| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08683610B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing digital rights of secure removable media
A terminal for managing digital rights of a memory card inserted into the terminal and has a processor and a memory, the digital rights allowing the terminal to access digital contents. The terminal includes a processor configured to manage a digital rights and to exchange information with the memory card, the information including a terminal ID and a memory card ID; perform a mutual authentication procedure with the memory card; receive, from a contents provider, a trigger message which indicates to the terminal that a digital rights for the memory card is prepared in the contents provider; if a parameter included in the trigger message does not indicate the memory card, perform a procedure for obtaining a digital rights for the terminal; and if a parameter included in the trigger message indicates the memory card, perform a procedure for requesting a digital rights for the memory card. |
| US08683608B2 |
Communication method, display apparatus, moderator terminal apparatus, user terminal apparatus, and multi-user communication system including the same
In a multi-user communication system in which communication is carried out between a display apparatus and multiple information terminal apparatuses (a moderator terminal apparatus and a user terminal apparatus) over a network, the moderator terminal apparatus sends, to the display apparatus, a data ID (ID information) for identifying data to be displayed in a display unit of the display apparatus, user information indicating a user that is an owner of that data, and access rights information that is set for each user using the information terminal apparatuses and that indicates whether or not the generation and changing of that data is permitted. The display apparatus displays the data identified by the data ID (ID information) in the display unit based on the user information and the access rights information. |
| US08683606B2 |
Navigation system
At the first data access by a navigation unit to a recording medium that records updating right information necessary for updating map data in a rewritable data area in which map data are recorded, the updating right information is read from the data area and is deleted from the data area, and a map updating due date created based on the read updating right information is written in a memory of the navigation unit together with the medium identification information read from a non-rewritable management area. |
| US08683605B1 |
Long-term validation of a digital signature status indicator
Long-Term Validation (LTV) of a digital signature status indicator is disclosed. In some embodiments, the Long-Term Validation of a digital signature status indicator includes automatically determining whether a digital signature of a digitally signed document is LTV enabled based at least in part on LTV information; and generating an LTV status indicator that displays whether the digital signature of the digitally signed document is LTV enabled. |
| US08683604B2 |
System for protecting personal data
A method of providing data in response to a search request comprises the steps of a social networking website receiving the search request to provide a pseudonym associated with the real name; the social networking website determining that the search request is for a pseudonym which, within its database, is not associated with the real name; the social networking website referring the search request to a identity management server which contains an association between the pseudonym and the real name; the identity management server determining the pseudonym which is associated with the real name; and the identity management server providing an information item which is related to the pseudonym. |
| US08683602B2 |
System and method for multilevel secure object management
A system and method for secure transport of data, the method comprising: sharing of key information with a key distributor, wherein the key information is for enabling decryption of first and second encrypted data, the key distributor being for making one or more decryption keys available to an authorized user; creating a container object, the container object comprising: first encrypted data having a first encryption based on at least a part of said key information; second encrypted data having a second encryption based on at least a part of said key information, wherein the first encryption is different to the second encryption; and metadata relating to the first encrypted data and the second encrypted data; and sending the container object to a data store or otherwise making the container object available, to allow user access to said data container object. |
| US08683600B2 |
Print policy commands
Embodiments of converting or translating electronic data from a first format to a second format with an applied electronic data security policy in mechanisms are described generally herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08683598B1 |
Mechanism to evaluate the security posture of a computer system
A mechanism for evaluating the security posture of a computer system is described. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving data representing an event associated with a security component operating in an endpoint device, analyzing the received data to determine a score to assign to the event and a weighting factor to apply to the assigned score, updating a security component score of the security component with the assigned weighted score for the event, updating an overall security score for the endpoint device with the updated security component score, and providing the updated overall security score to an analysis component. |
| US08683597B1 |
Risk-based authentication duration
Disclosed are various embodiments that perform confidence-based authentication of a user. A request from a user is obtained, where the request pertains to an operation on a network site. An authentication duration for the user is determined, based on a risk to the user of performing the operation. A determination is made whether a current session associated with the user has expired, based on the authentication duration. The operation requested by the user is performed in response to the determination that the current session associated with the user has expired. |
| US08683595B1 |
Systems and methods for detecting potentially malicious content within near field communication messages
A computer-implemented method for detecting potentially malicious content within NFC messages may include identifying an NFC message received by a mobile device via wireless transmission from an NFC device located in proximity of the mobile device. The method may also include determining that the NFC message is formatted in a suspicious format type capable of importing potentially malicious content into the mobile device and then scanning the NFC message for potentially malicious content in response to the determination. The method may further include detecting at least one instance of potentially malicious content while scanning the NFC message. In addition, the method may include performing at least one security action on the mobile device in response to the detection of the instance of potentially malicious content within the NFC message. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08683593B2 |
Server-assisted analysis of data for a mobile device
A mobile device compares a receipt of data against data stored in a database. If no positive match is obtained, the data is provided to a server for the server to compare. Based on the comparison by the server, the mobile device may or may not be allowed to process the data. |
| US08683592B1 |
Associating network and storage activities for forensic analysis
An improved technique for performing forensic investigations in an electronic system includes capturing and associating multiple streams of information. The streams include a network stream and a storage stream. The network stream includes a record of network activities. The storage stream includes a record of storage activities. In some examples, the storage stream includes both disk activities and memory activities, including both reads and writes. Records of the captured streams are stored in a data storage array and are associated by applying a common timing reference to the records. A comprehensive history is thus obtained, with both network and storage activities coordinated in time, to enable examination and tracing of suspect or malicious occurrences across network and storage domains. The improved technique can be used in both physical and virtual computing environments and affords particular advantages in virtual and cloud environments where forensic analysis has proven to be difficult. |
| US08683588B2 |
Method of and apparatus for monitoring for security threats in computer network traffic
A method of and apparatus for monitoring for security threats in computer network traffic is disclosed. The method comprises operating computer processing means to carry out the steps of: monitoring traffic between a network to be protected and a second network, through a first gateway; in response to determining traffic between the network to be protected and a new host in the second network, accessing the new host through a second gateway; and comparing traffic between the network to be protected and the new host through the first gateway with traffic between the computer processing means and the new host through the second gateway, to detect an anomaly therebetween. The apparatus comprising the computer processing means, the computer processing means programmed and operable to carry out the method. |
| US08683585B1 |
Using file reputations to identify malicious file sources in real time
File reputations are used to identify malicious file sources. Attempts to access files from external sources are monitored. For each monitored attempt to access a file, a reputation of the specific file is determined. Responsive to a determined reputation of a file meeting a threshold, the file is adjudicated to be malicious. Attempts by sources to distribute malicious files are tracked. Responsive to tracked attempts by sources to distribute malicious files, reputations of file sources are determined. Responsive to a determined reputation of a source meeting a threshold, the source is adjudicated to be malicious, and files the source distributes are analyzed to determine whether they comprise malware. Malicious sources are blocked. Malware and malicious sources are analyzed to identify exploits and distribution patterns. |
| US08683583B2 |
Using virtual table protections to prevent the exploitation of object corruption vulnerabilities
The subject disclosure is directed towards preventing the exploitation by malicious code of object state corruption vulnerabilities, such as use-after-free vulnerabilities. An object class is configured with a secret cookie in a virtual function table of the object, e.g., inserted at compile time. An instrumentation check inserted in the program code evaluates the secret cookie to determine whether the object state has been corrupted before object access (e.g., a call to one of the object's methods) is allowed. If corrupted, access to the object is prevented by the instrumentation check. Another instrumentation check may be used to determine whether the object's virtual table pointer points to a location outside of the module that contains the legitimate virtual function table; if so, object access is prevented. |
| US08683577B2 |
Authentication method, authentication device and computer-readable medium storing instructions for authentication processing capable of ensuring security and usability
An authentication method in a system having a display and a storage device is provided. The authentication method includes the steps of registering an object selected for each user from among a plurality of visually distinguishable objects prepared in advance as a key object in the storage device; and presenting the plurality of objects to the display, accepting selection of an object by a user to be authenticated, and performing authentication based on matching/mismatching of the selected object with the key object registered in association with the user. The step of registering includes a step of determining a degree of freedom of selection of the object at the time of registration of the key object according to a degree of overlapping of the key object already registered in the storage device. |
| US08683575B2 |
Secure operation of transitory computer applications
A security application is described for determining conditions within a computer application that would create the desire to allow or disallow access to certain system functions or features by the application. The security application analyzes the conditions and sets a lock that enables the application to perform only certain types of actions that would be considered secure by the security application. |
| US08683574B2 |
Identity driven peer-to-peer (P2P) virtual private network (VPN)
Techniques for identity-based Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Virtual Private Networks (VPN's) are provided. First and second principals authenticate to a trusted third party. The first principal subsequently requests a P2P VPN with the second principal. The second principal is contacted on behalf of the first principal and permission is acquired. The first and second principals are then sent commands to directly establish a P2P VPN communication session with one another. |
| US08683573B2 |
Detection of rogue client-agnostic nat device tunnels
Provided are techniques for the prevention of certain types of attacks on computing systems. The current disclosure, which describes one particular type of attack, is directed to the detection and prevention of an attack rather than the mechanics of the particular described attack. The claimed subject matter both detects and prevents an attack without exposing a network to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by being too restrictive. |
| US08683561B2 |
Fixed client identification system for positive identification of client to server
A tamperproof ClientID system to uniquely identify a client machine is invoked upon connection of a client application to a backend. Upon initial connection, the backend issues a unique ClientID containing a checksum. The client application prepares at least two different scrambled versions of the ClientID and stores them in respective predetermined locations on the client machine. Upon subsequent connection to the backend, the client application retrieves and unscrambles the values at the two locations, verifies the checksums and compares the values. If the checksums are both correct and the values match, the ClientID value is sent to the backend, otherwise the client application sends an error code. |
| US08683556B2 |
Electronic devices having adaptive security profiles and methods for selecting the same
Adaptive security profiles are supported on an electronic device. One or more security profiles may be automatically or selectively applied to the device based on the device's location and one or more geographic zone definitions. The security profiles may be used to determine the level of authentication or number of invalid authentication attempts for a particular feature or application or set of features or applications. |
| US08683554B2 |
System and method for managing third party application program access to user information via a native application program interface (API)
A method for managing third party application program access to user information via a particular native application program interface (API) is provided. The method includes providing a wrapped native API including a wrapper library and inspecting a third party application program for the presence of the wrapper library in an unmodified form. The application program is inspected to identify API calls. An identified API call to a circumventing API is instrumented by wrapping the circumventing API to generate a wrapped non-circumventing API and modifying the third party application program to redirect the identified API call from the circumventing API to the wrapped non-circumventing API. A request for a permission to access user information is received from the third party application program via the wrapper library executed on a user device. An authorization is received to provide the permission to access the user information, and the permission to access the user information is provided to the executed third party application program. |
| US08683552B2 |
Information distribution system and terminal device
A terminal device controls delivery of information from a primary delivery destination to a secondary delivery destination. The terminal device stores a primary delivery condition regarding whether delivery of the information to the primary delivery destination is prohibited or permitted, and a trustability value showing a degree of trust of a user in the primary delivery destination. The terminal device judges whether or not to deliver the information to the primary delivery destination, by using the primary delivery condition. When judging to deliver the information, the terminal device calculates a secondary delivery condition using the trustability value and the primary delivery condition, the secondary delivery condition regarding whether delivery of the information from the primary delivery destination to the secondary delivery destination is prohibited or permitted. The terminal device then sends the generated secondary delivery condition to the primary delivery destination. |
| US08683548B1 |
Computing with policy engine for multiple virtual machines
An improved technique for delegating computing actions among different machines includes a policy engine that receives inputs specifying computing actions to be performed and automatically selects a virtual machine to perform each action. Machine selection is based on a policy, which recognizes multiple categories of computing actions, classifies each input as belonging to one of the categories, and directs each computing action to a virtual machine designated for performing only that one category of computing actions. |
| US08683546B2 |
Managing security configuration through machine learning, combinatorial optimization and attack graphs
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that combat identity follow-on attacks. The system can include components for receiving a plurality of security configuration changes, selecting which of the changes included in the plurality of security changes to approve or disapprove, and based on which of the changes are approved or disapproved by an administrator, generating a further plurality of security configuration changes that the administrator can once again approve or disapprove until the administrator is satisfied with the security configuration changes. |
| US08683543B2 |
Virtual set-top box that executes service provider middleware
A virtual set-top box (vSTB) for executing a middleware component, designed originally for use with the physical STB, including emulating hardware capabilities of the physical STB to process IPTV content received over a connection for presenting the IPTV content on a display of the electronic device. |
| US08683540B2 |
System and method to record encoded video data
A system includes a network interface to receive video packet data encoding video data from a remote server. The system includes a hardware decoder operable to decode a first type of encoded video data but not operable to decode a second type of encoded video data. The system also includes a software decoder to decode the second type of encoded video data. The system also includes a controller to determine whether the received video packet data includes the second type of encoded video data and to route the video packet data to the software decoder when the video packet data includes the second type of encoded video data. |
| US08683539B1 |
Signal processing apparatus and methods
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming. |
| US08683538B2 |
Multi-access content server with security management for IPTV
A system and method for distributing content over multiple networks may include at least two encoders configured to encode the content in formats for play on devices having different formats. A metadata management unit may be configured to apply information associated with the content to the content in the form of metadata. A content management server may be in communication with the encoders and be configured to receive and store the content. A conditional access digital rights management server may be in communication with the content management server and be configured to authenticate a user. A middleware server may be in communication with the content management server and be configured to manage a program guide accessible to users to view and select content to play on a device. Devices of different formats may be configured to access the content management server and select content to play via the program guide. |
| US08683536B1 |
Method and system to combine broadcast television and internet television
Provided is a method and system for receiving and displaying video from both an Internet and a broadcast video source. Also provided is a frame controller for receiving video data from an Internet video stream and from a cable broadcast video stream, the frame controller further in communication with a television display and causing the Internet video stream and the cable broadcast video stream to each be displayed in a separate frame on the television display. |
| US08683535B2 |
Fast channel change
A system and method that provide reduced latency in a video signal processing system. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise generating and receiving a request for a unit of video information. A video transmission system may, for example, receive the request for the unit of video information and communicate the unit of video information to a video receiver. For example, the video transmission system may transmit a first portion of the unit of video information at a rate that is faster than a typical steady-state transmission rate for the unit of video information, and the video transmission system may transmit a second portion of the unit of video information at the typical steady-state transmission rate for the unit of video information. A video receiver may then receive the first and second portions of the unit of video information at respective reception rates. |
| US08683532B2 |
Space-shifting media streaming system
A system for space-shifting media broadcasts is provided. A request to space-shift a media broadcast is received. A device, out of a network of devices is selected to space-shift the media broadcast to. The media broadcast is then space-shifted to the selected device. |
| US08683531B2 |
Digital broadcasting method
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a digital data stream is divided into at least two complementary digital substreams and delayed in time. The first digital substream and the second digital substream are transmitted by the broadcasting systems with a time offset in accordance with the broadcasting principle such that any receiver can use the respectively intact part of the other complementary digital substream in order to ensure a seamless media reception when a break in the transmission or reception occurs. |
| US08683530B2 |
Apparatus for receiving and displaying cellular television content and method for billing for same
An apparatus and method are provided for receiving and displaying cellular television content. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a wireless communication device for establishing a connection to a wireless telecommunications network and for receiving video content over the connection. The apparatus includes a processor for receiving the cellular television content and the television signal. The processor generates a signal for display on a video display screen from the television signal and the video content. A video display screen is also provided in the apparatus for displaying the signal. The apparatus may also include a remote control interface and a remote control device that includes a keypad for establishing a wireless telephone call through the apparatus over the wireless telecommunications network. The apparatus may alternatively include an interface for receiving and communicating with a wireless telephone capable of establishing a connection to a wireless telecommunications network and receiving cellular television. |
| US08683524B2 |
Methods and apparatus to distinguish elements of a user interface
Methods and apparatus to distinguish elements of a user interface are described. An example user interface includes a plurality of channel cells including a first channel cell having a first attribute and a second channel cell having a second attribute; and a plurality of program cells associated with the plurality of channel cells, wherein at least one program cell has a third attribute, wherein the third attribute distinguishes the at least one program cell from an associated channel cell. |
| US08683519B2 |
Favorites mosaic
A set-top box generates a multimedia signal that includes streaming video for a plurality of currently available multimedia channels. A user configures a plurality of favorite channels. Streaming video from the favorite channels is provided in a plurality of viewports on a display. A user presses a favorites button on a remote control to prompt an application server to signal a content server to provide a compound video signal including streaming video from each favorite channel. The set-top box produces a resultant video signal including the streaming video from each favorite channel in a corresponding viewport. The viewports correspond to a mosaic template that may be hosted by the application server and accessed by the content server. |
| US08683515B2 |
Receiver for accelerating channel change time
In one embodiment, a receiver for an accelerated channel change is provided. The receiver receives a first version of a video stream for a first channel and causes display of video for the first version of the video stream for the channel. A second version of a video stream is received upon a channel change to a second channel, the second version including non-discardable pictures from the first version of the video stream. The receiver displays video for the second version of the video stream for the second channel. When a transition point is reached in the first version of the video stream for the second channel, a first version of a video stream for the second channel can be displayed. |
| US08683514B2 |
Enhanced media content transport stream for media content delivery systems and methods
An exemplary method includes a media content delivery system transmitting an enhanced media content transport stream that includes at least a single program stream that carries data representative of multiple video content programs. The enhanced media content transport stream further includes data specifying multiple video program identifiers for the multiple video content programs, each of the multiple video program identifiers configured to be used by an access subsystem that receives the enhanced media content transport stream to selectively access a different one of the multiple video content programs. In certain embodiments, the multiple video content programs comprise a first video content program including video data for a main media content program and a second video content program including video data for an advertisement. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08683512B2 |
Method for using banner advertisements during commercial breaks
A method, non-transitory computer readable media, and Apparatus is provided for viewing a second content item while a first content item plays an advertisement. When the first content item is changed to a second content item on a display, a window region displays an advertising item related to the advertisement. The advertising item in the window region is modified when the advertisement has ended, alerting the user the advertisement is over. In another embodiment, the advertisement comprises a first and second commercial played in succession, and the advertising item in the window region comprises a first and second product item. In this embodiment, the window region displays the first product item when the first commercial is played in the advertisement, and the second product item when the second commercial plays in the advertisement. |
| US08683510B1 |
IP-based television messaging services
Architecture for the delivery of IP-based messages from wired and/or wireless devices to a television system. The means for delivery can be via an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology. The message is processed through a messaging system that obtains a mapping of a message address to an IPTV address, and routes the message to an IPTV network for delivery the desired television system for presentation. Messaging can be via SMS (short message service) for textual content, MMS (multimedia messaging service) for multimedia content, or other messaging technologies, such as instant messaging, an e-mail, for example. Optionally, the message from the user device can include a request for confirmation of delivery of the message to the television. The confirmation can then be routed back over an IP data network to the user device and presented to the user. |
| US08683504B2 |
Methods and apparatus to monitor audio/visual content from various sources
Methods and apparatus to monitor audio/visual content from various sources are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises determining first information based on a video signal corresponding to monitored media content, determining second information based on an audio signal corresponding to the monitored media content, and identifying a selected one of a plurality of media content sources based on a decision tree comprising a plurality of decision nodes, a first decision node of the decision tree corresponding to a first classification decision resulting from processing at least one of the first information or second information, and a second decision node of the decision tree corresponding to a second classification decision resulting from processing at least one of the first information or second information, the second decision node of the decision tree being selected for evaluation based on an outcome of evaluating the first decision node of the decision tree. |
| US08683501B2 |
Application of enhanced television services using back-end core software
A method and system to permit TV viewers to interact with program content broadcast over a subscriber network, such as cable, satellite, internet, or cellular telephone. The details of the ability for the viewer to interact is embedded as data in the program signal. The subscription provider broadcasts a visual indicator as a small icon during programming that informs the viewer that interaction is permitted. The viewer then uses a remote control to purchase products, vote on events, respond to polls, download files, request information, and request callback actions. The TV viewer uses the remote control to send information to a set-top box front-end application, and to iteratively create transactions that are batched and then sent to a back-end core application and database which then handles fulfillment. |
| US08683495B1 |
Sync point coordination providing high throughput job processing across distributed virtual infrastructure
An information processing system in an illustrative embodiment comprises a sync point coordinator providing resilient high throughput job processing via coordinated resource scheduling across a distributed virtual infrastructure. In one aspect, a processing device of the information processing system comprises a processor coupled to a memory. The processing device implements a controller configured to coordinate interaction of each of multiple sync point components of the information processing system with distributed virtual infrastructure of the information processing system. The controller is coupled between each of the sync point components and the distributed virtual infrastructure. The controller may comprise, for example, a sync point coordinator having a schedule optimization module, and the sync point components may include, for example, a throughput scheduler, a resource manager, a job management system and a snapshot management system. |
| US08683494B1 |
Constructing event sequences in event-driven programs
A method of constructing a target event handler sequence from an end target in an event-driven program may include determining a variable to be read in a first event handler of multiple event handlers in the event-driven program. Each of the event handlers may include portions of code within the event-driven program. The method may also include determining a condition in the first event handler that is associated with the variable and determining multiple second event handlers of the event handlers that are configured to write to the variable. The method may also include pruning the second event handlers based on which of the second event handlers are configured to write a value to the variable that satisfies the condition. |
| US08683491B2 |
Information processing apparatus, execution method, and object program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a message storage unit for storing a message sent to a component, and an execution processing unit for loading the component body into a computer in response to receiving an execution instruction on the component to execute the component body and process the message stored in the message storage unit prior to the execution instruction. |
| US08683488B2 |
System and method for automatically generating computer code for message flows
Computer-executable code is automatically generated for a message flow in a message queuing infrastructure by determining a type of the message flow, inputting message flow parameters, and generating the computer-executable code based on the type of the message flow and the message flow parameters. The generation of code can also implement a design pattern, which is input based on the determined type of message flow. The computer-executable code can be, for example, Extended Structured Query Language (ESQL) code. The type of the message flow can identify, for example, a transformation requirement of the message flow. The transformation requirement can be, for example, one of (i) transformation from a first Extensible Markup Language (XML) message to a second XML message, (ii) transformation from an XML message to a Message Repository Manager (MRM) message, and (iii) transformation from a first MRM message to a second MRM message. |
| US08683486B2 |
SAS expander based persistent connections
Embodiments of the present invention provide for creating and using persistent connections in SAS networks. A persistent connection may be a connection that persists for longer than the usual SAS connection. More specifically, it is a connection that is not subject to periodic tear downs by SAS devices according to existing SAS protocols (such as, by using CLOSE or BREAK primitives). Instead, persistent connections may be removable by a link reset. Persistent connections may be used in situations in which the overhead associated with the usual tear down and re-establishment of connections in a SAS network may be considered too high in comparison with its intended benefits. Persistent connections may also be used to provide virtual direct attachment between two different SAS connected devices or between a SAS connected device and an expander. |
| US08683485B2 |
Evenly distributing workload and providing a predictable failover scenario in a data replication system
A method for more effectively distributing the I/O workload in a data replication system is disclosed herein. In selected embodiments, such a method may include generating an I/O request and identifying a storage resource group associated with the I/O request. In the event the I/O request is associated with a first storage resource group, the I/O request may be directed to a first storage device and a copy of the I/O request may be mirrored from the first storage device to a second storage device. Alternatively, in the event the I/O request is associated with a second storage resource group, the I/O request may be directed to a second storage device and a copy of the I/O request may be mirrored from the second storage device to the first storage device. |
| US08683483B2 |
Resource utilization monitor
Load-balancing threads among a plurality of processing units. The method may include a first processing unit executing a plurality of software threads using a respective plurality of hardware strands. The plurality of hardware strands may share at least one hardware resource within the first processing unit. The method may further include monitoring the at least one hardware resource, wherein, for each respective hardware strand. Monitoring may include, for each respective hardware resource of the at least one hardware resource: maintaining information regarding the respective hardware strand requesting to use the respective hardware resource but failing to do so because the respective hardware resource is in use, comparing the information to a threshold, and generating an interrupt if the information exceeds the threshold. One or more load-balancing operations may be performed in response to the interrupt. |
| US08683476B2 |
Method and system for event-based management of hardware resources using a power state of the hardware resources
A system for dispatching a thread to a resource obtains a thread and utilization data for all resources. The system determines if there is a thread-resource affinity. The system uses thread-resource affinity to identify a resource and a timestamp for when the thread last completed executing on the resource. The system determines if the resource qualifies under a dispatch policy. The system uses utilization data to determine a timestamp for when the resource last transitioned to a not powered state. When the second timestamp precedes the first timestamp, the system dispatches the thread to the resource and generates a power management event. The system determines if the power management event satisfies a throttle policy. The system discards the power management event when throttle policy is unsatisfied and determines whether to adjust the current power state of the resource based on the power management event when throttle policy is satisfied. |
| US08683475B2 |
Method and apparatus for grid enabling standard applications
Disclosed are a method of and system for adapting a computer program to make use of a grid based system of resources, said grid based system using a given set of grid protocols. The method comprises the steps of providing a profile of the computer program; and providing a grid adapter including a series of application program interfaces (APIs) for interfacing said computer program to the grid based system using said one or more of said grid protocols. The profile is used to select one or more of the APIs to interface said computer program with one or more of the resources of the grid based system. |
| US08683473B2 |
Dynamic task association between independent, unrelated projects
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for dynamic task association. The method includes maintaining a plurality of projects. Each project may include a plurality of tasks specific to the project. The method may also include detecting a change in a particular task of a first project that affects one or more tasks of a second project. The first project and the second project may be of the plurality of projects and the second project may be independent from the first project. The method may also include updating one or more tasks of the second project affected by the change in response to detecting the change in the particular task of the first project. |
| US08683467B2 |
Determining performance states of parent components in a virtual-machine environment based on performance states of related child components
A virtual-machine environment can include a parent component (e.g., a host cluster, a host or a set of virtual machines) that is a parent to a set of two or more child components. For example, a host cluster can be a parent to multiple hosts; a host can be a parent to multiple virtual machines; and a set of virtual machines can be a parent to multiple virtual machines. Performance metrics for the child components can be monitored. A child-component performance state can be determined for each child component in the set of two or more child components using a corresponding monitored performance metric and a child-component state criterion (e.g., that maps performance-metric values to states). A parent performance state can be determined for the parent component using the child-component performance state for each child component in the set and a parent-component state criterion. |
| US08683466B2 |
System and method for generating a virtual desktop
A technique for composing a virtual desktop associated with one or more applications in a virtualized computing environment. The technique includes generating file system level metadata in the desktop image for applications that create a perception that data blocks in the desktop image have been allocated to applications, but not actually copying any of the application data into the allocated blocks. Instead, the technique builds a mapping table between disk block numbers and the application data, which can be stored in a separate application store. The disclosed techniques provide a more efficient way to compose a virtual desktop, compared to current virtual desktop adoption techniques. |
| US08683462B2 |
Handling calls to native code in a managed code environment
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, provide a technique for handling calls to native code in a managed code environment. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of: loading, in a managed code environment operating on one or more data processing apparatus, code of an application and code of an extension, wherein the loading includes loading the code of the extension into a first domain and loading the code of the application into a second domain, the first domain being different than the second domain; receiving, through an application program interface (API) of the managed code environment, a call to a function of native program code corresponding to an identified computing platform; allowing the call when the call arises from the first domain; and disallowing the call when the call arises from the second domain. |
| US08683460B2 |
Grandfathering configurations in a distributed environment
An approach is provided in which a distributed management appliance receives active device type identifiers from a computing system included in a distributed environment. The distributed management appliance identifies legacy device types from the active device type identifiers that fail to correspond to devices currently supported by the distributed management appliance. In turn, the distributed management appliance includes legacy device type identifiers and supported device type identifiers in a customized support matrix and distributes the customized support matrix to each of the computing systems included in the distributed environment. |
| US08683457B1 |
Updating firmware of an electronic device by storing a version identifier in a separate header
An electronic device is disclosed comprising a non-volatile memory storing a first version of a control program (CP), a first header comprising a first version identifier (VID) identifying the first version of the CP and a first VID check code generated in response to at least the first VID. The non-volatile memory further stores a second version of the CP, and a second header comprising a second VID identifying the second version of the CP and a second VID check code generated in response to at least the second VID. When the first and second VIDs are valid, the electronic device selects between the first version and the second version of the CP in response to the first and second VIDs, and executes the selected version of the CP. |
| US08683456B2 |
Test partitioning for a non-volatile memory
Systems and methods are provided for testing a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory. The non-volatile memory may be virtually partitioned into a test region and a general purpose region. A test application may be stored in the general purpose region, and the test application can be executed to run a test of the memory locations in the test region. The results of the test may be stored in the general purpose region. At the completion of the test, the test results may be provided from the general purpose region and displayed to a user. The virtual partitions may be removed prior to shipping the electronic device for distribution. |
| US08683453B2 |
System for overriding interpreted byte-code with native code
In a method of executing a program on an interpreted bytecode language, a plurality of interpreted bytecode modules (each having an associated name) is loaded. A pointer is directed from each method entry to a different interpreted bytecode module. A native code module library is loaded and includes a native code module (also having an associated name) that implements a function corresponding to an interpreted bytecode module. When the name of an interpreted bytecode module corresponds to the name of a native code module, the pointer directed to the interpreted bytecode module is redirected to the corresponding native code module. Each interpreted bytecode module and native code module pointed to by the each method entry in the method table is executed according to an application-controlled order of execution. |
| US08683452B1 |
Dynamically obfuscated javascript
An improved technique of providing computer code to a set of client computers is disclosed. In the improved technique, a set of files is generated, each file in the set of files including computer code configured to be read by an interpreter on each client computer, the computer code in each file including a set of functions, each function in the set of functions having a name, the name of a function in the set of functions in a first file in the set of files differing from the name of a corresponding function in the set of functions in a second file in the set of files, the computer code in the first file and the computer code in the second file being constructed and arranged to produce functionally equivalent sets of computer instructions when run through the interpreter on each client computer. |
| US08683450B2 |
Systems, methods, and media for testing software patches
Systems, methods, and media for testing software patches are provided (200). The methods include: injecting a software patch into a program (202); running multiple instances of a part of the program containing the software patch (204); obtaining outcomes of the multiple instances (208); and determining, using the outcomes, whether the software patch is executed properly (210). |
| US08683445B2 |
User-interface testing
A user-interface testing process involves generating plural display-data representations of a common subject for plural respective user-interface instances. The resulting display data is tracked for each of the application user-interface instances so as to generate respective object-level descriptions of the user interface instances. The object-level descriptions are compared to detect differences between the application user-interface instances. |
| US08683444B1 |
System and method of debugging multi-threaded processes
A system and method of debugging a multi-threaded process with at least one running thread and at least one suspended thread is disclosed. Embodiments utilize a blocking function to block the thread of a process while other threads are allowed to run. The blocking function may be executed in a suspended thread by a debugger under control of a thread blocking controller. The other threads may implement interprocess communication channels for enabling communication between the process and another application. A simulated user interface (UI) of a debugger enables interaction with users while a hardware simulation thread is blocked, where blocking of the hardware simulation thread may be implemented by a thread blocking component implemented externally to the debugger. Where a thread blocking controller is implemented within the debugger, a debugger UI may interact with a user while the hardware simulation thread is blocked and interprocess communication threads are running. |
| US08683443B2 |
Streamlined methodology for resolving software integration conflicts
