| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07644566B2 |
Curtain to direct crop in a header
A curtain for directing severed crop movement in a cutting header in an agricultural harvester. The curtain optimizes crop movement between a cutterbar to a crop conveying auger for lateral movement of the crop material from outboard ends of the cutting header toward an interior discharge zone for formation of a windrow. The curtain also reduces the tendency for clogging that occurs when crop approaches conveying augers on both sides of an axial centerline by directing all crop material toward the trailing side of the rotating auger and by preventing airflow generated by the auger from disrupting crop approaching the auger. Crop smoothing by the curtain also reduces disturbances to the crop material during movement within the header which reduces seed loss in seed-bearing specialty crops. |
| US07644565B2 |
Lawnmower attachment device for mounting an edge trimmer thereto and method of mounting same
A device for mounting an edge trimmer to a lawnmower, comprising a front clamp mounted to the lawnmower, and a rear clamp mounted to the lawnmower, wherein the front and rear clamps receive and support a shaft of the edge trimmer, and are adjustable to different angles with respect to a first axis substantially parallel to a surface on which the lawnmower rests. |
| US07644564B2 |
Electric modular pruning and/or topping machine
A modular pruning machine used in agriculture, viticulture, fruit growing, tree growing or for brush clearing has at least one cutter bar. The cutter bar has cutting modules affixed thereto. Each of the cutting modules has a rotary cutting tool and a three-phase asynchronous electric motor such that the three-phase asynchronous electric motor individually rotatably drives the rotary cutting tool. |
| US07644545B2 |
Insulation batt having integral baffle vent
A baffled insulation product for ventilating air under a roof from an open space is provided comprising an elongated insulation mat having top and bottom major surfaces, the top major surface facing the roof when the product is installed in the open space, the insulation mat having a baffle integral therewith proximate to the top major surface, comprising at least one airflow channel for the ventilating air. |
| US07644542B2 |
Sliding door
A sliding door comprising a door leaf and a frame profile holding the door leaf. The frame profile includes lateral frame profiles and a lower frame profile. Intermediate pieces are disposed in a channel of the lower frame profile and in channels of the lateral frame profiles to connect the lower and lateral frame profiles together. Roller assemblies are disposed in the lower frame profile and are adjusted via screws which extend through the intermediate pieces. |
| US07644539B2 |
Automatic door bottom and sill assemblage
A door sill and a sealing mechanism engage one another analogously to a rack and pinion in order to automatically create a weather-resistant closure at the gap between an inswinging exterior door bottom and the floor below. The sealing mechanism, which fastens to the door bottom, contains a door-wide rotating shaft with an arm extension tipped with a flexible seal. On the underside of the shaft extension is a short “pinion” component with elongated teeth that engage in corresponding recesses in the sill, raising and lowering the seal in the process. The pinion is positioned on the far lock side of the door, so that the teeth engage and the seal begins to drop only when the door is nearly closed. As the door opens and the seal rises, a magnet further retracts the shaft extension and retains it until the door is again closed. |
| US07644536B2 |
Sanitizing container and display
Sanitizing container and display is a sealed but ventable container for removably placing demonstrable objects such as plants, cut flowers, inside the container, living creatures and the like in hospitals, home or other environments where immunocompromised or allergic patients live. This sealed container and display is provided with a ventilation system that establishes adequate air circulation to the inside the container while clearing the outflow air from any potentially harmful microbes, allergens (small particles that cause allergy) or chemical fumes that would be dangerous for those patients who lack normal immune protection or are allergic. This enclosed chamber can optionally be provided with an artificial light source for illumination of the displayed object if desired. |
| US07644531B2 |
Method and apparatus for fitting and aiming a firearm
An apparatus and method for aligning and aiming a firearm include a firearm alignment device. In an embodiment, the firearm alignment device includes a reflective surface. The reflective surface provides an image. The firearm alignment device also includes an opening in the reflective surface. A barrel of a firearm is disposable in the opening. In addition, the firearm alignment device includes a removeable band. The removeable band is horizontally disposed on the reflective surface. |
| US07644529B2 |
Rifle bolt cleaning tool
A rifle bolt cleaning tool comprising a single piece of material with an annular bolt scraping chamber comprising a bottom and two inner walls that extend from the bottom of the scraping chamber upward and spread outward to form two top surfaces of the scraping chamber. The inner walls of the scraping chamber are concave in shape so as to fit snugly around a tail end of a rifle bolt. The distance between the two inner walls of the scraping chamber is roughly equivalent to the outside diameter of a rifle bolt. The inner walls of the scraping chamber extend upward from the bottom of the scraping chamber by a distance that is slightly greater than the length of the tail end of the bolt. |
| US07644526B2 |
Extending tool of sheet-like material
An extension tool is provided for stretching a sheet-shaped material over its entirety with minimal adjusting portions and uniform tension. Four corner members are disposed along with four frame members for forming a rectangular frame. Four rods are disposed so as to pass through the four frame members and allow the sides and corners to move towards and away from each other for adjusting the size of the frame. One set of corner members are located on the diagonals and are provided with a moving mechanism for moving the rods along the sides of the rectangle. The extension tool for tensioning the material further comprises a transmission mechanism for converting the movement of a rod in a first side of the rectangle between first corner pairs into a reversing and approaching movement of a second rod in a second side of the frame between second corner pairs. |
| US07644525B2 |
Iron comprising a valve controlled by a thermally deformable element
Steam iron comprising a sole (1) in thermal communication with a heating body (5) equipped with a steam chamber (53), the steam chamber (53) communicating with a reservoir (7) by means of a supply circuit comprising a flow control valve (10) whose degree of opening is controlled by a thermally deformable element (16) in thermal communication with the heating body (5), characterized in that the opening of the control valve (10) is braked, beginning at an intermediate temperature, by a stabilizing element (18) that exerts a force that opposes the force generated by the thermally deformable element (16). |
| US07644518B2 |
Structural element for a shoe sole
The present invention relates to a shoe sole including a cushioning element. The shoe sole can include a heel cup or heel rim having a shape that substantially corresponds to the shape of heel of a foot. Further, the heel part can include a plurality of side walls arranged below the heel cup or rim and at least one tension element that interconnects at least one side wall to another side wall or to the heel cup or rim. The heel cup or rim, the plurality of side walls, and the at least one tension element can be integrally formed as a single piece. |
| US07644517B2 |
Modular article of footwear
An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure and at least two elements that join to form the upper and the sole structure. The elements each form a portion of the upper and a portion of the sole structure. With regard to the upper, the elements each form a strap portion that, in combination, secures a foot to the footwear. With regard to the sole structure, the elements each form a portion of the foot-supporting surface and the ground-engaging surface. The elements may be joined through a snap-fit system involving protrusions and apertures, or adhesives may be used. |
| US07644515B2 |
Lint filter assembly of laundry dryer
A lint filter assembly for a laundry dryer is provided. In the lint filter assembly, a door is provided, a lint filter has a filter housing installed at the rear of the door and a filter main body inserted into the filter housing, and at least one securing member is provided to secure the filter main body to the filter housing. |
| US07644514B2 |
Clothes dryer
A clothes dryer which comprises a housing, a rotatable drum for receiving the clothes and a bearing for rotatably receiving the drum in the housing. In order to protect the bearing from overheating, a cooling air device for cooling the bearing is provided. |
| US07644506B2 |
Edge level with side magnets and velcro(hook and loop fastener)
Present invention provides an edge level that can be used for measuring angles or levelness on all X, Y and Z axis simultaneously and in hands-free type operation, due to the use of Velcro or external clamps used together with the features introduced herein. A removable pod, containing the Z-axis bubble, provides the flexibility of insertion to the pod seat for measuring Z-axis angle and can be stored or put aside when not in use. |
| US07644505B2 |
Levelling rod, level determining apparatus for said rod, and level determining method
The levelling rod (1) for a level determining apparatus (2) has position indications therealong along expressed by barcode symbols (11, 12). At least some of said barcode symbols are color barcode symbols, the color serving to encode said position indications. The barcode symbols can be organised in first and second blocks (12, 11) of barcode symbols, each providing a position indication, wherein the length (Ls) occupied along the rod (1) by a first block (12) is smaller than the length (Lb) occupied along the rod by a second block (11), the first blocks thereby providing a finer position indication than the second blocks. The first blocks (12) of barcode symbols can be formed of monochrome and color bar code symbols, e.g. just one color barcode symbol and at least one monochrome barcode symbol, while the second blocks (11) can be formed purely of color barcode symbols. The invention also relates to a level determining apparatus specifically adapted for the above rod, and to a method of using that rod. |
| US07644504B2 |
Vehicular crash test measuring system
A fixture for positioning an ATD relative to a vehicle includes a housing attached to the vehicle having a first end and a second end. A locator is mounted on the housing and is movable along the housing between the first end and the second end to identify a position of the ATD relative to the housing. A target is disposed on the ATD and is spaced apart from the housing for alignment with the locator. A first measurement device outputs an angle of the housing that identifies an angular position of the target relative to a plane extending through the first end of the housing. |
| US07644502B2 |
Indicating apparatus and method
An indicating apparatus includes a base arranged to contact a first surface of an opening in a wall and a second surface of the opening in the wall, the base being rotationally stable when contacting the first and second surfaces of the opening, and an indicating member coupled to the base, the indicating member having a first portion arranged to indicate a first line along the wall when the base contacts the surfaces of the opening, and a second portion arranged to indicate a second line along the wall when the base contacts the first and second surfaces of the opening, the first line being parallel to the first surface, the second line being parallel to the second surface. |
| US07644496B2 |
Manufacturing method for imprinting stamper
A manufacturing method for imprinting stamper is disclosed. The manufacturing method includes forming a plurality of concave patterns on an insulation layer, forming a stamper by filling copper in the concave patterns, separating the stamper from the insulation layer, providing roughness on the surface of the stamper, can separate the stamper from the insulation layer, can prevent the deformation of the stamper and can manufacture pluralities of stampers repeatedly. |
| US07644494B2 |
Wire terminal installation tool
A tool for effecting attachment of an electrical terminal terminated on a wire with respect to a mating electrical contact is provided including an elongate tubular body having a first opened end, a second opened end and a continuous slot from the first to the second opened end. The continuous slot defines a pair of inwardly deflectable opposed sidewalls, wherein the wire may be loosely received between the opposed sidewalls. A first recessed stop toward the first opened end of the tubular body is adapted to seat at least the terminal at the first opened end. The opposed sidewalls are inwardly deflectable so as to grip the wire to effect attachment to the mating electrical contact. |
| US07644493B2 |
Adjustable head stack comb
The application discloses an adjustable head stack comb having adjustable first and second comb plates. The adjustable comb plates include at least one tooth segment which cooperatively form a comb having at least one tooth. The first and second comb plates are adjusted to adjust dimensions of the at least one tooth cooperatively formed by the tooth segments of the first and second comb plates. In the embodiments disclosed, a relative position of the first and second comb plates is adjusted to adjust a thickness dimension of the at least one tooth formed by the at least one tooth segments of the first and second comb plates. Also in illustrated embodiments, the comb plates are cooperatively adjusted to adjust an elevation or z-height of the at least one tooth of the comb. |
| US07644492B2 |
Dynamoelectric winding end portion forming apparatus
A holding jig is made into cylindrical body that has a conductor insertion aperture, and a conductor end portion is inserted into the conductor insertion aperture in a loosely-fitted state and held. The holding jig is moved along an arc that has a radius L that is centered around a projecting root portion of the conductor end portion to a vicinity of a coil end to bend and form the conductor end portion into a desired lead around shape. |
| US07644489B2 |
Thin membrane alignment method using patterned nanomagnets
A passive nanomagnet alignment method is described to self-align a membrane to another surface. The membrane and the surface each have a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, wherein the nanomagnets are magnetized based on an applied external magnetic field. The membrane is brought into close proximity and coarse alignment to the surface by a positioning mechanism (e.g., an actuation force), such that the nanomagnets on the membrane attract to and self-align with the nanomagnets on said surface based on the nanomagnet magnetizations. |
| US07644488B2 |
Method to form a conductive device
Electrical interfaces formed into a conductive loaded resin-based material. The conductive loaded resin-based material comprises micron conductive powder(s), conductive fiber(s), or a combination of conductive powder and conductive fibers in a base resin host. The percentage by weight of the conductive powder(s), conductive fiber(s), or a combination thereof is between about 20% and 50% of the weight of the conductive loaded resin-based material. The micron conductive powders are formed from non-metals, such as carbon, graphite, that may also be metallic plated, or the like, or from metals such as stainless steel, nickel, copper, silver, that may also be metallic plated, or the like, or from a combination of non-metal, plated, or in combination with, metal powders. The micron conductor fibers preferably are of nickel plated carbon fiber, stainless steel fiber, copper fiber, silver fiber, or the like. |
| US07644485B2 |
Tool for connecting cable conductors
The invention relates to a tool for connecting cable cores, in particular of insulated telecommunication and data cables, to an insulation-piercing contact element, with a ram, which is formed with a ram head, by means of which the cable cores can be pressed into the insulation-piercing contact, the ram head being shaped in such a way that at least two cable cores can be pressed in simultaneously into at least two insulation-piercing contact elements lying next to each other. |
| US07644482B2 |
Planetary gear replacement method
A method permits replacement of components of existing epicyclic gear mechanisms of a wind energy system without having to lift the gear mechanism down from the gondola. In accordance with the method, the housing is divided up alternately in its first parting plane and in its second parting plane and moved apart. The center section of the housing, which includes the internal geared wheel, always remains connected with an adjacent section and therefore does not have to be moved with a hoist. Access to the components to be replaced is always guaranteed by the special method of opening. An installation bolt is also provided that is particularly suitable for implementing the method. |
| US07644481B2 |
Bearing positioning tool set
A bearing-positioning tool set comprises a grip having an inner end fixed with a combining rod extending outward, the combining rod bored with a combining threaded hole; at least one positioning press blocks respectively formed with two different diameters the positioning press blocks to be fitted with the grip respectively bored with an insert hole in the center, each of two ends of the insert hole being formed with a groove; each the positioning press block formed with a first circular fitting member, a first circular holding edge, a second circular fitting member and a second circular holding edge; and a combining member threadably combined with the combining threaded hole of the grip for fixing the positioning press block in position; one end of the combining member being formed with an enlarged head. |
| US07644475B2 |
Cable tie
There is provided an improved cable tie made of integrally molded thermoplastic material that includes a head, a strap that has a near end, a tail end, and an elongated body portion between the near end and the tail end. The strap includes a gripping surface formed on the upper surface of the tail end. The head is attached to the near end. The head has an opening extending there through that is slightly larger than the strap for receiving the tail end of the strap. A locking means is positioned within the head and extends into the opening and is formed to engage the gripping surface to prevent the strap from loosening once the strap is tightened. A blade is located within the head such that blade may be moved so as to cut the excess portion of said tail end once the strap is tightened. The blade extends through a portion of the wall of the head. The remaining end of the strap is recessed within the slot so that the end, if sharp, is not exposed. |
| US07644472B2 |
Hinge structure
A hinge structure is described. A hollow cylinder has a positioning slot in an inner wall thereof. A movable part has a positioning convex portion and a plurality of engraved portions. The positioning convex portion engages with the positioning slot such that the movable part slides within the hollow cylinder. A cover is fixed to the hollow cylinder to secure the movable part and the resilient part within the hollow cylinder. A resilient part is disposed between the cover and the movable part so as to provide the movable part a resilient recovery force. The engraved portions of the movable part are for engaging a rotatable member. |
| US07644470B2 |
Complex type cleaner
A complex type cleaner is provided. The complex type cleaner includes a body having either a dust collecting container that stores dust or a water collecting container that stores contaminated water, a fan motor installed in the body that generates a suction force, a suction head arranged at a lower side of the body, that sucks dust at a time of performing a vacuum cleaning operation, a water tank mounted adjacent the suction head, that stores cleaning water to be sprayed onto a region to be cleaned at a time of performing a water cleaning operation, and a suction nozzle integrally formed with the water tank, that sucks water contaminated after completing the water cleaning operation. The complex type cleaner so configured reduces a number of components, reduces a fabrication cost, and has a large capacity water tank. |
| US07644469B2 |
Vacuum electronics isolation method
A vacuum electronics isolation system utilizes an isolation circuit for providing a low voltage for operating a controller and to provide low voltage control signals for operating the vacuum motor to isolate the high voltage power source from the user. |
| US07644467B2 |
Filler material finishing tool
A hand held tool comprised of an elongated triangular shaped elastomeric applicator tool (20) for spreading, smoothing and feathering filler material which can be utilized with a handle (30). |
| US07644464B2 |
Caulk tool
A caulk tool has a finishing head at one end of a handheld main body, and a cutting mechanism located near the other end. The finishing head can include a bristle structure used for smoothing out caulk and sealants. The cutting mechanism may include a push button blade for cutting tips of caulk and sealant tubes to a desired length and angle. |
| US07644462B2 |
Article of footwear having midsole with support pillars and method of manufacturing same
An article of footwear includes an upper, a sole assembly, and a support assembly positioned in the sole assembly and including a plurality of pillars. Each pillar includes an outer layer and an inner layer of cushioning material contained with the outer layer. |
| US07644461B2 |
Foam integrated innerspring mattress and method of manufacture
This invention relates to a foam integrated innerspring mattress and method of manufacture wherein a flexible polyurethane foam is adhered onto the top and bottom of individually wrapped pocket innersprings, and additional polyurethane foam is molded onto the sides of the mattress. |
| US07644460B2 |
Device and method for relieving back pain
The present invention relates to an apparatus for relieving back pain, the apparatus having a top and a leg assembly for supporting the top when the apparatus is placed on a surface. A method of relieving back pain is also provided, wherein a user adjusts the height of an apparatus according to the user's buttock popliteus length, and lay on the surface and place his/her lower legs or feet on the top of an apparatus such that the knees are bent at substantially 90 degrees and his/her back is flat on the surface. |
| US07644458B2 |
Hospital bed
A patient support apparatus including a patient support and a powered transport device to facilitate movement of a patient support. |
| US07644457B2 |
Hospital bed
A patient support (10) is provided for supporting a patient. Patient support (10) includes a frame (12), a deck (16), a mattress (18) and siderails (24 and 26). |
| US07644453B2 |
Shower curtain fastening system
The present invention relates to a kit for use in a shower enclosure with a shower curtain. The kit contains a wall component, a connecting component and a retaining component. The wall component has a back wall and at least one front wall, and is removably attachable to a wall surface of the shower enclosure. The connecting component has both a front portion and back portion. The back portion is detachably connectable to one of said at least one front wall of the wall component by means of magnets attached thereto. Once the wall component and connecting component are connected together, they form a watertight barrier. The front portion of the connecting component contains a protrusion in the form of two spaced apart, elongated arms that are each provided with an abutting edge against which part of the shower curtain may be positioned. The retaining component is detachably connectable to the protrusion of the connecting component with the part of the shower curtain snapped in between. The retaining component has a pair of arms with end edges that face toward each other and are sized to snap onto the abutting edges of the elongated arms of the protrusion of the connecting component with the part of the shower curtain pinched in between. |
| US07644452B2 |
Hydrotherapy jet with adjustable air and water inlets
A hydrotherapy jet comprising a jet body having a water inlet and an air inlet to allow water and air to flow into the jet body from water and air conduits, respectively. A diffuser is housed within that jet body and is rotatable within the jet body to control the amount of water flowing into the jet body. The water and air inlets are rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the jet body to align the water and air inlets with the water and air conduits, respectively. |
| US07644451B1 |
Pedal operated toilet seat lifter and return
An apparatus for selectively moving a toilet seat between a first and second position comprising: a base, a first pedal having a first end for receiving a downward force thereon pivotally connected to the base, a first means connected between the toilet seat and an end of the first pedal opposite the first end for moving the toilet seat from a first position to a second position, a second pedal having a first end for receiving a downward force thereon and pivotally connected at an edge opposite the first end to the first pedal, a second means connected between the second pedal and an upper end of the first moving means for moving at least one of the toilet seat from the second position to the first position and the second pedal away from the first pedal. Upon applying the downward force to the first end of the first pedal, the first pedal pivots and causes the first moving means to move the toilet seat from the first position to the second position and causes the second moving means to move the second pedal away from the first pedal. Upon applying the downward force on the first end of the second pedal, the second moving means causes the toilet seat to be moved from the second position to the first position. |
| US07647647B2 |
System, method and program product for temporally authorizing program execution
A system, method and program product that allows a set of actions being executed on a computer system to be temporally authorized for execution for a short duration. A computer system is provided comprising: an execution platform for executing program code; and an execution control system that can interrupt execution of actions encountered in the program code, wherein the execution control system includes a system for temporally authorizing execution of an encountered action. |
| US07647645B2 |
System and method for securing computer system against unauthorized access
The present invention described secures a computer account against unauthorized access caused as a result of identity-theft, and insider-espionage using artificial intelligence and behavioral modeling methods. The present invention has the ability to detect intruders or impersonators by observing “suspicious” activity under a computer account. When it sees such suspicious behavior, it uses artificial intelligence to authenticate the suspect by interrogation. The present invention asks the suspect questions that only the legitimate computer account owner can verify correctly. If the suspect fails the interrogation, that proves that he/she is an impersonator and therefore further access to the computer account is denied immediately. On the other hand if the suspect passes, access to the computer account is restored. The present invention uses a Programmable Artificial Intelligence Engine (PAIE) to interact with computer users in human natural language. The PAIE can also be programmed to suit other applications where natural language interaction with humans is helpful. |
| US07647644B2 |
Entitlement designation in web services for remote portlets environment
A consumer system is registered on a producer system, which can be accomplished by submitting one or more registration values. The producer system checks each application according to acceptable registration values for each application. A set of applications that are available is generated according to which applications have permissions associated with the submitted registration values. The set is then presented to the consumer system, which can utilize applications on the set. |
| US07647643B2 |
Template access control lists
A method, apparatus and computer program product for producing and processing template access control lists (ACLs) is presented. The method, apparatus and computer program product obtain a first ACL having a first rule set, the first rule set including a peer Internet Protocol (IP) address. The first rule set is copied into the template ACL. The occurrences of a peer's IP address within the rule set of the template ACL are determined and are replaced with an indicator indicating that the peer's IP address is used in place of the indicator when the ACL is evaluated. |
| US07647642B2 |
System and method for managing copyrighted electronic media
Copyrighted electronic media are packaged in a secure electronic format, and registered on associated registration server, which serves to provide on-line licensing and copyright management for that media. Users are connected to the server, e.g., through a computer network or the Internet, to enable data transfers and to transact licenses to utilize the media. Packaged electronic media are typically created by an author or derivative user of the work. Once the packaged media is registered on the server, the media is made available for limited use and possible license through an authorization server. This limited use is specified within the minimum permissions data set assigned to each packaged media. Without a license, users are typically permitted to view the packaged media—through a system which unpackages the media—but cannot save or otherwise transfer the media without obtaining auxiliary permissions to do so from the authorization server. The electronic media is authenticated through digital signatures and optional encryption. |
| US07647641B2 |
Method and system for conditional access applied to protection of content
The invention relates to an access control method controlling access to a broadcast digital dataflow previously scrambled.The method according to the invention includes the following steps: On transmission: generating an entitlement control message R-ECMc for recording the content of the flow as a function of a key KRc and at least one criterion CRR defining a right to the record, generating an entitlement control message P-ECMc controlling access to play back the content of the recorded flow as a function of a key KPc and at least one criterion CRP defining a right to play back, and on reception: analysing the messages P-ECMc and P-ECMc, authorizing the recording and playback if the criteria CRR and CRP are verified. |
| US07647633B2 |
Malicious mobile code runtime monitoring system and methods
Protection systems and methods provide for protecting one or more personal computers (“PCs”) and/or other intermittently or persistently network accessible devices or processes from undesirable or otherwise malicious operations of Java™ applets, ActiveX™ controls, JavaScript™ scripts, Visual Basic scripts, add-ins, downloaded/uploaded programs or other “Downloadables” or “mobile code” in whole or part. A protection engine embodiment provides, within a server, firewall or other suitable “re-communicator,” for monitoring information received by the communicator, determining whether received information does or is likely to include executable code, and if so, causes mobile protection code (MPC) to be transferred to and rendered operable within a destination device of the received information, more suitably by forming a protection agent including the MPC, protection policies and a detected-Downloadable. An MPC embodiment further provides, within a Downloadable-destination, for initiating the Downloadable, enabling malicious Downloadable operation attempts to be received by the MPC, and causing (predetermined) corresponding operations to be executed in response to the attempts, more suitably in conjunction with protection policies. |
| US07647629B2 |
Hosted code runtime protection
A host operating in a managed environment intercepts a call from a managed caller to a particular callee and determines whether the call is permissible according to the host's prior configuration of a plurality of callees. The particular callee, which provides access to a resource that the host can be protecting, can have been previously configured by the host to always allow the call to be made, to never allow the call to be made, or to allow the call to be made based upon the degree to which the host trusts the managed caller. |
| US07647627B2 |
System and methods for secure service oriented architectures
Provided is a method for intercepting a message between a requesting web service and a source web service, validating the message, logging the result of the validations, and adding a security profile to the message. The method may also include examining the message to determine whether a security profile is embedded therein. If the message is valid, access to the message by the requesting web service is permitted. If the message is not valid, access to the message by the requesting web service is prevented. |
| US07647626B2 |
Method for establishing a trusted relationship between a data server and a middleware server
A data server of a data processing system is operably coupled to a database and in communication with a middleware server. A connection between the data server and the middleware server is established and managed. A set of attributes identifying trusted middleware servers is instituted with the data server. The middleware server transmits a connection request to the data server. The connection request has request attributes including identifying the connection request as being for a new connection or reuse of an existing connection with different connection request attributes. A connection with the middleware server is established by the data server based on the connection request. A connection status message is received by the middleware server from the data server indicating a status of the connection request. A trust indicator for the connection is established at the data server according to a trust status identified by the set of attributes for the middleware server. |
| US07647623B2 |
Application layer ingress filtering
A method and system for filtering malicious packets received at the edge of a service provider (SP) domain is provided. A protocol aware border element identifies the protocol used by any ingress packet, and then determines which domain-specific information is used in the application payload of the packet to form the source identity. If this packet pretends to come from the SP domain, and no domain entity is allowed to roam, the packet is identified as illegitimate and is subjected to a given security policy. The border element also identifies as legitimate the SP domain entities that are allowed to roam, and legitimate sources outside said SP domain that communicates customary with entities in the SP domain. |
| US07647622B1 |
Dynamic security policy through use of empirical security events
Risk events occurring on a computer system are logged over time and a risk profile is dynamically generated and updated based on the logged risk events. In one embodiment, a security policy is dynamically set and updated based on the risk profile. |
| US07647621B2 |
System, method and computer program product for applying electronic policies
A system, method and computer program product are provided for policy management. In use, a plurality of rules for applying policies to a computer are identified. Further, information associated with the computer is also identified. Such rules and information are then utilized for applying the policies to the computer. |
| US07647619B2 |
Scalable filtering table
A broadcast receiver includes an input unit, a receiving unit, a control unit, a main memory, a demultiplexer unit, and a decoding unit. A transport stream of digital packetized data includes various data types identified by various parameters within the packet header. A filtering table lists select identifying parameters representing the various data types which are to be stored and processed. Data packets which do not have a select parameter found within the filtering table are ignored by the broadcast receiver. The filtering table is scalable by a control unit to an optimum size, which is the minimum size necessary to store all necessary parameters. A control unit determines the number of parameters required in the filtering table, and scales the filtering table to accommodate that number of parameters. |
| US07647616B2 |
Method to measure the perceived quality of streaming media
A method and system of analyzing the perceived quality of streaming media that includes transmitting at least one data packet from a stream sender to a stream receiver via a network connection; analyzing the data packets at the stream receiver, where the stream receiver determines whether there are data packets missing from the stream sender's data packets; requesting retransmission of specific data packets missing from the stream receiver; and retransmitting at least one specific data packet missing from the stream sender to the stream receiver. |
| US07647610B2 |
Interfacing system between digital TV and plurality of remote controllers, method thereof, remote controller thereof, and remote controller signal transmitting method thereof
The present invention provides a system and method for interfacing between a digital TV and a plurality of remote controllers, remote controller thereof, and remote controller signal transmitting method thereof, by which Java API enabling to support a plurality of remote controllers is defined to enable interfacing between the digital TV and a plurality of the remote controllers. In interfacing between a digital TV and a plurality of remote controllers, the present invention includes the steps of defining an event class including remote controller identifiers enabling to identify a plurality of the remote controllers, respectively and identifying a plurality of the remote controllers using the event class including the remote controller identifiers, respectively and controlling the digital TV according to a signal received from the identified remote controller. |
| US07647609B2 |
Advertisements in an end-user controlled playback environment
This invention discloses a method for displaying advertisements transmitted to a user unit, the method includes receiving, at the user unit, at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed and only if the delay tag allows delaying display of the at least one advertisement, storing the at least one advertisement at the user unit, retrieving the at least one advertisement and displaying the at least one advertisement. A billing system for reporting a commercial broadcast to a multiplicity of users is also disclosed. |
| US07647608B2 |
Digital broadcast signal, digital television receiver, and method of processing digital broadcast signal
A digital broadcast signal for use in a digital television receiver includes a rating region table carrying rating information for multiple geographical regions, and a master guide table carrying information related to the rating region table. The master guide table includes a version number field defining a version number of the rating region table and at least one effective time field defining an effective time of the version number. The effective time represents a time after which a use of the rating region table is permitted. For example, it may be represented by a number of global positioning system (GPS) seconds since a coordinated universal time (UTC). The effective time field is included in a descriptor within the master guide table. |
| US07647607B2 |
Viewing limit apparatus, viewing limit system, and viewing limit program
First rating information, together with a television broadcasting signal, is transmitted, and second rating information, together with electronic program guide information, is transmitted. A controller extracts the first rating information from video data decoded by a video decoder, and extracts the second rating information from EPG data decoded by an EPG processor. At the time of reserving a program, it is judged whether or not the program can be reserved by restricting viewing on the basis of the second rating information, and the result of the judgment is displayed on a program reservation setting guide. |
| US07647606B1 |
System for providing alternative services
The present invention provides a system for providing alternative services in a television system. In one implementation, a subscriber is provided an alternative service upon attempting to access an unauthorized service, thereby providing a framework for efficient control of conditional access and enhanced services. In addition, in one implementation, user device limitations or variations are handled conveniently through the same multi-purpose system for providing alternative services. |
| US07647605B2 |
Coded/non-coded program audience measurement system
An audience measurement system identifies a program which is broadcast from a signal source and to which a receiver is tuned. The audience measurement system includes a code reader for reading an ancillary code of the program to which the receiver is tuned, a channel status detector for determining channel status relating to channels to which the receiver is tuned, a memory for storing ancillary codes read by the code reading means and for storing channel status determined by the channel status determining means if ancillary codes are not readable by the code reading means, and a communicator for communicating the ancillary code and/or the channel status to a central office computer. |
| US07647603B2 |
Disc cartridge
A disc cartridge includes a cartridge main body 2, a rotation wheel 4 rotatably accommodated in the cartridge main body 2, a pair of shutter plates 5a, 5b interposed between a lower shell 7 and the rotation wheel 4 for releasing a first opening 24 of a lower shell 7 and a second opening 44 of the rotation wheel 4 in association with the rotation of the rotation wheel 4 when the first opening 24 coincides with the second opening 44, and a locking member 72 for prohibiting the rotation of the rotation wheel 4. The locking member 72 includes a locking portion 76 engaged with an engaging recessed portion 85 of the rotation wheel 4 for locking the rotation wheel 4 at a position where the shutter plates 5a, 5b close the first opening 24 and a first and second unlocking pieces 77, 78 for releasing the state that the locking portion 76 is engaged with the engaging recessed portion 85. The first unlocking piece 77 is faced to an insertion guide groove 25b on the front surface of the cartridge main body 2, and the second unlocking piece 78 is faced to a guide groove 15 formed to a side surface of the cartridge main body 2 in the inserting direction thereof. The rotation wheel 4 unlocked by depressing any of the first and second unlocking pieces 77, 78. With this arrangement, an unlocking mechanism of a rerecording and/or replaying device can be simplified. |
| US07647594B2 |
Processor system, task control method on computer system, computer program
A mechanism for recording a timing in which a high urgency process is started is provided, and upon entry to a critical section in the middle of a low urgency process, by referencing the record, it is inspected whether a high urgency process will be started during execution of the critical section. If it will not be started, the critical section is entered, and if it will be started, control is exerted so that entry to the critical section is postponed until the high urgency process is completed. Exclusive access control in a critical section can be performed suitably under conditions where a plurality of task execution environments exist. |
| US07647591B1 |
Method for dynamically enabling the expansion of a computer operating system
A method for scheduling tasks in a computer operating system comprises a background task creating at least one registered service. The background task provides an execution presence and a data present to a registered service and ranks the registered services according to the requirements of each registered service. The background task also allocates an execution presence and a data presence according to each of the registered services such that each of the registered services is given an opportunity to be scheduled in the dedicated pre-assigned time slice. |
| US07647588B2 |
Smart archive for JAR files
A method for updating values within the contents of a JAVA Archive (JAR) file without altering the JAR file structure. The present invention comprises a Smart Archive Program (SAP) and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for implementing the SAP. The SAP creates a temporary directory in a computer's memory and stores the JAR file structure in the memory. The SAP then extracts the JAR file content into the temporary directory and allows the user to update the field values within the JAR file content. When the user has finished updating the field values in the JAR file content, the SAP archives the JAR file content into a new JAR file according to the JAR file structure stored in memory. Consequently, the present invention is able to update the field values within the JAR file content without altering the JAR file structure. |
| US07647587B2 |
Methods for enhancing type reconstruction
Systems, methods, and structures are discussed that enhance type reconstruction for programs. Whereas previous methods insufficiently provide the set of types necessary for program analysis, the embodiments of the present invention can accept any verifiable bytecode programs and produce a set of types needed for program analysis. The embodiments of the present invention provide a technique called subtype completion that transforms a subtyping system by extending its type hierarchy to a lattice. However, such transformation inserts only a minimal amount of elements so as to enhance the computation of reconstructed types. |
| US07647583B2 |
Method and apparatus for emulating a hardware/software system using a computer
A platform for running embedded software using an inexpensive standard personal computer is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes a compiler assist component and a runtime component. The compiler assist component operates in conjunction with a standard personal computer compiler to compile an embedded system application to run on a conventional personal computer. The runtime component executes on the personal computer and operates in conjunction with the standard operating system drivers to allow an emulated system to communicate with real hardware connected to the personal computer or to virtual hardware that is simulated on the personal computer. |
| US07647579B2 |
Method, system and program product for detecting deviation from software development best practice resource in a code sharing system
Under the present invention, a best practice violation (BPV) engine resource is first built. This typically occurs by: receiving sets of source code from a plurality of sources; detecting a programming language of each of the sets of source code; extracting code patterns from the sets of source code; defining meta data for each code pattern that indicates a quality; classifying each code pattern; and assigning a rank to each of the code pattern based on its corresponding meta data as well as a skill level and an experience level of the developer. Once the BPV engine resource is built, it will be used to detect best practice violations in other sets of source code. |
| US07647576B2 |
Net/wiring selection method, net selection method, wiring selection method, and delay improvement method
The present invention relates to a net/wiring selection method for selecting, from among nets/wirings wired on the basis of layout information, a net/wiring whose layout is to be changed with priority in order to improve a delay. To enable efficient elimination of a critical path, the method is arranged to include a wiring capacitance lower limit computation step for computing wiring capacitance lower limits on the basis of layout information; an inter-wiring capacitance computation step for computing, as an inter-wiring capacitance, a difference between a real wiring capacitance and the wiring capacitance lower limit; a parallel wiring length extraction step for extracting a parallel wiring length existing between adjacent wirings of the respective wirings; and a selection step for selecting a net/wiring whose layout is to be changed, on the basis of the inter-wiring capacitance, the parallel wiring length, and a slack value. |
| US07647575B2 |
Method of creating a netlist for an FPGA and an ASIC
A method for developing integrated circuits includes generating a core (logic core) in an HDL format readable by a logic synthesis tool, from an ASIC core (logic core) made of ports of blocks and port connection information, creating a temporary chip design from chip terminal information to generate a terminal in the temporary chip design, generating a design identical to that created, as a cell within the design created, connecting a design port with a cell port, wherein a name of the design port is identical to a name of the cell port, inserting an I/O buffer, depending on the device technology, into a net between the ports connected, replacing the cell by the core (logic core) created to gerate a netlist, and expanding a hierarchy of the design, being the top hierarchy. |
| US07647574B2 |
Basic cell design method for reducing the resistance of connection wiring between logic gates
The basic cell design method of the present invention is a method for carrying out: extended pattern formation for extending the patterns of input wiring and output wiring in the longitudinal direction, forming first extended patterns that extend with a prescribed dimensional width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the ends of the extended patterns, and forming second extended patterns that extend with the prescribed dimensional width from the input wiring and the output wiring at the center of the cell in the longitudinal direction; and dummy pattern formation for subsequently arranging dummy patterns in vacant areas within the cell. |
