| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07681243B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing digital rights management contents containing advertising contents
A method and apparatus for processing digital rights managements (DRM) contents having advertisement (AD) contents attached thereto in a DRM system are disclosed. When DRM contents including AD contents are selected by a DRM device, a rights issuer (RI) receives the AD contents and the DRM contents from a contents issuer (CI), generates a multipart contents format file, and downloads it to the DRM device. Then, the DRM device decodes the downloaded multipart contents format file to check whether the multipart contents format file includes AD contents-attached DRM contents, and if so, the DRM device reproduces the AD contents to use the DRM contents free of cost. Thus, the DRM contents can be provided to a user by using the AD contents without causing a burden of a charge. |
| US07681240B2 |
Trusted storage systems and methods
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a trusted database system that leverages a small amount of trusted storage to secure a larger amount of untrusted storage. Data are encrypted and validated to prevent unauthorized modification or access. Encryption and hashing are integrated with a low-level data model in which data and meta-data are secured uniformly. Synergies between data validation and log-structured storage are exploited. |
| US07681233B1 |
Method and apparatus for controlling evaluation of protected intellectual property in hardware
Various techniques permit more thorough development of digital systems and devices by designers while protecting the proprietary interests of the owners of the intellectual property incorporated in such systems and devices. More specifically, systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products control use of hardware and software and IP implemented as user logic in a programmed device. The programmed device includes programmed logic that has designed logic and control logic. The designed logic includes user logic and protected logic such as IP cores, the use of which is to be controlled. The control logic includes a signal generator external to the designed logic. This signal generator contains clock means and a timeout circuit. A controller is connected to the programmed device by a tether. The controller periodically sends a keep alive signal via the tether to the signal generator. These keep alive signals may be single bit or multi-bit tokens which are processed in the programmed device by the signal generator. The signal generator disables the programmed device when the signal generator reaches a programmed time limit before receiving a keep alive signal from the controller. Disabling the programmed device can be accomplished by disabling either the user logic or the protected logic or both. |
| US07681228B2 |
Method of one time authentication response to a session-specific challenge indicating a random subset of password or PIN character positions
Financial institution back office computerized transaction-processing system with embedded privacy and security layer (EPSL) enables strong transaction authentication prior to a merchant or vendor contact, based on a user account number, transaction conditions like anticipated transaction time and money, user two-factor authentication with a static transaction PIN and a transaction session-specific random partial password or PIN recognition algorithm. User enters the user name and then, challenged by server with a random session-specific subset of a password or PIN character's consecutive position numbers, enters based on cognitive association a one time authentication response. The authentication session is interactive, transaction session-specific, and followed by either a transaction denial or an alphanumeric transaction signature generated by EPSL for this specific transaction. Then, the user submits her request to a transaction counterpart along with the transaction signature. The merchant or vendor requests an authorization session with EPSL. |
| US07681224B2 |
Method and system for transmitting data of moving picture, and apparatus for delivering and receiving data of moving picture
In the transmission of a moving picture, when the user switches video sources (for example, switches channels or starts reproducing a recorded program), the selected video source can be swiftly started to display. Immediately after a delivery apparatus makes a video source be selected by switching, a receiving apparatus causes a selector to select the video packets transmitted not through an error corrector and to supply them to a decoder and it controls the decoder to generate a frozen frame from the video packets and to supply it to a display where it is displayed. The selector is controlled to produce the error-corrected video data after a counter counts a delay time that the video packets undergo in the error corrector. Thus, the moving picture can be seamlessly displayed, and the delay in the error corrector can be apparently eliminated. |
| US07681222B1 |
Method of reducing disc workload in a video-on-demand system by seamlessly replacing memory-based video streams with disc-based video streams, and visa-versa
In a video-on-demand system, memory-based video streams are seamlessly replaced with disc-based video streams. This is achieved by first switching each memory-based video stream to a mixed video stream; and later, switching each mixed video stream to a disc-based video stream. |
| US07681218B2 |
Digital television broadcast signal receiver
When a multi-directional antenna is connected to a digital TV broadcast signal receiver, the digital TV broadcast signal receiver measures a term suitable for switching or changing an effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna corresponding to kind or specification of the multi-directional antenna. Control signals are outputted at an interval suitable for switching or changing the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna corresponding to the measured term so as to switch the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna to an optimum signal receiving direction of a channel chosen by a user. Consequently, it is possible to shorten a term necessary for switching or changing the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna to the optimum signal receiving direction of the channel chosen by the user. |
| US07681215B2 |
Emergency alert signaling method and digital television receiver
A digital television receiver includes a tuner receiving a digital television signal including a DCCT, a demodulator demodulating the digital television signal, and a demultiplexer demultiplexing the DCCT from the demodulated signal. The receiver further includes a decoder parsing channel ID information and a priority code from the DCCT, where the channel ID information specifies an emergency alert channel associated with an emergency alert event and the priority code specifies an alert priority of the emergency alert event. The receiver further includes a controller that controls operation of the tuner to automatically tune to the emergency alert channel based upon the alert priority. |
| US07681214B2 |
Outer code covered synchronous code division multiple access for cable modem channels
Outer code covered synchronous code division multiple access for cable modem (CM) channels. Outer pseudo-noise (PN) code is employed, along with orthogonal codes (OCs), to spread CM signals thereby mitigating inter-code-interference (ICI) effects caused by residual multi-path propagation within CM communication systems. The added and implemented PN sequences have relatively good autocorrelation properties (when compared to the autocorrelation properties of the OCs) that mask the possible bad autocorrelation and/or cross-correlation properties of the OCs. This outer-code covered PN coding, along with the OC coding, enables much better performance in the presence of residual multi-path. The PN code's added complexity is very minimal as the PN may use the same chip rate of the orthogonal code while providing for better performance in the presence of residual multi-path components. In doing so, a relatively higher system capacity for data throughput may be realized while providing very limited added complexity to the system. |
| US07681212B2 |
Photosensitive recording medium cartridge
A photosensitive recording medium cartridge comprising a cartridge body, an opening, and a shutter, the cartridge body receiving a disc type photosensitive recording medium therein so that the photosensitive recording medium can rotate, the opening being provided in the cartridge body for exposing the photosensitive recording medium to an outside, the shutter being attached to the cartridge body so that the shutter can move between a close position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening, wherein: the shutter includes a bent portion which is formed in an outer circumferential end portion of the shutter so as to be bent toward the cartridge body side; and the cartridge body includes a protrusion portion which is formed in a position corresponding to the outer circumferential end portion. |
| US07681208B1 |
Extractor system, method and computer program product for managing network access on a per-application basis
A system, method and computer program product are provided for management of network access on a per application basis. Initially, applications are selected from a group of applications adapted for working in conjunction with a first application program interface to gain access to a network. Next, a second application program interface is utilized which is adapted for precluding all of the applications from accessing the network. In use, the selected applications are wrapped for allowing such applications to access the network via the second application program interface. |
| US07681202B2 |
Portal runtime framework
Techniques that enable an application or component developed according to a first framework specification to use services provided by an application executing on a second framework that is different from the first framework. A portal architecture is described that is capable of running portal snippets developed according to different framework specifications. A J2EE framework-based portal is configured to execute portal snippets developed using Java for a Java-based framework and also to provide support for and execute portal snippets that have been developed using a language supported by another framework such as .NET framework. |
| US07681196B2 |
Providing optimal number of threads to applications performing multi-tasking using threads
In an environment in which applications perform multi-tasking by using threads, the optimum number of threads to be provided to an application is determined based on historical data. Due to the use of the historical data, optimum number of threads can be accurately determined, leading to better response times for service requests, without creating unneeded overhead on system processing the service requests. In one embodiment, various status information (of potentially several prior weeks) such as number of tasks received and pending, system resources status (e.g. idle processor time and aggregate memory usage in the system), is maintained. In addition, a table may be maintained to indicate the optimum number of threads for a given combination of status information values. Thus, based on the expected status scenario, the optimum number of threads can be determined and provided at various points of time. |
| US07681185B2 |
Template-driven approach to extract, transform, and/or load
System(s) and/or method(s) (“tools”) are described that enable multiple executable ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) packages to be built based on a single template. The tools also enable multiple executable ETL packages to be altered by altering a single template and/or set of data parameters. In some embodiments the tools provide many types of templates that are capable, once instantiated with data parameters, of performing many different types of processes useful in extracting, transforming, and/or loading data from databases to a data warehouse. In so doing, the tools can help users to more easily, accurately, and/or robustly build ETL packages. |
| US07681183B2 |
Method, system, and program product for checking control model and/or control program
A check system aims at checking at least one of a control model in which requested specifications for controlling a target are described and a control program generated based on the control model. The system has a first establishing unit configured to establish a first monitor section at a first location in the one of the control model and the control program. The system has a first identifying unit configured to automatically identify a second location in the other of the control model and the control program to establish a second monitor section at the second location in the other thereof. The second location corresponds to the first location of the first monitor section in the one of the control model and the control program. |
| US07681180B2 |
Parameterized test driven development
In one embodiment a computer system automatically generates unit tests. The computer system accesses a parameterized unit test that provides a base outline from which one or more unit tests are automatically generated, generates input parameter values for a unit of software code, automatically generates a unit test configured to assess the functionality of the unit of software code, and receives test results from a software testing program and provides feedback to a user. In other embodiments, a computer system automatically maintains a unit test database. The computer system receives a unit test at a unit test database, assigns a test identity to the received unit test, determines that the test identity assigned to the received unit test is unique when compared to other unit tests, determines that the received unit test has different functionality coverage characteristics, and adds the received unit test to the unit test database. |
| US07681179B2 |
System and method providing single application image
A system and method is provided that facilitates the administration of an application in accordance with the present invention. The system includes a resource identifier that identifies resources associated with the application and a manifest that logs the resources. An aggregator is provided that aggregates a subset of the resources into the manifest to facilitate administration of the application. The aggregator can be provided by a user interface and/or an automated builder. A graphical user interface is also provided to facilitate deployment, creation and enumeration of the application. |
| US07681178B1 |
Cascading style sheets (CSS) prototype pointer chaining in object-oriented environment
A method, system, and computer program product for providing an application include representing a plurality of hierarchical rules as a plurality of objects in a prototype pointer chain, and providing a function to search the rules for a desired style by traversing the prototype pointer chain. An exemplary method provides a user interface or application with one or more visual objects. The visual appearances of the visual objects is affected by style information retrieved by traversing a prototype pointer chain to search for style-related rules. A compiled file can include code that describes rules as objects and creates class inheritance relationships between those objects and code that describes a style-finding function. A displaying program instantiates the objects arranged in a prototype pointer chain and uses its own inheritance logic to traverse the chain according to the style-finding function. |
| US07681177B2 |
Method and/or system for transforming between trees and strings
Embodiments of articles, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are disclosed. In particular embodiments, one or more trees may be transformed to one or more corresponding symbols strings according to an association of trees and symbols strings. In one particular embodiment, such a symbol string may be further manipulated to provide a resulting symbol string corresponding with a resulting numeral according to an association of symbol strings and numerals. |
| US07681175B2 |
Methods and systems for displaying multiple unique dynamic messages on a user interface
A computer-implemented method of simultaneously providing a plurality of unique and dynamic messages on a user interface page is provided. A first software object may be built having a plurality of rows, and corresponding job request values being stored in a corresponding one of the plurality of rows. The first software object may be parsed and a dynamic message framed for each row of the first software object. A second software object may be build including a row for each of the framed dynamic messages and added to a session context being persistent across a first and second user interface pages. The second user interface page is displayed with a plurality of dynamic messages therein using a static message and a unique URL stored in each of the rows of the second software object. |
| US07681174B2 |
Computer system and related method for generating program codes describing relationships of numerous function names and numerous control codes of a device
A method for generating program code used to describe relationships between a plurality of function names and a plurality of control codes of a device. The method comprises receiving the relationships between the plurality of function names and the plurality of control codes, detecting if one of the function names corresponds to more than one control code and if one of the control codes corresponds to a plurality of function names. Program code is generated to describe the relationships if there are no multiple mappings between the control codes and the function names. A warning message is generated if there is function name corresponding to more than one control code or a control code corresponds to more than one function name. |
| US07681172B2 |
Method and apparatus for modeling an apodization effect in an optical lithography system
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that accurately predicts an apodization effect in an optical lithography system for manufacturing an integrated circuit. During operation, the system starts by collecting an apodization-effect-induced spatial transmission profile from the optical lithography system. The system then constructs an apodization model based on the spatial transmission profile. Next, the system enhances a lithography model for the optical lithography system by incorporating the apodization model into the lithography model, wherein the enhanced lithography model accurately predicts the effects of apodization on the optical lithography system. |
| US07681171B2 |
Method, program product and apparatus for performing double exposure lithography
A method of generating complementary masks based on a target pattern having features to be imaged on a substrate for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process. The method includes the steps of: defining an initial H-mask corresponding to the target pattern; defining an initial V-mask corresponding to the target pattern; identifying horizontal critical features in the H-mask having a width which is less than a predetermined critical width; identifying vertical critical features in the V-mask having a width which is less than a predetermined critical width; assigning a first phase shift and a first percentage transmission to the horizontal critical features, which are to be formed in the H-mask; and assigning a second phase shift and a second percentage transmission to the vertical critical features, which are to be formed in the V-mask. The method further includes the step of assigning chrome to all non-critical features in the H-mask and the V-mask. The non-critical features are those features having a width which is greater than or equal to the predetermined critical width. The non-critical features are formed in the H-mask and the V-mask utilizing chrome. The target pattern is then imaged on the substrate by imaging both the H-mask and V-mask. |
| US07681168B2 |
Semiconductor integrated device, method of designing semiconductor integrated device, device for designing the same, and program
A semiconductor integrated device has a wire layout structure such that SL1≦SL2 |
| US07681167B2 |
System and apparatus for designing layout of a LSI
A judgment section determines whether or not a reduction in the power dissipation is possible by relocation of an improvement-target cell. If a reduction in the power dissipation is possible, a calculation section calculates the delay time of a target path including the improvement-target cell to obtain a possible shift distance of the improvement-target cell, within which the timing constraint is satisfied. A layout change section relocates the improvement-target cell within a range in which the power dissipation can be reduced and timing constraint can be satisfied. |
| US07681165B2 |
Apparatus and methods for congestion estimation and optimization for computer-aided design software
A method of performing placement of resources in a computer-aided design (CAD) tool includes performing a first congestion analysis, proposing a placement move, and evaluating the placement move. The method further includes incrementally updating information used for performing another congestion analysis. |
| US07681163B2 |
Capacitor layout technique for reduction of fixed pattern noise in a CMOS sensor
A new capacitor architecture includes a front plate of the capacitor formed from a first polysilicon layer. The front plate is surrounded by a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer. The back plate of the capacitor is formed from one layer of a first two-layer conductive structure which surrounds the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer. The two-layer conductive structure is an equal potential structure and includes a conductive coupling between the two layers. |
| US07681154B2 |
Method for designing device, system for aiding to design device, and computer program product therefor
A method for designing a device that comprises a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip and an adjustment target is disclosed. The first semiconductor chip comprises an input pad, a first power supply pad and a first ground pad. The second semiconductor chip comprises an output pad coupled to the input pad. The adjustment target is connected to the first and the second semiconductor chips. A main target variable is calculated from an input circuit chip model, an output circuit chip model of the second semiconductor chip in frequency domain and a target impedance model of the adjustment target in frequency domain. The input circuit chip model is created by representing the first semiconductor chip in frequency domain in consideration of a first capacitor model between the input pad and the first power supply pad, a second capacitor model between the input pad and the first ground pad, and a chip internal capacitor model between the first power supply pad and the first ground pad. The main target variable is compared with a predetermined constraint represented in frequency domain to decide design guidelines for the adjustment target. |
| US07681148B2 |
Method for enabling ease of use with page exception programming
A page exception icon is provided for programming a page exception during a document processing job. The page exception icon is pre-programmed by selecting at least one document job processing parameter from a plurality of document job processing parameters and storing the document job processing parameter in association with a name provided for the page exception icon. The page exception icon can be dragged and dropped onto objects representing pages of a document processing job to perform a page exception in accordance with the document job processing parameters pre-programmed for the page exception icon. |
| US07681145B1 |
Dynamic key assignment in key pad
An improved user interface for data input without the use of a standard keyboard is provided. Input is accepted through a data entry means such as a shuttle control system, a standard telephone keypad, or a speech recognition system. The data that is entered is selected from a predefined list that is presented to a user in an arrangement that statistically reduces the number of keystrokes required for data entry. This presentation is the result of determining the relative frequency of each valid selection in the predefined list and presenting those valid selections with the highest frequency items in a position that minimizes the number keystrokes required for data entry. In a speech recognition embodiment, the data entered is selected from an active list containing unique sounding entries. Alternatively, the data entered may be selected by speaking the numbers associated with the keys corresponding to the keystrokes required for data entry. |
| US07681144B2 |
Prioritized presentation of content
A method is provided for determining content to present on a display of a device. The method comprises presenting a first content in a first location in an application window of an application and presenting a second content in a second location in the application window of the application. The method further comprises receiving a user action and determining whether at least a portion of the first content will be obstructed due to the user action. The method further comprises presenting the first content in the second location based on a comparison of a first content priority value assigned to the first content and a second content priority value assigned to the second content in accordance with the determination. |
| US07681143B2 |
System and method for providing a window management mode
A mode of managing windows in a graphical user interface in which the application windows may be presented in a tiled manner is provided. Upon invocation of the mode inactive application windows may be scaled down and organized in a manner so as to set them aside from the currently active application window while the active application window may remain at or near full size and be positioned in a centralized location in the desktop space. |
| US07681136B2 |
Methods and systems for collaborative whiteboarding and content management
Described herein is a collaborative and Web-based whiteboarding tool for creating, collecting, storing, managing and performing searches on graphical customer information and information related thereto. When implementing the present invention, the company retains possession of and control over the sales-related diagrams generated by its sales force. Participants in a collaborative Web session are provided with one or more palettes of diagram primitives, which reduce the whiteboarding (diagram) task to an easily mastered series of object drag-and-drops, line connections, and text blurbs. The diagrams, as well as the diagram primitives (including, for example, icons, diagrams and portions thereof) are stored in a selectably accessible database. In addition, the diagram primitives may have fully searchable information associated therewith, in the form of metadata or tags, for example. |
| US07681134B1 |
Seamless integration and installation of non-host application into native operating system
A method, system and computer program product recorded on a computer-readable medium for execution on at least one processor, for seamless integration of a non-host application into a host OS, including launching a first Virtual Execution Environment (VEE) on a computing system that has a host operating system and a host desktop displayed to a user; displaying a window corresponding to the VEE on the host desktop; upon a user invoking a user application that is non-native to both the host OS and the first VEE, (a) installing a second VEE that is compatible with the user application, (b) installing the user application into the second VEE, (c) launching the application inside the second VEE, and (d) displaying the non-host application window within a window of the second VEE. The VEE can be a Virtual Private Server or a Virtual Machine. |
| US07681133B2 |
Declarative task-based user interfaces
In one embodiment, a method for building wizard-style user interfaces (UIs) for a business task includes identifying a collection of metadata associated with the business task, and processing the collection of metadata to provide a set of wizard-style UIs pertaining to the business task. |
| US07681130B1 |
Methods and apparatus for displaying network data
A method for displaying graphically interconnected network fabrics on a graphical user interface. The method disclosed herein is a view manager that identifies fabrics (e.g., storage area networks) in a network system and then displays graphical representations of the fabrics within a graphical user interface. In this manner, the fabric representations are displayed in respective regions of the graphical user interface such that the pixels of each fabric representation do not overlap. Graphical interconnections are displayed between network fabrics to represent the relationship and connectivity between the fabrics. Additionally, the view manager displays the physical and virtual components or resources (e.g., host computers, switch devices, storage devices) that make up the network fabrics as graphical objects within the fabric representations. In order to show the relationship and connectivity between the resource objects, the view manager also displays graphical interconnections that flow between the resources. |
| US07681129B2 |
Audio clutter reduction and content identification for web-based screen-readers
A method and apparatus for reading a web page according to a set of user-configurable settings. In one embodiment, a set of user-configurable settings configured for reading the web page is determined. An initial reading position on the web page is determined as specified by the user-configurable settings. The web page is then read from the initial reading position according to the set of user-configurable settings. |
| US07681128B2 |
Multimedia player and method of displaying on-screen menu
Favorable visual appearance and ease of operation are required in the user interface of digital home appliances using a television screen. An array of function icons including multiple function icons representing respective playing functions and an array of content icons including multiple content icons representing items of contents that can be played are displayed practically at the center of an on-screen menu such that the arrays intersect. A moving image icon, which is a function icon displayed in an area of intersection in which the array of function icons and the array of content icons intersect, is highlighted by a color different from that of the other function icons and by an enlarged view. An icon in focus immediately below the moving image icon is also displayed in an expanded view. If an external appliance is connected via a network, contents in the external appliance are also displayed in the array of content icons. |
| US07681127B2 |
Dynamic localization for documents using language setting
A method, for dynamic document localization, includes issuing a request for locale-neutral content, the request having a locale-neutral identifier. The locale-neutral content is received responsive to the request. Localized language content is built by applying a language setting for a current language selection to the locale-neutral content. The language setting includes a language-specific string in a strings data structure corresponding to the current language selection. |
| US07681119B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a graphical user interface for creating and editing a mapping of a first structural description to a second structural description
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing a graphical user interface for creating and editing a mapping of structured information to different structured information, which allows a user to interactively define the mapping. The present invention operates as a user tool by accepting interactive input from a user of a source input, processing the input to display the source input in a format for accepting user commands to create or edit a transformation map of source components to target components. Interactive user input is accepted for selection of an input file to be transformed and selection of a transformation map for the requested transformation. Interactive user input is accepted for processing for selection of individual components of the first structured information format for mapping, and for selection of options for the target components. Exemplary options for the target components are a null value, the source component itself, a single selected target component, or plural selected target components. Interactive user input is accepted for processing to assign attribute values to components of the second structured information format. Exemplary options for the sources of attribute values are attribute values obtained from the source components, system attribute values, no value, attribute values input interactively by the user through the user interface, and content of element. Interactive user input is then accepted and processed to initiate processing of a transformation of the source input file in the first structured information format to a target output file in the second structured information format. |
| US07681116B2 |
Automatic republication of data
Automatically republishing native data from a native data file into a published file. In response to initially publishing the native data into the published file, a publish object is created that corresponds to the published data and the native data. The publish object is associated with the native data file and indicates whether the native data is to be automatically republished upon resaving of the native data file. The publish object further indicates the location of the published file, a reference to the location of the native data within the native data file, and an alert string. The publish object is identified by a unique identifier that is also stored in the published file to indicate the location of the published data. In response to resaving the native data, the publish object is examined to determine whether the native data is to be automatically republished. |
| US07681110B2 |
Decoding technique for linear block codes
The present decoding technique provides an efficient technique for decoding linear block codes from multiple encoders. When an error in a code sequence is detected, the decoding technique estimates a confidence for each bit within the code sequence. Based on the confidence, a subset of bits within the code sequence is obtained. The subset of bits is then incrementally flipped to determine a set of modified code sequences. A syndrome is computed for each of the modified code sequences based on a preceding computed syndrome and an update vector. |
| US07681109B2 |
Method of error correction in MBC flash memory
A plurality of logical pages is stored in a MBC flash memory along with corresponding ECC bits, with at least one of the MBC cells storing bits from more than one logical page, and with at least one of the ECC bits applying to two or more of the logical pages. When the pages are read from the memory, the data bits as read are corrected using the ECC bits as read. Alternatively, a joint, systematic or non-systematic ECC codeword is computed for two or more of the logical pages and is stored instead of those logical pages. When the joint codeword is read, the logical bits are recovered from the codeword as read. The scope of the invention also includes corresponding memory devices, the controllers of such memory devices, and also computer-readable storage media bearing computer-readable code for implementing the methods. |
| US07681103B2 |
Reliable generation of a device-specific value
A device-specific value is reliably generated in a device. In a first component of the device, a first digital value is generated that is substantially dependent fabrication variation among like device. Redundancy information is computed based on the first digital value. A subsequent digital value is later generated in the first component of the device. The first digital value is then determined in a second component of the device from the subsequent digital value and the redundancy information. |
| US07681102B2 |
Byte level protection in PCI-Express devices
Method and system for protecting data in a PCI-Express device is provided. The method includes adding error correction code (ECC) to every byte of data that enters a PCI-Express Transaction Handler (“PTH”) Module and is destined for a host system memory or destined to another device, before the data is aligned within the PTH module; verifying the ECC code for every byte of the data before the data leaves the PTH module; and generating the ECC code for a data block size, wherein the data block size depends on the destination of the data. |
| US07681098B2 |
Systems and methods for improved fault coverage of LBIST testing
Systems and methods for improved fault coverage of logic built-in-self-tests (LBISTs) in integrated circuits (ICs) by determining weighting and/or seed values to be used in generating pseudorandom test bit patterns for each channel to optimize fault coverage. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a pseudorandom sequence of bits, applying a weighting value to the sequence, propagating the weighted sequence through one or more levels of logic, and capturing the resulting data. Metrics are then applied to the captured data to determine the suitability or optimality of the weighting value, and an optimal weighting value is selected. This may be performed for a plurality of trial values for each of a number of channels to obtain a set of weighting values for the different LBIST channels. The method may also include determining a seed value for the pseudorandom bit pattern generator. |
| US07681097B2 |
Test system employing test controller compressing data, data compressing circuit and test method
A test system employing a test controller compressing data, a data compressing circuit and a test method are provided. The test system includes a tester, a device under test (DUT), and a test controller receiving a first clock signal and serial data bits output from the DUT, compressing the serial data bits by m bits (m≧4) in response to a second clock signal to generate a signature signal, and outputting the signature signal to the tester. The tester compares a computed signature signal to a 1-bit signature signal to determine whether the DUT is operating poorly or not. |
| US07681095B2 |
Methods and apparatus for testing integrated circuits
In some aspects, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of memory arrays, a latch, and a selection circuit coupled to the plurality of memory arrays and to the latch. The selection circuit may be operative to receive a bit from each of a plurality of memory arrays select one of the plurality of memory arrays, and store the bit from the selected memory array. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US07681092B2 |
Systems and methods for interleaving and deinterleaving data in an OFDMA-based communication system
In an exemplary embodiment, a base station includes an antenna for transmitting signals on a downlink to a plurality of user devices. The base station also includes a processor, and memory in electronic communication with the processor. Interleaving instructions are stored in the memory. The interleaving instructions are executable by the processor to interleave coded data in accordance with an interleaving algorithm in order to generate interleaved data. The interleaving algorithm is configured to accommodate use of different transmission bandwidths for data transmission. OFDMA processing instructions are also stored in the memory. The OFDMA processing instructions are executable by the processor to perform OFDMA processing on the interleaved data. The OFDMA processing facilitates the use of a varying number of sub-carriers for channel transmission. |
| US07681089B2 |
Redundant storage controller system with enhanced failure analysis capability
A redundant storage controller system that robustly provides failure analysis information (FAI) to an operator of the system is disclosed. The system includes first and second storage controllers in communication with one another, such as via a PCI-Express link. When one of the controllers fails, the FAI is transferred from the failed controller to the surviving controller over the link. The operator issues a command to the surviving storage controller, which responsively provides the FAI. In one embodiment, the failed storage controller writes the FAI to the second storage controller. In one embodiment, each storage controller periodically writes the FAI before there is a failure. In one embodiment, the second storage controller reads the FAI from the failed storage controller. The FAI may include boot logs, crash logs, debug logs, and event logs. The FAI may also be written to a disk drive connected to the controllers. |
| US07681088B2 |
Apparatus expressing high availability cluster demand based on probability of breach
An apparatus and computer instructions are provided for expressing high availability (H/A) cluster demand based on probability of breach. When a failover occurs in the H/A cluster, event messages are sent to a provisioning manager server. The mechanism of embodiments of the present invention filters the event messages and translates the events into probability of breach data. The mechanism then updates the data model of the provision manager server and makes a recommendation to the provisioning manager server as to whether reprovisioning of new node should be performed. The provisioning manager server makes the decision and either reprovisions new nodes to the H/A cluster or notifies the administrator of detected poisoning problem. |
| US07681087B2 |
Apparatus and method for persistent report serving
A computer-readable medium is configured to receive a report processing request at a hierarchical report processor. The hierarchical report processor includes a parent process and at least one child process executing on a single processing unit, and is configured to process the report processing request as a task on the single processing unit. |
| US07681079B2 |
Diagnostic test sets
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with metadata driven diagnostic test execution are described. One exemplary system embodiment includes a diagnostic test set repository where pre-defined and/or user-defined XML files that store the metadata for driving the diagnostic test execution can be stored. The example system may also include a first logic to prepare the XML file to control a diagnostic session and a second logic to control the diagnostic session based on the prepared XML file. |
| US07681078B2 |
Debugging a processor through a reset event
A method for operating a processor in data processing system comprises: asserting a debug control signal to cause the processor to enter a debug operating mode; initializing a plurality of shared processor resources with debug configuration information, wherein the plurality of shared processor resources are shared between a normal operating mode and the debug operating mode; executing instructions with the processor while in the debug operating mode; re-initializing the processor in response to a reset event; and preventing the reset event from re-initializing a predetermined portion of the debug configuration information in the plurality of shared processor resources. This allows processor debugging through reset events without losing the debug information. |
| US07681072B1 |
Systems and methods for facilitating file reconstruction and restoration in data storage systems where a RAID-X format is implemented at a file level within a plurality of storage devices
A system includes storage devices where a RAID-X format is implemented at a file level. In response to a failure, a map is retrieved. The map includes a list of devices where components of at least one file reside. The map is used to determine whether a number of lost or damaged components associated with the file exceed a maximum limit beyond which reconstruction of a file stored using the file level implementation of the RAID-X format is not possible. If the maximum limit has not been exceeded, the file is reconstructed. The system continues to service data storage and access requests, with reconstruction being performed as a background operation, after a number of device failures has occurred which would have exceeded the maximum limit of device failures for reconstruction had the file been stored using a volume level implementation of the RAID-X format. |