A computer-based system to integrate code changes for a software application is provided. The system detects when a requested code change for a branch of the software application conflicts with another code change, and generates a blocked change notification corresponding to the detected conflict. The blocked change notification includes a blocked change identifier corresponding to the requested code change. The notification is delivered to a user device, which responds with a conflict resolution response that includes at least one code change file associated with the requested code change, along with an integration annotation that conveys the blocked change identifier and a branch name identifier that identifies the branch of the software application. The system acts upon the integration annotation to integrate the at least one code change file into the branch of the software application. |
| US08683441B2 |
Software equivalence checking
Two programs are checked for equivalence. Based on concrete states, a control path in each program is determined. A symbolic representation of the output is determined for each program and verified that for every input that would execute the programs on the determined control paths, the outputs are the same. Based on this operation, iterative processing may be performed to verify equivalence for all inputs of the program. |
| US08683440B2 |
Performing dynamic software testing based on test result information retrieved in runtime using test result entity
A mechanism for performing dynamic software testing on a computer system based on test result information retrieved in runtime using test result entity. A method of embodiments of the invention includes causing a test execution script to run a first test to test a first component, and the test execution script is supported by a script execution platform on a computer system, and the first component depends on a second component. The method further includes retrieving, in runtime, testing information relating to the second component from a database, if the first test produces unsatisfactory results relating to performance of the first component, and causing, in runtime, the test execution script to run a second test to test the second component. |
| US08683438B2 |
System, computer program product and method for comparative debugging
A method, computer program product, and computing device for initiating a first instance of an application to be debugged. A second instance of the application to be debugged is initiated. A common command is simultaneously executed on the first and second instances of the application to be debugged. |
| US08683437B1 |
System and method for the automatic validation of dialog run time systems
A method, system and module for automatically validating dialogs associated with a spoken dialog service. The method comprises extracting key data from a dialog call detail record associated with a spoken dialog service, transmitting the key data as a dialog to a state-based representation (such as a finite-state machine) associated with a call-flow for the spoken dialog service and determining whether the dialog associated with the key data is a valid dialog for the call-flow. |
| US08683430B2 |
Synchronizing development code and deployed executable versioning within distributed systems
The disclosure provides a solution for associating deployed executables with source code. In the solution, source code of a development environment can be mapped to a deployed executable of a runtime environment. The mapping can ensure that a version of source code from which the deployed executable was produced is always known. The mapping can occur within digitally encoded data stored in a non-transient storage medium. The development environment and the runtime environment can be two distinct and separate computing environments that are isolated from each other. |
| US08683427B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and computer readable storage medium for supporting test processes for respective software components
Modeled test cases are created by converting test cases of each component, which describe interface call orders for the component, into expressions with a level of abstraction increased by excluding component unique information included in the test cases using classification information of interfaces provided by the component. Modeled test cases as differences are extracted by comparing the modeled test cases between a plurality of components. |
| US08683424B2 |
Bridging the gap between high level user requirements and availability management framework configurations
Configuration requirements for an Availability Management Framework (AMF) configuration are generated from high level user requirements that specify a subset of properties of an AMF configuration. The user requirements are first mapped into entity prototypes defined in an extended Entity Types File (ETF) model. A computer system identifies additional entity prototypes and dependency thereof that support functionalities of the mapped entity prototypes under a set of grouping conditions. The computer system calculates the required number of component service instances (CSIs) and service instances (SIs) that satisfy the user requirements. The calculation is based on the subset of the properties specified by the user requirements and measurements associated with the entity prototypes in the extended ETF model. The computer system then forms configuration requirements including the required number of CSIs and SIs for generating the AMF configuration that satisfies the user requirements. |
| US08683422B2 |
Support apparatus and information processing method thereof
Layout information indicating a layout of circuits on a print circuit board is obtained. With reference to the layout information, a connection portion, which electrically connects a ground pattern of the print circuit board and an external ground of the print circuit board, is specified, and a pin, which is included in a connector laid out on the print circuit board and is connected to the ground pattern, is identified. Then, a discharge route between the pin and connection portion is determined. |
| US08683418B2 |
Adaptive workload based optimizations to mitigate current delivery limitations in integrated circuits
A dynamic system coupled with “pre-Silicon” design methodologies and “post-Silicon” current optimizing programming methodologies to improve and optimize current delivery into a chip, which is limited by the physical properties of the connections (e.g., Controlled Collapse Chip Connection or C4s). The mechanism consists of measuring or estimating power consumption at a certain granularity within a chip, converting the power information into C4 current information using a method, and triggering throttling mechanisms (including token based throttling) where applicable to limit the current delivery per C4 beyond pre-established limits or periods. Design aids are used to allocate C4s throughout the chip based on the current delivery requirements. The system coupled with design and programming methodologies improve and optimize current delivery is extendable to connections across layers in a multilayer 3D chip stack. |
| US08683417B2 |
Multiple level spine routing
Multiple level spine routing is disclosed. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a specification of a net comprising a set of pins, a first wire for routing the net is generated, the set of pins comprising the net is partitioned into one or more groups based at least in part on a cost function, a second wire that connects to the first wire is generated for each group of the net, and a third wire that connects each pin to the second wire of its group is generated for each pin of each group of the net. |
| US08683416B1 |
Integrated circuit optimization
A device may identify signal channels for connecting circuit blocks, where each circuit block is associated with a block implementation area corresponding to a substrate. The device may assign a channel priority to each of the signal channels based on at least one channel criteria. The device may allocate a channel implementation area, corresponding to the substrate, for each of a plurality of signal channels, based on the channel priority assigned to the signal channel and based on the block implementation areas. The device may generate an integrated circuit design comprising the channel implementation area allocated for each of the plurality of signal channels. |
| US08683415B2 |
Wiring support method and apparatus
A disclosed method includes: accepting designation of a condition of grouping plural signal lines to be wired from a user; and switching and carrying out a grouping of the plural signal lines into plural groups based on the designated condition and a disposition pattern of start terminals and end terminals of the plural signal lines. The condition may be designated from a first requirement, a second requirement and a third requirement that includes the first requirement and the second requirement and in which a priority is set to the first requirement or the second requirement. |
| US08683413B2 |
Method for making high-speed ceramic modules with hybrid referencing scheme for improved performance and reduced cost
A multi-layered ceramic package comprises: a signal layer with identified chip/device area(s) that require a supply of power; and a voltage power (Vdd) layer and a ground (Gnd) layer disposed on opposite sides directly above or below and adjacent to the signal layer and providing a first reference mesh plane and a second reference mesh plane configured utilizing a hybrid mesh scheme. The hybrid mesh scheme comprises: a full dense mesh in a first area directly above or below the identified chip/device area(s); a half dense mesh in a second area that is above or below the edge(s) of the chip/device area; and a wider mesh pitch in all other areas The Vdd traces are aligned to run parallel and adjacent to signal lines in those other areas. Wider traces are provided within the mesh areas that run parallel and adjacent to signal lines. |
| US08683412B1 |
Method and system for optimizing placement of I/O element nodes of an I/O ring for an electronic design
Disclosed are improved methods, systems, and computer program products for generating and optimizing an I/O ring arrangement for an electronic design. Corner packing is one approach that can be taken to optimizing an I/O ring. Stacking of I/O components provides another approach for optimizing an I/O ring. |
| US08683410B2 |
Operational cycle assignment in a configurable IC
Some embodiments provide a method of designing a configurable integrated circuit (“IC”) with several configurable circuits. The method receives a design having several sets of operations for the configurable circuits to perform in different operational cycles. For at least a first set of operations that has a start operation and an end operation, the method assigns a particular operation in the first set to a first operational cycle based at least partially on the position of the particular operation with respect to the start and end operations. |
| US08683408B2 |
Sequential sizing in physical synthesis
Techniques and systems for optimizing a circuit design are described. In some embodiments, a sequential cell is selected for optimization. Next, the system iterates through a set of candidate sequential cells that are functionally equivalent to the sequential cell that is being optimized. The system evaluates the global timing impact of each candidate sequential cell in a highly efficient manner. For each candidate sequential cell that is evaluated, a non-timing metric and a timing metric for a candidate sequential cell are compared with the corresponding non-timing metric and timing metric for the current best sequential cell. If a candidate sequential cell improves the timing metric, or maintains the timing metric and has better non-timing metric(s), then the candidate sequential cell is stored as the current best sequential cell. Once the process completes, the current best sequential cell is the optimized cell size for the sequential cell. |
| US08683405B2 |
Multi-layer distributed network
Apparatuses and processes for distributing signals in an integrated circuit are disclosed. An embodiment to use a custom layer together with a base layer on an integrated circuit for testing the integrated circuit includes having a structured network on the base layer. The custom layer connects the network to logic elements on the integrated circuit. The network may be evenly distributed across the base layer of the integrated circuit. Even distribution of the network may reduce skew of the test signals. Buffers are also placed along the structured network. The buffers may be placed to ensure a deterministic test signals distribution. Unused buffers in the base layer may be tied off to reduce current leakage. |
| US08683401B2 |
Information processing device and design supporting method
An information processing device comprises, a physical property value generation unit to generate a plurality of physical property values for changing signal propagation time of a target path including a plurality of circuit elements within a predetermined fluctuation range, an element delay calculation unit to calculate delay time of each of signals passing through the circuit element in accordance with each of the generated physical property values and a propagation time calculation unit to calculate the signal propagation time of the target path on the basis of the delay time of the signals. |
| US08683396B2 |
Determining source patterns for use in photolithography
Embodiments of a computer system, a process, a computer-program product (i.e., software), and a data structure or a file for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments may be used to determine or generate source patterns that define illumination patterns on photo-masks during a photolithographic process. Moreover, a given source pattern may be determined concurrently with an associated mask pattern (to which a given photo-mask corresponds) or sequentially (i.e., either the given source pattern may be determined before the associated mask pattern or vice versa.). During the determining, the given source pattern may be represented using one or more level-set functions. Additionally, the source pattern may be determined using an Inverse Lithography (ILT) calculation. |
| US08683395B2 |
Method and system for feed-forward advanced process control
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method of forming a new integrated circuit design on a semiconductor wafer using a photolithography tool. The method includes selecting a previously processed wafer having a past integrated circuit design different than the new integrated circuit design, selecting a plurality of critical dimension (CD) data points extracted from the previously processed wafer after the previously processed wafer was etched, and creating a field layout and associated baseline exposure dose map for the new integrated circuit design. The method also includes refining each field in the baseline exposure dose map based on a difference between an average CD for the previously processed wafer and an average CD for each field in the field layout and controlling the exposure of the photolithography tool according to the refined baseline exposure dose map to form the new integrated circuit design on the semiconductor wafer. |
| US08683382B2 |
Display apparatus and control method thereof
Provided is a display apparatus including a display panel and a display frame to support the display panel. The display apparatus including an input unit, provided on the exterior surface of the display apparatus, for outputting a contact detection signal when a user contacts the input unit; a signal processor for generating a function adjustment user interface (UI) menu to be displayed on the display panel; and a controller for controlling the signal processor to display the function adjustment UI menu corresponding to the user's contact through the input unit when the user's contact is detected based on a detection result of the input unit. Thus, provided is a display apparatus which improves accessibility to a function adjustment UI menu, simplifies a manipulation process of the function adjustment UI menu, and enables a user to quickly and easily access a desired adjustment item when the function adjustment UI menu is displayed, and a control method thereof. |
| US08683376B2 |
Server unit, a client unit, and a recording medium in a computer system
When having determined that the input event from a client unit is the selection of an object, a server unit requests the client unit to transmit display area information that sets a display screen area on the drawing data. The server unit acquires the display area information transmitted from the client unit in response to the request. The server unit determines whether the area of the object selected on the drawing data fits in the display screen area corresponding to the acquired display area information. If having determined that the area of the object does not fit in the display screen area, the server unit changes the display area information so that the area of the object may fit in the display screen area and transmits the changed display area information to the client unit. The client unit displays the drawing data received from the server unit. |
| US08683371B2 |
Screen creating system of programmable display and screen creating program thereof
A screen creating system including: a display unit that displays a drawing screen; a property-information managing unit that manages property information of components configuring the drawing screen; and a list display unit configured to acquire the property information of a component selected by a user from the property-information managing unit, display the acquired property information of the component on the display unit, and edit a predetermined setting item of setting items configuring the displayed property information. |
| US08683368B2 |
Method and apparatus for illustrating progress in achieving a goal in a computer program task
A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for illustrating progress in achieving a goal of a system modeled by a computer program. In one embodiment, the invention is evidenced by a method comprising the steps of displaying a widget wherein the widget comprises a center portion representing a category of data represented by the computer program and the category of data includes n data points that must be fulfilled to achieve the goal and an outer portion, comprising a segment representing each one of the n data points; and updating the widget to represent each of the n data points that has been fulfilled by delineating each segment representing a fulfilled data point requirement from each segment representing a non -fulfilled data point requirement. |
| US08683364B2 |
Graphical interconnection of hardware signals
A system and a method for graphical interconnection of hardware signals of a device, (e.g., a controller device) are provided. The graphical interconnection can now be implemented in a simple manner so that a user can perform this function intuitively and without knowledge of the address convention used in the engineering system. This may be achieved by the inventive system and by the inventive method by the hardware signals being interconnected graphically with program elements of a programming environment using drag & drop features in a graphical user interface. |
| US08683362B2 |
Card metaphor for activities in a computing device
In various embodiments, a card metaphor is established, in which each activity can be represented within an area of the screen referred to as a card. In various embodiments, any of several display modes are available for viewing, interacting with, manipulating, initiating, and dismissing cards. A persistent positional relationship can be established among cards, represented by a one-dimensional sequence. Newly opened cards are generally placed at the end of the sequence, although a new card that bears a relationship to an already open card may, in some embodiments, be placed adjacent to the already open card. In various embodiments, cards may be grouped, with such groups being represented as stacks of cards or by other visually distinctive means. |
| US08683361B2 |
Presentation of headers for groups of locations in an electronic library
The presentation of headers for groups of locations in a library comprising a collection of locations is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises receiving a request to organize a library into groups according to a selected property, and organizing the locations into groups such that locations within a selected group have a common value of the selected property. If the common value of the selected property for the selected group corresponds to an object distinct from the locations in the group, then a first type of group header configured to accept a first set of user inputs associated with the header is displayed. Otherwise, a second type of group header configured to accept a second, different set of user inputs is displayed. |
| US08683358B2 |
Application element group operations allowing duplication while preserving interdependent logic
In one embodiment, an application design method includes identifying one or more application objects selected by a user when designing an application and identifying dependencies associated with the selected objects. The method further includes duplicating the selected objects and the associated dependencies. In another embodiment, the one or more objects comprise at least one of a valuator, an input and an output. |
| US08683357B2 |
Providing real time web application framework socket
A method and apparatus for providing real-time web applications is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a web page from a web application framework at a client computer system, the web page including at least one framework widget with a subscription to a topic. The method may also include opening a framework socket in a web browser run on the client computer system. In one embodiment, the method may further include rendering the framework socket along with the at least one framework widget in a web browser run by the client computer system. |
| US08683352B2 |
Selectable flattening hierarchical file browser
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to hierarchical tree file browsers and provide a method, system and computer program product for selectably flattening a hierarchical tree object structure in a hierarchical tree object browser. In one embodiment of the invention, a method of flattening an object hierarchy in an object browser can be provided. The method can include selecting a node in an object hierarchy in an object browser and, responsive to selecting the node, displaying content for the selected node and content for at least one node below the selected node in the object browser. |
| US08683351B2 |
Chat user interface for threaded text chat systems
A chat user interface for threaded text chat systems. The user interface can include a canvas view in which multiple portions of a threaded text tree for a chat session can be rendered separately and concurrently. The user interface further can include a chat participant view, a chat input view and an outline view of an ongoing chat session. Notably, selections of a threaded text tree rendered in the canvas view can be configured for zooming so that certain parts of the threaded text tree can be viewed more readily than other parts of the threaded text tree. Moreover, as new text entries are provided to any branch of the threaded text tree, visual indicators can be activated in the canvas view to alert an end user to the location of the new text entries. Finally, the canvas view can accommodate both imported external objects, such as graphics or links to Web pages, and also a white board region into which notations can be applied by an end user during the course of a chat session. |
| US08683350B2 |
System and method for using a website containing video playlists as input to a download manager
Systems and methods for enabling the download of a set of media files with a specific order and specific contents and, more particularly, to enabling a download manager to automatically receive the information it requires to retrieve those elements required to replicate a streaming edit through local playback after the downloads complete. |
| US08683346B2 |
Client integration of information from a supplemental server into a portal
According to some embodiments, a client accesses enterprise portal content from an enterprise portal server. The client also accesses supplemental content directly from a supplemental server. The supplemental server may, for example, be associated with a browser-based collaboration and/or document-management platform. Moreover, the client integrates the supplemental content into the enterprise portal content on a user interface display. |
| US08683341B2 |
Multimedia presentation editor for a small-display communication terminal or computing device
A method by which a multimedia presentation editor for use on a (typically handheld) communication or computing terminal (10) interfaces with a user so as to allow the user to create or edit a presentation (20), including: a step (51) in which objects to be displayed successively when a slide (21) is displayed in play mode, are instead assembled by the editor one under another in a column (25a), and objects (22) to be displayed continuously are also assembled in a (one-object-long) column (25b); and a step (52) in which the editor displays each column (25a-b) side-by-side, corresponding to the side-by-side arrangement of respective objects in the different columns (25a-b) when the slide (21) is displayed in play mode, thus allowing some parts of the slide (21) to be fixed, and some parts (23a-c) to change—the parts having columns with more than one object. Corresponding equipment is also provided. |
| US08683337B2 |
Seamless playback of composite media
A streaming composition system is described herein that provides easy workflow and playback capabilities for content producers to create composite media assets from existing and on-going media content and for streaming clients to seamlessly playback composite multimedia streams provided from different sources. These assets provide broadcasters an option to quickly turn around highlights for an on-going event. The streaming composition system allows a producer to identify clips within existing media assets and compose the clips into a new unified streaming presentation. For producers that already have smooth streaming media assets, the system leverages these assets to provide seamless playback across clip boundaries including advanced playback support for advertisement insertion, fast forward, rewind, and so on. |
| US08683334B2 |
System and method for sharing access to service provider controls and subscriber profile data across multiple applications in a user interactive system
A control system and method is described having a framework in which many applications in a user interaction system (UIS) can share common data regardless of which application obtained the data and all without prior knowledge of the other applications. The shared data is typically personal data of the current user, such as name, location, preferences, etc. However, the system can also be used to share style sheets, announcements, etc., that can be utilized by multiple applications. The data is stored in a standardized manner in a location available to any application. Application's have access to the data based upon user privileges at any particular time. |
| US08683332B2 |
Distance filtering gesture touchscreen
A system may include a display to present a visualization comprising a plurality of graphical indicators, each of the graphical indicators associated with a respective one of a plurality of entities of interest, a touch-sensitive input surface to receive a touch input at a first portion of the visualization representing a current physical location of the apparatus and a drag input on the display device from the first portion to a second portion of the visualization, and a processor to filter the plurality of graphical indicators based on a distance between the first portion and the second portion.Filtering of the plurality of graphical indicators may include determination of a second distance based on the distance between the first portion and the second portion, and determination of at least one of the plurality of entities of interest, each of the at least one of the plurality of entities of interest located less than the second distance from the current physical location of the apparatus. |
| US08683330B2 |
Processing print data using a user interface before transmitting the print data to a printer
An information processing apparatus for controlling printing of a printing apparatus has a user interface, a graphics unit, and a print information storing unit to store generated print information before transmitting the generated print information to the printing apparatus. When generating the print information, the graphics unit generates job identification information for identifying the printing operation settable based on the input printout conditions and a print information generation instruction. The graphics unit correlates the generated job identification information and the generated print information. The user interface generates job identification information for the printing operation, obtains the print information correlated with the generated job identification information, and activates a print information use unit for presenting information, related to the printing operation, to the user. |
| US08683325B1 |
Indexed approach for delivering multiple views of an XML document from a single XSLT file
A method is provided. The method includes (1) placing, within a common style file, definitions of each of a plurality of transformations for displaying the contents of a data file, wherein the definitions of at least two of the transformations are different from each other, (2) encoding, within a display file, instructions for (a) providing a user with a choice to select a particular transformation and (b) causing the contents of a data file to be displayed according to a transformation selected by a user, and (3) distributing the style file and the display file to a user. Related methods are also provided, as well as data structure, encoded in a computer-readable storage medium, for use in practicing these methods. |
| US08683317B2 |
Dynamically linked graphical messages for process control systems
Methods and systems for providing dynamically linked graphical messages in a process control system are disclosed. A dynamically linked graphical message may include a hyperlink and an electronic sticky note image. At run-time of a display view, the hyperlink may be established between contents of the electronic sticky note image and a process control object, and the electronic sticky note image may be displayed proximate to a representation of the process control object. The electronic sticky note image may automatically be displayed on any display view (displayed on any computing device in communication with the process control system) that includes a representation of the process control object or corresponding sub-class object. The contents of the electronic sticky note image may be stored separately from configurations of the process control object and the display view. User interfaces for administering and displaying properties of dynamically linked graphical messages are also disclosed. |
| US08683313B2 |
System for processing mixed-format files
A method, medium and implementing processing system are provided for book marking a combination of frame URLs within a frameset and allowing the sharing on multiple PCs the saved form data that may have been filled in. The system uses an image as a hotspot, containing a complex target destination in the form of an XML structure with multiple URLs for multiple frames as well as captured form data. This system combines file types such as XML and JPG, e.g. as in sample file name ‘MyCapturedFramesAndFormData.XML.JPG’ or ‘MyCapturedFramesAndFormData.XML.GIF’. This combination provides a surprising effect compared to the prior systems, namely, launching the image in an enhanced web browser or in a web browser containing a new plug-in, displays the frame just as it was when saved, including frame set and data input to displayed forms. |
| US08683311B2 |
Generating structured data objects from unstructured web pages
A method described herein includes receiving data that identifies a web page, wherein the data that identifies the web page is desirably displayed to a first individual and resolving the web page to generate a markup language document, wherein the markup language document comprises unstructured data. The method also includes extracting portions of the markup language document and generating a structured data object, wherein the structured data object includes the portions of the markup language document. The method further includes causing a summary of the web page to be displayed to the first individual, wherein the summary of the web page is based at least in part upon the structured data object. |
| US08683305B2 |
Rate matching and scrambling techniques for control signaling
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a transmitter, a receiver and methods of operating a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes an input padding module configured to provide padded bits having padding bits added to payload bits for one or more control channels, and a scrambling module configured to apply a masking sequence to one or more of the padded bits to generate scrambled bits. Additionally, the transmitter also includes an encoding module configured to perform forward error correction encoding and rate matching on the scrambled bits to obtain a required number of control channel output bits, and a transmit module configured to transmit the control channel output bits for one or more control channels. |
| US08683297B2 |
Systems and methods of generating a replacement default read threshold
A method includes generating a replacement default read threshold at least partially based on a default read threshold and on an updated read threshold. The method also includes sending the replacement default read threshold to the memory. |
| US08683296B2 |
Accelerated erasure coding system and method
An accelerated erasure coding system includes a processing core for executing computer instructions and accessing data from a main memory, and a non-volatile storage medium for storing the computer instructions. The processing core, storage medium, and computer instructions are configured to implement an erasure coding system, which includes: a data matrix for holding original data in the main memory; a check matrix for holding check data in the main memory; an encoding matrix for holding first factors in the main memory, the first factors being for encoding the original data into the check data; and a thread for executing on the processing core. The thread includes: a parallel multiplier for concurrently multiplying multiple entries of the data matrix by a single entry of the encoding matrix; and a first sequencer for ordering operations through the data matrix and the encoding matrix using the parallel multiplier to generate the check data. |
| US08683294B1 |
Efficient encoding of homed data
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for skewed orthogonal coding techniques. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first block of data chunks and a second block of data chunks. Data from the first block is specified to be stored at a first group of storage nodes, and data from the second block is specified to be stored at the second group of storage nodes. The first block of data chunks are stored at the first group of storage nodes and the second block of data chunks are stored at the second group of storage nodes. A block of code chunks is stored at the third group of storage nodes, wherein each code chunk is generated using an error-correcting code and corresponding data chunks from the first and second blocks. |
| US08683293B2 |
Method and system for fast two bit error correction
An error locator unit for correcting two bit error. The error locator unit includes a plurality of operational units, a normalized basis transform unit, and a conversion unit. The plurality of operations units calculates coefficients of the polynomial based on the generated syndromes in a first basis of a Galois Field. Operating on the coefficients produces a root definition value vector in the first basis. The normalized basis transform unit transforms the root definition value vector to a normal basis to produce a plurality of roots. The conversion unit converts the plurality of roots to the first basis. A scaling factor calculated based on the coefficients is applied to the output of the conversion unit to produce a plurality of scaled roots for said polynomial in the first basis. The plurality of scaled roots is added to produce error locations for the polynomial. |
| US08683292B2 |
Method and system for providing low density parity check (LDPC) coding for scrambled coded multiple access (SCMA)
A multiple access scheme is described. One or more encoders are configured to encode a plurality of bit streams using Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding. The bit streams correspond to a respective plurality of terminals. The plurality of bit streams are converted to provide a multiple access scheme for the terminals. |
| US08683284B2 |
Receiving apparatus and method
A receiving apparatus includes a combining and quantizing unit that combines channel vectors corresponding to a combination of a plurality of antennas in order to generate a combination channel vector and selects a predetermined quantization vector according to the generated combination channel vector, an error detecting unit that detects whether there is an error in received signals, and an antenna switchover unit that switches over the combination of the antennas according to a result of the error detection, in which the combining and quantizing unit feeds an index of the selected predetermined quantization vector back to a transmitting apparatus. In this way, diversity effect can be obtained by means of repeat control while reducing the amount of feedback information. |
| US08683283B2 |
Delta-theta frequency estimation
Systems, devices, processors, and methods are described which may be used for the reception of a wireless broadband signal at a user terminal from a gateway via satellite. A physical layer header may be identified, the header including a number of subcode blocks. A phase may be estimated for each of the subcode blocks, and intra-header phase differences may be calculated. The intra-header phase differences may be used to calculate a frequency error, which may be corrected. Frequency errors may be monitored and, when such errors fall below a threshold level, an alternative inter-frame frequency error tracking method may be used. |
| US08683282B2 |
Automatic identification of information useful for generation-based functional verification
A computer-implemented method, an apparatus and a computer program for automatically extracting useful information for functional verification. The method comprising performing repeatedly both operating an instruction generator associated with a Design Under Test (DUT), whereby a generated instruction is determined, the generated instruction having one or more instruction attributes; and collecting information relating to the generated instruction. Based on the generated instruction and the collected information, a classification technique is utilized to classify the information based on the instruction attributes. |
| US08683278B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device, comprising: a user circuit having a plurality of flip-flops; and a connection path which, while in test mode, connects the plurality of flip-flops and forms a scan chain, wherein the connection path has a logic operation circuit which performs a logic operation on a non-inverted output value of any flip-flop among the plurality of flip-flops and outputs the result, or, an inverted value connection path which outputs to a following-stage flip-flop an inverted output value of any flip-flop among the plurality of flip-flops. |
| US08683277B1 |
Defect detection using pattern matching on detected data
Systems and methods for detection of defects on a magnetic storage medium. The method comprises: (1) receiving incoming detected data generated by reading information recorded on a storage medium, (2) identifying the defects in the storage medium based on comparison between the incoming detected data and a data pattern wherein the data pattern is predetermined; and (3) storing location information indicative of locations of the defects on the storage medium. |
| US08683275B2 |
Controlling IPSec offload enablement during hardware failures
Provided are techniques for receiving a packet transmitted in conjunction with a security association associated with Internet Protocol Security (IPSec); determining, based upon the security Association that the packet is faulty; incrementing a count corresponding to previous faulty packets received; determining that the count exceeds a threshold; and disabling IPSec accelerator hardware in response to the determining that the count exceeds the threshold. |
| US08683271B2 |
Service modeling impact analysis
A computer system includes a plurality of computer processor dependent nodes and a plurality of computer processor antecedent nodes. Each node includes a severity value relating to an operational state of the node. A dependent node and an antecedent node pair include a significance value relating to a criticality that the antecedent node has to its paired dependent node. The antecedent node comprises a relevance value, wherein the relevance value is a function of the severity value of the antecedent node and the significance value for the antecedent node and the dependent node. The relevance value is used to determine an impact that the antecedent node has on the paired dependent node. |
| US08683269B2 |
Protocol software component and test apparatus
A particular system includes a processor and a network interface configured to send and receive messages via a network using an asynchronous computer communication protocol. The system may include two or more buffers, such as an ingress buffer and an egress buffer. The system may include a memory accessible to the processor. The memory may include first node instructions that are executable by the processor to implement one or more functions of a first node. The memory may also include one or more script callbacks. The script callbacks may be executable by the processor to at least one of provide: the first content to a test script to be modified before the first content is provided to the first node instructions from the ingress buffer, and provide the second content to the test script to be modified before the outgoing message is provided to the egress buffer. |
| US08683268B2 |
Key based cluster log coalescing
An approach is provided to trace a software program running in a multi-nodal complex computing environment. A trace request is sent from a requestor node to the nodes with the trace request associated with the software program and also associated with a transaction identifier. The software program is executed on the nodes. While the program is executing, trace data entries resulting from the execution of the software program are logged at the respective nodes with each trace data entry being associated with the transaction identifier. A log request is subsequently sent from the requestor node to the other nodes. The resulting trace data is then received by the requestor node from the target nodes and logged in a transaction based log. The transaction-based log is then provided to a user of the requestor node. |
| US08683266B2 |
Methods and devices for configuration validation of a complex multi-element system
The object of the invention is in particular the validation of configuration of a system comprising a plurality of elements, at least one reference being associated with each element of the said plurality of elements. After at least one reference key has been calculated (410) according to at least one expected reference of each element of the said plurality of elements, a theoretical configuration report of the said system, comprising the said at least one reference key, is generated (420). Similarly, at least one verification key is calculated (455) according to at least one reference of each element of the said plurality of elements, and a real configuration report of the said system, comprising the said at least one verification key, is generated (460). A configuration error is detected if the values of the said verification key and reference key of the said real and theoretical configuration reports are different. |
| US08683260B1 |
Managing ownership of logical volumes
A method is used in managing ownership of logical volumes. A path to a logical volume is determined, where upper-layer software selects the path to the logical volume. Based on the selection of the path, ownership of the logical volume is assigned. Lower-layer software assigns ownership of the logical volume based on information received from the upper-layer software. |
| US08683259B2 |
Accessing data in multiple dispersed storage networks
A method begins by a processing module identifying sets of dispersed storage (DS) units for each of a plurality of dispersed storage networks (DSNs) in a computing system network, wherein a set of the sets of DS unit stores an error coded data file. The method continues with the processing module identifying a reference entity within the computing system network. The method continues with the processing module determining first data access performance information between the reference entity and a first one of the sets of DS units and determining second data access performance information between the reference entity and a second one of the sets of DS units for each of the plurality of DSNs. The method continues with the processing module storing the first and second data access performance information for each of the plurality of DSNs to produce system data access performance information. |
| US08683257B2 |
Failover system and method
One aspect of the present invention provides a system for failover comprising at least one client selectively connectable to one of at least two interconnected servers via a network connection. In a normal state, one of the servers is designated a primary server when connected to the client and a remainder of the servers are designated as backup servers when not connected to the client. The at least one client is configured to send messages to the primary server. The servers are configured to process the messages using at least one service that is identical in each of the servers. The services are unaware of whether a server respective to the service is operating as the primary server or the backup server. The servers are further configured to maintain a library, or the like, that indicates whether a server is the primary server or a server is the backup server. The services within each server are to make external calls via its respective library. The library in the primary server is configured to complete the external calls and return results of the external calls to the service in the primary server and to forward results of the external calls to the service in the backup server. The library in the secondary server does not make external calls but simply forwards the results of the external calls, as received from the primary server, to the service in the secondary server when requested to do so by the service in the secondary server. |
| US08683256B2 |
Method and system for interference detection and mitigation
In a method for adjusting modulation on a network, a modulation profile of a network node on the network is set a specified density. A plurality of messages that are received at the network node are monitored on an ongoing basis. The modulation profile of the network node is updated continually based on the monitored messages. A determination is made that a predetermined class of messages is received incorrectly at the network node. The network node is disconnected from the network based on the incorrectly received predetermined class of messages and is reconnected to the network to initiate the network node on the network. |
| US08683253B2 |
Optimized synchronous strobe transmission mechanism
An apparatus that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus, including a resistor network, a transmitting device, and a receiving device. The resistor network indicates an amount to advance a synchronous data strobe associated with a data group. The transmitting device has a core clocks generator and a synchronous strobe driver. The core clocks generator advances a data strobe clock by the amount. The synchronous strobe driver employs the data strobe clock to generate the synchronous data strobe, where the synchronous data strobe is advanced also by the amount. The receiving device has a composite delay element and delay-locked loops (DLLs). The composite delay element equalizes delay paths within the receiving device, where the delay paths correspond to the synchronous data strobe that is received from the transmitting device. |
| US08683244B2 |
Control apparatus and control method for vehicle