| US07647573B2 |
Method and device for testing delay paths of an integrated circuit
A method of testing critical delay paths of an integrated circuit design is disclosed. The method includes predicting and ranking a set of critical delay paths based on a set of predicted delay characteristics. Integrated circuits based on the integrated circuit design are tested to determine a set of actual delay measurements for the critical delay paths. The critical delay paths are ranked based on the actual delay measurements, and the results are correlated to the predicted ranking of critical delay paths to produce a confidence measurement that measures the likelihood that the actual critical delay paths of the design have been tested for a given production batch of devices. |
| US07647571B1 |
Method of identifying state nodes at the transistor level in a sequential digital circuit
The state nodes in a sequential digital circuit are identified by identifying the minimal combinatorial feedback loops that are present in the digital circuit. Each minimal combinatorial feedback loop has at least one driver node, and one driver node from each minimal combinatorial feedback loop is assigned to be the state node for the loop. |
| US07647569B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for adjusting layout database hierarchies for more efficient database processing and storage
Systems and methods are disclosed for organizing layout data. A layout database is analyzed to determine a statistical distribution of cells within the layout database based on a shape complexity of each cell. Cells with a shape complexity that exceeds a complex threshold may be defined as complex cells, which are examined to find candidate shapes that may be moved to one or more child cells within the complex cell. The layout database is then stored as an output layout database with at least some of these candidate shapes moved to child cells within the complex cells. Simple cells with a shape complexity that is less than a simple threshold may have their layout shapes moved to a parent cell of that simple cell. The layout database may also be partitioned into multiple dispatchable segments, which may be distributed to multiple processing threads for performing additional processes on the database. |
| US07647565B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for an enhanced mouse pointer
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for selecting links in a page using an enhanced mouse pointer. The page is displayed in a data processing system that includes a mouse that includes a scroll wheel. Multiple links are included in the page. A standard mouse pointer is displayed in the page. An enhanced mouse pointer state is then invoked causing the standard mouse pointer to become an enhanced mouse pointer. In response to invoking the enhanced mouse pointer state, a closest one of the links in the page to the enhanced standard mouse pointer is determined. An enhanced mouse pointer indicator is displayed that extends from the enhanced mouse pointer to the determined closest one of the links. The links may be scrolled through by rotating the scroll wheel. |
| US07647562B2 |
Deployment and execution of a graphical program on an embedded device from a PDA
System and method for deploying and executing a program, e.g., a graphical program, on an embedded device, e.g., a compact sensor interface (CSI) that includes or is coupled to one or more sensors. The program is stored on a host mobile computer, e.g., a PDA, then downloaded to the CSI over a wired or wireless serial link, e.g., cable, infrared (IR), Bluetooth, etc. The embedded device executes the graphical program to perform the function, thereby generating data. The data is sent to the mobile computer over a wired or wireless serial link, e.g., via a Front Panel Protocol, where the data is displayed. Alternatively, the mobile computer executes a different program to perform a discovery operation to detect and establish communications with the embedded device, retrieves the data from the embedded device via a wireless serial transmission medium, e.g., IR link (e.g., IrDA), Bluetooth, etc., and displays the data. |
| US07647560B2 |
User interface for multi-sensory emoticons in a communication system
Methods and systems for providing dynamic emoticons during chat sessions across game consoles are disclosed. A dynamic emoticon may include haptic, visual, and/or auditory components. Each component may have an associated intensity level, e.g., based on a pressure with which a user of the game console presses a controller button or actuates a control input. The emoticon's auditory component may include or identify a sound effects filter or a known audio file; the emoticon's visual component may include or identify a visual effects filter or a known video or graphic file; the emoticon's haptic component may cause vibration of or force feedback on the controller. Emoticons may be sent from one voice chat participant's game console to another voice chat participant's game console across a network such as the Internet. |
| US07647557B2 |
Techniques for shuffling video information
An apparatus, system, method, and article for shuffling video information are described. The apparatus may include a media processing node to receive video information. The media processing node may include a shuffling module to shuffle the video information according to a shuffle order and a trusted entity programmed based on the shuffle order to provide access to the video information. The video information may be provided in an unshuffled manner when accessed through the trusted entity. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07647554B2 |
System and method for improved spell checking
A spell checking method presents a selectable list of similarly spelled words, when a misspelled word is selected by the user who wishes to find the correct spelling. One feature determines the “content” or “topic” of a document. Based on the content, the spell checker presents likely replacement words for a misspelled word. In another feature, for each letter in the word, the spell checker checks for “nearby” letters on keyboard keys to improve the spell checker's list of replacement words. The system also monitors a user's history of use with respect to nearby or key (i.e. letter) substitutions and considers this information when presenting lists of alternative words. Another feature corrects spelling by monitoring a user's history of spell check corrections. Aggregate tables of corrections for more than one user may be maintained, shared, and provided by spell checkers. Various priorities may be used so that one approach is given favor over another. The priorities may be determined by manual input of a user or automatically provided by the system software. Another feature provides an auxiliary window that shows a user's most-frequently or most-recently misspelled words. The user can use a clipboard facility to copy and paste words of interest from the auxiliary window to a current document. |
| US07647553B2 |
View templates for HTML source documents
A View Template allows a template author to create an attractive HTML view template, and flow an arbitrary HTML content document into a series of containers defined in the view template. A content document author creates a standard HTML markup language document that can be displayed in a browser in the bottom-less page model. A view template author designs an HTML view template document that changes how that content document is displayed in the browser or printed. The HTML content document is “flowed” into areas defined by the HTML view template document. The HTML view template document describes where to flow the HTML content document onto the display or printer. There is an object model (OM) that supports the series of containers holding the content document. Each container in the series has a layout that defines the size, location, and ordering for the content document to flow through while in that container. The order of containers that the content document flows through is kept in a view chain. The view chain also maintains a break table with information about the content document at each of the container boundaries. |
| US07647552B2 |
XML encoding scheme
Disclosed is a method (900) for communicating at least part of a structure of a document (104) described by a hierarchical representation (102). The method identifies (902) the hierarchical representation (eg. the tree structure) of the document (104). The identification is preferably performed using XML tags. The representation is then packetized (906) into a plurality of data packets. At least one link is then created (908) between a pair of the packets, the link acting to represent an interconnection between corresponding components (eg. structure and content) of the representation. The packets are then formed (910) into a stream for communication. The links maintain the hierachical representation within the packets. |
| US07647547B2 |
Turbo decoder with reduced-size branch metric cache
A method and an apparatus is provided for producing branch metrics in a LogMAP turbo decoding operation. During a forward recursion of a trellis, a set of primary branch metrics is generated. The primary branch metrics are stored in receiver form in a relatively small memory cache module and corresponding secondary branch metrics are produced by negating the primary branch metrics. The primary branch metrics and the secondary branch metrics constitute all possible branch metrics for a given state in the trellis. During a backwards recursion of the trellis, the stored primary branch metrics are retrieved from the memory cache module and the secondary branch metrics are regenerated by negating the retrieved primary branch metrics. |
| US07647546B2 |
Apparatus and method for decoding Reed-Solomon symbols
A digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) reception apparatus receives DMB service in a mobile communication system. In the DMB reception apparatus, a Reed-Solomon (R-S) decoder receives a coded broadcast signal and outputs an error symbol with a transport error indicator bit, if all data bits in the symbol are ‘0’. A moving picture experts group (MPEG) decoder discards the error symbol. |
| US07647542B2 |
Recording and reproducing data to/from a recording medium having a user data area and an information area for storing information about the recording medium
If a large minimum data unit for recorded data is used to record a small data amount of management information, the recording time is long, and furthermore when a WO (write once) is used as the recording medium, the number of recording operations is restricted. To solve the above problems, the present invention records data in a management area in units smaller than ordinary units for recorded data to suitably record information in a limited management area and thereby efficiently use the user data area. At that time, the present invention simplifies interleave processing usually applied to ordinary recorded data, and performs the simplified interleave processing on a data structure (for data of small size) of the present invention so as to ensure the signal processing compatibility between the ordinary data and data having the data structure according to the present invention. |
| US07647539B2 |
System and method of testing using test pattern re-execution in varying timing scenarios for processor design verification and validation
A system and method processor testing using test pattern re-execution is presented. A processor re-executes test patterns using different timing scenarios in order to reduce test pattern build time and increase system test coverage. The invention described herein varies initial states of a processor's memory (cache, TLB, SLB, etc.) that, in turn, varies the timing scenarios when re-executing test patterns. By re-executing the test patterns instead of rebuilding new test patterns, verification quality is improved since more time is available for execution, verification and validation. In addition, since the test patterns result in the same final state, the invention described herein also simplifies error checking. |
| US07647533B2 |
Automatic protection switching and error signal processing coordination apparatus and methods
Automatic Protection Switching (APS) and error signal processing coordination apparatus and methods are disclosed. If a communication module that enables communication signals and error signals to be exchanged with a remote communication module is configured in an APS protection group, error signal processing by the communication module is restricted. This prevents Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) T1/E1 Remote Defect Indication (RDI) signal processing, for example, from interfering with Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SONET/SDH) unidirectional One-plus-One APS. Under certain conditions, however, a restricted communication module may be allowed to perform a restricted error processing operation or revert to normal unrestricted error signal processing. |
| US07647528B2 |
Problem determination via model-based debugging
A method for automated software debugging includes steps of: receiving an interface configured for accessing a program; receiving a behavioral model of the program; receiving a failing input sequence from the program; executing the failing input sequence on both the behavioral model and the program; validating, after each executing step, an expected behavior of the program by executing specially constructed test sequences from the behavioral model; performing model mutation for creating a hypothesis of faulty behaviors; verifying hypothesized faulty behaviors; and scoring hypothesized faulty behaviors for producing a ranked list of diagnoses. The method also includes a step of presenting the ranked list of diagnoses to a user. |
| US07647527B2 |
Apparatus and method for collecting and displaying data for remote diagnostics
Systems and methods for automating database table and application data collection into one process to facilitate remote diagnostics of a computer problem are disclosed. A customized batch file is created by a remote support technician that can be run on a user computer that has the actual data to be gathered for the computer problem to be diagnosed. An output data file is created by the running batch file compiling problem diagnosis data from the user computer. The data file can then be viewed via a single viewing process that displays the application and database data of the data file through a single GUI and allows easy viewing manipulation of that data through the GUI. Because the database table data may be saved in a string delimited format with table field names saved with it, the database program is not needed in order to view the tables. |
| US07647525B2 |
Resumption of operations following failover in connection with triangular asynchronous replication
Handling failure of a primary group at a first data center that is part of plurality of data centers providing triangular asynchronous replication includes creating a data mirroring relationship between at least one storage volume at a second data center having a synchronous backup group that is part of the plurality of data centers and at least one storage volume at a third data center having an asynchronous backup group that is part of the plurality of data centers and resuming work at the third data center. Handling failure of a primary group at a first data center may also include synchronizing the at least one storage volume at the second data center with the at least one storage volume at the third data center prior to resuming work at the third data center. |
| US07647516B2 |
Power consumption management among compute nodes
In a method for managing power consumption among compute nodes having respective power components, an increase in the power utilization of a first compute node of the compute nodes may be detected. In response to a detected increase, a sum of the power consumption levels of the compute nodes and the requested increase in power utilization of the first compute node is compared with an allowable power budget for a compute node pool. In addition, the power state of the first compute node power component is varied in response to the comparison. |
| US07647513B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving responsiveness of a power management system in a computing device
A computer system has multiple performance states. The computer system periodically determines utilization information for the computer system and adjusts the performance state according to the utilization information. If a performance increase is required, the computer system always goes to the maximum performance state. If a performance decrease is required, the computer system steps the performance state down to a next lower performance state. |
| US07647511B2 |
Method for charging data processing apparatus having two separate units
When a plurality of electric devices is charged, each electric device is charged by priorities. The data processing apparatus related to the present invention comprises; a first data processing unit which comprises a first memory, a first data control section and a first battery; a second data processing unit which comprises a second memory, a second data control section and a second battery. The first data processing unit and the second data processing unit can be mechanically attached to and removed from each other. The data processing apparatus related to the present invention comprises; a data transfer control section which transfers data between the first memory and the second memory when the first data processing unit and the second data processing unit are mechanically connected with each other; and charge control sections which charge the first battery and the second battery when the first data processing unit and the second data processing unit are mechanically connected with each other, and the data processing apparatus is connected to the external power supply means. |
| US07647505B2 |
Recording medium, recording medium reading/writing apparatus, and method of using recording medium
The current society can be referred to as a card society, since people can use various types of cards for a variety of applications. However, card users must always carry a number of cards depending upon the application, and must use different cards according to the purpose, which can bother such users. A memory of an IC chip of an IC card includes a fingerprint information area to verify the identity of a card owner, a personal information area in which personal information of the card owner is classified and recorded with different security levels set up, a company information area in which each company writes information of the company using an “encryption key” unique to the company, and a public organization information area in which each public organization writes information of the public organization using an “encryption key” unique to the public organization. |
| US07647503B2 |
Optimization methods for the insertion, projection, and detection of digital watermarks in digital data
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for encoding digital watermarks into content signals. Also disclosed are systems and methods for detecting and/or verifying digital watermarks in content signals. According to one embodiment, a system for encoding of digital watermark information includes: a window identifier for identifying a sample window in the signal; an interval calculator for determining a quantization interval of the sample window; and a sampler for normalizing the sample window to provide normalized samples. Other methods and systems for encoding/decoding digital watermarks are also disclosed. |
| US07647502B2 |
Optimization methods for the insertion, protection, and detection of digital watermarks in digital data
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for encoding digital watermarks into content signals. Also disclosed are systems and methods for detecting and/or verifying digital watermarks in content signals. According to one embodiment, a system for encoding of digital watermark information includes: a window identifier for identifying a sample window in the signal; an interval calculator for determining a quantization interval of the sample window; and a sampler for normalizing the sample window to provide normalized samples. According to another embodiment, a system for pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding at least one digital watermark using a digital filter is disclosed. According to another embodiment, a method for pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding digital watermarks comprises: (1) providing a digital signal; (2) providing a digital filter to be applied to the digital signal; and (3) identifying an area of the digital signal that will be affected by the digital filter based on at least one measurable difference between the digital signal and a counterpart of the digital signal selected from the group consisting of the digital signal as transmitted, the digital signal as stored in a medium, and the digital signal as played backed. According to another embodiment, a method for encoding a watermark in a content signal includes the steps of (1) splitting a watermark bit stream; and (2) encoding at least half of the watermark bit stream in the content signal using inverted instances of the watermark bit stream. Other methods and systems for encoding/decoding digital watermarks are also disclosed. |
| US07647499B2 |
Apparatus and method for ownership verification
A method and apparatus identifying an item by attaching a radio frequency identification device to the item; obtaining encryption information; generating an encrypted code from the encryption information by a programmer; inserting the encrypted code into the radio frequency identification device by the programmer whereas the encrypted code may be one of a plurality of encrypted codes; attempting to access the radio frequency identification device by a security reader by transmission of another encrypted code to the radio frequency identification device; and responding with a correct access signal by the radio frequency identification device in response to receipt of the other encrypted code if the other encrypted code is same as the inserted encrypted code. |
| US07647498B2 |
Device authentication
Authentication of two devices in communication with a third device is achieved where the first and second devices each possess a shared secret value. The authentication includes communication of authentication values from the first device to the second device using the third device. Similarly, there is communication of values from the second device to the first device using the third device. The third device retains the communicated values. The values are calculated to permit the third device to authenticate the first and second devices without the third device receiving the shared secret value. The authentication may be used to establish a communications channel between the first and the second devices. |
| US07647496B2 |
Process-mode independent driver model
Methods, systems, and computer program products that, by defining a common interface, allow for a single implementation of operations common to both kernel mode and user mode processing, relative to a hardware adapter. Corresponding kernel mode and user mode implementations of the operations are provided. For a given process, a call to the common interface is mapped to the kernel mode implementation for kernel mode processes and to the user mode implementation for user mode processes. The mapping may be performed at runtime or may be static. The common operation may provide a user mode process direct access to a hardware adapter, such as for sending and receiving information, without switching to kernel mode. A kernel mode implementation for operations unique to kernel mode processing, such as specifying security parameters for the hardware adapter to enforce, or initiating and terminating communication through the hardware adapter, also may be provided. |
| US07647488B2 |
Information processing device with branch history restoration
The information processing device of the present invention stores the branch history information of a fetched instruction. When branch prediction fails, BHR information used for the branch prediction is restored using this stored branch history information. Thus, even when branch prediction fails, BHR information can be accurately restored. Accordingly, prediction accuracy can be improved. |
| US07647487B2 |
Instruction-associated processor resource optimization
Embodiments include a device and a method. In an embodiment, a method applies a first resource management strategy to a first resource associated with a first processor and executes an instruction block in a first processor. The method also applies a second resource management strategy to a second resource of a similar type as the first resource and executes the instruction block in a second processor. The method further selects a resource management strategy likely to provide a substantially optimum execution of the instruction group from the first resource management strategy and the second resource management strategy. |
| US07647483B2 |
Multi-threaded parallel processor methods and apparatus
A processor system and a processor readable medium, which implement a method for implementing multiple contexts on one or more SPE are disclosed. Code and/or data for a first and second contexts may be respectively stored simultaneously in first and second regions of an SPE's local memory, storing code and/or data for a second context in a second region of the local memory, the SPE may execute the first context while the second context waits. Code and/or data for the first context may be transferred from the first region to the second and code and/or data for the second context may be transferred from the second region to the first, and the SPE may execute the second context during a pause or stoppage of execution of the first context. Alternatively, the code and/or data for the second context may be transferred to another SPE's local memory. |
| US07647479B2 |
Non-temporal memory reference control mechanism
An apparatus and method are provided for extending a microprocessor instruction set to specify non-temporal memory references at the instruction level. The apparatus includes translation logic and extended execution logic. The translation logic translates an extended instruction into a micro instruction sequence. The extended instruction has an extended prefix and an extended prefix tag. The extended prefix specifies a non-temporal access for a memory reference prescribed by the extended instruction, where the non-temporal access cannot be specified by an existing instruction from an existing instruction set. The extended prefix tag indicates the extended prefix, where the extended prefix tag is an otherwise architecturally specified opcode within the existing instruction set. The extended execution logic is coupled to the translation logic. The extended execution logic receives the micro instruction sequence, and executes the non-temporal access to perform the memory reference. |
| US07647477B2 |
Branch target aware instruction prefetching technique
Inspecting a currently fetched instruction group and determining branching behavior of the currently fetched instruction group, allows for intelligent instruction prefetching. A currently fetched instruction group is predecoded and, assuming the currently fetch instruction group includes a branch type instruction, a branch target is characterized in relation to a fetch boundary, which delimits a memory region contiguous with the memory region that hosts the currently fetched instruction group. Instruction prefetching is included based, at least in part, on the predecoded characterization of the branch target. |
| US07647473B2 |
Instruction processing method for verifying basic instruction arrangement in VLIW instruction for variable length VLIW processor
An instruction processing method for checking an arrangement of basic instructions in a very long instruction word (VLIW) instruction, suitable for language processing systems, an assembler and a compiler, used for processors which execute variable length VLIW instructions designed based on variable length VLIW architecture. |
| US07647472B2 |
High speed and high throughput digital communications processor with efficient cooperation between programmable processing components
An integrated circuit (203) for use in processing streams of data generally and streams of packets in particular. The integrated circuit (203) includes a number of packet processors (307, 313, 303), a table look up engine (301), a queue management engine (305) and a buffer management engine (315). The packet processors (307, 313, 303) include a receive processor (421), a transmit processor (427) and a risc core processor (401), all of which are programmable. The receive processor (421) and the core processor (401) cooperate to receive and route packets being received and the core processor (401) and the transmit processor (427) cooperate to transmit packets. Routing is done by using information from the table look up engine (301) to determine a queue (215) in the queue management engine (305) which is to receive a descriptor (217) describing the received packet's payload. |
| US07647469B2 |
Method of assigning virtual import/export element addresses
A method for assigning element addresses in an automated data storage library includes determining if a data storage device, such as a tape cartridge, belongs to a particular host's cartridge assignment policy. If so, the data storage device is issued a virtual import/export element address taken from a set of non-common virtual import/export element addresses, if available. If no non-common address is available, then a common virtual import/export element address is assigned to the data storage device. If no addresses, either common or non-common, are available, then the data storage device is queued until an address becomes available. |
| US07647468B2 |
Compaction, de-fragmentation, and merging of virtual storage device of virtual machine
A computing device is partitioned to include a host partition (HP) instantiated at least in part to provide storage capabilities, and also to include a client partition (CP) instantiated at least in part to consume such storage capabilities of the HP in the form of a virtual storage device at the CP. The HP implements the virtual storage device of the CP as an image file on a physical storage device. The image file at the HP is compacted while the CP is active and employing the corresponding virtual storage device. |
| US07647467B1 |
Tuning DRAM I/O parameters on the fly
On the fly tuning of parameters used in an interface between a memory (e.g. high speed memory such as DRAM) and a processor requesting access to the memory. In an operational mode, a memory controller couples the processor to the memory. The memory controller can also inhibit the operational mode to initiate a training mode. In the training mode, the memory controller tunes one or more parameters (voltage references, timing skews, etc.) used in an upcoming operational mode. The access to the memory may be from an isochronous process running on a graphics processor. The memory controller determines whether the isochronous process may be inhibited before entering the training mode. If memory buffers for the isochronous process are such that the training mode will not impact the isochronous process, then the memory controller can enter the training mode to tune the interface parameters without negatively impacting the process. |
| US07647464B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for recording media to a restoration server
Methods, devices, and products are disclosed for recording media. An input is received via a user interface to record media. An entry is created in a recording schedule to record the media. The recording schedule is sent to a restoration server, such that the recording schedule is mirrored to the restoration server. |
| US07647462B2 |
Method, system, and program for data synchronization between a primary storage device and a secondary storage device by determining whether a first identifier and a second identifier match, where a unique identifier is associated with each portion of data
Disclosed is a technique for data synchronization. A first identifier for a portion of data on a primary volume is determined, wherein a unique identifier is associated with each portion of data at the primary volume. A second identifier for a portion of corresponding data at a secondary volume is determined, wherein a unique identifier is associated with each portion of data at the secondary volume. The first and second identifiers are compared. When the first and second identifiers do not match, the portion of corresponding data at the secondary volume in a storage device is replaced with the portion of data at the primary volume. |
| US07647461B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating resources among virtual filers on a filer
An architecture provides the ability to create and maintain multiple instances of virtual servers, such as virtual filers (vfilers), within a server, such as a filer. A vfiler is a logical partitioning of network and storage resources of the filer platform to establish an instance of a multi-protocol server. Each vfiler is allocated a subset of dedicated units of storage resources, such as volumes or logical sub-volumes (qtrees), and one or more network address resources. Each vfiler is also allowed shared access to a file system resource of a storage operating system. To ensure controlled access to the allocated and shared resources, each vfiler is further assigned its own security domain for each access protocol. A vfiler boundary check is performed by the file system to verify that a current vfiler is allowed to access certain storage resources for a requested file stored on the filer platform. |
| US07647458B1 |
Garbage collection
A computer system includes a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, configured to provide the processor with a plurality of instructions including a garbage collection barrier instruction and a subsequent instruction that immediately follows the garbage collection barrier instruction; wherein the processor is configured to execute the garbage collection barrier instruction, including by: evaluating a memory reference to determine a condition associated with the garbage collection barrier instruction; and in the event that the condition is met, while maintaining the same privilege level, saving information that is based at least in part on the current value of a program counter, and setting the program counter to correspond to a target location that is other than the location of the subsequent instruction. |
| US07647457B2 |
Method and apparatus for hardware awareness of data types
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions in a processor for associating a data type with a memory location. The type is associated with a location by means of metadata that is generated and manipulated by hardware instructions that are typically generated by a compiler as it generates the other instructions that comprise the machine code version of a program. A determination is made as to whether a data value about to be stored is of the required data type for that location. The hardware indicates an error condition if the types do not match. |
| US07647454B2 |
Transactional shared memory system and method of control
A transactional shared memory system has a plurality of discrete application nodes; a plurality of discrete memory nodes; a network interconnecting the application nodes and the memory nodes, and a controller for directing transactions in a distributed system utilizing the shared memory. The memory nodes collectively provide an address space of shared memory that is provided to the application nodes via the network. The controller has instructions to transfer a batched transaction instruction set from an application node to at least one memory node. This instruction set includes one or more write, compare and read instruction subsets, and/or combinations thereof. At least one subset has a valid non null memory node identifier and memory address range. The memory node identifier may be indicated by the memory address range. The controller controls the memory node responsive to receipt of the batched transaction instruction set, to safeguard the associated memory address range during execution of the transaction instruction set. The batched transaction instruction set is collectively executed atomically. A notification instruction set may also be used to establish a notification, triggered upon a subsequent write event upon at least a portion of a specified address range. |
| US07647449B1 |
Method, system, and computer readable medium for maintaining the order of write-commands issued to a data storage
A method, system, and computer readable medium for maintaining the order of write-commands issued to a data storage, where the write-commands are issued by one or more host. In one embodiment of the present invention the method includes assigning an order-descriptor to each write-command, storing the write-command, storing the order-descriptor, and collating a plurality of order-descriptors and their corresponding write-commands to obtain an ordered write-command stream. |
| US07647446B2 |
Networked isochronous USB communication
Methods and systems are provided for helping maintain isochronous communications with peripheral devices (308), such as USB devices, over a network (302). Some methods for facilitating isochronous IN communication include noting (1906) passage of a predetermined interval without communication (310) from the peripheral device driver (402), and then creating (1908) a dummy communication (312) and sending (1910) it over the network toward the peripheral device to maintain isochronous communication toward the peripheral device. Some methods for facilitating isochronous OUT communication include noting (2006) passage of a predetermined interval without receipt, over the network, of a responsive communication (310) from the peripheral device in response to a first communication, and then creating (2008) a dummy communication (312) and sending (2010) it toward the peripheral device driver to maintain isochronous communication transmissions toward the peripheral device driver. The interval between isochronous communication transmissions may be changed (1930) to optimize buffer (314) usage, and delays may be controlled (1922, 2016). |
| US07647444B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic hardware arbitration
A method and apparatus for dynamically arbitrating, in hardware, requests for a resource shared among multiple clients. Multiple data streams or service requests require access to a shared resource, such as memory, communication bandwidth, etc. A hardware arbiter monitors the streams' traffic levels and determines when one or more of their arbitration weights should be adjusted. When a queue used by one of the streams is filled to a threshold level, the hardware reacts by quickly and dynamically modifying that queue's arbitration weight. Therefore, as the queue is filled or emptied to different thresholds, the queue's arbitration weight rapidly changes to accommodate the corresponding client's temporal behavior. The arbiter may also consider other factors, such as the client's type of traffic, a desired quality of service, available credits, available descriptors, etc. |
| US07647442B2 |
Series-connected control system
A control system includes a host device and a string of slave devices coupled in series. The host device includes a first transmission unit operable to transmit an encoded control signal provided by a first processing module, and to receive an encoded feedback signal for subsequent decoding by the first processing module. Each of the slave devices includes: a driven member responsive to a driving signal for generating an event; a driving unit operable to provide the driving signal; a detection unit generating an initial feedback signal based on the event; a second processing module capable of decoding the encoded control signal so as to drive the driving unit when an address code in the encoded control signal corresponds to the slave device, and of generating the encoded feedback signal; and a second transmission unit operable to receive the encoded control signal, and to transmit the encoded feedback signal. |
| US07647441B2 |
Communications system and method with multilevel connection identification
An embodiment includes a communication medium coupled to a plurality of the functional blocks in an integrated circuit. Three or more of the initiator functional blocks communicate with a target functional block by sending requests having an associated identifier to indicate a transaction stream that the request is part of. At least a first and a second of buffer are associated with the target functional block at an interface of the target functional block to the communication medium and receive requests having the associated identifiers from the three or more initiator functional blocks through a shared common connection point for the interface. The communication medium implements a mapping algorithm to map requests from a first initiator functional block as well as requests from a third initiator functional block to a first dedicated buffer based on the associated identifiers. The mapping algorithm also maps requests from a second initiator functional block to a second buffer based on the associated identifier. |
| US07647440B2 |
Motherboard detection of computer chassis type
A computer motherboard detects the form factor type of the chassis in which it is installed to permit tailoring functionality accordingly. |
| US07647432B2 |
Setting attributes of jobs and documents in a layered structure
An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-function peripheral which is easy for a user to operate. To achieve the object, according to the present invention, there is provided a peripheral connected to an information processing apparatus, which inputs and analyzes a job script constituted of packet data from the information processing apparatus, and subsequently generates an appropriate job file in accordance with the content of the job script. |
| US07647431B2 |
Shared simultaneously-connected removable drives and servers each housing an I/O controller which maintains an uninterrupted protocol connection
Local drive presence is provided for local and remote drives by maintaining a plurality of uninterrupted protocol connections between a plurality of I/O controllers and a plurality of device interfaces through which peripheral bus commands are transmitted. Preferably, the I/O controllers are each housed in a separate server blade and provide each blade with access to the local and remote drives. At each of the device interfaces, rather than attaching an actual storage device, peripheral bus commands received at the device interfaces are serialized and conditionally passed or suppressed to and from the shared drive which is shared amongst the plurality of uninterrupted protocol connections. Preferably, the plurality of uninterrupted protocol connections is maintained such that the shared drives can be simultaneously shared. In one embodiment, the local drives are provided in a media tray which is shared amongst a plurality blades. |
| US07647430B2 |
Remote command framework for devices
A robust device messaging framework is disclosed that enables a user to send commands to a device. A provisioning service is used to provision unique device identities and maps user web identities to device identities. The provisioning service also limits device per day provisioning attempts to limit denial of service attacks. A command service allows remote users to issue commands to a device, synchronize outgoing commands with incoming results, receive accurate feedback about whether a command was received, and maintain state information about the device. A device layer encrypts and stores device identities, authenticates itself with the command service, establishes a high-availability Internet connection to receive alerts that a command has issued, and reports results to the server-based command service. |
| US07647427B1 |
Redundancy support for network address translation (NAT)
Stateful failover redundancy support is provided for network address translation (NAT). A master NAT device is backed-up with at least one back-up NAT device. Existing sessions are synchronized between the two NAT devices, such as via a dedicated link between them. In the event of a failover where the master NAT device is unable to perform its NAT functions, ownership of Internet protocol (IP) addresses is transferred from the master NAT device to the back-up NAT device. The back-up NAT device, which is now owner of the IP addresses, assumes the NAT functionality associated with these IP addresses and continues the existing sessions, as well as processing new sessions. |
| US07647425B2 |
Efficient intra-domain routing in packet-switched networks
The invention relates to the routing of data packets in a packet-switched network, e.g. in an autonomous system, having traffic distribution. According to the invention, the forwarding or the routing of data packets occurs via the access interface based on an item of information and via the output interface of the data packet based on an item of information. Both these items of information are, for example at the input interface, placed in front of the data packet in the form of information fields or labels. The invention enables, with a moderate expense and limited degree of complexity, a flexible and loop-free routing under the terms of a traffic distribution. |
| US07647423B2 |
Workflow based and metadata driven reporting system
A flexible metadata driven and workflow based report generation system is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the system comprises at least one client application on a client terminal and a report manager system. The client application allows a user to run a report from a user interface having the flexibility to choose various parameters that affect the content of the generated report. The report manager system comprises a metadata service and a workflow controller service. The metadata service is for retrieving report metadata (report name, parameter(s) and their parameter values) to be displayed on the user interface to allow the user to choose parameter values and run a report job. The controller is for receiving messages from the client terminal upon submission of a report job and, based on the received messages, sending messages to one or more service components for executing the report job in a sequence of determined discrete steps. A report workflow defines the steps to be invoked in the execution of a report and is stored in tables in a database accessible via the metadata service. The services components may include data accessors, formatting services, language translation services, bundling services, distribution services and/or scheduling services. |
| US07647422B2 |
VPN failure recovery
An approach to rapid failover of a communication path between computers that are linked by redundant virtual links in a virtual private network (VPN) features detection of communication link and device failures through an active monitoring approach and re-routing of communication through a redundant link of the VPN when a failure is detected. |
| US07647419B2 |
Client-side virtual radio station
A system and method are provided for generating client-side virtual radio stations. The method comprises: receiving server-supplied radio stations at an network-connected radio service client; establishing radio filter characteristics; analyzing the server-supplied radio stations using the filter characteristics; generating a client-side virtual radio station service; supplying the virtual radio station service from a virtual radio station; and, presenting the virtual radio station services on a client-side user interface. The radio filter characteristics may be established using automatic, semi-automatic, or manual selection mechanisms. For example, characteristics may be selected automatically, as learned from an analysis of a user's past and present behavior. The radio filter characteristics may include criteria such as musical genre, song title, artist information, or server source, to name just a few. |
| US07647418B2 |
Real-time streaming media measurement system and method
Systems and method for measuring parameters of a media stream are disclosed. Some example systems include a data collection agent that selectively couples with at least one user-designated media stream and collects data associated with the media stream. The example systems may further include a web server that communicates with at least one data collection agent. The web server may obtain a request from a user for measurement of a user-designated media stream, the user request including an identification of the media stream and a list of one or more performance parameters of said stream to be measured. The data collection agent receives from the web server a parameter set defining a measurement of the user-designated media stream, collects and measures media stream data according to the parameter set, and provides the user with real-time performance characteristics. |
| US07647404B2 |
Method of authentication processing during a single sign on transaction via a content transform proxy service
The Content Transform Proxy (CTP) service is an advanced Web proxy service, the basic function of which is to modify incoming HTTP requests having a server-side destination and/or outgoing HTTP responses. The CTP service is implemented by the CTP program, which resides on a host in a data communications network between an end user (the Web client) and a content server that the client is attempting to access. The HTTP request and/or an HTTP response is modified by making an HTTP request on the client side using a client web browser, processing the HTTP request on the server side using outgoing proxy rules, passing on the processed HTTP transaction to the server-side destination, returning the results of the processed HTTP request from the server-side destination, processing the HTTP response on the server side using incoming proxy rules, and returning the processed HTTP response to the client web browser on the client side. |
| US07647400B2 |
Dynamically exchanging computer user's context