| US07681071B2 |
Storage apparatus, control method therefor and program
A magnetic disk array apparatus has a function of positively verifying read data with a configuration by which overhead can be reduced as much as possible. Upon writing data to each magnetic disk 10-I, verification, such as CRC data, is additionally written for each writing block, and also, in a disk array controller 20, the same CRC data is held (see FIG. 2). |
| US07681069B1 |
Corruption checking during backup
In one embodiment, a data corruption checker is integrated into the data backup operation. In one embodiment, the data corruption checker can skip over minor corruptions and back up the non-corrupt files, or can abort the backup and locate a major corruption. In one embodiment, the present invention includes receiving a backup command at a storage server, the backup command requesting that the storage server perform a backup operation on a storage component, scanning a set of inodes associated with the storage component to determine a subset of inodes corresponding to files to be backed up, and, as part of the scanning, identifying one or more corrupted files. |
| US07681053B2 |
Thermal throttle control with minimal impact to interrupt latency
A computer implemented method, data processing system, and processor are provided for thermal throttle control with minimal impact to interrupt latency. A setting of an interrupt status bit is monitored. A determination is made as to whether an interrupt associated with the interrupt status bit is an unmasked interrupt in response to the interrupt status bit being set. An existing throttling mode is disabled and the interrupt handled in response to the interrupt being unmasked, where the interrupt latency of the integrated circuit is reduced. |
| US07681043B1 |
System and method for configuring device features via programmable memory
Systems and methods that may configure features or functions of a device, such as a set top box, for example, using a chip are provided. The chip may include a processor and a memory array. The memory array may include a non-volatile memory and may be in communications with the processor. The non-volatile memory may include a set of mode control bits, each mode control bit being one-time programmable. The device features may be securely programmed via the set of mode control bits of the non-volatile memory that may be programmed during a programming cycle and may not be modified further after the completion of the programming cycle. |
| US07681042B2 |
System and method for dis-identifying sensitive information and associated records
A computer-based system (10) and method for dis-identifying personal identifiable information (152, 162) and associated records (172) is disclosed. The system includes a system manager (20) module, an encryption and key management module (30), and a storage module (40). The system manager module (20) stores related sensitive information portions (152) of the personal identifiable information (152, 162), non-sensitive information portions (162) of the personal identifiable information, and associated records (172) in separate databases (100, 110, 120 or 150, 160, 170) in storage module (40) with each database record including one or more hidden links generated by the encryption and key management module (30) that can be used to determine the related records or information in one of the other databases. The hidden links are encrypted so that the relationships between the database records are hidden. The methods provide for storing sensitive and non-sensitive personal identifiable information and associated records as database records, and for storing the hidden links associated with these database records. The present invention also includes methods for retrieving sensitive personal identifiable information for a given associated record and for retrieving the associated record(s) for a given sensitive personal identifiable information. |
| US07681039B2 |
Collusion-resistant watermarking and fingerprinting
An implementation of a technology is described herein that facilitates rights enforcement of digital goods using watermarks. More particularly, it is a fingerprinting technology for protecting digital goods by detecting collusion as a malicious attack and identifying the participating colluders. If a digital pirate breaks one client and enables this client to avoid watermark detection, all content (both marked/protected an unmarked/free) can be played as unmarked only on that particular client. However, to enable other clients to play content as unmarked, the digital pirate needs to collude the extracted detection keys from many clients in order to create content that can evade watermark detection on all clients. The described implementation significantly improves collusion resistance through a fingerprinting mechanism that can identify the members of a malicious coalition even when their numbers are several orders of magnitude greater than what conventional collusion-protection schemes can accomplish. However, in this scenario each member of the malicious coalition leaves a fingerprint in every digital good from which the estimated watermark is subtracted. Thus, like a burglar without gloves, the digital pirate leaves her fingerprints only when she commits a crime. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims. |
| US07681037B2 |
Network connection system
A network connection system includes a client apparatus, an authentication server, and a connection server. The authentication server authenticates a user of the client apparatus and transmits a network address of the client apparatus to the connection server. When information indicating the transition to a connection wait state is received from the connection server, the network address of the connection server is transmitted to the client. The client apparatus transmits an encrypted user name and password to the network address. The connection server 11 conducts authentication using the encrypted user name and password. |
| US07681036B1 |
Fail-safe transmission of multiple independent levels of security using standard data busses apparatus and method
A multi-channel radio operating with multiple security levels is disclosed. The multi-channel radio includes more than one input/output. Each of the input/outputs corresponds to a security level. The radio also includes a first common bus coupled to the more than one input/output and a first set of more than one processor coupled to the common bus. Each of the first set of processors corresponds to a security level. Further, the radio includes a second set of more than one processors coupled to the first set of processors and more than one transceiver. Each transceiver is coupled to at least one of the processors of the first set of processors. |
| US07681034B1 |
Method and apparatus for securing electronic data
Techniques for securing electronic data and keeping the electronic data secured at all times are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a client module in a client machine is configured to provide access control to secured documents that may be located in a local store, another computer machine or somewhere over a data network. The client module includes a document-securing module configured to operate in a path through which a document being accessed is caused to pass so that the document can be examined or detected for the security nature. If the document is secured, the document-securing module obtains a user or group key to decrypt security information in the secured document for access rules therein. If a user accessing the document is determined to have the access privilege to the secured document, a file key is retrieved from the security information and a cipher module is activated to decrypt the encrypted data portion with the file key. Likewise, if a document is to be secured, the cipher module encrypts clear data from the document to create the encrypted data portion. The document-securing module integrates proper or desired security information with the encrypted data portion to produce the secured document. |
| US07681033B2 |
Device authentication system
A device authentication module and an encryption module can be connected via a dynamic link in a CE device.A random number is generated in an authentication server (5). The device authentication module (7) combines a pass-phrase and this random number to generate a digest, and transmits this and a device ID to the encryption module (8). The encryption module encrypts a communication pathway and transmits these items of information to the authentication server (5). The authentication server (5) searches for the pass-phrase based on the device ID and combines this and the generated random number to generate a digest. This digest is compared with the digest received from the encryption module (8) for device authentication. The encryption module (8) receives from the device authentication module (7) not the pass-phrase but a digest, and therefore can be connected via a dynamic link instead of a static link. |
| US07681031B2 |
Method and apparatus to provide authentication code
Briefly, a method and apparatus to authenticate messages according to a message authentication code provided with a frame over a transport layer of a communication channel. |
| US07681029B1 |
Method and device for controlling a portable object life cycle, in particular a smart card
The invention concerns a device and a method for controlling a portable object life cycle, in particular a smart card, the life cycle being determined by successive state transitions, which states determine the services offered by the object. The object includes a processing unit, program storage units and data storage units, each storage unit having a content defining a plurality of configurations. The device controls the transition from a first state to a second state of the object and, preferably triggers actions when the transition crossover from one state to another occurs or when a transition crossover request is denied. The actions are dependent on the type of transitions implied in the requests for state transition crossover applied to the object. |
| US07681028B2 |
Proactive rebooting in a set-top terminal and corresponding methods
A set-top terminal and related methods is provided that, in one embodiment, comprises a memory with proactive reboot logic and a processor configured with the proactive reboot logic to detect an indication of a critical condition associated with the set-top terminal, determine based on a current status of resources in the set-top terminal if a current time provides an opportunity for a reboot of the set-top terminal in a manner that reduces user intrusiveness, and effect a rebooting of the set-top terminal if the current time provides the opportunity, otherwise postponing the reboot. |
| US07681026B2 |
System and method for reducing instability in an information handling system
A system and method for reducing instability in an information handling system are disclosed. A method includes detecting a configuration change of a first memory device. Next, the method determines a device identifier for a second memory device depending on the configuration change. The method proceeds to update a Configurable Identification (CID) register in the second memory device with the device identifier. |
| US07681020B2 |
Context switching and synchronization
A method, computer-readable medium, and apparatus for context switching between a first thread and a second thread. The method includes detecting an exception, wherein the exception is generated in response to receiving a packet of information directed to one of the first thread and the second thread, and in response to detecting the exception, invoking an exception handler. The exception handler is configured to execute one or more instructions removing access to at least a portion of a processor cache. The portion of the processor cache contains cached information for the first thread using a first address translation. Removing access to the portion of the processor cache prevents the second thread using a second address translation from accessing the cached information in the processor cache. The exception handler is also configured to branch to at least one of the first thread and the second thread. |
| US07681017B2 |
Pseudo pipeline and pseudo pipelined SDRAM controller
A pseudo pipeline including a plurality of pseudo pipeline stages and a control circuit. The control circuit may be configured to control the plurality of pseudo pipeline stages to provide pseudo pipelined operation. |
| US07681015B2 |
Generating and comparing memory access ranges for speculative throughput computing
Systems, methods, and apparatuses including computer program products for speculative throughput computing are disclosed. Speculative throughput computing is used to execute program segments in parallel. In one aspect, a method includes generating precise ranges of locations that speculative read or write instructions have accessed; determining that a speculative write instruction from a first program segment has accessed a first precise range of locations; comparing the first precise range of locations with a second precise range of locations accessed by a speculative read or write instruction from a second program segment; determining that the first precise range of locations overlaps with the second precise range of locations; and identifying a miss-speculation and restoring memory content of locations speculative write instructions have accessed in the first precise range of locations and the second precise range of locations, when the first precise range of locations overlaps with the second precise range of locations. |
| US07681012B2 |
Method, system and device for handling a memory management fault in a multiple processor device
A method or device handles memory management faults in a device having a digital signal processor (“DSP”) and a microprocessor. The DSP includes a memory management unit (“DSP MMU”) to manage memory access by the DSP, and the DSP and the microprocessor access shared physical memory. Upon the DSP executing an instruction attempting to access a virtual address wherein the virtual address is invalid, a page fault interrupt is generated by the DSP MMU. A microprocessor interrupt handler in the microprocessor is activated in direct response to the page fault interrupt. Thereafter in the microprocessor, a translation lookaside buffer (“TLB”) entry is created in the DSP MMU, which includes a valid mapping between the virtual address and a page of physical memory. After creating the TLB entry, the microprocessor indicates to the DSP that the access by the DSP of the virtual address is completed. |
| US07681011B1 |
Methods and apparatus for partitioning management information
A SAN management agent performs range based partitioning according to subranges of a set of storage devices. Partitions expressed as a range of storage objects (e.g. storage devices), based on device Ids, rather than static partition labels, allows the partitions to dynamically change to suit a current SAN configuration and number of storage devices in the storage arrays. Typically, management information is in the form of updates to a particular storage object. Accordingly, each update record in an update set is attributable to a device ID of the storage object to which it pertains. Identification of partitions by a range of storage devices allows the update records to be indexed, or grouped, to a particular partition without persisting a fixed partition ID with the data. The device ID range defines a partition that remains a logical quantity which may change upon SAN reconfiguration by avoiding persisting a fixed partition ID to the update records. |
| US07681010B2 |
Apparatus and method for a managing file system
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for managing a file system. The apparatus of managing file system including a user input unit that an input value corresponding to a predetermined data is input, a data storage unit comprising several data blocks having a predetermined size able to store the data, and a information storage unit that stores data information about the data stored in the data block, and a control unit that stores data corresponding to the input value in an empty space of each data block by using the stored data information. |
| US07681007B2 |
Automatic expansion of hard disk drive capacity in a storage device
At least a method and system of automatically expanding storage capacity in a data storage device are presented. In one method, the data storage device receives additional hard disk drives. Next, the data storage device receives an expansion option from a user by way of a user interface. The data storage device allocates one or more portions of one or more hard disk drives within the storage device, for use by one or more data pools, based on the expansion option. In one system for automatically expanding storage capacity in a data storage device, the system comprises a memory, one or more processors, and one or more software. One or more data pools are generated using one or more hard disk drives added to the data storage device. |
| US07681006B2 |
Asynchronously-accessible memory device with mode selection circuitry for burst or pipelined operation
An integrated circuit memory device is designed for high speed data access and for compatibility with existing memory systems. An address strobe signal is used to latch a first address. During a burst access cycle the address is incremented internal to the device with additional address strobe transitions. A new memory address is only required at the beginning of each burst access. Read/Write commands are issued once per burst access eliminating the need to toggle the Read/Write control line at the device cycle frequency. Transitions of the Read/Write control line during a burst access will terminate the burst access, reset the burst length counter and initialize the device for another burst access. The device is compatible with existing Extended Data Out DRAM device pinouts, Fast Page Mode and Extended Data Out Single In-Line Memory Module pinouts, and other memory circuit designs. Additionally, a DRAM is provided having both pipelined and burst Extended Data Out modes of operation and the ability to switch between them. |
| US07681004B2 |
Advanced dynamic disk memory module
Memory modules address the growing gap between main memory performance and disk drive performance in computational apparatus such as personal computers. Memory modules disclosed herein fill the need for substantially higher storage capacity in end-user add-in memory modules. Such memory modules accelerate the availability of applications, and data for those applications. An exemplary application of such memory modules is as a high capacity consumer memory product that can be used in Hi-Definition video recorders. In various embodiments, memory modules include a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and a command interpreter that includes interfaces to the memories and to various busses. The first memory acts as an accelerating buffer for the second memory, and the second memory provides non-volatile backup for the first memory. In some embodiments data transfer from the first memory to the second memory may be interrupted to provide read access to the second memory. |
| US07681000B2 |
System for protecting sensitive data from user code in register window architecture
A system for protecting supervisor mode data from user code in a register window architecture of a processor is provided. The system, when transitioning from supervisor mode to user mode, setting at least one invalid window bit in the invalid window mask of the architecture additional to the invalid window bit set for the reserved window of the invalid window mask. The additional bit is set for a transition window between supervisor and user data windows. |
| US07680999B1 |
Privilege promotion based on check of previous privilege level
A secure promotion mechanism promotes a current privilege level of a processor in a computer system. The current privilege level controls application instruction execution in the computer system by controlling accessibility to system resources. An operating system performs a privilege promotion instruction, which is stored in a first page of memory not writeable by an application instructions at a first privilege level. The privilege promotion instruction reads a stored previous privilege level state, compares the read previous privilege level state to the current privilege level, and if the previous privilege level state is equal to or less privileged than the current privilege level, promotes the current privilege level to a second privilege level which is higher than the first privilege level. |
| US07680998B1 |
Journaled data backup during server quiescence or unavailability
A backup is performed by a client at a time when a backup server is unable to process the backup. The client maintains a cache including a root tag vector and hash entries. The client begins a backup by writing the root tag vector to a journal file and breaking files into pieces. For each piece, the client performs a hash and compares the resulting hash to entries in the cache. If the hash does not match any entries, the client records a request in the journal file to add the corresponding piece of data to an archive. After completing the backup, the journal file can be sent to the server. Before processing the journal file, the server validates the root tag vector. If the root tag vector is valid, the server processes each of the requests to add data. Otherwise, the server discards the journal file. |
| US07680995B1 |
Data replication system and method for clustered systems
In a clustered processing system, replication logic controls replication of object data to one of more replica instances. Correction logic generates correction data based on the object data and generates code words by combining the object data and the correction data. The code words are transmitted to the one or more replica instances such that correctable errors in the object data can be corrected without re-transmission of the object data. |
| US07680990B2 |
Superword memory-access instructions for data processor
Atomic sixteen-byte memory accesses are provided in a 64-bit system in which eight of the bytes are stored in a 64-bit general-purpose register and eight of the bytes are stored in a 64-bit special-purpose register. A 16-byte load instruction transfers the low eight bytes to an explicitly specified general-purpose register, while the high eight bytes are transferred to the special-purpose register. Likewise, a 16-byte store instruction transfers data from a general-purpose register and the special-purpose register. Also provided is an 8-byte compare conditioning a 16-byte exchange semaphore instruction that can be used to accelerate algorithms that use multiple processors to simultaneously read and update large databases. |
| US07680988B1 |
Single interconnect providing read and write access to a memory shared by concurrent threads
A shared memory is usable by concurrent threads in a multithreaded processor, with any addressable storage location in the shared memory being readable and writeable by any of the threads. Processing engines that execute the threads are coupled to the shared memory via an interconnect that transfers data in only one direction (e.g., from the shared memory to the processing engines); the same interconnect supports both read and write operations. The interconnect advantageously supports multiple parallel read or write operations. |
| US07680985B2 |
Method and apparatus for accessing a split cache directory
A method and apparatus for accessing a cache. The method includes receiving a request to access the cache. The request includes an address of requested data to be accessed. The method also includes using a first portion of the address to perform an access to a first directory for the cache and using a second portion of the address to perform an access to a second directory for the cache. Results from the access to the first directory for the cache and results from the access to the second directory for the cache are used to determine whether the cache includes the requested data to be accessed. |
| US07680983B2 |
Method of restoring data by CDP utilizing file system information
The storage system includes a disk drive and a processor, the processor serving as a file system input/output processing unit and a block input/output processing unit. In the storage system, the block input/output processing unit provides, to the file system input/output processing unit, storage areas of the disk drive as plural volumes including a first volume, a second volume, and a third volume, the second volume storing a block write history, the third volume storing replication data of the first volume at a specific time. The block input/output processing unit refers to the block write history in the second volume to overwrite the replication data in the third volume with replication data of the first volume being at a different time from the specific time. The block write history in the second volume further includes information about which block is associated with which file. |
| US07680981B2 |
Virtual volume control method involving device stop
Provided is a storage system capable of starting/stopping a disk drive. At the time of allocating a logical device, it is judged, based on attributes including a purpose of the logical device, whether or not control can be performed in terms of start/stop of an allocation target disk drive to determine an allocation destination disk drive. Further, in the case where access to a specific logical device is stopped due to release of a path definition or other such cause, it is judged whether or not a disk drive corresponding to the logical device can be stopped. When it is judged that the disk drive can be stopped, the disk drive is stopped. When it is judged that the disk drive cannot be stopped, the logical device is migrated to another disk drive that can be stopped, a migration destination disk drive is stopped. |
| US07680980B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a scanner, a hard disk drive in which a region at which data is stored is divided into a plurality of regions by partitions, a pointer setting unit in which a first pointer for storing image data generated on the basis of an image read by the scanner at one region of the plurality of regions, and a plurality of second pointers which are provided so as to correspond to the regions other than the region in order to store data other than the image data at regions other than the region are set, and a pointer replacing unit configured to replace the first pointer with one pointer of the plurality of second pointers in predetermined timings. |
| US07680979B2 |
Logical library architecture for data storage applications and methods of use
Systems and associated methods provide a level of indirection between multiple host computers and multiple data storage resources, such as removable media data storage devices. At least one of the hosts is not provided with direct access to some of the removable media data storage devices. Instead, logical addresses are provided to the host computers, where the logical addresses can relate to physical addresses associated with the data storage resources. A data storage resource handle or logical proxy may be presented to a host, and a management layer determines whether the host receives access to physical data storage resources, or virtual resources that emulate the physical resources. |
| US07680978B1 |
Reducing content addressable memory (CAM) power consumption counters
A method may include counting the number of times each of a plurality of entries in a content addressable memory (CAM) matches one or more searches; grouping entries in the CAM into a first subset and a second subset based on the number of times each of the plurality of entries in the CAM matches one or more searches; and searching the first subset for a matching entry and, if no matching entry is found, searching the second subset for the matching entry. |
| US07680977B2 |
Page and block management algorithm for NAND flash
A flash controller is adapted to communicate with a host and the flash memory and including volatile memory configured to store a page-block table of logical addresses addressable by the physical addresses. The logical addresses are used by the controller to identify the blocks. The table has an address mapping table and a property value table, the property value table includes property values, each of the property values being increased in value every time a block is written up to a maximum value and being associated with a block of a predetermined group of blocks and indicative of the number of times a block has been written, the property values corresponding to the logical addresses of the address mapping table, wherein the maximum number the property values of the predetermined group of blocks take on is adjustably different than the maximum number the property values of another group of blocks. |
| US07680975B2 |
Semiconductor memory card enabling continuation of processing when processing execution is interrupted due to interruption of voltage supply
The present invention is to provide a semiconductor memory card which enables continuation of processing, even when processing execution is interrupted due to interruption of voltage supply. The semiconductor memory card according to the present invention is a semiconductor memory card which can execute a program, which includes: an FeRAM which stores information; a register which stores information regarding the program being executed; a voltage detection unit which detects change in supply voltage to the semiconductor memory card; a save unit which associates register information stored in the register with additional information for specifying the program, and saves the register information and the additional information to the FeRAM in the case where the detection unit detects a predetermined status of voltage decrease; and a return unit which returns the register information to the register in the case where the detection unit detects a predetermined status of voltage increase and when the additional information stored in the FeRAM satisfies a predetermined condition. |
| US07680973B2 |
Sideband signal for USB with interrupt capability
The invention provides for a sideband signal for the USB that has real-time interrupt capabilities. A system and method for hardware detection of an interrupt signal provides for the ability to superimpose a high frequency interrupt signal on a USB power line for transmission to a controller. Alternatively, an overcurrent flow may be generated from a peripheral device and detected by an overflow current detector on the USB. In response, the overflow current detector may output an interrupt/overflow current detection signal to the controller. |
| US07680968B2 |
Switch/network adapter port incorporating shared memory resources selectively accessible by a direct execution logic element and one or more dense logic devices in a fully buffered dual in-line memory module format (FB-DIMM)
An enhanced switch/network adapter port incorporating shared memory resources (“SNAPM™”) selectively accessible by a direct execution logic element and one or more dense logic devices in a fully buffered dual in-line memory module (“FB-DIMM”) format for clustered computing systems employing direct execution logic such as multi-adaptive processor elements (“MAP®”, all trademarks of SRC Computers, Inc.). Functionally, the SNAPM modules incorporate and properly allocate memory resources so that the memory appears to the associated dense logic device(s) (e.g. a microprocessor) to be functionally like any other system memory such that no time penalties are incurred when accessing it. Through the use of a programmable access coordination mechanism, the control of this memory can be handed off to the SNAPM memory controller and, once in control, the controller can move data between the shared memory resources and the computer network such that the transfer is performed at the maximum rate that the memory devices themselves can sustain. This provides the highest performance link to the other network devices such as MAP® elements, common memory boards and the like. |
| US07680964B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing data in a processing unit being a thread in a multithreading environment
A method for improving timing behavior of a processing unit in a multithreading environment is disclosed, wherein the processing unit generates data frames for an output unit by combining data from a plurality of input units, and the processed data are buffered in an output buffer between the processing unit and the output unit. The method comprises sending from the output unit to the processing unit a value corresponding to the filling of the output buffer, calculating a timer value, setting a timer with the timer value, wherein the timer calls the processing unit thread after the specified time. The timer value depends on the value corresponding to the averaged filling of the output buffer. As a result, the average filling of the output buffer is lower compared to conventional thread management, and thus the system is more flexible and reacts quicker. |
| US07680961B2 |
Device recognition system and method
A device recognition system comprises an identification module of a computer device configured to generate an impedance signature for an external device using an impedance of the external device measured at least two different stimuli, the impedance signature used to identify the external device. |
| US07680958B2 |
Adaptive transaction message format display interface for use in a message data exchange system
A system provides an integration engine debugging and trace function that adaptively captures and displays trace information and promotes easier and more efficient troubleshooting. A system adaptively displays transaction message data for use with a data exchange system for exchanging data between different computer systems using different data formats. The system includes a repository of data comprising transaction messages communicated between different computer systems using different data formats. A data converter converts transaction message data into Hex and non-Hex representations. A display processor provides data representing a first display image including data representing a single transaction message in both Hex and non-Hex data format and enabling a user to initiate generation of a second display image for presenting the transaction message exclusively in a non-Hex representation. |
| US07680954B2 |
Proxy DNS for web browser request redirection in public hotspot accesses
There is provided a system for resolving a proxy server name for a web browser request issued by a user device in a network. The user device has a browser configured with the proxy server name. The system includes a Domain Name System (DNS) server and a web server. The DNS server generates a private Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the user device in response to a non-resolvable DNS query from the user device that specifies the proxy server name, and creates a one-to-one mapping that relates the private IP address to the proxy server name. The web server receives a web browser request from the user device. The web browser request has been redirected to the web server and has an original destination IP address equal to the private IP address. The web server identifies the proxy server name from the private IP address using the one-to-one mapping. |
| US07680953B2 |
Computer system, storage device, management server and communication control method
The invention provides a communication control method for switching paths at high speed to switch storages without a special path switching means in a host computer, without stopping an application or without changing settings, and a device for realizing the same. The present computer system comprises a host computer 20, a storage devices 10 connected via a network 30 to the host computer 20, and a name server 40, wherein the host computer 20 has a function to search for an alternate path when a defect is discovered in a path used for connection with the storage 10, and the storage device 10 has a target communicating with the host computer 20 through a port, a registration change means for changing a registered address associated with the registration of a migration source target registered in the name server 40 to an address of a migration destination port, and a means for disconnecting all communication means established with the migration source target subsequent to the registration change process. |
| US07680952B1 |
Protecting connection traffic using filters
A connection between network nodes in a communication network is backed up. A failover label-switched path (LSP) is created starting at a first network node of a connection and ending at the second node of the connection, while bypassing the protected connection. In the event of connection failure, data is transmitted through the failover LSP. A network operator can selectively protect different types of data by using filters that bind one or more types of traffic received over one or more interfaces to different failover LSPs. |
| US07680951B1 |
High speed subscribe-and-alert service using content graphs
Described are techniques used in connection with subscribe and alert services as may be embodied in a subscription system. The subscription system uses a preprocessor for preprocessing subscription and notification messages prior to submission to the subscription/publication server. The preprocessor outputs a preprocessed message including one or more identifiers categorizing an input subscription or notification message. The preprocessor uses a content graph to produce the preprocessed message. The subscription system uses a content based routing system with a tree-like topology to process preprocessed subscriptions and notifications using content graphs maintained at each node in the system. Also described is a loss detection technique using sequence numbers. |
| US07680949B2 |
Source address selection scheme suitable for multi-home environment
In a source address selection system containing a router device connected to a plurality of Internet service providers, and a communication node connected to the router device, it becomes possible to utilize the multi-home environment effectively, by enabling the selection of the source address according to the egress router with respect to the Internet, by accounting for the state of connection with the Internet service provider. |
| US07680948B2 |
Method and system for automatic modifiable messages
A method and system automatically providing responses to a recipient stores data relating to the recipient in a data store, the data being gatherable from one, some or all of written communications, mail, telephone, the Internet, servers, telephone voice, data and text messages, and other files and data sources. An initial automatic communication is formed, and passed to a modifying console for possible modification to form a final communication. Modifications can include: doing nothing; deleting material; adding new material; adding material of predetermined fixed content; adding material of predetermined alterable content; and altering material. The final communication can be provided on one, all or some of the Internet, servers, the telephone system in the form of text, voice and data messages, and as mail for posting or mailing. The final communication can be in a selectable language, for a selectable jurisdiction and in a selectable idiom. |
| US07680946B2 |
Stream data processing device, stream data processing method, program, and medium
A stream data processor suitable for various applications and which performs the process of various types of stream inputs in packet data. In the stream data processor which decides individually and sequentially whether packets forming an input stream are to be processed by a predetermined process, after stream data is temporarily stored packet by packet, packet selection and data processing based on a packet identifier present in any bit position are possible. |
| US07680945B2 |
Messaging protocol in enterprise applications
Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products implementing a messaging protocol. The messaging protocol may be a messaging protocol for transporting a message across a messaging landscape in a collaborative network. Techniques include sending a message that is defined to include a structured message header with information related to at least one component from a set of components defined by a protocol, including protocol version information in a message such that a component of a messaging landscape can interpret the message based on the version information, defining a message as one of a class of messages, end-to-end acknowledgement for messages, and security for headers and payloads of messages. |
| US07680944B1 |
Rapid transport service in a network to peripheral device servers
A low latency peripheral device sharing system has a host computer with an operating system, a kernel memory buffer, applications, device specific drivers, and a peripheral server driver. The server driver intercepts function calls invoking the local serial ports, and passes standard serial data from the application to a local area network. A device server on the local area network reads the data using a hybrid read block (semi-blocking read), and writes the data to the FIFO registers of the serial device and the remaining data to a queue for the serial device. Finally, the device server times the serial data and returns an intercharacter interval timer flag to the host computer to terminate a read operation. |
| US07680942B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program product and network node for providing remote client deactivation
An apparatus for providing remote client deactivation includes a processing element. The processing element may be configured to receive a message associated with a service related to a communication session with a client, determine whether the client is associated with an indication to deactivate the client and communicate a signaling message to deactivate the client in response to a determination that the client is associated with the indication to deactivate the client. |
| US07680939B2 |
Graphical user interface to manipulate syndication data feeds
A pipe specification editor is provided to configure a plurality of modules for processing a syndication data feed. The editor is operable to provide a graphical user interface to receive a user specification of a plurality of modules and to receive a user specification of wires. Each module is characterized by at least one of a group consisting of an input node and an output node, wherein the input node, if present, is configured to input a syndication data feed and the output node, if present, is configured to output a syndication data feed. At least one of the modules is a module configured to retrieve a source syndication data feed. The wires are configured to provide a syndication data feed provided from an output node of a module to an input node of another module. |
| US07680938B2 |
Video on demand digital server load balancing
A system and method for load balancing a plurality of servers is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of servers in a video-on-demand or other multi-server system are divided into one or more load-balancing groups. Each server preferably maintains state information concerning other servers in its load-balancing group including information concerning content maintained and served by each server in the group. Changes in a server's content status or other state information are preferably proactively delivered to other servers in the group. When a content request is received by any server in a load-balancing group, it evaluates the request in accordance with a specified algorithm to determine whether it should deliver the requested content itself or redirect the request to another server in its group. In a preferred embodiment, this determination is a function of information in the server's state table. |
| US07680937B2 |
Content publication