A vehicle equipped with a power source system including a master power source and a slave power source connected in parallel to a motor for running is provided. In a case where distribution of discharge power of the master power source and discharge power of the slave power source cannot be controlled, when a voltage difference between the respective power sources is greater than or equal to a certain value, an ECU sets a limit value on electric power supplied from the power source system to the motor at allowable discharge power of one of the power sources having a higher voltage, and limits a motor torque such that electric power discharged from the power source system to the motor does not exceed the set limit value. |
| US08683243B2 |
Dynamic core selection for heterogeneous multi-core systems
Dynamically switching cores on a heterogeneous multi-core processing system may be performed by executing program code on a first processing core. Power up of a second processing core may be signaled. A first performance metric of the first processing core executing the program code may be collected. When the first performance metric is better than a previously determined core performance metric, power down of the second processing core may be signaled and execution of the program code may be continued on the first processing core. When the first performance metric is not better than the previously determined core performance metric, execution of the program code may be switched from the first processing core to the second processing core. |
| US08683241B2 |
Methods and system for reducing battery leakage in an information handling system
A method for reducing current leakage in a battery in communication with an information handling system (IHS). The method includes providing a battery management unit (BMU) in the battery, the BMU in communication with an embedded controller (EC), the BMU in a standby mode while the battery is coupled to the IHS, and configuring the BMU to exit the standby mode if an external power supply is coupled to the IHS. Also disclosed is an IHS which includes an EC in communication with a BMU, a power switch in communication with the EC and the BMU, and a control switch configured to be switched on if an external power supply is coupled to the IHS or if the power switch is activated without the external power supply, wherein the BMU unit exits the standby mode if the control switch is switched on. |
| US08683237B2 |
System and method for resetting power of optical network terminal when a number of predefined hook flash signals generated by a telecommunication device detected at the customer's premises
The disclosure relates to a system and method to allow an end user to remotely reset or reboot an optical network terminal (ONT) and/or residential gateway that has become unresponsive or otherwise needs to be reset. In various aspects, the end user may initiate a sequence of hook flash signals from a telecommunication device that causes an ONT control system to power cycle the ONT. |
| US08683236B2 |
Outlet expansion appartus containing a delegate authentication unit to perform authentication of an electronic appliance with a power management apparatus
There is provided an outlet expansion apparatus including a first connection outlet to which an electronic appliance is to be connected, a second connection outlet that is for connecting to a power supply outlet that is to be a supply source of power, and a delegate authentication unit that carries out, in a case the electronic appliance not having a function of carrying out authentication with a power management apparatus managing an amount of power to be supplied to the electronic appliance is connected to the first connection outlet and the power supply outlet is connected to the second connection outlet, authentication to be carried out on the power management apparatus by the electronic appliance connected to the first connection outlet on behalf of the electronic appliance. |
| US08683231B2 |
Obfuscating data stored in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a processing module dispersed storage error encoding secret data in accordance with first dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce at least one set of encoded secret slices and dispersed storage error encoding data in accordance with second dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module determining an inter-dispersing function for outputting the sets of encoded secret slices and the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, and for a set of the plurality of encoded data slices: identifying at least one encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices based on the inter-dispersing function, replacing the at least one encoded data slice with at least one encoded secret slice to produce a mixed set of encoded slices, and outputting the mixed set of encoded slices. |
| US08683228B2 |
System and method for WORM data storage
A system and method for Write Once, Read Many (WORM) compliant storage is disclosed. A storage administrator in user space is employed as an interface between the kernel space WORM VFS and the user applications. The storage administrator accesses the WORM VFS through the operating system's Virtual File System. The WORM VFS comprises of three layers: a data encryption\compression layer, the WORM filesystem layer and a logical volume manager. The data encryption\compression layer preprocesses the data as it moves between from the user space and the WORM filesystem layer. The WORM filesystem layer stores the compressed and encrypted data on the physical disk drives in a specialized disk format. The logical volume manager manages the physical disk drives. A NVRAM journal aids in crash recovery. |
| US08683225B2 |
Microprocessor that facilitates task switching between encrypted and unencrypted programs
A microprocessor includes an architected register having a bit (may be x86 EFLAGS register reserved bit) set by the microprocessor. A fetch unit fetches encrypted instructions from an instruction cache and decrypts them (via XOR) prior to executing them, in response to the microprocessor setting the bit. The microprocessor saves the bit value to a stack in memory and then clears the bit in response to receiving an interrupt. The fetch unit fetches unencrypted instructions from the instruction cache and executes them without decrypting them after the microprocessor clears the bit. The microprocessor restores the saved value from the stack in memory to the bit in the architected register (and in one embodiment, also restores decryption key values) in response to executing a return from interrupt instruction. The fetch unit resumes fetching and decrypting the encrypted instructions in response to determining that the restored value of the bit is set. |
| US08683224B2 |
Processor-implemented method for ensuring software integrity
The present invention provides a solution to the problem of guaranteeing the integrity of software programs by encrypting all or part of each instruction of a program using a key based on all or part of one or a plurality of previous instructions, thus resulting in a different encryption key per instruction. The invention is applicable to software programs whose structures are not necessarily tree-like in nature and is also applicable when the program includes loops, jumps, calls or breaks etc. The invention allows for an exception to be flagged when an encrypted instruction is wrongly decrypted. There is no need for the first instruction to be in clear, since the instruction key may be appropriately initialized as required. The invention can be realized in software or entirely in hardware thereby eliminating the possibility of a third party intercepting a decrypted instruction or a decryption key. |
| US08683222B2 |
Optimizing use of hardware security modules
Use of cryptographic key-store hardware security modules is optimized in a system having a first scarce high-security key storage device and a second more plentiful low-security key storage device comprising securing a cryptographic key to the higher security level by initially storing the key in the first storage device, then responsive to an event, evaluating the stored key against one or more rules, and subsequent to the evaluation, reclassifying the stored key for relocation, encrypting the reclassified key using a key-encryption key; relocating the reclassified key into the second, lower-security storage device, and storing the key-encryption key in the first storage device. |
| US08683219B2 |
Method and apparatus for checking the integrity of data stored in a predetermined memory area of a memory
A method checks the integrity of data stored in a predetermined memory area of a memory of a first device. The first device is coupled to at least one second device by a network The method involves providing at least one parameter which is suitable for influencing a hash value of at least one predetermined hash function. At least one hash value is calculated on the basis of the data stored in the predetermined memory, the at least one predetermined hash function and the at least one parameter. The second device checks the integrity of the data stored in the predetermined memory area of the first device on the basis of the calculated hash value or values. |
| US08683218B2 |
System and method for N-dimensional encryption
A system and method is directed to providing an n-dimensional entity for encoding and storing data securely. A user provides a cursor position within the n-dimensional entity, and a user seed to a pseudo-random number generator. The user seed may be combined with a fingerprint of a computing system in which the invention operates. The n-dimensional entity is populated with bits from the pseudo-random number generator. Bits within the n-dimensional entity are associated with actions to be performed at each cursor position. Subsequent cursor directions within the n-dimensional entity are determined using a random number generator. Plaintext is bitwise translated to a direction and an offset from the cursor position to a bit matching the plaintext bit within the n-dimensional entity. The offset is employed to modify a row of truly random bits in an encoded array. |
| US08683217B2 |
Device and method for transmitting data in an encrypted manner
A device according to the present invention is configured for transmitting data between two semiconductor chips of a data processor in an encrypted manner, wherein a first semiconductor chip is connected to a second semiconductor chip. The device includes a non-volatile memory element in each of the two semiconductor chips, wherein an encryption initial value for an encryption rule is stored in the memory element of the first semiconductor chip and a decryption initial value associated to the encryption initial value for a decryption rule associated to the encryption rule is stored in the memory element of the second semiconductor chip. Additionally, the first semiconductor chip has a first data transmission interface formed to generate an encryption data stream from an input data stream using the encryption initial value according to the encryption rule. Also, the second semiconductor chip has a second data transmission interface formed to receive the encryption data stream and to generate a decryption data stream from the encryption data stream using the decryption initial value according to the decryption rule and to compare the decryption data stream generated to an expected data stream, wherein the second data transmission interface is also formed to perform a defensive measure against transmitting data from the second data transmission interface to the first data transmission interface when the decryption data stream does not correspond to the expected data stream. |
| US08683215B2 |
Programmable security platform
A dynamically programmable security device. The device includes: a secure nonvolatile read only memory (NVMROM) for securely storing a unique device cipher key; a secure interface for dynamically loading authenticated application code; a cryptographic engine for encrypting, decrypting data and authenticating the application code; a secure random access memory (RAM) for storing the authenticated application code and application data; and a processor for executing the authenticated application code. |
| US08683208B2 |
Information processing device, program developing device, program verifying method, and program product
According to one embodiment, an information processing device stores a program list and plural types of security functions each defining therein protection attributes for respective arguments related to input and output of data to be protected, and stores function argument protection attributes and dependency relations each of which is defined by a determinant set and a dependent attribute that satisfy a predetermined condition. The device detects a combination of first and second security functions in which integrity of variables included in a determinant set of one dependency relation in the first security function are verified by the second security function, generates a third security function which adds protection attributes that guarantee integrity to variables included in the dependent attribute of the dependency relation in the first security function when verification of the second security function is successful and which outputs the variables, and updates the function argument protection attribute and the dependency relation concomitantly with an addition of the third security function. |
| US08683198B2 |
Master key trust grants and revocations for minor keys
A method and apparatus is provided that allows code signed by a master key to grant trust to an arbitrary second key, and also allows code, referred to as an antidote and also signed by the master key to revoke permanently the trust given to the second key. |
| US08683193B1 |
Strict communications transport security
Strict transport security controls are arranged to detect a first navigation command of a network-enabled application to navigate from a secure connection established with a first network address and to navigate to a second network address using an unsecure reference. A filter is used to filter, in response to the detection of the first navigation command, referring information in a second navigation command used to establish a second address secure connection with a device having the second network address. The strict transport security controls service is optionally arranged to provide a warning signal upon detecting formation of the second navigation command. |
| US08683187B2 |
Method and apparatus for booting hibernation in a portable terminal
A method and apparatus for hibernation booting in a mobile terminal supporting two processors are provided. In the hibernation booting method, when power is turned on, a master processor performs hibernation booting. A slave processor performs normal booting under control of the master processor. The master processor and the slave processor determine data needing synchronizing, and perform synchronization depending on whether the data needing synchronizing have been changed. |
| US08683185B2 |
Ceasing parallel processing of first set of loops upon selectable number of monitored terminations and processing second set
The illustrative embodiments comprise a method, data processing system, and computer program product having a processor unit for processing instructions with loops. A processor unit creates a first group of instructions having a first set of loops and second group of instructions having a second set of loops from the instructions. The first set of loops have a different order of parallel processing from the second set of loops. A processor unit processes the first group. The processor unit monitors terminations in the first set of loops during processing of the first group. The processor unit determines whether a number of terminations being monitored in the first set of loops is greater than a selectable number of terminations. In response to a determination that the number of terminations is greater than the selectable number of terminations, the processor unit ceases processing the first group and processes the second group. |
| US08683180B2 |
Intermediate register mapper
A method, processor, and computer program product employing an intermediate register mapper within a register renaming mechanism. A logical register lookup determines whether a hit to a logical register associated with the dispatched instruction has occurred. In this regard, the logical register lookup searches within at least one register mapper from a group of register mappers, including an architected register mapper, a unified main mapper, and an intermediate register mapper. A single hit to the logical register is selected among the group of register mappers. If an instruction having a mapper entry in the unified main mapper has finished but has not completed, the mapping contents of the register mapper entry in the unified main mapper are moved to the intermediate register mapper, and the unified register mapper entry is released, thus increasing a number of unified main mapper entries available for reuse. |
| US08683176B2 |
Dynamic address translation with translation exception qualifier
What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. Dynamic address translation of the virtual address proceeds. In response to a translation interruption having occurred during dynamic address translation, bits are stored in a translation exception qualifier (TXQ) field to indicate that the exception was either a host DAT exception having occurred while running a host program or a host DAT exception having occurred while running a guest program. The TXQ is further capable of indicating that the exception was associated with a host virtual address derived from a guest page frame real address or a guest segment frame absolute address. The TXQ is further capable of indicating that a larger or smaller host frame size is preferred to back a guest frame. |
| US08683175B2 |
Seamless interface for multi-threaded core accelerators
A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for interfacing between a multi-threaded processing core and an accelerator. In one embodiment, the method comprises copying from the processing core to the hardware accelerator memory address translations for each of multiple threads operating on the processing core, and simultaneously storing on the hardware accelerator one or more of the memory address translations for each of the threads. Whenever any one of the multiple threads operating on the processing core instructs the hardware accelerator to perform a specified operation, the hardware accelerator has stored thereon one or more of the memory address translations for the any one of the threads. This facilitates starting that specified operation without memory translation faults. In an embodiment, the copying includes, each time one of the memory address translations is updated on the processing core, copying the updated one of the memory address translations to the hardware accelerator. |
| US08683173B2 |
Logical address offset in response to detecting a memory formatting operation
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for a logical address offset. One method embodiment includes detecting a memory unit formatting operation. Subsequently, in response to detecting the formatting operation, the method includes inspecting format information on the memory unit, calculating a logical address offset, and applying the offset to a host logical address. |
| US08683167B1 |
System and method for improving cache performance
A method, computer program product, and computing system for maintaining a queue of cache operations to be performed within a cache memory system. The cache operations include one or more of cache write operations and cache read operations. The cache operations within the queue are reordered based, at least in part, upon a maximum acceptable write operation latency. |
| US08683165B2 |
Memory system having a plurality of types of memory chips and a memory controller for controlling the memory chips
A memory controller converts controller output signals output from a controller into memory input signals according to the operation specifications of memory chips to operate, and outputs the resultant to the memory chips through a common bus. The memory controller also receives memory output signals output from the memory chips through the common bus, and converts the received signals into controller input signals receivable to the controller. This allows the single memory controller to access the plurality of types of memory chips. As a result, the memory controller can be reduced in chip size, lowering the cost of the memory system. |
| US08683164B2 |
Stacked-die memory systems and methods for training stacked-die memory systems
Systems and methods are disclosed herein, such as those that operate to control a set of delays associated with one or more data clocks to clock a set of data bits into one or more transmit registers, one or more data strobes to transfer the set of data bits to at least one receive register, and/or a set of memory array timing signals to access a memory array on a die associated with a stacked-die memory vault. Systems and methods herein also include those that perform data eye training operations and/or memory array timing training operations associated with the stacked-die memory vault. |
| US08683163B2 |
Processor and interface
A data processing apparatus comprises a processor constructed to operate under control of a sequence of program instructions selected from a predetermined instruction set; master circuitry to request access to storage locations of the processor; an interface circuit to provide an interface for an external apparatus to signal a request for access to the storage locations and an interface for the master circuitry to signal a request for access to the storage locations; and control to provide access between the storage locations and the interface circuit in response to the request only at predetermined points in execution of the stored program, the control being operable to fix periods of time for providing such access relative to the sequence of program instructions such that execution timing of the stored instructions is independent of whether a request is supplied to the interface. |
| US08683161B2 |
Method and apparatus for increasing file copy performance on solid state mass storage devices
A mass storage device and method that utilize storage memory and a shadow memory capable of increasing the speed associated with copying data from one location to another location within the storage memory without the need to access a host computer for the copy transaction. A controller of the mass storage device receives a file copy request for a file to be copied between first and second locations within the storage memory. Data from the first location within the storage memory is then loaded into a shadow memory means of the mass storage device, and then the data is written from the shadow memory means to the second location within the storage memory. |
| US08683160B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting memory usage accounting
An apparatus for providing memory energy accounting within a data processing system having multiple chiplets is disclosed. The apparatus includes a system memory, a memory access collection module, a memory throttle counter, and a memory credit accounting module. The memory access collection module receives a first set of signals from a first cache memory within a chiplet and a second set of signals from a second cache memory within the chiplet. The memory credit accounting module tracks the usage of the system memory on a per user basis according to the results of cache accesses extracted from the first and second set of signals from the first and second cache memories within the chiplet. |
| US08683157B2 |
Storage system and virtualization method
The storage system of the present invention is able to generate one virtual logical device from different logical devices which exist in each of the different storage control units and remote-copy all or part of the virtual logical device to another logical device. The same virtual identifier is set for a volume of the first storage unit and for a volume of the second storage unit. The path control unit of the host identifies a plurality of volumes which have the same virtual identifier as one virtual volume. A remote copy pair can also be set by a virtual volume and a volume of the third storage unit. The setting of the virtual volume and the setting of the remote copy can be performed by means of an instruction from the management server. |
| US08683156B2 |
Format-preserving deduplication of data
Data blocks are copied from a source (e.g., a source virtual disk) to a target (e.g., a target virtual disk). The source virtual disk format is preserved on the target virtual disk. Offsets for extents stored in the target virtual disk are converted to offsets for corresponding extents in the source virtual disk. A map of the extents for the source virtual disk can therefore be used to create, for deduplication, segments of data that are aligned to boundaries of the extents in the target virtual disk. |
| US08683155B2 |
Virtualization control apparatus and storage system
A virtualization control apparatus includes a selection unit that, when receiving a copy request, conducting an access test corresponding to the copy request on each of the virtualization switch units and selects one of the virtualization switch units of the highest performance among the plurality of the virtual switch units, and a sending unit that sends the copy request to the selected virtualization switch unit. |
| US08683147B2 |
Data accessing method for flash memory storage device having data perturbation module, and storage system and controller using the same
A data accessing method, and a storage system and a controller using the same are provided. The data accessing method is suitable for a flash memory storage system having a data perturbation module. The data accessing method includes receiving a read command from a host and obtaining a logical block to be read and a page to be read from the read command. The data accessing method also includes determining whether a physical block in a data area corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block and transmitting a predetermined data to the host when the physical block corresponding to the logical block to be read is a new block. Thereby, the host is prevented from reading garbled code from the flash memory storage system having the data perturbation module. |
| US08683146B2 |
Storage apparatus and controlling method of storage apparatus
A storage apparatus including: a first controller that generates an access to a storage device; the first controller includes: a first relay unit configured to relay the access to the storage device; and an access control unit configured to be activated after activation of the first relay unit and to relay the access to the storage device via a second relay unit; and a second controller that includes the second relay unit and generates the access to the storage device, wherein when the first relay unit receives a connection request for an access path between the first relay unit and the storage device from the second controller, the first relay unit establishes the access path to the storage device irrespective of an activation state of the access control unit. |
| US08683143B2 |
Unbounded transactional memory systems
Methods and apparatus to provide unbounded transactional memory systems are described. In one embodiment, an operation corresponding to a software transactional memory (STM) access may be executed if a preceding hardware transactional memory (HTM) access operation fails. |
| US08683142B2 |
Technique and apparatus for identifying cache segments for caching data to be written to main memory
A memory apparatus having a cache memory including cache segments, and memorizing validity data indicative of whether or not each of the sectors contained in each cache segment is a valid sector inclusive of valid data; and a cache controlling component for controlling access to the cache memory. The cache controlling component includes a detecting component for detecting, when writing a cache segment back to the main memory, areas having consecutive invalid sectors by accessing validity data corresponding to the cache segment, and a write-back controlling component issuing a read command to the main memory, the read command being for reading data into each area detected, making the area a valid sector, and writing the data in the cache segment back to the main memory. |
| US08683141B2 |
Semiconductor memory system having a snapshot function
In a semiconductor memory computer equipped with a flash memory, use of backed-up data is enabled. The semiconductor memory computer includes an address conversion table for detecting physical addresses of at least two pages storing data by designating a logical address from one of logical addresses to be designated by a reading request. The semiconductor memory computer includes a page status register for detecting one page status allocated to each page, and page statuses to be detected include the at least following four statuses: (1) a latest data storage status, (2) a not latest data storage status, (3) an invalid data storage status, and (4) an unwritten status. By using the address conversion table and the page status register, at least two data s (latest data and past data) can be read for one designated logical address from a host computer. |
| US08683140B2 |
Cache-based speculation of stores following synchronizing operations
A method of processing store requests in a data processing system includes enqueuing a store request in a store queue of a cache memory of the data processing system. The store request identifies a target memory block by a target address and specifies store data. While the store request and a barrier request older than the store request are enqueued in the store queue, a read-claim machine of the cache memory is dispatched to acquire coherence ownership of target memory block of the store request. After coherence ownership of the target memory block is acquired and the barrier request has been retired from the store queue, a cache array of the cache memory is updated with the store data. |
| US08683137B2 |
Cache pre-allocation of ways for pipelined allocate requests
This invention is a data processing system with a data cache. The cache controller responds to a cache miss requiring allocation by pre-allocating a way in the set to an allocation request according to said least recently used indication of said ways and then update the least recently used indication of remaining ways of the set. This permits read allocate requests to the same set to proceed without introducing processing stalls due to way contention. This also allows multiple outstanding allocate requests to the same set and way combination. The cache also compares the address of a newly received allocation request to stall this allocation request if the address matches an address of any pending allocation request. |
| US08683133B2 |
Termination of prefetch requests in shared memory controller
A real request from a CPU to the same memory bank as a prior prefetch request is transmitted to the per-memory bank logic along with a kill signal to terminate the prefetch request. This avoids waiting for a prefetch request to complete before sending the real request to the same memory bank. The kill signal gates off any acknowledgement of completion of the prefetch request. This invention reduces the latency for completion of a high priority real request when a low priority speculative request to a different address in the same memory bank has already been dispatched. |
| US08683131B2 |
Direct memory address for solid-state drives
A storage device is provided for direct memory access. A controller of the storage device performs a mapping of a window of memory addresses to a logical block addressing (LBA) range of the storage device. Responsive to receiving from a host a write request specifying a write address within the window of memory addresses, the controller initializes a first memory buffer in the storage device and associates the first memory buffer with a first address range within the window of memory addresses such that the write address of the request is within the first address range. The controller writes to the first memory buffer based on the write address. Responsive to the buffer being full the controller persists contents of the first memory buffer to the storage device using logical block addressing based on the mapping. |
| US08683130B2 |
Fabricating key fields
Exemplary methods, computer systems, and computer program products for fabricating key fields by a processor device in a computer environment are provided. In one embodiment, the computer environment is configured for, as an alternative to reading Count-Key-Data (CKD) data in order to change the key field, providing a hint to fabricate a new key field, thereby overwriting a previous key field and updating the CKD data. |
| US08683129B2 |
Using speculative cache requests to reduce cache miss delays
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses speculative cache requests to reduce cache miss delays for a cache in a multi-level memory hierarchy. During operation, the system receives a memory reference which is directed to a cache line in the cache. Next, while determining whether the cache line is available in the cache, the system determines whether the memory reference is likely to miss in the cache, and if so, simultaneously sends a speculative request for the cache line to a lower level of the multi-level memory hierarchy. |
| US08683128B2 |
Memory bus write prioritization
A data processing system includes a multi-level cache hierarchy including a lowest level cache, a processor core coupled to the multi-level cache hierarchy, and a memory controller coupled to the lowest level cache and to a memory bus of a system memory. The memory controller includes a physical read queue that buffers data read from the system memory via the memory bus and a physical write queue that buffers data to be written to the system memory via the memory bus. The memory controller grants priority to write operations over read operations on the memory bus based upon a number of dirty cachelines in the lowest level cache memory. |
| US08683126B2 |
Optimal use of buffer space by a storage controller which writes retrieved data directly to a memory
A storage controller which uses the same buffer to store data elements retrieved from different secondary storage units. In an embodiment, the controller retrieves location descriptors ahead of when data is available for storing in a target memory. Each location descriptor indicates the memory locations at which data received from a secondary storage is to be stored. Only a subset of the location descriptors may be retrieved and stored ahead when processing each request. Due to such retrieval and storing of limited number of location descriptors, the size of a buffer used by the storage controller may be reduced. Due to retrieval of the location descriptors ahead, unneeded buffering of the data elements within the storage controller is avoided, reducing the latency in writing the data into the main memory, thus improving performance. |
| US08683122B2 |
Storage system
A storage system includes: an identification information providing means that provides identification information distinguishing a group of data requested to be stored, to the group of data; a data set generating means that divides storage target data as part of the group of data into multiple pieces and makes the data redundant, thereby generating a data set composed of multiple fragment data; and a distribution storage controlling means that distributes the fragment data composing the data set and store the fragment data, respectively, in same positions within storage regions formed in the respective storing means, thereby storing the storage target data. The distribution storage controlling means stores the fragment data composing respective data sets corresponding to multiple storage target data included in the group of data provided with the same identification information, into the respective storage regions so that storing positions within the respective storage regions become successive. |
| US08683121B2 |
Storage system
A storage system includes: a plurality of storing means and a data processing means that stores data into the plurality of storing means and retrieves the data stored in the storing means. The data processing means includes: a data set generating means that generates division data by dividing storage target data into a plurality of pieces and also generates redundant data for restoring the storage target data, thereby generating a data set composed of a plurality of fragment data that are the division data and the redundant data; and a distribution storage controlling means that distributes and stores the fragment data into the respective storing means. The distribution storage controlling means stores the fragment data composing the data set in same positions within storage regions formed in the respective storing means, respectively. |
| US08683120B2 |
Method and apparatus to allocate area to virtual volume
A storage system comprises a plurality of hard disk drives and a storage controller providing a plurality of virtual volumes to a server and including a processor and a memory. The storage controller allocates pages of the plurality of virtual volumes to the plurality of hard disk drives in response to write requests. The storage controller controls to allocate outer sections of the plurality of hard disks to first addresses of the virtual volume and allocates inner sections of the plurality of hard disk drives to second addresses of the virtual volume, wherein the first addresses are lower than the second addresses. |
| US08683119B2 |
Access control in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a processing module receiving a data storage request that includes data and determining dispersed storage error encoding parameters for dispersed error encoding storage of data. The method continues with the processing module dispersed storage error encoding the data in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices and establishing access control information for each encoded data slice of the set encoded data slices in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a set of access control information. The method continues with the processing module appending a corresponding one of the set of access control information to each of the set of encoded data slices to produce a set of appended slices and outputting the set of appended slices to a set of dispersed storage units. |
| US08683118B2 |
Measure of health for writing to locations in flash
A number of pulses to modify information stored in a given location in a plurality of locations is obtained for each of the plurality of locations in flash memory. A location having the largest number of pulses is selecting from the plurality of locations. The selected location is written to. |
| US08683117B2 |
Information processing device, external storage device, host device, relay device, control program, and control method of information processing device
According to the embodiments, an external storage device switches to an interface controller for supporting only a read operation of nonvolatile memory when a shift condition for shifting to a read only mode is met. A host device switches to an interface driver for supporting only the read operation of the nonvolatile memory when determining to recognize as read only memory based on information acquired from the external storage device. |
| US08683114B2 |
Device security features supporting a distributed shared memory system
A memory management and protection system that incorporates device security features that support a distributed, shared memory system. The concept of secure regions of memory and secure code execution is supported, and a mechanism is provided to extend a chain of trust from a known, fixed secure boot ROM to the actual secure code execution. Furthermore, the system keeps a secure address threshold that is only programmable by a secure supervisor, and will only allow secure access requests that are above this threshold. |
| US08683113B2 |
Concurrently searching multiple devices of a non-volatile semiconductor memory
A non-volatile semiconductor memory is disclosed comprising N memory devices each comprising a plurality of blocks, wherein each block comprises a plurality of memory segments accessed through an address. A searched is performed by issuing a read command for each of the N memory devices, wherein an address of each read command is separated by a distance determined in response to the search range of addresses and N, and the search range of addresses is greater than N. Data read from at least one of the memory devices is evaluated to determine whether the search has finished. |
| US08683109B2 |
Computer system and bus assignment method
To make it possible to take over an IO configuration that is assigned to logical partitions in reallocation of the logical partitions, and to make an IO access work normally. A computer system has a server having an IO bridge, a switch that has a first IO bridge for connecting with the IO bridge of the server through a bus and plural second IO bridges for connecting to plural IO devices through a bus, and bus number assignment management means for fixedly assigning mutually different PCI bus numbers to the plural second IO bridges. |
| US08683108B2 |
Connected input/output hub management
A method for implementing connected input/output (I/O) hub configuration and management includes configuring a first I/O hub in wrap mode with a second I/O hub. The hubs are communicatively coupled via a wrap cable. The method further includes generating data traffic on a computing subsystem that includes the hubs. Generating traffic includes: converting, via the first hub, a request to implement a transaction into an I/O device-readable request packet and transmitting the request packet over the wrap cable; converting, via the second hub, the I/O device-readable (IODR) request packet into a system readable request and transmitting the request over a system bus; converting, via the second hub, the response to an IODR response packet, and transmitting the response packet over the wrap cable; and converting, via the first hub, the IODR response packet into a system readable response packet, and transmitting the response packet over the system bus. |
| US08683106B2 |
Control apparatus for fast inter processing unit data exchange in an architecture with processing units of different bandwidth connection to a pipelined ring bus
Nowadays, many architectures have processing units with different bandwidth requirements which are connected over a pipelined ring bus. The proposed invention can optimize the data transfer for the case where processing units with lower bandwidth requirements can be grouped and controlled together for a data transfer, so that the available bus bandwidth can be optimally utilized. |
| US08683105B1 |
Modular avionics system
The modular avionics system may include one or more centralized processing line-replaceable units (LRUs), the centralized processing LRUs including at least one multi-core computer processor, one or more multi-function display (MFD) units configured to receive imagery data from the centralized processing LRUs and display the imagery data on a display device, one or more control display units (CDUs) configured to receive imagery data from the centralized processing LRUs and display the imagery data on a display device, the MFD units and the CDUs including one or more user input devices, the MFD units and the CDUs including at least one logic module, the CDUs and the MFD units configured to transmit user input data from the user input devices to the centralized processing LRUs, the centralized processing LRUs constructed from a plurality of component slices, wherein a first component slice and at least a second component slice are reversibly couplable. |
| US08683103B2 |
Hierarchical multi-tenancy support for host attachment configuration through resource groups
Exemplary system and computer program embodiments for hierarchy multi-tenancy support for configuration of a plurality of host attachment through a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, multiple data storage subsystems are configured with multiple operators for configuration and management of multiple host attachments to multiple logical volumes. A logical operator is designated with the responsibility of designating authority to a host attachment operator and the ability to configure multiple logical volumes. Limited authority is provided for the host attachment operator to configure multiple volume groups and multiple host ports to a specific user. |
| US08683096B2 |
Configuration of data strobes
Disclosed embodiments may include a circuit having a plurality of data terminals, no more than two pairs of differential data strobe terminals associated with the plurality of data terminals, and digital logic circuitry. The digital logic circuitry may be coupled to the data terminals and configured to use the no more than two pairs of differential data strobe terminals concurrently with the plurality of data terminals to transfer data. Other embodiments may be disclosed. |
| US08683090B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatus for determining whether an accessory includes particular circuitry
Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining whether an accessory includes particular circuitry. A host device may measure a first voltage and a second voltage received from an accessory, where the voltages are provide through the accessory from a power source. Before measuring the second voltage, the host device may send an instruction to the accessory instructing the accessory to alter an impedance of the power path between the power source and the host device, and the host device may draw at least a threshold amount of current from the power source via the accessory. The host device may then determine whether the accessory includes particular circuitry based on the relationship between the first voltage and the second voltage. |
| US08683087B2 |
Mobile device auto detection apparatus and method
This application discusses, among other things, multiple interface detection circuits configured to connect with a mobile electronic device connector. In an example, a multiple interface detection circuit can include a first comparator to compare a bus voltage of the mobile electronic device connector with a first threshold and to provide a first control signal, a second comparator to compare the bus voltage of the mobile electronic device connector with the first threshold and to provide a second control signal, a third comparator to compare the bus voltage of the mobile electronic device connector with a second threshold and to provide a third control signal, and a switch control configured to switch one or more signals of the connector. |
| US08683085B1 |
USB interface configurable for host or device mode
Various embodiments provide a USB interface that can operate in either a Host or Device mode using standard Link and/or physical interface circuit (PHY) components which, in at least some embodiments, do not have additional circuitry that is utilized to implement the USB OTG standard. |
| US08683084B2 |
Fibre channel input/output data routing system and method
A method of performing an input/output (I/O) processing operation includes: generating at least one address control word (ACW) specifying one or more host memory locations for transfer of data between a host computer system and a control unit, and storing the at least one ACW in the local channel memory; generating an address control structure for each data transfer specified by the I/O operation and forwarding each address control structure from the at least one channel to the network interface; forwarding an I/O command message to the at least one I/O device via a network interface; receiving a data transfer request from the network interface that includes the address control structure; and routing the data to at least one host memory location specified by the corresponding ACW or routing the data from a host memory location specified by the ACW to the network interface. |
| US08683081B2 |
Methods for displaying advertisement content on host system using application launched from removable memory device
A method for displaying advertisement content is provided. The method includes, launching an application from a removable memory device with a plurality of non-volatile memory cells and a controller including a processor, wherein the application is launched when the removable memory device interfaces with a host system; launching a display window on a display device that is controlled by the application; and displaying advertisement content on the display window, real-time from a server or offline using the advertisement content stored on the removable memory device. |
| US08683077B2 |