Techniques for providing information about a current state modeled with multiple attributes is described. The providing of information can include receiving from a first source an indication of an ability to supply values for one of the state attributes of the modeled current state, and supplying to a client a value for the one attribute received from the first source. After the supplying of the value, the providing can include receiving from a second source a value supplying ability for the one attribute and supplying of a value for the one attribute based on values received for the one attribute from the first and second sources. After the supplying of that value, the providing can include receiving from the first source an indication of a value supplying inability for the one attribute and supplying a value for the one attribute received from the second source. |
| US07647399B2 |
System and method for comparing a service level at a remote network location to a service level objective
A system and method to store a service level objective, produce one or more network conditions on a first network link where such network condition matches the state of such network condition on a second network link, and where the second network link connects to a remote network location, execute a transaction of an application over the first network link and predict if a service level of the transaction of the application over the second network link reaches the stored service level objective. |
| US07647395B2 |
Terminal management system
A terminal management system includes a terminal apparatus connected to a local network, a management server capable of transmitting and receiving information relating to the terminal apparatus through the local network, and a client terminal capable of receiving the information relating to the terminal apparatus from the management server through the local network. The management server includes a terminal searching section for searching for the terminal apparatus connected to the local network, a terminal information transmitting section for transmitting information relating to this terminal apparatus to the client terminal with reference to information relating to the client terminal, and a driver requesting section for requesting a data server connected to an external network for a driver program for operating the terminal apparatus, in accordance with request information transmitted from the client terminal. The management server transmits an installer and the driver program to the client terminal. |
| US07647392B2 |
Device model agent
The Device Model Agent (DMA), the device side technology module in Device Centric Services (DCS) system, is the main focus of this invention. DMA is a thin, efficient applications/services execution environment. DMA provides an embedded services platform for enabling system management applications and services. This allows a flexible, extensible, dynamic services management module allowing networked services to be designed, added, and managed within the system without modifications to devices, DCS system, or DMA itself. While this invention specifically describes the integration of benefits from DMA into document system devices, the concepts are equally applicable in other domains. The DMA runtime environment is a thin software interface layer that resides on a document system device between the Java runtime environment and embedded web server. |
| US07647387B2 |
Methods and systems for rule-based distributed and personlized content delivery
Methods and systems are disclosed for delivering personalized content from a first server such as a merchant Web server to a computer accessing a second server such as an affiliate Web server. A system according to the present invention includes a merchant Web server and an affiliate Web server, the affiliate Web server being coupled to the merchant Web server over a computer network. A database of user information is accessible to the merchant Web server, as is a rule base that includes a plurality of configurable rules. User identification may be collected from the computer accessing a Web site controlled by the affiliate Web server and the collected user identification may be sent to the merchant Web server, along with a request for content. User information corresponding to the collected user identification may then be retrieved from the database. The user information obtained from the database may be applied to the plurality of rules and selected content may be returned to the affiliate Web server in response to the request for content. The returned content is selected based upon the result of the application of the user information to the plurality of rules. |
| US07647379B2 |
System and method for re-routing messaging traffic to external resources
Method of re-routing mail traffic exchanged with a messaging system in a data transmission system in which at least one user connected to an IP transport network such as the Internet can transmit requests to and receive data from a plurality of servers through a load balancer, wherein at least one of the servers being a mail server in charge of mail exchange with the user through the IP transport network. This method comprises the steps of forwarding a routing context to an external service infrastructure partner (SIP) device when the system is triggered by an event A, reconfiguring the load balancer in order to be able to send a mail protocol to the SIP device when receiving the mail traffic to be re-routed to the SIP device, and forwarding a user context to the SIP device. |
| US07647376B1 |
SPAM report generation system and method
A method of the present invention generally comprises receiving an electronic mail message and determining whether the electronic message is an unsolicited message. If the message is an unsolicited message, it is examined to identify a network address relating to the message and an authority hosting the network address. A report is then generated containing the identified network address and the hosting authority. |
| US07647375B1 |
Enabling mapping identification of online identities between different messaging services
A method and system for populating identities in a message service involves registering a user of a first messaging service with a second messaging service. User identities for users other than the registered user may be identified. These user identities may be associated with the first messaging service and may be stored in a list associated with the registered user. It is determined if each identified user identity has a matching user identity associated with the second messaging service. If so, a database associated with the second messaging service is populated with the matching user identities. Determining whether a matching user identity exists may be performed, for example, by making character strings comparisons between user identities or using a database that stores a mapping of first messaging service user identities to second messaging service user identities. The mapping database may be generated as corresponding user identities are discovered. |
| US07647372B2 |
Method and system for facilitating marketing dialogues
Systems and methods for carrying on marketing dialogues are disclosed. Specifically, embodiments of the systems and methods presented may allow marketing dialogues to be carried on with a set of participants by sending a communication to each of the participants. Another set of participant may be assembled from the initial participants and an action may then be taken with respect to this second set of participants. |
| US07647371B2 |
Data processing system including data transmission apparatus, data storage apparatus and client apparatus
In a data processing system, a document transmission apparatus capable of transmitting acquired data, a computer system including a data management unit for storing and managing data and a data storage unit for performing a process of causing to store the data transmitted from the document transmission apparatus in the data management unit, and an information processing terminal to be used by a user are connected through a network. In this system, the data storage unit comprises a storage destination acquisition unit adapted to acquire storage destination information of the data stored by the data management unit, from the data management unit, and a notification unit adapted to transmit, to the information processing terminal, a notification to which the storage destination information acquired by the storage destination acquisition unit has been added. Thus, it is possible to reduce a load on the network and improve security. |
| US07647370B1 |
Screen scraping interface
An interface can serve as a client-mainframe interface, enabling clients to develop applications without a need to understand mainframe processes and screen flows. Extended Tool Command Language (Tcl) can define services that can include a series of interactions with a mainframe system and service definitions can be added or updated on the interface during operation of the interface without disrupting processing. The service definitions can enable the interface to receive XML requests from a client, parse the XML requests, execute the service scripts to interact with the mainframe systems, generate the result in a XML format and send the XML file back to the client. Fundamental Mainframe Interactions (FMI) commands can interact with the mainframe systems and enable the specification of the XML structure of the request and response. The interface can provide efficient connection pooling management and connection life cycle control to improve the performance of the mainframe system interactions. |
| US07647368B2 |
Data processing apparatus and method for performing data processing operations on floating point data elements
Data processing apparatus and method perform data processing operations on floating point data elements. The data processing apparatus has processing logic for performing data processing operations on the floating point data elements, and decode logic operable to decode a data processing instruction in order to determine a corresponding data processing operation to be performed by the processing logic. The data processing instruction has an m-bit immediate value encoded therein. Further, constant generation logic is provided to perform a logical operation on the m-bit immediate value in order to generate an n-bit floating point constant for use as at least one input floating point data element for the processing logic when performing the corresponding data processing operation. The values “n” and “m” are integers, and n is greater than m. This approach provides a particularly efficient technique for generating floating point constants. |
| US07647366B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating a random number
Apparatus for generating a random number includes a sampler that samples a noise signal to obtain a noise signal sample, and a provider that provides at least three noise signal threshold values selected such that a first probability of the noise signal sample being between the first and second threshold values, and a second probability of the noise signal sample being between the second and third threshold values are different from each other by less than a predetermined differential value or are identical. An outputter outputs the random number such that when the noise signal sample is between the first and second threshold values, a first digit of a random number is occupied by a first logical state, whereas a second digit is occupied with a different logical state, so that a random number which is at least 2 bits wide results from one noise signal sample. |
| US07647365B2 |
Training, inference and user interface for guiding the caching of media content on local stores
A system and method of caching data employing probabilistic predictive techniques that provides local storage of a subset of available viewing selections by assigning a value to a selection and retaining selections in the cache depending on the value and size of the selection. The value assigned to an item can represent the time-dependent likelihood that a user will review an item at some time in the future. An initial value of an item can be based on the user's viewing habits, the user's viewing habit over particular time segment and/or viewing habits of a group of user's during a particular time segment. A value assigned to a selection dynamically changes according to a set of cache retention policies, where the value can be time-dependent functions that decay based on the class of the item, as determined by inference about the class or via a label associated with the item. |
| US07647363B2 |
Revision control system for large-scale systems management
A repository manager facilitates robust revision control of components of a large scale system. The repository manager stores system components under revision control in a repository, according to internal names. The repository manager also stores binding information between internal names of system components and associated external names, as well as component attribute information. The repository manager provides users with working areas, from which they are able to access system components according to their external names, via the repository manager. As users perform operations affecting system components, the repository manager keeps track of the performed operations. Responsive to a user committing a set of changes, the repository manager updates the master repository according to the performed operations, associates a new version number with the resulting state of the repository and synchronizes the user's working area with the updated repository. |
| US07647362B1 |
Content-based file versioning
Mechanisms for saving and accessing versions of files using indexed content, rather than a system version identifier. Thus, a user may identify a version of a file by its content, rather than using a less descriptive system-assigned version identifier. Accordingly, the user is provided with a more intuitive and therefore efficient mechanism for identifying and accessing different versions of files. |
| US07647360B2 |
System and method for managing a consistency among volumes in a continuous data protection environment
Described is method and system for protecting file on volume based CDP and restoring data consistency between files and database managed by database application. One of the benefits of an implementation of the inventive concept is that administrator can protect a specific file by inserting a marker, which is stored on a journal volume after the close operation for a file. The data consistency between files and database is achieved even if the restore point is specified using a file attribute. One implementation includes host and storage subsystem. The storage subsystem may include multiple volumes for separately storing database tables and data files. The storage subsystem also includes a volume based CDP protecting the content of the storage volumes. The storage subsystem further includes an inventive consistency manager, which manages data consistency between the file volume(s) and the database volume(s). The consistency manager operates when storage system administrator issues command to restore sets of the volumes to a predetermined state, which was existent at specific time point. |
| US07647358B2 |
Computing device with relatively limited storage space and operating/file system thereof
A computing device includes a storage device and a file system for storing and retrieving files on the storage device. The storage device includes storage space divided into sectors and the file system externally addresses the storage device on a per-sector basis, but internally divides each sector of the storage device into chunks and manages data within each sector on a per-chunk basis. Thus, the file system reads a chunk from or writes a chunk to the storage device by reading or writing the sector having the chunk. |
| US07647354B2 |
High-performance change capture for data warehousing
A method and software for change data capture is described, in which change data is extracted from a recovery log in a single pass and stored into multiple database objects, such as change tables. The change data indicates modifications that has been performed to multiple source objects that correspond to the multiple database objects. In a preferred embodiment, this can be accomplished with a single multi-table insert SQL statement. |
| US07647349B2 |
System with user directed enrichment and import/export control
A system for enriching document content using enrichment themes includes a directed search service and an import-export service. The directed search service allows users to author documents while querying information providers using the directed searches that are inserted as part of the authored documents. The import-export service enables meta-document exchanges between systems that provide document enrichment by binding imported meta-documents to identical or similar information providers. |
| US07647348B2 |
Color management system that supports legacy and advanced color management applications
The present invention provides method and apparatus for supporting a legacy application programming interface (API) set between a component and a color management system. The legacy API set supports both the new capabilities as well as the legacy capabilities. The color management system determines the format type for an object that is referenced by an API call. If the object is associated with a legacy format, the API call is processed by a legacy processing module. If the object is associated with an advanced format, the API call is processed by an advanced processing module. If a plurality of objects is associated with an API call with mixed formats, the color management system converts some of the objects so that the objects have a consistent format. A common structure supports an object that may have either a legacy format or an advanced format. |
| US07647347B2 |
Color management system that supports legacy and advanced color management applications
The present invention provides method and apparatus for supporting a legacy application programming interface (API) set between a component and a color management system. The legacy API set supports both the new capabilities as well as the legacy capabilities. The color management system determines the format type for an object that is referenced by an API call. If the object is associated with a legacy format, the API call is processed by a legacy processing module. If the object is associated with an advanced format, the API call is processed by an advanced processing module. If a plurality of objects is associated with an API call with mixed formats, the color management system converts some of the objects so that the objects have a consistent format. A common structure supports an object that may have either a legacy format or an advanced format. |
| US07647346B2 |
Automatic rules-based device synchronization
Automatic rules-based synchronization of digital files on a source device and a target device coupled to it. A source computer executes a synchronization engine for managing transfer of files from a source database to a target device coupled to the computer as a function of a defined storage capacity of the device. The synchronization engine is configured to receive user-defined rules for selecting which of the files are to be transferred to the device and assigning priorities to the files. The synchronization engine builds a designated list of the files to be transferred according to the priorities defined by the rules. |
| US07647345B2 |
Information processing
A method of processing information items, the method comprises the steps of: for an information item comprising primarily text information: analysing text information of the information item to detect a set of constituent information elements relating to that information item; detecting for each of the constituent information elements a respective degree of relative significance based on the frequency and/or nature of occurrence of the constituent information elements with respect to that information item; selecting a subset of at least two most significant constituent information elements; and generating a pseudo-image representative of the information item, the representative pseudo-image comprising the selected subset of constituent information elements arranged in a predetermined image layout such that: the most significant constituent information element of the subset is represented with most prominence and at a first predetermined region within the representative pseudo-image; and the one or more other constituent information element(s) of the subset are represented at other predetermined regions of the representative pseudo-image in dependence on the corresponding degree of relative significance of those element(s). |
| US07647338B2 |
Content item query formulation
A system and method for formulating a related content query are provided. A search engine receives queries having terms for content items and stores the queries and user interaction data in a query log. Also, the search engine provides a collection of content items and related content item queries for each content item within the collection of content items, in response the queries. Each content item in the collection of content items includes terms that match the received queries. The related content item queries are generated by an advisor engine that processes the query log and each content item in the collection of content items to select query terms, different from the received query terms, which previously resulted in a specified content item being accessed or selected. |
| US07647335B1 |
Computing system and methods for distributed generation and storage of complex relational data
A system is disclosed for distributed generation and storage of relational data which can be represented as a network or sub-network. The system includes a plurality of distributed computing nodes (e.g., general purpose computers) configured with software for generating and storing relational data from input individual records. The system further includes a decentralized management subsystem for distribution of input records to the distributed computing nodes for processing (i.e., generation and storage of the relational data) and for providing access to the relational data to a user. The management subsystem includes a) a network management system process providing for dispatching input records to the nodes, b) an optimization process for optimizing the dispatch of input records to the nodes, c) an indexing process for indexing of records dispatched to the nodes and relational data generated at the nodes; and d) a query management process for responding to user queries and providing transparent access to the relational data. |
| US07647333B2 |
Cube-based percentile calculation
By dividing data entries among multiple data collections, a data collection comprising a data entry associated with a requested percentile can be determined with reference to the number of data entries within each collection. Initially, the range of values corresponding to the identified data collection can be presented as the value of the requested percentile. Should further detail be required, the value for a requested percentile can be refined by averaging the range, linearly, or otherwise, extrapolating estimated values for the data entries within the identified data collection, or sorting the actual entries according to their values. A relational database can maintain the data entries, each comprising values along one or more dimensions, and an OLAP engine component can maintain a counting of the data entries within the defined data collections. |
| US07647332B2 |
Aggregating content from multiple content delivery types in a discovery interface
A unified discovery interface that presents aggregated discovery data for media content available via multiple content delivery types is provided. In one implementation, the discovery data may be aggregated via a discovery data ingestion module to provide a compilation accessible by one or more client modules. The one or more client modules may present the aggregated discovery data in the unified discovery interface through which a user may select between first media content available via a first content delivery type and second media content available via a second content delivery type. In another implementation, a client module may aggregate discovery data and provide a unified discovery interface through which a user may select between first media content available via a first content delivery type and second media content available via a second content delivery type. |
| US07647331B2 |
Detecting duplicate images using hash code grouping
A duplicate image detection system generates an image table that maps hash codes of images to their corresponding images. The image table may group images according to their group identifiers generated from the most significant elements of the hash codes based on significance of the elements in representing an image. The image table thus segregates images by their group identifiers. To detect a duplicate image of a target image, the detection system generates a target hash code for the target image. The detection system then identifies the group of the target image based on the group identifier of the target hash code. After identifying the group identifier, the detection system searches the corresponding group table to identify hash codes that have values that are similar to the target hash code. The detection system then selects the images associated with those similar hash codes as being duplicates of the target image. |
| US07647330B2 |
Human resource networking system and method for locating, indentifying, promoting and assisting in employing of career project workers
A human resource networking system, which is a novel method establishing a business system for locating, identifying, promoting and assisting in the employing of career project workers in the non-career workforce, includes a Relational Database comprising an Inductive Credit Matrix containing People Elements, Places Elements, Projects Elements, and Things Elements derived from People Information, Places Information, Project Elements, and Things Elements; a plurality of Credit Constructs each of which is formed by associating two or more of the People Elements, the Places Elements, the Projects Elements, and the Things Elements and stored in the Inductive Credit Matrix of the Relational Database; and a Display Device for outputting Credit Bytes generated by combining the Credit Constructs upon query. |
| US07647325B2 |
Hardware and software identifier categorization and review
A method for updating a catalog of hardware device and software object identifiers by identifying unknown identifiers and categorizing each of the unknown identifiers. The method further provides the categorized identifiers to a community of users for review and receives comments from the community of users on the provided categorization. The method further determines if the categorized identifiers should be recategorized based upon the received comments. Another method performs a search for an entity associated with an unknown identifier, determines a likely entity associated with the unknown identifier, and verifies the correctness of such determined likely entity. Another method generates a catalog of computer system components, receives information regarding the identity of a computer system component from at least two different sources, and determines the identity of the computer system component based upon the reputation of the sources of the received information. |
| US07647323B2 |
Web-site performance analysis system and method of providing a web-site performance analysis service
A method of providing a web-site performance analysis service is disclosed that gathers data relative to visits to web-pages that are associated with a web-site. Traversals are identified that correspond to each visit to the web-pages. Each identified traversal has an identification of either an incoming link from which each visit originated or an outgoing link to which each visit terminated. A time duration is measured that corresponds to each visit. A chart of a statistical distribution of pages-per-visit of the identified traversals is formed. The identified traversals and time duration corresponding to each visit is stored in a memory. The stored data from the memory is transferred to a database. Performance measures are produced that correspond to each visit to the web-pages based on the stored data in the database. A web-site performance analysis system that implements this method also is disclosed. |
| US07647321B2 |
System and method for filtering electronic messages using business heuristics
Disclosed are systems and methods for use in filtering electronic messages using business heuristics. In one aspect, a method includes determining whether the electronic message is associated with a desirable business, and adjusting the likelihood of delivering the electronic message to an intended recipient of the message if the electronic message is determined to be associated with the desirable business. In a more specific embodiment, the method further includes assigning a spam-score to the electronic message based on a likelihood that the electronic message is not unwanted by the intended recipient, blocking delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient when the spam-score does not cross an overall threshold, and delivering the electronic message to the intended recipient based on the adjusted likelihood when the electronic message is determined to be associated with the desirable business. |
| US07647320B2 |
Patient directed system and method for managing medical information
A system and method is provided for the management of a patient's medical records by a central data repository under the direction of the patient and enabled by an entity managing records on behalf of the patient. Medical records from a plurality of the patient's healthcare providers, including past and present healthcare providers, are maintained in this central repository in a way that provides a centralized, comprehensive, and accessible medical history of the patient, as well as a comprehensive organizational structure across all records. An embodiment has the patient directed central repository as the hub in a hub-and-spoke arrangement, where each spoke goes to one of the patient's healthcare providers, both past and present. The patient's medical records are collected from all the patient's healthcare providers, then classified, stored, and organized for use by the patient, healthcare providers, and any other authorized individuals. The records in the repository can be sorted and/or selected in several different ways and displayed to the patient or to his designated medical care providers, and to certain patient designated third parties. |
| US07647319B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and storage medium
This invention has as its object to attain strong security and to implement network solutions with high convenience and simplicity with low cost upon providing Web services. To this end, an information processing apparatus according to this invention has the following arrangement. That is, an information processing apparatus (1400) which includes a plurality of Web services (110 and the like) and a plurality of authentication/authorization services (107 and the like), is characterized by having an XML script unit (104) which holds an XML script (106) that describes association between information pertaining to respective Web services and information pertaining to the authentication/authorization services that execute authentication processing upon providing the respective Web services, and an arbitration service (103) which determines information pertaining to the authentication/authorization service described in association with the Web service requested by the user, and in that when the user is authenticated using the determined authentication/authorization service, the Web service requested by the user is provided. |
| US07647315B2 |
System and method of providing relational set operations for multidimensional data sources
A tabular set provider is provided for processing a data agnostic business intelligence query with relational set operations, herein called a relational query against a multidimensional datasource. The tabular set provider comprises a query interceptor, a query decomposer, an OLAP query provider interface, and an operation module. The query interceptor is provided for detecting and intercepting a data agnostic Business intelligence query that has relational set operations that is issued against one or more multidimensional data sources. The query decomposer is provided for decomposing the operands of the set operation in the input query into one or more sub-queries. The OLAP query provider interface is provided for sending the OLAP supported sub-queries to an OLAP query provider and receiving results. The operation module is provided for using set operation functionality provided by a relational query provider that performs the set operations locally on the results of the OLAP data extraction. |
| US07647310B2 |
Web page editing system with database drill-down
A method of establishing a link in a first web page includes establishing a first component in the first web page capable of querying a first data source, establishing a variable named according to a predetermined naming convention, generating an argument to the variable having a field queried in the first data source, establishing a second component in a second web page capable of receiving the variable from the first component, appending the argument to a query statement, and querying a second data source linked to the first data source, and embedding a link to the second web page in the code of the first web page having the variable and the argument. |
| US07647309B1 |
Browse relevance
Methods and systems for configuring the display of items in a network-based merchandising environment are provided. In one embodiment, the present invention identifies items within a catalog of items, computes a browse relevance score for each item, and configures the display of a Web page such that items with the highest browse relevance score are prominently displayed. In at least one embodiment, browse data, such as category fit data, popularity data, newness data, etc., are used to compute the browse relevance score for each item. |
| US07647308B2 |
Method and system for the detection of file system filter driver based rootkits
A method, system, and computer program product for detecting hidden files and folders that may be installed by or as part of a rootkit provides the capability to identify the method that is used to hide the files and folders, will continue working even if the operating system is modified, and is suitable for real-time detection of hidden files and folders. A method for detecting a rootkit comprises the steps of generating a plurality of query input/output request packets, each query input/output request packet requesting information relating to a file system directory folder, transmitting a generated query input/output request packet to each file system driver object, receiving a result including the requested information relating to a file system directory folder from each file system driver object, and determining differences among each result, to determine information relating to a file system directory folder that is removed by at least one file system driver object. |
| US07647306B2 |
Using community annotations as anchortext
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for using community annotations to content items as anchortext for search and index purposes. The method according to one embodiment comprises generating one or more items of personalized information by a user for storage in a user profile, the one or more items of personalized information associated with one or more content items, the one or more content items and the one or more items of personalized information comprising one or more words. One or more items of personalized information is selected from a given user profile. The method further comprises indexing the one or more words in the one or more content items and the one or more words in the selected personalized information into an index, identifying one or more content items responsive to on or more query words in a query of the index and returning the identified content items as a result set to the user. |
| US07647301B2 |
Information provision apparatus, format separation apparatus, information provision method and program
An information-provision apparatus that is capable of easily changing the format of display data without the risk due to changes of the program since it is not necessary to change the program. A format-separation unit separates basic format data, to which part information is attached that indicates a starting position and ending position of each structural unit of the format, according to the part information, and stores the format of a format database in a format-memory unit. Next, a format-acquisition unit receives search conditions from an information terminal, and acquires each of the structural units corresponding to those search conditions from the format-memory unit. A display-data-generation unit inputs the data from the search results acquired from the database into the variables of the structural units acquired by the format-acquisition unit and generates display data, and a send unit sends the generated display data to the information terminal. |
| US07647300B2 |
Methods and systems for output of search results
A search engine implements a method comprising receiving a search query, identifying a plurality of item identifiers responsive to the search query, identifying a first group of item identifiers from the plurality of item identifiers, wherein the first group of item identifiers was obtained by a first method, identifying a second group of items from the plurality of item identifiers, wherein the second group of item identifiers was obtained by a second method, and causing the output of all or a plurality of the item identifiers, comprising providing a cue to distinguish between the item identifiers from the first group and the item identifiers from the second group. |
| US07647298B2 |
Generation of query and update views for object relational mapping
A data access architecture may includes a mapping architecture for mapping data as may be used by an application to data as persisted in a database. Such a mapping architecture uses two types of “mapping views”—one for translating queries and the other for translating updates. A mechanism is provided that automatically generates query and update views from high-level mapping specifications. A validation may be performed to ensure that a mapping specification, when used in conjunction with a mapping architecture, allows data to “roundtrip” from the application to the database, without loss of data. |
| US07647296B2 |
Method for estimating a first access time of transactions accessing a database object
A method for estimating the first access time of a plurality of currently active transactions accessing at least one database object are disclosed. In one aspect, the method may include providing a storage area of a particular size to store data for a plurality of groups corresponding to the at least one database object. Each of the plurality of groups corresponds to a particular time interval. The method includes placing each of the currently active transactions in a group of the plurality of groups based upon a time of a first access of the at least one database object by each of the currently active transactions and the particular time interval. The method also includes storing a group first access time for the group. The group first access time corresponds to the earliest first access time for any of the currently active transactions in the group. The method may also include defining the object's first, or earliest access time, to be the earliest group first access time for currently active groups. |
| US07647295B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program, and computer program product for managing the durability of a pluraliy of transactions
Method, apparatus, computer program, and computer program product for managing the durability of a plurality of transactions, each transaction including a plurality of operations, each operation for applying to a data item, each operation having a reliability level associated therewith. Each transaction is divided into one or more sub-transactions based upon reliability level of the operations. Sub-transactions are then dispatched to a persistence manager for execution against a persistent store. |
| US07647293B2 |
Detecting correlation from data
A system and method of discovering dependencies between relational database column pairs and application of discoveries to query optimization is provided. For each candidate column pair remaining after simultaneously generating column pairs, pruning pairs not satisfying specified heuristic constraints, and eliminating pairs with trivial instances of correlation, a random sample of data values is collected. A candidate column pair is tested for the existence of a soft functional dependency (FD), and if a dependency is not found, statistically tested for correlation using a robust chi-squared statistic. Column pairs for which either a soft FD or a statistical correlation exists are prioritized for recommendation to a query optimizer, based on any of: strength of dependency, degree of correlation, or adjustment factor; statistics for recommended columns pairs are tracked to improve selectivity estimates. Additionally, a dependency graph representing correlations and dependencies as edges and column pairs as nodes is provided. |
| US07647290B2 |
Method for performing bioinformatics analysis program and bioinformatics analysis platform
A system in which researchers can freely and effectively use worldwide bioinformatics analysis programs available on the Internet is provided. When a bioinformatics analysis program available on the Internet is used by a user computer, a broker program is used. The broker program has a function of absorbing differences in input/output format between analysis programs, and each analysis program is provided with the broker program. A broker program-providing server stores various broker programs provided by users and makes them available to the public. When the user uses bioinformatics analysis programs available on the Internet, the user can use broker programs that are made available by the broker program-providing server and that are created by other users. |
| US07647288B2 |
System and method for optimally customizable and adaptive personalized information display for information associated with managing a chaotic event
A method for displaying information related to a chaotic event. A mathematical optimization algorithm is used to select an optimal decision set for a user. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input a decision template, chaotic event information regarding a chaotic event, and a user profile. The optimal decision set is displayed for the user. |
| US07647286B2 |
System and method for managing a chaotic event by providing optimal and adaptive sequencing of decision sets with supporting data
A method for determining a sequence of decisions related to a chaotic event. A plurality of decisions related to the chaotic event is received. A mathematical optimization algorithm is used to select a sequence in which the plurality of decisions are to be considered. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input at least one constraint and chaotic event information. The sequence is stored. |
| US07647282B1 |
Systems and methods for reducing a risk associated with the supply of a commodity
A method for reducing a risk associated with a commodity. The method is implemented at least in part by a computer and includes offering to supply the commodity to a commodity consumer. The offer includes an obligation to supply a first quantity of the commodity at a first price during a first period of time, an obligation to supply a second quantity of the commodity at a second price during a second period of time, and an obligation to supply a third quantity of the commodity at a third price during a third period of time. The second price is within a first price band defined by the first price, and the third price is within a second price band defined by the second price. |
| US07647280B1 |
Closed-loop estimation of request costs
Request processing is optimized. The request has elements. The method, computer program and database system includes selecting an access path for the request taking into consideration a stored actual request element cost, processing the request using the selected access path, producing one or more actual request element costs, and storing the one or more actual request element costs. |
| US07647279B2 |
Method to make transactions secure by means of cards having unique and non-reproducible identifiers
A method for making transactions secure based upon a card-type medium (2) comprising a number (4) and a remote database (5) connected to a telecommunications network. A unique and non-reproducible identifier (3) in the form of a bubble code is physically affixed to the card (2) comprising a number (4) contained either on a magnetic strip, of a bar code, or in an electronic label. One representation of this identifier (6) and or (7) is stored in the remote database (5) at the same number (4) as that present on the medium. This identifier (3) constitutes an unforgeable link between the magnetic strip (1) and the database (5). When a call is made to the remote database by means of the number recorded on the card, a link authentication is performed by comparing the representation of the identifier stored in said database and the actual identifier. |
| US07647274B2 |
System and method for matching loan consumers and lenders
A system and method for matching a loan consumer with lenders via the Internet includes receiving loan consumer application information. The application information is stored in a database. An internally specified filter is applied to the information to determine if the loan consumer meets a set of loan criteria. A subset of the information is submitted to a credit bureau. A credit report is generated based on the subset of information. A lender database is searched to match the customer information and credit report to ranked lenders. A query is transmitted to one of the lenders. A response is generated and received based on the query. Subsequent query and response steps are repeated only after receipt of the previous response, until all lenders have been queried. Only lenders who responded with an approval are presented for review by the customer. |
| US07647272B1 |
Systems and methods for providing an adjustable rate mortgage with a fixed monthly payment
Systems and methods are described for processing mortgage payments. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a fixed payment for the mortgage, such fixed payment being based on an initial interest rate, with the initial interest rate serving as a maximum interest rate; determining a principal and interest payment amount based on a revised interest rate, the revised interest rate not exceeding the maximum interest rate; determining a difference between the fixed payment and the determined principal and interest amount, so that any difference may prepay the mortgage. |
| US07647270B2 |
System and methods for pricing and allocation of commodities or securities
Systems and methods for conducting an auction of securities on the Web. The system and methods provide a bid mechanism whereby bidders are rewarded for priority of anonymously revealing their bids and provide an allocation of the securities which allows winning bidders to pay a single market-clearing price that sells out the securities. In addition, the systems and methods allow all participants to monitor the auction in real time. |
| US07647266B1 |
System and method for holding and sending an order to a matching engine
A user can submit an order to buy or sell a tradeable object, only the order does not get sent to the matching engine. Instead, the order is placed in temporary storage and it is displayed to the user in the form of a virtual order icon. The virtual order icon indicates that an order request is waiting for an event to occur before it is automatically released to the matching engine. The virtual order icon can be managed by the user, which might include moving the virtual order icon to a different price level or deleting it. The preferred system continuously monitors for an event to take place, and in response to detecting the event, the order is released to the matching engine. As such, a real order icon is displayed to indicate that the order has now been sent to the matching engine. |
| US07647265B2 |
Investment allocation system, analysis module and method thereof
An investment allocation system, analysis module and method thereof for allocation of a total investment are disclosed. The investment allocation system comprises an input module, an analysis module and a allotment amount computation mode. The input module is used to input the historical data of a benchmark asset and multiple financial assets, and a threshold. The analysis module is used to calculate an adaptivity of each financial asset according to the threshold, and historical data of the benchmark asset and those financial assets. The allocation amount computation module is used to calculate an allocation ratio for each financial asset according to those adaptivities, related data, and a ratio computation procedure and the allocation ratio each of those financial assets being multiplied by the total investment to produce the amount of allocation for each financial asset. |
| US07647264B2 |
Closing in an electronic market
A method for trading a security in an electronic market includes receiving closing orders and orders for the security traded in the electronic market, disseminating an order imbalance indicator indicative of predicted trading characteristics of the security at the close of trading, determining a closing price for the security based on the closing orders and orders, and executing at least some of the closing orders at the determined closing price. |
| US07647263B2 |
System and method for performing risk analysis
A computerized data processing system for performing risk analysis of a portfolio, the system including a modeling and calibration unit configured to describe risk factors as random variables, the random variables being related to each other by a correlation matrix; an input unit configured to enter or choose calibration data and to obtain, by using the modeling and calibration unit, values for parameters that describe the degree of freedom for sub-vectors and to obtain values for the correlation matrix for the random variables, to enter or choose at least one risk mapping function, and to enter portfolio data of a portfolio to be analyzed; a simulation unit configured to simulate realization of the risk factors by using the correlation matrix; and an output unit configured to generate output data resulting from the simulation unit in a form of at least one of a risk measure or a price. |
