the display panel, providing the arranged image data to the panel driver, and controlling the panel driver by generating a panel control signal. |
| US08659613B2 |
Method and system for displaying an image generated by at least one camera
The invention is directed to a method and system for displaying an image generated by at least one camera (11) on an image displaying means (13), comprising the steps of generating at least one image (15) by the camera (11) capturing at least one real object (12), displaying the image (15) on the image displaying means (13), analysing (2.1A, 2.1B, 2.1C) at least one characteristic property of the at least one image and/or of the camera when generating the image, and automatically determining whether the at least one image (15) is to be displayed on the image displaying means (13) in mirrored fashion, or not, depending on the at least one characteristic property. The method and system is capable of automatically determining whether the at least one image is to be displayed in mirrored fashion, or not, depending on the particular situation. |
| US08659610B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method of driving the same
A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel and a timing controller. The timing controller includes a first memory unit which sequentially receives a first image signal and a second image signal at a first data rate and outputs the first and second image signals at a second data rate, a second memory unit which compresses and stores the first image signal at the second data rate as a compressed first image signal and outputs the compressed first image signal as a restored first image signal, and an image signal compensation unit which receives the second image signal and the restored first image signal at the second data rate, compensates the second image signal to generate a compensated second image signal using the restored first image signal at the second data rate, and outputs the compensated second image signal at the second data rate to the liquid crystal panel. |
| US08659603B2 |
System and method for center point trajectory mapping
A system and method for center point trajectory mapping includes a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprises instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to acquire a first plurality of images, each image comprising a masked portion. The instructions also cause the computer to locate a center point of the masked portion in each of the plurality of images and to plot a map based on variances in position of the center points from each other. The instructions further cause the computer to display the map on a display. |
| US08659601B1 |
Program sequencer for generating indeterminant length shader programs for a graphics processor
A method for loading and executing an indeterminate length shader program. The method includes accessing a first portion of a shader program in graphics memory of a GPU and loading instructions from the first portion into a plurality of stages of the GPU to configure the GPU for program execution. A group of pixels is then processed in accordance with the instructions from the first portion. A second portion of the shader program is accessed in graphics memory of the GPU and instructions from the second portion are loaded into the plurality of stages of the GPU to configure the GPU for program execution. The group of pixels are then processed in accordance with the instructions from the second portion. |
| US08659595B2 |
Method and system for combining 2D image and 3D model and non-transitory computer readable storage medium thereof
A method and system for combining a 2D image and a 3D model and a storage medium thereof are provided. A corresponding relation between a general model and a 2D image is established. A system provides an operation interface. Next, functions provided by the operation interface include designating a feature point on the 2D image and specifying a confirmation point corresponding to the feature point on the general model. Finally, according to a viewpoint space vector of the general model, a display space vector of the 2D image is decided. Furthermore, when the operation interface displays the general model according to a specific viewpoint space vector, the 2D image having the corresponding display space vector is selected for display. |
| US08659588B2 |
Display substrate and display apparatus having the same
A display substrate includes a base substrate including a display area and a peripheral area, a pixel disposed on the display area, wherein the pixel includes; a pixel transistor connected to a gate line and a data line which cross each other, and a pixel electrode connected to the pixel transistor and the pixel electrode, and a gate driving circuit disposed on the peripheral area, wherein the gate driving circuit outputs a gate signal to the gate line and comprises a plurality of stages, an n-th stage of the gate driving circuit including a plurality of circuit transistors and a boosting capacitor including a first capacitor and a second capacitor, the plurality of circuit transistors and the first capacitor being disposed on a first area and the second capacitor being disposed on a second area of the peripheral area positioned between the first area and the display area. |
| US08659587B2 |
Electrowetting system