Method for indicating supported IP versions and reaching a device that supports compatible IP versions with SIP
A method for conveying information related to a transport addressing scheme is provided. A user agent (UA) is also provided that is configured to convey information related to a transport addressing scheme. The UA includes a processor configured to include in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message an indicator related to the transport addressing scheme. |
| US08683076B2 |
Method of generating a web page
A method of generating a web page modifies uniform resource locators (URLs) of embedded resources in a web page. The modified URLs include data prepended to information from the original URLs. The prepended data may be a hostname or an network address that is resolvable to a shared network of servers. |
| US08683073B2 |
Participating with and accessing a connectivity exchange
Methods for integrating with and participating in a connectivity exchange are described herein. Service providers and users access the Internet via the exchange using one or more devices. These devices include user devices for accessing the Internet via the exchange and devices for service providers offering services to users via the exchange. |
| US08683068B2 |
Interactive data stream
The present invention is geared generally towards the transmission of data, such as images, audio, video, or text, as a continuous stream via a network to recipients. In particular, the present invention relates to enabling the transmission of data to recipients and enabling the recipients to interact and influence the content of the transmission. |
| US08683067B2 |
Video perspective navigation system and method
A video navigation system and method can be utilized to efficiently and adjustably navigate video content. In one embodiment, a video information control method facilitates efficient video navigation. A video stream is received and video access point selection between multiple access points in said video stream is controlled. The presentation information is forwarded for each of the multiple access points. In one exemplary implementation, the presentation information is forwarded to a display and the information is directed to presenting a main viewing area and navigation areas that present looping video clips or portions of the video stream at time intervals ahead of and behind the video portion being presented in the main viewing area. |
| US08683064B2 |
Interactive property communication system
Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for interactive property communication. In various embodiments, an interactive property communication system includes two or more property communication nodes (PCNs) each adapted for coupling to an electrical service. PCNs include a radio transceiver for communications with a broker service adapted for controlling communications with one or more PCNs. |
| US08683063B1 |
Regulating internet traffic that is communicated through anonymizing gateways
A medium and method are provided for preventing undesired data from being communicated through a network. In one aspect, the method comprises the method comprises receiving from an anonymizing device an indication of an undesired data communication and an identification of one or more of a computing device responsible for said communication and a user responsible for said communication; on the basis of specified criteria, determining whether said indication is valid; when said indication is valid, incrementing a cumulative instance count that sums a number of instances associated with one or more of the computing device and the user; and, when said cumulative count exceeds a predetermined threshold number of instances, implementing a measure to prevent a further undesired data communication from said computing device. |
| US08683060B2 |
Accessing media
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method for receiving a request, from an application in an application execution environment, to play a media asset that has associated media information. The application has associated application information and is restricted to an isolation environment provided by the application execution environment. In response to the request, content of the media asset is provided to a component of a computer system for playing. Access by the application to the content of the media asset during the playing is restricted based on the media information and the application information. |
| US08683050B2 |
Directing service requests to providers
A redirection service may be used to direct a user's request to specific providers of various types of services. When a user requests a web service (e.g., mapping, search, bookmarks, weather reports, etc.), the request is received by a redirection service. The redirection service identifies a provider of the service, and issues a redirect instruction to the user's browser that redirects the browser to the identified service provider. The service provider may be determined by user selection, by default, or by any other mechanism. In one example, the user's request for a service comes by selecting a link included in a web page. In another example, a user issues a direct request for the service in the form of a command. The command may be entered, in one example, through a browser or desktop search box. |
| US08683048B2 |
Apparatus and method for selecting IP services
An apparatus and method for determining an authorized IP service for an access terminal during an establishment of a PPP connection. In an aspect of the disclosure, a data link is established with the access terminal, and a request to authenticate the access terminal is provided to an authentication/authorization server. During authentication, an IP Service Authorized Parameter is provided by the authentication/authorization server, the IP Service Authorized Parameter for indicating the authorized IP service for the access terminal. Thereby, a network layer protocol and a mobility protocol are each configured according to the authorized IP service that corresponds to the IP Service Authorized Parameter. |
| US08683045B2 |
Intermediate network device for host-client communication
A method for receiving a first indication from a host device is comprised. The device is a first port of the host device that has been reserved fro a network device. The method also poses as the host device at the network device in response to a receipt of the first indication. |
| US08683038B2 |
System and method for quarantining IP service devices
A system and method for quarantining IP service devices (ISDs). When an ISD is placed into a quarantined environment, any request from the ISD will be re-directed to a quarantine alert server in a quarantine sub-system. In response to the request, the quarantine alert server may provide the user with information about the quarantine and may redirect, or instruct the user to redirect, the request to a quarantine response server. The quarantine response server may provide additional information that is not in the quarantine video message as to how the user may end the quarantine. |
| US08683034B2 |
Systems, methods and computer program products for coordinated session termination in an IMS network
A network connectivity status of user equipment (UE) is detected. Detection of the network connectivity status of the UE may include, for example, detecting termination of network connectivity of the UE responsive to a communication to the network by the UE, receiving a termination message from the UE at the bootstrapping server function (BSF), receiving notification of de-registration of the UE from a home subscriber server (HSS) and/or detecting a loss of communications between the UE and the network. A bootstrapping server function (BSF) communicates with at least one network application function (NAF) responsive to detection of the network connectivity status to terminate a plurality of sessions associated with the UE. |
| US08683033B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for server failover to standby server during broadcast storm or denial-of-service attack
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to failover to a standby server when a primary server is under broadcast storm or denial-of-service (“DoS”) attack. A primary attack sensing module is included to monitor a rate of incoming data from a computer network to a primary server and to determine if the rate of incoming data is above a primary data rate threshold. A standby contact module is included to request a standby data rate status from a standby server in response to the primary attack module determining that the rate of incoming data to the primary server is above the primary data rate threshold. The standby server is connected to the primary server over a private network. The standby data rate status includes a determination by the standby server of whether a rate of data received by the standby server is above a standby data rate threshold. A standby receiver module is included to receive a standby data rate status from the standby server over the private network. A switchover module is included to deactivate the primary server and to send a command to activate the standby server as a primary server in response to the received standby data rate status indicating that the rate of data received by the standby server has not exceeded the standby data rate threshold. |
| US08683026B2 |
Framework providing unified infrastructure management for polymorphic information technology (IT) functions across disparate groups in a cloud computing environment
Performance of polymorphic IT functions in a cloud computing environment can begin by providing an individualized selection mechanism for initiating polymorphic IT functions upon a node of a cloud computing environment. A polymorphic IT function can represent an IT function where the actions required to perform the IT function vary depending upon a combination of configuration parameters for the node. User-specification of the combination of configuration parameters can be rendered unnecessary by the individualized selection mechanism. A polymorphic IT function framework can receive a request identifying the node and a driver program via the individualized selection mechanism to perform a user-selected polymorphic IT function. The driver program can define actions for performing the polymorphic IT function upon the node for the combination of configuration parameters. The driver program can then be invoked. Upon completion of the driver program, notification can be sent to a designated entity. |
| US08683024B2 |
System for video digitization and image correction for use with a computer management system
The present invention discloses a remote network management system for coupling a series of remote serial devices, servers, and computers to one or more user workstations allowing for selective access of the remote devices. The remote serial devices, servers, and computers are all connected to a remote management unit which interfaces the user workstations to the remote devices. The power supply of each remote device is also connected to the remote management unit through a controllable power supply. The video from the remote networking equipment is digitized and optimized by an LCD controller located within the remote management unit before it is compressed for transmission. An option menu containing a menu of all the remote devices allows a user to select and operate any of the remote devices. The option menu is also utilizes to selectively control the power to the remote serial devices, servers, and computers. |
| US08683018B2 |
System and method of tracking and communicating computer states
The invention relates to a system and method of tracking and communicating computing states of a first computer device for registering said computing states by a second computer device. The first computer device is connected to the second computer device and configured for assuming a plurality of successive computing states. Jobs are assigned to a different set of jobs each time a state transition has been detected. New sets are defined only when a state transition has been detected and typically not when a snapshot is made resulting in saving storage space. |
| US08683016B1 |
Data recording components and processes for acquiring selected web site data
Embodiments of the components and processes for recording selected Web site data described herein adhere to long-term stability guidelines so as to improve maintainability and viability over time. Additionally, the data recording components can be placed within a software architecture to minimize the number of redundant data recording components. Furthermore, the data recording components can be tailored to specific data recording purposes. Additionally, the data recording components can be designed to take into account system performance issues and minimally impact system performance. Furthermore, the data recording components can be tailored to gather specific data useful for various analytical processes. Additionally, embodiments of the data recording components are relatively easy to implement and able to handle idiosyncrasies and changes of various Web sites in which they are placed. |
| US08683015B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing content in mobile terminal
A method and apparatus for providing users with electronic book (e-book) content by means of a mobile terminal is provided. The method includes receiving an e-book from a provider server; transmitting a character request message containing identity information of the e-book to the provider server; receiving character information corresponding to the identity information from the provider server; displaying a character according to the character information; and outputting, when a page having a link to an event, the event by means of the character. A user may enjoy various activities such as collecting characters, promoting character level, and uploading character as well as reading e-books. |
| US08683014B2 |
Next generation social networking and content rating system and method
A system and method are described herein that leverages an IP (and in particular IMS) mobile network and a fixed network to provide a next generation social networking experience to the users of mobile terminals. |
| US08683006B2 |
Method and systems for serving fonts during web browsing sessions
A font server is configured to verify that a request for a font file originates with a web page of a web site licensed to use the font file, and, if so, to download the font file to a web browser. Rather than just downloading the font file directly, however, the font server first provides the web browser a script configured to determine information regarding the web browser sufficient for the font server to determine which of a plurality of font files available to the font server to provide to the browser. When the script executes within the browser, the information is gathered and returned to the font server. Thereafter, the font server provides an appropriate font file to the web browser. Preferably, the font file is configured so as to be protected against unauthorized use. |
| US08683004B2 |
Apparatus for controlling a machine
An apparatus for controlling a machine includes a machine-sided control computer. The machine-sided control computer includes computer readable media on which a virtual computer is stored, and the virtual computer includes one or more computer programs selected from the group consisting of a machine operating computer program, a communication network connection computer program, and a communication network encryption computer program. |
| US08682994B2 |
Personal directory services with directed communication
Included are systems and methods for directing data. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving a listing for a data provider, the listing including a plurality of criteria related to the data provider and receiving an indication to add at least a portion of the listing to a personal directory. Other embodiments include adding at least a portion of the listing to the personal directory and receiving an indication from the data provider to send data to the personal directory. |
| US08682993B1 |
Data capturing and exchange method and system
A method for a data capturing and exchange system. The data capturing and exchange system has a plurality of devices in a sub-network and a network server connected to the sub-network. The method includes capturing an unstructured data record of a document on a device, collecting metadata associated with the unstructured data record; determining a recipient for the unstructured data record in a health information exchange, and composing a data message containing the unstructured data record. The method also includes obtaining the composed data message containing the unstructured data record, packing the composed data message into a packed message containing a structured data record corresponding to the unstructured data record, and sending the packed message to the recipient in the HIE can receive and recognize the document. |
| US08682992B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing data on a computing device
A method and computing device for processing data are provided. Rule data for visually coding incoming data is stored. First and second profile data are stored, independent of the rule data. Each profile data comprises a respective range of time and a respective recurrence pattern that repeats indefinitely. Each profile data is associated with a respective subset of the rule data. Respective indications are received that first profile data and second profile have been activated. In response, the respective subset is automatically applied during the respective range of time such that incoming data is visually coded at the display device according to the respective subset during the respective range of time. Automatic application of the respective subset during the respective range of time repeats indefinitely according to the respective recurrence pattern until another indication that the respective profile data has been deactivated is received. |
| US08682991B2 |
Electronic messaging systems
A computer system for facilitating communications between users that, in various embodiments, is configured for: (A) receiving, from a first user, one or more user watch area attributes; (B) using the one or more user watch area attributes to define a watch area; (C) receiving, from a second user, a message associated with a particular geographical location, wherein the second user has indicated that the message should be associated with the particular geographical location; (D) determining whether the particular geographical location is located within the user watch area; and (E) at least partially in response to determining that the particular geographical location is located within the user watch area, subscribing the first user to a thread of messages that includes the message. |
| US08682988B2 |
Enhanced e-mail and messaging system with visual profile and selective update
Systems and methods for advanced e-mail and messaging are disclosed. Profiles which include visual keys enable more efficient communications between users. Profiles may be pushed out to recipients or may be pulled in by recipients, with control over updated elements shared between the profile owner and the recipient. Additional capabilities include the ability to delete e-mails sent to a recipient regardless of when sent, extended subject line support to enable more efficient communications, and Improved display of threaded e-mail messages. Furthermore, features to reduce necessary communications bandwidth are also disclosed. |
| US08682982B2 |
Preliminary destination-dependent evaluation of message content
A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for causing message content to undergo an evaluation mode at least partly dependent upon one or more message content destinations and indicating at least one outcome of the evaluation mode before detecting an apparent authorization to transmit the message content to the one or more message content destinations; or obtaining one or more evaluation parameters in association with a message content destination selection and transmitting at least a tentative-message-content evaluation result from an application of the one or more evaluation parameters to tentative-message-content. |
| US08682980B2 |
Providing chat histories to invitees
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing messages for an instant messaging conversation. A determination is made as to whether the selected party should receive the messages already exchanged in the instant messaging conversation in response to a user input during the instant messaging conversation with respect to a selected party. The messages are sent to the selected party in response to a determination that the selected party should receive the plurality of messages. |
| US08682967B2 |
Composite service providing system
A composite service providing system including a plurality of network electronic devices communicatively connected with each other. The plurality of network electronic devices includes electronic devices, each of which is capable of providing at least one service. A plurality of services provided by a plurality of electronic devices are combined to constitute a composite service. The composite service providing system further includes a composite service designating system that designates a composite service to be provided, an electronic device determining system that determines an electronic device that provides each of a plurality of services necessary for providing the composite service designated with the composite service designating system, and a controlling system that control the electronic devices determined by the electronic device determining system to provide the services so that the composite service designated by the designating system is provided. |
| US08682966B2 |
Composite service providing system
A composite service providing system including a plurality of network electronic devices communicatively connected with each other. The plurality of network electronic devices includes electronic devices, each of which is capable of providing at least one service. A plurality of services provided by a plurality of electronic devices are combined to constitute a composite service. The composite service providing system further includes a composite service designating system that designates a composite service to be provided, an electronic device determining system that determines an electronic device that provides each of a plurality of services necessary for providing the composite service designated with the composite service designating system, and a controlling system that control the electronic devices determined by the electronic device determining system to provide the services so that the composite service designated by the designating system is provided. |
| US08682964B1 |
Progressively loading network content
Disclosed are various embodiments for progressively loading content that is asynchronously obtained from a server. A network page is obtained in a client from a server. Supplemental data is obtained in the client from the server in response to an element of the network page. The supplemental data, which is obtained asynchronously with respect to the network page, includes content and scripted callbacks. Each scripted callback is processed in the client, and in response, a respective portion of the content that has been obtained from the server is also processed in the client. |
| US08682959B2 |
System and method for fault tolerant processing of information via networked computers including request handlers, process handlers, and task handlers
Systems and methods for processing information via networked computers leverage request handlers, process handlers, and task handlers to provide efficient distributed and fault-tolerant processing of processing jobs. A request handler can receive service requests for processing jobs, process handlers can identify tasks to be performed in connection with the processing jobs, and task handlers can perform the identified tasks, where the request handler, the process handlers, and the task handlers can be distributed across a plurality of networked computers. |
| US08682957B2 |
Embedded wireless cloud connector
The current invention is directed to embedded, wireless cloud-connector devices and systems that allow the embedded, wireless cloud-connector devices to be deployed in a variety of embedding devices, applications, and uses. The embedded, wireless, cloud-connector devices to which the current application is directed are implemented using a single integrated circuit, or set of integrated-circuit chips, and each interfaces to a device, product, or system in which the cloud-connector devices are embedded as subcomponents as well as to a communications-services provider. The cloud-connector devices provide data exchange between devices, products, and systems in which they are embedded and cloud providers that provide cloud-computing services, data-message routing, and wireless services through wireless carriers. Embedded, wireless cloud-connector devices, and the systems that interconnect and manage them, allow cloud-providers to extend the cloud-computing domain into many different types of low-cost and geographically dispersed markets and areas of use. |
| US08682956B2 |
Systems and methods for determining recommended media content for exchange between vehicles
An onboard computer system including instructions causing a processor to store a first-user media profile indicating media preferences of a user. The processor also determines that the vehicle is encountering a second vehicle and receives a second-user media profile. The processor also evaluates the profiles to determine whether the profiles bear a predetermined similarity and, in response to determining the similarity exists, identifies recommended media, based on characteristics of the profiles, and initiates provision of the recommended media to one of the users of the first vehicle and the user of the second vehicle. |
| US08682952B2 |
System for maximizing the effectiveness of care giving
A method for determining the performance of a caregiver in a monitoring system for monitoring a user in a user living area the monitoring system including a remote monitoring site, including monitoring the user living area to detect an occurrence of an event to provide a detected event, providing event information representative of the detected event and determining a response of the caregiver to the detected event to provide caregiver response information. The event information and the caregiver response information are transmitted to the remote monitoring site. |
| US08682951B2 |
Method for processing data involving modular exponentiation and related device
A data processing method, whereby an element is subjected to a first operation with a given operand. The method includes a step of updating by a second operation a first variable (B; a0; S′p, S′q) or a second variable (A; a1; Sp, Sq), depending on whether a corresponding bit of the operand=0 or 1; and a step of testing a relationship between a first value (B; a0; S′) derived from the first variable and a second value (A; a1; S) derived from the second variable. A related device is also disclosed. |
| US08682948B2 |
Scalable random number generation
In embodiments of scalable random number generation, a system includes one or more entropy pools that combine entropy data, which is derived from entropy sources based on event data. A root pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) maintains a seeded entropy state that is reseeded by the entropy pools, and a seed version identifier updates to indicate a current seed version of the root PRNG. Processor PRNGs are instantiated one each per logical processor in a kernel of the system, where each processor PRNG maintains a PRNG entropy state that is reseeded from the root PRNG, and a processor PRNG generates a random number from a respective PRNG entropy state when invoked. |
| US08682946B1 |
Robust peak finder for sampled data
A method for determining a peak value of a histogram or a sequence of sampled data is disclosed. The method may include fitting a curve to the sequence of data, the curve being modeled based on an orthonormal expansion; obtaining a differential curve, the differential curve describing changes in slope of the curve fitted to the sequence of data; finding at least one root for the differential curve; for each of the at least one root for the differential curve, calculating a corresponding value on the curve fitted to the sequence of data; and determining the peak value of the sequence of data based on a maximum value among the corresponding value calculated for each of the at least one root. |
| US08682941B2 |
Database apparatus
A logical record of a source logical page is moved to a space area or a deletion area in a destination logical page. The source logical page is sequentially set forward from the logical page immediately before the last stored logical page in a subrange. The destination logical page is sequentially set backward from the leading logical page in the subrange. When a logical record is moved, exclusive control is performed in logical page units only on the source logical page and the destination logical page. The access by online operations is not prohibited on other logical pages not exclusively controlled in the same subrange. |
| US08682940B2 |
Operating a network using relational database methodology
The disclosed technology involves the use of relational databases in conjunction with declarative language and network-wide, database abstractions to manage and operate networks. The data model creates a logically centralized database abstraction and access point for managing data relevant to network management. Exemplary managed data includes router configurations, network status and provisioning data. This information resides in a single database system which is tightly integrated with the operational network. Transactional write operations are used to change network configurations, and enforce constraints to detect and prevent policy violations during operation. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed technology, a network operation is implemented by means of a series of database commands—read and/or write—from and to database view tables. |
| US08682939B2 |
Video and audio recording using file segmentation to preserve the integrity of critical data
A method and system for minimizing loss of critical digital data while such data is being written to a storage medium. The critical digital data is written to a digital storage medium in small blocks or segments. As each segment is transferred to the storage medium, the file allocation table is updated and the file is closed. By segmenting the files into smaller file segments, the amount of critical data lost as a result of a system failure or power loss is reduced. During playback, the file segments are dynamically assembled allowing playback of the digital data in a continuous manner. |
| US08682938B2 |
System and method for generating personalized songs
An integrated system of song personalization facilitates the customization of user song lyrics and the association of multimedia content with the lyrics to generate a personalized song. The system allows users to create personalized songs from song templates for different occasions, and the system further allows users to select multimedia content to be associated with specific sections of the song templates. |
| US08682937B2 |
Energy and internal environment management information systems and methods for buildings and campuses
A building energy and environment information system for buildings and campuses. The invention provides an entirely elective and private incrementally deployed, incrementally modifiable, relatively inexpensive building information system that provides for a range of energy and environmental capabilities including room and building environment sensing (one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.), statistical processing software, modeling software, analysis software, information visualization software, decision support software, data logging, storage and recall, control arrangements, and interfacing with existing building systems (HVAC, solar, valves, power systems, etc.), external information systems and networks. The invention can be used for various purposes including trial deployment of equipment and software; exploratory or special-purpose information gathering; analysis, modeling, or simulation of current, past, or ongoing energy usage, loss, or waste as well as air temperature and quality distributions, impacts of changes to a building, facilities, policies, or operations; design of optimal control for building operation. |
| US08682935B2 |
System and method for application navigation
A system and method for providing enhanced accessibility to applications. The system and method capture communication between applications, in which a source application calls, activates, uses the functionality of, or otherwise utilizes a target application. The communication, including the application calls and the relevant context including for example parameters, is captured and the details are analyzed. It is then determined what context or parameters are required for activating the target application. The target application is offered to users of additional applications, in which a context relevant for activating the target applications is determined or created. |
| US08682934B2 |
Metadata generating apparatus, information processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, video conference system, security system, method of generating metadata, and program
A metadata generating apparatus generating metadata associated with content data continuously generated in real time includes an additional information acquiring unit that acquires additional information corresponding to at least one piece of the content data and a link information adding unit that adds link information uniquely identifying the at least one piece of the content data corresponding to the additional information to the corresponding additional information to generate the metadata. |
| US08682933B2 |
Traversal based directed graph compaction
A directed graph comprises a plurality of nodes including a root node and a non-root node. Each of the plurality of nodes has a plurality of directed edges. The directed graph is traversed, with the plurality of nodes being visited according to an order of the directed edges of each of the plurality of nodes. The directed edge that leads to the non-root node is discarded when the non-root node is visited for the first time during the traversal of the directed graph. |
| US08682931B2 |
Morphing a data center in a virtual world
The present invention re-renders data center visualizations at different levels of abstraction based on roles or activities of an avatar. Morphing of data center objects is accomplished by either combining or decomposing existing data center objects in a manner that will result in a new object that maintains its relationship to the original objects. An example of this would be when creating an application object by combining an existing infrastructure objects (e.g., a server, a network and storage) used to support the application object runtime environment. This allows for the avatar to not only relate the application object to the supporting infrastructure objects, but also provides a view of how the application object is impacted whenever the supporting infrastructure objects change or break. |
| US08682928B2 |
Method, system and program for direct client file access in a data management system
Provided is a method, system, and program implemented by a server for controlling and providing access to a file to at least one remote computer over a network. The server maintains metadata about files. The files are maintained at remote storage locations. The server receives a request from the remote computer for a filename of a requested file over the network. The server determines from the metadata one remote storage location address associated with the filename where the requested file is located. The server then updates the metadata for the requested file and sends the storage location address to the remote computer. |
| US08682927B2 |
Forensic system, forensic method, and forensic program
Embodiments of the inventive concept can extract digital document information related with a specific individual to achieve a work load reduction associated with evidentiary material preparation for litigation. Recorded digital information can be displayed and user-specifying information can be set for each of a plurality of document files. The user-specifying information shows which user contained in user information one or more document files is related with. A recording unit can record the set user-specifying information. At least one user is selected, and a document file where user-specifying information which corresponds to the selected user was set is searched. Additional information showing whether or not the searched document file is related with the litigation is set via a display unit. A document file which is related with litigation is outputted based on the additional information. |
| US08682924B2 |
Hybrid and iterative keyword and category search technique
Provided are techniques for providing recommendations to improve a query. A query with query keywords and selected categories is received. In response to determining that the selected categories are ranked high with reference to query relevance indicator values for each of the selected categories, a query relevance indicator of the query is calculated with each subcategory using keyword relevance indicators, each subcategory is ranked based on the query relevance indicators, and the ranked subcategories are provided for use in selecting new categories to be submitted with the query. |
| US08682923B2 |
Set-level comparisons in dynamically formed groups
Methods are disclosed of processing a set-level query across one or more attributes, the query being grouped by one or more attributes, whereby groups that satisfy the set-level query may be aggregated over one or more attributes. The methods use bitwise arithmetic to efficiently traverse bitmap and bit-slice vectors and indexes of a data relation to determine groups that solve the set-level query. |
| US08682918B2 |
Method and system for making content-based recommendations
An entity is provided a recommendation based on content associated with the entity. The entity may be a user or a group. The recommendation may be one or more other users, groups, or other data objects having associated content that is similar to the content that is associated with the entity. |
| US08682917B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for currency searching
A method, system and computer program product includes transmitting over a network a user's request for a history of a currency bill. A serial number, a location, a date and an indication of possession is transmitted, where the serial number is used in a partial matching search, and mistaken alpha characters of the serial number are included in the partial matching search. First results of the partial matching search are received. Further identifying information is transmitted, where the identifying information is used in a matching search of the first results. Second results of the matching search are received. Additional information regarding the currency bill is transmitted for inclusion in the database where the indication of possession at least, in part, determines entries. A notification request of a next finding of the currency bill is transmitted, where registration of the user is verified. The history of the currency bill is received. |
| US08682913B1 |
Corroborating facts extracted from multiple sources
A method and system for corroborating facts extracted as attribute-value pairs from multiple sources. Facts associated with a common subject are identified and extracted from multiple sources. From the extracted facts, attributes satisfying a first corroboration requirement are identified. Attribute-value pairs satisfying a second corroboration requirement and having any of the identified attributes that satisfy the first corroboration requirement are identified. Predefined actions may be performed with respect to the identified attribute-value pairs and/or with respect to their status in a fact database. |
| US08682911B2 |
User performance rating system
A system comprises a processor-implemented collection module configured to request rating information from a first user relating to a transaction involving the first user and second user in an online transaction processing environment. The requested rating information relates to performance of the second user with respect to the transaction in a plurality of performance categories. A score generator is configured to generate a performance score relating to the second user using the rating information. A communication module is configured to communicate the performance score. |
| US08682910B2 |
Database anonymization for use in testing database-centric applications
At least one quasi-identifier attribute of a plurality of ranked attributes is selected for use in anonymizing a database. Each of the ranked attributes is ranked according to that attribute's effect on a database-centric application (DCA) being tested. In an embodiment, the selected quasi-identifier attribute(s) has the least effect on the DCA. The database is anonymized based on the selected quasi-identifier attribute(s) to provide a partially-anonymized database, which may then be provided to a testing entity for use in testing the DCA. In an embodiment, during execution of the DCA, instances of database queries are captured and analyzed to identify a plurality of attributes from the database and, for each such attribute identified, the effect of the attribute on the DCA is quantified. In this manner, databases can be selectively anonymized in order to balance the requirements of data privacy against the utility of the data for testing purposes. |
| US08682905B2 |
Enterprise data matching
A system and method for managing media advertising enterprise data including a process for learning enterprise data matching. An EDM (Enterprise Data Management) application module can be configured to include a set of rules at an enterprise level to manage disparate and disconnected records associated with an entity. A number of unmatched and enterprise entities that matches with respect to an active entity can be returned based on a fuzzy logic associated with various matching options stored in an EDM database. A matching process can then be performed to accurately match similar records regardless of manual input, location, and format of the records in a distributed system. Each unmatched record can then be assigned with a parent enterprise entity. Such an optimization mechanism can interactively manage and report records at the enterprise level in a simple and efficient manner. |
| US08682904B1 |
System of intuitive sorting of a table based on a column containing fractions
A method and system for sorting a table based on a column containing fractions. In the table, a first column representing values of a first parameter, a second column representing values of a second parameter, and a third column representing values of a third parameter defined as the ratio of the second parameter to the first parameter are identified. Then, a fourth column representing values of a fourth parameter is generated. The fourth column has a relation to the third parameter that is defined in terms of a weighted sum of the values of the third parameter and an average value associated with the values of the third parameter using a weight function defined as a monotonically decreasing function of the values of the first parameter. The table is sorted in ascending or descending order the rows of the table based on the values of the fourth parameter. |
| US08682902B2 |
Storage device having full-text search function
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes an interface, a first and second memory blocks and a controller. The interface receives a content search request. The first memory block stores files and inverted files corresponding to contents included in the files. The second memory block stores a file search table. The controller creates the inverted file for each content included in the files and stores IDs of the files including the content in the inverted file. The controller obtains, by search of the content, a corresponding inverted file from the inverted files stored in the first memory block and stores, in the file search table, the IDs of the files included in the obtained inverted file. The controller outputs the IDs of the files stored in the file search table from the interface as a search result for the content search request. |
| US08682900B2 |
System, method and computer program product for documents retrieval
The invention provides a system and method for retrieving documents from a collection of documents that match a word search query. A word index is generated for each document in which each entry is an enriched-term string built from the stemmed form of the word to be searched and a separator character followed by the original form of the word to be searched. During a retrieving operation, a search query is processed depending the original form or the stemmed form of a word to be searched. Cross-documents tables are addressed to find documents that match the enriched-term string of the word to be searched. |
| US08682896B2 |
Smart attribute classification (SAC) for online reviews
Techniques for identifying attributes in a sentence and determining a number of attributes to be associated with the sentence is described. An attribute identification (AI) framework comprises an offline training portion, an online prediction portion, and an AI algorithm module. The offline training portion utilizes the relationships between attributes within sentences input to the offline training portion to improve attribute identification of the AI algorithm module. The online prediction portion predicts, for each sentence input, the attributes of the sentence and the number of attributes the sentence is associated with by employing the AI algorithm module. |
| US08682893B2 |
Computer readable electronic records automated classification system
Classifying an electronic document in a computer-based system is disclosed. For each classification instance in a plurality of classification instances, a confidence data indicating a degree of confidence that the electronic document is associated with that classification instance is determined. A classification, based on a first classification instance in the plurality of classification instances, is assigned without human intervention to the electronic document if the confidence data associated with the first classification instance exceeds a first threshold. |
| US08682891B2 |
Automatic object reference identification and linking in a browseable fact repository
Links between facts associated with objects are automatically created and maintained in a fact repository. Names of objects are automatically identified in the facts, and collected into a list of names. The facts are then processed to identifying such names in the facts. Identified names are used as anchor text for search links. A search link includes a search query for a service engine which search the fact repository for facts associated with objects having the same name. |
| US08682890B2 |
Collaborative sampling for implicit recommenders
A method for generating a recommendation is provided. The method includes the steps of: receiving at least one of a negative and positive example from one or more other users; and determining a recommendation for a user based on at least one of the negative and positive examples. The method can further include the step of generating a user profile for the user based on previous behavior of the user, in which case the determining step can include determining the recommendation based on the negative example and the user profile. The determining step can also include the step of determining the recommendation based on both of the negative and positive examples. |
| US08682889B2 |
Search and replay of experiences based on geographic locations
Users are enabled to record and retrieve their experiences temporally and based on geographic locations. Experiences such as meetings, conferences, emails, other forms of communications are indexed along a timeline and associated with geographic locations. A user interface provides replay of experiences with links to associated documents, recordings, etc. employing a user friendly map feature. |
| US08682888B2 |
System and methods for tasking, collecting, and dispatching information reports