Publishing content using a peer-to-peer content distribution system is described. A publisher is required to request authorization to publish from an authorization body. Resources such as tracker and seed nodes are allocated in a peer-to-peer content distribution system and pre-processing of content to be published is carried out. For example, a content description is generated for each item of content as well as a set of checksums or other items for validating blocks of content. Publication can be terminated in a variety of different ways. For example, by using expiry methods, by active revocation of publishers, authorization bodies, or individual items of content. |
| US07680935B2 |
Entity domains
Strategies are described for organizing the runtime components of an application into an entity domain framework. The entity domain framework includes one or more entity domains arranged in a hierarchical fashion. Each entity domain further groups one or more components together in a hierarchical fashion. Each entity domain can include one or more services that provide a policy to the components within the entity domain. Composite functionality couples the framework together, and further provides a bus-like mechanism whereby an entity can forward service requests up through the hierarchy until a domain is found that satisfies the requests. Exemplary services provided by the entity domain framework include lifetime management services, error handling services, and so forth. The hierarchical structure provides an efficient way of exposing functionality to groups of components that will share this functionality in a common context, without requiring costly and complex atomistic coupling of services to components or duplication of service instances. |
| US07680933B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for on-demand control of grid system resources
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for on-demand control of a grid system resource on a grid computing system. An on-demand management apparatus includes a user input module, a parameter module, and a reservation module. The user input module is configured to allow a user to input a parameter control request. The parameter control request corresponds to a performance parameter of the grid computing system. The global parameter module is configured to dynamically change the performance parameter, which corresponds to a performance resource, according to the parameter control request. The global reservation module is configured to reserve the performance resource for a grid computing operation. The on-demand management apparatus is also configured to terminate a performance resource reservation when a client reclaims the performance resources from the grid computing system. |
| US07680924B2 |
System and method for determining whether a network destination is reachable
A method and system for providing system event notifications to clients such as applications. Clients register for notification of one or more types of events with a registration mechanism, and a System Event Notification Service, (SENS), receives system event information and fires event notifications in response thereto. A distribution mechanism selectively communicates the fired event to each client registered for notification thereof based on the type of event. Events include network events, for which the service monitors the connectivity state of the machine, including whether a connection is established or lost, the type of connection (LAN/WAN) and bandwidth information. To monitor a LAN state, the service caches outgoing and incoming network information including errors and packet counts and statistically evaluates this cached information against current information to determine whether the connection is established or lost. The service also determines if a destination (IP address or name) is reachable, by periodically polling destinations. Other system event notifications may be fired, including logon or logoff operations and power management events. |
| US07680923B1 |
Connectivity assessment for label distribution protocol (LDP) networks
Probe and stop probe messages associated with an ingress access point are processed at an egress label switched router. The ingress access point may consist of an identifier of an ingress network element, in combination with a LSP identifier provided by the ingress network element. Auto-registration is performed upon receipt of a probe message indicating an ingress access point not currently being tracked. In the event that a probe message is received indicating an ingress access point not currently being tracked, the egress label switched router adds an entry to a tracking data structure, and a central processor is notified. Each entry within the tracking data structure stores information for a corresponding ingress access point, including knowledge digests from probe messages and an indication of the time a last previous probe message was received. As probe and stop probe messages are received, the knowledge digests they include are compared with the knowledge digests stored in the corresponding tracking table entries. In the event of a conflict between a received knowledge digest and a stored knowledge digest, a predetermined action is taken, such as generation of a misbranching alarm. The knowledge digests may, for example, be Bloom Filters. In the event a stop probe message is received for an ingress access point associated with one of the entries in the tracking table, the corresponding tracking entry is removed. |
| US07680922B2 |
Network service level agreement arrival-curve-based conformance checking
A method and apparatus for assessing a communications' network adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) is presented. The apparatus includes a arrival curve parameter derivation and arrival curve parameter reporting means. A arrival curve parameter generator may be implemented either in hardware for a predefined response in fitting arrival curves to cumulative content arrival variations, or in software for flexibility in the content traffic considered for assessment. The arrival curve generator may be associated with a physical port, a line card, or a network node. Arrival curve parameters defining arrival curves are employed by a Network Management System (NMS) in conjunction with communications network node and communications network service curves in performing SLA conformance assessments. The advantages are derived from a distributed content traffic characterization in terms of arrival curves, a reduced resource overhead in conveying arrival curve parameters without sacrificing SLA assessment thoroughness. |
| US07680919B2 |
Virtual machine migration
A source virtual machine (VM) hosted on a source server is migrated to a destination VM on a destination server without first powering down the source VM. After optional pre-copying of the source VM's memory to the destination VM, the source VM is suspended and its non-memory state is transferred to the destination VM; the destination VM is then resumed from the transferred state. The source VM memory is either paged in to the destination VM on demand, or is transferred asynchronously by pre-copying and write-protecting the source VM memory, and then later transferring only the modified pages after the destination VM is resumed. The source and destination servers preferably share common storage, in which the source VM's virtual disk is stored; this avoids the need to transfer the virtual disk contents. Network connectivity is preferably also made transparent to the user by arranging the servers on a common subnet, with virtual network connection addresses generated from a common name space of physical addresses. |
| US07680917B2 |
Method and system for unit testing web framework applications
The lifetime of a data structure containing information for processing a client request is manipulated so that the information remains available to a review and/or testing process. After examination, the information may be discarded. |
| US07680916B2 |
System for improving the performance of a computer software application in a server network
Method and apparatus for separating background utilization from transaction resource consumption to simulate resource costs on system servers including a computer application server is taught. Transaction throughput combined with resource consumption data. Regression analysis on the resulting data set provides information useful for determining performance and for creating discrete event simulations. In a first embodiment, data from an application server is combined with the application transaction log to find a background utilization on the application servers and to simulate transaction resource cost with a background load. In a second embodiment, data from servers other than the application server are combined with the application transaction log to estimate the resource cost per transaction for a given resource in the system. In a third embodiment, data from servers other than the application server are combined with the application transaction log to simulate resource cost for a given resource based on transaction throughput. |
| US07680907B2 |
Method and system for identifying and conducting inventory of computer assets on a network
A system that includes one or more clients, databases and servers. The clients communicate with the servers using hyper-text transfer protocol. Each client includes a scheduling and monitoring agent. Each server includes several components. A first server component performs a plurality of functions, including receiving requests from the client(s) for configuration file verification information and storing in the database(s) a log of the requests. A second server component is capable of performing a plurality of functions, including receiving hardware and software inventory information, as well as software metering statistics, and storing the inventory information in at least one of the databases. |
| US07680904B2 |
Diagnostic method and apparatus for detecting and locating computer network discontinuities
A computer network, method, and control unit provide two transmitters and two receivers connected to a server and workstations. The workstations are serially connected by transmit and receive paths. The transmitters are connected to opposing ends of the transmit path and the receivers are connected to opposing ends of the receive path. The first transmitter and receiver are enabled and the second transmitter and receiver are disabled during a first phase of a breakage diagnostic mode. The first transmitter transmits a first test sequence and the first receiver receives first acknowledgement sequences. The first transmitter and receiver are disabled and the second transmitter and receiver are enabled during a second phase. The second transmitter transmits a second test sequence and the second receiver receives a quantity of second acknowledgement sequences, which is compared to the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences to determine whether there is a discontinuity in the network. |
| US07680899B1 |
Seamless retrieval of non-standard items for a mobile device
Systems and methods for seamless retrieval of coupons and other non-standard items to a mobile device. Some method embodiments comprise: receiving a communication that specifies a user id and a coupon id, and storing the user id and a location of the coupon in a table in response to said receiving. A response to the communication is sent to the mobile device to invoke an application that accesses the table to determine the coupon location and uses the coupon location to download the content. The communication may be a web page request from a browser on the mobile device, and the application may be a coupon organizer external to the web browser. The communication may further include origination information, so that once the retrieval is complete, the mobile device once again displays the original web page and the user is given the perception that the download was accomplished within the browser. |
| US07680898B2 |
Systems for processing multi-media editing projects
Systems for processing multi-media editing projects are described. In one embodiment, a computing system comprises input means for generating a request for one or more multi-media files for use in a multi-media editing project, one or more processors, one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method comprising: intercepting the request; ascertaining whether a requested multi-media file is located on the user computer by checking one or more user-designated directories for the multi-media file; retrieving the multi-media file if the file is located on the user computer; and seeking the requested file from the network-accessible location if the multi-media file is not located on the user computer. |
| US07680894B2 |
Multimedia content delivery method and system
The present invention relates to a method for the distribution of multimedia content, comprising: a first step comprising a download in “push” mode of a multimedia content, in a partial way, from a content server to a client device, and a second step comprising a download of the missing elements of said multimedia content in “pull” mode via a “peer to peer” mechanism from a second client device, and in that the multimedia content can be reconstituted with n+p blocks, n and p being non-null natural integers, n blocks being downloaded during said first step and p blocks being downloaded during the second step, the multimedia content being exploitable only after reception of n+p blocks. |
| US07680893B2 |
Method for implementing electronic mail dictionary transporter
A method, system and computer program product that creates a transport dictionary, which links preferential terms and definitions to the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) of an outgoing electronic mail (email). Prior to sending a message, users are provided the option of transporting words or acronyms unique to the dictionary of the sender and recipient, which have been utilized in the outgoing email message. Linking dictionary preferences to the outgoing email provides clarity to terms utilized in the email message and decreases the amount of time a responder has to spend skipping, adding, or defining terms that are unique to the incoming MUA dictionary. |
| US07680891B1 |
CAPTCHA-based spam control for content creation systems
Methods and systems of spam control for content creation systems include evaluation of documents created by a creator for characteristics associated with spam. A challenge rate is determined based on the evaluation. Whenever the creator attempts to create a document, he may be presented a challenge in accordance with the challenge rate. The challenge rate may be adjusted based on the creator's response to the challenge. |
| US07680888B1 |
Methods and systems for processing instant messenger messages
Systems and methods for processing instant messenger messages are described. In one embodiment, an instant messenger event is captured by compiling event data associated with at least one instant messenger message, the instant messenger event is associated with a conversation, and at least some of the event data associated with the instant messenger event is indexed. |
| US07680887B2 |
Method and device for messaging
A method and system are provided to transmit a message from a transmitting client to a primary receiving client via a server, which is also connected to a secondary receiving client. A message is sent from the transmitting client to the server. The message includes a first header indicative of an address of the primary receiving client and a second header indicative of at least one address of the secondary receiving client and the secondary header being indicative of only a single one of the at least one address. The message is then transmitted from the server to the primary receiving client and from the server to the secondary receiving client. |
| US07680885B2 |
Methods and apparatus for synchronization of data set representations in a bandwidth-adaptive manner
A bandwidth-adaptive method for synchronizing a consumer node representation of a dynamic data set and the source node representation of the dynamic data includes the step of receiving, from a source node, metadata information identifying a plurality of data packets that represent a state of at least a portion of a changing data set at a point in time. At least one of the identified data packets is received from the source node and at least one of the received data packets is selected responsive to the received metadata information. The metadata information and the selected at least one data packet are transmitted to a consumer node. |
| US07680883B2 |
Dynamic integration of web sites
A method for displaying information includes identifying computer-readable service code at a service site, which code, when read by a client computer via a network, causes the computer to display at least one service page containing service information. At least a portion of the service code is selected for inclusion in a service component containing at least a portion of the service information that corresponds to the selected code. A pointer is generated, indicating a location at which the service component is accessible, for inclusion of the pointer in host code accessible to the client computer from a host site, which is separate from the service site and is accessible via the network, the host code, when read by the client computer, causing the computer to display a host page containing host information. An invocation of the pointer by the client computer is received at the location when the client computer accesses the host page. The selected service code is then conveyed to the client computer, such that responsive to the selected service code, the client computer displays the service component on the host page. |
| US07680882B2 |
Multimedia aggregation in an online social network
Multimedia content is featured on user pages of an online social network using embed codes that are generated using a configuration file associated with the source ID for the multimedia content and a content ID for the multimedia content. The configuration file, the source ID and the content ID are stored locally by the online social network so that any changes to the embed codes can be made by changing the configuration file associated with the source and regenerating the embed codes. By managing multimedia content in this manner, greater control can be exercised by the online social network over the multimedia content that are featured on its user pages. |
| US07680881B2 |
Method for associating content objects with a database
A method is provided for associating content objects with a database wherein the content objects are accessible over a network communication medium by a user. The method includes: receiving a suggestion for a new content object for addition to the database; approving the suggested content object; generating a list of information users desiring the approved content object; compelling an information provider to provide the desired content object based at least in part on demand identified by the generated list; and making the generated content object available to the database. |
| US07680877B2 |
Implementing a web service application on a device with multiple threads
Techniques are provided for efficiently processing SOAP requests at a Web service application (WSA) of a multi-functional device (MFP). In one technique, a WSA includes at least three threads. An external request processing thread processes SOAP requests from different client applications. A request processing thread processes a SOAP request according to the business logic of the WSA. A internal communications thread communicates with other components of the MFP that are distinct from the WSA. In another technique, a WSA processes different SOAP request differently, depending on the size of the SOAP and the resources required to process the SOAP request so that fast requests may be processed immediately while slow requests are pending. In another technique, a WS-Eventing specification is implemented within a WSA to simplify the event subscription and notification process. |
| US07680874B2 |
Adder
An adder that can detect the generation of overflow at a high speed. Carry signal c14 from the 15th digit to the 16th digit in the result of addition from the 1st digit to the 16th digit of the input data is generated on the basis of bit signals (a0-a15, b0-b15) for the portion from the 1st digit to the 15th digit of the input data, and of carry signal CIN input to the 1st digit, and it is output from CLA 204. Then, carry signal c15 from the 16th digit to the 17th digit is generated based on said generated carry signal c14 and bit signals (a15, b15) of the 16th digit of the input data, and this is output from CIA 205. Exclusive-NOR circuit 206 then operates on said carry signals c14 and c15, and overflow detection signal OVF16 is generated. |
| US07680873B2 |
Methods and apparatus for efficient complex long multiplication and covariance matrix implementation
Efficient computation of complex long multiplication results and an efficient calculation of a covariance matrix are described. A parallel array VLIW digital signal processor is employed along with specialized complex long multiplication instructions and communication operations between the processing elements which are overlapped with computation to provide very high performance operation. Successive iterations of a loop of tightly packed VLIWs may be used allowing the complex multiplication pipeline hardware to be efficiently used. |
| US07680872B2 |
Canonical signed digit (CSD) coefficient multiplier with optimization
An apparatus comprising an address generation circuit, a lookup table, a multiplexer and an output circuit. The address generation circuit may be configured to generate a series of addresses. The lookup table may be configured to generate one or more coefficients in response to the addresses. The multiplexer circuit may be configured to generate one or more shifted values in response to (i) the coefficients and (ii) the one or more operands. The output circuit may be configured to generate an output signal by combining one or more component values in response to said shifted values. The coefficients are grouped as one over power of 2 components into mutually exclusive groups. |
| US07680871B2 |
Approximating function properties with expander graphs
Function properties may be approximated using an expander graph. For example, an approximate average of a function may be determined by randomly exploring an expander graph. Values of the function are associated with vertices of the expander graph. The expander graph is randomly explored by traversing edges and encountering vertices. The exploration may comprise a crawl, a walk, and so forth. An approximate average of the function is determined based on the function values that are associated with encountered vertices. |
| US07680870B2 |
FFT apparatus for high data rate and method thereof
An FFT apparatus for quickly processing input signals and method thereof is disclosed. In performing the FFT for processing N input signals, four N/4-point FFT units implemented by radix-2 single-path delay feedback (R2SDF) units performs the FFT with respect to the input signals, and a radix-4 computation unit performs a radix-4 computation with respect to the signals transferred from the N/4-point FFT units. Accordingly, the input signals are processed in parallel through the N/4-point FFT units, and thus a quick process of the input signals can be performed. |
| US07680868B2 |
PCR elbow determination by use of a double sigmoid function curve fit with the Levenburg-Marquardt algorithm and normalization
Systems and methods for determining characteristic transition values such as elbow values in sigmoid or growth-type curves, such as the cycle threshold (Ct) value in PCR amplification curves. A double sigmoid function with parameters determined by a Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) regression process is used to find an approximation to a curve that fits a PCR dataset. Once the parameters have been determined, the curve can be normalized using one or more of the determined parameters. Normalization is advantageous for determining the Ct value if one chooses the arbitrary fluorescence level (AFL) approach to calculating Ct values for amplification curves. After normalization, the normalized curve is processed by applying a root-finding algorithm to determine the root of the function representing the normalized curve, which root corresponds to the Ct value. The Ct value is then returned and may be displayed or otherwise used for further processing. |
| US07680867B2 |
Method and apparatus for normalizing and converting structured content
A method and apparatus are disclosed for transforming information from one semantic environment to another. In one implementation, a SOLx system (1700) includes a Normalization/Translation NorTran Workbench (1702) and a SOLx server (1708). The NorTran Workbench (1702) is used to develop a knowledge base based on information from a source system (1712), to normalize legacy content (1710) according to various rules, and to develop a database (1706) of translated content. During run time, the SOLx server (1708) receives transmissions from the source system (1712), normalizes the transmitted content, accesses the database (1706) of translated content and otherwise translates the normalized content, and reconstructs the transmission to provide substantially real-time transformation of electronic messages. |
| US07680857B2 |
Method and system for generating help files based on user queries
A method and system for generating a help file based on failed user queries. A help file generation system collects failed user queries from user computer systems. The generation system assists a developer in identifying failed user queries that are related to a topic. The generation system then updates the entry in the help file for that topic based on the identified user queries. When a help system subsequently uses that help file, it checks the updated entry when searching for a match and will likely find a match to a relevant topic for a user query that previously failed. |
| US07680855B2 |
System and method for managing listings
A computer system and method for capture, managing and presenting data obtained from various often unrelated postings via the Internet for examination by a user. This system includes a scraping module having one or more scraping engines operable to scrape information data sets from listings on the corporate sites and web sites, direct feeds, and other sources, wherein the scraping module receives and stores the scraped listing information data sets in a database. The system also has a management platform coordinating all operation of and communication between the sources, system administrators and processing modules. The processing modules in the platform include scraping management module analyzing selected scraped data stored in the database, and a categorization module that examines and categorizes each data set stored in the database into one or more of a predetermined set of categories and returns categorized data sets to the database. |
| US07680853B2 |
Clickable snippets in audio/video search results
Search results are provided in a format that allows users to efficiently determine whether audio or video documents identified from a search query actually contain the words in the query. This is achieved by returning snippets of text around query term matches and allowing the user to play a segment of the audio signal by selecting a word in the snippet. In other embodiments, markers are placed on a timeline that represents the duration of the audio signal. Each marker represents a query term match and when selected causes the audio signal to begin to play near the temporal location represented by the marker. |
| US07680849B2 |
Multiple media type synchronization between host computer and media device
Improved techniques for transferring media assets between a host computer and a media device are disclosed. The transfer of media assets between a host computer and a media device can be referred to as synchronization. According to one aspect of the invention, media assets being transferred can be formatted (e.g., rendered) in advance at the host computer and then delivered to the media device. According to another aspect of the invention, media assets can be grouped into collections and transferred on a collection basis. According to still another aspect of the invention, media assets to be transferred can be limited based on an amount of storage capacity available at the media device. According to yet another aspect of the invention, media assets of different media types can be transferred in accordance with different priorities. |
| US07680846B2 |
File management program, file management apparatus and file management method
A file management program, a file management apparatus, and a file management method are provided which are capable of migrating files between different file systems while an application program is being run.File information of source files on a source file system is acquired and recorded as a file information event, and information of file operations made for the source files are acquired and recorded as a file operation event. Based on the file information event and file operation event, a namespace replication database is generated in which the namespace of the source files has been replicated logically. |
| US07680845B2 |
Contents delivery system and network server
A contents delivery system including a network player and plural network servers. When the network player transmits a contents acquisition requirement to one of the network servers, the network server detects a CPU load, and when the CPU load is judged to exceed a CPU load threshold, the network server judges whether contents which the network player requires to acquire were copied to any of network server. When the contents are judged to have been copied, the network server obtains from a HDD not only a contents URI corresponding to the copied contents but also a server ID corresponding to the network server in which the contents were copied and subsequently transmits the contents URI and the server ID to the network player. The network player a contents acquisition requirement to obtain contents, which corresponds to the contents URI, to the network server, which corresponds to the server ID. |
| US07680844B2 |
Method for preserving virtual filesystem information across high availability takeover
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for preserving a virtual file system. Data for a virtual file system is received. The data include file handle information, vnode information, and gnode information. The data is saved to a storage device. The saved data can be used to reconstruct the virtual file system upon changeover between a primary data processing system and a backup data processing system. |
| US07680841B2 |
Determining whether data written to source storage locations according to a write order is copied to corresponding target storage locations in the write order
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for determining whether data written to source storage locations according to a write order is copied to corresponding target storage locations in the write order. Values are written to indicated source storage locations in a write order. The values written to the source storage locations are copied to corresponding target storage locations. The values at the target storage locations are read and a determination is made from the read values whether the values were written to the target storage locations in the write order. |
| US07680839B1 |
System and method for resynchronizing mirrored volumes
System and method for resynchronizing mirrored volumes in a storage system. According to one embodiment, a system may include a first volume located at a primary site and associated with a first storage management device, and a second volume located at a secondary site and associated with a second storage management device, where the secondary site is coupled to the primary site via a data link, and where the second volume is configured as a mirror of the first volume. The first storage management device may be configured to convey to the second storage management device an indication of a data block written to the first volume subsequent to a failure of the data link. Dependent upon the indication, the second storage management device may be configured to create a snapshot of the data block as stored on the second volume prior to resynchronization of the data block. |
| US07680838B1 |
Maintaining data synchronization in a file-sharing environment
A notification engine manages subscriptions of applications to data events in a file-sharing environment. A subscription includes a data event recovery time stamp indicating the time when a first change to subscribed data objects occurred of which an application was not aware. When the data event occurs on a computer, the engine finds applications subscribed to that data event and sets the time stamp in the subscriptions for non-local applications to the current time if the data event recovery time stamp is clear. An application that was not notified of the data event that occurred on another computer learns about the data event when it is called back. The application uses a data event recovery time stamp indicated in the callback to issue a query for a current version of subscribed data objects to which data events occurred at or after the time indicated in the time stamp. |
| US07680837B2 |
File management method for log-structured file system for sequentially adding and storing log of file access
There is disclosed a file management method in a log-structured file system for storing accesses to files that are sequentially performed by sequentially adding logs. A storage area of a storage medium is previously divided into a data area for storing a log including data of the file and a management area that can store management information related to the log stored in said data area for a plurality of entries. Then, the management information including a first number indicating the order of writing the entry is added and stored in the management area as a new entry. |
| US07680835B2 |
Online storage with metadata-based retrieval
A novel system that facilitates monitoring and/or updating data contained within a plurality of network devices. The system includes a file system user interface (UI) that can render a unified representation of the content across multiple stores corresponding to a plurality of disparate network devices. The UI facilitates searching and/or browsing content of a plurality of disparate devices via a single unified experience. Another feature of the invention is that it allows for sharing and/or synchronizing without the use of conventional folders. The invention provides for a metadata-centric view of user content (e.g., files) wherein files can be grouped by type, date, author, etc., without regard to the physical location of the content. Additionally, the invention separates or distinguishes (e.g., decouples) the synchronization of metadata (e.g., author, modification date) from the synchronization of the corresponding data files. |
| US07680833B1 |
System and method for database structure comparison
Systems and methods for comparing one database structure to another to identify differences between the two. In one embodiment, tree structures corresponding to each database are generated. The tree structures have nodes corresponding to objects in the databases. Each node has an individual check value based on the node attributes and a cumulative check value based on the attributes of the node and its sub-nodes. Beginning with the uppermost nodes of each tree, the check values are compared to identify differences in the check values, hence the node/tree attributes. If the cumulative check values match, the sub-nodes match and do not need to be compared directly. Only the portions of the tree structures that do not have matching check values are traversed. If individual check values do not match, the attributes of the corresponding nodes are compared to determine the exact differences. |
| US07680827B2 |
Method of automatically selecting multimedia files for transfer between two storage mediums
A method of automatically selecting at least one of stored multimedia files for transfer between a first storage medium and a second storage medium. In the method, each stored file is assigned a popularity weighting based on popularity information and files are selected that have a popularity weighting within a preferred range. |
| US07680826B2 |
Computer-readable recording medium storing security management program, security management system, and method of security management
A security management program coping with a security hole found in a library. When a request for executing jobs, including a job program, is input, a service library-determining section analyzes the job program and determines link libraries called by the job program. Then, a job submission section transmits the job program to submission destination nodes, and instructs the submission destination nodes to execute the jobs according to the request. After that, when identification information for identifying a vulnerable library having a security defect is input, a submission destination-determining section obtains identification information for identifying the job program corresponding to the vulnerable library, and identification information for identifying the submission destination nodes corresponding to the job program. Subsequently, a forcible job stop section instructs the submission destination nodes to stop processes for executing the job program. |
| US07680818B1 |
Analyzing the dependencies between objects in a system
A method for determining the dependencies between objects in a system is provided. Determining the dependencies between objects involves analyzing data about the objects and applying rules to the data about the objects. According to one embodiment, a first set of dependencies between a plurality of objects may be based on data in a set of sources and dependency rules, whereas a second set of dependencies between the plurality of objects may be based on data from a different set of sources but the same dependency rules. According to another embodiment, a first set of dependencies between a plurality of objects may be based on data in a set of sources and dependency rules, whereas a second set of dependencies between the plurality of objects is based on data from the same set of sources but different dependency rules. |
| US07680817B2 |
Multi-dimensional locating system and method
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for organizing information elements in a system having a display capability which (a) generates a first information element vector based on a predetermined first characterization attribute, (b) generates a second information element vector based on a second characterization attribute, and (c) display on the display device the first information element vector adjacent to the second information element vector. Furthermore, the computer-executable instructions allow a user to select the characterization attributes and to visualize the information element vectors. |
| US07680812B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for searching for, navigating among, and ranking of documents in a personal web
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for a personal search engine that includes a hybrid web composed of: the similarity web, and directed hyperlinks. Components include a parser (extracting words from documents); a text relevance analyzer; a link analysis method; the similarity web; a similarity analyzer; and hyperlinks. Other components include a navigation window; and FQSs. The combination of all the above may be incorporated into a working personal search engine. |
| US07680809B2 |
Profile based capture component
An indexing system in a computer system may include applications, a capture processor, a queue, a search engine, and a display processor. The indexing system captures events of user interactions with the applications. Events are queued and if indexable, indexed and stored for user access through the search engine. Capture components in the capture processor can include a keyboard capture component that processes user keystrokes to determine events. A display capture component captures event data from windows associated with the applications. Display event data can be captured on a polling schedule or based on state changes of window elements. To determine target applications and window applications of interest application profiles and window profiles can be used. |
| US07680805B2 |
Synchronization method for an object oriented information system (IS) model
A method is described that involves generating an update to an object-oriented model of an information system from information that describes a new state of the information system. The generating includes applying a synchronization rule for a sub-system identified within the information system. The synchronization rule indicates whether a new component within the sub-system that appears within the information is merged within the sub-system or replaces a component within the sub-system. |
| US07680804B2 |
System and method for navigating and indexing content
According to one embodiment, a content data store maintains the one or more content items in accordance with a programmable indexing schemes, with each container in the comprising storage for one or more references to one or more content items. Systems and methods are provided that re-index the references to content items that the content data store is indexing in accordance with one or more container creation schemes for ease of management and navigation. |
| US07680803B2 |
Open content interface for EH&S systems
Methods and apparatus for providing an open content interface from importing EH&S data. The invention provides a computer-implemented method that includes: receiving a first input specifying a substance described in a database of an EH&S system; identifying product data available for the substance, the identifying being based on information stored in a first XML file; generating and displaying a data tree that indicates the product data available for the substance, wherein information stored in the first XML file is used to generate the data tree; receiving a second input selecting which of the product data is to be imported to the database of the EH&S system; retrieving the product data from second XML file that includes the product data; using mapping information stored in a third XML file to map the product data retrieved into a data format supported by the EH&S system; and storing the mapped product data. |
| US07680802B2 |
System and method for distributing content to portable computing devices
A method of operating a portable computing device comprises receiving broadcast information including a data repository and formatting information. Creation of a search query is facilitated, and a search result is retrieved from the data repository based upon the search query. The search result is transformed in accordance with the formatting information to produce formatted content. |
| US07680801B2 |
Systems and methods for storing meta-data separate from a digital asset
Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system. |
| US07680797B1 |
Methods and systems for providing a data access layer
A preferred system for providing data access comprises an application program interface configured to delegate a request to at least one service providers also included in the system. The service providers may include a synchronization manager configured to maintain, based upon the request, data consistency between a first server containing the service providers and a second server and a cache manager configured to cache, based upon the request, a portion of a database query. In addition, the service providers may include a pre-fetch service configured to anticipate a database query, perform the anticipated query, and cache the results of the anticipated query, and a security manager configured to determine a restriction on the request based upon a role of a user associated with the request. |
| US07680789B2 |
Indexing and searching numeric ranges