| US07647262B2 |
Transaction control systems and methods
A transaction control system generates presentation objects which reside on front-end terminals. The control system also comprises a business rules layer, a transaction layer, and an external interface layer. A transaction processing module is created by a control system generating a presentation object and transferring it to a relevant front-end terminal and also instantiating a business object, a transaction object, and an external interface object. Development of transaction processing modules is therefore very simple and the module is versatile and may be easily modified. |
| US07647255B2 |
Rotable inventory calculation method
A method for conducting a repairable inventory analysis calculates the minimum number of repairable parts to be held in inventory while still being able to satisfy the demand for spare parts even in view of uncertain repair lead times. The method uses a set of equations that relates a customer service level to arbitrary probability distribution functions of a repair lead-time and a part arrival process. The distributions are then searched to locate the optimal inventory level in the distribution. |
| US07647254B2 |
Method and system for providing customized computer solutions
At least one or more customized solutions for setting up a computer system for a customer may be provided. A customer may select a new computer system, or upgrade or set up a current computer system based at least in part on customer identification information. A customer solutions advisor computer program may query the customer and/or may retrieve databases to determine a likely computer configuration, preference, and need of the customer. The customer solutions advisor computer program may launch a polling program on at least one or more of computer systems of the customer to determine the configuration of equipment and software in the computer system. The customer solutions advisor computer program may recommend hardware and/or software solutions to the customer. The customer interactively customizes the computer system. Static or animated graphical representations of the proposed computer system solutions may be used to illustrate installation procedures and other operational characteristics of the computer system solution. |
| US07647249B2 |
Method for providing a shipping label via an intermediary's website
A system and method in which a buyer registers for a buyer's shipping account and uses the shipping account to pay shipping costs associated with purchases made over the Internet. When a buyer purchases merchandise over the Internet from either a retailer's website or from an individual through an online auction, the buyer is capable of controlling the shipping process by logging on to their buyer's shipping account. Among other things, the buyer can use their shipping account to select the desired type of shipping service (overnight air or ground) and populate a shipping label with shipping information such as delivery address, return address, and preferred delivery time windows. Once the shipping label has been populated and verified, the shipping label is electronically transferred to the seller for use in shipping the package. The system and methods of the present invention allow the buyer greater control over the shipping process. In many cases, the present invention will also help buyers/receivers control costs by eliminating the shipper's shipping and handling fee. |
| US07647248B2 |
Shopping environment including detection of unpaid items in proximity to an exit
A shopping environment includes a server and a shopping device for broadcasting a wireless signal that identifies the identity of a shopper associated with the device. A network infrastructure conveys the wireless signal information to the server. A verification system is configured to detect the shopping device being in proximity to an exit of the shopping environment and to initiate precautionary action in response thereto. The shopping device may be enabled to permit the user to indicate purchase of an item and, responsive thereto, to communicate a purchase to the server as part of maintaining a virtual shopping cart of items selected for purchase by the shopper. The verification apparatus initiates the precautionary action if the shopper has not made payment arrangements. The verification apparatus is further enabled to display the number of items in the virtual shopping cart and the amount of time spent on the shopping trip. |
| US07647246B2 |
Systems and method for integrating multiple interaction arrangements
Methods and systems are provided for executing such a bilateral action. A communication is received at a host system. A determination is made that the communication identifies a physical instrument that identifies an account of stored value. A request is transmitted to another host system to debit the account by an amount identified in the communication to support the bilateral action. A confirmation is received from the other host system that the account of stored value has been debited. An approval for the bilateral action is transmitted to an originating communications device. |
| US07647245B1 |
Security system-related marketing system and method
A security system-related marketing system includes a retail environment receptive of walk-in traffic and adapted to market goods and services to consumers. A security system-compliant device adapted to operate as a component of a security system is physically disposed in the retail environment, thereby permitting a purchaser to take physical possession of the device during a purchasing process. A security system component package is also marketed in the retail environment to purchasers of the device, thereby permitting a purchaser of the device to obtain rights to a predetermined set of security system components in the retail environment that substantially provide the security system. Security system services are further marketed in the retail environment to purchasers of the security system component package, thereby permitting a purchaser of the package to obtain rights to security system services in the retail environment. |
| US07647240B2 |
Computer-implemented system and method for matching clinical research monitors with clinical trial sponsors
A computer-implemented system and method that prescreens the qualifications of clinical monitors, and quickly and efficiently matches qualified monitors with corresponding qualified clinical sponsors for work on a project. The system and method provide a secure platform for storage and searching of monitor profiles that may be continuously updated by the monitors. The system and method also checks the qualifications provided by monitors in their profiles to ensure that only qualified monitors are capable of being searched by the sponsors. The system and method also provides a secure platform for sponsors to post their clinical projects, and enables the sponsors to select the monitors they wish to view the project details. The system and method then provides the details of the project to the selected monitors, and the ones who are interested may be subsequently interviewed and selected by the sponsors. The system and method also provides a mechanism so that the sponsors and monitors may enter a contract regarding the project. The system and method dramatically reduces the time searching for qualified monitors needed to conduct studies, reduces costs for sponsors, and enables studies to be organized and started more efficiently. |
| US07647232B2 |
Real-time team coordination system for reconnaissance and surveillance missions
A method routes a predefined number of entities (200) through a predetermined area for scanning the content of the predetermined area. The method comprises the steps of: partitioning the predetermined area into a first set of cells (100); grouping the first set of cells (100) into a number of corridors (201) equal to the number of entities (200); determining a starting cell for each entity (200) in each corridor (201); initiating a scan of cells of each of the corridors (201) from the starting cell of each of the entities (200) and determining the content of each of the scanned cells; and determining a total cost for each entity (200) to travel to each of the scanned cells scanned by each entity (200) and performing a scan from each of the scanned cells by each entity (200). |
| US07647220B2 |
Transistor-level timing analysis using embedded simulation
A high accuracy method for transistor-level static timing analysis is disclosed. Accurate static timing verification requires that individual gate and interconnect delays be accurately calculated. At the sub-micron level, calculating gate and interconnect delays using delay models can result in reduced accuracy. Instead, the proposed method calculates delays through numerical integration using an embedded circuit simulator. It takes into account short circuit current and carefully chooses the set of conditions that results in a tight upper bound of the worst case delay for each gate. Similar repeating transistor configurations of gates in the circuit are automatically identified and a novel interpolation based caching scheme quickly computes gate delays from the delays of similar gates. A tight object code level integration with a commercial high speed transistor-level circuit simulator allows efficient invocation of the simulation. |
| US07647219B2 |
Event-driven test framework
A modular instance-aware event-driven test framework is described. It includes an event-driven test framework, a transition-graph test model for the event-driven text framework, an instance-aware event-driven test framework built on said event-driven test framework and a transition-graph test model for said instance-aware event-driven test framework built on said transition-graph test model. |
| US07647218B2 |
MOS varactor property detection method and MOS varactor manufacturing method using the same
Disclosed is a method for detecting properties of a Metal Oxide Silicon (MOS) varactor, which includes: establishing a MOS varactor model equation in conjunction with an area of a gate; calculating values of the coefficients of the MOS varactor model equation through measurements for test materials; and extracting the properties of a capacitor of the MOS varactor using the calculated values of the coefficients. According to the method, the MOS varactor model equation can be expressed by Cgate=[Cigate×Area+Cpgate×Perimeter]×N, wherein, Cgate denotes gate capacitance for voltage applied to the gate, Cigate denotes intrinsic gate capacitance, Cpgate denotes perimeter gate capacitance, and N denotes the number of gate fingers. The MOS varactor model equation can be applicable to various sized capacitors, so that it is possible to estimate a gate capacitance for voltage applied to a gate, considering the differences due to the surface shapes of a device. |
| US07647217B2 |
Structure of the farnesoid X receptor ligand binding domain and methods of use therefor
The present invention provides compositions comprising the ligand binding domain (LBD) of a farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in crystalline form. In alternative embodiments, the LBD of FXR is complexed with a ligand therefor. There are provided high resolution structures of FXR complexed with a novel high affinity agonist, fexaramine. The discovered structure of a FXR LBD provides the first three-dimensional view of the structural basis for FXR ligand binding. The present invention further provides a computer for producing a three-dimensional representation of FXR or a complex thereof, and a computer for determining at least a portion of the structure coordinates of FXR or a complex thereof. The present invention further provides methods of using this structural information to predict molecules capable of binding to FXR; to identify compounds with agonist, antagonist or partial agonist activity for FXR; and to determine whether a test compound is capable of binding to the LBD of FXR. The present invention further provides compositions comprising compounds identified by such invention methods. |
| US07647215B2 |
Modeling directed scale-free object relationships
Systems and methods for generating models of directed scale-free object relationships are described. In one aspect, a sequence of random numbers is generated. Individual ones of these random numbers are then selected over time to generate the directed scale-free object relationships as a graph based on sequences of in-degrees and out-degrees. |
| US07647212B2 |
Graph-based negotiation system with encapsulated constraint solver
A constraint solver is encapsulated in a service adapted to participate in a negotiation. In operation, the system constructs a graph in its memory for negotiating a set of actions to be performed by selected ones of a plurality of participants. Each node of the graph defines a negotiation context that has associated therewith a constraint store with at least a set of domain constraints stored therein that limit during the negotiation a set of semantic constraints of the service on variables of the constraint solver. |
| US07647211B2 |
Constraint-based method of designing a route for a transport element
An improved method for designing the route of a transport element, such as a tube, is provided. The method preferably designs the route automatically and, by utilizing constraint objects in the design of the route, as opposed to during a post design check, ensures that the resulting route complies with the various constraint objects. In addition, the method of the present invention may establish an overall cost function to evaluate a plurality of feasible routes of the transport element that each comply with the constraint objects such that a preferred or optimal route may be designed. Constraints may be based upon the routing of the transport element in relation to another transport element, an additional constraint, or a relaxed constraint. |
| US07647209B2 |
Signal separating apparatus, signal separating method, signal separating program and recording medium
A frequency domain transforming section transforms mixed signals observed by multiple sensors into mixed signals in the frequency domain, a complex vector generating section generates a complex vector by using the frequency-domain mixed signals, a normalizing section generates a normalized vector excluding frequency dependence of the complex vector, and a clustering section clusters the normalized vectors to generate clusters. Then, a separated signal generating section generates separated signals in the frequency domain by using information about the clusters and a time domain transforming section transforms the separated signals in the frequency domain into separated signals in the time domain. |
| US07647208B2 |
Signal processing method and apparatus
A method for generating a series of output signals represented by a series of measurement signals which is particularly useful in the compensation for jatter, missing spurious pulses or plates when applied to the processing of signals from a speed probe monitoring the speed of a rotating bladed shaft. The method includes the steps of predicting a value for a first measurement signal from a historical measurement signal value, generating a first output signal from the predicted value of the first measurement signal; comparing the measurement signal to its predicted value, and: if the measurement signal is within a predetermined range of acceptable values, using the first measurement signal to predict a value for a second measurement signal; if the measurement signal is outside the pre-determined range of acceptable values, using the first predicted value to predict a second measurement signal, and generating a second output signal from the predicted value of the second measurement signal. |
| US07647198B2 |
Action recognition and interpretation using a precision positioning system
To facilitate the recognition and interpretation of actions undertaken within an environment, the environment is associated with a precision positioning system (PPS) and a controller in communication with the PPS. Within the environment, an entity moves about in furtherance of one or more tasks to be completed within the environment. The PPS determines position data corresponding to at least a portion of the entity, which position data is subsequently compared with at least one known action corresponding to a predetermined task within the environment. Using a state-based task model, recognized actions may be interpreted and used to initiate at least one system action based on the current state of the task model and correspondence of the position data to the at least one known action. Furthermore, based on the recognized action, the controller may provide information to the entity or captured event data may be associated with the recognized action. |
| US07647194B1 |
Method for calculating hydrogen temperature during vehicle fueling
Methods for accurately and conveniently calculating the temperature of gaseous hydrogen during vehicle fueling are disclosed. The metered amount of hydrogen added to the on-board storage tank, the ambient conditions, The pressure measured at the dispenser, and a correlation to account for heat transfer are the inputs to the methods of the present invention. These inputs eliminate the need for obtaining temperature and pressure information from the vehicle which is out of the control of the dispenser and/or energy provider. In addition, the use of the equation of the present invention does not require the fill rate to be limited and the corresponding fill time to be extended. |
| US07647193B2 |
Authentication of pharmaceuticals using molecular computational identification
A method, apparatus and computer program product for authenticating a pharmaceutical product is provided. The method includes receiving an identifier and a quantity for the pharmaceutical product and receiving a photonic signal from the pharmaceutical product, wherein the photonic signal includes a frequency and amplitude. The method can further include searching for the identifier and quantity that was received in a predefined list comprising identifier-quantity pairs, wherein a frequency and amplitude corresponds to each identifier-quantity pair. The method can further include matching the identifier and quantity that was received to a first identifier-quantity pair in the list. The method can further include storing a record indicating that the pharmaceutical product is counterfeit if the frequency and amplitude of the photonic signal does not match the frequency and amplitude corresponding to the first identifier-quantity pair. |
| US07647191B2 |
Accumulator state detection device
A detector for detecting a state of an electrical storage device includes capacitor blocks formed of a capacitor-voltage equalizing circuit and a capacitor-voltage detecting circuit both coupled to respective capacitors, and a capacitor-block state outputting circuit outputting states of the capacitors by using the signals supplied from the capacitor-voltage detecting circuits. The signals from the capacitor-voltage detecting circuits are transmitted via an optical switch, which works as an electrical indirect coupler, to the capacitor-block state outputting circuit. This structure allows isolating high-voltage oriented wirings completely from signal oriented wirings, so that high reliability can be ensured. |
| US07647189B2 |
Method and device for inspection of drugs concealed in liquid articles
A method and a device are provided for inspection of liquid articles to determine the presence of drugs concealed in the liquid articles without opening the outer packages. The method includes emitting radiation beams having a single energy to transmit through the liquid article; receiving the radiation beams transmitted through the liquid article to get multi-angle projection data; inversely operating the multi-angle projection data based on the uniformity of the liquid article to obtain an attribute value of the inspected liquid article; retrieving a reference attribute value in a pre-created database by using the identification information of the liquid article as an index, and calculating a difference between the calculated attribute value and the reference attribute value; and determining whether the difference is larger than a predefined threshold value. When the predefined threshold value is exceeded by the difference, it is concluded that there are drugs concealed in the liquid article and this result is output to a user for appropriate action. |
| US07647187B2 |
Identifying statistically linear data
Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for processing a data set having noise to determine whether the data set exhibits statistically linear behavior. A true data signal is calculated based on local properties of the data, and an estimate of the noise in the data is calculated from the true data signal. A measure of the estimated noise is then compared to properties of a linear fit to the data set. |
| US07647186B2 |
Oligonucleotide ordering system
A system is described for ordering oligonucleotides through a network, such as the Internet. The system provides a mechanism for validating the data provided by a customer, and then displaying graphical images to represent any data that has errors. The system can also pool multiple oligonucleotide samples together by providing graphical images representing oligonucleotide containers, and allowing the customer to select the proper containers to pool. |
| US07647185B2 |
Combining measurements from different sensors
A method for combining measurements from two or more independent measurement channels, particularly physiological measurements such as heart rate. Independent measurements of heart rate, for instance by ECG and pulse oximetry, can be combined to derive an improved measurement eliminating artefacts on one channel. A model of the process generating the physiological parameter, e.g., the heart rate, is constructed and is run independently for each channel to generate predictions of the parameter. The measured values are compared with the predicted values and the differences are used as an indication of the confidence in the measurement. The measurements from the two channels are ombined using weights calculated from the respective differences. |
| US07647184B2 |
High throughput directed evolution by rational mutagenesis
Processes and systems for the high throughput directed evolution of peptides and proteins, particularly those that act in complex biological settings, are provided. The proteins and peptides include, but are not limited to, intracellular proteins, messenger/signaling/hormone proteins and viral proteins. Also provided is a rational method for generating protein variants and also a method for titering viruses. |
| US07647183B2 |
Method for monitoring seismic events
A microseismic method of monitoring fracturing operation or other microseismic events in hydrocarbon wells is described using the steps of obtaining multi-component signal recordings from a single monitoring well in the vicinity of a facture or event; and rotating observed signals such that they become independent of at least one component of the moment tensor representing the source mechanism and performing an inversion of the rotated signals to determine the remaining components. |
| US07647180B2 |
Vehicular intersection management techniques
System for preventing vehicle accidents at intersections includes a positioning system arranged in a vehicle for determining the absolute position thereof, a memory unit within the vehicle for storing data relating to edges of at least one lane of the roadway on which the vehicle may travel and the edges of at least one intersecting lane at an intersection, a receiver arranged in the vehicle for receiving position information about another vehicle in an intersecting lane, a processor coupled to the positioning system, the receiver and the memory unit for predicting a collision between the vehicles based on the position and optionally speed thereof and optionally map data, and a reactive component or system arranged in one or both vehicles and coupled to the processor. The component or system is arranged to initiate an action or change its operation if a collision is predicted. |
| US07647171B2 |
Learning, storing, analyzing, and reasoning about the loss of location-identifying signals
A location-centric signal shadow mapping and storing architecture that creates maps where signals, such as GPS, cannot be seen with ease because of natural or synthetic features such as groups of tall buildings. Such maps are used with other information, such as the dynamics of the sensed velocity that had been seen before the loss of the signals, to reason about the location and likely activities being carried out by one or more people. Inferences can be made based on information about organizations and services associated with structures and locations proximal to the locations where signals were lost. Also, such reasoning can be used to turn off or to reduce the power consumed by the receivers of the location information, potentially with the joint use of accelerometers to identify when significant accelerations occur. |
| US07647160B2 |
Fuel injection system with injection quantity learning function
A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine which is designed to determine an instantaneous engine speed in a cycle of, for example, 30° CA of the engine to learn an actual injection quantity that is the quantity of fuel actually sprayed from a fuel injector. The system filters the instantaneous engine speed using a band-pass filter to extract a cyclic component which varies in synchronism with an engine operating cycle to produce an engine speed change which has arisen from the spraying of fuel into the engine from which unwanted noise components are removed and uses it to determine the actual injection quantity. |
| US07647159B2 |
Control method and control apparatus for internal combustion engine
When the engine load is in a high-load zone, an absolute value control is executed, wherein the actual values of valve timings of an intake valve and an exhaust valve and a valve duration of the intake valve are controlled to coincide with respective target values set based on the operating state of an internal combustion engine. When the engine load is in a low-load zone, a relative value control is executed, wherein an actual value of a valve overlap amount of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is controlled to coincide with a target valve overlap amount obtained based on the target values. Therefore, a control method for the internal combustion engine that is appropriate for the operating state of the engine when the operating state of the engine is in transition is obtained. |
| US07647158B2 |
Apparatus and method for diagnosing an airflow modifying control system
An apparatus and method for diagnosing an airflow control system of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: determining if a valve is in a stable position; commanding the valve of the airflow control system to move from a first position to a second position; determining a period of time for the valve to move from the first position to the second position; providing a first signal if the period of time is greater than or less than a predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time corresponding to an amount of time necessary to move the valve from the first position to the second position under predetermined conditions; and providing a second signal if the period of time is within a range defined by the predetermined period of time. |
| US07647156B2 |
Method and system for using exhaust temperature anomalies to detect fugitive fueling of a reciprocating internal combustion engine
A method and system for using exhaust temperature anomalies to detect fugitive fueling of a reciprocating internal combustion engine compares an exhaust temperature attribute with a predetermined threshold value for such attribute, which is a function of either the combustion of fugitive fuel within the engine, or an indicator of an operating condition leading to fugitive fueling. If the value of the attribute exceeds the threshold value, remedial action will be taken to avoid engine damage resulting from fugitive fueling. |
| US07647155B2 |
Apparatus and method for calculating work load engine
A device and method for calculating the work load of an engine more efficiently and accurately. The device for calculating the work load of an engine comprises a means for determining a desired frequency component to calculate the work load of the engine obtained through frequency decomposition of the volume variation rate of the engine. The device further comprises a first calculating means for calculating a first correlation coefficient between the volume variation rate and a reference signal composed of a frequency corresponding to the determined component, and a second calculating means for calculating a second correlation coefficient between the cylinder inner pressure of the engine and a reference signal composed of a frequency corresponding to the determined component. The work load of the engine is calculated using the first and second correlation coefficients. |
| US07647151B2 |
Vehicle seat and method for moving the vehicle seat in a vehicle cabin
A vehicle seat, an adjusting system and a method for moving at least one vehicle seat arranged in a vehicle cabin, particularly an aircraft seat, comprising seat components that are coupled or guided together, such as a seat part, a backrest and a leg rest, the location and/or inclination of which can be adjusted by means of at least one or more adjusting units. The adjusting system allows a separation of the basic functions from driving devices, with an electronic device for collision-free movement and for adjusting custom-designed functions and facilitating the adaptation of the custom-designed functions. The movement sequences and movements of the respective individual seat components and the seat components in relation to one another and the movements of the components or seats within an environment or group of seats are accomplished by means of a movement model in a coordinate system. |
| US07647147B2 |
Multi-platform data communication interface with self-recognizing and self-learning of the host vehicle
A data communication interface connectable between a vehicle function-specific electronic device and a control module of a vehicle. The data communication interface includes a first programmable hardware for receiving signals from the control module of the vehicle and recognizing an identity of the vehicle based on the received signals. The data communication interface also includes a second programmable hardware for establishing a bi-directional connection between the vehicle function-specific electronic device and the control module of the vehicle when the identity of the vehicle is recognized. |
| US07647146B2 |
Vehicular diagnostic method, vehicular diagnostic system, vehicle and center
When determining that a failure has occurred, a vehicle (10) transmits alarm lamp illumination information, vehicle ID information and user identification information to a center (20). The center (20) transmits the received alarm lamp illumination information to an automobile dealer computer (30) at an automobile dealer. The center (20) then obtains abnormality countermeasure information transmitted from the automobile dealer, prepares an abnormality notification, and transmits the abnormality notification to the vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) notifies a user of the abnormality notification, and reserves servicing at the automobile dealer through an operation of a reservation button performed by the user. With the reservation, the center (20) transmits an abnormality transmission request to the vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) collects failure information in response to the failure information transmission request, and transmits the failure information to the center (20). The center (20) transmits detailed abnormality countermeasure information transmitted from the automobile dealer to the vehicle (10). |
| US07647143B2 |
Speed control device for water jet propulsion boat
A watercraft can have a controller that can change a speed mode between a speed set mode and a regular mode in response to an operation of an auto cruise switch. The controller can return the speed mode to a regular mode under various conditions. For example, but without limitation, when an engine rotational speed reaches “zero” or nearly “zero” (i.e., an engine operation stops or nearly stops) while the speed mode is in the speed set mode. The controller can be configured to follow the actuation of the cruise switch only when the switch is operated in the regular mode. |
| US07647142B2 |
System, method and computer readable media for regulating the speed of a rail vehicle
A system is provided for regulating the speed of a rail vehicle traveling along a track. The track has a pair of rails. The system includes a temperature sensor positioned on an external surface of the rail vehicle. The temperature sensor measures a temperature of one of the rails. The system further includes a controller coupled to the temperature sensor. The controller receives data of the measured temperature, and regulates the speed of the rail vehicle based upon the measured temperature data. A method and computer readable media are also provided for regulating the speed of a rail vehicle traveling along a track. |
| US07647141B2 |
Advanced simulation capture and reporting tools
A method of processing and displaying train performance including analyzing train data received from the train or train simulator real time or from a data storage and preparing display data of the results of the analysis. Computer graphic images are created from the display data; and the computer graphic images are provided for display. A display may be a drive with the display data and displayed portions of the display data may be selected to be created into computer graphic images. The computer graphic images may be transmitted over the internet or stored on a portable store and ultimately displayed on a video player. The computer graphic images may be viewed and edited or enhanced. |
| US07647139B2 |
Seamless air traffic control (ATC) datalink transfers
Systems and methods for automatically transferring control from one air traffic control (ATC) center that uses one ATC data link standard to another ATC center that uses a different ATC data link standard are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a receiver component configured to receive at least a new air traffic control center designation message from an original air traffic control center through an active connection, an identifier component configured to determine a data link standard of a new air traffic control center from the message, a logon component to log the aircraft into the new center. The system further includes a connection component to establish an inactive connection with the new air traffic control center, a confirmation component to confirm the inactive connection, and a switch component to terminate the active connection and activate the inactive connection. |
| US07647135B2 |
Robotic data storage library comprising a virtual port
A robotic data storage library comprising a virtual port and a method for providing a virtual port for a robotic data storage library are disclosed. The virtual exit port, for example, comprises one or more storage locations of the library that are defined as a virtual port. In one embodiment, for example, the virtual port comprises a virtual exit port for holding a data storage element that is to be exported from the library. In this embodiment, for example, the virtual exit port is defined prior to the library receiving a command to export a data storage element. In another embodiment, the virtual port comprises an entry port, an exit port or an entry/exit port. In yet another embodiment, a method for transferring a data storage element directly between an actual port (entry and/or exit) of a robotic data storage library and another location within the robotic data storage library not defined as the virtual port is disclosed. |
| US07647132B2 |
Method and system for problem case packaging
A method of problem case packaging handling consists collecting manufacturing problem information from entities associated with fabrication of a semiconductor product; and distributing the manufacturing problem information into problem cases which are stored in a problem database, each problem case representing a respective manufacturing problem and being associated with manufacturing problem information related to that problem case. |
| US07647130B2 |
Real-time predictive time-to-completion for variable configure-to-order manufacturing
Predicting a completion time for the manufacturing of an ordered configuration of a product based on actual completion times and self adjusting prediction completion times. An order is received to manufacture a particular configuration of a product. Multiple activities are identified that need to be finished in order to complete the manufacturing of the configuration. A completion time that the configuration will be manufactured is predicted based on actual completion times and self-adjusting predicted completion times for the activities. |
| US07647129B1 |
Digital music player accessory interface
An FM transmitter accessory for a digital music player having a display screen uses a microprocessor to create image files that are transferred to the digital music player such that they are displayed on its screen. When a user input on the accessory is manipulated on the accessory to select a transmission frequency for the FM transmitter, the microcontroller generates a new image file that corresponds to the selected frequency and transfers the generated image file to the digital music player such that the selected frequency is displayed on the screen of the digital music player. In addition, by constantly generating new displays based upon user inputs, the accessory can display menus on the screen of the digital music player that can be manipulated by user to select between a number of displayed options. |
| US07647122B2 |
Surgical needle driver
A needle driver is described that can be used to drive a plurality of surgical needles into or proximate to tissue of a living body. The needle driver assists the surgeon in perforating the tissue, creating the tracts at a desired depth, and creating multiple tracts simultaneously. The needle driver is configured to hold the needles securely when creating the tracts, and is also configured to disengage from the needles after the tracts have been created. |
| US07647121B2 |
Therapy delivery mode selection
Techniques for selectably providing either constant voltage or constant current stimulation are described. A programming device provides a user interface by which a user selects either constant voltage or constant current stimulation, and selects either a voltage or current amplitude based on the selected stimulation mode. The programming device configures a medical device to provide the selected mode of stimulation at the selected amplitude. For example, when a medical device has constant voltage stimulation circuitry, e.g., circuitry including a voltage source, and the user selects constant current stimulation, the programming device configures the medical device to adjust the voltage amplitude based on a measured impedance to provide substantially constant current amplitude. |
| US07647116B2 |
Context-sensitive collection of neurostimulation therapy data
Techniques for collection and management of data relating to neurostimulation therapy involve selection of questions for the user to answer based on the context of the therapy delivered by the neurostimulation device at the time the questions are presented. In this manner, appropriate data may be collected for specific contexts. The techniques may involve storage of answers to the questions with information indicative of the contexts. Information indicative of the contexts may include information relating to the types of neurostimulation therapy requests made by the patient, stimulation settings associated with the neurostimulation therapy, and data and time information. The techniques may be implemented by neurostimulation therapy interface device such as a patient programmer that controls operation of an implanted neurostimulation device. |
| US07647110B2 |
Modular implantable medical device and manufacturing method therefor
In an implantable medical device and a manufacturing method therefore, the implantable medical device has at least an electronics module and a battery module, each contributing functionally as well as to the shape of the outer enclosure of the implantable medical device. Different modules, and different versions of different modules, can be combined in different combinations, according to a device specification, to form different medical devices. |
| US07647109B2 |
Leadless cardiac stimulation systems
Various configurations of systems that employ leadless electrodes to provide pacing therapy are provided. In one example, a system that provides multiple sites for pacing of myocardium of a heart includes wireless pacing electrode assemblies that are implantable at sites proximate the myocardium using a percutaneous, transluminal, catheter delivery system. Also disclosed are various configurations of such systems, wireless electrode assemblies, and delivery catheters for delivering and implanting the electrode assemblies. |
| US07647108B2 |
Methods and systems for selection of cardiac pacing electrode configurations
Methods and systems involve selecting lead configurations in a pulse generator capture verification system. Capture threshold data is collected from at least one alternative electrode configuration. The capture threshold data from the at least one alternative electrode configuration is compared with capture threshold data collected using a primary electrode configuration. A pacing electrode configuration is selected based on the comparison. Backup safety pacing is provided using the primary electrode configuration. |
| US07647104B1 |
Ischemia detection using paced depolarization integral and intracardiac electrogram template comparison
A method and apparatus for analyzing IEGM waveforms is disclosed. The method includes generating a long term ensemble average of a plurality of baseline IEGM waveforms and generating a short term ensemble average of at least a portion of the plurality of baseline IEGM waveforms. The method further includes determining a short term absolute point value as a function of the absolute value of the difference of the amplitude of the short term ensemble average and a test IEGM waveform and a long term absolute point value as a function of the difference of the amplitude of the long term ensemble average and the test waveform at a plurality of sample points. The disclosed method further includes detecting ischemia if the difference between the short term absolute point value and the long term absolute point value is greater than an ischemia detection threshold. |
| US07647100B2 |
Method, apparatus, and kit for onychomycosis treatment
Methods, apparatus, and kits for onychomycosis treatment are presented. In one embodiment, a kit for treatment includes an anti-fungal agent, in a composition, and an electrically powered patch. Exemplary embodiments of the patch include a first electrode, a power source having a first and second terminal, a second electrode coupled to the second terminal of the power source, and a base member supporting the first electrode, the second electrode, and the power source. Embodiments include those where the first and second electrode and power source are printed on the base member. Anti-fungal agents may be unionized while the composition includes an ionizing agent. Home use may be practiced, as embodiments include those in which the voltage or current of the power source cannot be adjusted by a user. Exemplary methods include the selection of a nail or diseased area to which treatment is desired and administering the kit as described. |
| US07647098B2 |
System and method for prediction of cognitive decline
A system and method for prediction of cognitive decline, comprises an input receiving input data corresponding to brain activity of an individual and a processor coupled to the input for analyzing the input data to obtain a selected set of features, the processor comparing the selected set of features to at least a portion of entries in a database corresponding to brain activity of a plurality of individuals, wherein entries in the database have been separated into a plurality of categories corresponding to one of a degree of cognitive decline and a propensity for future cognitive decline of individuals relating to the entries, the processor determining, based on the comparison, a category most closely corresponding to the selected set of features. |
| US07647097B2 |
Transcutaneous implant
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for a neural access device that includes an implant which transcutaneously exits the skin of a patient and provides transport of signals between a sensor implanted in a patient and an external device. The transcutaneous implant has integrated features to provide reduced risk of injury due to mechanical forces as well as electrostatic discharge energy applied to the external portion of the device. Transcutaneous devices which provide wireless communication between a sensor and an external device are also disclosed. |
| US07647096B2 |
Methods and apparatus for calculating and presenting the probabilistic functional maps of the human brain
The present invention proposes a method for calculating, presenting, and combining probabilistic functional maps (PFMs) of the human brain representing the probability of structures existing. The method comprises three major steps: reading of data containing the coordinates of contacts, calculating the PFMs, and presenting the PFMs. The data can be read from a file in text or binary format or from a database as local or remote client. The PFM calculation comprises the following steps: forming 3D models of contacts, normalizing the contact models, voxelizing the contact models, calculating an atlas function, and calculating the PFM. The PFM can be presented alone or along with anatomical atlases. Both 3D and 2D interfaces can be used for presentation. The proposed method also includes different ways of combining the contact data and/or existing PFMs from multiple sources. This mechanism is the basis of an internet portal for stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. |
| US07647093B2 |
Apparatus and method for cordless recording and telecommunication transmission of three special ECG leads and their processing
The invention is related to a device and method for cordless recording, telecommunication transmission, and processing of three special ECG leads by the means of the mobile device (1) and diagnostic-calibration center (2) where the reconstruction of standard ECG leads is performed. Reconstruction parameters are determined previously by calibration for each patient. In urgent situation, a patient (3) performs recording of three special ECG leads with the mobile device (1), and sends the memorized data to the diagnostic-calibration device (2) via a cellular telephone (4). The patient can trace the process of recording and sending the data with the help of sound and light indicators. Diagnostic-calibration center (2) is equipped with a PC computer (6) connected to a receiving cellular telephone (7) and calibration ECG device (8) with 14 electrodes. Ten electrodes are grouped into a standard 12-channel ECG cable, while the remaining four are used for recording of three special ECG leads and are grouped into a separate box (9) with integrated electrodes arranged identically as the integrated electrodes on the mobile device (1). |
| US07647089B2 |
Surface identification using microwave signals for microwave-based detection of cancer
A method and a system of determining a surface location defining an interface between an object to image and an antenna is provided. The method uses geometric principles and the fact that an impedance mismatch at the interface results in significant reflection. A propagation time from the surface to each antenna of a plurality of antennas is estimated. The propagation time locates the surface on a circle centered at each antenna and having a radius calculated using the propagation time. A tangent line connects the intersection of adjacent circles with the surface. The surface is estimated to be located at the tangent point where the circle and the shared tangent line between adjacent antennas intersect. Multiple tangent points may be averaged for each interior antenna. A curve is fit to the set of tangent points to provide an estimate of the surface location. |
| US07647086B2 |
Apparatus and method for magnetic resonance angiography utilizing flow pulses and phase-encoding pulses in a same direction
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an RF coil unit which generates RF pulses toward a subject, and which receives an MR signal from the subject. Gradient magnetic field coils generate a gradient magnetic field for slice selection, a gradient magnetic field for phase encoding and a gradient magnetic field for frequency encoding, respectively. An arithmetic unit generates image data on the basis of the MR signal, and a sequence controller controls phase encoding gradient magnetic field coils in order to generate flow pulses for dephasing or rephasing the MR spin of blood flow within the subject, in the same direction as that of the phase encoding gradient magnetic field. |
| US07647079B2 |
Battery cover latching assembly for portable electronic device
A battery cover latching assembly (50) is for a portable electronic device (100) including a housing (20), a first cover (10) configured for attaching to a first side of the housing, and a second cover (30) configured for attaching to a second side of the housing. The battery cover latching assembly includes a locking portion (131) and a latch (342). The locking portion is formed on the first cover. The latch is formed on the second cover. The latch includes a body (343) and a button portion (344) extending from the body. The body is engageable with the locking portion so as to lock the first cover and second cover with each other. The button portion is configured so as to be retained by the housing, and is operable to deform the body of the latch so as to unlock the first cover and the second cover. |
| US07647077B2 |
Method for echo control of a wireless headset
The present invention provides a wireless headset with echo control and noise cancellation. The present invention also provides a method with phase reversion for echo control of a wireless headset wherein the wireless headset comprises closely disposed speakers and acoustic sensors. The present invention further provides a method with beamforming for noise cancellation of a wireless headset wherein the wireless headset comprises two separate units disposed in distance, and wherein each unit comprises an acoustic sensor. |