A system for tasking, collecting, storing, and dispatching time-sensitive location-based information reports via an electronics communication network, comprising a central relational database management system, multiple computer-implemented services, and applications residing on computer-based mobile communication devices. The system provides: methods to convey the value of specific types of geospatial time-sensitive information from a world-wide population of information consumers to a world wide population of “eye witness” reporters (i.e. suppliers); methods to collect payment from the consumers and, in turn, pay the suppliers of valid information reports that satisfy a consumers' specific criteria; methods to distribute streams of geospatial-based information reports to geospatial viewing applications; methods to aggregate information demand from multiple information-tasking subscriptions; methods to subscribe and receive alerts with regards to tasking subscriptions; and methods to validate and score information reports. |
| US08682886B2 |
Report acceleration using intermediate summaries of events
A method and system for managing searches of a data set that is partitioned based on a plurality of events. A structure of a search query may be analyzed to determine if logical computational actions performed on the data set is reducible. Data in each partition is analyzed to determine if at least a portion of the data in the partition is reducible. In response to a subsequent or reoccurring search request, intermediate summaries of reducible data and reducible search computations may be aggregated for each partition. Next, a search result may be generated based on at least one of the aggregated intermediate summaries, the aggregated reducible search computations, and a query of adhoc non-reducible data arranged in at least one of the plurality of partitions for the data set. |
| US08682881B1 |
System and method for extracting structured data from classified websites
Systems, methods, and computer readable storage mediums are provided for automatically extracting data from a classified website. A website is determined to be a classified website based on a set of heuristics. Then page models for other classified websites are accessed. The page models may include listing page models, detail page models, and/or city page models. A listing page in the classified website is determined based on similarity of the listing page to the page models for the other classified websites. Then a listing page model for the listing page in the classified website is created. After the model has been created data from the classified website is extracted based at least in part on the listing page model. Similar processes are performed for determining a details page, creating a details page model, and extracting data from the classified website using a details page model. |
| US08682875B2 |
Database statistics for optimization of database queries containing user-defined functions
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for generating statistics for optimizing database queries containing user-defined functions (UDFs). In general, the statistics may be generated based on output values produced during past executions of a UDF. The statistics may also be generated based on input values received during past executions of the UDF. Additionally, the statistics may include input and output value pairs, such that a UDF output may be determined based on a UDF input. The generated statistics may be used by a query optimizer to determine an efficient query plan for executing the database query. |
| US08682874B2 |
Information processing system
When an index is partitioned and managed in a plurality of indexes in a search system which deals with large amounts of data, the number of documents registered in each partitioned index may be varied, and inefficient data transfer may occur at the time of index reconfiguration when search nodes are added or deleted. In the present invention, mapping information is used to map search node IDs to slot regions obtained by equally partitioning a circular hash value space in which a start point and an end point of the hash value space are assumed to be identical, so that each document is mapped to each partitioned index. |
| US08682871B2 |
Method and system for implementing object-oriented exception handling
A system, method, and computer-readable medium having instructions thereon for executing a method for providing object-oriented content-based exception handling in business software applications are provided. An embodiment provides for handling an exception based on both the context of a process step in a process chain of a business software application, as well as the specific content of the process. An embodiment includes the use of a database to associate content information with desired responses, in order to further automate exception handling. For those exceptions which cannot be handled in an automatic fashion, then manual intervention is requested. |
| US08682870B1 |
Defragmentation during multiphase deduplication
Defragmentation during multiphase deduplication. In one example embodiment, a method of defragmentation during multiphase deduplication includes an analysis phase that includes analyzing each allocated block stored in a source storage at a point in time to determine if the block is duplicated in a vault storage, a defragmentation phase that includes reordering the duplicate blocks stored in the source storage to match the order of the duplicate blocks as stored in the vault storage, and a backup phase that is performed after completion of the defragmentation phase and that includes storing, in the vault storage, each unique nonduplicate block from the source storage. |
| US08682869B2 |
Increased in-line deduplication efficiency
Exemplary method, system, and computer program product embodiments for increased in-line deduplication efficiency in a computing environment are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only hash values are calculated in nth iterations for accumulative data chunks extracted from an object requested for in-line deduplication. For each of the nth iterations, the calculated hash values for the accumulative data chunks are matched in a nth hash index table with a corresponding hash value of existing objects in storage. The nth hash index table is exited upon detecting a mismatch during the matching. The mismatch is determined to be a unique object and is stored. A hash value for the object is calculated. A master hash index table is updated with the calculated hash value for the object and the calculated hash values for the unique object. Additional system and computer program product embodiments are disclosed and provide related advantages. |
| US08682868B2 |
Removal of data remanence in deduplicated storage clouds
A method implemented in a computer infrastructure including a combination of hardware and software includes receiving from a local computing device a request to securely delete a file. The method also includes determining the file is deduplicated. The method further includes determining one of: the file is referred to by at least one other file, and the file is not referred to by another file. The method additionally includes securely deleting links associating the file with the local computing device without deleting the file when the file is referred to by at least one other file. The method also includes securely deleting the file when the file is not referred to by another file. |
| US08682866B1 |
System and method for cleansing, linking and appending data records of a database
A system and method for reading a data record from an input file only once, processing that data record according to one or more references files, and then writing out the cleansed and updated data record to a target file such that the data record is read and written to remote storage only once, thereby making a single pass through a given database of data records. Each data record (comprising of multiple data elements) of the input file is reviewed, verified, and corrected against one or more reference databases containing similar information, assigned a unique identifying key, and, optionally, appended with new additional data elements of a matching data record from a new-data database. |
| US08682858B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for database table aggregation
Database table aggregation is implemented by a method that includes encoding first and second components via a waveform definition, the first and second components specifying criteria for aggregating data, and the first component is defined to provide data aggregation at a higher granularity than the second component. The method also includes generating a complex waveform representing the components in a pattern corresponding to the waveform definition and criteria, which spans a first axis indicative of a time period for the aggregation. The method includes providing a byte count for aggregated data stored in a first table defined by the criteria, aggregating the data for the time period, and updating the complex waveform to reflect results of the aggregation that includes generating a waveform representing a second table along a second axis depicted at a location corresponding to a time in which the data aggregation for the first table was initiated. |
| US08682854B2 |
Efficient construction of synthetic backups within deduplication storage system
A deduplication storage system enables new input data to be deduplicated with data of synthetic backups already constructed, and for this purpose efficiently calculates deduplication digests for synthetic backups being constructed, based on already existing digests of data referenced by the synthetic backups. For each input data segment of the plurality of input data segments of a synthetic backup being constructed, a plurality of deduplication digests of stored data segments, referenced by the input data segment, is retrieved from an index. Each input data segment is partitioned into each of a plurality of fixed-sized data sub-segments. A calculation is performed producing a deduplication digest for a data sub-segment, where the calculation is based on the retrieved deduplication digests of the plurality of stored data sub-segments referenced by the input data sub-segment. |
| US08682853B2 |
System and method for enhancing storage performance in analytical database applications
A system and method for enhancing data throughput in data warehousing environments by connecting multiple servers having local storages with designated external storage systems, such as, for example, those provided by SANs. The system and method may preserve a full reference copy of the data in a protected environment (e.g., on the external storage system) that is fully available. The system and method may enhance overall I/O potential performance and reliability for efficient and reliable system resource utilization. |
| US08682848B2 |
Method and system for automatic detection of multimedia settings
Provided is a method for transferring multimedia content from the first device to a second device. The method includes scanning a memory associated with the second device to identify transcoding parameters associated and stored therein. The method also includes transcoding the multimedia content from the first device based upon the identified transcoding parameters. |
| US08682839B2 |
Predicting keyword monetization
Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide a method and system for predicting bidding keyword monetization. The claimed subject matter provides a method and system with which the value of a keyword for the purpose of relevant online advertisement may be evaluated according to various metrics to determine a bidding landscape for use in advertising campaigns. The value of the keyword considers certain attributes related to the monetization of the keyword.One embodiment of the claimed subject matter is implemented as a method for predicting keyword monetization for one or more keyword-advertisement relationships. Historical data for the one or more keyword-advertisement relationships is referenced and used to generate a global model of the one or more keyword-advertisement relationship. The relationships are then evaluated according to a time-series analysis, which parses the data from the historical data and the global model to create predictions for the keyword monetization according to the keyword-advertisement relationships. |
| US08682838B2 |
Dynamically responsive virtual characters
Methods for conducting a virtual simulation are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request to generate a virtual simulation between a user and a virtual character, generating the virtual simulation for the user that includes the virtual character, and determining a desired outcome from the user within the virtual simulation. The method also includes selecting a strategy, from among a plurality of strategies, for achieving the desired outcome from the user, selecting an enactment for the selected strategy, from among a plurality of enactments, for the virtual character to execute to achieve the desired outcome from the user in the virtual simulation, and controlling the virtual character to execute the selected enactment for the selected strategy to achieve the desired outcome from the user in the virtual simulation. Systems, graphical user interfaces, and machine-readable media are also provided. |
| US08682829B2 |
Determining the occurrence of events using decision trees
The determination of whether an event, such as a taxable event for a commercial transaction, has occurred uses an executable decision tree. The decision tree includes a number of test nodes that each include a comparison field and at least one allowed value. A data value associated with the comparison field is accessed and compared to the allowed values. If the comparison field equals an allowed value, execution proceeds to a child node, and if not, execution proceeds to a sibling node. The child and sibling nodes are either another test node, a result node, or an error node. Execution of the decision tree proceeds until a result node or an error node is reached. |
| US08682825B2 |
Smarter business intelligence systems
An embodiment of the invention provides a method and system for analyzing a plurality of reports. More specifically, a change detection module predicts results of future reports based on past reports and identifies a first report that deviates from its predicted results. A dependency analysis module connected to the change detection module at least one report sharing a dependency with the first report by performing a dependency analysis and/or a usage analysis. The dependency analysis labels the first report and at least one second report as sharing a dependency if the second report deviates from its predicted results. The usage analysis labeling the first report and at least one report analyzed by an analyst as sharing a dependency if the report analyzed by the analyst is analyzed in response to the identification of the first report. |
| US08682824B2 |
Method and device for monitoring the state of a facility
This invention provides method for detecting advance signs of anomalies, event signals outputted from the facility are used to create a separate mode for each operating state, a normal model is created for each mode, the sufficiency of learning data for each mode is checked, a threshold is set according to the results of said check, and anomaly identification is performed using said threshold. Also, for diagnosis, a frequency matrix is created in advance, with result events on the horizontal axis and cause events on the vertical axis, and the frequency matrix is used to predict malfunctions. Malfunction events are inputted as result events, and quantized sensor signals having anomaly measures over the threshold are inputted as cause events. |
| US08682822B2 |
Electronic learning synapse with spike-timing dependent plasticity using memory-switching elements
A system, method and computer program product produce spike-dependent plasticity in an artificial synapse. A method includes: an electronic device generating a pre-synaptic pulse that occurs a predetermined period of time after receiving a pre-synaptic spike at a first input. The electronic device generating a post-synaptic pulse that starts at a baseline value and reaches a first voltage value a first period of time after receiving a post-synaptic spike at a second input, followed by a second voltage value a second period of time after the post synaptic spike, followed by a return to said baseline voltage a third period of time after the post-synaptic spike. The generated pre-synaptic pulse is applied to a pre-synaptic node of a synaptic device in series with a rectifying element that has a turn-on voltage based on a threshold. The generated post-synaptic pulse is applied to a post-synaptic node of said synaptic device. |
| US08682821B2 |
Method for detection of movement of a specific type of object or animal based on radar signals
A method of detecting movement includes using a radar sensor to monitor a space, and receiving an output signal from the radar sensor. A Fourier transform is performed on the output signal to produce a frequency domain signal spectrum. The frequency domain signal spectrum is transformed into an acoustic domain signal. It is decided whether the output signal is indicative of movement of a predetermined object or a non-human animal dependent upon at least one feature of the acoustic domain signal and at least one spectral feature of the signal spectrum. |
| US08682817B1 |
Product testing process using diploid evolutionary method
Methods of analyzing solutions to a failure of a product are provided. A method comprises evaluating the fitness of solutions associated with a plurality of individuals in a population for the failure. Each of the plurality of individuals comprises a dominant genotype and a recessive genotype. Each genotype represents a solution for addressing a potential failure of the product. A fitness function is applied to the dominant genotype of each individual. The fitness function is configured to determine a confidence value for one or more of the solutions based on historical data regarding the solutions that is stored in a database. The method further comprises storing previously encountered genotypes in the recessive genotypes of the individuals and determining a proposed solution for addressing the failure of the product based on the fitness evaluation. |
| US08682809B2 |
System and methods for providing user generated video reviews
Methods and systems for content aggregation and distribution are described. Video content may be received from a plurality of sources. The video content may be associated with metadata identifying items included within the video content. A video player may be provided which enables video content to be displayed on a user terminal, and a control may be provided enabling the user to quickly navigate to specific portions of the video content. A viewer of the video content may, in turn, author and provide additional video content. The video player may be embeddable. |
| US08682806B1 |
Computer based job application via SMS message or mobile email
A computer implemented method of effectuating an employment application, comprising: receiving at a computer server system a mobile message (SMS text message) from a job seeker containing an application request comprising of a employment code (employer code, store/location code, or job code) sent by a job seeker mobile device operating independently of the computer server system; merging the job seeker profile data with the employment code and creating an electronic job application for a hiring company that is independent of the computer server system. |
| US08682805B1 |
Providing an advertisement associated with a keyword search for an activity of interest
A computer implemented method includes receiving from a search request user an activity keyword for performing a keyword search. An advertisement is sent to the search request user where the advertisement is selected by identifying a location associated with the keyword and basing the selection of the advertisement at least in part on the location. |
| US08682800B2 |
Controlling access to technology based upon authorization
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating control of access to technology to authorized parties. A licensor provides licensure information to an application developer that includes a private key and a license, the license including an application public key and an identifying mark associated with the licensor, e.g., a digital signature. The licensor additionally provides a licensor public key to an implementation developer. The application developer and the implementation developer subsequently write the received information into the respective application and implementation. At runtime, the application adds ephemeral data and an identifying mark associated with the application to the application license and forwards the marked extended application license to the implementation. The implementation then validates the ephemeral data, the licensor's identifying mark and the licensee's identifying mark. Once all information is validated, the marked extended application license is validated and the licensed application may expose the licensed technology to a user. |
| US08682797B1 |
Methods and systems for distributing digitally encoded information
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for distributing digitally encoded information. In one embodiment of the present invention, a licensee desiring to purchase digitally encoded information from a copyright owner posts collateral with a third party entity. The third party entity then provides authentication information to the licensee. The licensee transmits proof of knowledge of authentication information to the copyright owner. The copyright owner sends proof of the licensee's knowledge of authentication information and digital media to the third-party entity. The third-party entity embeds the authentication information in the digitally encoded information, and delivers the digitally encoded information with embedded authentication information to the licensee. |
| US08682795B2 |
Trusted information exchange based on trust agreements
Techniques are provided for allowing organizations to preserve the trust and allow this trust to be propagated across multiple agencies and/or enterprises. A technology is provided that allows (mutually) trusted entities to share content (information, digital assets) over any protocol-based network such as the Internet based on granted rights and agreed conditions. In one embodiment, Trusted Information Exchange (TIE) systems have a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and use content (information, asset) repositories to store and forward content to trusted entities on the Internet. Techniques are provided to permit source TIE systems to manage the specific disposition and management of their assets to receiving TIE systems through directions conveyed in licenses that reflect apriori agreements. |
| US08682793B2 |
Mobile alert transaction system and method
A method and system for providing geographic location notifications of payment transactions is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method including receiving an authorization request message associated with a transaction, the transaction associated with a portable consumer device and an access device at a merchant. A geographic location of the transaction is determined. It is determined whether a notification message indicating that the transaction is occurring is required. Upon determining that the notification message is required, the notification message is sent to a notification device operated by a consumer and the notification device receives the notification message substantially simultaneously with the merchant's receipt of an authorization response message. A graphical depiction of the notification message is displayed on a map on the notification device. |
| US08682789B2 |
Method and system for effecting payment to a municipality and receiving a certificate of payment
A real estate closing payment system and method for transferring funds of a closing party to a municipality, where the funds are associated with fees due with respect to a particular real estate property, is provided. The system includes a registration module configured to register the closing party and a funding source of which the funds will be transferred from, a calculation module configured to calculate an amount of the funds due to the municipality, a transfer module configured to transfer the funds from the funding source of the closing party to the municipality, and a certification module configured to generate a certificate of payment and deliver the certificate of payment to the closing party, municipality, and/or an appropriate recording institution. |
| US08682785B2 |
Bank card authorization with balance indicator
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for providing a consumer with information about the balance of the consumer's credit or debit account after a transaction, such as a purchase transaction, is made using the credit or debit account. In one embodiment, the issuing bank attaches a number representing the balance of the consumer's credit or debit account and/or other information about the balance to the authorization code when authorizing a purchase transaction so that, when a vendor provides the consumer with a purchase receipt that has the authorization code on the receipt, the balance information is automatically included on the receipt with the authorization code. In this way, the consumer can keep track of spending by knowing the total balance of the consumer's credit and/or debit account and/or other balance information after each credit or debit card purchase. |
| US08682784B2 |
Method and system to process credit card payment transactions initiated by a merchant
A system, to process credit card payment transactions initiated by a merchant, includes an interface to receive a merchant-initiated request for a transfer of funds from a buyer credit card account. A credit card processing application initiates the transfer of funds from the buyer credit card account to a third-party merchant bank account, held by a third-party payment service. The third-party merchant bank account receives funds from the buyer credit card account on behalf of the merchant. A funds allocation application allocates the received funds to a receiving account of the merchant, the receiving account being maintained by the third-party payment service. The credit card processing application may be virtual point of sale (POS) terminal application, hosted at a server computer system operated by the third-party payment service, and accordingly may be accessible by the merchant via a network. |
| US08682780B2 |
Systems and methods for electronically initiating and executing securities lending transactions
Systems and methods are provided for conducting securities lending transactions using an electronic trading platform. In accordance with an implementation, the electronic trading platform receives, from a trader, information identifying initial terms of a transaction to lend or borrow shares of a security. The electronic trading platform may generate an instruction to broadcast the initial terms to one or more counterparties, and may subsequently facilitate negotiations between the trader and the one or more counterparties for terms of the transaction. The electronic trading platform may execute the transaction in accordance with the negotiated terms. |
| US08682772B2 |
Apparatuses, methods, and systems for providing a risk scoring engine user interface
The present disclosure describes an approach to constructing and implementing risk rating products that provides a number of advantages. Instead of hard-coding attributes of a risk rating scheme, which requires the assistance of a trained programming specialist for any modifications, adjustments, or new products, the present invention provides a set of modular tools that assist non-specialists in on-the-fly generation and implementation of risk rating products. The modularity of this approach facilitates the modification and/or updating of a system component without affecting the operation of other components. Described herein are embodiments of system tools configured to read a risk rating scheme data-structure and generate a user interface whereby a user may enter information characteristic of an insurable risk and receive risk assessments, evaluations, and/or financial metrics associated with a candidate insurable risk. |
| US08682769B2 |
System and method for displaying trading data
A system and method are provided for presenting trading information. One example method includes displaying a plurality of effective trade indicators corresponding to price levels at which effective trades have been initiated, and displaying trading information corresponding to each effective trade. The effective trades can be determined based on user-configured trade definitions. The trading information can include a traded quantity and profit/loss corresponding to each effective trade. In addition to the trading information, current market information could be displayed as well in relation to the plurality of effective trades. |
| US08682768B1 |
Machine, article, and method for an installment payment payout at contract value
A machine, article and method for an installment payment payout at contract value. A method can include: storing in memory terms of an agreement with a guarantor of a contract value for an investment, thus transforming a market value of the investment on a financial statement into a contract value, the terms including a payout of the contract value of the investment as installment payments over time, and that the installment payments will be determined in a manner to make their present value equal to the contract value, wherein the payments are discounted at market interest rates, and a specification that the payments are to be supported by a portfolio of securities to be held in a bankruptcy remote vehicle and by a payment guarantee of the guarantor and further including terms for determining a contract rate of return and a contract value. |
| US08682764B2 |
System and method for suspect entity detection and mitigation
A plurality of institutions (such as financial institutions) contribute data to a data analysis and linking system. The system analyzes the data to create data nodes (records) associated with an entity, where the entity may be, for example, a person/individual, business, organization, account, address, telephone number, etc. After data is linked, and in order to retrieve linked data, a requester may provide to the system an identifier associated with an entity. The linked data provided by the system in response to the identifier may be in the form of a network of data nodes associated with the entity and for use in assessing risk, such as risk associated with a transaction being conducted by a person. The linked data may also be analyzed at the system to score risk associated with the entity, and the risk score provided in conjunction with or in lieu of the network of data nodes. |
| US08682758B2 |
Accounting transactions by list
A method and system are provided for processing multiple related financial transactions in a computer-based financial accounting system. The multiple related financial transactions have at least one of a common transaction type, a common transaction date and a common transaction amount. The method steps include receiving one or more of the common transaction date, the common transaction type, and the common transaction amount, receiving a set of parties, each party corresponding to at least one of the plurality of related financial transactions, and generating a plurality of related financial transactions, each related financial transaction of the plurality of generated related financial transactions comprising one of the set of parties and at least one of the common transaction date, the common transaction type, and the common transaction amount. |
| US08682757B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing financial transactions subject to different financing terms
A financial payment vehicle, such as a charge or credit card, provides lower financing terms on purchases that meet specified criteria (i.e. a minimum threshold transaction amount, a purchase from a particular industry or at particular merchants, and/or other enrollment qualifications) and further provides standard financing terms for purchases that do not meet the criteria. |
| US08682755B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting tax refund fraud
Certain embodiments of the disclosed technology may include systems and methods for detecting tax refund fraud. According to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed technology, a method is provided for detecting tax refund fraud. The method includes receiving entity-supplied information. In an exemplary embodiment, the entity-supplied information includes at least a name, social security number, and mailing address. The method further includes querying one or more databases with the entity-supplied information and receiving a plurality of independent information in response to the querying. The method can include determining, based at least in part on a comparison of the entity-supplied information with the plurality of independent information, zero or more indicators of fraud. The method can include outputting the zero or more indicators of fraud. |
| US08682754B1 |
Tracking customer spending and income
Computer implemented methods of tracking customer spending and income are provided. The methods may comprise aggregating spending transactions by estimating income to a customer during a first time period. The methods may also comprise displaying a user interface to the customer. The user interface may comprise a first bar indicating customer income and a second bar indicating customer spending. |
| US08682746B2 |
Techniques for correlating events to digital media assets
Improved approaches to intelligently refer users of one online media store to another online store are disclosed. The inter-store referral can permit a user of an online media store, such as an online media store that offers digital media assets for purchase, to easily access related information, such as event information, from another online store. According to another aspect, improved approaches to access and present event information are disclosed. |
| US08682740B2 |
Systems and methods using a manufacturer line, series, model hierarchy
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for providing navigation of a database includes a plurality of records having attributes, the method including transmitting a webpage configured to display a plurality of hierarchies of selectable filters corresponding for plural manufacturer's products, wherein each hierarchy corresponds to the respective manufacturer's product taxonomy, receiving at least one attribute value based on a filter selection, transmitting a query to an index for unique identifiers corresponding to that satisfy the at least one attribute value, receiving the unique identifiers, transmitting a query to a product data set for records in the data set corresponding to the unique identifier, receiving, with a computing device, the one or more records, and transmitting said one or more records. |
| US08682738B2 |
System and method for using a digital inventory of clothing
A device includes a communication module and a display. The communication module is configured to communicate with a personal database and to receive a plurality of digital images associated with a respective piece of clothing and/or an outfit from the personal database. The display is coupled to the communication module, and configured to display a first digital image associated with a recommended outfit based on a plurality of daily events associated with a user of the device. The display is also configured to display a second digital image associated with an advertised piece of clothing, and configured to enlarge the first digital image associated with the recommended outfit if the first digital image is selected or to enlarge the second digital image associated with the advertised piece of clothing if the second digital image is selected. |
| US08682737B2 |
Universal business to media transaction system, process and standard
A computer network based universal transaction system (CNBUTS) architecture that enables transaction between one or more offer providers and one or more customers relating to offers of wares (e.g., goods/services) by the offer providers. In one embodiment, the architecture of the CNBUTS includes a universal agent system, one or more offering systems and one or more marketplace systems. The universal agent system receives one or more offers of wares available for transactions. Each offering system enables offer providers to define the offer(s) of wares available for transaction. Each marketplace system receives the offer(s) of wares from the universal agent system, presents the customers the offer(s) of wares, receives transaction requests from the customers, and communicates received transaction requests to the universal agent system. The universal agent system communicates the offer(s) of wares from the offering system(s) to the marketplace system(s) and processes transaction requests received from the marketplace system(s). |
| US08682735B2 |
Method for product demonstration
Conducting a video conference as part of the operation or demonstration of an appliance. |
| US08682731B1 |
Real-time, paper-savings-reporting apparatus and method
A computer-implemented method is disclosed for motivating customer participation in an electronic receipt program. Within the method, a point-of-sale transaction may be initiated. The transaction may involve a computer system comprising a point-of-sale system and a customer possessing a mobile computing device. The computer system may generate receipt data documenting the transaction and deliver the receipt data to the mobile computing device in electronic format. The computer system may further determine an amount of paper saved by delivering the receipt data in electronic format rather than as a paper receipt and pass the amount to the mobile computing device. |
| US08682728B2 |
Network advertising methods and apparatus
A network advertising system and method includes an item within electronic media being tagged by a secondary advertiser. A text block unit receives a search query from the secondary advertiser, retrieves primary advertiser information from the primary advertiser database in response to the search query and displays the primary advertiser information to the secondary advertiser, receives the secondary advertiser's selection of the primary advertiser information, and associates the tagged item with advertising content of the primary advertiser in response to the selection of the primary advertiser information. Revenue may be shared based on recorded secondary advertising events, the secondary advertising events including one or more of (i) an indication that a potential customer has viewed the advertising content, (ii) an indication that the primary advertiser information has been displayed as a search result to the secondary advertiser, (iii) an indication that a potential customer has completed a purchase of a product based on the advertising content and (iv) an indication that the secondary advertiser has associated or maintained the association of an item with the advertising content. |
| US08682727B2 |
Advertisement distribution system, advertisement distribution device, advertisment distribution method, advertisement distribution program, and computer readable record medium recorded with advertisement distribution program
A travel support server (5) distributes a first e-mail to a user terminal device (2-k). The first e-mail has a link to the URL in which transfer function to a web page of a tourism resource corresponding to the user position in a travel destination and user information are embedded. An advertisement server (6) distributes a second e-mail to the user terminal device (2-k). The second e-mail has advertisement information which is provided to the user identified by selecting the link in the first e-mail. |
| US08682725B2 |
Regional location-based advertising
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of identifying a target region and an exclusion region of the target region, where the target region encompasses the exclusion region. A target user is identified within the target region and not within the exclusion region encompassed by the target region. A target advertisement is selected for the target user based on the target user being within the target region and not within the exclusion region encompassed by the target region. The target advertisement is sent to the target user. An exclusion user is identified within the exclusion region encompassed by the target region. An exclusion advertisement different from the target advertisement is selected for the exclusion user based on the exclusion user being with the exclusion region. The exclusion advertisement is sent to the exclusion user. |
| US08682724B2 |
System and method using sampling for scheduling advertisements in slots of different quality in an online auction with budget and time constraints
An improved system and method is provided for using sampling for scheduling advertisements in slots of different quality in an online auction with budget and time constraints. A multi-armed bandit engine may be provided for sampling new advertisements by allocating advertisements for web page placements of different quality and optimizing payments to maximize the welfare of the advertisers while remaining within advertiser's budget and time constraints. Advertisers may report their private information including arrival time, departure time, value per click, and budget. And the multi-armed bandit mechanism may approximate the maximal welfare that may be achieved under budget and time constraints by bounding the possible gain from any possible lie an advertiser might submit in reporting private information. Advertisers departing from the online auction may be charged using a payment method that may provide truthful guarantees on budget, arrivals, departures, and valuations for a budget-constrained online auction. |
| US08682723B2 |
Social analytics system and method for analyzing conversations in social media
Conversations in an online content universe are monitored. A social analysis module analyzes individual conversations between publishers in the online content universe. Publishers that influence a conversation are identified. |
| US08682714B2 |
Location analytics systems and methods
Provided is a method for assessing effectiveness of a geographic location of interest. The method includes receiving a geographic location of interest, receiving access information including a location corresponding to a geographic location of a visitor at or near a time of the visitor accessing content associated with the geographic location of interest, determining, by a computer, an effectiveness of the geographic location of interest based at least in part on the proximity of the geographic location of the visitor to the geographic location of interest, and storing the effectiveness determined. |
| US08682713B2 |
System for selecting ad inventory with a clickable map interface
A method is disclosed for providing advertising content for display in a page over a network. Ad inventory is identified and/or organized based on a category and a geographic region. The ad inventory may be displayed on an interactive map that is used for selecting from the inventory based on the geographic location. |
| US08682711B2 |
Method and apparatus for analyzing proposed service features in a communication network
Method and apparatus for analyzing a proposed service feature in a communication network is described. In one example, a call flow for supporting the service feature in the communication network is created, where at least one network component supports the call flow. First cost data for internally developing the at least one network component is determined. Second cost data for procuring the at least one network component from third party entity is determined. The first cost data and the second cost data are processed to generate a recommendation for either internally developing or externally procuring the at least one network element. |
| US08682710B2 |
System and method to model and forecast technology adoption
A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to at least one of receive and assess current technology adoption trends. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to provide a technology adoption forecast. |
| US08682708B2 |
Reputation risk framework
A risk framework is described for computing risk. One or more persons may be grouped into classes of stakeholders. Different types of risk may be classified into risk categories. Within each risk category, events contributing to that type of risk may be determined and assigned a weight/severity value and a likelihood of occurrence value. Risk likelihood may be computed for each risk category by summing the products of weight/severity value and likelihood of occurrence value for each event within the risk category. A severity level may be determined and assigned with respect to each class of stakeholders regarding the risk categories, and a risk score may be computed for each stakeholder class and risk category combination. An aggregate risk likelihood may be computed by summing and/or weighting the risk likelihoods computed for each risk category. |
| US08682707B2 |
Simulation-based risk analysis for finite capacity scheduling
Scheduling software that provides both a deterministic schedule, such as shown in a Gantt chart or a work-to list (the role of traditional FCS software), along with additional information that can be used to judge the risk of the schedule when taking into account both the variations in task times, as well as the unplanned events. One embodiment of the present invention is a simulation model of a facility that incorporates the variations in task times and randomly generated events to provide stochastic estimates of risk measures. Another embodiment of the present invention may be the same model that is used to generate the deterministic schedule, however when generating the schedule the random variations and events are turned off, thereby generating a deterministic schedule. The same model can then be reused with the variations and random events turned on to generate risk measures for the associated deterministic schedule. |
| US08682704B2 |
Methods and systems for scheduling activity level based meetings
Methods and systems for scheduling wellness based meetings are described. In one embodiment, meeting data associated with a meeting is accessed. A meeting type designation is received. The meeting type designation designates the meeting as a walking meeting, a standing meeting, or a sitting meeting. Updated meeting data based on the meeting data and the meeting type designation is stored. Other methods and systems are described. |
| US08682698B2 |
System and method for secure self registration with an insurance portal
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for processing a first-time registration request for electronic access to a plurality of computerized insurance services. A network interface is configured to communicate with the plurality of computerized insurance services by interfacing with a plurality of disparate information platforms and communicating with a user computing device. A memory stores a portal module, a profile module, and a security module, each in the form of computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the system to receive a user identity, a first-time registration request of the user identity, and one or more secure information items associated with the user identity from the user computing device, determine a verification score for the user identity based on the one or more secure information items, and selectively register the user identity with a plurality of the computerized insurance services based on the verification score. |
| US08682693B2 |
Patient data mining for lung cancer screening
A system and method for lung cancer screening is provided. The system includes a database including structured patient information for a patient population and a domain knowledge base including information about lung cancer; an individual patient record; and a processor for analyzing the patient record with data from the database to determine if a patient has indications of lung cancer. The method includes the steps of inputting patient-specific data into a patient record; performing at least one lung cancer screening procedure on a patient, wherein at least one result from at least one procedure is inputted into the patient record in a structured format; and analyzing the patient record with a domain knowledge base to determine if the patient has indications of lung cancer. |
| US08682691B2 |
Health quality measures systems and methods
Systems and methods of exchanging Healthcare Quality Measures (HQM) are disclosed. Healthcare providers can define one or more HQMs by constructing expressions using an expression builder according to a funding organization's requirements. The expression builder advantageously allows the Healthcare provider to build measure expressions without the need to know a complex programming language. Once a measure is derived, it can be converted to a common HQM data format and exchanged with the organization via an intermediary HQM service. The HQM data can then be converted into the organization's proprietary format. Thus, HQM data exchanges among providers and organizations are simplified. |