Index entries representing ranges of values are queried with a query value to determine if the query value is in one of the ranges. Numeric ranges are represented in an index and queries are constructed to match index entries. Search terms are constructed from the query value, such that a search term matches an index entry if and only if the queried for valued is in the range represented by the index entry. To facilitate querying the indexes, queries are constructed to contain search terms having a data structure format similar to that of the index entries. |
| US07680786B2 |
Optimization of targeted advertisements based on user profile information
A system and method to facilitate optimization of targeted advertisements based on user profile information are described. A set of event keywords associated with an event or action performed by the user or an agent of the user is identified in a data storage module. User profile information, if available, is further retrieved from the data storage module. A set of profile keywords is further identified from the retrieved user profile information and the set of profile keywords is compared to the set of event keywords based on predetermined business rules to determine a set of resulting keywords. Advertising information related to the set of resulting keywords is further retrieved from an advertising storage module. The retrieved advertisements are ranked based on one or more parameters within one or more keyword/advertisement matrices based on user, segment, or time parameters, and, finally, top ranked advertisements are transmitted to the user or the agent of the user for further display in connection with the requested content. |
| US07680784B2 |
Query processing system of a database using multi-operation processing utilizing a synthetic relational operation in consideration of improvement in a processing capability of a join operation
A query processing system of a database using multi-operation processing includes a task retrieval unit for retrieving relational algebra as tasks from a query tree, a unit for dividing retrieved tasks into groups for each relation of database, a synthetic relational operation unit for creating a synthetic relational operation by collecting tasks having common sub-expression for the grouped tasks into sub-groups and creating a task of a synthetic relational operation for each sub-group, wherein when there is a plurality of tasks of join operation in the grouped tasks, the synthetic relational operation unit further divides the grouped tasks into sub-groups for each common sub-expression of join operation, collects a plurality of tasks of the join operation into a sub-group, and creates a single task of a synthetic join operation by using logical union to concatenate each task of the join operation collected in the sub-group. |
| US07680780B2 |
Techniques for processing data from a multilingual database
A method, system and article of manufacture for providing natural language support for users running queries against a multilingual database. One embodiment comprises identifying one or more physical values defined by physical data in the multilingual database for a query result associated with an executed query. At least one translation function configured to transform at least a portion of the identified physical values defined in one or more different natural languages into alternative values defined in a selected language is executed. From each executed translation function, a data structure mapping at least a portion of the identified physical values to translated values defined in the selected language is identified and the translated values defining the alternative values defined in the selected language are retrieved from each identified data structure. The query result associated with the executed query including the alternative values defined in the selected language is output. |
| US07680778B2 |
Support for reverse and stemmed hit-highlighting
Computerized methods and systems for generating a suggested query list with suggested search terms displayed as highlighted text utilizing a user-defined query are provided. Query search terms are received by a user-interface display. Upon inputting query search terms, the user-interface automatically generates a suggested query list. The suggested query list is associated with the query search term and the suggested query list is comprised of at least one suggested search term. A query suggestion architecture determines if the query search term and the suggested search term are a match, and if so, highlights the suggested search term that is not a match. The user interface displays the highlighted terms to assist in refining a search. The present invention further provides a stemming algorithm that extracts the root form of the query search term. |
| US07680776B2 |
Systems and methods for proactive caching utilizing OLAP variants
The present invention leverages MOLAP performance for ROLAP objects (dimensions, partitions and aggregations) by building, in a background process, a MOLAP equivalent of that object. When the background processing completes, queries are switched from ROLAP queries to MOLAP queries. When changes occur to relevant relational objects (such as tables that define content of OLAP objects), an OLAP object is switched back to a ROLAP mode, and all relevant caches are dropped while, as a background process, a new MOLAP equivalent is created. |
| US07680774B2 |
Method and apparatus for object-oriented access to a relational database management system (RDBMS) based on any arbitrary predicate
A control system for enabling user access of data records stored in a relational database in an object oriented way has a first object model representing a class mapped to a table in the relational database, a second object model representing a query object modeled after the first object model according to the same modeling framework, a software parser for reading the information contained in the first and second object models, a model generator for building a representative model from aggregated information from the first and second models, and a code generator for scanning the representative model and generating the appropriate application code for each node in the representative model. The system is characterized in that a user supplies the input parameters for accessing the records desired from the database into a text receptacle of the second object model and executes the model causing subsequent application code-generation processing that drives the access to the records in the ordered manner, the records served as an object or objects to a user program from which such records were retrieved in a fashion requested and interpretable by the user program. |
| US07680770B1 |
Automatic generation and recommendation of communities in a social network
Systems and methods for automatic generation and recommendation of communities in a social network or set forth. According to one embodiment a method comprising accessing a group of profiles in a social network, identifying a match between entries in at least two profiles within the group of profiles, and determining a community based at least in part on the match is set forth. |
| US07680769B2 |
Method of creating a database and search keys and for searching the database
A searchable information database is provided. At least one network processor having one or more packet processors is provided which are programmed to independently search for a match of any one of the keys in a key set which is delivered to the network processor(s). Each key set is independently identifiable and searchable. If a match is found, then either a function associated therewith or a pointer to the location of the information in the database is returned. Several searching techniques can be used. For example, multiple network processors can be used, with each storing the keys of a different set of keys, and each set of keys can be searched concomitantly in the network processors. Alternatively, a large lookup table may distribute multiple network processors. If a single network processor is used, the key sets can be pipeline searched, or pico processors or packet processors can independently search each key set. |
| US07680766B2 |
Method and apparatus for adding a database partition
A data repository system and method are provided. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes an operation that can be used to port data from one or more existing database partitions to new database partitions according to a minimally progressive hash. The method can be used to increase the overall size of databases while a system runs hot, with little or no downtime. |
| US07680761B2 |
Method and mechanism for database partitioning
The present invention is directed to a method and mechanism for partitioning using information not directly located in the object being partitioned. According to an embodiment of the invention, foreign key-primary key relationships are utilized to create join conditions between multiple database tables to implement partitioning of a database object. Also, disclosed are methods and mechanisms to perform partition pruning. |
| US07680759B1 |
Automated metadata validation
An application includes a variety of metadata and operations that may process the metadata. Selective portions of the metadata are identified and various combinations of available operations are automatically generated for the selective metadata. Each generated operation is then individually validated for syntax and semantics, without actually executing the operation. |
| US07680756B2 |
System and method for creating and implementing community defined presentation structures
A presentation configuration system may receive metadata from multiple users utilizing tax preparation applications. The metadata may be tags or labels of interview segments of the tax preparation applications. The presentation configuration system may create community defined presentation structures from the metadata such that the community defined presentation structure includes an organization of interview segments within a tax preparation application. The community defined presentation structure may indicate how interview segments of a tax preparation application should be presented to a user. Furthermore, a tax preparation application may provide a user (e.g., a taxpayer) with multiple options corresponding to community defined presentation structures. The tax preparation application may receive a selection of one of the options from the user. Thus, the tax preparation application may present the tax preparation interview segments of the tax preparation application to the user according to the community defined presentation structure indicated by the option selected. |
| US07680751B2 |
Neural network based refrigerant charge detection algorithm for vapor compression systems
Methods and apparatus are provided for determining refrigerant charge in a vapor compressor system (VCS) of an aircraft. The methods and apparatus comprise the following steps of, and/or means for, generating a data set from historical data representative of a plurality of VCS operating conditions over time, identifying one or more steady-state data points in the generated data set, forming a revised data set that includes at least the steady-state data points, using principal components analysis (PCA) to derive values for a plurality of minimally correlated input variables, supplying the derived values for the plurality of minimally correlated input variables and the corresponding values for the VCS refrigerant charge in the revised data set to a nonlinear neural network model, and deriving a simulator model characterizing a relationship between the plurality of minimally correlated input variables and the VCS refrigerant charge. |
| US07680748B2 |
Creating a model tree using group tokens for identifying objects in an image
Object recognition techniques are disclosed that provide both accuracy and speed. One embodiment of the present invention is an identification system. The system is capable of locating objects in images by searching for local features of an object. The system can operate in real-time. The system is trained from a set of images of an object or objects. The system computes interest points in the training images, and then extracts local image features (tokens) around these interest points. The set of tokens from the training images is then used to build a hierarchical model structure. During identification/detection, the system, computes interest points from incoming target images. The system matches tokens around these interest points with the tokens in the hierarchical model. Each successfully matched image token votes for an object hypothesis at a certain scale, location, and orientation in the target image. Object hypotheses that receive insufficient votes are rejected. |
| US07680747B2 |
Cash generation from portfolio disposition using multi objective genetic algorithms
A plan for disposing of assets in a given asset portfolio is determined using a genetic algorithm, which operates to satisfy certain objectives, including the generation of a cash amount. A genome population including a number of vectors is generated. The genome population is modified using a genetic algorithm, until at least one vector represents a change in the percentage of each asset such that the disposition of each asset in accordance with the vector most nearly satisfies one or more objectives. |
| US07680746B2 |
Prediction of click through rates using hybrid kalman filter-tree structured markov model classifiers
Methods for predicting the click-through rates of Internet advertisements placed into web pages are disclosed. Specifically, a click-through rate prediction is generating using a hybrid system with two terms. The first term is constructed using a machine learning model that incorporates a limited number of important factors. The second term is constructed using a look-up table that is built using a complex statistical analysis of various web page and advertisement combinations. To construct the second term, the field of multi-level hierarchical modeling is used. Specifically, a tree-structured Markov model is used to process the training data and construct the adjustment factor look-up table. To reduce the complexity of the statistical analysis, Kalman-filters are used to estimate parameters in the traditional multi-level hierarchical models for scalability. |
| US07680736B2 |
Payment system
An electronic transaction payment system is provided having a vendor terminal associated with a vendor who provides goods or services to a purchaser, a vendor smart-card and a vendor smart-card reader for transmitting data to and receiving data from the vendor smart-card. The system also includes a purchaser smart-card reader which is connected to the vendor terminal and which is operable for transmitting data to and receiving data from a purchaser smart-card. In operation, payment for goods purchased by the purchaser is made between the purchaser smart-card and the vendor smart-card. In a preferred embodiment, the payment data is encrypted using an encryption key specific to the transaction between the purchaser and the vendor. A third party registry terminal may also be provided for providing validation of the vendor and/or the purchaser. |
| US07680734B1 |
Money fund banking system
Providing interest to clients' deposited funds without the legal limitation on the number of demand withdrawals from deposit accounts is accomplished by an administration system that keeps all of the records for the clients' deposits and withdrawals, calculates the total of the deposits and withdrawals for all clients, and uses the calculation to determine whether funds are deposited to or withdrawn from a single deposit account in which all clients' deposit funds are kept. Clients can make unlimited withdrawals, such as by check, credit card, debit card, or electronic transfer, through the administrator. By placing the administrator as the holder of a single account, legal exemptions to the limitation on earning interest in demand accounts is facilitated. |
| US07680731B1 |
System and method for executing deposit transactions over the internet
A system and method for initiating and processing banking deposits. In a preferred embodiment, the system is maintained by a financial institution such as a bank and the bank's customers access the system through the Internet. The system provides a Graphical User Interface that allows the customers to view the bank's current rates for a plurality of currencies and a plurality of time periods. The customer selects the desired rate on the interface and the system automatically generates a deal ticket that is presented to the customer. The customer submits the deal ticket for trading. A confirmation of the trade occurs online and real time. The system has further utilities for the customers to view archives of previous deals, establish profiles and preferences and chat with bank representatives. The system further includes state of the art security in order to ensure the safety and confidentiality of the banking transactions. |
| US07680729B2 |
Education planning
Systems and methods are provided for education planning. One method embodiment includes collecting information associated with a cost of obtaining an education and information associated with funding the cost, determining an amount to be financed by using the information associated with the cost and the information associated with funding the cost, and providing a payment plan for financing the amount to be financed, the payment plan including a levelized payment (L) to be made at a number of intervals for a repayment term, wherein the levelized payment is determined by using a net present value (V) associated with more than one funding event over the course of an education program. |
| US07680724B2 |
Trading tools for electronic trading
Tools for trading and monitoring a commodity on an electronic exchange using a graphical user interface and a user input device. The tools will aid the trader in determining the status, trends in the market, and the trader's position in the market. |
| US07680718B2 |
System and method for generating real-time indicators in a trading list or portfolio
A system and method for detecting an abnormal trading condition of a security uses real-time and estimated values of one or more variables associated with the condition of the security to generate one or more analytic metrics that are compared to empirical distributions based on one or more peer groups for the security. An indicator can then be displayed to a trader as an indication of the abnormal condition. |
| US07680715B2 |
Systems and methods for providing anonymous requests for quotes for financial instruments
Embodiments of the invention provide an anonymous RFQ system for financial instruments that resolves the inherent conflict between a capital provider's need for information and a market participant's need for confidentiality by creating an environment where market participants and capital providers can realize the benefits of sharing confidential trading interest (CTI) information without sacrificing anonymity or enabling information leakage. This secure environment preferably is created within an electronic matching book that distills all CTI information related to each Request for Quote (RFQ) into a risk class that is sent to capital providers in lieu of order-identifying or trader-identifying information. These risk classes give capital providers enough information to offer customized, risk-adjusted quotes without requiring the market participant to reveal confidential information about herself or her order. |
| US07680714B1 |
Method and system for determining, contracting to exchange, and accounting for matched sets of offsetting cash flows
One disclosed embodiment comprises a computerized method and system for matching structured cash flows by transmitting a information of an exchange definition comprising information of two or more underlyings, a notional amount or range, and a payment provision, and receiving information of a linear combination of one or more partial exchange definitions such that the net present value of the cumulative cash flow of the linear combination of partial exchange definitions is substantially zero. |
| US07680711B2 |
Portfolio management evaluation
A method and software tool are provided for evaluating portfolio management. During an interview with an industry expert, weightings of evaluation categories and responses to evaluation questions are collected from the industry expert. The weightings and responses are then input into the software tool during the same meeting with the industry expert. The software tool analyzes the inputs and generates a report that is reviewable by the industry expert during the same meeting in which the weightings and responses are collected. |
| US07680707B2 |
Municipal personal property tax compliance method, system, and computer program product
A method and system for ensuring property tax compliance are disclosed, in order to assist municipalities in achieving high accuracy compliance in the Personal Property Declaration (PPD) filings that they receive from taxpayers. The invention achieves greater total assessments of taxable property, in an equitable manner. This municipal personal property tax compliance program (MPPTCP) would change the way a state's municipalities enforce personal property tax assessment statutes. The invention includes a method for auditing a PPD, the PPD being a report of taxable property of a filer who is an individual or a business. According to this method a PPD is automatically analyzed to detect possible inaccuracies, by comparing the PPD with data provided by other PPDs. If the possible inaccuracies are detected, then a report is generated that identifies at least some of those possible inaccuracies. |
| US07680705B2 |
Method and system for additive bar codes to minimize the size and optimize the function and usability of a bar code scannable business catalog
A system and method is provided for automating placement of orders from a catalog that has been JumpCode enabled by inclusion of bar codes. A sequence of additive bar codes uniquely identify each item available from the catalog. A scanner is used for designating items from the catalog by scanning the identifying sequences of bar codes, which include at least a bar code element that uniquely identifies the catalog and the page of an item, and a further bar code element that uniquely identifies an item among the other items on a page, using a common reference scheme that is applicable to each page. This combination of bar code elements is a JumpCode, and JumpCodes for the items scanned are grouped into orders by affiliate and sent to the respective e-commerce sites of each affiliate, which are designed to handle orders from the catalog. The web sites generate shopping carts from the orders and appropriate URLs are returned to the user, who can use a browser to complete the order by direct communication with the respective web sites. |
| US07680703B1 |
Data mining system capable of generating pairwise comparisons of user-selectable items based on user event histories
Data mining systems and methods are disclosed for generating data that is helpful to users in selecting between items represented in an electronic data repository, such as an electronic catalog. One disclosed data mining method generates pairwise comparison data for particular pairs of items. The pairwise comparison data for a given item pair reveals the degree to which users who consider both items in the pair select one item over the other. The pairwise comparison data may be appropriately exposed to users of the electronic repository. For instance, in the context of an electronic catalog, an item detail page for item A may be supplemented with an indication that users who view both item A and item B select item B a specified percentage of the time. Another data mining method uses item viewing histories and item purchase histories of users in combination to identify pairs of items that are good candidates for being recommended in combination. |
| US07680701B2 |
Request type grid computing
Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for providing access to a grid computing environment. In one environment, requests include resource specific criteria used to identify a particular grid resource to perform the request. In another embodiment, a request includes a queue criterion used to identify one of a plurality of queues on which the request is placed. |
| US07680699B2 |
Method, system, and medium for sharing digital content and purchasing products at live performances
A content request, storage, and configuration system is provided for attendees of live events or performances, which associates pieces of content with one or more keywords, and configures the content for the benefit of a user. Content owners load content into the system or link content elsewhere to the system, and optionally designate a set of actions to be taken. Keywords are assigned to the content and actions by the system based on user input and/or auto-generation by the system. Thus, while attending a live event or performance, any of a variety of methods, including but not limited to Short Message Service (SMS) and instant messaging, are used by a user to communicate these keywords to the system, to indicate user interest in the associated content. Receipt by the system of the keywords from the user triggers the system to retrieve the relevant pieces of content, associate said content with the user making the request, and to take the designated actions if appropriate. In addition, users may designate that the system retrieve the relevant pieces of content and associate said content with other users. |
| US07680687B2 |
Method and system for reward points exchange between accounts
A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns rewards from a plurality of reward issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned rewards. A trading server accumulates some or all of the user's earned rewards from of the reward servers and credits the accumulated rewards into a single reward exchange account associated with the user. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated rewards. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the rewards. Reward points may also be redeemed in exchange for services, such as the playing of a video game or Internet access. |
| US07680686B2 |
System and methods for business to business price modeling using price change optimization
The present invention relates to business to business market price control and management systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for generating price modeling and optimization modules in a business to business market setting wherein price changes are optimized to achieve desired business results. |
| US07680682B2 |
Method, system and program product for assessing a product development project employing a computer-implemented evaluation tool
A product development project assessment approach is provided which includes identifying multiple possible root causes of trouble for a product development project, identifying question sets related to the multiple possible root causes of trouble, and providing a computer-implemented tool to evaluate answers to the question sets and provide guidance regarding existence of one or more root causes of trouble for the product development project. The assessment approach further includes evaluating project management processes employed for the product development project by comparison thereof to identified, standard project management processes, and provide guidance regarding effectiveness of implementation of the project management processes employed. Product management work product is also evaluated as further evidence of the existence of one or more root causes of trouble or the effectiveness of implementation of the project management processes. The product development project can comprise a software or hardware development project. |
| US07680681B2 |
Shared insurance industry system for non-disruptive enhancement and substitution of insurance transaction processing
Apparatus and methods for implementing a new insurance industry business processing system, called a “Shared Industry Platform”, are described. A network-based computing platform is defined which includes a communications portal and industry shared databases which are controlled by enabling application and security software and which may be accessed through a global computer network by insurance company computers, managing general agency computers, selling agent computers, and consumer computers. This shared industry platform allows communication among the various components of the insurance industry in a flexible manner as specified by each insurance company, no matter what the company's customary internal processing system might be. The present invention provides an evolutionary, non-disruptive means for interconnecting insurance company computers, managing general agency computers, agent computers, and consumer computers to allow interactive communication and secured business processing and data exchange over the Internet. |
| US07680680B2 |
Computerized method and system of displaying an impact point relating to an accident
Methods and systems for providing claims data to a liability assesment program are provided. In one embodiment, data regarding a vehicle accident may be provided to a liability assessment program via a graphical user interface. The data may include information regarding one or more vehicles in the accident and an assessment of the vehicle accident. The data may be stored in a memory associated with the liability assessment program. |
| US07680676B2 |
Method for producing programming elements for broadcast stations
A method for producing a programming element for a broadcast station entails generating an order in a database to produce a recorded announcement and identifying the script for the order. The script and an order are stored at a first location in the database by the salesman. The method continues by recalling the order from the database by a traffic director, assigning a cart number to the order, and storing the script and cart number at a second location in the database. The stored script, order and cart number are recalled from the second location by a producer at the broadcast station. The producer locates elements required in the script and produces the recorded announcement. The recorded announcement is stored at a third location with the order in the database. The method ends by retrieving the stored recorded announcement for use by the broadcast station. |
| US07680675B1 |
Automated determination of validity of complaints
The potential validity of complaints, including those relating to intellectual property rights, may be automatically determined. In one implementation, whether a complaint is determined to be valid is based on a history of complaints of the complaining party. |
| US07680672B2 |
Event collection architecture
The present invention relates to an event tracking server that determines event tracking information related to a user's interaction with a server device on a computer network, such as a server device for a Web site. The event tracking server determines the event tracking information by first receiving an event signal from a client device associated with the user, wherein the user used the client device to interact with the server device. The event signal includes an event ID and data that describes the user's interaction with the server device. The event tracking server then retrieves a set of instructions that correspond to the event ID included in the event signal and extracts the descriptive data from the event signal in accordance with the retrieved instructions. The retrieved data is then stored in a database. The user interaction with the server device can include various actions, such as downloading a file, placing or removing an item into or from an electronic shopping cart, purchasing an item, or using a search capability of a search engine. |
| US07680667B2 |
Interactive robot, speech recognition method and computer program product
An interactive robot capable of speech recognition includes a sound-source-direction estimating unit that estimates a direction of a sound source for target voices which are required to undergo speech recognition; a moving unit that moves the interactive robot in the sound-source direction; a target-voice acquiring unit that acquires the target voices at a position after moving; and a speech recognizing unit that performs speech recognition of the target voices. |
| US07680665B2 |
Device and method for interpolating frequency components of signal adaptively
A frequency interpolating device for restoring a signal similar to the original signal by creating a suppressed frequency component of a specific frequency band of the original signal, approximately from the input signal having the suppressed frequency component. In the frequency interpolating device, when the suppressed frequency component is artificially created from the input signal and added to the input signal, the additional level is set dynamically and adaptively on the basis of the spectrum pattern of the remaining frequency component of the input signal. This setting of the addition level is done by searching a look-up table which stores data that causes a plurality of reference frequency spectrum patterns to be associated with predetermined addition levels. Moreover, the data stored in the table is created on the basis of the results of either an aural test on a plurality of signal sample sounds or a physical frequency analysis on the massive signal data. |
| US07680661B2 |
Method and system for improved speech recognition
A method for speech recognition includes: prompting a user with a first query to input speech into a speech recognition engine; determining if the inputted speech is correctly recognized; wherein in the event the inputted speech is correctly recognized proceeding to a new task; wherein in the event the inputted speech is not correctly recognized, prompting the user repeatedly with the first query to input speech into the speech recognition engine, and determining if the inputted speech is correctly recognized until a predefined limit on repetitions has been met; wherein in the event the predefined limit has been met without correctly recognizing the inputted user speech, prompting speech input from the user with a secondary query for redundant information; and cross-referencing the user's n-best result from the first query with the n-best result from the second query to obtain a top hypothesis. |
| US07680659B2 |
Discriminative training for language modeling
A method of training language model parameters trains discriminative model parameters in the language model based on a performance measure having discrete values. |
| US07680658B2 |
Method and apparatus for speech recognition
A method and apparatus for enhancing the performance of speech recognition by adaptively changing a process of determining the final, recognized word depending on a user's selection in a list of alternative words represented by a result of speech recognition. A speech recognition method comprising: inputting speech uttered by a user; recognizing the input speech and creating a predetermined number of alternative words to be recognized in the order of similarity; and displaying a list of alternative words arranged in a predetermined order and determining an alternative word that a cursor currently indicates as the final, recognized word if a user's selection from the list of alternative words has not been changed within a predetermined standby time. |
| US07680657B2 |
Auto segmentation based partitioning and clustering approach to robust endpointing
Possible segmentations for an audio signal are scored based on distortions for feature vectors of the audio signal and the total number of segments in the segmentation. The scores are used to select a segmentation and the selected segmentation is used to identify a starting point and an ending point for a speech signal in the audio signal. |
| US07680654B2 |
Apparatus and method for segmentation of audio data into meta patterns
An audio data segmentation apparatus for segmenting of audio data including for supplying audio data, dividing the audio data supplied into audio clips of a predetermined length, discriminating the audio clips into predetermined audio classes, the audio classes identifying a kind of audio data included in the respective audio clip and segmenting for segmenting the audio data into audio meta patterns based on a sequence of audio classes of consecutive audio clips, each meta pattern being allocated to a predetermined type of contents of the audio data. It is difficult to achieve good results with known methods for segmentation of audio data into meta patterns since the rules for the allocation of the meta patterns are dissatisfying. This problem is solved by the inventive audio data segmentation apparatus further including a program database including program data units to identify a certain kind of program, a plurality of respective audio meta patterns being allocated to each program data unit, wherein the segmenting segments the audio data into corresponding audio meta patterns on the basis of the program data units of the program database 5. |
| US07680653B2 |
Background noise reduction in sinusoidal based speech coding systems
A method and apparatus to reduce background noise in speech signals in order to improve the quality and intelligibility of processed speech. In mobile communications environment, speech signals are degraded by additive random noise. A randomness of the noise, which is often described in terms of its first and second order statistics, make it difficult to remove much of the noise without introducing background artifacts. This is particularly true for lower signal to background noise ratios. The method and apparatus provides noise reduction without any knowledge of the signal to background noise ratio. |
| US07680648B2 |
Methods and systems for improving text segmentation
Methods and systems for improving text segmentation are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least a first segmented result and a second segmented result are determined from a string of characters, a first frequency of occurrence for the first segmented result and a second frequency of occurrence for the second segmented result are determined, and an operable segmented result is identified from the first segmented result and the second segmented result based at least in part on the first frequency of occurrence and the second frequency of occurrence. |
| US07680646B2 |
Retrieval method for translation memories containing highly structured documents
In a translation apparatus, a translation memory (32) stores (i) source language target language translation unit pairs and (ii) structural information for at least some source language translation units indicating a structural position within a document from which the source language translation unit was derived. A comparator (30) compares a new source language translation unit with source language translation units stored in the translation memory. Each comparison includes (i) a textual comparison and (ii) a structural comparison between an identified structural position within a source language document (10) from which the new source language translation unit was derived and the structural information for the source language translation unit stored in the translation memory. |
| US07680645B2 |
Software feature modeling and recognition
Described is a technology by which software program feature usage is located within a sequence of commands collected during program usage sessions. For example, feature generally corresponds to a series of commands, such as copy and paste. A visual modeling component is controlled via drag-and-drop operations to describe a feature model, which is then compiled by a compiler into a finite state machine. Noise models may be used to exclude any command in the sequence that is irrelevant to the feature usage. A recognition process uses the finite state machine to locate program feature usage within the sequence of recorded commands by matching command sub-sequences corresponding to the feature model via the state machine. An analyzer may then use the located matches to provide an analysis report on feature usage. |
| US07680642B2 |
Equivalent circuit for coil incorporated in circuit simulator, circuit simulator and method of preparation of same, and storage medium of circuit simulator program
An equivalent circuit for a coil incorporated in a circuit simulator is a model of an equivalent circuit for a coil included in a circuit simulator for analysis of an electrical device including a coil forming a magnetic circuit. The equivalent circuit of a coil included in an electric motor or other electrical device is preferably comprised of a resistance component (R), induced voltage component (−dΦ/dt), and inductance component (L). The equivalent circuit of the inductance component is provided with a current source, a voltage extractor for extracting the voltage across the terminals of this current source, a current generator for determining the value of the current of the current source based on the value of the voltage output by this voltage extractor, and a current-carrying path connected in parallel to the current source and carrying a regenerative current at the time of off operation. By the above configuration, an electrical device including a coil can be analyzed and the iterative calculation at the time of handling nonlinear characteristic data becomes unnecessary. An actual model can be realized with variable values of the inductance element. |
| US07680641B1 |
Identifying a minimum cut and/or a maximum flow using balancing of vertex excesses
A representation of a network having vertices connected by arcs is provided, where the network exhibits a pseudoflow. Arcs on which moves are to be performed are iteratively chosen for balancing excesses of vertices across the arcs until a stopping rule is satisfied. After the stopping rule is satisfied, further processing is performed to identify at least one of a minimum cut and/or maximum flow. |
| US07680638B2 |
Human-clothing-environment simulator
Provided is a man-clothing-environment (MCE) simulator quantitatively measuring properties of clothes to transfer heat and moisture between human skin and an external environment. The MCE simulator includes a hot chamber providing a high-temperature environment, a cold chamber providing a low-temperature environment, a skin model selectively coupled to the hot chamber or the cold chamber while being vertically erect, a water supplier supplying water to a hot plate included in the skin model, and a controller controlling the hot chamber, the cold chamber and the skin model, and processing data on temperature and humidity measured by sensors. The skin model includes the hot plate receiving heat and water while being vertically erect and simulating human skin, a ring-shaped frame coupled to a side of the hot plate and supporting a fabric to be separated from the side of the hot plate, and the sensors measuring temperature and humidity inside and outside the fabric. The MCE simulator may properly simulate a state of wearing clothes by employing the vertical skin model and effectively measure properties of clothes to transfer heat and moisture according to rapid changes in an external environment by including the hot and cold chambers. |
| US07680629B2 |
System and method for providing notes in measurement devices
A measurement device with capabilities of note taking. The measurement device comprises at least one measurement component, adapted to perform measurement in at least one measuring event of the measurement device; a note control component, adapted to obtain and record at least one note input with respect to the at least one measuring event; and a Central Processing Unit (CPU), adapted to link the at least one note with the at least one measuring event. |
| US07680625B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring system performance
The present disclosure includes systems, apparatus, and methods for monitoring a pipeline network having plural inspection sites. The system comprises a memory module associated with one or more inspection sites, with each memory module storing one or more performance parameters corresponding to the associated inspection site. The system also comprises a measuring device operable to collect performance data of each associated inspection site. The system further comprises a portable reader configured to read the memory module, and in association with the measuring device, to compare the one or more performance parameters with the performance data to validate the performance data while in proximity to the associated inspection site. |