| US07647073B2 |
Apparatus and method for channel estimation in an SDMA-OFDM system
Provided is a channel estimation apparatus and method in a broadband wireless communications system using a smart antenna are provided. In the channel estimation apparatus, an FFT processor converts a received time-domain signal into a frequency-domain signal by FFT-processing the received time-domain signal. A channel acquirer estimates a first channel information for an SDMA user using a preamble signal allocated to the SDMA user in the frequency-domain signal. A channel tracker estimates a second channel information for the SDMA user using pilots in a data area allocated to the SDMA user in the frequency-domain signal. A channel estimator estimates a final channel information by weighting the first channel information and the second channel information according to a channel change rate. |
| US07647068B2 |
Apparatus for controlling booting of mobile terminal and method thereof
A mobile terminal which includes a voltage comparing unit that compares a battery voltage to a reference voltage, and a controller that controls a booting operation of the mobile terminal according to the comparison. |
| US07647067B2 |
Information processing apparatus and a cellular phone
When a specified task process may mix with another more highly prioritized task process, it is aimed at accurately calculating a process time for the specified task process. A CPU 11 can simultaneously perform a plurality of task processes such as a task process to display the reproduction time during an audio reproduction process on a display 20 and a task process concerning a telephone call. A DSP 12 performs the audio reproduction process and changes a timing to notify the CPU 11 of information about the audio reproduction time in accordance with loads on the task process in the CPU 11. |
| US07647066B2 |
Transmission power control method and apparatus for mobile communication system
A transmission power control apparatus is adapted to control a reference value for controlling a transmission power of a mobile terminal equipment based on a reception quality of a plurality of radio access bearers at a base station apparatus, with respect to a physical channel to which the plurality of radio access bearers are mapped, when making a radio connection between the mobile terminal equipment and the base station apparatus in a mobile communication system. The transmission power control apparatus includes a judging part configured to judge whether or not a radio access bearer that is a monitoring target of the reception quality is an audio transmission radio access bearer in a silent state, based on multiplexed information; and a switching part configured to switch the radio access bearer that is the monitoring target of the reception quality to a radio access bearer other than the audio transmission radio access bearer in the silent state, if the judging part judges that the radio access bearer than is the monitoring target of the reception quality is the audio transmission radio access bearer in the silent state. The reference value for controlling the transmission power of the mobile terminal equipment is controlled based on a reception quality of the radio access bearer other than the audio transmission radio access bearer in the silent state. |
| US07647065B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling reverse link interference among access terminals in wireless communications
In a wireless communication system, an apparatus and a method are provided for controlling reverse link interference among access terminals that are power controlled by a sector of a base station. In an embodiment, the maximum effective noise power spectral density is used as a parameter for controlling the level of reverse link loading, by setting a reverse activity bit (RAB) to signal the access terminals to reduce their data rates in order to minimize interference between the access terminals if the maximum effective noise power spectral density is above a predetermined threshold. |
| US07647061B1 |
System, method and apparatus for reliable detection of extra system signals for a multi-node RLAN system
A method of detecting extra-system signals in a multi-node RLAN (radio local area network) involves: at each of a plurality of nodes in the RLAN, processing at least one respective received signal to produce detection results and deciding whether an extra-system signal has or has not been detected based on detection results of at least two of the plurality of nodes. The extra-system signal is for example a signal from a RADAR system. The detection results are produced using pulse pattern matching for example. Furthermore, in some implementations a decision as to whether an extra-system signal has or has not been detected is based on a comparison of a detection signature for at least two of the nodes to see if there is a substantial match. In some implementations the decision is further based on information representative of a direction of arrival of respective received signals. |
| US07647060B2 |
Wireless communications system and method using transmission timing control
A wireless communications system includes a base station and multiple mobile stations performing wireless communication with the base station in a DS-CDMA scheme. Each of the mobile stations has a transmission unit configured to transmit a timing difference detection packet to the base station, prior to transmitting packet data. The base station has a transmission timing control unit configured to detect a difference in signal receive timing from the mobile stations based on the timing difference detection packet, produce transmission timing control information for each of the mobile stations based on the detection result, and supply the transmission timing control information to each of the mobile stations to cause the mobile stations to adjust the transmission timing of the packet data. |
| US07647055B2 |
System and method for integration of wireless computer network in position determining technology
A wireless communication device, known as a mobile station (MS), contains a conventional wireless communication system and further comprises a wireless computer network communication subsystem and may also include GPS capability. The operator of the MS may utilize any or all of these subsystems to determine the current position of the MS. Based on the current position of the MS, location-based services are provided to the MS as sales information, schedules, prices, maps, and the like. In a typical implementation a plurality of computer network access points, or beacons, are distributed throughout a geographic region and used to determine the position of the MS with a reasonably high degree of accuracy. Based on the current position of the MS, the beacons can provide location-based services. |
| US07647054B2 |
Combined base transceiver station and base station controller call origination and termination
A system, method, and computer readable medium for a mobile origination comprises receiving an origination request message by a main call control (MCC) from a radio call control (RCC), receiving an assignment request message by the RCC from the MCC, receiving a traffic channel assign message by a channel element control (CEC) and by the MCC from the RCC, receiving a call setup message by a selector distribution unit (SDU) from the MCC, and receiving a link active message by the CEC from the SDU. |
| US07647053B2 |
Electronic device, method and communication system
An electronic device has first and second wireless transceiver modules using first and second communication protocol, respectively. Both wireless transceiver modules are coupled between an application layer and an at least partially shared physical layer of the electronic device. The second wireless transceiver module is equipped with a controller to avoid interference with external signals on a frequency used by the second communication protocol. To avoid destructive interference in the physical layer resulting from simultaneous communications from or to the first and second wireless transceiver modules, the electronic device further includes a mediator, which is responsive to an enabled communication involving the first wireless transceiver module, and which feeds a blocking signal into the controller to avoid interference between the enabled communication and a transmission of the second wireless transceiver module. |
| US07647052B2 |
Method and gateway for controlling call routing
A gateway (111, 200) and method for routing calls for a wireless communication unit (113) via a selected network (105, 124, 131) comprises an access point (217) supporting a wireless LAN and a modem (203, 229) for wireless connections to a wireless WAN and an interface 227 with a wired local loop (105). The methodology involves using a first network, such as a local loop if available and a second network, such as a packet data WAN 131 otherwise as well as maintaining the busy status of the first network via the second network. |
| US07647050B2 |
Method of adjusting a power level of communications over a channel in a wirelss communications network
A method of adjusting a power level of communications over a channel in a wireless communications network. In the method, a determination (e.g., by a radio network controller (RNC)) is made regarding a number of base stations actively communicating with a mobile station. For example, the determination may indicate whether the mobile station is engaged in soft handoff or simplex mode. One of a plurality of power control algorithms (e.g., a fixed offset power control algorithm, a channel quality indicator (CQI) power control algorithm, etc.) is selected based on the determination. A power level of communications over the channel (e.g., a downlink communications channel to the mobile station) is then adjusted in accordance with the selected power control algorithm. |
| US07647049B2 |
Detection of high velocity movement in a telecommunication system
Whether relative velocity between a transmitter and a receiver is higher than a predetermined amount is detected. This involves using a Doppler estimation technique to generate an estimate of Doppler spread, {circumflex over (f)}D(1), based on a received signal, and using an alternative velocity estimation technique to generate an estimate of velocity, {circumflex over (v)}, based on the received signal, wherein the alternative velocity estimation technique differs from the Doppler estimation technique. A plurality of estimates, including at least the estimate of Doppler spread and the estimate of velocity, are used to detect whether the relative velocity between the transmitter and the receiver is higher than the predetermined amount. The alternative velocity estimation technique may, for example, be a second Doppler estimation technique that differs from the other Doppler estimation technique. |
| US07647048B2 |
Selecting a hidden network to connect a user to a wireless local area network
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for identifying at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks associated with an access point. The method comprises detecting whether a Wi-Fi network is hidden behind a first visible network of the at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks associated with the access point, and if so, selecting the Wi-Fi network to connect an authorized user to a wireless local area network while retaining an ability to select a second visible network from the at least one of one or more hidden and visible networks. In a client-server based communication system, the Wi-Fi network information of visible access points in a particular range may be automatically retrieved. In addition, by defining a group of networks belonging to an access point, and combining the groups of other access points in the vicinity of the client, a hidden network may be selected without an additional knowledge or processing by the authorized user. This may enable network operators or service providers to reorganize the Wi-Fi network infrastructure as desired and may enable authorized users or client software to detect and select a hidden network, regardless of organization of networks in the vicinity of the client. |
| US07647046B2 |
Maintaining uninterrupted service in a wireless access point and client stations thereof
A method, an apparatus, and code in a carrier medium to operate in a first access point of a wireless network in communication with at least one associated client station. The method includes wirelessly broadcasting a management frame including an indication that the first access point will stop being active, such that each associated client station can wirelessly roam to a second access point prior to the first access point ceasing being active. One embodiment further includes reducing the transmit power of wireless communication used to wirelessly transmit information to the associated client stations, such that each associated client station can eventually wirelessly roam to the second access point. |
| US07647045B2 |
Environment aware message delivery
The invention provides environment aware messages delivery systems, apparatus and methods. In example embodiments the system and method automatically deliver messages to the user based on the environment around the user. In the system and method, a portable message redirection agent cooperates with a message delivery service manager in the environment to discover available message delivery service, and sets message forwarding options without the user's operation. The system and method of the invention can make full use of the existing message redirection mechanisms in more flexible manner. |
| US07647043B2 |
Method for activating recordings of events concerning terminals and equipment thereof
The invention concerns a method which consists, in a radio communication system comprising a core network, at least one radio network controller connected to the core network and configured to control radio communications with terminals and at least one operation center capable of supervising said radio network controller, in: transmitting from the operating center to a radio network controller, a coded list of terminal identifiers; transmitting the coded list to the control network from the radio network controller; decoding the coded list at the core network; detecting at the core network a radio communication under the control of the radio network controller, with a terminal identified in the decoded list; and instructing the radio network controller, from the core network, to start a recording of events concerning the detected communication. |
| US07647039B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication network and software upgrading method
A base station control portion selects one or multiple signals in accordance with the state of radio waves from signals received through multiple communication paths. A wireless communication apparatus communicates with a wireless terminal and a wired communication network at multiple frequencies. In response to a request for software upgrading from a network management device, the wireless communication apparatus selects one frequency, controls the state of transmission waves of a wireless interface such that a communication path in which a communication service is being provided can be switched to another communication network without interruption, rewrites software for each wireless interface to software received through a wired interface in advance, and returns the state of transmission waves of the wireless interface. Thus, the software can be upgraded without blackouts of the communication service to the wireless terminal. |
| US07647035B2 |
RF transceiver with undesired signal rejection and methods for use therewith
A radio frequency (RF) transceiver includes an RF transmitter that generates an outbound RF signal at a carrier frequency that is based on a transmitter local oscillation. An RF front-end receives an inbound RF signal that includes a desired signal component that is based on the outbound RF signal and that includes an undesired signal component. The RF front-end includes a first RF combiner module that attenuates the undesired signal component to produce a desired RF signal. A down conversion module generates a down converted signal from the desired RF signal based on a receiver local oscillation. A receiver processing module generates inbound data from the down converted signal. A frequency control module controls a frequency of the transmitter local oscillation and a frequency of the receiver local oscillation, based on an interference rejection signal, to control the attenuation of the undesired signal component. |
| US07647027B2 |
Tuneable filter control method and base station
A method of controlling a tuneable filter (13a) of an antenna network (13) for use in a base station (1). The proposed method comprises: inputting an output of the antenna network (13) to a pre-distortion feedback path (5), inputting an output of the pre-distortion feedback path (5) and part of an original baseband signal to be transmitted by the base station (1) to a tuneable filter optimization algorithm (20a), controlling the tuneable filter (13a) in accordance with an output (CS) of said tuneable filter optimization algorithm (20a). |
| US07647021B2 |
Multitier ASP services delivery for wireless devices
A multi-tier ASP delivery system. The system can include a host computing device configured to communicate both with a computer communications network and with a plurality of wireless devices in a personal area network (PAN). In particular, a short-range radio communications system can be provided with which wireless communications in the PAN can be established and maintained. A list of ASP services further can be provided which indicates those ASP services which can be accessed by the wireless devices in the PAN. The ASP services in the list can reside locally in the host computing device and remotely in ASP servers in the computer communications network. |
| US07647019B2 |
Apparatus and method for receiving digital multimedia broadcast service in a mobile terminal
A method is provided for receiving a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) signal by a mobile terminal in a DMB system including a satellite for transmitting a satellite DMB signal directly to the mobile terminal, a gap filler for repeating the satellite DMB signal received from the satellite and transmitting a terrestrial DMB signal to the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal capable of receiving both the satellite DMB signal and the terrestrial DMB signal. The method includes receiving at least one DMB signal; determining if there is a satellite DMB signal among the at least one DMB signal; if there is the satellite DMB signal calculating a reception frequency of the satellite DMB signal for a stated time; and if the reception frequency is less than or equal to a threshold providing a user with a message recommending detachment of an antenna used for receiving the satellite DMB signal. |
| US07647017B2 |
Fixing device and image-forming apparatus
Fixing device includes a first cylindrical rotating member having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface; a second rotating member which is brought into contact with the first rotating member; magnetic field generation units for generating a magnetic field, the magnetic field generation units being provided at a predetermined distance from the inner or outer peripheral surface of the first rotating member; and a heat generation member that generates heat by a magnetic field, the heat generation member being provided so as to be opposed to the magnetic field generation units across the first rotating member and to be in contact with the first rotating member, having a thickness larger than a skin depth, and containing a magnetic metal material. |
| US07647010B2 |
Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a toner cartridge of replaceable type that is removably loaded into an apparatus main body, the toner cartridge including: a first section that is substantially cylindrical shape and at which a toner conveying member is disposed; and a second section that is provided at a substantially central portion in a longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge, the substantially central portion being a portion other than an upstream side in a toner conveyance direction of the first section and a downstream side in the toner conveyance direction of the first section at which a toner supply opening. |
| US07647005B2 |
Process unit, toner box and image forming apparatus
A process unit is described. The process unit may include a unit main body being detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body and having a developer carrier for supplying a developing agent to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a toner box being detachably mountable to the unit main body and accommodating the developing agent, a pivoting member pivotably disposed at the unit main body, and a contacting member disposed at the pivoting member and contacting with the toner box from a downstream side in a detaching direction of the toner box from the unit main body. |
| US07647003B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a drawer and a drawer lock
An image forming device is provided that may have a housing with an opening, a drawer component that may be drawn out in a substantially horizontal direction through the opening, a holding portion on the housing to be held at a time when the drawer component is drawn out, and a drawer lock that can be switched between a locked state in which movement of the drawer component is locked in the direction of being drawn out at least at the beginning of being drawn out, and a released state in which there is no prohibition against moving in the direction of being drawn out. |
| US07647002B2 |
Drum removal apparatus and methods
A device for detaching a drum from a printer cartridge, the drum including a drum flange that attaches the drum to the printer cartridge, the device including a pressure transmitting device; and a rod operatively connected to the pressure transmitting device, wherein the pressure transmitting device and the rod are configured to apply pressure to the drum flange and cause the drum to be detached from the printer cartridge. |
| US07647000B2 |
Cooling structure and image forming apparatus provided with the same
A cooling structure includes driving motors as heat sources, a metal sheet body as a heat transfer member that comes into contact with the driving motors, and a first fan serving as a cooling portion provided oppositely to the metal sheet body in a portion spaced apart from the position at which the driving motors are provided to cool the metal sheet body. |
| US07646997B2 |
Toner replenishing device and image forming apparatus having the same
A toner replenishing device of a toner consumption calculating portion calculates a toner consumption using a gray scale value of each pixel in a multiple-value image inputted from an image data input portion. The calculated toner consumption is corrected by a corrected consumption calculating portion, and is then accumulated by a cumulative consumption calculating portion, and thereby a cumulative toner consumption is calculated. A main replenishing amount control portion controls a replenishing roller driving motor so as to replenish a predetermined first replenishing amount of a toner to a developing tank when the cumulative toner consumption reaches a reference consumption or more. Further, an auxiliary replenishing amount control portion controls the replenishing roller driving motor so as to start to replenish a predetermined second replenishing amount of a toner to the developing tank when a toner concentration obtained by a toner concentration obtaining portion reaches less than a start concentration. |
| US07646995B2 |
Waste toner transfer device, waste toner cleaning device having the waste toner transfer device, developing unit having the waste toner cleaning device, and image forming apparatus
A waste toner transfer device of an image forming apparatus includes a waste toner transfer unit which is disposed in proximity to a cleaning member to transfer waste toner removed from a photoconductive medium by the cleaning member, and includes a plurality of protrusions at one end, a driving unit which horizontally reciprocates the waste toner transfer unit, and a plurality of ribs which constrain the plurality of protrusions when the waste toner transfer unit moves, so that the waste toner transfer unit vibrates vertically. |
| US07646994B2 |
Image forming apparatus developing unit and computer system
An image forming apparatus, for example, that is capable of accurately writing information into a developing unit or the like having an element is achieved. An image forming apparatus comprises: an attach/detach section to and from which a developing unit having an element into which information can be written and a developer containing section can be attached and detached; a photoconductor on which a latent image can be formed; a writing member for writing information into the element; and an AC voltage supply section for supplying an AC voltage. During a period from a start to an end of an image forming process, the writing member writes information into the element of the developing unit attached to the attach/detach section when the AC voltage supply section is not supplying an AC voltage. |
| US07646991B2 |
Selectable frequency EMR emitter
An optical transmitter produces electromagnetic radiation (e.g., light) of at least one frequency (e.g., at a particular color frequency) by utilizing a resonant structure that is excited by the presence a beam of charged particles (e.g., a beam of electrons) where the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted along a communications medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable). In at least one embodiment, the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation is higher than that of the microwave spectrum. |
| US07646986B2 |
Optical receiving device and optical receiving method
The present invention provides an optical receiving device, in which a portion of an optical signal is deflected for optical axis detection only when the optical axis is misaligned to thereby achieve a high S/N ratio of a received signal. A condensing section 100 condenses a received optical signal. An optical element 110 includes a transmission region 111 and a deflecting region 112, and receives the optical signal, which has been condensed through the condensing section 100. A signal light receiving section 120 receives the transmitted light, which has been transmitted through the transmission region 111. A detection light receiving section 130 receives deflected light, which has been deflected through the deflecting region 112 and performs a photoelectric conversion on the received light to thereby output a detection intensity signal that indicates an intensity of the deflected light. An optical axis detection section 140 detects an optical axis misalignment based on the detection intensity signal outputted from the detection light receiving section 130 to output an optical axis detection signal. An optical axis adjustment section 150 performs an optical axis adjustment based on the optical axis detection signal. |
| US07646982B2 |
Chromatic dispersion compensator
A chromatic dispersion compensator of present invention includes a high-refractive-index VIPA plate, a three-dimensional mirror, and a control unit. The high-refractive-index VIPA plate is made of a material such as silicon having a refractive index higher than that of optical glass and is able to output incident lights toward different directions according to wavelength. The three-dimensional mirror reflects the light of each wavelength emitted from the high-refractive-index VIPA plate, at a predetermined position and returns the light to the VIPA plate. The control unit controls a temperature of the high-refractive-index VIPA plate at a constant level while controlling the position of the three-dimensional mirror corresponding to a chromatic dispersion compensation amount. Thereby, larger chromatic dispersion can be compensated while a decrease in transmission bandwidth is suppressed. |
| US07646981B2 |
WDM systems and methods
A WDM optical system includes first and second WDM's including an optical link therebetween. Each WDM includes circuitry for linking multiplexer and demultiplexer circuitry to a plurality of modular elements. The modular elements include a first set of modules for converting between native protocol media signals and common format signals. A second set of modules converts between the common format signals and optical signals at separate wavelengths for communication with the multiplexers and demultiplexers. A dual path transmit and receive optical link is provided between near and far end WDM's. |
| US07646980B1 |
Variable spectral phase encoder/decoder based on decomposition of Hadamard codes
The invention is directed toward a variable spectral phase encoder. The variable spectral phase encoder includes a plurality of switches and at least one encoder. The encoder is coupled between a first switch and second switch among the plurality of switches. The first switch selectively routes an optical signal to some combination of fixed encoders such that their collective product applies one of the Hadamard sequences to the optical signal. |
| US07646979B1 |
Multiple access protocol system and related techniques for multi-gigabit optical wavelength division multiplexed local area networks
A system for simultaneously transmitting and receiving multiple data messages on a unidirectional ring having a plurality of nodes coupled thereto is described. This technique utilizes a medium access (MAC) protocol for a multi-gigabit-per-second local-area optical wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) network that is particularly well suited for high-performance computing environments that need a network that provides quality of service and the ability to enforce service level agreements. The protocol uses an asynchronous, unslotted, tokenless, and collision-free access scheme that is arbitrated by a centralized scheduler. The embodiment is based on a folded-bus unidirectional ring that is passively optically tapped by the nodes to both transmit data onto the network and to receive data from the network. The system includes a scheduler based on a master/slave protocol that provisions and regulates data flow on the network, and uses a dedicated out-of-band control wavelength to broadcast scheduler directives to the nodes in the network. |
| US07646978B2 |
Methods and apparatuses to provide a wavelength division-multiplexing passive optical network based on wavelength-locked wavelength-division-multiplexed light sources
Various methods, systems, and apparatuses in which a wavelength-division-multiplexing passive-optical-network includes a first broadband light source and a second broadband light source. The first broadband light source supplies an optical signal containing a first band of wavelengths to a first plurality of optical transmitters. The second broadband light source supplies an optical signal containing a second band of wavelengths to a second plurality of optical transmitters. A fiber is used for bi-directional transmission of optical signals in at least two different wavelength bands. |
| US07646977B2 |
Depth of field bracketing
Methods and Systems are provided to enable automatically taking a series of depth of field bracket photos by varying the f-stop and shutter speed for a particular scene to keep the exposure constant. The method may be practiced on a digital camera which has been equipped with software in accordance with the present invention. |
| US07646976B2 |
Digital camera
A digital camera includes an imaging device for capturing images of an object, a signal processor which performs signal processing on a signal captured by the imaging device to obtain an image signal, and a single measuring device for measuring color of at least a part of the object, and for measuring a color temperature of the object to adjust white balance of the image signal. |
| US07646974B2 |
Color adjustment for camera
A device may include a camera to capture an image, a sensor to measure information indicative of a color characteristic of light in an environment, and a processor to adjust a color characteristic of a flash based on the color characteristic of the light in the environment and activate the flash for capturing the image according to the adjusted color characteristic. |
| US07646972B2 |
Method and apparatus for capturing multiple images at different image foci
A camera described herein captures a plurality of images at different focus settings to improve the probability that the camera captures a clear representation of a desired object in a potentially ambiguous scene. According to one exemplary embodiment, the camera selects a plurality of focus settings corresponding to different focal points in a range of focal points. Subsequently, the camera automatically captures successive images of the scene at the selected focus settings in response to a single activation of a shutter control. The user may select one or more of the captured images for storage, transmission to a remote device, and/or further processing. |
| US07646969B2 |
Camera snubber assembly
A method and system for limiting the motion of components such as the optics of a camera are disclosed. The system can comprise a stage and a snubber assembly for controlling motion of the stage in six degrees of freedom. For example, the snubber assembly can permit movement in one translational degree of freedom while substantially limiting motion in the other five degrees of motion so as to facilitate focusing and/or zooming of a camera while inhibiting misalignment of the optics and while providing some protection against shock and vibration. Such motion control can be achieved while mitigating costs associated with precision manufacturing of the snubber assembly. |
| US07646968B1 |
End-user configurable digital versatile disk menus and methods for generating the same
An embedded digital versatile disk recording system operable to selectively record a menu with a user generated background image on a digital versatile disk. |
| US07646966B2 |
Method for creating, updating, and recording seamless presentation information of moving picture data in a rewritable recording medium
This invention provides a method for creating, updating, and recording information for seamless presentation of moving picture data in a rewritable recording medium. When recording moving picture data on a rewritable recording medium, seamless presentation information, a part of navigation data, is recorded along with the picture data for seamless presentation of the recorded picture data. The method for creating and recording seamless presentation information of the present invention can effectively reduce the amount of created seamless presentation information by omitting some fields of the seamless presentation information when they are unnecessary. If some video objects of recorded picture data are erased, navigation data related to the removed video objects should be erased and seamless presentation information should also needs proper modification. The method for updating and recording seamless presentation information of the present invention enables effective management of seamless presentation information by updating seamless presentation information related to the video object following erased video objects. |
| US07646963B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and presentation medium
An information processing apparatus comprises an extracting means for extracting main information including first copy control information and auxiliary information representing attributes of the main information from input information; a first generating means for generating second copy control information based on the auxiliary information extracted by the extracting means; and an adding means for adding the second copy control information generated by the first generating means to the main information extracted by the extracting means. As a result, even an apparatus not capable of analyzing first copy control information is capable of executing copy control. |
| US07646959B2 |
Plastic optical fiber and manufacturing method thereof, and optical transmission system
A POF (12) comprises a core (65) having a radius of R1, an outer shell (66) and an outermost shell (67). The core (65) includes concentric layers. A first layer (61) is at the periphery side and an nth layer (64) is at the center of the core (65). The refractive index increases from the first layer (61) to the nth layer (64). The refractive index N(r) at a position where a distance r apart in a radius direction from the center of the core (65) having a radius of R1 is satisfied following equations (1) and (2) when the center of a cross-sectional circle of the core (65) has the refractive index of N1, the outermost part of the core (65) has the refractive index of N2, and a refractive index distribution coefficient is shown as g: N(r)=N1[1−2Δ(r/R1)g]1/2 [Equation (1)] Δ=(N12−N22)/(2N12). [Equation (2)] |
| US07646955B2 |
Multimode optical fiber with low differential mode delay
An optical multimode fiber including a graded index core and an extended gradient core which has a negative refractive index difference with respect to the cladding. The fiber improves the bandwidth, reliability and complexity of the telecommunication systems that are based on multimode fibers. The fiber reduces the differential mode delay among modes. The fiber thereby allows achieving large bandwidth even in the case when the highest order modes are excited. This has positive effects to the conditions that need to be fulfilled by the components such as optical sources, connectors, fiber couplers, other optical components, cables, etc. The fiber eliminates negative impact of the cladding that allows for reduction of fiber core size and the difference between the cladding and the core and thereby allows for achieving the larger bandwidth of optical fiber at lower fiber production cost. |
| US07646954B2 |
Optical fiber telecommunications cable
An optical fiber telecommunications cable includes micromodules positioned with a longitudinal central cavity formed by a jacket. Two strength members are arranged longitudinally in the jacket and define a bending axis of the cable. Each strength member has an elongated oval cross-sectional shape with a height perpendicular to the bending axis and a width parallel to the bending axis. The height-to-width ratio of each strength member is more than one and no more than two. The optical fiber telecommunications cable has a reduced diameter and good robustness, and can be manufactured at lower cost. |
| US07646951B2 |
Apparatus for manufacturing optical fiber Bragg grating, optical fiber, and mid-infrared optical fiber laser
Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing an optical fiber Bragg grating. The optical fiber Bragg grating manufacturing apparatus includes: an optical fiber; a laser for irradiating a laser beam to the optical fiber to change a refractive index of a core of the optical fiber; an optical system for periodically changing the intensity of the laser beam irradiated to the optical fiber core; a broadband light source for providing broadband light as an incident signal to the optical fiber in order to observe a reflection characteristic of a Bragg grating formed in the optical fiber by the laser beam converted by the optical system; and an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) for measuring a reflected signal or a transmitted signal of the broadband light incident to the Bragg grating, wherein the optical system realizes a Bragg wavelength (λB) in order to periodically change the refractive index of the optical fiber core, and the broadband light source and the optical spectrum analyzer use λB/N, where λB denotes the Bragg wavelength and N is a natural number which is equal to or more than 2. |
| US07646950B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing fiber gratings, and optical fibers having fiber gratings formed thereby
Provided are a method and apparatus for manufacturing fiber gratings capable of removing or reducing birefringence and polarization-dependence caused by fiber gratings, and an optical fiber having the fiber gratings formed thereby. The method includes: selectively exposing an optical fiber to a light source, and generating first fiber gratings on the optical fiber; and selectively exposing the optical fiber to a light source on a region spaced apart from the first fiber gratings in a longitudinal direction at a different angle from the first fiber gratings about an axis of the optical fiber, and generating second fiber gratings that are the same as the first fiber gratings. Use of the method and apparatus for manufacturing fiber gratings may effectively remove or reduce birefringence or polarization effects. |
| US07646946B2 |
Intensity modulated fiber optic strain sensor
A strain sensor includes an optical fiber with at least one optical fiber, a reflector body with a reflective surface, a housing affixed to the optical fiber probe and to the reflector body. The reflective surface is spaced apart at a distance d from the ends of the probe's fibers and receives light from the end of the fiber and to reflect at least a portion of the light into the end of the fiber. The housing is attached to the fiber probe at a first end of the housing and attached to the reflector body at a second end of the housing. The housing is affixed to the material to be measured, and in the material causes a change in gap between the fiber end and the reflective surface, modulating the amount of light received in the receiving fiber, detectable by a photodetector connected to the receiving fiber. |
| US07646945B2 |
Structural member bend radius and shape sensor and measurement apparatus
Structural member bend radius sensor apparatus 90 comprises three fibre Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors 102 provided within three optical fibres 14, 16, 18. The optical fibres 14, 16, 18 and the FBGs 102 are embedded within a part-cylindrical shaped carrier member 92. The fibres 14, 16, 18 are provided at three spaced locations across the shaped carrier member 92 so that, in use, the three respective FBG strain sensors will be located at three different angular positions around the circumference of the structural member (pipe) 68. Structural member shape measurement apparatus 100 comprises four bend radius sensor apparatus 90 provided at four bend radius measurement positions along the pipe 68. The four bend radius sensor apparatus 90 shown share their optical fibres 14, 16, 18, and a single shaped carrier member 92. The shape measurement apparatus 100 further comprises FBG interrogation apparatus 104. |
| US07646942B2 |
Silicon semiconductor based high-speed ring optical modulator
Provided is a high-speed ring optical modulator based on a silicon semiconductor, having increased optical modulation speed. The high-speed ring optical modulator includes a ring optical waveguide including a portion in which the refractive index varies, that is, a refractive index variation portion, and an optical waveguide having a constant refractive index. The refractive index variation portion comprises a bipolar transistor. Thus carriers can be supplied to and discharged from the refractive index variation portion, through which light is transmitted, at high speed, and thus the optical modulation speed can be increased. |
| US07646940B2 |
Robust indexing and retrieval of electronic ink
A unique system and method that facilitates indexing and retrieving electronic ink objects with improved efficiency and accuracy is provided. Handwritten words or characters are mapped to a low dimension through a process of segmentation, stroke classification using a neural network, and projection along directions found using OPCA, for example. The employment of OPCA makes these low dimensional representations robust to handwriting variations or noise. Each handwritten word or set of characters is stored along with neighborhood hyperrectangle that represents word variations. Redundant bit vectors are used to index the hyperrectangles for efficient storage and retrieval. Ink-based queries can be submitted in order to retrieve at least one ink object. To do so, the ink query is processed to determine its query point which is represented by a (query) hyperrectangle. A data store can be searched for any hyperrectangles that match the query hyperrectangle. |
| US07646938B2 |
Method and system for super-resolution of confocal images acquired through an image guide, and device used for implementing such a method
A method for increasing the resolution of confocal images acquired through an image guide whereof the distal end is associated with an optical head for focusing the laser beam emitted by the image guide in an observation object. For a given position of the optical head, the method includes the following steps: producing a plurality of acquisitions through the image guide, each acquisition being produced for a specific spatial shift of the distal end of the guide image relative to the optical head which remains stationary; transforming the data of each acquisition into a point cloud; registering each scatter plot relative to a point cloud taken as reference; superimposing the thus registered point clouds; and reconstructing a final image from the superimposition. Advantageously, a controlled piezoelectric tube is used arranged about the distal end of the image guide to shift the latter. |
| US07646935B2 |
Method and computer program product for automatic image mirroring
Method and computer program product for mirroring an image according to internationalization information in an application supporting images. An initial image to be mirrored, which is described in a graphical format, is read. The image data is wrapped in a new image format by adding information about which area of the image is to be mirrored and how it is to be mirrored. A new image format library added to the application enables the application to read the new image format and transform the image according to the locale. |
| US07646930B2 |
Edge enhancement system and method and imaging system
A plurality of bandpass filters extract high frequency components of a digital image signal sampled every predetermined unit, thus generating a plurality of high frequency signals. The high frequency signals are added to produce a resultant high frequency signal. On the basis of the value of the resultant high frequency signal, the maximum value or minimum value detected from the high frequency signals is selected. The resultant high frequency signal and the selected maximum or minimum value are added according to determined weights, so that an enhancement signal is generated. Edge enhancement is performed using the enhancement signal. |
| US07646926B2 |
Image encoding apparatus
An image encoding apparatus includes an extracting unit and a replacing unit. An image is subjected to quantized orthogonal transformation and quantization, and quantized orthogonal transform coefficients are grouped and encoded group-wise. The extracting unit extracts, from among a group of quantized orthogonal transform coefficients, those quantized orthogonal transform coefficients that are within a designated range starting from boundary values of the next lower group. The replacing unit replaces values of the quantized orthogonal transform coefficients extracted, with values of the quantized orthogonal transform coefficients of the next lower group. |
| US07646925B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus having a reduction layout function has as its object to suppress any image degradation in recompressed image data. To achieve this object, an image processing method of this invention has the following arrangement. More specifically, an image processing method of generating reduced layout image data by using a plurality of image data as configured image data includes a step (step S1008) of decoding the plurality of configured image data which are compressed by using individual compression parameters, a step (step S1007) of extracting, on the basis of the compression parameters of the plurality of configured image data, a common compression parameter to compress the plurality of configured image data and assigning the common compression parameter, a step (step S1009) of recompressing the plurality of configured image data by using the assigned common compression parameter, and a step of compositing the plurality of recompressed configured image data as image data in a single page (step S1010) and outputting the image data (step S1012). |
| US07646920B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program, computer system and computer-readable storage for representing and searching for an object in an image
A method of representing an object appearing in a still or video image, by processing signals corresponding to the image, comprises deriving a curvature scale space (CSS) representation of the object outline by smoothing the object outline, deriving at least one additional parameter reflecting the shape or mass distribution of a smoothed version of the original curve, and associating the CSS representation and the additional parameter as a shape descriptor of the object. |
| US07646918B2 |
Systems and methods for recognizing objects in an image
An image is analyzed to locate an object appearing in the image. A contour of that object is extracted from the image and normalized. Based on the normalized contour, one or more summation invariant values are determined and compared to templates comprising one or more summation invariants for each of one or more target objects. The determined summation invariants for the extracted object are compared to summation invariants for the target objects. When the summation invariants for the extracted object sufficiently match the summation invariants determined from an image of a target object, the extracted object is recognized as that target object. The summation invariants can be semi-local summation invariants determined for each point along the normalized contour, based on a number of points neighboring that point on the normalized contour. The semi-local summation invariants are determined as a function of the x and y coordinates of those points. |
| US07646916B2 |
Linear analyst
A system and method for feature evaluation that include an evaluation system configured to consider extracted features and reference features and an evaluation system configured to quantify accuracy, quality, and correspondence between the reference features and the extracted features. |