| US08682689B1 |
Patient financial advocacy system
A patient financial advocacy system is disclosed for identifying potential funding sources for uninsured patients and for the patient portion of healthcare debts that are covered by managed healthcare plans by automating the identification of potential funding sources and automating the collection of data required by such potential funding sources. The system is an automated system ad includes three stages, namely, a detection stage; an execution stage and a measurement stage. In the detection stage, a multi-tiered questionnaire is used during a patient interview to identify potential funding sources. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the questionnaire is structured to find the funding source with the highest yield. A rules engine is programmed to analyze the patient's answers to the questions and identify a potential funding source. In the execution stage, the rules engine is further programmed with specific questionnaires structured to gather all of the required data of the identified funding source. The execution stage identifies all steps required for applying for the specific funding source. In the measurement stage, the system determines the best possible yield for all identified patient funding sources. |
| US08682688B1 |
Systems, methods, and software for supporting consumer healthcare decisions
The present inventor(s) conceived of, among other things, a consumer healthcare portal to help consumers make well-informed healthcare decisions. One exemplary portal incorporates existing healthcare claims data from payers to provide personalized offerings around health plan selection and treatment options guidance. This data also provides the ability for consumers to assess the effectiveness of various physicians in their plans. Additionally, the exemplary portal provides a consumer messaging capability that facilitates automatic transmission of personalized healthcare communications geared to change individual consumer behavior. |
| US08682686B2 |
System and method to manage a workflow in delivering healthcare
A system and method to manage progression of patients through a workflow of events that employs at least one resource in delivering healthcare is provided. The system comprises a sensor operable to track at least one property of the plurality of patients, and at least one processor in communication with the sensor. The processor is operable to execute computer readable program instructions generally representative of the steps of calculating a bid of the more than one of series of resources relative to one another directed to a slot in the schedule of workflow of the patient dependent on tracked properties of the resources, and assigning one the resources to the slot in the schedule of workflow of the least one patient dependent on a comparison of the bid of the resources relative to one another. |
| US08682675B2 |
Sound monitoring system for sound field selection based on stored microphone data
Monitoring accuracy degrades due to a noise where many sound sources exist other than those to be monitored. A sound monitoring system includes a microphone array having multiple microphones and a location-based abnormal sound monitoring section. The location-based abnormal sound monitoring section is supplied with an input signal from the microphone array via a waveform acquisition section and a network. Using the input signal, the location-based abnormal sound monitoring section detects a temporal change in a sound source direction histogram. Based on a detected change result, the location-based abnormal sound monitoring section checks for abnormality in a sound field and outputs a monitoring result. The processing section searches for a microphone array near the sound source to be monitored. The processing section selects a sound field monitoring function for the sound source to be monitored based on various data concerning a microphone belonging to the searched microphone array. |
| US08682670B2 |
Statistical enhancement of speech output from a statistical text-to-speech synthesis system
A method, system and computer program product are provided for enhancement of speech synthesized by a statistical text-to-speech (TTS) system employing a parametric representation of speech in a space of acoustic feature vectors. The method includes: defining a parametric family of corrective transformations operating in the space of the acoustic feature vectors and dependent on a set of enhancing parameters; and defining a distortion indictor of a feature vector or a plurality of feature vectors. The method further includes: receiving a feature vector output by the system; and generating an instance of the corrective transformation by: calculating a reference value of the distortion indicator attributed to a statistical model of the phonetic unit emitting the feature vector; calculating an actual value of the distortion indicator attributed to feature vectors emitted by the statistical model of the phonetic unit emitting the feature vector; calculating the enhancing parameter values depending on the reference value of the distortion indicator, the actual value of the distortion indicator and the parametric corrective transformation; and deriving an instance of the corrective transformation corresponding to the enhancing parameter values from the parametric family of the corrective transformations. The instance of the corrective transformation may be applied to the feature vector to provide an enhanced feature vector. |
| US08682667B2 |
User profiling for selecting user specific voice input processing information
This is directed to processing voice inputs received by an electronic device. In particular, this is directed to receiving a voice input and identifying the user providing the voice input. The voice input can be processed using a subset of words from a library used to identify the words or phrases of the voice input. The particular subset can be selected such that voice inputs provided by the user are more likely to include words from the subset. The subset of the library can be selected using any suitable approach, including for example based on the user's interests and words that relate to those interests. For example, the subset can include one or more words related to media items selected by the user for storage on the electronic device, names of the user's contacts, applications or processes used by the user, or any other words relating to the user's interactions with the device. |
| US08682665B2 |
Concise dynamic grammars using N-best selection
A method and apparatus derive a dynamic grammar composed of a subset of a plurality of data elements that are each associated with one of a plurality of reference identifiers. The present invention generates a set of selection identifiers on the basis of a user-provided first input identifier and determines which of these selection identifiers are present in a set of pre-stored reference identifiers. The present invention creates a dynamic grammar that includes those data elements that are associated with those reference identifiers that are matched to any of the selection identifiers. Based on a user-provided second identifier and on the data elements of the dynamic grammar, the present invention selects one of the reference identifiers in the dynamic grammar. |
| US08682662B2 |
Method and apparatus for voice activity determination
In accordance with an example embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting voice activity in an audio signal. The apparatus comprises a first voice activity detector for making a first voice activity detection decision based at least in part on the voice activity of a first audio signal received from a first microphone. The apparatus also comprises a second voice activity detector for making a second voice activity detection decision based at least in part on an estimate of a direction of the first audio signal and an estimate of a direction of a second audio signal received from a second microphone. The apparatus further comprises a classifier for making a third voice activity detection decision based at least in part on the first and second voice activity detection decisions. |
| US08682658B2 |
Audio equipment including means for de-noising a speech signal by fractional delay filtering, in particular for a “hands-free” telephony system
The equipment comprises two microphones, sampling means, and de-noising means. The de-noising means are non-frequency noise reduction means comprising a combiner having an adaptive filter performing an iterative search seeking to cancel the noise picked up by one of the microphones on the basis of a noise reference given by the other microphone sensor. The adaptive filter is a fractional delay filter modeling a delay that is shorter than the sampling period. The equipment also has voice activity detector means delivering a signal representative of the presence or the absence of speech from the user of the equipment. The adaptive filter receives this signal as input so as to enable it to act selectively: i) either to perform an adaptive search for the parameters of the filter in the absence of speech; ii) or else to “freeze” those parameters of the filter in the presence of speech. |
| US08682657B2 |
Apparatus and method for improving communication sound quality in mobile terminal
An apparatus and a method for improving communication sound quality in a mobile terminal in order to remove a neighboring noise that occurs together with a user's voice signal in a mobile terminal by discriminating signals occurring at different distances using two microphones and removing a noise. The mobile terminal preferably includes a first microphone, a second microphone, and a voice processor. The first microphone receives a voice signal occurring at a closer distance from the mobile terminal and a voice signal occurring at a longer distance from the mobile terminal. The second microphone receives only a voice signal occurring at the long distance. The voice processor discriminates between the signal occurring at the long distance and the signal occurring at the close distance by receiving voice signals received via the first microphone and the second microphone at different phases. |
| US08682652B2 |
Audio encoder, audio decoder and audio processor having a dynamically variable warping characteristic
An audio encoder, an audio decoder or an audio processor includes a filter for generating a filtered audio signal, the filter having a variable warping characteristic, the characteristic being controllable in response to a time-varying control signal, the control signal indicating a small or no warping characteristic or a comparatively high warping characteristic. Furthermore, a controller is connected for providing the time-varying control signal, which depends on the audio signal. The filtered audio signal can be introduced to an encoding processor having different encoding algorithms, one of which is a coding algorithm adapted to a specific signal pattern. Alternatively, the filter is a post-filter receiving a decoded audio signal. |
| US08682649B2 |
Sentiment prediction from textual data
A semantically organized domain space is created from a training corpus. Affective data are mapped onto the domain space to generate affective anchors for the domain space. A sentiment associated with an input text is determined based the affective anchors. A speech output may be generated from the input text based on the determined sentiment. |
| US08682633B2 |
Cost evaluation and prediction
A mechanism is provided for enabling prediction of a cost between an origin and a destination even in the case of insufficient past route information. Data D, which includes an origin, a destination, and information on cost between these points, is prepared as well as a subroutine for calculating cost ce along an arbitrary link e on the basis of the set along with a variable denoted by fe. In the first step, the minimum cost route is found from the current {fe} with respect to all pairs of the origin and the destination included in the data D, thereby forming transformed data D′. {fe} is recalculated by using the above subroutine from D′ by computer processing and then compared with {fe} calculated last time. If a change is equal to or greater than a threshold, control returns to finding the minimum cost route. Otherwise, {fe} is fixed. |
| US08682630B2 |
Managing component coupling in an object-centric process implementation
A method, system, and computer program product for managing component coupling in an object-centric process implementation are provided. The method includes, prior to deriving components that implement a centralized model: analyzing the centralized model to compute couplings within the centralized model resulting in a coupling metric; computing a predicted component model using objects, activities, and the coupling metric of the centralized model; and modifying control flow of the centralized model when a value of the coupling metric exceeds a pre-defined threshold value, re-analyzing the centralized model having the modified control flow, and repeating the computing, modifying and re-analyzing until the coupling metric is less than or equal to the pre-defined threshold. The method also includes implementing an object-centric process having component coupling that is derived from the centralized model when the value of the coupling metric is equal to or less than the pre-defined threshold value. |
| US08682624B2 |
Deterministic version of the multiple point geostatistics simulation/reconstruction method with the simulated/reconstructed values are directly taken from the training images without prior estimation of the conditional
A method of simulating, reconstructing and scaling digital data sets, in particular images, but not exclusively. The method of the invention is based on a training image that is directly sampled each time a point in the simulation image is to be filled, and does not need the preliminary creation of a data structure storing conditional probabilities, as it is often the case in known multipoint simulation method. Accordingly, the method of the invention is less memory-demanding than conventional methods, and is better suited to simulations including continuous variables. Embodiments regarding the application to reconstruction of partial images and downscaling are also presented. |
| US08682616B2 |
Identifying failures in an aeroengine
A method and a system for identifying failures in an aeroengine. The system includes: a mechanism defining a set of standardized indicators representative of operation of the aeroengine; a mechanism constructing an anomaly vector representative of a behavior of the engine as a function of the set of standardized indicators; a mechanism selecting in an event of an anomaly being revealed by the anomaly vector a subset of reference vectors having directions belonging to a determined neighborhood of a direction of the anomaly vector, the subset of reference vectors being selected from a set of reference vectors associated with failures of the aeroengine and determined using criteria established by experts; and a mechanism identifying failures associated with the subset of reference vectors. |
| US08682612B2 |
Trend analysis methods and system for incipient fault prediction
There is described herein the extension of the application of the Laplace Test Statistic for trend analysis and prediction of incipient faults for power systems. The extensions consider the situation where two parameters believed to contribute explicitly to the eventual failure are monitored. The developed extensions applied to actual incipient failure events provide promising results for prediction of the impending failure. It is demonstrated that by incorporating two parameters in the trend analysis, the robustness to outliers is increased and the flexibility is augmented by increasing the degrees of freedom in the generation of the alarm signal. |
| US08682610B2 |
Physical sensor devices having a multi-reference vector system
Physical sensor devices, methods, and computer useable mediums for estimating an orientation of a physical sensor device are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for estimating an orientation of a physical sensor device includes determining a sensed vector associated with a physical sensor and comparing the at least one sensed vector to at least a portion of a plurality of check vectors. Each check vector corresponds to an orientation of the physical sensor device. A reference vector is associated with each check vector, thereby defining a plurality of reference vectors. The method further includes selecting at least one check vector that is closest to the at least one sensed vector, selecting a selected at least one reference vector associated with the selected at least one check vector, and estimating the orientation of the physical sensor device based at least in part on the selected at least one reference vector. |
| US08682609B2 |
Active vibration isolation system
The present invention relates to a method for regulating an active vibration isolation system and to an active vibration isolation system, in particular for a vibration isolated positioning of lithography-devices, wafer-handling-systems and/or microscopes, as for instance scanning microscopes. The active vibration isolation system comprises the following components: a support body for bearing a load which is to be isolated; pneumatic vibration isolators with controllable valves for carrying the support body with respect to the ground; position sensors for providing vertical position signals of the support body; a first regulating system for vibration compensation in at least one degree of freedom in translation (Xt,Yt,Zt) and in at least one degree of freedom in rotation (Xr,Yr,Zr) and a second pneumatic regulating system for vibration compensation in at least one degree of freedom selected from three degrees of freedom (Zt,Xr,Yr) which are effective in vertical direction. |
| US08682604B2 |
Method and system of phase identification
Described herein are embodiments of methods and systems of phase identification. One embodiment of the method comprises adjusting one or more operational characteristics of an electrical device; receiving information about changes in at least one electrical parameter of one or more phases of a poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device; correlating the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device; and identifying the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provide electrical energy to the electrical device based upon the correlation of the changes in the at least one electrical parameter of the one or more phases of the poly-phase electrical system that provides electrical energy to the electrical device with the adjustment of the one or more operational characteristics of the electrical device. |
| US08682602B2 |
Event recognition
A method executes software including a view hierarchy with a plurality of views which displays one or more views of the view hierarchy. The method executes software elements associated with a particular view, wherein each particular view includes event recognizers. Each event recognizer has an event definition based on sub-events, and an event handler that specifies an action for a target, and is configured to send the action to the target in response to an event recognition. The method detects a sequence of sub-events, and identifies one of the views of the view hierarchy as a hit view that establishes which views in the hierarchy are actively involved views. The method delivers a respective sub-event to event recognizers for each actively involved view, wherein each event recognizer for actively involved views in the view hierarchy processes the respective sub-event prior to processing a next sub-event in the sequence of sub-events. |
| US08682599B2 |
Road surface friction coefficient estimating device and road surface friction coefficient estimating method
A road surface friction coefficient estimating device includes a lateral force detecting section for detecting the lateral force of a wheel during traveling, a slip angle detecting section for detecting the slip angle of the wheel during traveling, and a road surface μ calculating section for estimating the relationship between the detected lateral force and the detected slip angle on the basis of the ratio between the detected lateral force and the detected slip angle, the correlation between the lateral force and the slip angle in the case of the reference road surface, and at least either the detected lateral force or the detected slip angle. |
| US08682596B2 |
Method and system for detecting materials
Disclosed is a method for detecting one or both of the native material in an object and any foreign material in the object by parallel-mode spectroscopy, comprising parallel-mode data acquisition, signal processing and data reduction and providing results. Parallel-mode data acquisition comprises producing an interrogating signal simultaneously containing electromagnetic radiation of sufficient bandwidth in the range of approximately 10 GHz to approximately 25 THz to allow simultaneous detection of a plurality of signals at a plurality of frequencies, each signal being at some amplitude, which collectively provide a unique spectral signature of a material whose detection is desired. The signal processing and data reduction comprises processing a signal resulting from exposing the object to the interrogating radiation to produce a three-dimensional data matrix representative of at least any foreign or native material associated with the object. Correlation technique is used to compare the data matrix to a reference library. |
| US08682592B2 |
System and method for cleaning noisy genetic data from target individuals using genetic data from genetically related individuals
A system and method for determining the genetic data for one or a small set of cells, or from fragmentary DNA, where a limited quantity of genetic data is available, are disclosed. Genetic data for the target individual is acquired and amplified using known methods, and poorly measured base pairs, missing alleles and missing regions are reconstructed using expected similarities between the target genome and the genome of genetically related subjects. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, incomplete genetic data is acquired from embryonic cells, fetal cells, or cell-free fetal DNA isolated from the mother's blood, and the incomplete genetic data is reconstructed using the more complete genetic data from a larger sample diploid cells from one or both parents, with or without genetic data from haploid cells from one or both parents, and/or genetic data taken from other related individuals. |
| US08682591B2 |
Biomarkers for ovarian cancer
The present invention relates to a method of qualifying ovarian cancer status in a subject comprising: (a) measuring at least one biomarker in a sample from the subject and (b) correlating the measurement with ovarian cancer status. The invention further relates to kits for qualifying ovarian cancer status in a subject. |
| US08682588B2 |
Method and apparatus for geobaric analysis
A method and apparatus for geobaric analysis. The method may include acquiring an in situ gas volume of a subterranean formation, acquiring a drilling fluid characteristic, determining a volume of gas excavated from the subterranean formation utilizing the drilling fluid characteristic, and estimating the formation pressure utilizing the in situ gas volume and the excavated gas volume. |
| US08682582B2 |
Apparatus and method for radiodetermination and mobile terminal using the same
Disclosed herein is a radiodetermination technology, a radiodetermination device according to one embodiment of the disclosure comprising a positioning mode determination part and position Information generating part, thereby enhancing accuracy and speed of positioning in a resource-limited mobile terminal environment and also further improving energy efficiency and user conveniences. |
| US08682581B2 |
Vehicle navigation using non-GPS LEO signals and on-board sensors
A navigation system includes a navigation radio and a sensor onboard a vehicle. The navigation radio receives and processes low earth orbit RF signals to derive range observables for a corresponding LEO satellite. A sensor is operable to generate at least one of vehicle speed data, acceleration data, angular rate data and rotational angle data under high vehicle dynamics. The navigation radio includes a navigation code operable to obtain a position, velocity and time solution (a “navigation solution”) based on the one or more range observables, ephemerides for the corresponding LEO satellite, a heading pseudomeasurement, a navigation radio altitude pseudomeasurement; one or more vehicle velocity pseudomeasurements orthogonal to the altitude pseudomeasurements; and the generated at least one of vehicle speed data, acceleration data, angular rate data and rotational angle data. The navigation radio uses the navigation solution to acquire a GPS signal during interference with a coarse acquisition GPS signal. |
| US08682579B2 |
System and method for displaying address information on a map
A method of displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes determining position information of a position on the map, displaying a graphical position indicator representing the position on the map, determining address information corresponding to the position on the map, and presenting the address information via a user interface of the device by displaying a street number on the map adjacent to the graphical position indicator. |
| US08682577B2 |
Map information processing apparatus, navigation system, and program
Conventional map information processing apparatuses have the problem of not being able to automatically provide appropriate information according to map browse operations. A map information processing apparatus, comprising: a map information storage portion in which map information, which is information of a map, can be stored; an accepting portion that accepts a map browse operation, which is an operation to browse the map; an operation information sequence acquiring portion that acquires operation information, which is information of an operation corresponding to the map browse operation; a keyword acquiring portion that acquires at least one keyword from the map information using the operation information; a retrieving portion that retrieves information using the at least one keyword; and an information output portion that outputs the information retrieved by the retrieving portion. With this map information processing apparatus, it is possible to automatically provide appropriate information according to map browse operations. |
| US08682575B2 |
Off road navigation system
A method of operating a navigation system in a vehicle may entail invoking an off-road mode of the navigation system; displaying a first off-road terrain on a navigation system display; displaying a first present location of the vehicle on the display, inputting a first user-input off-road destination into the navigation system; inputting a first user-input off-road waypoint into the navigation system; displaying straight line trajectories between the start point, the first user-input off-road waypoint and the destination on a display of the navigation system and displaying a first real-time path of on-screen breadcrumbs as the vehicle travels off-road in current or real-time; shifting on the display, each user-entered off-road waypoint to a closest on-screen breadcrumb of the first real-time path; shifting on the display, the user-entered destination to the closest on-screen breadcrumb; and storing the first real-time path in a memory of a navigation control unit. |
| US08682572B2 |
Method and device for evaluating vehicle's fuel consumption efficiency
A method is provided for evaluating fuel consumption efficiency of a vehicle driven by a driver. The method comprises the steps of: a) collecting data associated with said driver's driving performance from a plurality of sensors comprised in the vehicle; b) identifying a plurality of driving events based on the collected data; c) estimating the driver's performance in at least one driving event from among the identified plurality of driving events, wherein that at least one event if poorly performed is associated with increased fuel consumption; and d) based on the estimated driver's performance of the at least one driving event, evaluating a fuel consumption efficiency of the vehicle driven by that driver. |
| US08682561B2 |
Computer network for calculating and distributing the true aircraft braking friction coefficient for an aircraft runway or taxiway using data received from an aircraft's on board flight data management system
This invention relates to a computer network for calculating and distributing the true braking coefficient of aircraft on runways and taxiways using, in part, the aircraft itself, by utilizing dynamic aircraft properties recorded on and obtained from the aircraft's flight data management system. Environmental and aircraft parameters may also be used to calculate the braking friction coefficient. A computer and network are used to obtain data and to calculate the friction coefficient, and may be used to distribute the result. The network may utilize, at least in part, wireless local area networks to facilitate data transfer and distribution of the result. The computer for calculating the braking coefficient may be located on the aircraft. |
| US08682550B2 |
Primary clutch electronic CVT
A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is provided for use on a recreational or utility vehicle. The CVT is electronically controlled by at least one control unit of the vehicle. The CVT includes a primary clutch having a first sheave and a second sheave moveable relative to the first sheave. An actuator controls movement of the second sheave. |
| US08682549B2 |
Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission with torque limiting system and method thereof
Is provided herein a torque-limiting electronically controlled CVT comprising a drive portion having a drive pulley including two opposed sheaves adapted to be actuated with an electric motor to set a transmission ratio between an engine and a ground contacting rotating member of a vehicle, an input module adapted to receive a signal indicative of whether a ground-contacting rotating member is airborne, a processing module adapted to determine a desired CVT ratio, and an output module adapted to actuate the electric motor to obtain the desired CVT ratio to match the circumferential velocity of the vehicle's airborne ground-contacting rotating member with the speed of the vehicle in order to limit a mechanical peak torque sustained by a drive system of the vehicle. Also provided hereby is a vehicle equipped with the CVT, a kit including such a CVT and a method of managing the CVT to limit the mechanical peak torque sustained by a drive train of a vehicle. |
| US08682547B2 |
Gear ratio control method for continuously variable transmission of a vehicle
At an actual engine rotary speed corresponding to a partially engaged state of a starting clutch, a target gear ratio control of a continuously variable transmission is performed by determining a target gear ratio from a target engine rotary speed. At an actual engine rotary speed corresponding to an engaged state of the starting clutch, the gear ratio is controlled in a manner such that the actual engine rotary speed converges with a target engine rotary speed. Accordingly, when it is intended to start the vehicle with a comparatively large throttle opening, it is possible, at the partially engaged condition, to obviate a rise in the actual engine rotary speed with the gear ratio position sticking to a desired position, so that a predetermined driving force is attained when the starting clutch is engaged. |
| US08682546B2 |
Vehicular damping control system
A vehicular damping control system that executes damping control that suppresses sprung mass vibration in the vehicle by controlling a power source mounted in a vehicle changes the control mode of the damping control according to the operating range of the power source. Changing the control mode of the damping control according to the operating range of the power source enables the vehicular damping control system to improve coordination between the damping control and other control related to the power source, for example, and thus execute appropriate damping control. |
| US08682544B2 |
Vehicle and control method thereof
In the case that operation stop of the engine is requested while the clutch is engaged and the engine is driven at a higher rotation speed than the resonance rotation speed band, the clutch is disengaged and the engine is driven in the self-sustaining operation at the self-sustaining rotation speed higher than the resonance rotation speed band, the rotation speed Ne of the engine is lowered less than or equal to the second rotation speed Nref2 lower than the resonance rotation speed band with stop of fuel injection into the engine and the partially-engaged clutch after the rotation speed Nm of the motor MG becomes less than or equal to the first rotation speed Nref1 predetermined as a rotation speed lower than the resonance rotation speed after the clutch is disengaged. The rotation speed of the engine is therefore enabled to pass more rapidly through the resonance rotation speed band. |
| US08682543B2 |
Transmission control method
A method of operating a transmission having a plurality of gears which can operate in an automatic shifting mode, during which a gear is selected automatically depending on the current driving situation, and also in a manual shifting mode during which a gear is selected depending on a driver's command. When the driver commands a shift, a change takes place from the automatic shifting mode to the manual shifting mode. A specific threshold value of the transmission output speed or an equivalent rotational speed value is associated with each gear and, when the driver commands a downshift, a target gear is determined as a function of the current transmission output speed or the equivalent rotational speed value. The gear selected as the target gear is the gear whose specific threshold value is higher than or equal to the current transmission output speed or the equivalent rotational speed value. |
| US08682534B2 |
Method for crash testing a motor vehicle
A method for crash testing a motor vehicle is disclosed. The method provides a crash test routine where an inflatable restraint is deployed using a single deployment pattern throughout at least one government regulation zone. This helps to prevent overlap of a transition zone and can help make the deployment of the inflatable restraint more predictable. This can increase occupant safety and simply testing. |
| US08682533B2 |
Lane departure prevention device and vehicle provided with same
A lane departure prevention device includes departure prevention control means that performs control to prevent deviation from a lane based on a result of detection means such as sensors and a camera, driver's intention determination means that determines driver's steering intention and actuator activation limiting means that limits activation of an actuator based on the driver's steering intention from the driver's intention determination means. The driver's intention determination means calculates a variation ΔTh in the steering torque detected and a variation ΔTs in the control command value to a steering actuator, and determines that, when |ΔTh|−|ΔTs| is a threshold or more, driver's operational intention is present and limits the activation of the departure prevention control. This can avoid the interruption of departure prevention control in response to activation of an actuator for lane departure avoidance that a driver does not intend because of erroneous detection that a driver intends as such. |
| US08682525B1 |
Method and system for determining that a user has operated a vehicle ignition switch
In telematics device mounted to a vehicle, an auxiliary processor detects an interrupt from an accelerometer and forwards the interrupt to a main processor—the interrupt wakes up the processor from a sleep mode. The main processor may then compare vehicle voltage and/or a value for a speed parameter to predetermined criteria to determine whether the interrupt was a false positive or if the accelerometer missed a detection of a user cranking up the vehicle. The main processor may also enter a conditional state if monitored information meets a minimum threshold. During the conditional state, the processor may operate according to rules for a current operational state and also according to rules for a changed state. The threshold for deeming a changed operational state is higher than for entering a conditional state to evaluate whether a change of operational state (i.e., on to off, or off to on) occurred. |
| US08682523B2 |
Method and system for implementing ultrasonic sensor signal strength calibrations
A first sensor outputs a signal characterizing a temperature of air being inducted by an engine of a vehicle. A second sensor outputs a signal characterizing a temperature of air surrounding an occupant cabin of the vehicle. A third sensor outputs a signal indicating presence of an adjacent object. A signal processing unit determines a distance between the third sensor and the adjacent object in accordance with a signal strength calibration as a function of the third sensor signal. The signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the first sensor signal when a first vehicle speed condition is met. The signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the second sensor signal when a second vehicle speed condition is met. The signal strength calibration is specified as a function of first sensor signal and the second sensor signal when a third vehicle speed condition is met. |
| US08682521B2 |
Unpredictable vehicle navigation
A system and method for controlling movement of a vehicle. A current state of the vehicle is identified. The current state comprises a current location of the vehicle. A next state for the vehicle is selected by a processor unit. The next state comprises a next location for the vehicle. A value for an attribute of the next state of the vehicle is randomly selected. The movement of the vehicle is controlled to move the vehicle from the current state to the next state. |
| US08682519B2 |
Method for operating a hybrid drive of a vehicle
A method operates a hybrid drive of a motor vehicle, which hybrid drive has an internal combustion engine and a first electric machine. The method generates, in response to a predefined setpoint torque value, a composite torque which drives the motor vehicle. In a transient operating mode which occurs during a change of the predefined setpoint torque value by a value, the composite torque is generated by summing a drive torque which is generated by the internal combustion engine and a drive torque which is generated by the first electric machine. At least one second electric machine is provided which is switched on during the transient operating mode in order to generate the composite torque of the internal combustion engine and of the first electric machine. |
| US08682518B2 |
Shift control system and shift control method for hybrid vehicle
A shift control system for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as power sources, may include a driving condition detector which detects whether a kick-down shift-request occurs, and a hybrid control unit which determines a motor rotation speed of a target shift-speed when the kick-down shift-request may be detected, determines whether the motor rotation speed satisfies a required torque, and executes a kick-down shift in EV (ElectircVehicle) mode or in HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) mode according to a condition that the motor rotation speed satisfies the required torque or not. |
| US08682514B2 |
Control network for a rail vehicle
In a control network for a rail vehicle, control units of the rail vehicle are connected to each other in a ring shape via at least two communication paths. A first control unit transmits user data via a communication path in a first direction to a second control unit and test data associated with the user data for checking the user data via another communication path in a second direction opposite to the first direction to the second control unit. The second control unit can thus detect manipulation of data by a third party. |
| US08682505B2 |
Flight control laws for constant vector flat turns
An aircraft and method to control flat yawing turns of the aircraft while maintaining a constant vector heading across a ground surface. The aircraft includes a control system in data communication with a model, a lateral control architecture, a longitudinal control architecture, and an initialization command logic. The model decouples the directional movement of the aircraft into a lateral equation of motion and a longitudinal equation of motion. The lateral control architecture utilizes the lateral equation of motion to control the aircraft in the lateral direction, while the longitudinal control architecture utilizes the longitudinal equation of motion to control the aircraft in the longitudinal direction. The initialization command logic selectively activates the lateral control architecture and the longitudinal control architecture. |
| US08682503B2 |
Mobile interface and system for controlling vehicle functions
A mobile interface for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions in a motor vehicle using a controller connected to the vehicle, having a wireless data interchange with a controller, an input apparatus, and an energy store. By virtue of the wireless data interchange being connected to a data processing unit integrated in the mobile interface and which is designed to apply at least one cryptological method, a greater scope of functions becomes possible that can also include control of safety-relevant vehicle functions. |
| US08682502B2 |
Remote vehicle control system and method
A method for controlling one or more remote vehicles may comprise manipulating a remote dexterous control device, translating movement of the remote dexterous control device into movement of the one or more remote vehicles, and providing a sliding work window allowing control of the one or more remote vehicles' entire range of motion without sacrificing control resolution. |
| US08682499B2 |
Combustion air control
Embodiments of the present disclosure include devices and methods for controlling combustion air. For example, in one embodiment, a method for controlling combustion air includes determining an amount of leaking air in a boiler, determining a constant that depends on a heating value of a fuel in the boiler, and adjusting an amount of controlled air supplied to the boiler. |
| US08682497B2 |
Method of demand side electrical load management and an associated apparatus and system
The present disclosure discloses a method (310, 330, 350, 370) of demand side electrical load management and an associated apparatus (104) and system (100). The method (310, 330, 350, 370) includes providing (336, 318) a consumer of electricity with an indication of instantaneous electricity consumption. The method (310, 330, 350, 370) further includes determining (382) an electricity consumption threshold for the consumer, in response to a determination that load limiting is required and providing (384, 356, 338, 320, 322) the consumer with an indication of the electricity consumption threshold and an indication of a time period within which the consumer must limit his/her electricity consumption to comply with the electricity consumption threshold. The method (310, 330, 350, 370) also includes interrupting (360, 340, 342, 324) supply of electricity to the consumer in response to the electricity consumption of the consumer violating the electricity consumption threshold after the time period has elapsed. |
| US08682495B2 |
Microgrid control system
A method, apparatus, and computer program product is provided for configuring a microgrid. A first configuration of the microgrid having a set of microgrid elements is initialized. An address for each element in the set of microgrid elements of the microgrid is verified. In response to receiving status data from the set of microgrid elements connected in a peer-to-peer network indicating a reconfiguration of the microgrid, the set of microgrid elements is re-aligned to form a second grid configuration. The second grid configuration is executed. |
| US08682486B2 |
Medical tele-robotic system with a master remote station with an arbitrator
A robotic system that includes a mobile robot linked to a plurality of remote stations. One of the remote stations includes an arbitrator that controls access to the robot. Each remote station may be assigned a priority that is used by the arbitrator to determine which station has access to the robot. The arbitrator may include notification and call back mechanisms for sending messages relating to an access request and a granting of access for a remote station. |
| US08682484B2 |
Method for anti-collision control and the management of picking devices with shared working areas in a packaging line
Methods for anti-collision control of pickers in a packaging line are disclosed. The line includes linear conveyors for the inlet of items and for the outlet of items, robots or picking devices that operate with shared working areas. The anti-collision method comprises an algorithm to assign a pickup location or a delivery location to a generic first robot including: checking for a pickup or delivery location already assigned to other robots and in a working area shared with the first robot; dynamically redefining the working area of the first robot to obtain a new working area such that the locations already assigned to other robots are outside of the dynamically-redefined area; assigning of a respective pickup or delivery location belonging to the redefined working area to the first robot. A prediction algorithm is disclosed to improve management of items and balancing of work load between the robots. |
| US08682479B1 |
Opportunistic mail document commingling
A system and method of operation for proactively grouping disparate mail items that are queued to be produced in a processing facility, wherein the system and method utilize a manufacturing completion schedule for virtually grouping the mail items before physical production occurs and the system and method maximizes profitability by discounting the mail items by applying appropriate discount mailing regulations for virtually grouping the mail items before physical production occurs. |
| US08682475B2 |
Process for managing urgent samples in an automation installation
A process for prioritizing urgent test tubes in a test tubes (50) transport installation is disclosed, the test tubes (50) being loaded on transport devices (4) of single test tubes (50) in an automated analysis laboratory, comprising the loading of test tubes (50) classified as urgent and non urgent on transport devices (4) for transporting single test tubes (50), moving said loaded transport devices (4) on a conveyor belt until they interact with an identification device (5) identifying the test tube upstream of processing modules (6) of the test tubes (50), removal of the test tubes (50) that are recognized to be non-urgent from the respective transport device (4) and discharging of the non-urgent test tubes (50) onto a wait bench (10) for non-urgent test tubes (50), moving transport devices (4) for transporting single urgent test tubes (50) towards the processing modules (6), the recall by a control unit (7) of the non-urgent test tubes (50) at the moment in which the availability of the processing modules (6) for non-urgent the test tubes (50) occurs and the consequent loading of the non-urgent test tubes (50) on the bench (10) onto transport devices (4) of the installation, the bench (10) providing means for locating the non-urgent waiting test tubes (50). |
| US08682474B2 |
System and method for managing reassignment of units among shipments in a materials handling facility
Various embodiments of a system and method for managing reassignment of units among shipments in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify a first unit of a particular item that has been picked from inventory of a materials handling facility and assigned to a first shipment. The system may also, from multiple candidate shipments, identify a second shipment that requires a given unit of the particular item in order to become a complete shipment. For each candidate shipment, at least one unit of that shipment may be stored within a defined storage area of a materials handling facility. The system may, in response to identifying both shipments, generate an instruction to reassign the first unit of the particular item from the first shipment to the second shipment in order to transform the second shipment from an incomplete shipment to a complete shipment. |