| US07680621B2 |
Test instrument network
A test instrument network for testing a plurality of DUTs includes a plurality of communicating script processors, the script processors being adapted to execute computer code; and a plurality of measurement resources controllable by the script processors in response to executed computer code, the measurement resources being adapted to test the DUTs. Each script processor and measurement resource may be arbitrarily assigned by the controller to one of at least two groups, only one script processor being assigned to be a master script processor, any other script processor being a slave script processor and any group not including the master script processor being a remote group. The master script processor is exclusively authorized to initiate code execution on any script processor in a remote group. Any slave script processor is only able to initiate operation of measurement resources in it own group. When a particular script processor is executing computer code, the master script processor may not initiate execution of computer code on a member script processor in the group of the particular script processor and may not initiate operation of a member measurement resource in the group of the particular script processor. |
| US07680610B2 |
Tire abrasion predicting method, tire designing method, tire manufacturing method, tire abrasion predicting system, and program
In a prediction of abrasion characteristic of a tire, a characteristic curve of a tire axis force generated on a tire rotation axis at the slip ratio applied to the tire and changed depending upon the slip ratio is acquired. From the characteristic curve, values of tire dynamic element parameters determining the characteristic curve are derived based on a tire dynamic model constituted by the tire dynamic element parameters. Furthermore, a tire sliding amount based on a sliding region, the sliding region and an adhesive region formed on the contact patch of the tire at the applied slip ratio are calculated by applying the values of the tire dynamic element parameters to the model. Lastly, an abrasion characteristic of a tread part of the tire at the applied slip ratio is predicted by using the tire sliding amount with abrasion characteristic data of a tread rubber of the tread part. According to the prediction results, a tire is designed and produced. |
| US07680608B2 |
Method of determining a spatial distribution of magnetic particles
The invention relates to a method of determining a spatial distribution of magnetic particles in an examination area, in which a magnetic field is generated which has a first part-region having a relatively low magnetic field strength and a second part-region having a relatively high magnetic field strength. The position of the two part-regions is changed, as a result of which the magnetization in the examination area changes, and real measured values which depend on the change in magnetization are recorded. A dependence distribution which depends on a spatial distribution of magnetic particles is then determined such that a sum which comprises as summands a) the difference of the real measured values from fictitious measured values which are determined by applying a transfer function to the dependence distribution, and b) the product of a regularization parameter and of a regularization value which is determined by applying the regularization functional to the dependence distribution, is minimized. Finally, the spatial distribution of magnetic particles is determined by means of the determined dependence distribution. |
| US07680607B1 |
System and method for gas recognition by analysis of bispectrum functions
A System and Method for Gas Recognition by Analysis of Bispectrum Functions is based on the Higher-Order Spectral analysis of time series measurements of resistance fluctuations in Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors, such as Taguchi-type sensors. A two-dimensional contour plot module of the bispectrum function is treated as a pattern. These patterns include information about the analyte(s) whereby characteristics of the gas can be identified. |
| US07680606B2 |
Two-step method to align three dimensional LC-MS chromatographic surfaces
A two-step alignment method for temporally aligning LC-MS data files representative of three-dimensional chromatographic surfaces is disclosed. The method includes a pre-alignment step whereby the data files are roughly aligned using a transformation-based correlation analysis of base peak information. The pre-aligned files are used as input to a full alignment step, in which a correlation matrix is computed from the full MS scan information, and an optimal path is traced through the resultant correlation matrix to identify corresponding scan numbers. The use of the pre-alignment step substantially reduces the computational expense of the full alignment step and improves the accuracy and reliability of the alignment. |
| US07680604B2 |
PCR elbow determination by rotational transform after zero slope alignment
Systems and methods for determining the elbow or Ct value in a real-time, or kinetic, PCR amplification curve data set. A PCR data set may be visualized in a two-dimensional plot of fluorescence intensity vs. cycle number. The data set may be adjusted to have a zero slope. In one aspect, a data set is fit to a double sigmoid curve function with the function parameters determined using a Levenberg-Marquardt regression process. The determined parameters are used to subtract off the linear growth portion from the data set to provide a modified data set. For multiple data sets, all the data curves can be aligned in this manner to have a common baseline slope, e.g., a slope of zero. A rotation transform is applied to a modified data set to rotate the data about a defined coordinate such as the origin so that the data point representing the Ct value becomes a minimum or a maximum along the intensity axis. The data point representing the elbow or Ct value of the curve is identified, and this data point is then rotated back and the cycle number of the data point is returned or displayed. |
| US07680599B1 |
Devices and method for detecting emplacement of improvised explosive devices
An explosive device detection system includes sensors and base station that detect and report on suspected Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) or landmine emplacement activity within a geographic area. When disposed within a geographic area, each sensor forms part of a wireless communications network which allows communication among neighboring sensors. As a sensor detects activity in its proximity, such as activity that indicates emplacement of an IED, the sensor transmits a reporting signal through the network to the base station. The neighboring sensors receive and transmit the reporting signal in a sequential manner toward the base station. Because the reporting signal takes multiple hops toward the base station, the sensors do not require large amounts of power to transmit the signal. Furthermore, the detection system allows detection of IED emplacement within the geographic area as the activity occurs. As a result, the base station can direct mobile response units to take immediate responsive action to prevent detonation of the IED's. |
| US07680592B2 |
System and apparatus for drive assistance
A drive assistance system is provided for assisting an operation of a driver of a vehicle in a manner that does not cause disturbance for the driver, based on image information derived from an external apparatus such as roadside cameras or the like. The image information is provided for the driver by a liquid crystal display unit, and the provision of the image information is accompanied by a provision of supplemental information from a headup display unit that draws driver's attention to the provision of the image information from the liquid crystal display unit in an appropriate manner. |
| US07680591B2 |
Navigation apparatus, position information registration method and program thereof
A navigation apparatus that includes a position information acquiring unit acquiring position information of a parking position; a parking information acquiring unit acquiring information as to a parking time in the parking position; and a memory storing the position information acquired by the position information acquiring unit when it is judged on the basis of the information as to the parking time acquired by the parking information acquiring unit that its parking time exceeds a predetermined time. |
| US07680588B2 |
Traffic information management system
A management center analyzes probe information uploaded from an in-vehicle terminal mounted in each of multiple probe cars to thereby generate road traffic information allowing specification of a unit road segment in a congested state. The generated road traffic information is transmitted via a broadcasting station and terrestrial digital broadcasting. Each in-vehicle terminal includes a navigation device. The navigation device determines traffic congestion state relative to multiple unit road segments successively in accordance to traveling of the relevant probe car. Only when confirming a predetermined difference relative to each unit road segment between the determined traffic congestion state and the traffic congestion state indicated in the road traffic information received from the management center, the navigation device uploads to the management center the probe information collected with respect to the corresponding unit road segment by using a mobile communications terminal. |
| US07680580B2 |
Air/fuel ratio control apparatus of an internal combustion engine
Apparatus and method for air/fuel ratio control for smoothening variation of air/fuel ratio among a plurality of cylinders of an internal combustion engine including a sensor for measuring output of the internal combustion engine. A device calculates a correlation function of each cylinder by taking cross-correlation of values measured by the sensor and a reference signal for each cylinder. A device then calculates a smoothing target value which is common for all of the cylinders. Cylinder controllers produce control input to the respective cylinders such that the correlation function converges to the smoothing target value. |
| US07680579B2 |
Eddy current detection of wheel speed with voltage threshold shifting
A wheel speed detection system including a rotator, a sensor head, a detector, a pulse converter, a speed calculator and a threshold shifter. Plural concave and convex portions are formed on a periphery of the rotator rotating together with a wheel. The sensor head includes a coil to generate an alternate current magnetic field. The detector excites the coil to generate an eddy current on the concave and convex portions, and outputs alternate current detection signals corresponding to changes in the eddy current generated with rotation of the rotator. The pulse converter converts the alternate current detection signals into pulse signals according to preset threshold levels. The speed calculator calculates rotational speed of the wheel based on the pulse signals. The threshold shifter shifts the threshold levels corresponding to a difference between a default average and an average of the alternate current detection signals actually outputted from the detector. |
| US07680578B2 |
Vehicle gradient analyzing apparatus
A system 10 for determining high accuracy gradient information includes linearization means 20, a sum unit 45, and state space model and observer means 50 for calculating a road gradient χRoad. The linearization means 20 includes an air resistance calculation unit 30 and a rolling resistance calculation unit 40. The means 50 includes a state space model 60 and a state space observer 70. The sum unit 45 determines a total sum wheel force ΣFLij of wheel forces FLij. The linearization means 20 calculates an air resistance force FW and a rolling resistance force FR based on a vehicle velocity vCoG using approximation equations, calculates a linearized total sum force FSum by subtracting the air resistance force FW and the rolling resistance force FR from the wheel forces FLij, and inputs the linealized total sum force FSum to the state space model and observer means 50. |
| US07680573B2 |
Suspension control system and suspension control method for vehicle
A suspension control system and a suspension control method for a vehicle control the suspension based on the condition of the road surface traveled by the vehicle in addition to information pertaining to a corner obtained from a navigation device when the vehicle approaches the corner. A microprocessor controls damping forces of suspension devices on the basis of a degree of irregularity of the road surface detected immediately preceding entry of the automobile into a turn around the corner, and corner information from the navigation device. |
| US07680571B2 |
Vehicle differential score protection
A differential score protection system that regulates an engine to inhibit damage to a differential driven by the engine includes a first module that initiates a differential score protection mode and a second module that decreases an engine speed when the engine speed exceeds an engine speed limit. The engine speed limit is one of a plurality of pre-determined values based on a design slip speed limit of the differential. |
| US07680568B2 |
Method of controlling engine stop-start operation for heavy-duty hybrid-electric and hybrid-hydraulic vehicles
A start-stop or idle-stop method for a heavy-duty hybrid vehicle that turns off the fuel supply while maintaining the crankshaft rotation of the internal combustion engine when the vehicle stops or, optionally, when the vehicle travels downhill, travels in a noise sensitive location, travels in an exhaust emissions sensitive location, or operates in an emergency situation. The stop-start or idle-stop method automatically turns on the engine fuel supply to restart combustion when the vehicle starts accelerating, is no longer traveling downhill, is no longer traveling in a noise sensitive or exhaust sensitive location, is no longer in an emergency situation, or has dropped below the minimum energy storage restart level. |
| US07680567B2 |
Method for reducing driveline vibration in a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain
A method is disclosed for managing torque distribution in a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain. An engine power estimation is determined for use in obtaining an optimum wheel torque command to attenuate sustained powertrain dynamic oscillations during operation of the vehicle with varying wheel torque and speed. |
| US07680566B2 |
System and method for controlling horsepower in a locomotive consist
A consist controller is provided that enables an operator to take advantage of all horsepower combinations for locomotives in a consist. The consist controller provides a fractional increase option and a fractional decrease option that enables the operator to increase or decrease horsepower output with finer adjustments. In a preferred implementation, the fractional increases and decreases are used in conjunction with a fuel optimization routine such that the target setpoint, from which a range of horsepower values is computed, can be increased or decreased in steps that are less than a full notch increase or decrease. |
| US07680564B2 |
Leisure vehicle
A leisure vehicle including a plurality of communication devices built into a vehicle body of the leisure vehicle; and a multiplex communication line through which the plurality of communication devices are coupled to each other. The communication devices are configured to perform multiplexed data communication through the multiplex communication line. The multiplex communication line is positioned a distance apart from a noise source mounted in the vehicle body so as not to be subjected to a noise. |
| US07680563B2 |
Pressure control device for low pressure processing chamber
A control method which quickly adjusts a plasma processing apparatus to a desired pressure regardless of gas type, gas flow rate or target pressure simply by optimizing constants. The plasma processing apparatus includes: gas supply means which supplies processing gas to a low pressure processing chamber; plasma generating means which supplies electromagnetic energy to the processing gas in the low pressure processing chamber and generates plasma; exhaust means which exhausts gas in the low pressure processing chamber; gas pressure measuring means which measures gas pressure in the low pressure processing chamber; exhaust speed adjusting means which adjusts exhaust speed of gas to be exhausted by the exhaust means; and an arithmetic and control unit calculates an exhaust speed to make the gas pressure measured by the pressure measuring means equal to a target value, and controls the exhaust speed adjusting means according to the calculation result. |
| US07680561B2 |
Method of facilitating communications across open circuit breaker contacts
An intelligent power management system that includes a circuit breaker containing a PLC module that spans open contacts of the circuit breaker to provide a communication path for PLC messages between communication paths on each of the line and load sides of the circuit when the contacts are open. The contacts are motorized to permit remote operation through PLC messaging. Coupled to the PLC module is a controller, which controls the opening and closing of the motorized contacts under user control or via an adaptive load management algorithm that reduces peak power consumption and adapts a set of loads to changed power supply conditions. The controller can also dynamically alter operational current and fault threshold levels on a real-time basis based upon circuit requirements or environmental conditions. The algorithm runs a state machine and also manages loads in a limited power source environment such as when loads are powered by a generator. |
| US07680559B2 |
Wafer movement control macros
A computer-implemented method for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool, which has a plurality of wafer-holding locations. The method includes receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator, which graphically identify the origination wafer-holding location and the destination wafer-holding location respectively on the on-screen graphical representation of the plasma cluster tool. The method further includes ascertaining data pertaining to a path between the first user-provided location indicator and the second user-provided location indicator. The method further includes forming the set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to the data pertaining to the path. The set of wafer transfer instructions is configured to transfer the wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with the path. |
| US07680558B2 |
Embroidery data creation apparatus and embroidery data creation program recorded in computer-readable recording medium
The process searches a block that contains a current line segment for any other line segments and, if they are found, calculates a distance between an endpoint of the current line segment and endpoint nodes of all the line segments found in the block. The process sequentially searches for the line segments in the block in accordance with search order determined on the basis of a search ranking table if a search range is not crossed over and calculates the distances between the endpoint of the current line segment and the endpoint nodes of the found line segments. Then, the process compares the distance from the endpoint node of the already line segment found and the distance from the newly found endpoint node and outputs the smaller one as the next line segment. |
| US07680556B2 |
Method for data collection during manufacturing processes
The present invention discloses a new data collection method employed by a middle layer between the host and the equipment, which improves the speed and consistency of data collection. The middle layer incorporated with the proposed data collection method functions as a data format converter as well as a data processor/classifier, which helps to filter and format messages before delivering data to the host or equipment. The proposed data collection method enables the middle layer to perform local reply, local data sampling, and group data polling, thus relieving processing resources of both the equipment and the host. This allows implementation of APC on older wafer fabrication processes using old equipment. |
| US07680555B2 |
Auto tip calibration in an extrusion apparatus
The present invention is a method for performing a calibration routine of a deposition device in a three-dimensional modeling machine that deposits a material to build up three-dimensional objects as directed by a controller on a substrate mounted on a platform. The method comprises generating a material build profile, which represents a three-dimensional structure at defined locations. A relative position of the material build profile is then determined. An expected build profile is identified and then compared to the determined relative position of the material build profile to identify any difference which represents an offset. The modeling system then positions the deposition device based upon the offset. |
| US07680549B2 |
Diagnostics in industrial process control system
A device for diagnosing operation of an industrial process control or monitoring system includes an input configured to receive an input related to a process signal. A first statistical parameter module provides a first statistical parameter output related to a statistical parameter of the process signal. A filter provides a filter output related to a filtered value of the process signal. A second statistical parameter module provides a second statistical parameter output related to a statistical parameter of the filter output. A diagnostic module diagnoses operation of the industrial process based upon the first and second statistical parameters. |
| US07680544B1 |
Fatigue resistant design for leads employing multi-strand cables as primary conductors
A lead for connecting to a pacing and/or defibrillation power source is disclosed herein. The lead includes a lead tubular body, a connector for connecting the lead to the power source, and a strain-flex relief assembly joining the lead tubular body to the connector assembly and including a helical multi-strand cable conductor configuration. |
| US07680540B2 |
Multi-application trial stimulator
The disclosure relates to an electrical trial stimulator that stores multiple applications to selectively emulate the operation of different chronically implanted stimulators. Each application corresponds to a different chronically implanted stimulator. Upon selection of a particular application, the stimulator executes a set of instructions to emulate the operation of a chronically implanted stimulator that corresponds to the application. The multi-application stimulator permits a physician to select an application for stimulation therapy, and evaluate efficacy of a particular chronically implanted stimulator. In addition, the physician may select any of the other stimulation applications to emulate other stimulators. The different stimulation applications may correspond to different stimulators that deliver a similar therapy, e.g., stimulators designed to deliver spinal cord stimulation for alleviation of chronic pain. Alternatively, the applications may correspond to stimulators that deliver different types of therapy, e.g., stimulators that deliver spinal cord, deep brain, gastrointestinal, or pelvic floor stimulation. |
| US07680533B2 |
Energy delivery apparatus and method
There is provided an energy delivery device comprising a storage device, a discharge circuit and a disarm circuit. The discharge circuit comprises a switch electrically connected to the storage device, and is selectively operable to deliver energy from the storage device to a load, e.g., a patient needing defibrillation, preferably in a multiphasic waveform. The disarm circuit comprises the switch. Preferably, the discharge circuit comprises an H-bridge circuit. There are also provided delivery devices: which comprise a shoot-through elimination circuit; which include housing elements which, when assembled, cause electrical connection between respective components; which include a housing having a small volume and an energy storage device having a large capacitance; which comprise a shunt circuit which, when activated, prevents switching of a switch. There are also provided methods of assembly and disassembly of an energy delivery unit and methods of delivering energy to a load. |
| US07680527B2 |
Method and apparatus for imaging abdominal aorta and aortic aneurysms
The present invention is a technique and apparatus for acquiring anatomic information used in diagnosing and characterizing abdominal aortic aneurismal disease and the like. This technique provides anatomic information, in the form of images, using a combination of a plurality of magnetic resonance angiography sequences, including a spin-echo and four contrast enhanced (e.g., gadolinium) magnetic resonance angiography sequences. The anatomic images may be used in, for example, pre-operative, operative and post-operative evaluation of aortic pathology, including aneurysms, atherosclerosis, and occlusive disease of branch vessels such as the renal arteries. The gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography provides sufficient anatomic detail to detect aneurysms and all relevant major branch vessel abnormalities seen at angiography operation. This technique and apparatus allows for imaging the aorta at a fraction of the cost of conventional aortography and without the risks of arterial catheterization or iodinated contrast. |
| US07680526B2 |
System and method for obtaining a volume of influence based on non-uniform tissue conductivity data
This document discusses, among other things, brain stimulation models, systems, devices, and methods, such as for deep brain stimulation (DBS) or other electrical stimulation. A model computes a volume of influence region for a simulated electrical stimulation using certain stimulation parameters, such as amplitude, pulsewidth, frequency, pulse morphology, electrode contact selection or location, return path electrode selection, pulse polarity, etc. The model uses a non-uniform tissue conductivity. This accurately represents brain tissue, which has highly directionally conductive neuron pathways yielding a non-homogeneous and anisotropic tissue medium. In one example, the non-uniform tissue conductivity is obtained from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. In one example, a second difference of an electric potential distribution is used to define a volume of activation (VOA) or similar volume of influence. In another example, a neuron or axon model is used to calculate the volume of influence without computing the second difference of the electric potential distribution. |
| US07680523B2 |
Sensor system, garment and heart rate monitor
The invention relates to a sensor system, a garment and a heart rate monitor. The sensor system comprises at least one flexible film structure comprising: a first insulation layer and at least one electric conductor layer formed on top of the first insulation layer and comprising an electrode area, which is configured to establish an electric contact with the surface of the user's skin and to generate as output an electric signal proportional to a momentary value of the electrocardiogram. |
| US07680520B2 |
Connection mode for low-end radio
The present invention relates to systems and methods for a implementing an optimized power conservation communication protocol, wherein the communication link is flexible and the power consumption characteristics are optimized. One facet of the system's flexibility relates to the system's ability to negotiate device control roles associated with a polling communication link. Also, once the device control roles are in place and the communication link is established, the system selectively implements a number of polling protocols for a multitude of applications that need a low power consumption. In some embodiments the system maintains a communication link with a reduced frequency polling protocol. This type of communication link maintains efficient power consumption characteristics, as well as, connection times that are faster than establishing a communication link between disconnected devices. |
| US07680515B2 |
Dual-mode reconfigurable base station and SCA-based service mode switching method thereof
The present invention relates to a service mode switching method based on a software communication architecture (SCA) of a reconfigurable base station system. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, first and second service mode software component files are stored and managed by separating the first and second service mode software component files into a common component file used for first and second modes in common and first and second mode individual component files individually used for the first and second modes. When the first mode is established according to an applied request, the first mode individual component file is operated, and the base station in the first mode is operated. When the second mode is established according to another applied request, the operation of the first mode individual component file is stopped. |
| US07680514B2 |
Wireless speech recognition
A portable wireless-enabled system includes an input transducer (for example, a microphone), an output transducer (for example, a speaker) and a wireless transceiver system. Also included, is a memory having a programmable user speech profile. A processor system controls operation of the input transducer, the output transducer, the wireless transceiver system and the memory. |
| US07680512B2 |
Method of using a mobile device to print onto a print medium taking into account an orientation of a print medium
A method of using a mobile device to print onto a print medium, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining print data; (b) determining a first orientation of a print medium inserted into the mobile device; and (c) modifying a second orientation of the print data prior to printing onto the print medium, to take into account the first orientation. |
| US07680511B2 |
Method and apparatus for communicating via virtual office telephone extensions
A system for (and a method of) selectively establishing communication with at least one wireless device associated with a single telephone number serving as a virtual office extension is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a wireless connect unit in communication with an enterprise private branch exchange (PBX) network. The wireless connect unit preferably serves as a gateway between the PBX and one or more remote communication devices, including at least one wireless device, associated with a virtual extension telephone number. The remote wireless device can be used as a standard PBX office telephone for both inbound and outbound telephone calls. Thus, features of the PBX network (e.g., voice mail, direct extension dialing, corporate calling plan, etc.) are available to the remote wireless device even though it is not physically connected to the PBX. When the system receives an incoming call, it can route the call to a remote wireless device associated with a virtual extension, or to combination of devices simultaneously, or as desired by the user. |
| US07680510B2 |
Diversity-switched front end base station transceiver system
A transceiver system for RF communications in a wireless network includes a transceiver having first and second receivers and a transmitter. The first receiver and transmitter are connected to first antenna section. The second receiver is switchable between connection to a second antenna section and connection to the first antenna section. In a dual diversity mode, the second receiver is connected to the second antenna section, and the two receivers are tuned to the same RF channel set. Thus, multi-path faded signals in the RF channel set are received at the two antenna sections. In a cross-connected mode, two of the transceivers are used together, with the second receiver in each being connected to the first antenna section. Each transceiver supports one antenna, and the receivers in each transceiver (as well as the transmitters) are respectively tuned to different RF channel sets. Thus, system capacity is doubled in conjunction with diversity reception. |
| US07680508B2 |
Data transmission in mobile communication system
A transmitter is included in a mobile communication network. The transmitter is included configured to transmit to a receiver a data channel and a first control channel controlling data transmissions on the data channel, transmit, on the first control channel, an indicator indicating that there is data transmission to the receiver on the data channel. The transmitter also is configured to omit data transmission on the data channel. |
| US07680505B2 |
Telemetry gateway
A service provider uses a telemetry gateway to communicate with radio communication devices using various incompatible short message service (SMS) protocols. A communication, from the service provider to a radio communication device, passes through the telemetry gateway. The telemetry gateway determines the communication protocol of the radio communication device and converts the communication from a common protocol to the radio communication device's protocol. The telemetry gateway also determines and sends the converted communication over the appropriate communication path for receipt by the radio communication device. The telemetry gateway is also operable for providing registration information and receiving a communication from a radio communication device. The telemetry gateway can convert the received communication to a common protocol and transmit the converted communication to the service provider. |
| US07680498B2 |
Method for reverse signalling for a transmission service which is to be used during a mobile terminated-PSTN/ISDN originated-call
A method for the reverse signaling of a transmission service is used during a call from a first telecommunication network. A mobile terminal is called in the supply range of a target switchboard of a digital mobile radio network from the first telecommunication network, and the information completely describing the transmission service which is to be used is exchanged between the mobile terminal and the destination mobile switchboard of the digital mobile radio network, is stored in the destination mobile switchboard and is transported by at least one signaling message ADDRESS COMPLETE, ANSWER to at least one access mobile switchboard involved in the call which to be made, whereupon it is made available. |
| US07680496B2 |
Mobile communication method
A mobile communications terminal divides a plurality of multipath signals associated with radio signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations 5 using an S-CCPCH into groups by base station, i.e., by transmit source, maximum-radio-combines a plurality of multipath signals associated with each same base station 5 which is a transmit source into a composite signal, decodes the composite signal, and selects a composite signal having a good decoded result from among decoded composite signals. |
| US07680493B2 |
Low phase noise testing system utilizing a crystal filter
According to one embodiment, a low phase noise testing system includes a tester providing a high phase noise digital channel output. The low phase noise testing system further includes a crystal filter configured to receive the digital channel output and to pass a narrow frequency range from the digital channel output, whereby the high phase noise digital channel output is converted to a low phase noise clock for use by a device under test. The crystal filter can be, for example, a monolithic crystal filter or a discrete crystal filter. |
| US07680492B2 |
Wireless communication database management
A technique for updating and maintaining a wireless communication database (40) includes several features. One feature is a search capability that facilitates, for example, an individual locating appropriate portions of the database to be updated in a desired manner. A platinum data image portion includes a relational database regarding various rules governing the contents of the wireless communication database. If a proposed change will violate any of these rules, an error message is provided. If a proposed change is acceptable, it will be implemented on an automated basis. A disclosed example includes the capability of scheduling proposed changes into the future, indicating a proposed change for one particular data field and instructing an automated update of all similar or related data fields in a particular manner. |
| US07680486B2 |
Sensor network system
An object of the invention is to save the trouble of mapping sensor chips on a map information system. A map information management unit 124 is accessed via a network 122. Neighborhood information based on a present position measured by an own position measuring unit 102 is obtained by searching a map DB 127. A sensor information setting unit 106 displays the neighborhood information in a display unit 108. An ID reading unit 104 reads an ID 111 of a sensor chip 110, and registers the ID 111 in the map DB 127 after associating it with equipment information displayed in the display unit 108. The measurement values measured by a sensor 112 are transmitted from an antenna 114 and received by a sensor information receiving unit 119 of the receiver 118. A sensor information communication unit 120 accesses the network 122 and the measurements are transmitted to a sensor information management unit 123. The measurement values are accumulated in a sensor DB 126. The sensor DB 126 is searched using a sensor ID associated in the map DB 127 and the measurements are viewed as map information associated with equipment. |
| US07680485B2 |
Radio controlled timepiece, electronic device and time correction method
A clocking unit (27) that clocks a time; a display unit (3) that displays a time based on clock information from the clocking unit (27); a receiving unit (20) that receives standard radio waves from transmitting stations in at least two countries or regions; a second-synchronization detecting unit (23) that detects second-synchronization information (P3) from a demodulated signal (P2) obtained by the receiving unit (20); a transmitting station determining unit (25) that analyzes the demodulated signal (P2) based on the second-synchronization information (P3) to determine a transmitting station in a country or a region; and a decoding unit (26) decodes information included in the standard radio wave from the transmitting station determined by the transmitting station determining unit (25) to obtain time information are included, and the clock information of the clocking unit (27) is corrected based on the time information obtained by the decoding unit (26). |
| US07680484B2 |
System and method for performing wireless remote monitoring
A method for transmitting surveillance image data over a wireless network includes associating an authorized identification with a surveillance device, and transmitting the surveillance image data and the authorized identification to a mobile telecommunications switching station. |
| US07680483B2 |
Mobile content access and transmission method using hyperlink message, and mobile terminal, mobile communication provider server and content provider server for the same
Disclosed herein are a mobile contents access, transmission and reception method using a hyperlink message, the method allowing predetermined contents to be displayed or to be activated when a hyperlink of the hyperlink message is selected, the hyperlink message includes hyperlink information designating a connection point at which the contents will be executed on the terminal, and free communication identification information indicating that a communication fee normally charged to the terminal is not charged, the terminal adds an indication of free communication to the hyperlink message and displays them on a display means, the contents are activated in the terminal through the connection between the terminal and the connection point, and when the connection is terminated, the mobile communication provider server calculates the communication fee to be charged for the connection through, and stores it as billing information for the contents provider rather than billing information for the terminal. |
| US07680482B2 |
Method and apparatus for session tracing and session logging in a peer-to-peer communication environment
Peer-A (101) broadcasts a Peer Lookup Query (107) to a Peer Discovery Service (PDS) (105). Peer-A (101) may receive a Peer Lookup Response (109) from any peer having the reachability information including a Time Stamp, and an Initial Sequence Number. Peer-A (101) may subsequently use the Time Stamp and Sequence Number to send session management and session media packets to Peer-B (103). Peer-A (101) and Peer-B (103) reciprocally store message identification including sequence number and timestamp in a local session record contained in a secure memory. At completion of the IP session, both Peer-A (101) and Peer-B (103) will dump the session records from their respective secure memories to a remote Session Log Database (115), via message (117) and message (119), respectively. The remote session DB consolidates the records and uses the temporal and causal relationships between the messages to resolve any data conflicts and recreate the complete session record. |
| US07680472B2 |
Device and method for receiving and processing RF signals, a method for providing digital calibration values for such a device and a receiver incorporating the device
A device for receiving a RF signal over multiple channels, a receiver incorporating the device, a method of providing digital calibration values for a digitally-tunable resonant circuit of the device, and a method of processing an RF signal. In one embodiment the device includes: (1) a low-noise amplifier having a digitally-tunable resonant circuit, (2) a memory configured to store digital calibration values particular to the device and (3) a time-constant controller coupled to the low-noise amplifier and configured to retrieve from the memory at least one of the digital calibration values as a function of a channel to be received and, based on the at least one, to cause the digitally-tunable resonant circuit to provide a time-constant corresponding to the channel to be received. |
| US07680465B2 |
Sound enhancement for audio devices based on user-specific audio processing parameters
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to sound enhancement for wireless audio devices. A technique may include determining one or more user-specific audio processing parameters, receiving an RF signal from a first wireless device, demodulating the received RF signal to obtain an audio signal, processing the audio signal based on the one or more user-specific audio processing parameters to generate a user-specific audio signal. The user-specific audio processing parameters may be based on user preferences, or may, for example be based on a user auditory profile or other information to allow a received audio signal to be processed to at least partially compensate for a user's specific hearing impairment. |
| US07680463B2 |
Method and arrangement for testing a radio device
A method and an arrangement for testing a radio device without radiation losses are provided. The arrangement comprises a waveguide closed at both its ends and comprising a holder arranged to hold the radio device at least partly inside the waveguide in such a manner that the radiating part of the radio device remaining outside the waveguide is entirely inside the holder. The arrangement also comprises at least one coupling inside the waveguide for transmission and reception of a radio-frequency signal. |
| US07680459B2 |
FM transmission system and method
An RF transmission system comprises an RF transmitter receiving a base band media signal and generating a broadcast signal on a broadcast frequency. The broadcast frequency may be one of a plurality of transmission frequencies within a frequency band. A radio data control module periodically performs an interference detection measurement to determine whether an interfering signal from a remote transmitter exists at the broadcast frequency. An open frequency is selected if an interfering signal from a remote transmitter exists at the broadcast frequency. The open frequency may be one of the plurality of transmission frequencies wherein RF interference is within predetermined acceptance criteria. The RF transmission system transmits an identification of the open frequency on the broadcast frequency and, following such transmission, switches the broadcast frequency to such open frequency. |