| US07646914B2 |
System and method for collecting and analyzing event data
A computer-based system is disclosed for the gathering and analysis of data and planning associated with that data captured during or related to events. The system is based on existing core technology that allows for the use of a digital pen land marked with respect to some spatial location on the surface of a computer screen that allows storage of ink data and allows for interpretation of handwritten characters. A mouse can be used in place of the digital pen, however, it is advantageous to use the digital pen on the surface of a computer screen. Part of the invention is able to capture real-time data in dynamic environments where the user must maintain active contact with the scene, allowing only minimal viewing of the computer screen. This minimal viewing component can be applied to, but not limited to, polling, traffic analysis, and sporting events. For the application to team sporting events, the minimal viewing component provides an efficient means for personnel to enter game statistics in real-time. The complete system also provides a means of, but is not limited to, generating team and player statistics across a selection of seasons, games or groups of games; capturing both spatial and temporal events; synchronizing digital video with event actions; analyzing contributions of groups of players based on game statistics; maintaining detailed scouting information on a plurality of teams; maintaining detailed scouting and recruiting information on a plurality of individual personnel; channeling a plurality of selected subsets of data; storing a plurality of game plays (formatted and unformatted); preparing and displaying data associated with a league containing multiple teams; and enabling strategic decisions (drills, practices, schedules, goal setting). |
| US07646913B2 |
Allograph based writer adaptation for handwritten character recognition
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates analyzing and/or recognizing a handwritten character. An interface component can receive at least one handwritten character. A personalization component can train a classifier based on an allograph related to a handwriting style to provide handwriting recognition for the at least one handwritten character. In addition, the personalization component can employ any suitable combiner to provide optimized recognition. |
| US07646912B2 |
Method and device for ascertaining feature vectors from a signal
A signal is used to form intermediate feature vectors which are subjected to high-pass filtering. The high-pass-filtered intermediate feature vectors have a respective prescribed addition feature vector added to them. |
| US07646905B2 |
Scoring estrogen and progesterone receptors expression based on image analysis
A method of scoring Oestrogen and Progesterone Receptors expression (ER and PR) from histological images determines the percentage of brown image blob area in total blob area and derives percentage thresholds to quantify scoring. Brown blob area proportion is then compared with the thresholds to provide a first contribution to scoring of ER or PR. The number of relatively dark pixels is then counted, pixel number thresholds are determined to quantify scoring, and the number of relatively dark pixels is compared with the thresholds to provide a second contribution scoring of ER or PR. The two contributions are then added to provide an overall scoring in the range 0 to 8 which may be taken as a final score or it may be scaled to a conventional range 0 to 3. |
| US07646904B2 |
Computer-aided classification of anomalies in anatomical structures
Candidate anomalies in an anatomical structure are processed for classification. For example, false positives can be reduced by techniques related to the anomaly's neck, wall thickness associated with the anomaly, template matching performed for the anomaly, or some combination thereof. The various techniques can be combined for use in a classifier, which can determine whether the anomaly is of interest. For example, a computed tomography scan of a colon can be analyzed to determine whether a candidate anomaly is a polyp. The technologies can be applied to a variety of other scenarios involving other anatomical structures. |
| US07646903B2 |
System and method for path based tree matching
A system and method for tree matching are provided. The method for tree matching includes: acquiring tree-like structures representing a physical object or model; extracting a path from a first tree-like structure and a path from a second tree-like structure; comparing the paths of the first and second tree-like structures by computing a similarity measurement for the paths; and determining if the paths match based on the similarity measurement. |
| US07646902B2 |
Computerized detection of breast cancer on digital tomosynthesis mammograms
A method for using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) for digital tomosynthesis mammograms (DTM) including retrieving a DTM image file having a plurality of DTM image slices; applying a three-dimensional gradient field analysis to the DTM image file to detect lesion candidates; identifying a volume of interest and locating its center at a location of high gradient convergence; segmenting the volume of interest by a three dimensional region growing method; extracting one or more three dimensional object characteristics from the object corresponding to the volume of interest, the three dimensional object characteristics being one of a morphological feature, a gray level feature, or a texture feature; and invoking a classifier to determine if the object corresponding to the volume of interest is a breast cancer lesion or normal breast tissue. |
| US07646895B2 |
Grouping items in video stream images into events
A technique is disclosed for determining a group in which to add a new image set. The new image set is captured by one or more cameras in a video surveillance system. Similarity scores are generated between the new image set and one or more image sets of a plurality of groups, wherein each group includes one or more image sets of at least one object. The new image set is added to a group based on one or more factors. Also, a technique is disclosed for determining when to close a group, wherein a closed group is one to which an image set may not be added. |
| US07646892B2 |
Image inspecting apparatus, image inspecting method, control program and computer-readable storage medium
An image inspecting apparatus invention includes an original image storing memory 21 for storing an image data output from an image sensor 11, a filtering processing section 22 for obtaining a shading component-removed data in which the shading component is removed from the output image data, a preliminary processing memory 23 for storing the shading component-removed data, a block dividing/adding section 24 for dividing the shading component-removed data into blocks with a size of n×m and adding the shading component-removed data within the divided blocks to obtain a block divided/added data, a secondary processing memory 25 for storing the block divided/added data, a statistics processing section 26 for calculating an average value, a maximum value and a minimum value for the block divided/added data, a quality determining section 27 for determining a quality with the calculated average value, maximum value and minimum value and a determination result storing memory 28 for storing information for the block which has been determined. |
| US07646891B2 |
Image processor
There is provided an image processor and a method thereof for high-speed compensation for taken-image blurs produced by camera shakes or the like. In the first instance, a motion-detecting area is selected for each of two images taken by an image sensor. When projective data is calculated by means of computing in a predetermined direction pixels of the motion-detecting areas, the motion vector between the two images can be acquired based on the projective data. The image correlativity between the two images is then calculated in the direction that the motion vector designates; and the amount of pixel displacement between the two images is calculated based on the correlativity values acquired by the calculation. Moreover, the area that has been produced by displacing an image output area in a camera-shake compensation area designated in the second frame, by the pixel-displacement amount calculated by a displacement calculator is cut away from the camera-shake compensation area, and is outputted as an image for the image output area of the second frame. |
| US07646890B2 |
Image processor for automotive vehicle
An image processor for an automotive vehicle includes: an imaging element for capturing an image of a road; a traffic lane line detection element for detecting a position of a traffic lane line by determining an edge of the traffic lane line; a distance distribution calculation element for calculating a distance distribution of an edge intensity corresponding to a distance to the traffic lane line from the imaging element; and a detection reliability calculation element for calculating a degree of reliability of detection of the traffic lane line on the basis of the distance distribution of the edge intensity of the traffic lane line. |
| US07646889B2 |
Rain sensor
A rain sensor provided in a vehicle includes a camera and a processor. The camera takes an image of a scene outside of the vehicle through a windshield of the vehicle with an infinite focal length. The processor detects rain based on a variation degree of intensities of pixels in the image from an average intensity of the pixels. |
| US07646881B2 |
Watermarking scheme for digital video
Data to be impressed upon the average value of a chrominance portion of a block, is replicated at least once. The original and each replica is impressed on blocks in the same block position of separate frames. The frames that have like-positioned blocks that are carrying the same data are considered to be a group. Specific blocks of the frame may be embedded with a particular known data sequence rather than user data. Each group may employ a different known sequence. Instead of simply repeating the data for each like-positioned block of a group, the amount added to the average value for each such block may be changed slightly from frame to frame in group, even when the complexity of the blocks is the same. At a receiver, the multiple instances of the same data bit are extracted and combined to form a single received bit. |
| US07646878B2 |
Hearing device with battery door
The hearing device comprises a housing with electronic components and a battery compartment with an opening in the housing. The battery compartment comprises means for removeably engaging a battery door. The hearing device further comprises a set of battery doors, each comprising mechanical means for detachably receiving a battery, the shells of each battery door of the set of battery doors having different shapes and sizes, each adapted to the size of the assigned specific battery type. |
| US07646877B2 |
Condenser microphone
In a condenser microphone including a microphone unit and an output module section which are connected to each other via a microphone cord, the length of a microphone cord in the output module section is shortened without interfering with soldering of the microphone cord to a circuit board of the output module section, so that noise caused by electromagnetic waves is prevented. In a condenser microphone where a condenser microphone unit 10 and an output module section 20, in which a circuit board 22 is housed in a shield case 21, are connected to each other via a microphone cord 30, a connection metal part 110 of the microphone cord and an output connector 23 are fixed to the circuit board 22 which can be inserted and removed in and from the shield case 21, the connection metal part 110 being detachably fit into an end opening 21a of the shield case 21. The connection metal part 110 of the microphone cord can be removed from the shield case 21 together with the circuit board 22. |
| US07646872B2 |
Systems and methods to securely generate shared keys
A method for secure bidirectional communication between two systems is described. A first key pair and a second key pair are generated, the latter including a second public key that is generated based upon a shared secret. First and second public keys are sent to a second system, and third and fourth public keys are received from the second system. The fourth public key is generated based upon the shared secret. A master key for encrypting messages is calculated based upon a first private key, a second private key, the third public key and the fourth public key. For re-keying, a new second key pair having a new second public key and a new second private key is generated, and a new fourth public key is received. A new master key is calculated using elliptic curve calculations using the new second private key and the new fourth public key. |
| US07646869B2 |
System for copy protection of an information carrier
The present invention relates to a system for copy protection of an information carrier, said system comprising a diffractive layer for delivering a speckle pattern when illuminated by a light source, a spatial filter, which is aligned with respect to the diffractive layer, for delivering a filtered optical signal from the speckle pattern and a detector array for delivering, when illuminated by said filtered optical signal, an electrical signal. Said system further comprises means for computing a cryptographic key from the electrical signal, and means for decrypting encrypted data contained in the information carrier from the cryptographic key. It finds its application in copy protection of content carriers such as optical discs or in smart cards. |
| US07646865B2 |
Telephone handset coupling system
A telephone handset that includes both a speaker and a secondary flux coil is provided. The secondary flux coil provides improved inductive coupling between the handset and a hearing aid. Due to the wiring configuration of the handset, the speaker and the secondary flux coil can be independently filtered, thus providing means for independently optimizing the performance of both the speaker and the secondary flux coil. Suitable filters include both passive circuits and digital signal processors. |
| US07646859B2 |
Method and apparatus for integrated telephone and internet services
A system and method for providing integrated telephony and Internet services is described. An embodiment of the present invention comprises passively collecting incoming and/or outgoing call information from communications links communicatively coupled to a first party. The call information is extracted and customer information, such as demographic information, is retrieved. The customer information may be, for example, retrieved from a data provider or may have been previously collected or gathered. Thereafter, reports, charts, graphs, maps, and the like may be made available. In an embodiment, the reports, charts, graphs, maps, and the like are made available via a network such as the Internet. |
| US07646857B2 |
Systems and methods for providing voicemail services including caller identification
A method for providing voicemail services includes receiving a voicemail message from a calling party and intended for a called party. The method further includes identifying a name associated with the calling party and storing the name associated with the calling party with the voicemail message. |
| US07646854B2 |
Method and system for collecting contemporaneous information relating to a critical event
The present invention is directed to a method and system for collecting contemporaneous information relating to a critical event. The method includes receiving a call requesting an emergency response to a critical event and in response to the call, using at least one communication network to transmit a request for supplemental information from reporting devices located in a specified area related to the critical event. The supplemental information is received over the at least one communication network. |
| US07646853B2 |
Security system reporting which compares a caller telephone number with a ten digit account number
A security central station monitors a plurality of individual subscriber security systems installed in residential or commercial accounts. Each security system at an account is programmed to periodically place a telephone call to the security central station receiver, and then to send a signal to the security central station receiver over the placed telephone call. The ten digit telephone number of the account is programmed into the security central station as the ten digit account number of record. When the signal sent by the security system is received by the security central station receiver, the security central station compares the ten digit caller telephone number with the ten digit account number of record. Normally, the ten digit caller telephone number will match the ten digit account number. However, a mismatch between the two ten digit numbers indicates to the security central station that the telephone number of the account premises protected by the security system has been changed, and alerts the security central station to investigate the matter further. |
| US07646851B2 |
Device and method for generating X-rays having different energy levels and material discrimination system
Disclosed is a device and method for generating X-rays having different energy levels as well as a material discrimination system thereof. The method comprises the steps of: generating a first pulse voltage, a second pulse voltage, a third pulse voltage and a fourth pulse voltage, generating a first electron beam having a first beam load and a second electron beam having a second beam load, respectively, based on the first pulse voltage and second pulse voltage, generating a first microwave having a first power and a second microwave having a second power, respectively, based on the third pulse voltage and the fourth pulse voltage, accelerating the first and second electron beams respectively using the first and second microwave to obtain the accelerated first electron beam and the second electron beam, hitting a target with the accelerated first electron beam and the second electron beam to generate a first X-ray and a second X-ray having different energy levels. The X-rays having different energy levels generated by the present invention can be used in the non-destructive inspection for large-sized container cargo at places such as Customs, ports and airports, and in realizing the material discrimination for the inspected object. |
| US07646848B2 |
Goniometer
The invention relates to a goniometer (1) and a method for measuring stresses and characterizing microstructure of particles. The goniometer comprises frame (4), a measurement head (7, 8, 9, 10) movably adapted to the frame (4) by a first linear movement unit (5), second linear movement unit (6) and a tilting movement unit (16), for performing measurement at a measurement point. According to the invention the axis of rotation (12) of the tilting movement unit (16) does not coincide with the measurement point, and the device has means (17) for creating arc-formed movement of the measurement head (7, 8, 9, 10) during the measurement with said movement units (5, 6, 16). |
| US07646846B2 |
Method for evaluating press-formability of galvanized steel sheet
The press formability of a galvanized steel sheet including an oxide film, which has a thickness of 10 nm to 100 nm, as a surface layer is nondestructively speedily evaluated. A specific method for solving problems is characterized by including the steps of irradiating X-rays to a galvanized steel sheet, dispersing a fluorescent X-ray, which is excited and emitted in the applying, with an analyzing crystal exhibiting the difference in diffraction angle between a primary oxygen Kα x-ray and a secondary zinc Lβ x-ray of 2 degrees or more, detecting the X-ray, which is dispersed in the dispersing and which mainly contains the primary oxygen Kα x-ray, with a detector, separating an X-ray at an energy level within the range of ±25% to ±75% relative to the reference (100%) that is the energy level of the primary oxygen Kα x-ray from the X-ray, which is detected in the detecting and which mainly contains the primary oxygen Kα x-ray, by adjusting the window width of a pulse-height analyzer, measuring the intensity of the X-ray separated in the separating, and evaluating the press formability of the galvanized steel sheet on the basis of the intensity of the X-ray measured in the measuring. |
| US07646844B2 |
Method for operating a medical examination apparatus and an examination apparatus associated therewith
Method for operating a medical examination apparatus, having an image recording device, which is moved in a rotary motion through a predetermined angular range around the patient in order to produce image recordings of a periodically moving object, with several runs being carried out by the image recording device in order to produce the image recordings and the start of the individual runs being initiated as a function of a reference signal, which represents a current movement status of the organ to be mapped, such that image recordings are produced at different radiation angles with each run. |
| US07646843B2 |
Method for producing projective and tomographic phase contrast images with the aid of an X-ray system
A method is disclosed for producing projective and tomographic phase contrast images of an examination object, preferably a patient, with the aid of an X-ray system, and a corresponding X-ray system for carrying out this method. In at least one embodiment of the method, X-ray optical grating sets tuned to different energy ranges are used to determine energy-dependent phase shifts upon penetration of an examination object, a difference value is formed from these energy-dependent phase shifts, and tomographic or projective images are produced therefrom. |
| US07646839B2 |
Unified digital architecture
A unified, unidirectional serial link is described for providing data across wired media, such as a chip-to chip or a card-to-card interconnect. It consists of a transmit section and a receive section that are operated as pairs to allow the serial data communication. The serial link is implemented as part of a VLSI ASIC module and derives its power, data and clocking requirements from the host modules. The logic transmitter portion contains a phase locked loop (PLL), a dibit data register, a finite impulse response (FIR) filter and a transmit data register. The phase locked loop comprises both a digital coarse loop and an analog fine loop. The digital receiver portion contains a PLL, an FIR phase rotator, a phase rotator control state machine, and a clock buffer. The transmitter and the receiver each preferably utilize a pseudo-random bit stream (PRBS) generator and checker. |
| US07646837B2 |
Implementing bandwidth control in a communications link
A method and apparatus are provided for implementing bandwidth control in a communication link. A set link configuration for the communications link establishes a number of clock cycles required to transmit a data envelope. A control function aligns a start of a data packet on a fixed cycle boundary for data envelope transmissions. The control function aligns the start of a data packet in the same byte of the 16 byte field. The control function is implemented with a memory management input/output (MMIO) register and a counter, and allows a transmitting side of the communications link to control the pacing of data packet transmission or bandwidth by aligning all data packets on fixed-cycle boundaries. |
| US07646835B1 |
Method and system for automatically calibrating intra-cycle timing relationships for sampling signals for an integrated circuit device
A method for automatically calibrating intra-cycle timing relationships between command signals, data signals, and sampling signals for an integrated circuit device. The method includes generating command signals for accessing an integrated circuit component, accessing data signals for conveying data for the integrated circuit component, and accessing sampling signals for controlling the sampling of the data signals. A phase relationship between the command signals, the data signals, and the sampling signals is automatically adjusted to calibrate operation of the integrated circuit device. |
| US07646833B1 |
Channel equalization in receivers
Systems and techniques relating to channel equalization in received communications signals are described. In one aspect, a communications signal of a channel is obtained and channel effects are removed from the communications signal by generating one or more time-varying channel response estimates. |
| US07646831B2 |
Method and a device for controlling data extraction from a data stream containing at lease one data packet
The present invention relates to a method and a device for data extraction from a data stream containing at least one data packet. First, comparing a bit stream derived from a received digital data stream with an expected bit sequence is performed by packet detector to determine a correlation value (CorrVal) for detecting a data packet. Then, a data extraction unit is started for data extraction when the correlation value (CorrVal) exceeds a threshold value (CorrThres) indicating that a data packet has been detected. Therefore, comparing the received bit stream with the expected bit sequence to determine a new correlation value (CorrVal) is continued by the packet detector. Finally, restarting data extraction is initiated by a sync-control module when the new correlation value (CorrVal) exceeds the form correlation value (MaxCorrVal). |
| US07646826B2 |
Type dependency modulation method with type control
A type dependency modulation method with type control is integrated with type control code words in traditional type dependency modulation. It increases the effect of DC component control in the overall encoding procedure. In this method, a specific type-control code word is inserted at certain intervals in the encoding procedure, increasing the selectable code words in subsequent encoding procedures, thereby improving the DC component control ability. |
| US07646817B2 |
Accelerating video decoding using a graphics processing unit
An accelerated video decoding system utilizes a graphics processing unit to perform motion compensation, image reconstruction, and color space conversion processes, while utilizing a central processing unit to perform other decoding processes. |
| US07646816B2 |
Generalized reference decoder for image or video processing
A method and system including an improved generalized reference decoder that operates according to any number of sets of rate and buffer parameters for a given bit stream. Each set characterizes a leaky bucket model and contains three parameters representing the transmission bit rate, buffer size, and initial decoder buffer fullness. An encoder provides at least two sets of these parameters, whereby the decoder selects one or interpolates between them to operate at any desired peak bit rate, buffer size or delay. The generalized reference decoder may select the smallest buffer size and corresponding delay that decodes the bit stream without buffer underflow or overflow, or alternatively may select and operate at the minimum required peak transmission rate, or something between both. In practice, the buffer size, delay and/or the peak transmission rate can be reduced by significant factors, and/or the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be increased. |
| US07646811B2 |
Method of determining reference picture, method of compensating for motion and apparatus therefor
A method of determining a reference picture, a method of compensating for a motion, and an apparatus therefore are provided. The method of determining a reference picture blocks constituting a current picture includes: (a) preparing tag information describing a plurality of pictures; and (b) determining one of the plurality of pictures to be a reference picture by referring to the tag information. |
| US07646808B2 |
Allowing immediate update of pulse width modulation values
A pulse width modulation (PWM) generator having asynchronous updating of its PWM duty cycle and/or period values allows immediate correction for the new PWM duty cycle and/or period values instead of waiting until the end of a PWM period to accept the new duty cycle and/or period values. This reduces the latency in a control loop when responding to changing system status, e.g., changes in PWM duty cycle. Also the PWM duty cycle is prevented from “running away” (e.g., missing a PWM cycle) if the PWM duty cycle timer/counter has advanced beyond an updated duty-cycle maximum value. |
| US07646805B2 |
Digital broadcasting receiving terminal with reception quality indicator
A terminal for receiving digital broadcast signals includes signal receiving components for receiving a digital broadcast signal, and a first error rate detection unit for detecting a first bit error rate (BER) of the digital broadcast signal before the digital broadcast signal is decoded by a decoder. The terminal also includes a second error rate detection unit for detecting a second bit error rate (BER) of the digital broadcast signal after the digital broadcast signal is decoded by the decoder, and a packet error rate detection unit for detecting packet error rate (PER) of the digital broadcast signal. The terminal typically further includes a controller for determining reception quality of the digital broadcast signal based upon a value of the first BER, or the second BER, or the PER. A method for determining signal reception quality includes receiving a digital broadcast signal, detecting the BER, and determining reception quality of the digital broadcast signal based upon a value of the BER. |
| US07646798B2 |
Nitride semiconductor laser element
A nitride semiconductor laser element comprises; a nitride semiconductor layer that includes a first nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second nitride semiconductor layer, and that has a cavity with end faces, and a protective film formed on at least one end face of the cavity, wherein the protective film is formed of a first film with a crystal structure that has the same axial orientation as that of the nitride semiconductor layer constituting the end face of the cavity, and a second film with a crystal structure that has a different axial orientation from that of the first film, in this order from the side of the end face. |
| US07646793B2 |
Transmission method, transmission apparatus and transmission system
In order to satisfactorily transmit audio data of various formats through a transmission line, when data having a predetermined data length as a unit is transmitted by a predetermined format between devices connected to a predetermined transmission line, label data indicating a system of transmitted audio data is located at a starting portion of the data having the predetermined data length, sub-label data is located at an interval behind label data if necessary and data accompanying with audio data is located and transmitted, whereby a side which receives this data can easily identify a system of audio data or the like. |
| US07646785B2 |
Cyclical-transmission-schedule reservation technique
A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels. Note that a given device in the devices is configured to select sub-channels to reserve based on a nearest-neighbor spacing between the sub-channels to be reserved and/or a switching latency between data in-flow to the given device and data out-flow from the given device. Furthermore, the given device is configured to dynamically reserve the selected sub-channels on a frame-by-frame basis for up to N frames. |
| US07646777B2 |
Communication environment switchover
Communication environment switchover may be provided. A received signal strength level may be determined corresponding to a signal sent from a first device and received at a second device. The received signal strength level may be measured at the second device. In addition, the first device may be re-provisioned. For example, the first device may be re-provisioned to communicate in a second environment if the first device is provisioned to communicate in a first environment and if the received signal strength level is greater than a first threshold value. Furthermore, the first device to be re-provisioned to communicate in the first environment if the first device is provisioned to communicate in the second environment and if the received signal strength level is less than a second threshold value. The second threshold value may be less than the first threshold value. |
| US07646776B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating unique ID packets in a distributed processing system
Method and apparatus for generating unique id packets in a distributed processing system. A method for facilitating processing over a network includes generating at a server location on the network a pointer that defines an information profile on the network. The pointer is then associated with the information profile, and the pointer and the associated information profile transmitted to at least two locations on the network. The pointer can then be transmitted to one of the at least two locations on the network from another location on the network during a processing operation on the network for the purpose of processing a network transaction at the receiving one of the at least two locations on the network, which network transaction requires the associated information profile, such that only transmission of the pointer is required for the processing operation. |
| US07646771B2 |
Compilation of access control lists
An improvement in the compilation of classification tables from across control lists increases the efficiency of memory utilization by fragments in the lower level tables and using the classification ID's from a pair of higher-level tables as pointers to the fragments and as indicators of the depth of the entries in the fragments. A further improvement makes use of aggregate bit vectors, thereby simplifying construction of the lower-level tables. The bit-vector sections preferably coincide with the cache lines of the processing, thereby maximizing the speed with which the relevant bits in the bit vector can be identified from the aggregate bit vectors. |
| US07646766B2 |
Signal-processing device with improved triggering
A digital signal-processing device is described which comprises a recording controller for control of recording in the memories drives a trigger-switching element arranged in the trigger line downstream of the two parallel-operating signal-processing units in such a manner that essentially the same timing period is recorded in both memories during a post-triggering period after a trigger time. |
| US07646765B2 |
System and method for caching called number information
A call routing system comprises a signaling processor with an internal cache memory. The signaling processor receives a signaling message and searches the cache memory with a called number to determine whether or not the called number has an associated location route number or if a query is required. If the query is required, the signaling processor transfers the query and receives a response that indicates whether or not the called number has the associated location route number. If the called number has the associated location route number, the signaling processor processes the location route number to select a connection. If the called number does not have the associated location route number, the signaling processor processes the called number to select the connection. If the response is received, the signaling processor updates the cache memory to indicate whether or not the called number has the associated location route number. |
| US07646761B2 |
Integrating multimedia capabilities with legacy networks
A communications system that supports multimedia components is easily adapted to existing network elements. Voice components arriving at or coming from a user having multimedia capabilities are referred from a telephony server serving the user to a multimedia server. A determination is made as to whether the other party supports multimedia capabilities. If that determination is negative, the component is passed back to the telephony server with an indication that the session is coming from the multimedia server to avoid an infinite loop. If the determination is positive, a parallel multimedia component is established between the parties while the multimedia server remains aware of the bearer path. |
| US07646759B2 |
Apparatus and method for configuring data plane behavior on network forwarding elements
A method and apparatus for configuring data plane behavior on network forwarding elements are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving, within a network element control plane, protocol configuration information extracted from a protocol application utilizing a network protocol application programming interface (API). Once the protocol configuration information is received, the protocol configuration information is processed using a control interface corresponding to the network protocol implemented by the protocol application. Once the protocol configuration information is processed, the control interface programs one or more data plane forwarding elements of the network element according to protocol configuration information. Accordingly, by providing similar control interfaces for multiple, network protocols, inter-operability between components from multiple vendors is enabled. |
| US07646756B1 |
Multipoll for QoS-driven wireless LANs
A method and a system are disclosed for providing quality of service (QoS)-driven channel access within a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless network. At least one available TO is allocated to a selected non-PC station having traffic to transmit. A multipoll frame containing information relating to at least two allocated TOs is then sent from the PC station containing information relating to each allocated TO. |
| US07646755B2 |
Seamless integration of portable computing devices and desktop computers
Portable computing devices automatically interface with other computing devices to interact in a collaborative effort toward providing a single, seamless computing experience for a user. As a user walks into a room with a cellular telephone certain functionality and data can be automatically unloaded to a desktop computer or other device based on a user or device identification or state. For example, a conversation on a cellular telephone can be automatically migrated to a desktop telephone as a user sits down. As a user is about to leave a room for a meeting, the desktop computer can update the telephone with latest versions of certain files. Thus, devices can automatically aggregate and/or decouple to provide a user with a single computing experience. These portable devices can broadcast an extensible set of services to other devices as well as to a host computer or server. |
| US07646752B1 |
Multi-hop wireless backhaul network and method
Some embodiments of the invention provide an implementation for a multi-hop wireless backhaul network. These embodiments can advantageously be deployed in dense urban areas and/or co-located with wireless access nodes, such as base-stations of a cellular wireless communication system. Preferably wireless links between constituent network nodes are set-up hierarchically. A basic result of this is that peer-to-peer (child-to-child) communication is generally prohibited and circuits are forced to conform to a topology. The multi-hop wireless backhaul network may be used to carry delay sensitive, high-density last mile circuit traffic over Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) broadband radio links. Moreover, some embodiments of the invention provide a method of path-healing for re-routing of circuit traffic from circuits that have experienced catastrophic failures. |
| US07646751B2 |
Interface, apparatus, and method for communication between a radio equipment control node and a remote equipment node in a radio base station
An interface, apparatus, and method are described for communication between a radio equipment control (REC) node and a radio equipment (RE) node in a radio base station that tranceives information over radio interface using multiple antenna carriers. The REC node is separate from and coupled to the RE node by a transmission link. Both control information and user information are generated for transmission over the transmission link from one of the REC node and the RE node to the other. Many advantageous interface features are described. |
| US07646749B2 |
Downlink beamforming apparatus in OFDMA system and transmission apparatus including the same
A downlink beamforming apparatus and a transmission apparatus including the same includes a subcarrier based user identifier for dividing subcarriers according to users, a beamforming weight buffer for storing first beamforming weights for the subcarriers by each of transmitting antennas, an interpolator for outputting second beamforming weights for each transmitting antenna by interpolating the first beamforming weights, and a signal reproducer for reproducing the signal for each transmitting antenna. Subcarriers are allocated to the signal by each user; and a complex multiplier multiplies the signal for each transmitting antenna by the second beamforming weights. |
| US07646744B2 |
Method of operating multi-antenna wireless data processing system
A method of operating a wireless data processing system to selectively enable a multi-antenna processor to demodulate N separate data signals from M separate antennas simultaneously. The multi-antenna processor is adapted to respond to changing channel conditions between two access points, so that it selectively kicks in if there is noise, interference, frequency fading, a need for an enhanced data rate, a need for an increased operating range, etc. |
| US07646741B2 |
Method for client-based multicast message transmission
A messaging client and associated method for client-based multicast message transmission is provided. In one embodiment, the messaging client includes a message origination process with an input device, message buffer, recipient list, new message area, and multicast message transmission process. In one embodiment, the method includes: a) receiving a message content to be transmitted in a message, b) receiving delivery information for first and second recipients to whom the message is to be transmitted, c) receiving an instruction to begin the message transmission, d) transmitting the message from the client to the first recipient, and e) transmitting the message from the client to the second recipient. The messaging client and associated method relate to short message service (SMS), enhanced message service (EMS), multimedia message service (MMS), and other types of similar message services. |
| US07646738B2 |
Wireless network information distribution method
An information distribution method for sending similar information from a sending node to all of receiving nodes in a given state in a dense wireless network. The sending node sends, only one time, information including status data directly to all of receiving nodes in an area where communication with the sending node is possible, not via a node other than the respective receiving nodes. Thereafter, the sending node determines whether or not any record corresponding to a receiving node to which the information should be sent is left in a distribution list. Only when it is determined that any record corresponding to a receiving node is left in the distribution list, the sending node sends information similar in content to the information sent in the directly sending step to the receiving node corresponding to the record left in the distribution list by using a unicast protocol. |
| US07646737B2 |
Multimode wireless device system provision validation and acquisition method and apparatus
An apparatus and method are disclosed for system provisioning in a multimode wireless communication device. A multimode wireless communication device may store multiple system provision information internally, or combine system provision information stored internally with removable memory devices, which store additional system provision information. The multimode wireless device may simultaneously have access to a plurality of valid system provision information for a plurality of systems. The wireless device attempts to validate one of the plurality of stored system provision information using a hierarchy. The hierarchy may be established by a phone manufacturer or may be programmed by a service provider or a user. The wireless device attempts to validate system provision information based on the hierarchy. Once a system provision is validated, the device activates service or registers in the system. If a less desirable system is acquired, the device may periodically attempt to validate preferred systems. |
| US07646733B2 |
System and method for generating symmetrical spanning trees
A system and method creates multiple, symmetric spanning trees within a network. Bridges within the network generate, send and process Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) control messages that are updated as they are propagated across the network to reflect the paths followed by the messages. The bridges, moreover, utilize the path indication value of received STP control messages to compute the spanning trees. The path indication values are preferably derived from the sum of Bridge Identifiers (IDs) corresponding to the bridges through which the STP control message has passed from the root bridge to the current bridge processing the STP control message. Each bridge also tags newly received messages with the Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifier (VID) associated with the spanning tree for which the bridge is the root, thereby causing the messages to follow more optimal paths through the network. |
| US07646732B2 |
Full mesh status monitor
A method for verifying full mesh status in a network is disclosed. The network includes endpoint entities in full mesh configuration. The method includes a step of maintaining a first value in the endpoint entities. The first value is related to counting of network endpoint entities. Another step in the method is maintaining a second value in the endpoint entities. The second value is related to counting non-operational transmission paths before a point in time. An additional step in the method is discovering an additional value related to counting non-operational transmission paths after the point in time. Yet another step in the method is comparing the additional value with the first value and the second value. |
| US07646728B2 |
Network monitoring and intellectual property protection device, system and method
A method and device for detecting and halting specified peer-to-peer (“P2P”) and/or Internet Relay Chat (“IRC” communication sessions based on a priori defined templates is described. Network packets are intercepted and inspected for patterns (defined by the templates) that identify them as definitely, likely or not being associated with one of the specified P2P and/or IRC protocols. Those packets identified as definitely belonging to one of the specified protocols are prevented from reaching their target destination. Those packets identified as only likely belonging to one of the specified protocols are permitted to continue toward their target destination after select information about the particular session/packet is recorded for later use. Those packets identified as not belonging to one of the specified protocols are permitted to continue to their target destination. |
| US07646726B2 |
System for detecting packetization delay of packets in a network
A system is disclosed for detecting packetization delay of packets in a network. The system includes a router to receive at least one packet containing data. A detection system, which is in communication with the router, extracts a codec information and a packet length information from the packet. A management system, which is in communication with the router, receives the codec information and the packet length information and determines packetization delay based on the codec information and the packet length information. |
| US07646725B1 |
Self-healing containers
Performance of applications such as service capabilities in a container for providing a multimedia service is monitored. Performance monitoring indicates how well the applications are functioning in terms of predefined metrics and also whether the applications are functioning at all. Responses are prompted if performance monitoring indicates that an application is performing below a predefined level or failing to perform entirely. For example, a hung application may be restarted and other applications may alter their manner of function. This allows complex recovery logic through combinations of simple rules. |
| US07646724B2 |
Dynamic blocking in a shared host-network interface
A method, system, and program product for a data processing system having multiple hosts which dynamically determines blocking of packets in the data processing system. A connection is established between a host and an adapter for communication with a Local Area Network. A set of parameters is established for blocking packets transmitted from the adapter to the host. The set of parameters is stored in the adapter to be used by that connection. The packets transmitted from the adapter to the host are grouped or blocked in accordance with the set of parameters for that connection. Periodically, the packets being transmitted from the adapter to the host are evaluated for determining changes in the parameters. Changes to the set of parameters are recorded in the adapter for that connection to the host. Where there are multiple connections established between the adapter and multiple hosts, a set of parameters to be used for each connection is established such that packets are blocked in accordance with a respective set of parameters for a respective one of the hosts. |
| US07646722B1 |
Generation of synchronous transport signal data used for network protection operation
Each node (130) of a SONET bidirectional line switch ring (BLSR) (120) generates a squelch table. Squelch table generation does not require a separate computer connected to the node. Each node also generates a payload table indicating a type of a synchronous transport signals (STS) on each link (140) in the ring. The payload table allows each node to quickly determine the STS type on the protection channels when a ring switch occurs. |
| US07646716B2 |
Packet processing in a wireless network
Techniques to process packets for a wireless network are described. Such techniques may include determining whether a packet received by a radio network controller (RNC) includes control information or payload information. If the packet includes control information, it is sent to a slow path processing module (SPPM). However, if the packet includes payload information, it is sent to a fast path processing module (FPPM). |