| US08682473B1 |
Sort bin assignment
Disclosed are various systems, methods, and other embodiments involving assignment and use of sort bins in a materials handling center. A manifest is generated in a computer system that directs a picking of a plurality of items from a plurality of inventory locations in a materials handling center in fulfillment of a plurality of orders for the purchase of the items. Sort bin assignments are generated in the computer system before picking the items. Each sort bin assignment corresponds to a respective one of the items, and each of the sort bin assignments specifies a corresponding one of a plurality of sort bins designated to coalesce together the items associated with respective ones of the orders for packing. The sort bin assignments are stored in memory for use in sorting the items. |
| US08682472B2 |
Transfer system and control method of the same
In a transfer system, a storage data and a specific equipment data indicating a specific equipment are generated. When a transfer command indicates the specific equipment as one of a previous location and a subsequent location, a priority level of the transfer command is increased. A transfer command having a highest priority level is selected. When an available carrier that is not assigned with a transfer command is not accessible within a previous area in which the previous location of the transfer command selected belongs to, when the priority level of the transfer command selected has been increased, and when an alternative carrier that is assigned with the transfer command and is transferring without carrying the cassette is accessible within the previous area, the transfer command selected is assigned to the alternative carrier. |
| US08682471B2 |
Efficient magazine moves
A storage library is described that includes a tape magazine that possesses at least one spare slot and a number of other addressable slots that each contains a tape cartridge. Each addressable slot is mapped and made known to a host when the host is linked to the storage library. One of the addressable slots contains a tape cartridge that prior to being mapped as an addressable slot was formerly a spare slot unmapped to the host and the current spare slot was formerly mapped as an addressable slot. |
| US08682470B2 |
Data storage drive with target of opportunity recognition
A system and computer program product are provided for utilizing target of opportunity to perform at least one special operation while a removable storage medium is mounted within a data storage drive for another purpose. The system for recognizing a target of opportunity comprises a tape drive. The tape drive receives a command to mount a tape cartridge in the tape drive, and in response the tape drive mounts the tape cartridge in the tape drive. The tape drive determines if at least one special operation may be performed. If it is determined that at least one special operation may be performed, the tape drive recognizes that a target of opportunity exists. In response to determining that at least one special operation may be performed, the tape drive sends a first notification that the tape drive is to remain in a not ready state. The tape drive performs the at least one special operation, and in response to performing the at least one special operation, the tape drive sends a second notification that the tape drive is in a ready state or an error state. |
| US08682468B2 |
Systems and methods for duplicating keys
Systems and methods for duplicating keys are provided. In some embodiments, a systems for creating keys are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor that: receives security information from a user; and receives geometric information about a first key associated with the security information from a storage device; and a key shaping device that creates a second key using the geometric information. |
| US08682465B2 |
Measurement method and device for thread parameters
A measurement method for thread parameters for a threaded object (3), by means of a measurement device (1) defining a spatial reference system (X, Y, Z) incorporating an optical sensor (5) to retrieve the shape of the threaded object, and defining a spatial reference system (X′, Y′, Z′), the measurement device (1) having a computer to assemble a first matrix that describes the quadratic form representing the threaded object in the spatial reference system (X, Y, Z), thus providing the relationship between the two spatial reference systems. The method comprises the steps of: a) predefining at least one trajectory of the at least one optical sensor (5) on the threaded object, along which measurement points are selected such that the matrix evaluated on these values satisfies the condition that it has maximum rank, b) performing a first scanning operation by the at least one optical sensor (5) along said at least one trajectory and retrieving data of the predefined measurement points, c) feeding these data to the first matrix and calculating an axes transformation matrix relating the first spatial reference system with the second spatial reference system for defining the relative position of the threaded object with respect to the second spatial reference system, d) using the axes transformation matrix to convert all data retrieved from the second spatial reference system to the first spatial reference system. |
| US08682463B2 |
Denture grinding machine
A denture grinding machine includes: a denture-holding table for holding dentures; a grinding tool for grinding the dentures held on the denture-holding table; a main body for holding the grinding tool; a moving mechanism for causing relative movement between the denture-holding table and the main body; and a driving mechanism for relatively driving the main body and the denture-holding table. The moving mechanism moves relatively the denture-holding table and the main body in three-dimensional coordinate directions based on grinding portion data, and the grinding tool performs grinding of the denture occlusal surface from a direction perpendicular to the occlusal surface. |
| US08682460B2 |
System and method for performing audio processing operations by storing information within multiple memories
Systems, methods, and devices are provided for performing audio processing operations, such as crossfading between two audio streams, by storing information on multiple memories. In one example, such a method may include storing a first portion of information associated with an audio processing operation on a first memory. A second memory may be activated, upon which a second portion of the information associated with the audio processing operation may be stored. The audio processing operation may be performed using a processor with the information stored on the first memory and the second memory. When the audio processing operation has completed, the second memory may be deactivated. |
| US08682457B2 |
Wireless control of an adjustable bed
Aspects of this invention relate to an adjustable bed that may include one or more articulating portions, and may include one or more components, including an air inflatable mattress associated with the adjustable bed frame, a programmable logic controller, a remote memory storage facility, a remote storage location of user preferences, a cell phone remote control, a modular control device, an air purification facility, a power outlet controller, a Bluetooth remote control, an ultra wide band remote control, a wireless USB remote control, and the like. |
| US08682455B2 |
Repetitive controller, control method thereof and feedback control system
A repetitive controller, a control method thereof and a feedback control system are disclosed. The repetitive controller includes an internal model section, a periodic delay module and a compensation module. An input quantity is input into the repetitive controller via an input terminal of the internal model section; the internal model section, the periodic delay module and the compensation module are connected in series. The repetitive controller further includes a particular frequency selection and passing module, connected in series with the internal model section, the periodic delay module and the compensation module or configured on a forward path of the internal model section. In the repetitive controller of the disclosure, a particular frequency selection and passing module is incorporated such that only the harmonic at the selected frequency are filtered out, thereby realizing the function of removing the harmonic at the particular frequency. |
| US08682454B2 |
Method and system for controlling a multivariable system with limits
A method and system for controlling a multivariable system. The method includes: (a) generating bias data as a function of model error in an on-board model; (b) updating a dynamic inversion algorithm with one or more model terms generated by the on-board model; (c) generating effector equation data by processing reference value data with the updated dynamic inversion algorithm, which effector equation data is indicative of one or more goal equations and one or more limit equations, and which reference value data is indicative of one or more goal values and one or more limit values and is determined as a function of predicted parameter data; (d) at least partially adjusting at least one of the reference value data and predicted parameter data for the model error using the bias data; and (e) generating one or more effector signals by processing the effector equation data with an optimization algorithm. |
| US08682453B2 |
Interactive system for controlling multiple input multiple output control (MIMO) structures
A method and system allow users to interactively formulate and solve multivariable feedback control problems. Users can solve problems where a plurality of control elements are distributed over one or more feedback loops and need to be jointly tuned to optimize overall performance and robustness of a control system. The method and system allow users to specify design requirements and objectives in formats familiar to the user. The method and system can operate on tunable parameters to solve the control problem in a manner that satisfies the design requirements and/or objectives provided by the user. |
| US08682450B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling neurostimulation of acupuncture sites using an implantable cardiac rhythm management device
Techniques are provided for use with an implantable cardiac rhythm management (CRMD) system equipped to deliver neurostimulation to acupuncture sites within anterior regions of the neck, thorax or abdomen of the patient. Parameters associated with the health of the patient are detected, such as parameters indicative of arrhythmia, heart failure and hypertension. |
| US08682449B2 |
Methods and apparatus for transcranial stimulation
Systems, apparatus and methods are described for applying electric current to neurons in the brain to treat disorders and to improve motor and/or memory functions in a patient. In a method according to the invention, an electrode is positioned adjacent to and spaced from the skin surface of the patient's head and an electric current is applied through the electrode to a target region in the brain to modulate one or more neurons in the target region. The electrode is housed within an enclosure and spaced from the skin surface so that the electrode does not directly contact the patient's tissue, which reduces the potential for collateral tissue damage or necrosis and shields the electrode from the patient's tissue which substantially inhibits Faradic products (e.g., H+, OH−, H2O2) of the electrode from reaching the target site. |
| US08682446B2 |
Convertible monopole and inverted-F antenna assembly for use in a medical telemetry system
An antenna assembly is configured for use with an external device that is configured to wirelessly communicate with an implantable medical device (IMD). The antenna assembly may include an antenna member pivotally secured to a structure through a feed post, and a fixed tail fixed to the structure. The antenna member may be pivotal between a first orientation in which the antenna member electrically connects to the fixed tail, and a second orientation in which the antenna member is disconnected from the fixed tail. The antenna member and the fixed tail cooperatively operate in a first antenna mode when the antenna member is in the first orientation. The antenna member is configured to operate in a second antenna mode when the antenna member is in the second orientation. |
| US08682439B2 |
Systems and methods for making and using improved connectors for electrical stimulation systems
A connector for an implantable medical device includes a lumen extending from a port defined along a length of a connector housing. Axially-spaced-apart connector couplers are disposed along the lumen and are configured to couple to a proximal end of an inserted lead or lead extension. Each of the connector couplers includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced-apart coupling members and at least one elastic member. The plurality of circumferentially-spaced-apart coupling members each have inner surfaces and outer surfaces. The inner surfaces of the coupling members are configured and arranged to couple to the proximal end of the lead or lead extension when the proximal end of the lead or lead extension is inserted into the lumen. The at least one elastic member couples the coupling members to one another such that a distance between the coupling members is expandable. |
| US08682438B2 |
Connector assemblies for implantable stimulators
Exemplary systems include a stimulator configured to be implanted within a patient, the stimulator having a body defined by at least one side surface disposed in between distal and proximal end surfaces, and a connector assembly configured to be coupled to the stimulator and extend parallel to the at least one side surface of the stimulator. The connector assembly is further configured to facilitate removable coupling of a lead having one or more electrodes disposed thereon to the stimulator. |
| US08682435B2 |
Cardiac rhythm management system with prevention of double counting of events
A cardiac rhythm management system recognizes patterns of interval durations, distinguishing between events in different heart chambers even though signals associated with those different heart chambers are processed using a commonly shared sensing circuit. A therapy delivery algorithm ignores intervals between cardiac events occurring in different heart chambers when determining a cardiac rate upon which the delivery of therapy is based. This reduces the risk of inappropriate delivery of therapy to the patient. Delayed conduction left ventricular beats are not erroneously recognized as a subsequent right ventricular beat, preventing such short intervals from inappropriately triggering a defibrillation countershock. |
| US08682432B2 |
Cardiac-event processor and heart treatment device
Provided is a cardiac-event processor (1) including a storing unit (11) that stores a time history of cardiac events, including heartbeats, in association with the presence/absence of nerve stimulation; a heart rate calculator (12) that calculates a heart rate for when each heartbeat is detected, on the basis of the time history of the cardiac events stored in the storing unit (11); and a frequency data generator (13) that separately adds up frequencies of the heart rates calculated by the heart rate calculator (12) for the cases with and without the nerve stimulation. |
| US08682430B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling autonomic balance using neural stimulation
A neural stimulation system senses autonomic activities and applies neural stimulation to sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves to control autonomic balance. The neural stimulation system is capable of delivering neural stimulation pulses for sympathetic excitation, sympathetic inhibition, parasympathetic excitation, and parasympathetic inhibition. |
| US08682428B2 |
Implantable medical device with therapy control
A method for operating an implantable medical device to obtain substantially synchronized closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves based on sensed heart sounds includes sensing an acoustic energy; producing signals indicative of heart sounds of the heart of the patient over predetermined periods of a cardiac cycle during successive cardiac cycles; calculating a pulse width of such a signal; and iteratively controlling a delivery of the ventricular pacing pulses based on calculated pulse widths of successive heart sound signals to identify an RV interval or VV interval that causes a substantially synchronized closure of the mitral and tricuspid valve. A medical device for optimizing an RV interval or VV interval based on sensed heart sounds implements such a method and a computer readable medium encoded with instructions causes a computer to perform such a method. |
| US08682424B2 |
Noninvasive multi-channel monitoring of hemodynamic parameters
A method and system for measuring the electrical impedance of sections of a living body. The measurement is carried out utilizing a plurality of electrodes each of which is disposed on a section of the living body, where the electrodes are capable of applying an electrical current through at least one probed section, and measure the electrical voltage over the probed section. The voltages over the probed sections are measured and the impedances (Z(t)) and their changes (ΔZ(t)), and the resistances R(t) and their changes (ΔR(t)), are calculated, by considering the electrical current distortion components resulting from the electrical currents flowing in the other sections which are not probed, utilizing an electrical model based on the distribution of the electrical currents through the body sections. The measuring is preferably performed by applying an electrical current through the probed section of the living body via a pair of electrodes, and measuring the electrical voltage over the probed section and over the other sections, applying an electrical current through one or more of the other sections and at each instance measuring the electrical voltage over the other sections; and calculating the impedance and resistance and the changes utilizing the measurements and the applied currents, according to the electrical model. |
| US08682421B2 |
Fitness score assessment based on heart rate variability analysis during orthostatic intervention
This invention relates to fitness monitors and the like. This invention is more particularly directed to a device and a method for facilitating quantitative evaluation of level of physical fitness (fitness score) including a PC or handheld, or watch type electronic device having input and output means based on formulas for calculating level of physical fitness through heart rate variability analysis during orthostatic intervention by assessing two main parameters, such as level of adaptation reserve and wellness level. |
| US08682419B2 |
Circuit and method for compensating for an electrode motion artifact
A circuit and method for compensating for an electrode motion artifact in which the electrode motion artifact is generated because impedance between a subject and a measuring electrode changes during measurement of the subject's biosignal, and the electrode motion artifact can be differentially measured and an electrocardiogram signal can be compensated by introducing a predetermined voltage or an electric current to the subject. A circuit and method for compensating electrode motion artifact, which can differentially measure the difference information between impedance components by introducing a predetermined voltage or electric current to a subject, in association with the electrode motion artifact. In this instance, the impedance component is a component of electrode motion artifact and the electrode motion artifact is generated when measuring a biosignal. |
| US08682418B2 |
Diagnosis supporting apparatus and control method of diagnosis supporting apparatus
A diagnosis supporting apparatus includes: an image input section that inputs an endoscopic image acquired from a living tissue, a structure detection section that detects similar circular-shaped structures from an image signal corresponding to the endoscopic image inputted to the image input section, and a network detection section that detects a predetermined network shape in the endoscopic image, based on a number of similar circular-shaped structures detected by the structure detection section, areas of the similar circular-shaped structures, distances between the respective similar circular-shaped structures, or a number of connections between the respective similar circular-shaped structures. |
| US08682415B2 |
Method and system for generating a modified 4D volume visualization
A method for displaying medical image data. The method includes digitally combining 3D volume visualizations to form a plurality of four-dimensional (4D) volume visualizations representing the 3D volume visualizations over a period of time. The plurality of 4D volume visualizations include first and second 4D volume visualizations. The first 4D volume visualization including the entirety of the common region during a first time period, and the second 4D volume visualization including the entirety of the common region during a different second time period. The method also includes digitally combining the first and second 4D volume visualizations by digitally processing the first and second 4D volume visualizations to generate a modified 4D volume visualization of the entirety of the common region. |
| US08682414B2 |
Radiation therapy apparatus control method and radiation therapy apparatus controller
A radiation control method includes: calculating degrees of similarity corresponding to matching target areas; calculating a specific image position where a specific image area corresponding to a maximum value of the degrees of similarity out of the matching target areas is positioned in a radiographic image; and calculating a drive amount with which a therapeutic radiation ray irradiation device is driven, based on the specific image position. Further, calculating one degree of similarity corresponding to one matching target region out of the degrees of similarity includes: referring to a template table in which the matching target areas are associated with sets of templates to calculate a set of templates corresponding to the one matching target area out of the sets of templates; and detecting, from the set of templates, a similar template most similar to a matching target image displayed in the one matching target area of the radiographic image. |
| US08682408B2 |
Polymer membranes for continuous analyte sensors
Devices and methods are described for providing continuous measurement of an analyte concentration. In some embodiments, the device has a sensing mechanism and a sensing membrane that includes at least one surface-active group-containing polymer and that is located over the sensing mechanism. The sensing membrane may have a bioprotective layer configured to substantially block the effect and/or influence of non-constant noise-causing species. |
| US08682407B2 |
Cyanotic infant sensor
A pulse oximetry sensor comprises emitters configured to transmit light having a plurality of wavelengths into a fleshy medium. A detector is responsive to the emitted light after absorption by constituents of pulsatile blood flowing within the medium so as to generate intensity signals. A sensor head has a light absorbing surface adapted to be disposed proximate the medium. The emitters and the detector are disposed proximate the sensor head. A detector window is defined by the sensor head and configured so as to limit the field-of-view of the detector. |
| US08682406B2 |
Multifilament superconductor having reduced AC losses and method for forming the same
A high temperature superconductor structure including: a substrate on which at least one buffer layer is deposited, a superconductor layer on the buffer layer, the superconducting layer composed of superconductor material that forms at least two substantially parallel superconductor filaments that continuously extend along the length of the substrate wherein at least two superconductor filaments are separated from each other by at least one insulating strip wherein the insulating strip continuously extends along the length of the substrate and is composed of insulating material with a resistivity greater than about 1 mΩcm. Also disclosed are methods of producing high temperature superconductors. |
| US08682404B2 |
Sliding module for sliding type portable communication device
A sliding module for a sliding-type portable communication device, in which sliding members are integrally formed on both sides of a sliding housing. The sliding module for a sliding-type portable communication device preferably includes a body housing and a sliding housing sliding while facing the body housing, and a sliding guide portion provided in the body housing. The sliding guide portion includes guide members integrally formed on both sides of the guide portion and sliding members integrally formed on both sides of the sliding housing to be slidably coupled with the guide members. |
| US08682400B2 |
Systems and methods for device broadcast of location information when battery is low
Location information associated with a computing device may be transmitted from the computing device to a server. The transmitting of the location information may be performed in response to the battery of the computing device being at a low level. The location information may comprise a location of the computing device or information to identify the location of the computing device. As such, when the battery of the computing device approaches a low level, the location of the computing device may be transmitted from the computing device to a server. Thus, if the battery of the computing device is depleted, a user may obtain the last known location of the computing device that was transmitted when the battery was at a low level. The location information may also be used to identify the last known location for and to apply a security policy to the computing device. |
| US08682398B2 |
Systems and methods for providing remote incoming call notification for cellular phones
The present invention provides a remote notification to a user of a cellular, or mobile, phone as the result of a particular activity or any activity at all (e.g., an incoming call from a particular person, group, or just an incoming call). In one embodiment, a sensing device is provided on the cellular phone that communicates/routes an alert to a remote notification device. In one economical embodiment, the notification device may have a short wire-based communication channel (e.g., roughly 1 foot to 5 feet) and only have a single output device (e.g., a light-emitting device). Thus, a woman may be able to quietly receive notifications of a cell phone event when her cell phone is stored in her purse. |
| US08682397B1 |
Communication device
The caller's device which displays a list of multiple sound data and the sound data selected from the list is output from the caller's device as ringback tone. |
| US08682389B2 |
Methods and apparatus for positioning measurement in multi-antenna transmission systems
This document discloses solutions for using a mix of reference signal types in a wireless communications network, e.g., a first type and a second type, in making positioning-related measurements. In one example, a UE uses a “mix” of CRS and PRS. As an example case, a UE receives PRS and, possibly, CRS from one or more cells, while it receives only CRS from one or more other cells. In this case, the UE determines, e.g., received signal timing values for CRS as received from some cells, on a per-cell basis, and for PRS as received from other cells, on a per-cell basis. The UE can measure and report on per-signal/per-cell basis and can perform calculations involving a mix of timing measurements made for both CRS and PRS. In a further aspect, reference signal transmissions are controlled or coordinated on a per-port basis in cells that use multiple antenna ports for transmitting within each such cell. |
| US08682385B2 |
Managing third party transactions at a mobile operator
Methods and arrangements for managing mobile transactions. A mobile number of a customer is registered with a mobile telephone network operator. An alternate mobile number is assigned to the customer, and the mobile number is associated with the alternate mobile number. The alternate mobile number is employed in communication between the customer and a service provider. |
| US08682383B2 |
Data account management method for a mobile communication terminal
The present disclosure is suitable for use in a mobile communication terminal, and provides a data account management method for a mobile communication terminal. The method comprises the following steps of: a. choosing one of SIM (subscriber identity module) cards of the mobile communication terminal when an application of the mobile communication terminal needs to use a data account; b. searching for a corresponding data account group of the SIM card, and choosing data accounts, which are stored in the data account group, in sequence according to priority orders of the data accounts; and c. activating the data accounts that are chosen. |
| US08682380B2 |
Estimating mobile local propagation environment characteristics for wireless communications
Characterization and enhancement of a mobile local scattering environment. The system includes a channel component and a link control component, wherein the channel component facilitates communication of a ping signal, which is used to estimate the delay spread characteristics and/or angle of arrival in order to characterize the mobile local scattering environment. This information is sent to the link control component, which enhances radio link performance based on the received information. The system can be used to assist in E-911 location applications, such as determining the location of an indoor user. |
| US08682375B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program product and system for providing dynamic assignment of session capabilities
An apparatus for providing dynamic assignment of session capabilities such as buddy list capabilities includes a processing element. The processing element may be configured to receive a message associated with a communication session with a network node, acquire service plan based capabilities associated with the network node, receive device based capabilities associated with the network node, and determine session based capabilities associated with the service based on the device based capabilities and the service plan based capabilities on a per subscriber basis. |
| US08682367B2 |
Base station and user equipment for performing CoMP transmission and method thereof
A base station, a user equipment, and a method for operating a cooperative multipoint (CoMP) transmitter and receiver (Tx/Rx) are disclosed. The operating method includes receiving, from a peripheral cell, precoding matrix index (PMI) information to be used by a user equipment of the peripheral cell, and transmitting the received PMI information to target user equipments allocated with an entire frequency range, among a plurality of user equipments present in a current cell. |
| US08682364B2 |
Vehicle telematics communication using text encoding of binary data
A system and method for sending binary data via a short message service (SMS) over a wireless communication system. The method provides the capability to send and receive binary data to a vehicle telematics unit using a text SMS message. The binary data is converted to encoded text according to an encoding scheme supported by a wireless communication system. Then, the encoded text is sent as an SMS message over the wireless communication system. Once, the SMS message containing the encoded text is received at its destination, it is converted back to binary data. |
| US08682359B2 |
Device and method for managing base station and terminal
A base station management method according to the present invention is a method for managing an operation mode of a base station, and includes determining whether a terminal exists in a cell managed by the base station and operating in a low duty operation mode (LDM) when no terminal exists in the cell. |
| US08682355B2 |
Position estimation apparatus, position estimation method, program, and position estimation system
Provided is a position estimation apparatus including a storage unit in which at least one piece of section information indicating a section in a structure and at least one piece of registered measurement information are stored in association with each other, and an estimation unit for determining, among the at least one piece of registered measurement information, registered measurement information whose degree of similarity to measurement information acquired by wireless measurement for a wireless signal transmitted from a base station exceeds a threshold value, and estimating section information that is associated with the registered measurement information as an acquisition position of the measurement information. The estimation unit performs, using different threshold values, determination of the degree of similarity for registered measurement information that is associated with latest section information which is a latest estimation result and determination of the degree of similarity for another piece of registered measurement information. |
| US08682353B2 |
Communication controlling method, method for sharing information, wireless terminal, wireless base station, and wireless base station controlling apparatus
The connection state of a wireless line, in which a communication can be immediately made in an estimated time period, is preset by estimating the time period with a high possibility of making a communication based on the communication history of a wireless terminal for a predetermined past period in a communication made between the wireless terminal and a wireless base station. |
| US08682352B1 |
Dynamically updating a home agent with location-based information
Methods and computer-readable media are provided to dynamically update a home agent with location-based information for a mobile device such that a third party, such as a law enforcement agency, may access the information to determine a location associated with the mobile device and, therefore, with the user of the mobile device. A signaling message is sent to a packet-routing component. The signaling message contains location-based information for a communications session. A transaction update is sent from the packet-routing component to the home agent each time the location-based information is updated, such as when the mobile device enters a new coverage area. A binding table is populated with the updated information. An acknowledgment is then sent from the home agent to the packet-routing component indicating that the information has been updated in the binding table. The third party is now able to access the location-based information via the home agent. |
| US08682349B2 |
Location based asynchronous thread communications
Communication by location method that geoplaces asynchronous message threads to a specific first geographic location geo-fence within which they are visible, and a second sub geo-fence for replies. This geopinning process may be done by remote users. The message threads have a first viewing distance parameter, a second reply parameter, and other parameters. Users with mobile devices such as GPS equipped smart phones may set their devices to discover message threads that are within a specified radius of the actual device itself, or a device virtual map location, allowing very distant threads to be viewed. However only users with a real geographic proximity to the thread within the specified reply distance may reply to the thread. The method will generally be implemented by software residing on mobile devices and host servers, and may additionally use data from map servers to place the treads in a map context. |
| US08682345B2 |
Utilizing relationships between places of relevance
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for utilizing relationships between places of relevance are presented. In some embodiments, a mobile computing device may obtain information indicative of a micro-place of relevance visited by the mobile device at a first time. The information may be based on measurements taken by the mobile device at the first time. Further, the mobile device may derive an attribute of the visit to the micro-place of relevance based on the obtained information and a place model that associates micro-places of relevance with macro-places of relevance. |
| US08682344B2 |
Method and an apparatus for transmitting signals for location based service, and a method and an apparatus for measuring location related information based on the signals
A wireless communication system is disclosed. The wireless communication system transmits a location measure signal for determining a location of a user equipment to the user equipment by allocating the location measure signal to at least one of symbols to which a synchronization signal is transmitted conventionally. In this case, a location related parameter of the user equipment can be measured with higher accuracy. |
| US08682333B2 |
Wireless telecommunication system
A method and apparatus for processing a message in a mobile, telecommunications device. The method comprises: receiving a Cell Update Confirm (CUC) message; determining whether the device has an empty C_RNTI variable; when the device has an empty C_RNTI variable, determining whether the CUC message includes a new C_RNTI; when the CUC message includes a new C_RNTI and the CUC message would cause the device to enter a state which requires the UE to respond to the message before entering the state, carrying out at least one further step prior to entering the state. |
| US08682331B2 |
System and method for interference beacon transmission
Various systems and methods for interference beacon transmission are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for initiating cell reselection in a wireless communication device, such as a HNB, comprises a processor configured to determine a first frequency at which one or more wireless communication devices communicate with a first cell and a transceiver configured to transmit an interference beacon at the first frequency configured to at least partially interfere with communications at the first frequency and initiate a cell reselection process by at least one of the wireless communication devices. |
| US08682328B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for facilitating handover to closed subscriber group cells
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for facilitating handover to closed subscriber group cells. A method may include reading, when operating in idle mode, one or more information blocks broadcast by a closed subscriber group cell. The method may further include extracting one or more routing parameters and/or closed subscriber group identifier for the closed subscriber group cell from the one or more read information blocks. The method may additionally include storing a mapping of the one or more routing parameters and/or closed subscriber group identifier to a physical layer identifier and to a carrier frequency for the closed subscriber group cell. Corresponding apparatuses and systems are also provided. |
| US08682326B2 |
Base station and method for vertical tilt antenna beam sweeping
A base station and method are described herein that vertically sweeps an antenna beam within a cell to improve the signal quality at scheduled times for a user terminal located within a coverage area of the cell. In one embodiment, the method improves a signal quality for a user terminal by: (a) vertically sweeping a beam within a cell coverage area to vary a signal quality at scheduled times for the user terminal located within the cell coverage area; and (b) performing one or more scheduling functions while taking into account variations in the vertical sweep of the antenna beam. For instance, the scheduling function(s) can include a link adaptation function, a resource allocation function, a user admittance/dropping function, a handover function, and/or a hybrid automatic repeat request function. |
| US08682322B2 |
Internetworking for circuit switched fallback
In some implementations, a method includes presenting a network node as a Visited Location Resource (VLR) for User Equipment (UE) to Mobile Management Entity (MME) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. The network node includes an SGs interface to the MME in the LTE system and a MAP interface to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in a Cellular System (CS). A notification of the UE registering the LTE system is received from the MME. A network node registers, through the MAP interface, with a Home Location Resource (HLR) in the CS as the VLR for the UE. |
| US08682320B2 |
Methods and arrangements for handling a setup of an S1 application protocol signalling connection
The invention relates to a method in a Mobility Management Entity (10,11) for handling a setup of an S1 Application Protocol signalling connection between a first radio base station and the Mobility Management Entity (10,11) in a Long Term Evolution radio communications network. The Mobility Management Entity (10,11) receives an S1 Setup Request message from the first radio base station (12). Furthermore, the Mobility Management Entity (10,11) sends an S1 Setup Response message to the first radio base station (12) enabling the first radio base station to handle the setup of the S1 Application Protocol signalling connection. The S1 Setup Response message comprises an indication of at least one supported tracking area code of a tracking area, which tracking area is served by the Mobility Management Entity (10,11). |
| US08682319B2 |
Terminal for entering coverage of small base station, small base station, network apparatus, and method
A terminal for entering a coverage of a small base station, a network apparatus, and a method for operating the same are provided. The network apparatus controls small base stations, on which the terminal is camped, to operate in an active mode in which the small base station emits radio frequency (RF) signals, and controls small base stations, accessible by the terminal but not camped on by the terminal, to operate in an inactive mode in which the small base station does not emit RF signals. |
| US08682316B2 |
Aircraft communications system selectively allocating data communications channel capacity and associated methods
A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least one person having a personal electronic device (PED) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft includes a communications network, at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs, and a transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the communications network. A data traffic controller is for selectively allocating data communications channel capacity between the PEDs and the communications network based on a data communications channel capacity usage of the PEDs. The data communications channel capacity usage corresponds to bandwidth of the data communications with the PEDs, and when the bandwidth of the data communications for a given PED exceeds a predetermined portion of the data communications channel capacity, then appropriate action is taken. |
| US08682313B2 |
Over-the-air inter-cell interference coordination methods in cellular systems
An inter-cell interference coordination method coordinates interference between cells neighboring each other and belonging to different base stations by broadcasting interference coordination information between the neighboring cells through a broadcast channel. The terminal relays the interference coordination information between the neighboring cells over the air, so that the interference between the neighboring cells belonging to the different base stations is coordinated. |
| US08682310B2 |
Network-based area positioning for capacity and coverage improvement
Localized areas within a cell of a cellular wireless communication network, wherein users experience high traffic loads or poor coverage, are automatically detected and positioned by a network-based monitoring and positioning method. The localized areas are detected by performing measurements (e.g., TAdv, AOA, and neighbor node measurements) on User Equipment (UE) indicating or recording a network capacity or coverage deficiency. The detected, localized area of deficient performance is then positioned (e.g., in latitude and longitude), such as by positioning one or more UE within the area. The deficient network capacity or coverage, the localized area in which it is concentrated, and the position of the localized area are then reported, with a recommendation to deploy a low-power serving node within the localized area (e.g., at or near the area reported position) to alleviate the capacity or coverage deficiency, while minimizing interference with communication services to other users within the cell. |
| US08682303B2 |
Digital device and method for providing additional service by using the same
A digital processing device capable of receiving an additional service is disclosed. In one aspect, a digital processing device includes i) an input unit, inputting a signal, ii) a subscriber identity unit, storing an identity code of a communication operator and generating a communication network access request message, iii) an additional service identity unit, storing an identity code of an additional service operator and generating an additional service request message and v) a control unit, generating a control signal allowing one of the subscriber identity unit and the additional service identity unit to be selectively driven. In accordance with at least one inventive embodiment, a user of the digital processing device can receive an additional service without his or her subscription to a specific communication operator and use various additional services in addition to the additional services provided by the subscribed communication operator. |
| US08682301B2 |
Local intercept methods, such as applications for providing customer assistance for training, information calls and diagnostics
A method of displaying a tutorial to a user of a mobile device is disclosed. In some examples, the mobile device receives an input associated with one or more user functions of the mobile device and launches a locally based application in response to the received input. The locally based application may output instructions to the user explaining to the user how to implement the one or more user functions. |
| US08682300B2 |
Adaptation of notification perimeter based on relevance to a user
Location-based notification architecture that provides notification relevance to a user and/or a user goal. The size of the virtual perimeter or boundary is changed dynamically based on changes in relevance to a user and/or user goal, and thus, can be made dependent on various factors. The size of the perimeter can increase or decrease according to user preferences that are learned over time (e.g., preference for a gas station of a specific company). These capabilities improve the relevance of the notification the user receives. The relevance of a notification to the user can be improved by tuning the perimeter size according to known parameters that depend on the point of interest (e.g., business) itself and/or by tuning of the size of virtual perimeter according to parameters associated with user behavior. Other parameters can be considered as well, such as environmental conditions, and traffic conditions, for example. |
| US08682298B2 |
Message intercept methods, such as for customer self-support on a mobile device
A method for intercepting messages includes determining that a mobile device user has initiated a message for transmission across a wireless network to an electronic address that corresponds to a predetermined address (such as a customer support address). The message may be a text message, an email message, an instant message, an SMS message, and/or an MMS message. The method also includes preventing transmission of the initiated message and performing at least one action at the mobile device. Examples of the at least one action include invoking a bot to interact with the mobile device user and displaying a list of potential solutions to the subscriber's problem. Systems, computer-readable media, and various other features and embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08682296B2 |
Portable electronic device, authentication system and method for controlling portable electronic device