| US07680454B2 |
Wireless network located within a vehicle containing access points and terminals for wireless communication
A wireless network system arranges a plurality of access points along the aisles in a vehicle having two or more aisles. The positions of the access points on the first aisle and the positions of the access points on the second aisle are arranged in a zigzag pattern. The distance between neighboring access points is thus great, and there is no signal interference between adjacent access points. |
| US07680445B2 |
Belt assembly, and a transfer unit and an image forming apparatus having the same
A belt assembly in an image forming apparatus includes a belt which includes a guiding rail on one side, a first roller which includes a receiving part which supports the guiding rail, and a second roller which includes one end which does not interfere with the guiding rail, wherein the belt is supported and rotated by the first roller and the second roller. The intermediate transfer belt has a flatness such that image errors such as crinkles or irregular horizontal bands can be prevented. |
| US07680444B2 |
Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus
A toner cartridge includes a toner container which contains toner, the toner container having at one end portion thereof a discharge port which discharges the toner, and a member which is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the one end portion. The member has a first part which is engaged with the one end portion, and a second part which has, at a position corresponding to the discharge port, a passage hole through which the toner discharged from the discharge port passes. |
| US07680443B2 |
Developing device including an advance impeding member and an image forming apparatus using the same
A developing device is provided with which the increase in torque of a supply roller, unevenness of image density, and wear to the supply roller caused by the formation of an aggregated block of toner in the gap between the supply roller and the opposing side wall of a supply developer holding chamber can be suppressed. This developing device comprises a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image supported on a photoconductive member, a supply developer holding chamber for holding toner to be supplied to the developing roller, a supply roller for supplying the toner supported on the peripheral face thereof to the developing roller, a hopper that is disposed above the supply developer holding chamber and used to hold toner for replenishing the supply developer holding chamber, and a communication opening for allowing the hopper to communicate with the supply agent holding chamber, wherein a canopy member is provided directly above the gap to impede the advance of the toner on the supply roller into the gap between the supply roller and the opposing side wall of the supply developer holding chamber. |
| US07680435B2 |
Flange, flange processing device, and method of processing flange
To provide a flange to be attached to an end of a photoconductor drum, the flange including: a drum engagement part capable of being engaged with an inner surface of the photoconductor drum; and a center hole, wherein the flange is prepared by cutting at least one of a surface of the engagement part and an inner surface of the center hole so that the axis of the center hole coincides with the axis of the photoconductor drum. |
| US07680434B2 |
Developing cartridge, image forming apparatus having the same, and maintenance method of developing cartridge
A developing cartridge includes a main frame including a photosensitive medium, and a charging member frame including a charging member to charge the photosensitive medium and detachably disposed at the main frame. The main frame includes a plurality of frame reference grooves, and the charging member frame includes a plurality of frame reference projections to be inserted into the plurality of frame reference grooves of the main frame. |
| US07680433B2 |
Process cartridge with casings combined by coupling pin, and assembling method and disassembling method thereof
A process cartridge includes an image carrier, a developing device, a first casing for supporting the image carrier, and a second casing for supporting the developing device. The first casing and the second casing are freely combined in a rotatable manner as coupling pins are inserted into first insertion holes formed in the first casing and a second insertion hole formed in the second casing. An engaging means, by which the coupling pin is press-fit into the first insertion hole, and the coupling pin is kept from being press-fit into the first casing and the second casing after being pre-fit, is disposed in at least one of the first casing and the second casing, and the coupling pin. |
| US07680431B2 |
Image reading apparatus and image composite apparatus having a document reader openably and closably attached to an upper part of the apparatus
An image forming apparatus has a main body for performing image forming operations. A document reader is above the main body and can displace between closing and opening postures. A coupling has a first end rotatably coupled to the main body and a second end coupled to the document reader for movement between a first posture to support the document reader in the opening posture and a second posture when the document reader is closed. A guiding surface at the document reader guides movement of the second end of the coupling. A stopper is supported for rotation between an interfering posture to interfere with the second end of the coupling and a freeing posture to free the second end. The second end is pushed into an escaping recess of the guiding surface by the stopper when the stopper is displaced from the interfering posture to the freeing posture. |
| US07680430B2 |
Developing apparatus, process cartridge, developer cartridge, and image forming apparatus including leakage preventing member
A developing agent leakage preventing member is provided that is attached to the developer housing and that has a housing attaching face which contacts with the developer housing, a front side face which opposes the housing attaching face, and two side faces each of which connects to each other end portions of the housing attaching face and the front side face in the longitudinal direction of the opening of the developer housing. At least one of the side faces of the developing agent leakage preventing member is formed as an inclined side face that is inclined in a predetermined direction relative to the housing attaching face when pressed from the front side face side. In a developing apparatus, developing agent (toner) leakage is avoided. |
| US07680429B2 |
Charging device including charging roller and cleaning roller
A charging device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The charging device includes a charging roller configured to charge an image carrier and a cleaning roller configured to clean the charging roller while making contact with a surface of the charging roller. The charging device further includes a bearing member including a first portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the charging roller and a second portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the cleaning roller. The charging device also includes an elastic member provided outside of the second portion of the bearing member with respect to an axial direction of the rotational shaft of the cleaning roller such that the charging roller makes contact with the image carrier when the first portion of the bearing member is pressed by the elastic member. |
| US07680426B2 |
Image forming apparatus with air flow blocking mechanism
In a configuration with a plurality of developing units, an influx of air into one developing unit from another developing unit can be blocked with a simple configuration. An operation section for a developing unit that is not in operation rotates a developer roll in the reverse direction to move developer accumulated on a pickoff pole, and fills a clearance formed between a housing and the developer roll with the developer so that the air flow of the developing unit that is not in operation is blocked. Accordingly, even if a difference in pressure between a developing unit that is in operation and a developing unit that is not in operation occurs, an air flow from the developing unit in operation to the developing unit not in operation is not apt to be formed, and an influx of air into the developing unit that is not in operation is blocked. |
| US07680421B2 |
Multimode optical fibre communication system
A multimode optical fibre communications system, and in particular to a system in which non-linearities in the propagation of the signal through a multimode optical communications channel degrade the signal presented to the receiver. The system includes an optical transmitter unit for connection to a multimode optical fibre transmission link. The transmitter unit has a data input for receiving an input data signal, a data signal processing circuit and a source of optical radiation. The data signal processing circuit is arranged to receive the input data signal from the data input and to provide a processed data signal to the source of optical radiation and the source of optical radiation is arranged to generate from this an optical signal for transmission by a multimode optical fibre. The data processing circuit is arranged to provide from the input data signal a non-inverted data signal and an inverted data signal, receive a control signal for controlling the generation of the processed data signal, apply a controllable delay in accordance with the control signal to at least one of the non-inverted and inverted data signals, and combine the non-inverted and inverted signals after the application of the controllable delay(s) and gain factor(s) to generate the processed data signal. |
| US07680420B1 |
Optical E-field modulation using a directly driven laser
A method of synthesizing a modulated optical signal using a laser cascaded with an amplitude modulator. A phase drive signal VF(t) is derived for driving the laser to generate an optical carrier signal with a desired phase φ(t). An amplitude drive signal VS(t) is then derived for driving the amplitude modulator to impose a desired amplitude S(t) onto the optical carrier signal generated by the laser. The amplitude drive signal VS(t) is compensated for amplitude modulation of the optical carrier signal generated by the laser. |
| US07680414B2 |
Passive optical network system and operating method thereof
A Passive Optical Network system implementing a parent station capable of receiving high-speed burst signals transmitted from a plurality of subsidiary stations to a parent station, with excellent bandwidth utilization efficiency in the link from the stations to the parent. The system is provided with a configuration in which, when launched or an addition of a new subsidiary station, the parent stores threshold values appropriate for the received signals on the basis of the strength of the received signal for each subsidiary station, from among a plurality of preset threshold value candidates, and in response to the parent station's sending of a transmission grant with respect to each subsidiary station each time the subsidiary station transmitting optical signals changes, the stored threshold value corresponding to the subsidiary station is set in the receiver circuit. |
| US07680413B2 |
Optical network monitoring system and method
An optical network monitoring system and method provide for optical network diverting or further legal intercept, operational and/or other monitoring of general or specific transmission information that may be transmitted via a network optical branch. In one embodiment, a splitter within a diverter assembly diverts a portion of a received transmission signal (strength) to an optical receiver or re-transmitter, and outputs a further portion of the signal via a diverter assembly output or further via a re-transmitter or booster. In another embodiment, the splitter is generally matched to the receiver. A further embodiment provides for transferring the diverted portion to a monitoring assembly with which the diverting assembly may be matched, disposed or otherwise integrated, and which may provide for configuring the diverting assembly. The monitoring assembly may further provide for conducting monitoring processing, which may include receiving additional information from a service host or other system component, processing the diverted portion, additional information or both, and/or using the additional information for processing the diverted portion. The monitoring assembly may still further receive a monitoring request from a monitoring requester or other authorization authority that may include monitoring processing criteria, and may transfer designated content to a designated receiver. |
| US07680409B2 |
Camera system and interchangeable lens
A camera system includes a camera body having an in-body motor; an interchangeable lens having an in-lens motor, the interchangeable lens being detachable from the camera body; a focusing mechanism for moving a focusing lens group provided in the interchangeable lens in an optical axis direction thereof; a rotational force transmission device which transmits a rotational force of the in-body motor to the focusing mechanism to perform an AF operation in a state where the interchangeable lens is attached to the camera body; an auto-focusing mechanism for driving the focusing mechanism to perform an AF operation by the in-lens motor, independently from the in-body motor; and a one-way clutch which allows transmission of a rotational force of the in-body motor to the in-lens motor while preventing a rotational force of the in-lens motor from being transmitted to the in-body motor. |
| US07680396B2 |
Reproducing system and reproduction method, and data transmission device and data transmission method
A reproduction player (10) comprising a packet processing unit (14) for allowing A/V data reproduced from a recording medium by a disc reproducing unit (12) and an encoder (13) to be packet data so that communication packet is provided, and for inserting additional information indicating operating state of the reproduction player (10) into the communication packet, and a remocon (20) comprising a packet processing unit (25) for taking out additional information along with A/V data from communication packet that a receiving unit (24) has received, an output unit (21) for externally outputting music and/or image on the basis of the A/V data, and a display unit (22) for displaying operating state of the reproduction player (10) on the basis of the additional information are used to constitute a reproducing system which reproduces music and/or video data. User can recognize, on the real time basis, the state of the unit of the transmitting side which reproduces A/V data at an remote output equipment. |
| US07680395B2 |
Apparatus and method for writing and playing back digital broadcasting supplementary service information and recording media therefor
The present invention relates to method and apparatus of providing supplementary service information for A/V contents written in a recording medium. This method has a recording medium containing Presentation Language data, which have to be included like as in a digital television signal for supplementary service information in accordance with Advanced TV Enhancement Forum or Digital TV Application Software Environment standard, and reproduces, if a disk reproduction is requested, the Presentation Language data as well as requested A/V data and provides them for a connected external device such as a digital television. As a result, various video information and functions provided with Presentation Language data by a recording medium can be realized at a digital television set being able to accept Presentation Language data. |
| US07680394B2 |
Recording medium, recording method, reproduction apparatus and method, and computer-readable program
An AV Clip generated by multiplexing video and graphics streams is recorded on a BD-ROM. The graphics stream is a sequence of PES packets. The PES packets include ODSs (Object Definition Segments) carrying graphics data and PCSs (Presentation Control Segments) carrying control information. A PCS indicates that graphics data in a preceding ODS in the arrangement is to be displayed at a predetermined time in a state of being overlaid on the video stream. The PCS and the preceding ODS belong to different DSs, and the graphics data in the preceding ODS may be non-referenced graphics data that is not referenced by a PCS which belongs to the same DS as the preceding ODS. |
| US07680393B2 |
Content editing assistance system, video processing apparatus, playback apparatus, editing apparatus, computer program, and content processing method
A content editing assistance system includes a mark generator for generating electronic mark data relating to content data; a take-metadata generator for generating a take-metadata file based on the electronic mark data generated for each take; a manager for managing the content data and the take-metadata file relating to the content data as separate files; a list generator for generating electronic-mark-list data based on the take-metadata file; and an editor for editing the electronic-mark-list data. |
| US07680391B2 |
Remote control system for device connected to network
A control device remotely controls a controlled device. The control device includes a display unit, a communication unit and a control unit. The display unit displays a control panel of the controlled device. The control unit produces operation information. The communication unit sends the operation information to the controlled device. The operation information includes a shifting history of a cursor displayed on the control panel. The shifting history includes identification information of buttons depressed by the cursor in a single operation. |
| US07680389B2 |
Light transceiver module
A light transceiver module is designed for electronic devices. It forms an electric connection with the electric connector of the electronic device. The light transceiver module contains a base, a light-emitting device for providing optical signals, a light-receiving device for receiving optical signals, and a main circuit board. The base supports the light-emitting device, the light-receiving device, and the main circuit board. The main circuit board has a pluggable electric connector for connections with the electric connector of the electronic device. The light transceiver module can be used to simplify and optimize the devices using it. |
| US07680386B2 |
Retractable module for patch cords
A retractable optical fiber assembly is provided, including a first ring adapted to accommodate a first winding of a fiber optic cable having a first end. A second ring is positioned concentrically with the first ring. The second ring is rotatable with respect to the first ring, and the second ring is adapted to accommodate a second winding of the fiber optic cable having a second end. Rotating the second ring in a first direction causes the fiber optic cable to wind onto the second ring thereby retracting the second end towards the retractable optical fiber assembly, and causes the fiber optic cable to unwind about the first ring thereby retaining the first end in a stable position as the second end is retracted. A module is also provided that includes a plurality of retractable optical fiber assemblies. |
| US07680382B2 |
Method for fabricating three-dimensional photonic crystal
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method for fabricating a three-dimensional photonic crystal. In the method for fabricating the three-dimensional photonic crystal, a plurality of layers can be defined as one unit, and the total thickness of the one unit can be controlled such that an average layer-thickness of the plurality of layers in the one unit is about equal to the ideal layer-thickness so that a photonic band-gap occurs in a desired wavelength region. |
| US07680371B2 |
Interface device for performing mode transformation in optical waveguides
An interface device for performing mode transformation in optical waveguides includes an optical waveguide core for propagating light of a particular wavelength or a plurality of wavelengths. The optical waveguide core terminates in a subwavelength grating configured to change the propagation mode of the light. The subwavelength grating has a pitch sufficiently less than the wavelength of the light to frustrate diffraction. The device can thus serve as an optical coupler between different propagating media, or as an anti-reflective or high reflectivity device. |
| US07680369B2 |
Optical fibre switching assembly
An optical beam steering arrangement, comprises: a moveable optical element; actuating means for causing the movement of said element; a connecting means between said element and said actuating means for transmitting movement from said actuating means to said element; and flexure means which carry said optical element and are compliant with the displacement of said optical element. |
| US07680366B2 |
Optical waveguide chip and method of manufacturing the same
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide chip, etc., having a structure for effectively avoiding or suppressing peeling of an optical waveguide layer in a process of cutting a wafer. The optical waveguide chip comprises a substrate having a main surface, and an optical waveguide layer formed on the main surface of the substrate. The optical waveguide layer comprises a cladding portion and a core portion that is disposed inside the cladding portion and that has a higher refractive index than the cladding portion, and at least one of side surfaces of the optical waveguide layer is positioned at a predetermined distance toward a center of the main surface from an edge of the main surface. This arrangement includes an arrangement having a thin film portion at a peripheral region that includes the edge of the main surface. In the case that the optical waveguide layer has the thin film portion at its periphery, the optical waveguide layer has a side surface that coincide with the side surface of the substrate including the edge of the main surface and a side surface that is separated by a predetermined distance from edge of the main surface. By this arrangement, when cutting a wafer into chip units, even if chipping occurs at an edge of the main surface of the substrate to be cut, peeling of the optical waveguide layer, formed on the substrate, is suppressed effectively. |
| US07680364B2 |
Wavelength locking and power control systems for multi-channel photonic integrated circuits (PICS)
A transmissive active channel element is provided in each signal channel of a monolithic multi-channel TxPIC where each channel also includes a modulated source. The active channel element functions both as a power control element for both monitoring and regulating the output channel signal level of each signal channel and as a modulator for channel wavelength tagging or labeling to provide for wavelength locking the modulated sources. The power regulating function is also employed to control the channel signal power outputs of each channel to be uniform across the channel signal array. All of these functions are carried out by a feedback loop utilizing digital signal processing. |
| US07680358B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method thereof, and program
When the data is divided into blocks each having a set block size, and image data includes an object which extends over a plurality of blocks, the object is divided based on object information associated with the object. The object information of the divided object is re-set based on the object information associated with the object divided into blocks. Block vector image data are generated using the object having the re-set object information. |
| US07680355B2 |
Detection of artifacts resulting from image signal decompression
A method includes making a first determination as to whether a current pixel has a value which reflects a mosquito noise artifact, and determining whether to apply a filtering process at the current pixel based on a result of the first determination. In addition, or alternatively, a method includes making a second determination as to whether a current pixel has a value which reflects a ringing artifact, and determining whether to apply a filtering process at the current pixel based on a result of the second determination. |
| US07680354B2 |
Image deblur based on two images
A method includes (a) performing image deblur at the original size of underexposed and normally exposed images when their original image size is small. Otherwise, the method includes (b) downsizing the images and performing image deblur on the downsized images. The image deblur on downsized images includes (c) applying a global color transfer between the images if their difference of average gray values is small. Otherwise, the method includes four successive sub-procedures: (d) histogram customizing of the underexposed image based on the normally exposed image; (e) region segmentation for the histogram-customized underexposed image and local alignment of regions in the histogram-customized underexposed image with the normally exposed image; (f) color tuning for the histogram-customized underexposed image based on the local alignment and a global alignment between the underexposed and the normally exposed images; and (g) local color transfer with multi-size neighbor windows from between the images. |
| US07680353B2 |
Stabilization of objects within a video sequence
A simplified general model and an associated estimation algorithm is provided for modeling visual data such as a video sequence. Specifically, images or frames in a video sequence are represented as collections of flat moving objects that change their appearance and shape over time, and can occlude each other over time. A statistical generative model is defined for generating such visual data where parameters such as appearance bit maps and noise, shape bit-maps and variability in shape, etc., are known. Further, when unknown, these parameters are estimated from visual data without prior pre-processing by using a maximization algorithm. By parameter estimation and inference in the model, visual data is segmented into components which facilitates sophisticated applications in video or image editing, such as, for example, object removal or insertion, tracking and visual surveillance, video browsing, photo organization, video compositing, etc. |
| US07680349B2 |
Variable length coding for clustered transform coefficients in video compression
Coding quantized transform coefficients as occur in image compression combines a position identifying method to identify the relative position of clusters of consecutive non-zero-valued coefficients, an amplitude event identifying method to identify amplitude events in the clusters of non-zero-valued coefficients, and a coding method to code the position events, amplitude events, and signs of the amplitudes in the clusters. The method is particularly applicable to a series of quantized transform coefficients where clusters are likely to occur. |
| US07680347B2 |
Method and device for condensed image recording and reproduction
According to an embodiment, the invention discusses techniques of encoding image data and decoding the encoded image data in an effective manner. As a result, recording and reproduction of data is optimized by compressing an image signal based on whether or not there exists a significant difference between two adjacent frames or units of image data. |
| US07680343B2 |
Automatic selection of a visual image or images from a collection of visual images, based on an evaluation of the quality of the visual images
The invention automatically evaluates the quality of the visual images in a collection of visual images and selects one or more visual image(s) from the collection based on the evaluation of the quality of the visual images. |
| US07680340B2 |
Method of using temporal context for image classification
A method for improving scene classification of a sequence of digital images is disclosed herein. Such a method may include providing a sequence of images captured in temporal succession; (b) classifying each of the images individually based on information contained in the image alone to generate a first image classification; and (c) imposing a pre-determined temporal context model on the sequence of images to generate a final image classification for each image in the sequence. |
| US07680335B2 |
Prior-constrained mean shift analysis
A system and method are provided for prior-constrained mean shift analysis of a data array, the system including a processor, an input adapter in signal communication with the processor for receiving at least one data array, and a prior constraints unit in signal communication with the processor for performing a prior-constrained mean shift analysis on the at least one data array; and the method including receiving initialization data, selecting an initial point relative to the initialization data, Gaussian fitting with a prior-constrained mean shift responsive to the initial point to parse a structure, and setting the parsed structure as a prior constraint. |
| US07680333B2 |
System and method for binary persistence format for a recognition result lattice
A system and method for storing document data in a serialized binary format recognition lattice structure so that the data is accessible to other applications. The lattice structure is generated that includes root node data. Child nodes correspond to columns of the recognition lattice. Each node includes a descriptor that is a collection of flags indicating presence of specific components of the node. The child nodes may include grandchild nodes with similar structure corresponding to elements within the columns. Each node further includes property information associated with the node. The recognition lattice is stored in a serial binary data format. |
| US07680330B2 |
Methods and apparatus for object recognition using textons
Methods and an apparatuses for automatically recognizing and/or verifying objects in a digital image are presented. In one example, a method automatically recognizes objects in digital image data by detecting an object of interest in input digital image data, obtaining a normalized object of interest, assigning texton representations of the normalized object of interest to produce a first a texton array, and determining a similarity between the texton representations and previously determined texton representations of at least one other object. In another example, an apparatus for automatically recognizing objects in digital image data is presented, which includes an image processing control-operably coupled to memory and functional processing units for controlling recognition processing, where the functional processing units further include an object detection unit, a normalizing unit, a texton generation unit, and a similarity unit. |
| US07680329B2 |
Character recognition apparatus and character recognition method
A character recognition apparatus generates each character candidate from a character string written in a plurality of character entry boxes written on a sheet of paper such as a business form, and performs character recognition. A row image separating unit acquires an image containing a plurality of character entry boxes and the character string. A character extraction processing unit detects each point at which a plurality of lines are in contact with each other and intersect in the character string contained in the image, determines a point at which the character string should be cut or recombined on the basis of the placement relationship between the point and the corresponding character entry box, and generates each character candidate constituting the character string. A character recognition unit performs character recognition for each character candidate generated by the character extraction processing unit. |
| US07680324B2 |
Use of image-derived information as search criteria for internet and other search engines
Search terms are derived automatically from images captured by a camera equipped cell phone, PDA, or other image capturing device, submitted to a search engine to obtain information of interest, and at least a portion of the resulting information is transmitted back locally to, or nearby, the device that captured the image. |
| US07680322B2 |
Method of fabricating printed material for stereoscopic viewing, and printed material for stereoscopic viewing
Printed material for stereoscopic viewing is fabricated by creating images for the left eye and the right eye IL1 and IR1 for stereoscopic viewing, performing correction processing to remove perspective of images in the IL1 and IR1 at a base surface, creating images for the left eye and the right eye IL2 and IR2, and performing anaglyph processing or the like, based on the IL2 and IR2. An image IL for the left eye is created by rendering a projection of each point of a graphic object onto a base surface BS in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the left eye VPL to each point of the graphic object OB, and an IMAGE IR FOR THE RIGHT EYE is created by rendering a projection of each point of the graphic object onto the base surface BS in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the right eye VPL to each point of the graphic object OB. Printed material for stereoscopic viewing is fabricated by anaglyph processing or the like, based on the IL and IR. |
| US07680320B2 |
Image processing method, substrate inspection method, substrate inspection apparatus and method of generating substrate inspection data
A color image as a combination of color data corresponding to a plural n-number of different hues is processed by extracting a target object from the image and carrying out a specified image processing. A reference image is obtained in the absence of the target object. Color data corresponding to specified less than n of the different hues are considered and difference in the degree of intensity of the considered color data relative to the combination of color data corresponding to n different hues between each pixel of the target image containing the target object and a corresponding pixel on the reference image are extracted. Pixels for which the extracted difference is greater than a specified threshold value and is in a specified direction are extracted. An image area formed by the extracted pixels are recognized as the target object. |
| US07680318B2 |
Method and apparatus for identifying MICR characters
A method and apparatus for reading MICR characters is disclosed, in which both magnetic and optical data are read and stored. The magnetic and optical data are then normalized and combined to form a combined data set which is compared to templates representing combined magnetic imaging and optical imaging of the standard MICR characters. Character values are selected in response to the comparison of the combined data sets. |
| US07680316B2 |
Imaging device and methods to derive an image on a solid phase
An imaging device (46) comprises a carrier stage (12a) for carrying a sample slide (14a) including a micro-array of cellular binding event samples, a linear light source (37a) for illuminating the sample slide (14a), and a motor drive (16a) for moving the carrier stage (12a) relative to the sample slide (14a) such that successive portions of the sample slide (14a) are illuminated by the light source (37a). A digital opitical line scan camera system (44a) is disposed such that, in use, it captures substantially only the successive portions of light rays (40a) which emerge from the sample slide at an offset angle relative to light rays (42a) from light source transmitted through and emerging from the sample slide (14a) to generate a series of linear dark field images arranged to be reconstructed into a composite image of the sample slide or array of samples. |
| US07680314B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods for improving image consistency
Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise automatically rendering an improved image of a target object. The improved image obtained based upon a principal mode of the target object. The principal mode of the target object can be provided to an algorithm that is adapted to derive the improved image of the target object. |
| US07680310B2 |
Relative calibration for dosimetric devices
Calibrating the dose response of an image acquisition device comprises comparing a first self-calibration curve to a second self-calibration curve to determine the relationship between the curves; modifying an acquired image based on the at least one difference; and applying an initial calibration to the acquired image, whereby the dose response of the image acquisition device is calibrated. |
| US07680308B2 |
Medical imaging-quality assessment and improvement system (QAISys)
The business method known as QAISys (Quality Assessment and Improvement System) is a process that rates comprehensively and continually the quality of medical images as determined by the interpreting radiologist. The output of this system conveys feedback from the radiologist to the performing technologist and his/her supervisor. This feedback enables medical radiologists, technologists, and managers to bridge any communication gaps between themselves in respect to the quality and effectiveness of medical images. It permits management to assess and track image quality for an entire medical imaging department by modality, location, and/or shift, and for each individual technologist. The QAISys method reveals the nature of recurrent quality failures and highlights which exam types need to be improved. QAISys then indicates practical, cost-effective means of assessing and improving the overall medical images for future patients. |
| US07680299B2 |
Unauthorized person detection device and unauthorized person detection method
In masquerading determination processing, a masquerading determination unit reads image data representing an image of an identification target on which a striped pattern is projected from an image storage unit to extract the striped pattern appearing in a face region of the image represented by the read image data. Subsequently, the masquerading determination unit determines whether a stripe in the face region in the image is a straight line or not. When the stripe is a straight line, because the identification target is a plane object such as a photograph or an image display device so that it can be determined that the target is at least not a person himself, the masquerading determination unit determines that the target masquerades. On the other hand, unless the stripe is a straight line, because the identification target has a solid configuration having three-dimensional irregularities to have a possibility of being a person himself, the unit determines that the target might not masquerade. |
| US07680298B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for gesture-activated appliances
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for operating home appliances using gesture recognition. A sequence of video images is received and compared to a stored sequence of gesture images. A recognized gesture is associated to a home appliance and to an operation of the home appliance. An appliance controller causes a response to the recognized gesture to perform the operation of the home appliance. |
| US07680296B2 |
Information embedding device and program for changing a number of points that exist on sides of a polygon
Information embedding is performed by extracting vertices constituting a polygon from vector data, and changing a number of points that exist on sides of the polygon based on embedment information. Further, information reading is performed by extracting points existing on the sides of the polygon from the embedment information and embedded vector data, and by reading the embedment information according to a predetermined rule. |
| US07680294B2 |
Acoustic transducer
An acoustic transducer includes a magnetic circuit part and a voice coil operatively connected to the magnetic circuit part. A tubular casing accommodates the magnetic circuit part and the voice coil. An annular first support spring has an outer peripheral portion embedded and secured in the casing. The first support spring extends radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the casing and has an inner peripheral portion abutting on and fixed to the magnetic circuit part. An annular second support spring has an outer peripheral portion abutting on and fixed to one end portion of the casing. The second support spring extends radially inward and has an inner peripheral portion abutting on and fixed to the magnetic circuit part. |
| US07680293B2 |
Loudspeaker apparatus
A loudspeaker apparatus includes a speaker unit and a front cover. The speaker unit generates acoustic waves according to an external electronic signal. The front cover located in front of the speaker unit includes a plurality of elastic spacers and a diaphragm, and the elastic spacers and the diaphragm form an enhanced chamber, such, that the acoustic waves generated by the speaker unit go through the enhance chamber, and then drives the diaphragm to generate the acoustic waves again. |
| US07680285B2 |
Adaptive estimation and compensation of clock drift in acoustic echo cancellers
A system and method for adaptive estimation and compensation of clock drift in echo cancellers is provided. The invention includes an acoustic echo cancellation system with a built in adaptive clock drift compensation system. The acoustic echo cancellation system has an AEC component that performs acoustic echo cancellation on data from a capture buffer, by also using information derived from a render buffer. The clock drift compensation system has access to this capture buffer and render buffer. The clock drift compensation system includes a clock drift compensator that calculates, based on the current location of the capture data being processed by the AEC component as well as additional information, the ideal location in the render buffer from which the AEC component should process data. The clock drift compensator further adjusts the current location in the render buffer from which the AEC component processes data based, at least in part, upon this ideal location. The clock drift compensator can further detect and correct for glitches in the hardware positions received from the render and capture devices. |
| US07680284B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling operation of audio low sound output means
The present invention is related to an apparatus and a method for controlling operations of low sound output in an audio system. Embodiments of an apparatus and a method for controlling an operation of an audio woofer in a machine provided with an audio system such as a portable computer can operate using at least one or more information of an audio data type, an audio signal, an audio channel number and a power source. Therefore, it is possible to accurately select and listen to an audio of a high-pass component only by stopping operations of a low-pass component for an audio as reproduced. In addition, embodiments of the present invention can extend a time for using a battery by controlling operations of a woofer, when using the battery power. |
| US07680281B2 |
Method and apparatus for intercepting events in a communication system
An intercept system provides more effective and more efficient compliance with legal intercept warrants. The intercept system can provide any combination of operations that include near-real-time intercept, capture of intercepted data in structured authenticated form, clear text intercept for communications where there is access to encryption keys, cipher text intercept for communications where there is no access to encryption keys, provision of transactional logs to the authorized agency, interception without altering the operation of the target services, and encryption of stored intercepted information. |
| US07680279B2 |
Image display system