| US07646713B1 |
Method and access node configured for providing intelligent cross connection functionality
An access node comprises an access port configured for operating in a semi-transparent mode. The semi-transparent mode provides for 1:1 between a logical circuit on a network interface of the access node and a logical circuit on an access loop between the access port and customer premise equipment (CPE). The 1:1 mapping enables manipulation of subscriber traffic at the access port on a per-subscriber basis while maintaining logical separation of per-subscriber traffic. |
| US07646709B2 |
Flow control in computer networks
The decision within a packet processing device to transmit a newly arriving packet into a queue to await processing or to discard the same packet is made by a flow control method and system. The flow control is updated with a constant period determined by storage and flow rate limits. The update includes comparing current queue occupancy to thresholds and also comparing present queue occupancy to previous queue occupancy. The outcome of the update is a new transmit probability value. The value is stored for the subsequent period of flow control and packets arriving during that period are subject to a transmit or discard decision that uses that value. |
| US07646707B2 |
Method and system for automatically renaming logical circuit identifiers for rerouted logical circuits in a data network
Logical circuit identifiers for rerouted logical circuits in a data network are automatically renamed. A failure is determined in a first logical circuit and a second logical failover circuit is utilized to reroute data from the failed logical circuit. A logical circuit identifier for the failed circuit is compared to a logical circuit identifier for the logical failover circuit. The logical circuit identifiers are utilized to identify and track logical circuits in the data network and are stored in a network database. If the logical circuit identifier for the failed logical circuit is different than the logical circuit identifier for the logical failover circuit, the identifier for the failed logical circuit is renamed to the logical failover circuit in the database. Upon determining that the failed logical circuit has been restored, the identifier for the restored logical circuit is renamed to its original logical circuit identifier. |
| US07646706B2 |
Restoration time in mesh networks
A restoration path planner that minimizes the worst-case number of cross-connections that must be performed in a network in the event of a single element failure involves a two-phase optimization. The first phase involves finding two node-disjoint paths for each service demand within a network such that the maximum link bandwidth in the network is minimized and the link bandwidths within the network are leveled. The second phase involves identifying the primary and restoration paths for each service demand within the network such that the worst-case number of cross-connections at any node within the network is minimized across all possible single-event failures. Embodiments also consider service demand-bundling that groups service demands with the same source-destination node pairs and routes them along identical primary and restoration paths, and banding, which consolidates multiple low-rate demands into a high-rate demand and consequently decreases cross-connections required in the event of a failure. |
| US07646699B2 |
Transceiver power backoff
A device and method of setting transmit power backoff of a transceiver within a network is disclosed. The method includes estimating a channel loss of a channel of the transceiver, obtaining channel loss information, the channel loss information including estimates of channel loss of other channels of the network, obtaining crosstalk information, the crosstalk information including estimates of crosstalk between the channel and other channels of the network, and setting the power backoff based on the channel loss of the channel, the channel information, and the crosstalk information. |
| US07646698B2 |
Wobble information recording method, information recording medium, and recording and reproduction method and apparatus thereof
An optical disk and a method for identifying the optical disk making it possible to identify a recording system of the optical disk easily in a short time by a recording and reproduction apparatus when a groove-recording system and a land-recording system are both employed in one kind of optical disk, such as, for example, a BD-R. Specifically, a polarity upon reproducing wobble information is made to be the same in both an optical disk of groove-recording system and the optical disk of a land-recording system. The recording system of the optical disk that shows the same wobble polarity irrespective of the recording system can be easily detected by finding a tracking polarity that can recognize the wobble information by changing the tracking polarity, whereby the start-up time of the recording and reproduction apparatus can be shortened. |
| US07646696B2 |
Objective optical element and optical pickup apparatus
An objective optical element for use in an optical pickup apparatus, includes two or more optical elements having a first surface having a first phase difference providing structure and a second surface having a second phase difference providing structure, wherein each of the first and second phase difference providing structures emit a diffracted light flux corresponding to each of the entering first-third light fluxes, or emit a transmitting light flux which is not applied a diffractive action corresponding to each of the entering first-third light fluxes, and the first-third light fluxes enter into the objective optical element as an almost infinite parallel light flux for information reproducing and/or recording on the first-third optical information recording media respectively. |
| US07646686B2 |
Recording/reproduction apparatus which adjusts recording power based on a partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) technique
A recording/reproduction apparatus, comprising a first recording section for recording test information onto a medium using at least one recording power, a reproduction section for reproducing at least one test signal indicating the test information from the medium, and a second recording section for recording information onto the medium using one of the at least one recording power. The reproduction section comprises a decoding section for performing maximum likelihood decoding of the at least one test signal and generating at least one binary signal indicating a result of the maximum likelihood decoding, a calculation section for calculating a reliability of the result of the maximum likelihood decoding based on the at least one test signal and the at least one binary signal, and an adjustment section for adjusting a recording power for recording the information onto the medium to the one recording power based on the reliability. |
| US07646683B2 |
Adjustment of regional code information
The adjustment of regional code information in which a first region code and a first nation code associated with the first region code are received from an optical disc. At least one of a broadcasting signal or an IP address are received at an electronic device, such as a DVD player. A second nation code is extracted from the broadcasting signal and/or the IP address, and a second region code associated with the second nation code is determined. The second region code is compared with the first region code, and the second region code and the second nation code are stored at the device if the first region code and the second region code do not match. |
| US07646680B2 |
Optical system for collimating elliptical light beam and optical device using the same
An optical system (20) for efficiently collimating an elliptical light beam includes a light source (21), a first lens (22), a second lens (23), and a third lens (24). The light source is adapted for providing an elliptical light beam defining different diverging angles in different directions, wherein any cross-section of the elliptical light beam emitted from the light source defines a long axis and a short axis which are perpendicular to each other. The first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are used for reconfiguring the elliptical light beam, thus obtaining a round light beam having equivalent short axis and long axis, and equivalent diverging angles in both horizontal direction and vertical direction. Optical centers of the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens commonly define a common optical axis along which the elliptical light beams travels. |
| US07646678B2 |
Analog watch
Provided is a watch capable of performing digital display as well as analog display. The watch can offer digital display without posing disadvantages peculiar to a liquid crystal panel. On the other hand, the watch can reduce the restrictions in design and make the digital display larger and easier to see. The watch includes a light-shielding plate 22 on the rear side of the dial 24. In the light-shielding plate, light-transmitting holes 23 are made piercing from a front of the light-shielding plate to a rear thereof. Thin chip LEDs 17 are inserted in the light-transmitting holes, and mounted on a circuit board 16. The circuit board is placed on the rear side of the light-shielding plate. On the rear side of the circuit board, an analog movement 13 is provided, and an LED drive circuit 33 for driving the LEDs is placed. Thus, the LEDs 17 for digital display are placed on the rear side of the dial. The dial is formed so as to have an optical transmittance such that the digital display with the LEDs can be visually identified through the dial only when the LEDs are ON. |
| US07646677B2 |
Portable electronic timepiece
To provide a portable electronic timepiece capable of downsizing a product without reducing a display area. Zebra rubbers are respectively fixed attached to left and right side faces of a contact member attached portion of a case by making a fixed contact portion constituting a button shaft opposed face thereof disposed on an extension of a button shaft and bringing a section connecting portion thereof into contact with connecting patterns of a contact/main board connecting portion of a main board. When the button shaft is inserted into a button shaft guide hole, a front end thereof is brought into contact with a surface of a bowl type rubber switch member having a section in a channel-like shape. At the same time, the operating button is contained in a button containing recess portion formed at an outer peripheral portion of the case may be to a degree of capable of forming the button containing recess portion, and therefore, downsizing a product is not influenced by the thickness of the outer peripheral portion of the case. |
| US07646675B1 |
Underwater recognition system including speech output signal
An underwater recognition device, system and method is provided. The system includes an underwater information collection sub-system for collecting sensor signals for underwater recognition. An underwater information processing sub-system is also provided, having at least one input port coupled to the underwater information collection sub-system and creating numerical or graphical representations of underwater information. In order to facilitate presentation of the information to a user, a speech signal processing sub-system integrated with the underwater information processing sub-system or coupled to an output port of the underwater information processing sub-system is provided. The speech signal sub-system processes numerical or graphical representations of underwater information into speech output signals. |
| US07646674B2 |
Borehole apparatus and methods for simultaneous multimode excitation and reception to determine elastic wave velocities, elastic modulii, degree of anisotropy and elastic symmetry configurations
An acoustic borehole logging system for generation and detection of multipole modes used to determine elastic properties of earth formations characterized as inhomogeneous anisotropic solids. The system concurrently generates and senses monopole, dipole, quadrupole and any higher order pole in the borehole/formation system in order to characterize the elastic properties and stress state of material penetrated by the borehole. Multipole modes of all orders are induced simultaneously without the need for separate transmitter and receiver systems. Performance of the logging system is not compromised due to eccentering of the axis of the tool in the borehole, tool tilt with respect to the axis of the borehole, or mismatch of response sensitivity of multiple receivers within the tool. The system comprises apparatus for generating and sensing acoustic signals in a borehole in an earth formation, and further comprises a processing method by which the sensor response signals are processed and analyzed to obtain desired formation parameters of interest. |
| US07646673B2 |
Wave analysis using phase velocity processing
A method and apparatus for processing acoustic data recorded by a subterranean receiver array. The method includes emitting an acoustic signal into a formation, receiving the signal after it passes through the array, and processing the data with semblance and phase velocity processing. Semblance and phase velocity plots are generated and combined into a single plot. The phase velocity processing creates phase separation lines, the phase separation line that crosses the closest contour of the semblance plot is identified. The point where the intersecting phase separation line crosses an associated tool line marks the slowness and travel time that provides maximum coherence. |
| US07646667B2 |
Flash EEprom system with simultaneous multiple data sector programming and storage of physical block characteristics in other designated blocks
A non-volatile memory system is formed of floating gate memory cells arranged in blocks as the smallest unit of memory cells that are erasable together. The system includes a number of features that may be implemented individually or in various cooperative combinations. One feature is the storage in separate blocks of the characteristics of a large number of blocks of cells in which user data is stored. These characteristics for user data blocks being accessed may, during operation of the memory system by its controller, be stored in a random access memory for ease of access and updating. According to another feature, multiple sectors of user data are stored at one time by alternately streaming chunks of data from the sectors to multiple memory blocks. Bytes of data in the stream may be shifted to avoid defective locations in the memory such as bad columns. Error correction codes may also be generated from the streaming data with a single generation circuit for the multiple sectors of data. The stream of data may further be transformed in order to tend to even out the wear among the blocks of memory. Yet another feature, for memory systems having multiple memory integrated circuit chips, provides a single system record that includes the capacity of each of the chips and assigned contiguous logical address ranges of user data blocks within the chips which the memory controller accesses when addressing a block, making it easier to manufacture a memory system with memory chips having different capacities. A typical form of the memory system is as a card that is removably connectable with a host system but may alternatively be implemented in a memory embedded in a host system. The memory cells may be operated with multiple states in order to store more than one bit of data per cell. |
| US07646666B2 |
Flash EEPROM system with simultaneous multiple data sector programming and storage of physical block characteristics in other designated blocks
A non-volatile memory system is formed of floating gate memory cells arranged in blocks as the smallest unit of memory cells that are erasable together. The system includes a number of features that may be implemented individually or in various cooperative combinations. One feature is the storage in separate blocks of the characteristics of a large number of blocks of cells in which user data is stored. These characteristics for user data blocks being accessed may, during operation of the memory system by its controller, be stored in a random access memory for ease of access and updating. According to another feature, multiple sectors of user data are stored at one time by alternately streaming chunks of data from the sectors to multiple memory blocks. Bytes of data in the stream may be shifted to avoid defective locations in the memory such as bad columns. Error correction codes may also be generated from the streaming data with a single generation circuit for the multiple sectors of data. The stream of data may further be transformed in order to tend to even out the wear among the blocks of memory. Yet another feature, for memory systems having multiple memory integrated circuit chips, provides a single system record that includes the capacity of each of the chips and assigned contiguous logical address ranges of user data blocks within the chips which the memory controller accesses when addressing a block, making it easier to manufacture a memory system with memory chips having different capacities. A typical form of the memory system is as a card that is removably connectable with a host system but may alternatively be implemented in a memory embedded in a host system. The memory cells may be operated with multiple states in order to store more than one bit of data per cell. |
| US07646665B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and burn-in test method thereof
There are provided a semiconductor memory device and a burn-in test method thereof. A semiconductor memory device according to an aspect of the invention includes a plurality of memory cell blocks, each of which includes a plurality of memory cells that are respectively coupled to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, a word line control unit activating word lines in memory cell blocks that correspond to row address signals and word lines in memory cell blocks that do not correspond to the row address signals, during a test operation, and a write circuit writing data in the memory cell blocks that correspond to the row address signals and not writing data in the memory cell blocks that do not correspond to the row address signals, during the test operation. |
| US07646664B2 |
Semiconductor device with three-dimensional array structure
A semiconductor memory device including a memory cell array, a first row decoder adjacent the memory cell array, and a second row decoder adjacent the memory cell array. A memory cell array may include first and second memory cell blocks on respective first and second semiconductor layers. The first memory cell block may include a first word line coupled to a first row of memory cells on the first semiconductor layer, the second memory cell block may include a second word line coupled to a second row of memory cells on the second semiconductor layer, and the first word line may be between the first and second semiconductor layers. The first row decoder may be configured to control the first word line, and the second row decoder may be configured to control the second word line. A first wiring may electrically connect the first row decoder and the first word line, and a second wiring may electrically connect the second row decoder and the second word line. |
| US07646663B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and word line addressing method in which neighboring word lines are discontinuously addressed
Disclosed herein are a semiconductor memory device and word line addressing method. The semiconductor memory device comprises a memory array comprising a plurality of word lines arranged in a predetermined sequence, and a word line driver adapted to sequentially address the plurality of word lines in a discontinuous manner relative to neighboring word lines. The method comprises addressing a plurality of word lines in a discontinuous manner relative to the predetermined sequence, such that neighboring word lines in the plurality of word lines are not coincidently addressed. |
| US07646662B2 |
Semiconductor device
A logic circuit in a system LSI is provided with a power switch so as to cut off the switch at the time of standby, reducing leakage current. At the same time, an SRAM circuit of the system LSI controls a substrate bias to reduce leakage current. |
| US07646658B2 |
Memory device with delay tracking for improved timing margin
A memory device that can provide good timing margins for read and write operations is described. In one design, the memory device includes a memory array, a timing control circuit, and an address decoder. The memory array includes memory cells for storing data and dummy cells to mimic the memory cells. The timing control circuit generates at least one control signal used for writing data to the memory cells and having timing determined based on the dummy cells. The timing control circuit may generate a pulse on an internal clock signal with a driver having configurable drive strength and a programmable delay unit. The pulse duration may be set to obtain the desired write timing margin. The address decoder activates word lines for rows of memory cells for a sufficiently long duration, based on the internal clock signal, to ensure reliable writing of data to the memory cells. |
| US07646654B2 |
Distributed write data drivers for burst access memories
An address strobe latches a first address. A burst cycle increments the address internally with additional address strobes. A new memory address is only required at the beginning of each burst access. Read/Write commands are issued once per burst access eliminating toggling Read/Write control line at cycle frequency. Control line transition terminates access and initializes another burst access. Write cycle times are maximized thereby allowing increases in burst mode operating frequencies. Logic near sense amplifiers control write-data drivers thereby providing maximum write times without crossing current during I/O line equilibration. By gating global write-enable signals with global equilibrate signals locally at sense amps, local write-cycle control signals are provided and valid for essentially the entire cycle time minus an I/O line equilibration period in burst access memory. For nonburst mode, write begins following end of equilibration cycle to provide maximum write time without interfering with subsequent access-cycle address setup time. |
| US07646653B2 |
Driver circuits for integrated circuit devices that are operable to reduce gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) current in a transistor and methods of operating the same
A driver circuit for an integrated circuit device includes a transistor that has a gate terminal, a source terminal, and a bulk substrate terminal. The source terminal is connected to the bulk substrate terminal. A pull-up circuit is connected between a power supply node and the source terminal. The pull up circuit is configured to increase a voltage at the source terminal and the bulk substrate terminal of the transistor responsive to a control signal. |
| US07646649B2 |
Memory device with programmable receivers to improve performance
A memory system having a plurality of DRAMs which are selectively provided non-inverted or inverted signals. The DRAMs have the ability to accept non-inverted or inverted address/command signals from a register that drives a plurality of signals simultaneously. The system includes DRAM receivers with programmable input polarity and a register with programmable output polarity. |
| US07646637B2 |
Nonvolatile memory having modified channel region interface
A nonvolatile memory with a modified channel region interface, such as a raised source and drain or a recessed channel region is included. |
| US07646635B2 |
Data reading circuit of toggle magnetic memory
A data reading circuit of a magnetic memory applicable for reading data of a magnetic memory includes a first transistor, a second transistor connected to the first transistor in series, a third transistor, a fourth transistor connected to the third transistor in series, a first transmission gate electrically connected to the first transistor, a second transmission gate electrically connected to the first and third transistors, a comparison circuit having two input ends respectively connected to the first transistor, and a storage capacitor having an end electrically connected to the first transistor and the other end connected to a power end. |
| US07646634B2 |
Magnetic memory device and method of magnetization reversal of the magnetization of at least one magnetic memory element
Method of magnetization reversal of the magnetization (M) of at least one first magnetic memory element of an array of magnetic memory elements comprising the steps of: applying a first magnetic field pulse to a first set of magnetic memory elements, and applying a second magnetic field pulse to a second set of magnetic memory elements, such that during the application of the first and second magnetic field pulse the magnetization (M) of said first magnetic memory element which is to be reversed upon the field pulse decay performs approximately an odd number of a half precessional turns, wherein the magnetization (M) of at least one second magnetic memory element which is not to be reversed upon the field pulse decay performs approximately a number of full precessional turns. The underlying concept of the invention is to improve the bit addressing in an array of magnetic memory cells by reducing the ringing of the magnetization of the free layer of the magnetic cells which are not selected for reversal but which are nevertheless subject to the application of a magnetic field pulse. This can be achieved by applying a field pulse to these cells which induces approximately a full precessional turn of the magnetization of the free layer of the cells. After the full precessional turn the magnetization is oriented very near the initial orientation along the easy axis of magnetization and the magnetic ringing after application of the half select field pulse is reduced. |
| US07646630B2 |
Programmable matrix array with chalcogenide material
A memory element, a threshold switching element, or the series combination of a memory element and a threshold switching element may be used for coupling conductive lines in an electrically programmable matrix array. Leakage may be reduced by optionally placing a breakdown layer in series with the phase-change material and/or threshold switching material between the conductive lines. The matrix array may be used in a programmable logic device. |
| US07646628B2 |
Toggle magnetic random access memory and write method of toggle magnetic random access memory
A toggle magnetic random access memory includes a first memory array, a second memory array and a controller. The first memory array includes a plurality of first memory cells including magnetoresistive elements. The second memory array includes a plurality of second memory cells including magnetoresistive elements and differs from the first memory array in write wirings used for writing. The controller controls the first memory array and the second memory array such that a first state in which a first burst write operation in the first memory array is executed and a second state in which a second burst write operation in the second memory array is executed are alternately executed in a continuous burst write mode. Accordingly, the continuous burst write operation can be executed at the high speed without any drop in the reliability and any increase in the circuit area. |
| US07646624B2 |
Method of selecting operating characteristics of a resistive memory device
In a method of providing an operating characteristic of a resistive memory device, material of an electrode thereof is selected to in turn provide a selected operating characteristic of the device. The material of the electrode may be reacted with material of an insulating layer of the resistive memory device to form a reaction layer, the selected operating characteristic being dependent on the presence of the reaction layer. |
| US07646622B2 |
Memory based computation systems and methods of using the same
A high performance memory based computation system comprises an array of memory cells. Each memory cell stores a logic data corresponding to a chosen combination of inputs based on a specific logic function. For improved performance, the memory cell array can be divided into sub-blocks; and the sub-blocks can be serially disposed or juxtaposed. The performance of the memory based computation system can further be improved by removing the repeated memory cell rows, column, and/or sub-arrays. |
| US07646618B2 |
Method and system for controlling pulse width in a night vision system power system
A night vision system comprising a power system having a low voltage unit coupled to a high voltage unit; the low voltage unit including a low voltage controller generating a pulse width code; the high voltage unit including an opto-isolator for receiving the pulse width code from the low voltage controller, a high voltage controller operative in response to the pulse width code to generate an output pulse, a pulse shaping module receiving the output pulse and generating a control pulse; and power electronics operative in response to the control pulse. |
| US07646616B2 |
Capacitor charging methods and apparatus
A capacitor charging circuit is provided with a primary side output voltage sensing circuit for generating a control signal indicative of whether the output voltage has reached a desired level. The control signal is unaffected by voltage spikes occurring when the main switch is turned off. In one embodiment, the circuit filters the primary side voltage for comparison to a reference voltage in order to provide the control signal. In another embodiment, an AND gate provides the control signal indicating that the output voltage has reached the desired level only in response to the primary side voltage being greater than a reference voltage and the secondary current being discontinuous. In a further embodiment, an AND gate provides the control signal indicating that the output voltage has reached the desired levels only in response to a predetermined delay occurring after the primary side voltage becomes greater than a reference voltage and the secondary current being discontinuous. According to a further aspect of the invention, an auxiliary switch is provided to reduce the reverse recovery time of the output diode in order to speed up the capacitor charging time. |
| US07646612B2 |
Electronic assembly with a heat sink in particular for a discharge lamp control module for motor vehicle headlights
The present invention concerns an electronic assembly with a heat sink in particular for a discharge lamp control module for a motor vehicle headlight.The electronic assembly with heat sink comprises essentially a printed circuit and a housing able to serve for thermal insulation and/or for electrical insulation and which comprises a heat sink. The heat sink is interposed between at least one face of the printed circuit and a face of the housing, the said heat sink extending over a major part of the face of the printed circuit and comprising an adhesive face for securing it to the printed circuit on the one hand and an adhesive face for securing it to the face of the housing on the other hand. |
| US07646611B2 |
Printed circuit board and manufacturing method thereof
A plurality of wiring patterns are formed so as to extend in parallel with each other. A plurality of test terminals are formed in a substantially rectangular shape such that respective widths thereof increase toward respective one sides from respective ends of the plurality of wiring patterns. The plurality of test terminals in each group are arranged so as to be aligned along a length direction of the wiring patterns. The wiring patterns are formed so as to be longer in the order, and the test terminals are further away from a mounting region in the order. An interval (width of a plating resist) between the test terminals in each group and the wiring patterns in the other group adjacent thereto is set to decrease in the order. |
| US07646608B2 |
Heat transfer plate
An apparatus for coupling a heat-generating device to a heat-removing device. The apparatus includes a thermally-conductive plate having a first side and a second side. The apparatus also includes a plurality of first channels that intersect with a plurality of second channels formed on at least one of the first side and the second side. The formation of the first channels and the second channels weaken the thermally-conductive plate. The apparatus further includes a plurality of protrusions formed by the intersection of the first channels and the second channels. The protrusions are deformable by coupling the thermally-conductive plate between the heat-generating device and the heat-removing device. |
| US07646605B2 |
Electronic module packaging
An electronic module packaging system and an electronic module packaging apparatus are disclosed. The electronic module packaging system includes an exterior packing box, an electronic module packaging apparatus, and antistatic packing foam holding the electronic module packaging apparatus within the exterior packing box. The electronic module packaging apparatus includes a top component made of an antistatic material, and a bottom component made of a conductive material. The bottom component includes multiple support members to hold an electronic module in a stable position. The top component and the bottom component may be coupled with multiple securing clips. |
| US07646602B1 |
Apparatus and methods for cooling network switches
The disclosed embodiments include a plurality of plenums for distributing cooling air throughout the switch. The switch is divided into separate cooling domains. Each PCB receives a separate supply of cooling air, so that no PCB is located upstream or downstream from another PCB. The present embodiments thus eliminate the problem of stack rise, which can decrease switch performance. |
| US07646601B2 |
Server chassis with air flap apparatus
A server chassis is provided for receiving a functional module therein. The server chassis includes a base with an opening defined in an end thereof for the functional module inserted therethrough, and an air flap apparatus engaging with the base. The air flap apparatus includes a shielding panel pivotably attached to the base, and a resilient member connected to the base and the shielding panel to urge movement of the shielding panel. |
| US07646592B2 |
Expansion card retention device and methods thereof
A retention device for computer expansion cards, a system including the device, a method of manufacture of the device, and a method of using the device, where the retention device includes a retention clip configured to engage the bracket of the expansion card to reduce flex and rotation of an expansion card when the expansion card and the retention device are installed in an expansion card bay of a computer system, and wherein the retention clip is configured to contact the proximal end of the expansion card. |
| US07646587B2 |
Electric double layer capacitor
A solution or dispersion of an ion-permeable compound, a carbon fine particle a, and a solvent is coated on a conductive sheet such as an aluminum foil, the coat is dried to form a film a. which allows to obtain a collector for an electric double layer capacitor. A solution or dispersion of a binder, a carbon fine particle b, an activated carbon b, and a solvent is coated on the film a, the coat is dried to form a film b, which results in obtaining an electrode for an electric double layer capacitor. The electrode is piled on a separator, and immersed in an electrolytic solution to obtain an electric double layer capacitor. |
| US07646586B2 |
Multilayer capacitor and method of manufacturing same
A multilayer capacitor comprises a multilayer body in which a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of first and second inner electrodes are laminated alternately, and first and second terminal electrodes arranged on the multilayer body. The first terminal electrode is electrically connected to the first inner electrodes. The first terminal electrode includes one or a plurality of resistance layers having a resistivity greater than that of the first inner electrode. The one or a plurality of resistance layers cover end portions of lead portions of the first inner electrodes exposed at the side face. Each resistance layer has a width wider than the lead portion of the first inner electrode but narrower than the width of the side face formed with the first terminal electrode. |
| US07646583B2 |
Common centroid symmetric structure capacitor
A common centroid symmetric structure capacitor is provided, which includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, a third metal layer, and a fourth metal layer. The first metal layer is adjacent to the second metal layer, the third metal layer is adjacent to the first metal layer, the fourth metal layer is adjacent to the second metal layer, and the first metal layer is symmetric to the fourth metal layer, the second metal layer is symmetric to the third metal layer. Each of the metal layers has two sets of metal wires, each set has a plurality of metal wires, and each of the metal wires in each set is arranged in an interlaced manner. |
| US07646582B2 |
Temperature-compensated micro-electromechanical device, and method of temperature compensation in a micro-electromechanical device
A micro-electromechanical device includes a semiconductor body, in which at least one first microstructure and one second microstructure of reference are integrated. The first microstructure and the second microstructure are arranged in the body so as to undergo equal strains as a result of thermal expansions of the body. Furthermore, the first microstructure is provided with movable parts and fixed parts with respect to the body, while the second microstructure has a shape that is substantially symmetrical to the first microstructure but is fixed with respect to the body. By subtracting the changes in electrical characteristics of the second microstructure from those of the first, variations in electrical characteristics of the first microstructure caused by thermal expansion can be compensated for. |
| US07646579B2 |
Data erasure apparatus and data erasure method
Embodiments of the invention prevent a spindle motor from stopping rotation while data on a magnetic disk is being erased by using a permanent magnet. In one embodiment, data in the whole area of the magnetic disk is erased as a consequence of the magnetic disk rotating in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet located so as to face a part of the magnetic disk. A back yoke is located so as to face a base. The back yoke gives a magnetic force to the spindle motor in the opposite direction of the magnetic force of the erasing permanent magnet so that the fluid dynamic bearing spindle motor can retain the rotation as required without stopping rotation. |
| US07646577B1 |
Power plugging device with a function of releasing charges from electric surges
A power plugging device with a function of releasing charges from electric surges serves for resolving problems caused by the switching surge generated by the electric system load switch, or the lightning surge generated directly or indirectly by the lightning. Accordingly, the damages of the electric appliances caused by electric pulses are avoided. A wrap layer forms between the plugging terminals. The wrap layer comprises a hollowed space. Furthermore, an electric discharging hole penetrates through the wrap layer from the hollowed space. Two terminals are mounted within the wrap layer and separated to each other for a certain distance. The tails of the two terminals are electrically connected to the plugging terminals respectively. While an instant high voltage/electric pulse generates, the terminals are used for point discharging. The hollowed space and the electric discharging hole form an electric discharging path for protecting the circuit. |
| US07646575B2 |
Manually-controlled arc flash energy reduction system and method for circuit breaker trip units
A circuit protection system includes a normal mode and a maintenance mode. A current sensor senses current in the circuit. An enclosure includes an access panel that is movable between a closed position and open position. A circuit breaker is mounted within the enclosure. An electronic trip unit is in communication with the current sensor and controls interruptions of the current by the circuit breaker based on a trip setting. An interface device is accessible when said access panel is closed and allows selections of the normal and maintenance modes. A display, which is in communication with both of the user interface device and the electronic trip unit, monitors the interface device and transmits data to the trip unit that is based on the selected mode. The display receives data from the trip unit and displays information based on the received data. The display is viewable when the access panel is closed. The trip unit changes the trip setting when said maintenance mode is selected to reduce potential arc flash energy. |
| US07646570B2 |
CPP read sensor having constrained current paths made of lithographically-defined conductive vias with surrounding oxidized metal sublayers and method of making same
Current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) read sensors having constrained current paths made of lithographically-defined conductive vias with surrounding oxidized metal sublayers, and methods of making the same, are disclosed. In one illustrative example, at least part of a sensor stack structure which includes an electrically conductive spacer layer is formed. A metal (e.g. Ta) sublayer is then deposited over and adjacent the spacer layer, followed by one of an oxidation process, a nitridation process, and an oxynitridation process, to produce an insulator (e.g. TaOx) from the metal sublayer. The metal sublayer deposition and oxidation/nitridation/oxynitridation processes are repeated as necessary to form the insulator with a suitable thickness. Next, a resist structure which exposes one or more portions of the insulator is formed over the insulator. With the resist structure in place, exposed insulator materials are removed by etching to form one or more apertures through the insulator down to the spacer layer. Electrically conductive materials are subsequently deposited within the one or more apertures to form one or more lithographically-defined conductive vias of a current-constraining structure. Advantageously, the lithographically-defined conductive vias increase the current density of the read sensor in the region of the sensing layers to thereby simultaneously increase its resistance and magnetoresistance. With use of the process of oxidation, nitridation, or oxynitridation on each metal sublayer, degradation of the spacer layer is reduced or eliminated such that the desirable soft magnetics of the sensing layers in the read sensor are maintained. |
| US07646569B2 |
Pinned layer in magnetoresistive sensor
A method for manufacturing a magnetic read sensor and a magnetic read sensor are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes providing a seed layer disposed over a substrate of the magnetic read sensor, providing a free layer disposed over a seed layer and providing a spacer layer disposed over the free layer. The method further includes providing a pinned layer disposed over the spacer layer. In one embodiment, the pinned layer includes cobalt and iron, wherein the concentration of iron in the pinned layer is between 33 and 37 atomic percent (at. %). The method further includes providing a pinning layer disposed over the pinned layer, wherein the pinning layer is in contact with the pinned layer. |
| US07646564B2 |
Perpendicular magnetic recording head for high frequency drive
Embodiments of the invention provide a perpendicular magnetic head with a narrow track and excellent high frequency characteristics. In one embodiment, a recording magnetic head includes coil conductors and magnetic pole pieces putting the same therebetween, in which a main magnetic pole piece is formed into a planar structure and a magnetic film connected with the main magnetic pole piece in a magnetic coupling relation is curved in the direction of the film thickness. Further, a shield material disposed near the main magnetic pole piece is made of a material of higher resistance than that of the material for the read shield. |
| US07646555B2 |
Testing storage system electronics using loopback
A system includes a hard disk controller (HDC) module that controls a hard disk and a read channel (RC) device that communicates with the HDC module via a read bus and a write bus. The RC device includes a loopback circuit that selectively loops back the write bus to the read bus. The RC device generates a write clock for the HDC module to write data on the write bus and a read clock for the HDC module to read the data on the read bus, wherein the write clock is independent of the read clock. |
| US07646551B2 |
Microlenses with patterned holes to produce a desired focus location
A method, apparatus and system providing a microlens having a substantially flat upper surface and having a plurality of holes arranged in a pattern in a microlens material which produces a focal point at a desired location. |
| US07646550B2 |
Three-channel camera systems with collinear apertures
A three-dimensional imaging system uses a single primary optical lens along with three collinear apertures to obtain three offset optical channels each of which can be separately captured with an optical sensor. |
| US07646549B2 |
Imaging system and method for providing extended depth of focus, range extraction and super resolved imaging
An imaging system is presented for imaging objects within a field of view of the system. The imaging system comprises an imaging lens arrangement, a light detector unit at a certain distance from the imaging lens arrangement, and a control unit connectable to the output of the detection unit. The imaging lens arrangement comprises an imaging lens and an optical element located in the vicinity of the lens aperture, said optical element introducing aperture coding by an array of regions differently affecting a phase of light incident thereon which are randomly distributed within the lens aperture, thereby generating an axially-dependent randomized phase distribution in the Optical Transfer Function (OTF) of the imaging system resulting in an extended depth of focus of the imaging system. The control unit is configured to decode the sampled output of the detection unit by using the random aperture coding to thereby extract 3D information of the objects in the field of view of the light detector unit. |
| US07646548B2 |
Zoom lens and image capturing apparatus
A zoom lens in which a lens group located in the vicinity of an aperture stop includes two subgroups and one of the subgroups is shifted so that an image is shifted. An increase in the size of lens groups including a shift lens group can be prevented. In addition, the sensitivity with respect to the axis tilt can be reduced while maintaining a sufficient distance between the two subgroups without increasing the size of the lens groups. |
| US07646545B2 |
Optical element
An optical element includes an airtight container having opposing face walls in a thickness direction, and side walls connecting the end face walls; a first liquid sealed in the container and having polarity or conductivity; a second liquid sealed in the container and not mixed with the first liquid so as to define an interface between the first liquid and the second liquid; and voltage applying means for applying a voltage to the first liquid. Further, the first liquid and the second liquid have the same specific gravity and substantially the same refractive index, and minute particles made of a material that does not transmit light are mixed in the first liquid, such that the first liquid has less light transmittance than the second liquid. In a state in which the voltage is applied to the first liquid, the interface between the first liquid and the second liquid deforms, and a transmitting path of light is formed that passes through the end face walls and propagates in the thickness direction of the container. |
| US07646544B2 |
Fluidic optical devices
A fluidic optical device, systems utilizing fluidic optical devices, methods for manufacturing fluidic optical devices and actuators are disclosed. |
| US07646541B2 |
Backlighting system for a liquid-crystal display screen and corresponding display device
The invention relates to a backlighting system for a liquid-crystal display screen, comprising: an illumination source producing an illumination beam; an objective illuminated by said illumination beam; at least one folding mirror illuminated by the illumination beam coming from the objective; and a Fresnel lens capable of collimating and redirecting the illumination beam reflected by said at least one folding mirror, the beam transmitted by the Fresnel lens being intended to back-light said display screen. |
| US07646540B2 |
Wide-angle glasses-free 3-D image display system without ghosting providing real depth and agreement between accommodation and convergence
An image display system provides a viewer with an experience of three-dimensional imagery by presenting a composite image made up of at least two separate images. The system includes at least first and second image sources, a beam combiner, and a “background-image-occluding element” which prevents background imagery from being seen through foreground image elements. The system presents the image from one of the image sources, containing background image information, at a distance from the viewer which is greater than the distance from the viewer to the other image presented from the other image source, which contains foreground image elements. The “background-image-occluding element” is positioned at the same optical distance from the viewer as the image containing foreground image elements, eliminating any parallax error between them, enabling the foreground image elements to always occlude appropriate areas of the background image, regardless of the viewer's position or the background image brightness relative to the brightness of foreground image elements. |
| US07646538B2 |
Methods and apparatus for creating apertures through microlens arrays using curved cradles