The mobile electronic device is provided with: a first communication unit which performs communication; an operation unit which includes a plurality of first keys having numbers assigned respectively thereto; a display unit which, in response to the operation of at least one of the plurality of first keys, displays the number assigned to the first key that was operated; and a control unit which, if a passcode request signal is received from the first communication unit at the same time that the number selected by operating one of the first keys while a reference screen was displayed on the display unit is being displayed on the display unit, controls so that the number sequence displayed on the display unit is transmitted to the unit that transmitted the passcode request signal by the first communication unit. |
| US08682293B1 |
Telecom fraud detection using social pattern
Generating fraud indications related to communications devices. A fraud metric is calculated for known nonfraudulent users. A fraud metric is calculated for known fraudulent users. An initial value is selected for the threshold. The fraud metric is calculated for a third set of users. The users of the third set are classified as being fraudulent or nonfraudulent according to the threshold. A false positive rate is determined and compared to a maximum false positive rate. When the rate exceeds the maximum, then the threshold is raised and the process is repeated until the false positive rate does not exceed the maximum false positive rate. A false negative rate is determined and compared to a maximum false negative rate. When the false negative rate exceeds the maximum false negative rate, then the threshold is lowered and the process is repeated until the false negative rate does not exceed the maximum. |
| US08682292B2 |
Controlling the use of access points in a telecommunications network
A GSM or UMTS mobile telecommunications network is disclosed. In addition to the conventional radio access network comprising the base stations, one or more additional access points are provided. An access point is connected to the network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point is configured to appear to the mobile terminal as a conventional base station—that is, it communicates with the mobile terminal using GSM or UMTS transport protocols and does not require any modification to a standard GSM or UMTS mobile terminal. Access Points are typically not under the direct control of the network provider. Arrangements are disclosed which allow the network provider to verify that the access point a mobile terminal is about to commence communicating through is at a particular location. Differential charging may be performed in dependence upon a subscriber's location. |
| US08682291B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer program products for providing service credit to customer accounts in a wireless communications service network
Systems, methods, and computer program products use combinations of international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and account information to determine if a customer is eligible for service credit in near real-time. The customer needs an active account prior to inserting a subscriber identity module (SIM) into a device and powering on the device for the system to determine credit eligibility. No further customer action is required. The credit application process determines credit eligibility based upon device credit eligibility, account tenure, and/or credit rules, and applies the credit to the customer's account. The customer may be proactively notified when the credit is applied. The credit and tenure rules may be changed as the industry and business needs change to remain competitive in the industry. The SIM used is configured with software to lock the SIM to the device upon first power-on. |
| US08682289B2 |
Prepaid short message services revenue capture
A prepaid messaging solution that utilizes a pre-delivery debit query to tariff a short message, coupled with an additional debit query performed once necessary billing information has been acquired. A short message is tariffed prior to message delivery via a pre-delivery debit query to a prepaid server. During message delivery, the prepaid server is queried a second time, following the HLR query performed by the Short Message Service Center (SMSC). This subsequent debit query bills a subscriber for any additional service fees discovered throughout message delivery, e.g., international/roaming fees, etc. If either the pre-delivery debit query or the subsequent debit query indicates that a subscriber has insufficient account balance to deliver a short message, the message is prevented from being delivered. If a message is dropped due to lack of account balance, any funds debited throughout the attempted message delivery may be credited back to the subscriber's prepaid account. |
| US08682272B2 |
Processing signals in a wireless communications environment
Methods are described of processing a signal transmitted over a channel in a wireless communication system. A method includes estimating at intervals at least one parameter of a time varying communication environment of said system. At least one processor-related signal processing criterion can be monitored for implementing a signal processing activity. Based on said at least one parameter and said at least one processor-related criterion, a signal processing function can be selected from a plurality of signal processing functions implementable by a processor. Each signal processing function includes a plurality of code blocks having a sequence of instructions for execution on a processor platform, the processor platform including a set of configurable operators having a plurality of predetermined configurations, each sequence of instructions including at least one configuration instruction, which selects one of the plurality of predefined configurations for executing that code block. Related receivers and software implementations are described. |
| US08682270B2 |
Receiver having multipath equalizer
An FM receiver includes a receiving unit that receives a signal from a broadcasting station and outputs a receiving signal, an equalizer that equalizes the receiving signal by using a calculated weight, and obtains an equalized output signal, a demodulator that demodulates the equalized output signal to reproduce the signal from the broadcasting station, a detection unit that observes size of the calculated weight to detect a capture state with respect to an undesired broadcasting station and generates a capture detection signal, and a weight setting unit that sets the calculated weight with respect to the equalizer at a steady state, and sets a specific weight for temporarily setting the equalizer in a through state when the capture detection signal is generated. |
| US08682269B1 |
Method, system and apparatus for coupling multiple radio receivers to a receiving antenna
A first radio receiver may be configured to receive an RF signal from an RF port and may comprise a first cascode amplifier configured to provide a primary RF signal on a primary path for processing by the first RF receiver and a bypass RF signal on a bypass path. A second radio receiver may be configured to receive a sum of the bypass RF signal and an amplified primary RF signal. As a result, the second radio receiver is coupled to the same RF port and the signal received by the second receiver is maintained constant irrespective of the RF signal current drawn by the first receiver. The product of the impedance of the tuned load of the first radio receiver and the gain of the amplifier amplifying the primary RF signal is set to unity. |
| US08682266B2 |
Techniques to enhance diversity for a wireless system
A system, apparatus, method and article to manage diversity for a wireless multicarrier communication system are described. An apparatus may include a diversity agent to couple to a transmitter, the diversity agent to convert a determined number of input bits into symbols, interleave the symbols across multiple spatial streams, and map the symbols to tones for each spatial stream. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08682262B2 |
Dual function device
A communication system for accessing media items via a display device. A receiver is coupled to the display device and a transmitter is coupled to a computer system. Media items stored locally on the computer system and/or remotely on a remote server may be wirelessly transferred from the transmitter to the receiver for display on the display device. In addition, the transmitter and the receiver may be pre-paired prior to delivery to the user, allowing for the network to be configured without any user input. Advantageously, embodiments provide a user with the ability to conveniently view content stored on a computer or a web server without the user having to perform any wireless network setup procedures. |
| US08682261B2 |
Antenna sharing for wirelessly powered devices
Exemplary embodiments include an antenna for receiving electromagnetic radiation in a broadcast radiation band and a near-field radiation band to generate a Radio Frequency (RF) signal. A coupling element couples the RF signal to a first port and at least one additional port, which may be a second port and a third port. A wireless power receiver on the first port includes a rectifier for converting the RF signal to a DC signal when the antenna couples to radiation in the near-field radiation band in a coupling-mode region of the antenna. A near-field communication transceiver includes circuitry for communicating information on the antenna in the near-field radiation band when the coupling element couples the second port to the RF signal. A broadcast receiver on the third port includes circuitry for receiving and tuning the broadcast radiation band when the coupling element couples the third port to the RF signal. |
| US08682257B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting heterogeneous communication system
A method and apparatus for detecting a heterogeneous communication system is provided. The apparatus include a radio frequency (RF) signal reception unit configured to receive a signal from a particular communication system, a silent duration evaluation unit configured to evaluate a silent duration between frames on the basis of the received signal, and a system type decision making unit configured to determine the type of the particular communication system on the basis of the evaluated silent duration. |
| US08682255B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for evaluating wireless network performance
In a method of enabling evaluation of performance of a wireless network, a post-processing tool selects measurement data records associated with a first procedure performed by a plurality of user equipments, and generates a visual representation indicative of wireless network performance based on the selected measurement data records. The first procedure refers to a set of messaging interactions between the wireless network and the plurality of user equipments. |
| US08682243B2 |
Network selection device and method for selecting a communication network
A network selection device is described comprising a determining circuit configured to determine an expected suitability level of a communication connection for a communication terminal provided by means of a cellular radio communication network and by means of a relaying subscriber terminal of the cellular radio communication network and a decider configured to decide, based on the determined expected suitability level, whether the communication terminal should use a communication connection provided by means of the cellular radio communication network and by means of the relaying subscriber terminal of the cellular radio communication network. |
| US08682242B2 |
System, apparatus, and method for communicating wake-up signal, and wireless terminal
A wake-up signal communication system including a wake-up center, a wake-up signal repeating apparatus, and a wireless terminal is provided. The wake-up center transmits the first wake-up signal. The wake-up signal repeating apparatus generates the second wake-up signal with the first wake-up signal and the code of the wireless terminal, and transmits the second wake-up signal. The wireless terminal determines a wake-up based on the second wake-up signal. |
| US08682225B2 |
Image forming apparatus with paddle that agitates toner supplied through feed opening
An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a toner cartridge; and a developing unit that forms a toner image by visualizing a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. The developing unit includes a feed opening through which toner is supplied from the toner cartridge, and a paddle that agitates toner supplied through the feed opening and feeds the toner in a direction of the photosensitive drum. The feed opening has an opening length shorter than a length in a direction of a rotary axis of the paddle, and the paddle includes a toner guide that diffuses the toner in the direction of the rotary axis of the paddle. |
| US08682224B2 |
Method for transporting electrophotographic developer in a printer
A method for transporting developer in an electrophotographic printer with multiple augers includes transporting developer from a first channel to a development roller across at least a portion of the development roller; releasing spent developer from the development roller to a second channel; wherein the second channel has a first region having a first cross-sectional area and a second region having a second cross-sectional area; wherein the first region is a mixing region the second region is a transport region; and wherein the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross sectional area. |
| US08682222B2 |
Charging device having a shielding member
The present invention provides a charging device which can suppress the deterioration of a photosensitive member and the occurrence of an image deletion phenomenon on an electrophotographic image due to an electric discharge product having deposited on a charger shutter, even when having been used for a long period of time. The charging device has an image bearing member which bears an image thereon, a charging member which charges the image bearing member, and a shielding member which shields the charging member from the image bearing member, wherein the shielding member includes a specific material. |
| US08682219B2 |
Compact image forming apparatus having pivotally attached scanning unit
An image forming apparatus to be placed on a desktop includes a first body, a second body which is pivotally mounted above the first body, a light emitting unit disposed in the second body, an image forming unit disposed in the first body so as to form a C-shaped paper feeding path, a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit disposed on a bottom surface of the first body, a controlling board disposed on a first side wall of the first body, and a power transmission unit disposed on a second side wall of the first body. |
| US08682208B2 |
Cleaning device, image forming apparatus including same, and method for mounting same
A cleaning device including: multiple cleaning members arranged consecutively in a direction of movement of a cleaning target to remove adhered substances from the cleaning target; multiple casings to individually hold and at least partially enclose the multiple cleaning members, respectively, the casings and the cleaning members together constituting multiple sub-units; and a sub-unit holder to hold the multiple sub-units, from which the sub-units are individually removable. |
| US08682207B2 |
Image forming apparatus with a seamless belt and a tensile force applying mechanism for the seamless belt
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to transfer an image onto a transfer medium in an image transfer range, a seamless belt to move along a predetermined conveying direction, a pair of belt rollers to support the belt in a flattened condition, a tensile force applier to become in contact with the belt and apply tensile force to the belt in the image transfer range, a controller to apply the tensile force during an imaging period, in which operations including an image transfer operation are executed, and reduce or clear the tensile force being applied to the belt during a non-imaging period, which is other than the imaging period. |
| US08682206B2 |
Suspended particle collecting member and image forming apparatus including the same
A collecting member that collects suspended particles vaporized from wax includes a flow path and a space, where gas passes along the flow path. The space is connected to the flow path through an opening formed in the flow path. The space extends upstream with respect to a direction of travel of the gas that passes along the flow path. By virtue of this structure, dew condensation in a fixing unit is suppressed while efficiently collecting the suspended particles. |
| US08682204B2 |
Image forming apparatus having heat radiating unit
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that creates an image and a liquid cooling unit. The liquid cooling unit includes a heat receiving disposed in contact with a temperature rising portion, in the image forming unit, in which a temperature rises due to an image forming operation by the image forming unit, a heat radiating unit that radiates heat of a cooling liquid, a flow passage forming member that allows the cooling liquid to circulate between the heat receiving unit and the heat radiating unit, and a conveying unit that conveys the cooling liquid through the flow passage forming member. The heat radiating unit includes a radiator, and the radiator is disposed at a downstream side of the conveying unit in a cooling liquid flow direction and at an upstream side of the heat receiving unit in the cooling liquid flow direction. |
| US08682202B2 |
Image forming apparatus that includes operation control unit controlling a plurality of fans for discharging ozone and a fixing device
An image forming apparatus including: a photo conductor; a charging unit; a plurality of fans; an information acquiring unit acquiring at least any one of print process information, which is information on a print process, or apparatus information, which is information on the internal environment of the apparatus; a reference determining unit that determines whether the print process or the internal environment of the apparatus satisfies the reference by using the print process information or the apparatus information; and an operation control unit including a first control mode that operates and stops the fans and the fixing device when the reference determining unit determines that the reference is not satisfied, and a second control mode that is performed before the first control mode is performed and stops the fixing device while driving the fans, when the reference determining unit determines that the reference is satisfied. |
| US08682201B2 |
Image forming apparatus having first and second ground conducting routes
An image forming apparatus including an image forming apparatus body, a cassette attaching section having a media supplying roller, a media cassette with a loading plate and a supporting section, a first ground conducting route and a second ground conducting route. The first ground conducting route conducts static electricity charged on the media when the media stacked in the media cassette is spaced away from the media supplying roller. A conducting portion of the first ground conducting route maintains the media cassette in an electrically disconnected state when the media passes through an opening in the cassette attaching section and reconfigures the media cassette from the electrically disconnected state to an electrically connected state before the media cassette reaches a first position. The second ground conducting route conducts static electricity charged on the media when the media cassette is in the first position. |
| US08682200B2 |
Process cartridge and image forming apparatus
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge includes a first unit provided with a photosensitive drum, and a second unit provided with a developer carrying member and connected with the first unit so as to be movable between a contact position in which the developer carrying member is contacted with the drum and a spacing position in which the developer carrying member is spaced from the drum. The second unit includes a first contact portion for contacting to a main assembly electrical contact and for receiving a first contact force therefrom, and a second contact portion for contacting to the main assembly electrical contact and for receiving a second contact force therefrom, to electrically connect with the main assembly electrical contact when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly and the second unit is positioned in the contact position. |
| US08682197B2 |
High voltage power supplying apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same
In a high voltage power supplying apparatus, a pulse generation unit generates a pulse signal with a predetermined frequency. A piezoelectric transformer outputs a voltage in accordance with the frequency of the pulse signal. A detection unit detects an output voltage of the piezoelectric transformer. A control unit controls the pulse generation unit to change the frequency of the pulse signal by a predetermined value towards a frequency corresponding to a target voltage until the output voltage becomes equal to the target voltage. A storage unit stores data indicating the frequency when the output voltage reaches the target voltage. The control unit controls the output voltage to be equal to the target voltage by variably controlling the frequency of the pulse signal by a value smaller than the predetermined frequency from the frequency corresponding to the data stored in the storage unit. |
| US08682196B2 |
Image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of drive units, a control unit, and an operation information input unit. The plurality of drive units drive based on electric power supplied. The control unit shifts the plurality of drive units to a power saving state or a normal state. The operation information input unit is sequentially input first operation information indicating a start of a process and second operation information indicating a process content. The control unit shifts the plurality of drive units to the normal state when the first operation information is input to the operation information input unit with the plurality of drive units being in the power saving state. The control unit shifts a particular drive unit to the power saving state based on the second operation information when the second operation information is input. |
| US08682194B2 |
Managing peripheral devices using display a screen
An information processing apparatus for displaying a peripheral device management screen to manage a peripheral device includes a storage unit, a management screen forming unit, an installation determination unit, a display determination unit, and a display control unit. The storage unit stores peripheral device management information that defines information to instruct execution of processing relating to the peripheral device from the peripheral device management screen. The management screen forming unit determines a configuration and a content of the peripheral device management screen based on the defined information. The installation determination unit determines whether to install the peripheral device management information. The display determination unit determines whether to automatically display the peripheral device management screen in response to the peripheral device management information being installed based on an installation determination result. The display control unit executes control to display the peripheral device management screen based on a display determination result. |
| US08682188B2 |
Image forming apparatus with developing units having different voltage levels
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a source, voltage generator to generate a source voltage to provide developing units with a power-supply voltage, a second voltage generator to generate a developing bias voltage applied to a developing roller and a supply bias voltage applied to a supply roller upon receiving the source voltage generated by the source voltage generator, and a switching unit to selectively provide the developing units with different voltage levels generated by the second voltage generator. The apparatus includes a Zener diode installed at a common end, so that a deviation of the developing voltage applied to the developing device affected by a deviation of Zener diode components can be reduced, resulting in an increased color image quality and a reduction in production costs. |
| US08682186B2 |
Image forming device comprising charging device having plural discharge portions
An image forming device has: an image forming body on which an image is formed in a state in which the image forming body is charged; a charging device having plural discharge portions, and charging the image forming body by discharging of plural discharge portions; and a control section that, when forming the image on the image forming body, operates the plural discharge portions, and when not forming the image on the image forming body, switches between a state of operating some of the plural discharge portions and decreasing output of or stopping the discharge portions other than the some discharge portions, and a state of operating some other of the plural discharge portions and decreasing output of or stopping the discharge portions other than the some other discharge portions. |
| US08682182B2 |
Blind carrier frequency offset detection for coherent receivers using quadrature amplitude modulation formats
Exemplary embodiments are directed to a blind carrier recovery system for blind detection and/or correction of carrier frequency offset between the signal laser source and local oscillator (i.e., carrier frequency recovery) for optical systems employing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Exemplary embodiments can be implemented using an improved fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based approach. Some embodiments can include a frequency sign detection technique that uses parallel, concurrently implemented FFTs having a modified FFT architecture. Some embodiments can include a frequency sign detection technique that uses time-domain slope detection based on constellation classification. |
| US08682181B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for high-sensitivity optical detection
An apparatus receives data encoded in a format where information bits for transmission are mapped into symbols each carrying a plurality of bits, some being encoded through a pulse position modulation (PPM) format and some being encoded through an additional modulation format on at least one PPM pulse. A receiver detects the signal through a dual-polarization coherent receiver front-end, recovering polarization components of the signal by decoding a first non-zero portion of a plurality of bits carried by a symbol based on slot position of at least one PPM pulse in the polarization components and a second non-zero portion of the plurality of bits carried by the symbol based on the additional modulation carried by at least one PPM pulse in the polarization components. Pilot-assisted single-carrier frequency-division equalization (PA-SC-FDE) may be used for reliable signal reception in the presence of severe PPM errors. |
| US08682177B2 |
Super high speed optical frequency sweeping technology
It is an object to provide an optical frequency control device or the like which can quickly carry out control over a wide frequency range. The object is achieved by an optical frequency control device or the like comprised of an optical SSB modulator (2), a bias voltage source (3) for applying a bias voltage to the optical SSB modulator (2), and a modulating signal source (4) for applying a modulating signal to the optical SSB modulator (2), wherein the modulating signal source (4) is provided with an arbitrary waveform generator (5) for generating an electrical signal with an arbitrary waveform, and an electrical signal multiplier (6) for multiplying a frequency of the electrical signal generated by the arbitrary waveform generator (5). |
| US08682173B1 |
Communication using modulated waves applied to an optical fiber
A particular method includes applying light pulses to an optical fiber and receiving backscattered light at a phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) device. The backscattered light includes portions of the applied light pulses that are backscattered by the optical fiber. The method also includes determining a difference between the backscattered light and a backscatter pattern associated with the optical fiber. The method also includes determining a communication signal encoded in the backscattered light based on the difference, where the communication signal is encoded in the backscattered light responsive to mechanical waves applied to the optical fiber at a location remote from the phase-sensitive OTDR device. |
| US08682166B2 |
Subcarrier multiplexing type optical communication method and passive optical network using the same
Disclosed is a subcarrier multiplexing type optical communication method including the steps of receiving a first optical signal composed of a plurality of subcarrier channels having different frequencies, creating a second optical signal having a wavelength different from a wavelength of a received signal; and detecting the subcarrier channels from a third optical signal obtained by subjecting the first optical signal to wavelength shift by means of the second optical signal. |
| US08682161B2 |
Optical data transmission system
An optical data transmission system for transmitting optical data in a flight vehicle, including a head end, optical splitter, N units of terminals that process optical data received from the optical splitter to display such as video, plural optical cables connected between the head end and the optical splitter and between the optical splitter and the terminals, and a seat group including N sets of passenger seats that transmit two-way optical data and are placed close to one another. The N units of terminals are placed in association with the respective N sets of seats. The optical splitter is placed in association with the seat group; sends optical data from the head end to the N units of terminals; and reversely unifies N-series optical data, different from one another, from the N units of terminals into one series and sends it to the head end. |
| US08682160B2 |
Path computation systems and methods in optical networks
A path computation method includes defining photonic constraints associated with a network, wherein the photonic constraints include wavelength capability constraints at each node in the network, wavelength availability constraints at each node in the network, and nodal connectivity constraints of each node in the network, and performing a constrained path computation in the network using Dijkstra's algorithm on a graph model of the network with the photonic constraints considered therein. An optical network includes a plurality of interconnected nodes each including wavelength capability constraints, wavelength availability constraints, and nodal connectivity constraints, and a path computation element associated with the plurality of interconnected photonic nodes, wherein the path computation element is configured to perform a constrained path computation through the plurality of interconnected nodes using Dijkstra's algorithm on a graph model with the photonic constraints considered therein. |
| US08682151B2 |
Optical unit with shake correcting function
Disclosed is an optical unit with a shake correction function which is capable of suppressing interference with swinging of a movable module due to the rigidity of a wiring material and a repelling force generated when the wiring material is deformed, even when the wiring material is extended from the movable module. The optical unit uses a flexible wiring board as the wiring material for electrically interconnecting the movable module and outside. In the flexible wiring board, the connecting portion of a movable-side connecting section and an extending unit is provided, in the optical axis direction, on a side where the swing center of the movable module is positioned with respect to the position of the center of supporting a spring member to the movable module. The swing center, the connecting portion, and a fixed-side connecting section are at the same position in the optical axis direction. |
| US08682150B2 |
Lens driving apparatus
A lens driving apparatus has a lens portion 21, a first driving portion 36 and 37 to cause a movement of a movable unit 20 including said lens portion 21 relatively to a fixed portion 10 along a vertical direction of a light axis of said lens portion 21, a second driving portion 23 and 26 to cause a movement of said lens portion relatively to said fixed portion 10 along said light axis, an image sensor 11 held on said fixed portion 10 to detect a light which comes through said lens portion 21, an inner casing 28a held on said fixed portion 10 to cover said movable unit 20 and said image sensor 11, and a planar flexible printed circuit 50 to which a shake detection sensor 58 detecting a shake of said fixed portion 10 is connected. The planar flexible printed circuit 50 is attached to contact with a sidewall surface of said inner casing 28a parallel to the light axis of said lens. |
| US08682148B2 |
Delta-sigma modulated video playback apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium
A moving image playback apparatus includes: a data playback section playing back delta-sigma modulated data generated by performing delta-sigma modulation on pixel values of consecutive frames for each pixel; a video-data playback section performing filtering processing on the delta-sigma modulated data played back by the data playback section using a filter for each pixel to play back video data; and a control section controlling the filtering processing. |
| US08682143B2 |
Moving image processing apparatus, moving image processing method, and program
Provided is a moving image processing apparatus including a cut transition detection unit configured to detect inter-cut transition from a moving image including a plurality of cuts; a cut pair specifying unit configured to specify cut pairs repeated as a series of different cuts based on a feature amount of each cut; and a cut structure image generation unit configured to generate a cut structure image including a representative image of each cut arranged in an order of the cut transition and indicating a boundary between the cut pairs. |
| US08682139B2 |
L-cut stream startup
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for starting playback of an audio portion of digital media content before a video portion of the digital media content is received. An advantage of the disclosed technique is that the perceived delay from the time when a user selects the digital media content to when playback of the digital media content begins is reduced. The audio may be faded-in and one or more still frames of video data may be displayed while the video stream is retrieved. Additionally, a license for DRM (Digital Rights Management) encryption of the title content may be retrieved before starting playback of the video stream, so that the digital media content that is retrieved is also protected. |
| US08682138B2 |
Electronic apparatus, content reproduction method, record medium, and server apparatus
An electronic apparatus is disclosed. A reproduction section allows first video content containing a plurality of types of data and first identification information to be reproduced. A transmission section transmits the first identification information to a server apparatus. A reception section receives a first application and first access control information from the server apparatus, the first application being associated with the first video content and being retrieved by the server apparatus based on the transmitted first identification information, the first access control information being generated by the server apparatus based on the first identification information and representing a condition in which the first application accesses the individual types of the data contained in the first video content. A control section executes the received first application based on the received first access control information when the first video content is reproduced. |
| US08682133B2 |
Image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus reproduces still image data recorded on a recording medium and designates an aspect ratio of moving image data to be generated using the still image data. The image processing apparatus converts an aspect ratio of the reproduced still image data according to the designated aspect ratio and generates moving image data using the converted still image data to output the generated moving image data as still image movie data. The image processing apparatus records the still image movie data on the recording medium. |
| US08682131B2 |
Recording medium, method of creating file of the recording medium, and method and apparatus for reproducing the same
A recording medium, a method of creating a file of the recording medium, and a method and apparatus for reproducing the same are disclosed, wherein position change and transition of random playback points among title recorded within the recording medium can be easily performed, thereby providing an apparatus having more convenient title playback functions to the users. The method of creating a file of the recording medium includes forming a PlayList file including playback control information of a set of recorded data, forming an object file including an execute command of the PlayList file, and forming an index file including a set of Normal Title information designating a specific object within the object file, and a set of auxiliary Title information designating a random point of data being reproduced by the Normal Title information. |
| US08682127B2 |
Modular method of making single mode optical fibers
Described is a modular method of making an optical fiber comprising a core and a cladding configured to support and guide a fundamental transverse mode, the cladding including (i) an outer cladding having an index nout less than the index n1 of the core, (ii) an inner cladding having an index n2 |
| US08682119B2 |
High performance optical polarization diversity circuit
An optical device includes an input/output optical coupler, a waveguide and a waveguide fragment. The optical coupler is configured to separate a received optical signal into first and second signal components. The waveguide is connected to the optical coupler and configured to propagate the first signal component via a first propagation mode. The waveguide fragment is located adjacent to the first waveguide and is configured to couple light from the first waveguide that propagates therein by a different second propagation mode. |
| US08682116B2 |
Integrated circuit including non-planar structure and waveguide
One embodiment provides an integrated circuit including a first non-planar structure and a waveguide configured to provide electromagnetic waves to the first non-planar structure. The first non-planar structure provides a first signal in response to at least some of the electromagnetic waves. |
| US08682115B2 |
Optical sensor
An optical sensor for detecting a substance includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide optically coupled via a directional coupler to the first waveguide. The sensor has a functional surface in a region of the directional coupler for accumulating or storing the substance to be detected so that an intensity of a coupling arranged by the directional coupler between the first waveguide and the second waveguide can be changed by the accumulating or storing of this substance. The first waveguide extends in a freely floating manner over a coupling path covered by the directional coupler or rests on a swellable material. The first waveguide is guided in a vicinity of the coupling path so that a spacing between the first waveguide and the second waveguide can be changed there by a deformation or movement of the first waveguide or of a carrier of the first waveguide. |
| US08682114B2 |
Coherent detection for an integrated circuit having a multiplexer or a demultiplexer with a shared propagation region
An optical device may include a slab, a first waveguide extending from a first portion of the slab to supply multiple first optical signals to the first portion of the slab, multiple second waveguides coupled to a second portion and to a third portion of the slab. The optical device may include multiple third waveguides provided extending from a fourth portion of the slab to direct a corresponding one of the multiple first optical signals away from the slab, a fourth waveguide extending from the fourth portion of the slab to supply multiple second optical signals to the fourth portion of the slab, and multiple fifth waveguides extending from the first portion of the slab to direct a corresponding one of the multiple second optical signals away from the slab. The optical device may include circuits to receive the first optical signals, the second optical signals, and local oscillator signals. |
| US08682113B2 |
Electro-optic waveguide polarisation modulator and a method of modulation
An electro-optic waveguide polarization modulator includes cladding layers, and a waveguide core sandwiched between the cladding layers, wherein the waveguide core has a higher refractive index than the cladding layers. The modulator further includes primary electrodes arranged on the opposite side of one cladding layer to the core and a secondary electrode arranged on the opposite side of another cladding layer to the core. The electrodes are arranged to provide an electric field having field components in perpendicular directions within the waveguide core so as to modulate the refractive index such that electromagnetic radiation propagating through the core is converted from a first polarization state to a second polarization state. The modulator further includes a grading layer sandwiched between the cladding layers and the core, the grading layer having an effective refractive index intermediate between that of the waveguide core and the cladding layer. |
| US08682112B2 |
Storage apparatus and method for processing the same
To alleviate the situation in which image frames cannot be accumulated for a long period of time, a storage apparatus has a controller for decimating transferred data frames prior to performing a predetermined operation on the transferred data frames when the number of data frames stored in a temporary memory exceeds a predetermined number of frames. |
| US08682108B2 |
System and method for determining image placement on a canvas
A system and a method are disclosed that determine placement of a background image on a canvas and area for placement of foreground images. A system and method include receiving data indicative of an informative zone of a background image and computing an estimated foreground area on a canvas for each candidate placement of the background image on the canvas. The estimated foreground area is computed based on the data indicative of the informative zone and the number of images to be used as foreground images and does not include the informative zone. One of the candidate placements is determined as a selected background placement based on the computed values of estimated foreground area. A composite image can be generated from the background image positioned on the canvas according to the selected background placement and foreground images positioned outside of the informative zone. |
| US08682104B2 |
Image synthesizing apparatus, image synthesizing method, and image synthesizing program
An image synthesizing apparatus includes a subject region determination unit that determines a region of a nearby subject for each of taken images based on subject distance information of a plurality of points generated by distance measurement made during imaging and an image synthesizing unit that creates a synthetic image by cutting out an image from each of the taken images based on a position of the region of the nearby subject and combining the cut images of the taken images. |
| US08682098B2 |
Image data processing method and image processing apparatus
An image data processing method for creating a clear blur-compensated image; the method calculates the motion data between a reference image and a target image, calculates difference in pixel value between the reference image and the target image for every block matched by the motion data, calculates, based on the difference in pixel value, the blending ratio between the reference image and the target image for each block, and creates a synthesized image by synthesizing the reference image and the target image according to the motion data and the blending ratio. An image processing apparatus implementing the image data processing method noted above is also disclosed. |
| US08682097B2 |
Digital image enhancement with reference images
A digital image processing technique is for detecting and correcting visual imperfections using a reference image. A main image and one or more reference images having a temporal and/or spatial overlap and/or proximity with the original image are captured. Device information, image data and/or meta data are analyzed of the one or more reference images relating to a defect in the main image. The device corrects the defect based on the information, image data and/or meta-data to create an enhanced version of the main image. |
| US08682095B2 |
Method for recognizing markers using dynamic threshold and learning system based on augmented reality using marker recognition
A method for recognizing markers printed on a learning material, includes sampling an image of the learning material; grouping the sampled image of pixels into a first image group and a second image group based on a threshold; and calculating medians of the first image group and the second image group to update the threshold with a first average value of the calculated medians. Further, the method for recognizing markers printed on the learning material includes repeating the above until a difference between a previous threshold and an updated threshold is equal to or smaller than a reference value; binarizing an image captured by a camera based on the updated threshold; and detecting the markers based on the binary image. |
| US08682094B2 |
Adaptive subpixel-based downsampling and filtering using edge detection
Systems, methods, and apparatus for sampling images using edge detection are presented herein. A gradient component can calculate at least one gradient of a luminance of a block of pixels based on at least one direction; and select a minimum gradient of the at least one gradient of the luminance. Further, a direction component can determine a direction of the block based on a direction of the minimum gradient of the at least one gradient of the luminance. Moreover, a sampling component can alternately select subpixels of the block based on the direction of the block. In addition, a filter component can calculate at least one gradient of a color of a subpixel of the subpixels based on the at least one direction; determine a direction of the subpixel based on the at least one gradient of the color; and filter the subpixels based on the direction of the subpixel. |
| US08682090B2 |
Image decoding apparatus and method for handling intra-image predictive decoding with various color spaces and color signal resolutions
The present invention is directed to an image information decoding apparatus adapted for performing intra-image decoding based on resolution of color components and color space of an input image signal. An intra prediction unit serves to adaptively change block size in generating a prediction image based on a chroma format signal indicating whether resolution of color components is one of 4:2:0 format, 4:2:2 format, and 4:4:4 format, and a color space signal indicating whether color space is one of YCbCr, RGB, and XYZ. An inverse orthogonal transform unit and an inverse quantization unit serve to also change orthogonal transform technique and quantization technique in accordance with the chroma format signal and the color space signal. A decoding unit decodes the chroma format signal and the color space signal to generate a prediction image corresponding to the chroma format signal and the color space signal. |
| US08682089B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program and semiconductor integrated circuit
An image processing apparatus includes a filter unit which filters image signals; a sampling unit which generates first digital image signals having a first resolution by sampling the filtered image signals at a predetermined sampling frequency; and a super-resolution unit which reconstructs a second digital image signal having a second resolution which is higher than the first resolution by performing super-resolution on the first digital image signals generated by the sampling unit, wherein the filter unit passes frequency components corresponding to or lower than the Nyquist frequency which is half the sampling frequency, and passes a part of frequency components within a range from the Nyquist frequency to the highest frequency which can be represented by the second resolution. |