An image control apparatus in an image display system applies scrambling only to image data which requires content protection and notifies to a display apparatus which pixel or pixels are scrambled. Alternatively, when a plurality of windows are displayed at the same time, the image control apparatus scrambles each window individually using a different key, and notifies to the display apparatus which scramble is applied to each pixel. |
| US07680278B2 |
Domino scheme for wireless cryptographic communication and communication method incorporating same
A system and method for secure wireless cryptographic communication among participants in a wireless computing network is presented. This secure communication method is based on a random modulation technique and a domino match. Once the initial modulation scheme is selected, each data transmission includes an indication of what modulation scheme should be used for the next data transmission. If a given number of bits are to be used, the modulation scheme for the final transmission may be limited to complete the bit transfer. The bit value assignments within particular modulation schemes may also be varied for each subsequent transmission. |
| US07680273B2 |
System and method for optimizing error detection to detect unauthorized modification of transmitted data
Disclosed is a system and method for optimizing error detection to detect unauthorized modification of transmitted data. The system includes an encrypting device and a decrypting device operatively coupled to the first encrypting device. The encrypting device is configured to re-order and encrypt a first data stream to form a second data stream, and the decrypting device is configured to re-order and decrypt the second data stream to form a third data stream substantially identical to the first data stream. Each of the encrypting and decrypting devices includes at least one pseudo-random number generator, a reversible function device responsive to a first pseudo-random number generator to cause data stream bits to be re-ordered, and a XOR function responsive to a second or the first pseudo-random number generator to cause either consecutive portions of the data stream bits to be encrypted or decrypted. |
| US07680270B2 |
System for elliptic curve encryption using multiple points on an elliptic curve derived from scalar multiplication
A method of elliptic curve encryption includes, (a) selecting an elliptic curve Ep (a,b) of the form y2=x3+ax+b mod (p) wherein a and b are non-negative integers less than p satisfying the formula 4 a3+27b2 mod (p) not equal to 0; (b) generating a large 160 bit random number by a method of concatenation of a number of smaller random numbers; (c) generating a well hidden point G (x,y) on the elliptic curve Ep (a,b) by scalar multiplication of a point B (x,y) on the elliptic curve with a large random integer which further includes the steps: (i) converting the large random integer into a series of powers of 231; (ii) converting each coefficient of 231 obtained from above step into a binary series; (iii) multiplication of binary series obtained from steps (i) and (ii) above with the point B (x,y) on the elliptic curve; (d) generating a private key nA (of about >=160 bit length); (e) generating a public key PA (x,y) given by the formula PA (x,y)=(nA−G (x,y)) mod (p); (f) encrypting the input message MSG; (g) decrypting the ciphered text. |
| US07680267B2 |
Headset with a retractable speaker portion
An earbud headset, a handset including the same, and methods of operating the headset and handset are provided. In one embodiment, an earbud headset includes a speaker portion that is retractable into and extendable from a base portion, thereby allowing for a thin profile form factor. Advantageously, the earbud headset allows for more convenient storage and/or integration with a handset such that a user may carry the handset and headset much like a single item. |
| US07680261B2 |
Method of providing an improved call forwarding service
The invention concerns a method of providing an improved call forwarding service in a telecommunications network, and a network unit and a computer program product to execute this method. A call initiated by a caller (10) to a first callee (21) is consecutively forwarded, starting from the first callee (21), to one or more further interlinked callees (22, 23), thereby forming a call forwarding chain (401, 402). A set of data is added to the call, the data comprising an identifier of each of the callees (21, 22, 23) involved in the call forwarding chain (401, 402) and an address associated with a respective message memory (210, 220, 230) assigned to each of the callees (21, 22, 23) involved in the call forwarding chain (401, 402). When the call is forwarded to the message memory (230) assigned to a last callee (23) of the call forwarding chain (401, 402), the caller (10) is prompted to provide a message to be stored in one or more of the message memories (210, 220, 230). From the set of data one or more of the addresses associated with the message memories (210, 220, 230) are retrieved. And the message received from the caller (10) is delivered to one or more of the message memories (210, 220, 230) by routing the message to the retrieved one or more addresses. |
| US07680252B2 |
Switch proxy for providing emergency stand alone service in remote access systems
A switch proxy comprising a controller, a translations database and a switching fabric are connected to a trunk group between a remote terminal and its controlling local switching system. The switch proxy monitors control signals to and from the switching system on the trunk. In the event of loss of control signals from the host switching system, the switch proxy intercepts requests for service, etc. from a calling telephone connected to the remote terminal and performs a look up in the translation database. If the call can be completed without the controlling switching system the call is looped back to the remote terminal. The translation database is maintained by a switch proxy management system that receives change orders from the local exchange carrier. The switch proxy management system forwards relevant changes to the switch proxy's translation database in the field. |
| US07680245B2 |
Orthovoltage radiotherapy
A radiosurgery system is described that is configured to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. In some embodiments, inflammatory ocular disorders are treated, specifically macular degeneration. In some embodiments, the ocular structures are placed in a global coordinate system based on ocular imaging. In some embodiments, the ocular structures inside the global coordinate system lead to direction of an automated positioning system that is directed based on the ocular structures within the coordinate system. In some embodiments, the position of the ocular structure is tracked and related to the status of the radiosurgery system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized in which beam energy and direction and duration of time for treatment is determined for a specific disease to be treated and/or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, the structure is an eye and the eye is tracked by the system. In some embodiments, the eye is held in place and in some embodiments, the eye is fixed by the patient. In some embodiments, a fiducial is placed on the eye to aid in positioning. In some embodiments, a reflection off the eye is used to aid in positioning. In some embodiments, radiodynamic therapy is described in which radiosurgery is used in combination with other treatments and can be delivered concomitant with, prior to, or following other treatments. |
| US07680242B2 |
X-ray examination method and X-ray examination apparatus
An X-ray examination apparatus includes a scanning X-ray source for outputting X-rays, a sensor base which is attached with a plurality of X-ray sensors and which rotates about a rotation axis, and an image acquiring control mechanism for controlling rotation angle of the sensor base and acquisition of image data from the X-ray sensors. With respect to each X-ray sensor, the scanning X-ray source moves the X-ray focal position of the X-ray source to each starting position of the X-ray emission set so that the X-ray transmits through a predetermined examination area of an examination target and enters each X-ray sensor, and emits the X-rays. The image control acquiring control mechanism acquires image data detected by the X-ray sensors, and a calculation unit reconstructs an image of the examination area based on the image data. |
| US07680237B1 |
Containment vessel and method of operating a condenser in a nuclear power plant
A containment vessel of a boiling-water nuclear power plant and a method of operating a condenser in a nuclear power plant, include a drain pipe which connects a top region of the containment vessel to a condensing chamber disposed in the containment vessel. The drain pipe draws off noncondensible gases from the surroundings of a building condenser in the containment vessel and thus maintains reliability of performance of the building condenser. The noncondensible gases flow automatically into the condensing chamber through the drain pipe. As a result, the building condenser may have a simple and cost-effective structure. |
| US07680236B1 |
Hybrid analog/digital phase-lock loop for low-jitter synchronization
A hybrid analog/digital phase-lock loop for low-jitter synchronization provides a mechanism for generating a low-jitter clock from a timing reference that has a high jitter level. A numerically-controlled analog oscillator provides a clock output and has an input for receiving a rational number. The rational number represents a ratio between the frequency of the clock output and the frequency of another stable clock provided to the circuit. A counter divides the frequency of either the clock output or the stable clock, providing feedback or feed-forward control of the analog oscillator, respectively. The circuit also includes a digital phase-frequency detector for detecting an on-going phase-frequency difference between an input timing reference and an output of the divider and a digital loop filter for filtering the output of the phase-frequency detector to provide the rational number that controls the frequency of the numerically-controlled analog oscillator. |
| US07680235B2 |
VCO circuit, PLL circuit using VCO circuit, and data recording apparatus the PLL circuit
A PLL circuit includes a phase comparing section, a low pass filter, a digital VCO circuit, and a frequency divider. The phase comparing section compares an inputted clock signal and a frequency-divided clock signal in phase to detect a phase difference. The low pass filter averages the phase difference outputted from the phase comparing section to output the averaged result as a frequency control input. The digital VCO circuit operates in synchronism with a reference clock signal, and generates a sync clock signal based on the frequency control input while a phase of the sync clock signal is controlled in units of predetermined resolution values. The predetermined resolution value is a 1/K (K is a natural number more than 1) of a period of the reference clock signal. The frequency divider frequency-divides the synch clock signal to generate the frequency-divided clock signal. |
| US07680230B2 |
Frame format decoder and training sequence generator for wireless LAN networks
A frame format decoder (22) and training sequence generator (24) for determining the frame format of received data which is compliant with the IEEE 802.1 1b standard for wireless local area networks, and for providing a training sequence for an adaptive equalizer (16). The received signal is first despreaded, demodulated and descrambled, so that the SYNC field is reconstructed, and then a counter 32 counts the number of consecutive bits having the same polarity or logic value until N such bits are counted (where N is an integer greater than 1). The polarity or logic value of the N counted bits enables the decoder (22) to determine whether the frame format is long or short. A training sequence, being a copy of the transmitted SYNC field eventually followed by an SFD field, is also generated for use by an adaptive equalizer (16). |
| US07680220B2 |
Numerical phase detector with interpolated values
A phase measurement circuit is described that receives a signal with irregularly spaced edges and assigns a numerical value to the phase of each edge. An interpolator provides linear interpolation between successive values to provide continuous phase values at smaller, regular intervals. The interpolated values are resampled at a lower, regular rate to simplify subsequent processing by filters or other data-reduction means. The interpolation is performed without dividers or two-variable multipliers. |
| US07680219B2 |
Apparatus and method for decoding a bit sequence from QPSK or QAM symbols
A bit sequence (b, b′) from QPSK or QAM symbols is decoded, in which an associated receive probability (w, w′) is assigned to each receive bit (b, b′). The receive probability (w, w′) is adaptively determined taking into account the transfer properties of the channel. |
| US07680218B2 |
Method and apparatus for communication channel estimation
A method and apparatus for predicting channel estimates for non-received signal frequencies provides knowledge of propagation channel characteristics for non-received frequencies. One embodiment predicts uplink (or downlink) channel estimates based on measured downlink (or uplink) channel estimates, which is advantageous in systems having different uplink and downlink frequencies. Another embodiment predicts channel responses for non-received OFDM sub carrier frequencies based on measuring channel responses for received OFDM sub carrier frequencies. Such processing may comprise, for example, measuring channel responses for received OFDM pilot sub carriers, predicting channel responses at frequency intervals corresponding to pilot sub carrier spacing, and interpolating between those values to predict channel responses at data sub carrier frequencies. |
| US07680217B2 |
Methods and systems for coding of a bang-bang detector
Various apparatus and methods for related to clock recovery are disclosed. For example, in one illustrative embodiment, a clock recovery circuit includes a coding circuit adapted to translate a stream of first digital numbers derived from a source signal into a stream of first binary numbers and a stream of second binary numbers, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit coupled to the coding circuit and configured to provide an analog output based on the streams of first and second binary numbers and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) controlled by the analog output of the DAC circuit and adapted to produce a base clock having a base clock frequency. |
| US07680216B2 |
Adaptive thresholds for high speed downlink shared control channel (HS-SCCH) (part I) detection schemes
A technique is provided for implementing adaptive thresholds associated with HS-SCCH detection schemes; and when applied to any HS-SCCH detection scheme, the resulting false alarm probability curves are more robust to amplitude variations of the different shared control channels. The technique has low computational complexity and low storage requirements for the estimator. Such lower complexity detection schemes have been found to outperform more complex schemes when adaptive thresholds are applied. |
| US07680215B2 |
Apparatus and method for efficient inter radio access technology operation
An apparatus, and a method performed by the apparatus, including a terminal with a front end receiver and analog filter (AF) operable throughout a bandwidth that is large enough to cover the total bandwidth used by different access technologies that the terminal supports. The terminal is operable to simultaneously extract from the output of a single front end receiver and AF the carrier frequencies and bandwidths of the different access technologies. This permits cell evaluation activity and an ongoing communication session to be conducted simultaneously with different access technologies on different bandwidths within the bandwidth of the analog filter and without interruption of the communication session. |
| US07680213B2 |
Generating higher order modulation using QPSK modulations
A method and system generates a higher order modulation, in which a complex sequence of binary digits corresponding to symbols of a higher order modulation is received. The symbols correspond to constellation points of the higher order modulation. First mapping means map the symbols of the higher order modulation to first constellation points of a first QPSK modulation and output an output signal of the first QPSK modulation corresponding to the first constellation points. Similarly, second mapping means map the symbols of the higher order modulation to second constellation points of a second QPSK modulation and output an output signal of the second QPSK modulation corresponding to the second constellation points. Adding means add the output signals of the first and second QPSK modulations, thereby generating the constellation points of the higher order modulation. |
| US07680212B2 |
Linear precoding for multi-input systems based on channel estimate and channel statistics
A method, processor and system for linear precoding for a multiple-input communication channel described in terms of an effective mean and an effective correlation is provided. The effective mean and correlation can be the sample mean and correlation of the channel, or they can also include an estimate of the channel and a quality parameter of the estimate. The precode is derived by minimizing a Chernoff bound on the pairwise error probability. It is assumed the channel code is a matrix block code, which includes spatial multiplexing and space-time block codes (STBCs) as special cases. In some cases (e.g., an orthogonal STBC) the codeword separation matrix is a scaled identity matrix. In these cases, the precode that minimizes the Chernoff bound can be determined analytically. It may be necessary to perform a “dynamic water-filling” procedure in order to satisfy constraints on the optimization. In other cases, the codeword separation matrix is not a scaled identity matrix. In such cases, various precodes which approximately minimize the Chernoff bound are provided. |
| US07680209B2 |
Method and device for training an RF amplifier linearization device, and mobile terminal incorporating same
a method whereby a linearization training sequence is designed to be transmitted by means of a radiofrequency transmitter incorporated in a mobile terminal or a base station of a radiocommunication system comprising a fixed network. The sequence is adapted for transmitting bursts in accordance with a specific frame structure. Besides, the sequence is included in a sequence of symbols further designed to enable the transmission chain parameters to be adjusted. |
| US07680202B2 |
Digital wireless audio communication system employing time diversity
A communication system that transfers digital data on a fixed frequency channel of a radio frequency band in the presence of interference from at least one FHSS interference source includes a time diversity generation circuit. The time diversity circuit compacts a duration of data frames then replicate the time compressed data frames. The duplicated time compressed frames of data are transmitted to a communication receiver that has a time diversity data recovery circuit. The time diversity data recovery circuit buffers the received compressed and replicated data frames, evaluates whether each of the duplicated time compressed data frames are received correctly. If any one of the duplicated time compressed data frames is destroyed, the copy of the destroyed duplicated time compressed data frame is used to recover the data frame. |
| US07680199B2 |
Communications systems
In a multi user communication system, subcarriers are allocated to subchannels using a quality measurement for each subchannel. An initial sub carrier is allocated to each subchannel, and a quality metric measured. Subsequent subcarriers are allocated in dependence upon the quality measurement for each subchannel. The subchannel with the lowest quality measurement receives the first allocation, and the subchannel with the highest quality measurement receives the last allocation. The subsequent allocation is repeated, following a re-sort of the subchannel quality measurements, until all of the subcarriers are allocated. |
| US07680197B2 |
Apparatus and method for sampling timing compensation in multi-carrier system
The present invention provides an apparatus and an associated method for sampling timing compensation, which can estimate sampling frequency offset between the receiver and transmitter of a multi-carrier system according to estimated frequency responses of two consecutive received symbols within each pilot subchannel, and compensate an accumulated sampling timing offset resulted from the sampling frequency offset. When the accumulated timing offset is not large, the apparatus uses a phase rotator to compensate with a corresponding accumulated phase rotation in frequency domain. When the accumulated timing offset is large, the apparatus first compensates with a specific timing offset in time domain, and then uses the phase rotator to compensate with a phase rotation corresponding to the remaining timing offset in frequency domain. A timing controller is used to compensate with the specific timing offset by adjusting a clock generator or a cyclic prefix remover of the receiver. |
| US07680195B2 |
COFDM demodulator with an optimal FFT analysis window positioning
The invention relates to a method for the COFDM demodulation of a signal received from a transmission channel. The inventive method includes performing the fast Fourier transform of the signal received in a window corresponding to a symbol, each symbol being associated with a guard time reproducing one part of the symbol; supplying a set of estimated values for the module impulse response; determining coefficients, each coefficient being obtained from the product of the aforementioned set and a filtering function (FE) for a determined relative position of the filtering function in relation to the set; determining the maximum coefficient and the corresponding relative position; and positioning the window as a function of the relative position, the filtering function including a central part (LMAX) which has a constant amplitude and a duration equal to the duration of the guard time and which is surrounded by non-zero decreasing edges. |
| US07680193B2 |
Method for storing video signals with different read/write rates
The invention provides a method for storing video signals at a first rate and reading the stored video signals at a second rate. According to an embodiment of the method, the video signals to be stored are compressed. The compressed video signals are stored in a memory at a first rate. The compressed video signals a read from the memory into a buffer at the first rate. The video signals stored in the buffer are read from the buffer at a second rate such that the video signals are decompressed. |
| US07680191B2 |
Apparatus and method for compressing video information
A method and apparatus is disclosed for efficiently encoding data representing a video image, thereby reducing the amount of data that must be transferred to a decoder. The method includes transforming data sets utilizing a tensor product wavelet transform which is capable of transmitting remainders from one subband to another. Collections of subbands, in macro-block form, are weighted, detected, and ranked enabling prioritization of the transformed data. A motion compensation technique is performed on the subband data producing motion vectors and prediction errors which are positionally encoded into bit stream packets for transmittal to the decoder. Subband macro-blocks and subband blocks which are equal to zero are identified as such in the bit stream packets to further reduce the amount of data that must be transferred to the decoder. |
| US07680187B2 |
Coding system and method, encoding device and method, decoding device and method, recording device and method, and reproducing device and method
A transcoder for executing a re-coding process on an encoded stream generated based on an MPEG standard to generate a re-coded stream having a different GOP (Group of Pictures) structure or bit rate. A decoding device of a transcoder decodes a source encoded stream to generate decoded video data and extracts past coding parameters superposed in the encoded stream as history_stream( ). An encoding device receives the decoded video data and the past coding parameters and uses the past coding parameters to carry out an encoding process in a manner such that this process will not degrade image quality, thereby generating a re-coded stream. The encoding device superposes, as re_coding_stream—info( ), information indicating the selected past coding parameters. |
| US07680186B2 |
Apparatus for estimating motion considering correlation between blocks and method thereof
A motion estimation apparatus and a method considers a correlation between blocks. The motion apparatus includes a full search unit which divides a current frame/field into blocks of predetermined size and estimates an arbitrary motion vector of each block by a full search algorithm; a candidate motion vector estimating unit which computes a plurality of motion prediction error values by applying a block matching algorithm (BMA) to a current block and estimates candidate motion vectors from motion prediction error values below a predetermined threshold; a motion compensating unit which computes a correlation between respective candidate motion vectors and the motion vectors of adjacent blocks and compensates one among the candidate motion vectors to a final motion vector of the current block based on the computed correlation. By estimating motion vector of the current block in consideration of the correlation between the blocks, images free of block artifact can be provided. |
| US07680179B2 |
Data communication system with self-test feature
A data communication system includes circuitry to assure components respond to variations in the time length of the valid data window or “eye” of the high speed data communication signal. A self-test portion of the system periodically injects the effects of phase jitter into the data communication signal to assure the system performs properly. |
| US07680178B2 |
Cross-correlation detection and elimination in a receiver
A communication device with cross-correlation detection based upon statistical tests to determine whether the off-peak signal energy is consistent with auto-correlation energy levels. |
| US07680175B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving signal in a communication system using a plurality of transmit antennas
An apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving a signal in a communication system with a plurality of antennas are provided. Received modulation symbols of channel coded transmission information data are generated using a space-time mapping scheme and processed to RF symbols. The RF symbols are transmitted through antennas among the plurality of antennas. |
| US07680163B2 |
Laser irradiating method including maintaining temperature of a lens
A first mirror (5) that can be located at a reflection position (I) at which an optical path is blocked and a laser beam (a) is reflected, and a second mirror (6) that reflects the laser beam (a) which is reflected by the first mirror (5) are disposed between the condenser lens (2) and the object to be irradiated (4). The first mirror (5) is located at the reflection position (I) so that the laser beam (a) that is transmitted through the condenser lens (2) is sequentially reflected by the first and second mirrors (5 and 6), and an intensity of the laser beam (a) that is again reflected by the first mirror (5) is made to coincide with an intensity of the laser beam (a) that is reflected from the object to be irradiated (4), and the condenser lens (2) is heated in the same manner that the processing laser beam (a) is transmitted through the condenser lens (2) and irradiated on the object to be irradiated (4). |
| US07680162B2 |
Long wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting laser device and method of fabricating the same
Provided is a vertical cavity surface emitting device. The surface emitting device includes a lower mirror layer emitting light having a long wavelength, an active layer providing an optical gain, a tunnel junction layer for confining a current, and an upper mirror layer, which are sequentially stacked on a compound semiconductor substrate, wherein a heat release layer is formed on side surfaces of at least one of the active layer, the tunnel junction layer and the upper mirror layer by using etching process, and the heat release layer has greater thermal conductivity than at least one of the active layer, the tunnel junction layer and the upper mirror layer. |
| US07680159B2 |
Temperature shift matching
Laser light (λL) within a spectrum range is generated (51g) and filtered (29g). Thereby the spectral location of the filter characteristic (λF) is shifted in a controlled manner (60) to establish a desired characteristic of output laser light as for considering a temperature depended shift (ΔÑ) of the spectrum range generated by the laser source (51g). |
| US07680157B2 |
Transmitting apparatus and channel speed varying method
A transmitting apparatus connects a first network that includes a plurality of channels each of which having a preset priority and a predetermined bandwidth speed and a second network. A bandwidth-speed adjusting unit retrieves, when a channel speed of the second network changes, the changed channel speed, adjusts the bandwidth speed in such a manner that a sum of the bandwidth speeds of the channels of the first network does is below the changed channel speed and a bandwidth speed of a high-priority channel is not decreased from an inherent bandwidth speed, and resets the adjusted bandwidth speed on each of the channels of the first network. |
| US07680153B2 |
Method and device for stream synchronization of real-time multimedia transport over packet network
A method for stream synchronization of real-time multimedia transport over a packet network, in which the multimedia includes a first stream and a second stream which are buffered and played through buffers. The method includes: measuring average transport delays of the first and second streams; measuring transport delay jitters of the first and second streams; and calculating a delay difference between the first and second streams which corresponds to the average transport delays and the transport delay jitters of the first and second streams, and setting buffer durations. A device for stream synchronization of real-time multimedia transport over a packet network is also provided. |
| US07680152B2 |
Method for establishing a user of a data network as a pilot master
A method is described for establishing one user from multiple users of a data network as a pilot master for emitting a pilot signal, to which the other users of the data network may synchronize themselves. In the related art, a pilot signal is typically generated by a separate pilot signal generator or a permanently predefined selected user. However, this has the disadvantage that if the pilot signal generator or the selected user malfunctions, synchronization and therefore also communication of the users with one another via the data network is no longer possible. In order to avoid this disadvantage, it is suggested that at least two of the users of the data network be implemented to be pilot-master-capable and one of them assume the pilot mastership according to a described method. |
| US07680151B2 |
Method and system for scheduled streaming of best effort data
A system is provided for the controlling the transmission of best-effort filed data or programs on channels from one of plural controllers to one or more client nodes. A program is a group of files and has program information indicating to a client node how to use the files of the program. A channel is a virtual path, wherein a client node can receive program files from different channels in a separate fashion. Channels also have channel information. Multiple controllers are provided which self configure in rank order to control the schedule transmission of programs files on channels. Client nodes receive announcements of programs and channels from the controllers and selectively subscribe to the channels and programs. Client nodes can be instructed to positively acknowledge receipt of programs and also send back negative acknowledgements for ranges of data words in a program files not received. The negative acknowledgements can be consolidated to reduce the number of packets on the network. The format of packets carrying program files and acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement messages are specified. |
| US07680147B2 |
Data transmission system and method
A method of transmitting data packets, where randomness is added to the schedule. Universal broadcast schedules using encoding and randomization techniques are also discussed, together with optimal randomized schedules and an approximation algorithm for finding near-optimal schedules. |
| US07680146B1 |
Chip-to-chip interface for 1000 BASE T gigabit physical layer device
An integrated circuit comprises a physical layer interface that is implemented by the integrated circuit, that is associated with a network device, and that communicates with an external device via a medium. A first serializer interface implemented by the integrated circuit communicates with the physical layer interface and with a second serializer interface associated with a medium access controller. The first serializer interface communicates with the second serializer interface at a predetermined data transmission rate that is independent of a negotiated transmission rate between the network device and the external device. |
| US07680143B2 |
Methods and apparatus for combining session acceleration techniques for media oriented negotiation acceleration
A method of establishing a session between a first device and a second device. The session is established over a telecommunications network using an accelerated session setup technique. The method includes providing a first accelerated session setup technique and providing a second accelerated session setup technique. The method also includes establishing the session using either the first accelerated session setup technique or the second accelerated session setup technique based on a predetermined process. |
| US07680141B2 |
Transmitter device and relay device for performing data transmission control
A transmitter device which performs window control in transmitting data for transmission through a communication network is caused to identify a mode of window control to be performed based on a communication condition under which the data transmission is performed, so as to transmit the data for transmission by performing the window control in the identified mode. |
| US07680140B2 |
Systems including packet interfaces, switches, and packet DMA circuits for splitting and merging packet streams
An integrated circuit includes receive circuits for receiving packets, transmit circuits for transmitting packets, a packet DMA circuit for communicating packets to and from a memory controller, and a switch for selectively coupling the receive circuits to transmit circuits. The integrated circuit may flexibly merge and split the packet streams to provide for various packet processing/packet routing functions to be applied to different packets within the packet streams. An apparatus may include two or more of the integrated circuits, which may communicate packets between respective receive and transmit circuits. |
| US07680133B2 |
Simulcasting or multicasting of multimedia call sessions in a LAN/WLAN/PAN via a broadband access gateway
A method and system for simulcasting multimedia information via a broadband access gateway and a wireless wide area network, is disclosed. An access device such as, for example, a mobile multimedia handset engaged in a call served by a wireless wide area network may migrate to within the coverage area of an associated broadband access gateway with a wireless interface. The wireless wide area network may simulcast call content to the broadband access gateway via a broadband network. A user in the proximity of the broadband access gateway may be notified of the simulcasting of the call, and may elect to continue the call via a WLAN/PAN-enabled wireless handset or other access device that is compatible with the wired and/or wireless interfaces of the broadband access gateway. |
| US07680132B2 |
Avoiding malfunctions in media gateway controllers and/or media gateways
An efficient change to the coding of terminations at a media gateway is made possible by means of a method for carrying out an instruction (2), signalled by a media gateway controller (MGC) to a media gateway (MGW) for changing the coding of at least one live load connection section termination (termination B in FIG. 1) at the media gateway (MGW), whereby the media gateway (MGW), on receipt of the instruction, first carries out a check of the connectability of the terminations (termination B and (termination A in FIG. 1) of said context (termination B termination A etc) with new coding (2, 5/7/9) when said media gateway (MGW) determines, based on one (5 or 7 or 9 in FIG. 1) or several further instructions received by the media gateway (MGW), that all instructions for changing of codings in terminations in said context are available thereto. |
| US07680127B2 |
Environment dependent network connection switching setting system and method
An environment dependent network connection switching setting system and method thereof is provided, wherein the network connection is interrupted due to changes of the network environment of the user, the system is utilized to automatically detect a set of optimal current network setting parameters based on the network setting parameters previously set by the user, and proceed with network connection based on the optimal current network setting parameters, thus facilitating and expediting network connection in the changing network environments. |
| US07680124B2 |
Frame mapping scheduler for scheduling data blocks using a mapping table and a weight table
A network processor or other processing device of a communication system includes scheduling circuitry configured to schedule data blocks for transmission from a plurality of users or other transmission elements in timeslots of a frame. The scheduling circuitry utilizes a weight table and a mapping table. The weight table comprises a plurality of entries, with each of the entries identifying a particular one of the transmission elements. The mapping table comprises at least one entry specifying a mapping between a particular timeslot of the frame and an entry of the weight table. The scheduling circuitry determines a particular transmission element to be scheduled in a given timeslot by accessing a corresponding mapping table entry and utilizing a resultant value to access the weight table. |
| US07680123B2 |
Mobile terminated packet data call setup without dormancy
When the binding of a mobile station (MS) in a home agent (HA) expires, the HA generates an identifier from the MS's IMSI. The HA maintains a binding between the home address (HoA) and a special care of address (MAP-CoA), where the host ID of MAP-CoA is the identifier, and where the network ID of MAP-CoA is a special code. When a packet destined for the HoA is received at the HA, the HA responds by communicating the MAP-CoA to the PDSN that serves the special code. The PDSN recovers the IMSI from the host ID of the MAP-CoA, and uses the IMSI to page the MS. The MS responds by setting up a call, obtaining a new care of address, and then binding the new care of address with its HoA in the HA. Advantageously, packets can be sent to a dormant MS at its HoA without out-of-band signaling. |
| US07680115B2 |
Internet protocol based encryptor/decryptor bypass device
A system (706, 714) is provided for a network signaling protocol bypass around a cryptographic device (1006, 1106). The system is comprised of a bypass means for receiving a packet (900) having a transport layer protocol header (908), for parsing a GIST signaling transport protocol identifier (950) from the transport layer protocol header, and for determining whether the GIST signaling transport protocol identifier is a NTLP or a NSIS signaling transport protocol identifier. If the GIST signaling transport protocol identifier is a NTLP or a NSIS signaling transport protocol identifier, the packet is bypassed around the cryptographic device. However, if the GIST signaling transport protocol identifier is not a NTLP or NSIS signaling transport protocol identifier, the packet is forwarded to the cryptographic device. A method is also provided for a network signaling protocol bypass around the cryptographic device. |
| US07680109B2 |
Mobile multipoint service
A packet radio data network and methods have been disclosed, the network comprising at least a gateway node (GGSN), at least one serving node (SGSN) connected to the gateway node, a plurality of radio access nodes (RAN) connected to the serving node (SGSN), the packet radio network transporting packet data from an external packet data network, comprising an Internet Service Provider (ISP), to mobile stations (MS) wirelessly attached to radio access nodes (RAN). The gateway node, subsequent to a PDP multipoint context activation procedure, establishes at least a first multicast tunnel (GTPT1 GTPT4, GTPT10 GTP35) between the gateway node and at least one serving node, the multicast tunnel carrying IP streams pertaining to at least two mobile stations belonging to a common multicast group. |
| US07680107B2 |
High speed trunking in a network device
A network device for selecting a port from a trunk group on which to transmit a multicast packet. The network device includes at least one trunk group including a plurality of physical ports. The network device is connected to at least one other network device by a number of the plurality of physical ports. The network device also includes a table with a plurality of entries, wherein each entry is associated with the number of the plurality of physical ports on the network device. Each entry specifies if a packet should be transmitted on one of the plurality of physical ports. The network device further includes a determiner for determining whether or not an override field is set, a hasher for hashing, based on a result from the determiner, a predefined number of bits from predefined fields in the packet to select one entry in the table, wherein the selected entry is used to identify a destination port and a transmitter for transmitting the packet to the destination port based on results from the one of the determiner or the hasher. |
| US07680105B2 |
Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) subcell multiplexing
A communication device such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway multiplexes data intended for multiple voice connections within a single IP packet. If it is known in advance that packets for multiple connections between a given Originating Exchange (OEX) and Terminating Exchange (TEX) will travel between the Originating Gateway and Terminating Gateway, voice samples are multiplexed into the same VoIP packet. This “cell multiplexing” is accomplished by adding a cell header field to each cell payload portion. The cell header field indicates at least a connection identifier, so that the terminating gateway can route the payload to the correct TEX trunk. The scheme permits greatly improved efficiency in the carrying of VoIP traffic, especially where efficient voice coders are used. |
| US07680103B2 |
Device and method for billing connections that are routed via a packet network
In one aspect, a method for billing for a connection routed via a packet network is provided. According to the method, billing is started the when the connection is established between a plurality of subscriber terminals. Information packets are transmitting according to a quality standard by at least one of the terminals. The information packets are routed in the network via a central device controlling a quality. The billing is stopping if the quality standard is not met. |
| US07680098B2 |
Determining group availability on different communication media