Methods for creating apertures in a layer on a back side of a substrate that includes a microlens array on a front side thereof include curving the substrate into a cylindrical surface segment that defines an axis, so that the microlens array on the front side of the substrate faces the axis. A pulsed laser beam is scanned from the axis circumferentially along the cylindrical surface segment, to pass through the microlens array on the front side of the substrate and into the layer on the back side of the substrate to create the apertures, while simultaneously translating the substrate and/or the scanned pulsed laser beam axially relative to one another. Related apparatus and microlens array products are also disclosed. |
| US07646534B2 |
Box-type motor-operated microscope
A box-type motor-operated microscope has a motor-operated microscope section having a transmitting illumination optical system, an electric stage, and an image forming optical system; and a housing. The housing includes a fixed housing and a moving housing. The moving housing is movable parallel to an oblique direction with respect to the fixed housing while holding optical elements arranged above the electric stage so that the specimen vessel placed on the electric stage is made replaceable, the motor-operated microscope section is sealed and light-blocked in cooperation with the fixed housing, and the optical axis of the transmitting illumination optical system is practically aligned with that of the image forming optical system. |
| US07646529B2 |
Method and device for multistate interferometric light modulation
A multi-state light modulator comprises a first reflector 104. A first electrode 142 is positioned at a distance from the first reflector 104. A second reflector 14 is positioned between the first reflector 104 and the first electrode 142. The second reflector 14 is movable between an undriven position, a first driven position, and a second driven position, each having a corresponding distance from the first reflector 104. In one embodiment, the light modulator has latch electrodes 17 and 143, which hold the light modulator in a driven state. In another embodiment the latch electrodes 17 and 143 are used to alter the actuation and release thresholds of the light modulator. |
| US07646524B2 |
Photoconductive metamaterials with tunable index of refraction and frequency
Materials and structures whose index of refraction can be tuned over a broad range of negative and positive values by applying above band-gap photons to a structure with a strip line element, a split ring resonator element, and a substrate, at least one of which is a photoconductive semiconductor material. Methods for switching between positive and negative values of n include applying above band-gap photons to different numbers of elements. In another embodiment, a structure includes a photoconductive semiconductor wafer, the wafer operable to receive above band-gap photons at an excitation frequency in an excitation pattern on a surface of the wafer, the excitation patterns generating an effective negative index of refraction. Methods for switching between positive and negative values of n include projecting different numbers of elements on the wafer. The resonant frequency of the structure is tuned by changing the size of the split ring resonator excitation patterns. |
| US07646523B2 |
Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus using same
An optical scanning apparatus allowing reduction in the size of the overall apparatus and the size of an imaging optical system LB with the use of an optical deflector that swings back-and-forth and an image forming apparatus using such an optical scanning apparatus, comprising: light source means; a condense optical system that condenses a light beam emitted from the light source means; an optical deflector that deflects the light beam emergent from the condense optical system; and an imaging optical system that images the light beam deflected by a deflection surface of the optical deflector on a scanning surface, wherein the optical deflector has a function of moving the deflection surface back-and-forth, the light beam emergent from the condense optical system converges in a sub-scanning cross section, and the convergence position is on the light source side of the deflection surface. |
| US07646518B2 |
Two dimensional image forming device
A two dimensional image forming device includes a laser light source which is a coherent light source; a prism array that changes the traveling direction of a beam exiting from the laser light source; a driving portion that rotates the prism array; a rod integrator that guides the exiting beam deflected on the prism array while allowing the beam to undergo internal reflection; a projection optical system that projects the exiting end face of the rod integrator onto a two dimensional spatial light modulation element; and a projection lens that projects light exiting from the two dimensional spatial light modulation element onto a specific plane within a space. |
| US07646517B2 |
Image processing system and image processing method
An image forming system is provided and includes an access unit, a reductive color processing unit, an order sheet print control unit, a composition unit, and a composite print control unit. The access unit accesses a user image stored in a recording medium, the processing unit forms a background image by reducing a color gamut of the user image, and the order sheet print control unit causes a printer unit to create an order sheet on which the background image is printed in a free rendering area. Also, the composition unit separates an area of a subject recorded by a user in the free rendering area from an image of the free rendering area read by a scan unit based on a color gamut of the background image and superimposing the area of the subject on the user image to thereby form a composite image. Finally, the composite print control unit causes the printer unit to print the composite image. A method that the system performs is also provided. |
| US07646510B2 |
Image scanner printer
An image scanner printer that reads an original image and that prints out the original image includes a red-eye detection unit, a YCC image storage processing unit, a YCC/RGB conversion unit, a red-eye correction unit, and a print data creating unit. The red-eye detection unit detects red-eye that is included in an image corresponding to a predetermined number of lines of RGB image data when the original image is read. The YCC image storage processing unit converts the predetermined number of lines of the RGB image data into YCC image data and stores all the data as one unit JPEG image. The YCC/RGB conversion unit converts the YCC image data into RGB image data in units of a line or in units of a predetermined number of lines. The red-eye correction unit executes red-eye correction on the RGB image data when an image corresponding to the converted RGB image data includes a red-eye area that is stored in a red-eye table. When print data are created from the RGB image data, the print data creating unit, for RGB image data, among the RGB image data, on which the red-eye correction has been performed, creates print data from the RGB image data on which the red-eye correction has been performed. |
| US07646506B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining how to process incoming print jobs
The present invention efficiently directs the flow of print jobs and efficiently controls the spooling and printing of print jobs. The multiplexer system analyzes jobs received from client systems through print channels. The multiplexer determines the attributes of the incoming job and the attributes associated with the print channel. If the attributes of the print job and the attributes of the print channel dictate an output path (either MUST PRINT or MUST SPOOL), then the multiplexer examines the state of the selected path. If the designated output path (printer or spooler) is busy, then the multiplexer decision is to signal a Stop_Flow to the print channel. The print channel is signaled to Start_Flow at a later time, when the output path becomes available. If the attributes of the print job and the attributes of the print channel do not dictate an output pith, then the multiplexer examines a User Output Selection setting to control spooling and printing of print jobs. |
| US07646505B2 |
Optimized printing of electronic documents
Approaches for the optimized printing of electronic documents are provided. The approaches are applicable to a wide variety of contexts and implementations and include generating an estimated processing time for an electronic document and reporting the estimated processing time back to a client device. Generating an estimated time to process includes processing at least a portion of the print data. Further, the approaches include re-ordering a processing queue based on the estimated processing time for the electronic document, and additionally based on an in-queue time for each print data in the processing queue. Further, any user-designated priority may be factored into the re-ordering of print data in the processing queue, or in the alternative, bypass the optimization process entirely. These approaches may be implemented on a printing device, a print server, a client device or any other device capable of utilizing these approaches. |
| US07646504B2 |
Image data processing device, image processing device, image forming device, and image transmitting system
In an image data processing device, correcting of input color image data, converting the input data to monochrome image, and judging whether the image expressed by the input color image data is a color image or a monochrome image, are all performed simultaneously; the corrected color image data and the converted monochrome image data are stored; and based on the judgment, any one of the color image data and the monochrome image data stored are transmitted to an external device via a communicating unit. |
| US07646503B2 |
Printing a business card using a mobile device
A system for printing a business card on a print medium that has coded data indicative of a print medium identifier. The system has a mobile telecommunications device and an association between the print medium identifier and a contact detail relevant to the business. The mobile telecommunications device has an inbuilt printer module to print the business card and the contact detail relevant to a business, an interface for connection to a remote server and, a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium. |
| US07646502B2 |
Driver program and transfer method for data
A driver program is provided for causing a host apparatus to execute a processing of generating color-converted image data and transferring it to a printing apparatus, this program making it possible to decrease the volume of image data to be stored in the host apparatus and to conduct data transfer without delaying the printing completion. A driver program causes a host apparatus to execute a processing of generating image data comprising data of a plurality of colors and transferring it to a printing apparatus. When the transfer of the image data of one plane is conducted, the driver program causes the host apparatus to execute a transfer processing conducted by intermingling a step of transferring by each band of the bands obtained by dividing the image data of one plane at the prescribed height, and a step of transferring by each color of the plurality of colors. |
| US07646501B2 |
Recognizing and sensing a person approaching a printer via an image capturing device
An image forming apparatus in which a client terminal and a printer are connected to a communication network, includes an image capturing part provided in a vicinity of the printer, a recognizing part to sense a person approaching the printer and to recognize an identity of the person, based on a face image of an image captured by the image capturing part, and a control part to control the printer to perform a print job issued by the person, based on a recognition output from the recognizing part. |
| US07646500B2 |
Image formation assisting device, image formation assisting method, and image formation assisting system
An image formation assisting device calculates layout information such as allocation and pasting position of each page by a BEP from a file size with reference to the orientation tag of image file data in a TIFF produced by an RIP and cuts image data electronically according to the result of the calculation and makes the upper portion and lower portion of each page correspond with those of the other papers and rearranges each electronically cut page according to an instruction of collation or face-down, when the instruction is provided, and activates a print engine to start and specifies predetermined paper automatically and outputs the image data to the print engine. As a result, there is provided an image formation assisting device capable of using image data for CTP for on-demand printing. |
| US07646498B2 |
Thermal printer read after print correlation apparatus
A printer and a process for correlating printed subject matter with subject matter that is meant to be printed by a printer with a printing mechanism or print engine such as a thermal printer including a print head, a platen, a media upon which labels are printed and a printer controller for imparting print data to the print head. An imager sends printed data as imaged to a read after print (RAP) controller for comparing the data received from the imager to data imparted to the print head or other printing mechanism. A tap, taps the data imparted from the print head and correlates it with the imaged data to determine the media speed, the image alignment, label analysis, weighing of blemishes, the gaps printed on a label, and other criteria. |
| US07646496B2 |
Print system, printer host, print support program and print method
When a continuous borderless printing is carried out, in order to reduce a difference between an image region displayed on a screen and an image region as a print result, a print system according to the present invention is directed to a system which carries out the continuous borderless printing by printing an image having a wider width than a width of the continuous-form paper, comprising, a print area setting means which sets a print area having a wider width than the width of the continuous-form paper, an image display means which displays an area corresponding to the width of the continuous-form paper out of said print area having been set by the print area setting means, an image read means which reads an image as to the print area having been set by the print area setting means, an image edit means which edits the image as to the area being displayed, a print data generation means which generates print data on the basis of the image as to the print area having been set by the print area setting means, and a print execution means which executes printing on the basis of the print data. |
| US07646495B2 |
System and computer readable medium for pre-focus of digital slides
Methods and apparatus are provided for computing focus information prior to scanning digital microscope slides with a line scan camera. The methods include a point-focus procedure that works by moving the slide to the desired measurement location, moving the objective lens through a predefined set of height values, acquiring imagery data at each height, and determining the height of maximum contrast. The methods also include a ribbon-focus procedure whereby imagery data are acquired continuously, while the slide and objective lens are in motion. Both methods may be applied with either a static or a dynamic implementation. |
| US07646490B2 |
Apparatus and method for in situ and ex situ measurement of spatial impulse response of an optical system using phase shifting point-diffraction interferometry
A test object including: an arrangement of optical elements defining a first partially reflecting surface and a second partially reflecting surface, at least one of the first and second partially reflecting surfaces being curved, wherein the first partially reflecting surface is arranged to receive a substantially collimated input beam and produce therefrom a first transmitted beam that passes on to the second partially reflecting surface, wherein the second partially reflecting surface is arranged to receive the first transmitted beam from the first partially reflecting surface and produce a collimated second transmitted beam and a first reflected beam therefrom, wherein the first partially reflecting surface is arranged to receive the first reflected beam and produce a second reflected beam therefrom, and wherein the first and second reflecting surfaces are configured to cause the second reflecting beam to converge onto a spot on a back surface to produce a diverging beam traveling in the same direction as the collimated output beam. |
| US07646484B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing optical measurements of a material
A method of determining an optical parameter or function thereof for a liquid, the method comprising: flowing the liquid through a flow cell; transmitting a pulse of light into the liquid in the flow cell; generating a signal responsive to energy that the material emits responsive to a portion of the light from the light pulse that is absorbed by the liquid; and using the signal to determine the optical parameter or function thereof. |
| US07646478B2 |
Apparatus and method for examining spectral characteristics of transmitted light through an object
An apparatus for examining spectral characteristics of an object may include a chuck configured to support and releasably fix the object, wherein the chuck is larger than the object, a first light source assembly integral with the chuck and configured to illuminate a bottom surface of the object with light having a predetermined spectrum and intensity, and a transmission analysis unit for collecting and analyzing light transmitted through the object. The first light source assembly may include multiple and/or adjustable light sources. A second light source assembly may illuminate a top surface of the object, and a reflection analysis unit may collect resultant reflected light. |
| US07646477B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate
A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source which emits ultraviolet light, an irradiator which reduces coherency of the ultraviolet light and irradiates the coherency reduced ultraviolet light onto a specimen on which a pattern is formed through an objective lens, and a focus control means which projects light on the specimen from outside the objective lens, detects light reflected from the specimen by the projection and adjusts a height of the specimen relative to the objective lens. The apparatus further includes an image which forms an image of the specimen irradiated with the ultraviolet light and detects the formed image with a sensor, an image processor which processes a signal outputted from the sensor to detect a defect of the specimen, and a display which displays information of the defect detected by the image processor. |
| US07646472B2 |
Off-axis illumination apparatus, exposure apparatus and off-axis illumination method
Provided are an off-axis illumination apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and an off-axis illumination method. The off-axis illumination apparatus may include a mask, a light source for emitting light to the mask, and an incident angle varying section for varying an incident angle of the light. The exposure apparatus may include the off-axis illumination apparatus in addition to a wafer stage and an optical detector. The off-axis illumination method may include irradiating light from the light source to a mask, and moving positions of the light source and the mask to vary an incident angle of the light to the mask. |
| US07646468B2 |
Lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing method
A double processing technique for device manufacture includes performing a first patterning step to form apertures in a resist layer which apertures are filled before the first resist layer is stripped and replaced by a second resist layer to be used in the second exposure. |
| US07646464B2 |
Display device and inspection method of position gap
The present invention can easily inspect the connection between a flexible printed circuit board and terminals. In a display device which includes a display panel which forms a plurality of lines as first lines on a terminal portion thereof, and a film-like substrate which forms a plurality of lines as second lines thereon, the display panel has a determination terminal which is arranged close to the terminal portion, has a width larger than a width of the terminal, and has a portion thereof removed, the film-like substrate forms third lines and fourth lines arranged close to the second lines thereon, the third lines face the determination terminal, and the fourth lines face the removed portion of the determination terminal from which the portion is removed. |
| US07646463B2 |
Pixel structure and manufacturing method of liquid crystal display panel having the same
A pixel structure including a first active device, a second active device, a first pixel electrode electrically connecting the first active device, a second pixel electrode electrically connecting the second active device and a first capacitance lower electrode is provided. Both the first active device and the second active device electrically connect a scan line and a data line. The first pixel electrode has a first interlacing pattern and first stripe patterns connected thereto. The second pixel electrode has a second interlacing pattern and second stripe patterns connected thereto. The first capacitance lower electrode located under the first interlacing pattern has a first region and second regions. The first pixel electrode substantially shields the first region but does not shield the second regions. An area ratio of the first region to the second regions is about 10:1˜300:1. |
| US07646456B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device having an improved display quality. The device includes a substrate; black matrix formed in a matrix pattern on one side of the substrate, wherein the black matrix divides the substrate into a plurality of cell areas; a color filter layer having a red color filter of a first thickness formed in one of the plurality of cell areas, a green color filter of a second thickness which is higher than the first thickness, and a blue color filter of a third thickness which is higher than the second thickness; and a first compensation layer formed by coating the color filter layer and the black matrix with a polymerizable liquid crystal, wherein the first compensation layer is hardened, thereby leveling the substrate, and includes a positive C-plate; and a second compensation layer on another side of the substrate, wherein the second compensation layer is made of one of an A-plate and a biaxial film. |
| US07646453B2 |
Reflective polarizer with polarization splitting microstructure
A reflective polarizer contains: (a) a light-entrance medium having a light-entrance surface and a microstructured surface with a series of prismatic structures, wherein first and second sidewalls of each prismatic structure have an inclination angle of more than 53 degrees with respect to the light-entrance surface; (b) a polarization-selective thin film optical coating on the series of prismatic structures, for transmitting a first polarization of light and reflecting a second polarization; and (c) a light-exit medium on the polarization-selective thin film optical coating that provides a smooth light-exit surface. |
| US07646452B2 |
Method of producing micro-lens-carrying display panel and display unit and exposure system
A production method for a display panel according to the present invention is production method for a display panel 100 including a display panel 101 and a plurality of microlenses 107 provided on a light-incident side of the display panel 101, including: (a) a step of providing a display panel having a plurality of pixels in a matrix arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of pixels has a plurality of picture elements, including a first picture element 104B transmitting first color light and a second picture element 104R (104G) transmitting second color light which is different from the first color light; (b) a step of forming a photocurable material layer 105 on one of a pair of principal faces, being opposite to each other, of the display panel; (c) a step of exposing the photocurable material layer to light via the display panel, wherein the photocurable material layer is at least partially cured with light which has been transmitted through at least the first picture element; and (d) a step of removing an uncured portion of the photocurable material layer 105′ having been exposed to light, thereby forming a plurality of microlenses 107. |
| US07646447B2 |
Flat panel display
The present invention relates to a flat panel display having integral fastening structures for holding the top and bottom chassis. The flat panel display comprises a mold frame enclosing an internal storage space and having a plurality of fastening hooks protruding outward from a side surface thereof; a bottom chassis having a plurality of first coupling openings fastened to the plurality of fastening hooks of the mold frame; and a top chassis having a fastening structure fastened to the bottom chassis, wherein the fastening structure is formed on the area where the mold frame is fastened to the bottom chassis. |
| US07646446B2 |
Repairing method of a thin film transistor array substrate
A method for repairing a storage capacitor on gate or a storage capacitor on common line is described. A portion of each pixel electrode is disposed above a scan line or a common line. An upper electrode is disposed between the pixel electrode and the corresponding scan line or the common line. The pixel electrode and the upper electrode are electrically connected. A defective capacitor is formed when a particle/defect is produced between the upper electrode and the common line or the scan line. The method of repairing the defective capacitor includes removing a portion of the pixel electrode corresponding to the upper electrode of a defective storage capacitor and electrically isolating the upper electrode and the corresponding pixel electrode of the defective storage capacitor. The upper electrode and the scan line or the common line of the defective capacitor are welded together. |
| US07646445B2 |
Array substrate for liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same
An array substrate device having a color filter-on-thin film transistor (COT) structure for a liquid crystal display device includes a gate line formed on a substrate along a transverse direction, the gate line including a gate pad at one end thereof, a first insulating layer formed on the substrate to cover the gate line, the first insulating layer exposing a first portion of the gate pad, a data line formed over the first insulating layer along a longitudinal direction on the substrate, the data line defining a pixel region with the gate line and including a data pad at one end thereof, a thin film transistor formed at a crossing region of the gate and data lines, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, a black matrix overlapping the thin film transistor, the gate line, and the data line except a second portion of the drain electrode, a second insulating layer formed over an entire surface of the substrate to cover the black matrix, the second insulating layer exposing the first portion of the gate pad, a third portion of the data pad, and the pixel region, a first pixel electrode within the pixel region and contacting the second exposed portion of the drain electrode, a color filter on the first pixel electrode within the pixel region, and a second pixel electrode on the color filter and contacting the first pixel electrode. |
| US07646443B2 |
Array substrate for liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same
An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a first source electrode and a first drain electrode on a substrate, wherein the first source electrode and the first drain electrode are separated from each other and formed of a metallic material, a second source electrode and a second drain electrode on the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, respectively, and are formed of a transparent conductive material, wherein the second source electrode covers an upper surface of the first source electrode, and the second drain electrode covers an upper surface of the first drain electrode, a pixel electrode on the substrate and contacting the second drain electrode on the substrate, an organic semiconductor layer on the substrate, a gate insulating layer on the organic semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer. |
| US07646438B2 |
Micro lens panel unit for three-dimensional display, three-dimensional display device, and manufacturing method thereof
A micro lens panel unit for 3D display device includes: a first panel; a resin lens formed on the first panel and having a convex shape; a second panel facing the first panel; and a liquid crystal interposed between the first and second panels. |
| US07646435B2 |
Mobile television receiver
The invention relates to the reproduction of a television signal on a distant reproduction device. The received television signal is encoded and transmitted in a digital data format over a communication link to the reproduction device. The reproduction device decodes the received video information for display on a display screen. The invention is particularly intended for use in mobile vehicles, coaches and trains, where the signal strength of a received television signal during travel is continuously varying and signal distortions occur frequently. In order to reduce the effect of signal distortions on the perceived image and audio quality, the invention inserts a compressed pre-stored video or audio data into the data stream transmitted from the television receiver to the reproduction device upon detection of a television signal distortion. Thus, the decoding procedure at the display device can be maintained in spite of a received television signal of insufficient signal strength. |
| US07646431B2 |
Auxiliary signal synchronization for closed captioning insertion
A system, apparatus and/or method included in or embodied as a television signal receiver synchronizes auxiliary data with an auxiliary video output signal for appropriately inserting closed captioning into the auxiliary video signal. In one form, the television signal receiver correlates a main video signal with the auxiliary video signal in order to ascertain when and/or where to insert the auxiliary data in to the auxiliary video signal. In an exemplary manner, the field information between a video portion of a main television signal and a video portion of an auxiliary output television signal is tracked for determining field inversion between the two. Through the determination of field inversion between the video portion of the main television signal and the video portion of the auxiliary output television signal, auxiliary data such as closed caption, extended data service and the like, is provided to (inserted in) an auxiliary television signal output in a sequence proper for the sequence of video data being provided thereto. Proper sequencing of the auxiliary data allows the auxiliary data to be provided appropriately with the auxiliary video portion of the television signal to the auxiliary television signal output. Additionally, the system, method and/or apparatus provides a field delay if a deinterlacer is used (i.e. to produce a signal suitable for progressive scan images). |
| US07646428B2 |
Package for solid image pickup element and solid image pickup device
In a package including a base fixed with a solid image pickup element, a side wall rising up along the periphery of the base, and internal terminals arranged on a step of the side wall, a plurality of recesses are formed at certain intervals in a lower part of the step to prevent bleeding of an adhesive fixing the solid image pickup element from creeping up over the internal terminals. When the adhesive and bleeding thereof spread around the solid image pickup element during die bonding, they flow into the recesses, making even fast-flowing bleeding hardly creep up an inner surface of the side wall including the step, and enabling prevention of the adhesive from adhering to the internal terminal. Strength, questioned by the presence of the recesses upon wire bonding, can be secured by residual parts between the recesses, and defective wire bonding is less likely to occur. |
| US07646427B2 |
Image capture apparatus
A mounting board of a camera module of a mobile phone is screwed to an outer cover through cushions formed of rubber, sponge or the like. A solid state imaging device and an optical unit of the camera module are contained in an opening formed in the outer cover and do not contact the outer cover. The mounting board is connected to a main substrate through a flexible board. Accordingly, even if the mobile phone is dropped down, the camera module is prevented from breakage by the vibration or the shock applied to the mobile phone, because the vibration and the shock are not transmitted to the camera module directly. |
| US07646425B2 |
Multifunction all in one capture station for creating identification documents
A capture station for creating identification documents comprises a housing including a camera and lighting device, a base, and at least one leg extending from the base. The housing is mounted to the leg to enable height adjustment of the camera. One configuration of the capture station has two substantially rigid and parallel legs with the housing mounted between the legs. Configurations of the capture station can include a processor, such a CPU or embedded controller, enabling ID document data capture functions to be executed within the capture station, and to be controlled via a remote computer via a network connection. In one embodiment, the processor is housed in the base and communicates with the camera via wiring routed through the leg. Peripherals used in capture functions, such as a fingerprint reader, signature pad, display, etc., may be mounted to the leg via clamps, or a plug in receptacle with power and communication wiring provided in the leg. |
| US07646424B2 |
Camera support device worn on the body comprising a multifunctional assembly of electrical components
The invention relates to a camera support device worn on the body comprising a multifunctional assembly of electrical components. The inventive device is characterized in that an operational mode switch device is used to switch the operational mode of connection devices and signal lines between a first and a second mode. In the first mode, the signal lines are used for transmitting a video signal of a first type. In the second mode, only a part of the signal lines is used for transmitting a video signal of a second type while the remaining signal lines are used for other purposes. |
| US07646423B2 |
Image capture apparatus with illuminator and distance measuring light emitting device
An image capturing apparatus illuminates and captures an image of an object using reflected light therefrom, with simplified distance measurement. A plurality of light-emitting devices are mounted around an image sensor, and a light guide member guides the light of the light-emitting devices to an image capturing region for illumination. The image capturing apparatus having the closely disposed image capturing system and illumination system, further has a distance-measuring light-emitting device and an aperture on the distance-measuring light-emitting device and for generating an optical path having narrowed downside and broadened upside. Thus, diffused reflected light rays of distance-measuring light-emitting device can be selected, converged and output to one direction. It becomes possible to obtain sufficient irradiation amount even when using a power-saving light-emitting device of a small emission amount, and to miniaturize a distance sensor irradiating spot light, contributing to miniaturization of the image capturing apparatus. |
| US07646420B2 |
Digital camera with a number of photographing systems
A digital camera comprises two photographing systems which are independent of and substantially identical to each other, and each of which includes a photographing optical system and an image pickup device. The photographing optical system is configured to include a photographing lens, a focusing lens and an aperture stop. The focusing lens of one of the photographing systems is driven stepwise from a first predetermined position at which it is to be located when a focusing position lies at an infinite distance, toward a second predetermined position at which it is to be located when the focusing position lies at the closest distance, while the focusing lens of the other photographing system is driven stepwise from the second predetermined position toward the first predetermined position every step width. The contrasts of images formed by the respective photographing systems are evaluated while the two focusing lenses are being moved, and a position corresponding to the maximum value of the contrasts is determined as the focusing position. |
| US07646419B2 |
Multiband camera system
A multiband camera system includes: a first sensor for generating a first object image and a first alignment image in a first frequency band; a second sensor for generating a second object image and a second alignment image in a second frequency band; and an internal alignment assembly. A splitter directs radiation in the first frequency band from the object to the first sensor to form the first object image, directs radiation in the second frequency band from the object to the second sensor to form the second object image, directs radiation in the first frequency band from the internal alignment assembly to the first sensor to form the first alignment image, and directs radiation in the second frequency band from the internal alignment assembly to the second sensor to form the second alignment image. The first alignment image and the second alignment image establish a reference for aligning the first and second object images. |
| US07646411B2 |
Imaging apparatus
To reliably obtain a captured image expected by a user, such as an image precisely showing the shades of a blue sky or a flower, or an image captured under flat illumination and having high contrast, an apparatus comprises an aperture, shutter, CCD, and an AGC, and applies gamma correction to an image signal using gamma correction values. Maximum reflectance, being an index of the amount of incident light according to the maximum output from the CCD, is increased or decreased in multiple levels depending on the subject being photographed, and the exposure amount is accordingly adjusted, thereby changing a dynamic range. A microcomputer revises the gamma correction values in response to changes in maximum reflectance so as to substantially maintain a relationship between an incident light reference amount being a reference for appropriate exposure and the corresponding gamma corrected output value. |
| US07646410B2 |
Solid state image sensing device and method for subsampling using inter-column analog domain signal summation
Provided are a solid state image sensing device and method for sub-sampling using inter-column analog domain signal summation, where, in the solid state image sensing device, a CDS unit receives reset signals from neighboring columns of the same color in an APS array, receives video signals from pixels generating the reset signals, and generates modulation signals respectively corresponding to the differences between the reset signals and the video signals, the modulation signals are activated according to activation of the previous modulation signals, and a digital signal output circuit generates a corresponding digital signal based on the final modulation signal corresponding to the sum of inter-column analog video signals among the modulation signals. |
| US07646409B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and subject ID adding method
An image pickup apparatus includes an image data acquisition part that acquires image data obtained by photographing a subject, a subject ID acquisition part that acquires, on the basis of a signal obtained from the subject, a subject ID to identify the subject, and a memory that stores the image data acquired by the image data acquisition part and the subject ID acquired by the subject ID acquisition part, the image data and the subject ID being related. A subject ID adding method includes acquiring image data obtained by photographing a subject, acquiring, on the basis of a signal obtained from the subject, a subject ID to identify the subject, and connecting the image data and the subject ID to store them. |
| US07646406B2 |
Image taking apparatus
The invention provides an image taking apparatus for shortening image taking time and obtaining a high quality image by preventing deterioration of the S/N ratio. A digital camera that performs image taking for generating image signals by capturing, with a CCD, object light sent via an image taking optical system includes: a shading correction section performing shading correction by adjusting gain depending on respective positions on the CCD; a scene determination section determining that a scene just shot is to be corrected if the scene just shot includes a uniform region with a predetermined or more area and a predetermined or higher bright ness; and a shading correction control section causing, if the scene just shot is determined by the scene determination section to be a scene to be corrected, the shading correction section to perform shading correction on an image signal obtained by image taking just performed. |
| US07646404B2 |
Foveated wide-angle imaging system and method for capturing and viewing wide-angle images in real time
A foveated wide-angle imaging system and method for capturing a wide-angle image and for viewing the captured wide-angle image in real time. In general, the foveated wide-angle imaging system includes a foveated wide-angle camera system having multiple cameras for capturing a scene and outputting raw output images, a foveated wide-angle stitching system for generating a stitch table, and a real-time wide-angle image correction system that creates a composed warp table from the stitch table and processes the raw output images using the composed warp table to correct distortion and perception problems. The foveated wide-angle imaging method includes using a foveated wide-angle camera system to capture a plurality of raw output images, generating a composed warp table, and processing the plurality of raw output images using the composed warp table to generate a corrected wide-angle image for viewing. |
| US07646402B2 |
Electronic camera capable of setting a print number of a taken image
Shooting is performed upon full depression of a shutter button, and a taken image is recorded in a memory card as an image file. An LCD displays the taken image and a print number thereof. The print number is adjusted by pressing addition and subtraction buttons. Upon pressing a decision button, number data of the print number is inputted. The number data is recorded in the memory card so as to relate to the image file. Incidentally, in case the shutter button is pressed by half without inputting the number data, the print number is set to one, and next shooting is allowed. The above operation is repeated until entire shooting is completed. |
| US07646399B2 |
Imaging module
An imaging module is provided and includes: an imaging section that capturing an image of an object and outputs an image signal; a bus connected to the imaging means; a receiving section that receives the image signal through the bus; an image data generating section that generates an image data based on the image signal; and a transmitting section that transmits the image data through the bus. The receiving section received the image signal at a timing of one of rising and falling of a synchronizing clock, and the transmitting section transmits the image signal at a timing of the other of the rising and falling. |
| US07646398B2 |
Arrangement of color pixels for full color imaging devices with simplified addressing
A three-color pixel element for a display comprises a blue emitter disposed at the origin of a rectangular coordinate system having four quadrants, a pair of red emitters and a pair of green emitters spaced apart from the blue emitter and symmetrically disposed about the origin of the rectangular coordinate system in a first and a second pair of opposing quadrants. |
| US07646394B1 |
System and method for operating in a virtual environment
The present invention relates to a system, method and computer program product for enabling user interaction with objects in a virtual environment independently of apparent virtual viewpoint altitude, by non-linearly scaling the virtual actuator. In doing so, the system receives a virtual-viewpoint position and a virtual actuator position from a virtual environment processing subsystem, and a real-viewpoint position and a real-actuator position from a real-world environment tracking subsystem. An xy-scale factor is then calculated based on the virtual-viewpoint position. A non-linear mapping is thereafter calculated between a real dataset and a virtual dataset based on the xy-scale-factor. The real dataset comprises the real-actuator position and the real-viewpoint position in the real-world environment, and the virtual dataset comprises the virtual-actuator position and the virtual-viewpoint position in the virtual environment. |
| US07646391B1 |
Systems and methods for color managing content elements on a display device
A system and method for color managing content elements on a display device are provided. The systems and methods for color managing content elements on a display device comprising using a set of color space characteristic values that describe a color space of the display device to create a profile having a multidimensional table encapsulating the display behavior as described by color space characteristic values for the display device. |
| US07646385B2 |
Computer graphics rendering method and apparatus
When a plurality of coplanar shapes are rendered over one another by performing a hidden surface removal operation using the Z value, a reference plane is specified, and the Z value of each point of a shape to be rendered on the reference plane is uniquely calculated based on the Z value of the rendering start point, the Z value gradient dZdx for the X direction, and the Z value gradient dZdy for the Y direction. Thus, any coplanar shapes will have the same Z value for each point shared therebetween. Therefore, if the rendering process is performed under such a rule that a shape is overwritten when the Z value of the new shape is less than or equal to the current Z value, it is ensured that the previously-rendered shape is always overwritten with a later-rendered, coplanar shape. Thus, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon that some pixels of a later-rendered shape that are supposed to be displayed are not displayed. |
| US07646384B2 |
System and method to determine a simplified representation of a model
A system, method, and computer program for determining a simplified representation of an assembly model comprising the steps of saving a plurality of display states and configuration settings of an assembly model in a design representation; translating said design representation into a simplified representation by use of a visibility solution; and storing said simplified representation and said design representation in an assembly document and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions. |
| US07646383B1 |
Methods and apparatuses to effect deformation of computer-generated three-dimensional surfaces
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems to deform a computer-generated three-dimensional surface using a lattice of rigid bone segments driven by an interpolation algorithm to define a muscle. Such embodiments allow a realistic presentation of subdermal muscle mass. In one embodiment, each end of a curve, created by an interpolation function, is attached to a corresponding bone. One or more muscle segments are attached along the curve. The curve along with the attached muscle segments defines a muscle. As the bones move and rotate the curve is expanded or contracted due to the endpoints of the curve being fixed to distinct bones. The attached muscle segments will experience corresponding expansion and contraction thus providing a realistic presentation of skin deformation. For one embodiment, the position of each muscle segment is determined in reference to a standard Bezier interpolation function. |
| US07646379B1 |
Wireless and contactless electronic input stylus having at least one button with optical scan and programmable pointer functionality
A stylus input device, a stylus input device with display, and a method for entering input into a computer system are provided. The stylus is preferably used as a pointer that points to a particular region on an electronic display, and one or more buttons on the stylus can be used to scroll, modify or select that region. The buttons can be programmed in various ways to perform different functions, or one button can be programmed to perform a sequence of functions. The tip of the stylus need not contact the display surface to either render the stylus position or to select the region of the display shown by the stylus cursor. The input device and system thereby operates in a contactless and wireless environment to leave the display area unencumbered to viewers of the display screen, and to allow more than one stylus to concurrently operate upon the display. The tip of the stylus can also be configured to scan an image of optically contrasting information, such as a barcode, in a contactless and wireless environment. |
| US07646378B2 |
System and method for user interface
A user interface apparatus for an electronic device. The apparatus comprises: one or more mechanical keys; one or more touch sensitive surfaces, the mechanical keys being adjacent to the touch sensitive surfaces; and a processor for receiving one or more user input operations performed on the mechanical keys and the touch sensitive surfaces, the input operation comprising a combined operation combining touching the touch sensitive surface with pressing at least one mechanical key, in a single stroke. |
| US07646377B2 |
Position digitizing using an optical stylus to image a display
The present invention provides systems and methods of using an stylus that houses optics and a detector capable of imaging display pixels. Stylus position is determined according to the number and direction of imaged pixels passing through the field of view of the stylus optics. Stylus orientation, including rotation and tilt, stylus height, stylus contact state, and stylus pressure may also be determined. |