An electrowetting system including a display device having a plurality of electrowetting elements, including a first electrowetting element and a second electrowetting element, each being configurable in a plurality of different display states; and a display controller for electrical addressing of the plurality of electrowetting elements in order to switch the plurality of electrowetting elements between different display states. The display controller is arranged to address the first electrowetting element twice subsequently, separated by a first addressing interval, and to address the second electrowetting element twice subsequently, separated by a second addressing interval, the second addressing interval being longer than the first addressing interval. The present invention further relates to a display controller, a driver stage and a method of controlling a display device. |
| US08659584B2 |
Display apparatus, method of driving a display, and electronic device
In a display apparatus including a switching transistor, a correction voltage for eliminating an effect of a variation in a characteristic of a driving transistor is stored in a storage capacitor. The switching transistor is disposed between one current terminal of the driving transistor and a light emitting element. The switching transistor turns off during the non-light emission period thereby to electrically disconnect the light emitting element from the one current terminal of the driving transistor thereby preventing a leakage current from flowing through the light emitting element during the period in which the correction unit operates, and thus preventing the correction voltage from having an error due to the leakage current. |
| US08659582B2 |
Input system and pen-shaped input device
An input system includes an input device including at least one of a first reflecting section having a reflectance varying in a longitudinal direction, and a second reflecting section having a reflectance varying in a rotational direction, a detection section adapted to detect reflected light from at least one of the first reflecting section and the second reflecting section, and a processing section adapted to obtain at least one of movement amount information of the first reflecting section in the longitudinal direction, and rotation amount information in the rotational direction of the second reflecting section, based on the detection result in the detection section. |
| US08659580B2 |
Electromagnetic pen without a battery
The present invention relates to a new electromagnetic pen without a battery, and particularly relates to a new electromagnetic pen without a battery, which has two coils inside. An oscillator circuit and a resonance circuit are formed in the new electromagnetic pen respectively by the two coils. The oscillator circuit is formed for emitting electromagnetic signals to a tablet, and the resonance circuit is formed for receiving the electromagnetic energy emitted from the tablet. Therefore, unlike the conventional electromagnetic pen without a battery, which only receive the electromagnetic energy and emit the electromagnetic signals in a short period, the new electromagnetic pen of this invention can receive the electromagnetic energy emitted from the tablet continuously, so the oscillator circuit can emit the electromagnetic signals to the tablet continuously. |
| US08659579B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting hold condition on an acoustic touch surface
A bending wave touch system includes at least one sensor and a touchscreen controller. The at least one sensor is coupled to a substrate and is responsive to vibrations in the substrate. The at least one sensor outputs signals. The controller receives the signals from the at least one sensor and identifies touch coordinates based on high frequency components of the signals when a touch on the substrate includes at least one of a tap, a drag and a lift-off. The controller identifies a status of a hold condition of the touch based on at least two different time averages of low frequency components of the signals. |
| US08659575B2 |
Touch panel device of digital capacitive coupling type with high sensitivity
A capacitive touch panel device of a high-sensitivity digital system. The capacitive touch panel device includes a substrate, a display area formed at the center of the substrate, a non-active area formed along the outer periphery of the display area, extending to the end of the substrate, and mounted with a plurality of signal transmitting wire electrodes, two pairs of position sensing main sensor electrodes arranged in a two-dimensional fashion in the display area to display coordinates, a plurality of bridge electrodes interposed between the two pairs of position-sensing main sensor electrodes, an external terminal unit electrically connected to the ends of the plurality of signal transmitting wire electrodes, and a position sensing sub electrode electrically connected to each of the two pairs of position-sensing main sensor electrodes, and arranged in the direction different from the direction wherein the bridge electrodes are connected. |
| US08659574B2 |
Bending threshold and release for a flexible display device
A flexible display device and a method for accurately recognizing a user's flex input bending of the flexible display device is described. The present invention is able to discard unintentional flexing of the flexible display device while being able to accurately recognize a user's intended flex input command based on a number of bending degree thresholds. A first bending threshold must be overcome in order to initially recognize a user's flex input as a valid flex input command. Then the user's flex input must fall below a second bending threshold in order to cease the recognition of the user's flex input as a valid flex input. |