Techniques are disclosed for determining, for each candidate communication medium, the availability of one or more telecommunications endpoint users for participating in a communication session of interest (i.e., either new or existing) via the evaluated medium. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, an availability manager determines the availability based on (i) one or more discrete rules, or (ii) one or more continuous functions, or both. The continuous functions are specified with respect to the time that has elapsed since a previous session, the time remaining in an active session, and the expected duration of a new session. Once it has determined the availability of one or more participants in the communication session, the availability manager of the illustrative embodiment transmits one or more signals to a call-processing server, which then sets up the participants on the session via the appropriate communication medium such as voice, instant messaging, and so forth. |
| US07680092B2 |
Link adaption for mobile ad hoc and mesh networks
A method of selecting linked metric measurements from at least one of open loop and closed loop measurements is disclosed. The method includes sending by a first node a first radio communication and receiving by a second node the first radio communication over a communication link. The method also includes estimating by a second node dynamics of the communication channel using at least one of the variance and mean deviation of linked metric measurements. The link metric measurements are at least one of symbol error rate (SER), packet error rate (PER), frame error rate (FER), bit error rate (BER), signal to noise ration (SNR), and received signal strength (RSS). The method also includes the use of the above link metric measurements by the second node as Open Loop metrics and the sending back of these metrics to the first node for use a Closed Loop metrics by the first node. The method also includes categorizing the dynamics of the communications channel into one of at least two groups based on the estimate. Further still, the method comprises selecting, based on the chosen group, the use of at least one of closed loop link adaption and open loop link adaption of communication link parameters. |
| US07680089B2 |
Dynamic channel assignment and connectivity maintenance in wireless networks
Dynamic channel assignment and connectivity maintenance in wireless networks may involve switching channels while maintaining connectivity in wireless ad hoc networks. In a described implementation, a wireless network may be separated into two or more respective virtual wireless networks with respective wireless node subsets operating on respective channels. Connectivity may nevertheless be maintained when a wireless node on one channel is to send a communication to another wireless node on another wireless channel. In another described implementation, monitored network information may be shared among wireless nodes by broadcast. |
| US07680088B2 |
High speed data and coverage using personal area network
Disclosed is a method, apparatus and computer program product to achieve enhancements in data transfer speed and reliability. In accordance with a method to operate a wireless device there is provided establishing a first connection path with a wireless network using a first long range transceiver; establishing a second connection path with the wireless network via a short range transceiver with at least one other wireless device that uses a second long range transceiver to establish the second connection path to the wireless network, and at least one of transmitting and receiving information using the first long range transceiver and, via the short range transceiver, the second long range transceiver. |
| US07680086B2 |
Wireless local area network with clients having extended freedom of movement
A wireless virtual local area network (VLAN) and a device selectively connecting to the wireless VLAN over a second wireless network that may be independent of the wireless VLAN. The device is capable of connecting to at least the wireless VLAN and to the second wireless network. Wireless VLAN access points are each connected to an Ethernet aggregation switch, which is VLAN aware and matches client traffic from connected access points with access VLANs. A wireless VLAN switch maintains an association table between access VLANs and core VLANs. The second wireless network may be remotely connected over the Internet or a private network to a tunnel endpoint. The tunnel endpoint is connected to the VLAN switch, which uses the association table to manage free-form client traffic between connected devices and other mobile stations at access VLANs and appropriate core VLANs. |
| US07680081B2 |
Mobile node
A mobile node is arranged to perform a high-quality hand-over operation for eliminating an interruption time in communication and keeping the continuance of communication excellent. The mobile node has a function of interfacing with networks and includes a network quality monitor, a hand-over controller, and a network controller. The network quality monitor operates to monitor a network quality based on at least one of an intensity and a radio bandwidth of a radio wave received by network devices. The hand-over controller performs the hand-over operation of transmitting a care of address to an address registering destination in response to a state of the network quality before a communication is disconnected, changing a route of communication information, and switching a connecting destination into a new network. The network controller receives a response that indicates an update of the care of address in the address registering destination and keeping a function of receiving data from the network before being switched until the communication is disconnected. |
| US07680078B2 |
System, apparatus and method of scheduling transmissions
Briefly, a wireless system, a base station and a method of scheduling data transmissions by allocating resources to a mobile station based on at least an estimated obsoleteness rate of a channel knowledge of the mobile station. |
| US07680077B1 |
Statistical priority-based multiple access system and method
A system and method for controlling channel access in a communications system is disclosed. The method and system include providing a data packet to communications queue and determining the priority of the data packet. The method and system also generate a channel occupancy statistic. The channel occupancy statistic is based on the level of activity on a communications channel during a predetermined period. The method and system also compare the channel occupancy statistic to a predetermined threshold. The threshold is based on the priority. |
| US07680075B2 |
Identification of base stations
The identification of wireless communication base stations in a region of high base station density is effected using a specific identification signal pattern transmitted by the base stations. In particular, each base station transmits a signal having a pattern with at least two time phase shifts relative to at least one time benchmark. The combination of these phase shifts allows identification of the transmitting base station. Since a plurality of phase shifts leads to a concomitantly larger number of phase shift combinations, the capacity to identify base stations is enlarged. |
| US07680071B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing power during a discontinuous reception mode
A method and apparatus for managing power during discontinuous reception (DRX) mode are disclosed. A DRX mode is defined for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for reducing power consumption of the WTRU. During the DRX mode, the WTRU enters into a sleep state and periodically wakes up for processing paging blocks for detecting a paging indication for the WTRU and a corresponding paging message. If the WTRU is paged the WTRU terminates the DRX mode. If the WTRU is not paged, the WTRU reenters the sleep state. For power management during the DRX mode, a synchronization update period is defined. The synchronization update period is a period for performing automatic frequency correction and/or frame time correction. |
| US07680067B2 |
Peer-to-peer data synchronization architecture
To enable the peer-to-peer synchronization among multiple devices, each device in the peer network keeps track of the changes it makes to any shared data and also keeps track of its own knowledge of the changes made by other devices. When two or more peer devices communicate, they share with each other their information about any changes made to the shared data by them or by other devices. This allows the devices to synchronize with each other to the extent that each of the devices knows what changes have been made by it or by other devices in the peer network. |
| US07680066B2 |
Method for protecting digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM and XDSL single service board
A method for protecting a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) includes: capturing specific protocol packets at an XDSL port by hardware of an XDSL single service board; and sending the captured specific protocol packets to a CPU of the XDSL single service board; determining whether the traffic amount of the specific protocol packets in a time unit exceeds a predefined threshold, if the traffic amount does not exceed the predefined threshold, submitting the specific protocol packets to a CPU of the host; otherwise stopping submitting the specific protocol packets to the CPU of the host. The method and the XDSL single service board provided by embodiments of the present invention need not manually set Media Access Control (MAC) address or maximum MAC address learning number for each XDSL port, which cuts down the maintenance workload, and on the other hand, reduces the loss of important protocol packets and lowers the load of the CPU. |
| US07680065B2 |
System and method for routing information packets
A system and method allowing control of VoIP communications by configuring a Network Address Translator (NAT) is provided. In a first NAT configuration, such a port-restricted NAT, peer-to-peer Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications are permitted between a VoIP originator and a receiver. In a second NAT configuration, such as a symmetrical NAT, peer-to-peer communications are not possible without further cooperation of the NAT. In this manner, an entity that has control of the NAT, such as an ISP, is able to have a degree of control over traffic using network resources such as bandwidth. |
| US07680063B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing transmissions from multiple transmitters
A method and apparatus for transmitting packets in a wireless communication system (100). The method and apparatus determining a delay period from among the various delay times at each of a plurality of access nodes (106-110) wherein the delay time is the time it takes for a node to receive a data packet from a source (102) through a network (104). During transmission of data from the source, the nodes receive data packets and from the data packets, the wall clock time is determined. The packets are transmitted from the nodes at a time equivalent to the wall clock time and the delay period so that the packets are synchronously transmitted from the multiple nodes. |
| US07680061B2 |
Method and system which apply heuristics to identify signals accessible to subscribers in hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) interactive networks
A system and method for identifying which signals provided by a head-end are accessible to CPE of a subscriber in an HFC network. The method includes obtaining a partial list of signals accessible to the CPE, and then applying heuristic rules on the partial list to generate a complete accessible signal list. Obtaining the partial list includes discovering signal information regarding a subset of the signals which are accessible to the CPE; using the discovered signal information to obtain a signal identification of a signal accessible to the CPE; and generating the partial list based on the obtained signal identification. Applying a heuristic rule includes using a bit mask within the obtained signal identification or a naming convention of the obtained signal identification to identify other associated signals. The partial list is then generated based on the obtained signal identification and the signal identifications of the other associated signals. |
| US07680058B2 |
Method of configuring parameters for data packet transmission
The present invention relates to a method of configuring parameters used to transmit packets of data between a data processing and/or transfer terminal, such as a computer or the like, for example, and a radiocommunication network, using a radiocommunication device, in particular a mobile station with an autonomous power supply.The method is characterized in that it consists in authorizing dynamic configuration by the transfer and/or processing terminal of parameters defining a discontinuous reception mode of said radiocommunication device when in a standby mode, after static setting of said parameters by said device, as a function of the autonomy of said device, the responsiveness required of said device, and transmission requirements of said terminal. |
| US07680053B1 |
Inter-device flow control
A network switching device comprises first and second ports. A queue communicates with the second port, stores frames for later output by the second port, and generates a congestion signal when filled above a threshold. A control module selectively sends an outgoing flow control message to the first port when the congestion signal is present, and selectively instructs the second port to assert flow control when a flow control message is received from the first port if the received flow control message designates the second port as a target. |
| US07680051B2 |
Optimizing TCP traffic via an SCTP association
In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) pre-configuring a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) association; (ii) receiving a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet in a network device, where the TCP packet is intended for a destination node; (iii) encapsulating the TCP packet into an SCTP payload; and (iv) transmitting the SCTP payload across a wide area network (WAN). |
| US07680046B2 |
Wide area load sharing control system
A wide area load sharing control system includes a statistic information gathering module obtaining from respective nodes, as statistic information, a traffic state of links connected to the respective nodes in a network, a route determining module determining, based on the obtained statistic information, at least one route for extending a plurality of paths between ingress edge nodes and egress edge nodes that correspond to within a traffic engineering section in the network, and a load sharing determining module determining, based on the obtained statistic information, a ratio at which a traffic should be distributed to respective paths on the determined route. Active modules among the statistic information gathering module, the route determining module and the load sharing determining module are switched over to between the ingress edge nodes and the network control device concentratedly controlling the respective nodes, mutually. |
| US07680044B2 |
Systems and methods for managing traffic within a peer-to-peer network
In a peer-to-peer network, one or more congestion events are defined that imply congestion on the network. In addition, one or more non-congestion events are defined that imply a lack of congestion on the network. When a node detects the occurrence of one or more of the defined congestion events, the node increases the spacing of connectionless protocol (e.g., UDP) packets that are sent by the node. When a node detects the occurrence of one or more of the defined non-congestion events, the node decreases the spacing of connectionless protocol packets that are sent by the node. |
| US07680042B2 |
Generic on-chip homing and resident, real-time bit exact tests
Details of media encoding and decoding devices which support generic homing sequences, and methods for operating such devices are disclosed. The use of generic homing sequences may permit an embodiment of the disclosed invention to support real-time, bit-exact testing of existing and future media encoding and decoding devices. An embodiment of the present invention may permit the initialization of encoding and decoding algorithms to a known state, enabling bit-exact testing of a large group of devices using these algorithms, including those whose specifications do not support such functionality. This capability may permit the full-speed, bit-exact, testing, of both locally and remotely situated media encoders and decoders. |
| US07680040B2 |
Adaptive coding and modulation for broadband data transmission
A process is described to build physical layer frames with a modcode adapted to the signal quality of a destination terminal. Data packets assigned to the same modcode may be sent in the same frame, although packets associated with higher modcodes may be used to complete a frame before switching to the applicable higher modcode for construction of subsequent frames. After an interval, the order of progression is restarted with an out of order packet above a threshold age. Flow control filtering mechanisms and a variable reliability margin may be used to adapt dynamically to the current data traffic conditions. |
| US07680037B2 |
Resource-sensitive parser, method of parsing and session initiation protocol (SIP) network employing the same
The present invention provides a resource-sensitive parser for use with a session initiation protocol (SIP) network. In one embodiment, the resource-sensitive parser includes a resource condition indicator configured to provide an overload indication for a network element in the SIP network. Additionally, the resource-sensitive parser also includes a parsing engine coupled to the resource condition indicator and configured to parse a SIP request employing an overload protection mode corresponding to the overload indication for the network element. |
| US07680036B2 |
Network resource provisioning method for bandwidth guarantee per flow
Provided is a network resource provisioning method for bandwidth guarantee per flow in a differentiated service Internet in which bandwidth needed for each flow is individually requested. The method includes setting an optimum path between a source node and a destination node based on a request for traffic for a specific period of time; performing static provisioning in which bandwidth is allocated to the optimum path according to a service class thereof; determining whether all of the bandwidth allocated to the optimum path by performing static provisioning are used up, and accepting connection admission according to the determination result; and when connection admission is not accepted, performing dynamic provisioning in which additional bandwidth is allocated to the optimum path based on a request for traffic from a new incoming flow. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently provide a quality-guaranteed service by accepting a request for bandwidth per flow. |
| US07680035B2 |
Adaptive bandwidth throttling for network services
The adaptive bandwidth throttling system implements a graceful diminution of services to the clients by delaying a first class of services provided by a network server in response to the effective bandwidth utilized by this network server exceeding a first threshold. If the demand for the bandwidth by this network server exceeds a second threshold, the bandwidth throttling system escalates the throttling response and blocks the first class of services from execution and can also concurrently delay execution of a second class of services. The implementation of the throttling process can be varied, to include additional levels of response or finer gradations of the response, to include subsets of a class of services. In addition, the threshold levels of bandwidth used to trigger the throttling response can be selected as desired by the system administrator. |
| US07680034B2 |
Redundant control systems and methods
A redundant control system for controlling an electromechanical system is provided. The control system includes a first processor, a second processor, an input-output node, a first communication channel, a second communication channel, and a signal selector. The first and second processors have a control algorithm and state variables resident thereon. The first and second processors each generate an output signal based on the control algorithm, the state variables, and an input signal from the electromechanical system. The first communication channel communicates the input signal and the output signal between the first processor and the input-output node, while the second communication channel communicates the input signal and the output signal between the second processor and the input-output node. The signal selector communicates either the output signal from the first processor or the output signal from the second processor to the electromechanical system. |
| US07680033B1 |
Network manager circuit rediscovery and repair
The present invention provides a way to discover/rediscover or repair a path in a SONET network using a “bottom-up” approach. In particular, information from nodes in the network is retrieved. The information indicates whether a node in the network cross-connects or adds/drops information in each of the timeslot of a SONET frame. A timeslot that is configured as an add/drop is considered a boundary of the path. Accordingly, based on the timeslots that are configured as boundaries, a path may be discovered/rediscovered or repaired. |
| US07680030B2 |
Router providing continuity of service of the state machines associated with the neighboring routers
A router made up firstly of at least two router modules, only one of which is in an active state at any given time, and secondly a of changeover device making it possible to cause one of the other router modules to go from a standby state to an active state when the router module in the active state stops, and the router modules having state machines associated with each of the neighbor routers, wherein each of the router modules has a data storage device which, in the active state, enables it to store data relating to the states of the state machines, when the machines are in stable states, and a data retrieval device for retrieving the data when the router module changes over to the active state. |
| US07680027B2 |
Methods and systems for channel estimation in a collaborative multi input multiple output (MIMO) communication system
Methods and systems for estimating channel of one or more MSs in a collaborative MIMO communication system are provided. The method includes receiving a signal transmitted from a transmit antenna of a first MS and a transmit antenna of a second MS at a BTS using one or more receiver antennas. The method further includes computing one or more conjugate products for each of the first MS and the second MS using the signal. Thereafter, an average is determined over the plurality of receiver antennas and the plurality of tiles of the plurality of conjugate products for each of the first MS and the second MS. A phase determined based on the average of the plurality of conjugate products for the first MS and the second MS is divided into a first phase and a second phase for each of the first MS and the second MS. Additionally, the method includes determining a channel estimate for each tile of the first MS and the second MS at each receiver antennas. The method further includes performing predefined computations on the channel estimate of each tile of the first MS and the second MS at each receiver antenna of the BTS using the corresponding first phase and the corresponding second phase. |
| US07680020B2 |
Method of recording a signal on an information recording medium, and method of recording and reproducing a signal on and from an information recording medium
A disc-shaped information recording medium includes a laminate of recording layers on and from which an information signal can be optically recorded and reproduced from one side of the medium. Data areas are provided in the recording layers, respectively. The information signal can be recorded on and reproduced from the data areas while a laser beam emitted from an optical pickup is applied to the data areas. Optical recording test areas are provided in the recording layers, respectively. A test signal can be recorded on and reproduced from the optical recording test areas to decide optimum power values of the laser beam for signal recording. The test areas are out of overlap as viewed in a direction of propagation of the laser beam. |
| US07680017B2 |
Data read/write systems comprising a tip
A method for writing data to and/or reading data from locations on a surface via a tip comprises moving the tip between the locations on the surface. At each location, energy is selectively applied to the surface via the tip and the tip and the surface are selectively forced together in synchronization with the application of energy. |
| US07680007B2 |
Optical state recognizer, information processor, and optical state recognizing method
A disc device (100) implements information processing with respect to, for example, a zeroth recording layer of an optical disk by an information processing section (510), and outputs a double-layer main voltage value and a double-layer sub voltage value corresponding to the intensities of a zeroth-order light beam and ±first-order light beams which are received by a photodetecting element (350) to an offset calculating section (522) by a voltage value acquiring section (521). The voltage value acquiring section (521) stores voltage values corresponding to the intensities of the zeroth-order light beam and ±first-order light beams which are received by the photodetecting element (350) as a single-layer main voltage value and a single-layer sub voltage value in a memory (400) in a state where a single-layer disc is loaded. The offset calculating section (522) calculates a voltage value corresponding to the intensity of a stray light beam that is reflected by a first recording layer not intended for information processing as an offset voltage value on the basis of the respective voltage values. |
| US07680006B2 |
Apparatus and method for producing optical recording medium, optical recording medium, apparatus and method for reproduction and apparatus and method for recording
An optical recording medium having a plural number of recording layers includes a n-th recording layer (23) (n≧1), made up by a substrate (20) and a semi-reflective layer (21) carried by the substrate (20) and adapted for partially reflecting and partially transmitting the incident light, a (n+1)th recording layer (28), made up by another substrate (25) and a reflecting layer (26) carried by the substrate (25) and adapted for reflecting the incident light, and a light condensing layer (24) for condensing the light incident via the n-th recording layer (23) on the (n+1)th recording layer (28). |
| US07679998B1 |
System for detecting, tracking, and reconstructing signals in spectrally competitive environments
A system applicable to acoustic, seismic, electromagnetic, hydrodynamic, and shock waves utilizing a map between signal time series and signal vectors defining the mathematical wave field model characterizing the signal's wave field. This map is developed from wave models relating field values to those on surfaces and corresponding uniqueness theorems. The system should allow for improved resolving power in bearing and elevation for discrimination of sources; detection and direction finding for signals below the average background level; detection based upon resolving power and signal vector characteristics rather than signal to noise ratio; reconstruction of signals of resolved sources for their transmitted information content; and multiple modes of operation. Adaptive incorporation of known undesired signals into the noise background and/or treatment of asymmetric background noise fields is permitted through use of a noise metric-based map yielding signal direction in the presence of diffraction effects. |
| US07679997B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating position of robot
A method and apparatus estimating a position of a moving robot are provided. The method includes receiving a primary signal and a secondary signal transmitted from a predetermined signal transmitter using a sensor, on a moving robot, that receives the primary signal and three or more sensors that receive the secondary signal; calculating a transmission distance from a sensor that receives the secondary signal using time information extracted from the primary signal; and calculating a position of the signal transmitter from the distance, wherein the secondary signal comprises first and second secondary signals and each sensor that senses the secondary signal determines whether to amplify the second secondary signal based on the result of the measurement of the first secondary signal. |
| US07679994B2 |
Bi-directional interrogation of optical sensors
Seismic sensor systems and sensor station topologies, as well as corresponding cable and sensor station components, manufacturing and deployment techniques are provided. For some embodiments, networks of optical ocean bottom seismic (OBS) stations are provided, in which sensor stations are efficiently deployed in a modular fashion as series of array cable modules deployed along a multi-fiber cable. |
| US07679981B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device may include a first logic unit for performing a logic operation with respect to a plurality of first control signals, each of which indicates whether a corresponding one of a plurality of banks of the semiconductor device is in an active state, a refresh detector for outputting a second control signal which is enabled when at least one of the banks performs a self-refresh operation or auto-refresh operation, and a second logic unit for performing a logic operation with respect to an output signal from the first logic unit and the second control signal to generate a third control signal having information about activation of the semiconductor device. The third control signal is enabled when at least one of the banks performs the self-refresh operation or auto-refresh operation even though it is in the active state. |
| US07679980B2 |
Resistive memory including selective refresh operation
A memory includes an array of phase change memory cells and a first circuit. The first circuit is for refreshing only memory cells within the array of phase change memory cells that are programmed to non-crystalline states in response to a request for a refresh operation. |
| US07679973B2 |
Register file
A register file is often used within integrated circuitry to temporarily hold data. Sometimes this data needs to be retained within the register file for a period of time, such as when there is a stall operation. Conventional register files have utilized a hold multiplexor to perform such a stall operation. The multiplexor however inserts a delay that is undesirable in high performance integrated circuitry. The multiplexor is replaced with a tri-state inverter coupled to the global bit line of the register file, which minimizes this additional delay from the register file data access time. |
| US07679972B2 |
High reliable and low power static random access memory
Systems and/or methods that accessing data to/from a memory are presented. A memory component can employ an optimized buffer component that can provide a single precharge control signal to facilitate precharging a bitline(s), a y-decoder component(s), an input/output line(s), and/or other lines or components associated with a buffer cell(s) in the optimized buffer component to facilitate optimized timing control associated with execution of operations to facilitate reducing errors that can be caused by charge sharing problems. The optimized buffer component can include an x-decoder component that can employ a JIT power component that can facilitate enabling a wordline associated with a buffer cell(s) only for the length of time access to the buffer cell is desired to read data therefrom or write data thereto to facilitate minimizing the access time and thereby minimize power consumption and/or thermal loading. |
| US07679969B2 |
Semiconductor memory device utilizing data mask signal for sharing an input/output channel in a test mode and data output method using the same
A semiconductor device receives a first data mask signal and a second data mask signal. A data mask control unit outputs a data mask control signal by combining a test mode signal with the first data mask signal. A data clock output unit receives a delay locked loop (DLL) clock and outputs a data clock in response to the data mask control signal. A column address enable (YAE) control signal generating unit generates a column address enable control signal to control the enablement of a column address enable signal. The column address enable control signal generating unit generates the column address enable control signal by combining the test mode signal with the second data mask signal. |
| US07679968B2 |
Enhanced erasing operation for non-volatile memory
Structures, methods, and systems for enhanced erasing operation for non-volatile memory are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device which comprises a memory cell array having a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, a negative voltage generating circuit for applying a negative voltage to a word line of the memory cell array during an erasing operation of the memory cell array, and a positive voltage generating circuit for applying a positive voltage to a well of the memory cell array when the negative voltage reaches a predetermined voltage. |
| US07679966B2 |
Flash memory device and read method thereof
A flash memory device and a read method thereof are provided. At a read operation, a sense node of a page buffer is developed while a bitline is developed and data of a selected memory cell is sensed based on the develop result of the sense node. For a develop period, voltage loss arising from the sense node is compensated fast and the compensated result is latched, which makes it possible to simplify the design and reduce a chip size. |
| US07679960B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and method of operating the same
A highly integrated non-volatile memory device and a method of operating the non-volatile memory device are provided. The non-volatile memory device includes a semiconductor layer. A plurality of upper control gate electrodes are arranged above the semiconductor layer. A plurality of lower control gate electrodes are arranged below the semiconductor layer, and the plurality of upper control gate electrodes and the plurality of lower control gate electrodes are disposed alternately. A plurality of upper charge storage layers are interposed between the semiconductor layer and the upper control gate electrodes. A plurality of lower charge storage layers are interposed between the semiconductor layer and the lower control gate electrodes. |
| US07679957B2 |
Redundant non-volatile memory cell
Two floating gate devices are arranged in a redundant configuration in a non-volatile memory (NVM) such that stress induced leakage current (SILC) or other failures do not result in a complete loss of memory storage. The redundant NVM may be arranged as a series configuration, a parallel configuration, a single-ended device, a differential device, a simple logic circuit function, a complex logic circuit function, and/or as part of an RFID tag system. |
| US07679952B2 |
Electronic circuit with a memory matrix
In an example embodiment, an electronic circuit comprises a memory matrix with rows and columns of memory cells. First row conductors are provided for each of the rows. Second row conductors correspond to pairs of rows, each successive row forming a respective pair with a preceding one of the rows, so that each pair overlaps with one row of the next pair. Column conductors are provided for each of the columns. Each of the memory cells comprises an access transistor, a node and a first and a second resistive memory element. The access transistor has a control electrode coupled to the first row conductor of the row of the memory cell, a main current channel coupled between the column conductor for the column of the memory cell and the node. The first and second the resistive memory element are coupled between the node and the second row conductors for the pairs of rows to which the memory cell belongs. |
| US07679951B2 |
Charge mapping memory array formed of materials with mutable electrical characteristics
A memory cell array including a data line; a capacitor; and a transistor coupled between the data line and the capacitor. At least one of the capacitor and the transistor includes a material with a mutable electrical characteristic.A memory cell array including a first transistor coupled between a first node, a second node, and a third node; and a second transistor coupled between the second node and a fourth node. The first transistor includes a material with a mutable electrical characteristic. |
| US07679945B2 |
Persistent volatile memory with sense amplifier and discharge switch
A persistent volatile memory cell memorizes a binary datum during a retention time independent from a supply voltage of the memory cell. The memory cell comprises a capacitive memory point supplying a persistent voltage and having a determined discharge time, a switch for triggering the discharge of the memory point when an erase signal has an active value, a switch for triggering the charge of the memory point when a write signal has an active value, and a sense-amplifier circuit having an input receiving the persistent voltage, and an output supplying the binary datum. The memory cell can be applied to the management of an inventory flag in a contactless integrated circuit. |
| US07679944B2 |
Motor drive
To provide a motor drive adapted to operate stably and suffer essentially no damage, even when a high voltage is applied between grounding terminals of upper and lower arms.The motor drive of this invention includes: an arm with a first electric power semiconductor-switching element and a second electric power semiconductor-switching element, both connected in series between major terminals; and a level-shifting circuit that transmits a control signal of the first semiconductor-switching element connected to the high-voltage side of the arm, from a low-voltage circuit to a high-voltage circuit; the motor drive employing an insulated-gate bipolar transistor as the signal-transmitting high-withstand-voltage element formed in the level-shifting circuit. |
| US07679942B2 |
Step-down DC-to-DC converter
A step-down DC-to-DC converter includes an input terminal, an output terminal, a switching transistor, and a rectifying transistor. The switching circuit is connected between the input terminal and the output terminal and is configured to reduce an input voltage down to a predetermined voltage and to output the predetermined voltage from the output terminal to an external load. The series circuit includes a switching transistor and an inductor. The switching transistor is connected between the input terminal and the inductor, and is configured to perform a switching operation. The inductor is connected between the switching transistor and the output terminal. The rectifying transistor includes a P-type transistor and connected between a connected point between the switching transistor and a common ground. The rectifying transistor has a gate connected to the connected point. |
| US07679941B2 |
Power conversion system with galvanically isolated high frequency link
A power conversion system has a three-phase AC input, where each AC input phase is linked to a string of cascaded single-phase AC-DC converters placed in series with a three-phase AC-DC converter. Each single-phase AC-DC converter in one embodiment includes a silicon carbide (SiC) pulse width modulated MOSFET H-bridge that placed in series with the three-phase AC-DC converter that includes a silicon (Si) SCR bridge. The single-phase AC-DC converters and the three-phase AC-DC converter together in one embodiment include a mixed silicon-carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) device topology. |
| US07679940B2 |
Three-phase voltage source inverter system
The present invention provides a three-phase voltage source inverter system capable of obtaining a nearly sinusoidal output waveform while minimizing apparatus size increase and cost increases. The three-phase voltage source inverter system of the present invention is provided with: a three-phase inverter unit INV-M; and an auxiliary circuit 1 inserted between a direct-current power source and the three-phase inverter unit, including: dividing capacitors Cd1, Cd2 dividing a direct-current voltage of the direct-current power source; a single-phase inverter unit INV-A in which 60° ON-periods are set for upper switching elements S7, S8 in each phase of single-phase with an 80° delay, and 60° ON-periods are set for lower switching elements S9, S10 in each phase of single-phase with a 60° delay from the upper side switching elements and with an 80° delay between each phase; and an auxiliary transformer Ta. |
| US07679939B2 |
Control circuit for a switching power supply, method for controlling a switching power supply and computer program
A control circuit for a power supply having a controllable switch for switching a current through a first transformer winding and a voltage providing circuit for providing an output voltage based on a voltage generated in a second transformer winding has a comparing unit for generating a comparison signal. The control circuit has a threshold signal modulation circuit adapted to modulate the threshold signal that the comparison signal is activated as soon as the input signal crosses a first threshold value, if the current flowing through the switch exhibits a first current slope rate, and that the comparison signal is activated as soon as the input signal crosses a second threshold value, if the current flowing through the switch exhibits a second current slope rate smaller than the first rate. For a given voltage, the first threshold is smaller than the second threshold. |
| US07679937B2 |
Flyback converter providing simplified control of rectifier MOSFETS when utilizing both stacked secondary windings and synchronous rectification
The present invention provides methods and systems for a flyback converter arranged with synchronous rectifier MOSFETS in such a manner that they operate with a common source potential while still providing for the use of a stacked output winding. With a common source potential, a single rectifier control voltage can be used to operate the rectifiers for multiple outputs greatly simplifying the control circuit. Advantageously, the present invention maintains the inherent simplicity of the flyback design while enabling designs with well-regulated multiple voltage outputs and the efficiency benefits of synchronous rectification. |
| US07679933B2 |
Loadable/unloadable adapter for substrate
A loadable/unloadable adapter for a substrate which can simplify the loading and unloading work of the substrate. A substrate 23 is loaded to an loadable/unloadable adapter 13. The loadable/unloadable adapter 13 is inserted from a window hole 14 of a housing 12. A handle member 26 swings about a supporting axis 25. A projected piece 27 moves in accordance with swinging of the handle member 26. A projected piece 27 causes the loadable/unloadable adapter 13 to move forward on the basis of the so-called principle of a lever. Even when a resistance force works for the forward movement of the loadable/unloadable adapter 13 on the basis of a friction resistance of both front connector 18 and main connector 21 when these connectors are coupled, the forward movement of the loadable/unloadable adapter 13 can be attained only with a comparatively small force. |
| US07679932B2 |
Housing mechanism with shield for portable electronic device
A housing mechanism (100) includes a main body (60) and a shield/cap (70). The main body accommodates an inner interface and defines a port (63) therein. The port is configured for allowing an outer interface to be inserted into the main body and for thereby engaging the outer interface with the inner interface. The shield is located near the port and is selectably rotatably positionable between a first position, in which the shield covers the port, and a second position, in which the shield does not cover the port. The first position and the second position cooperate to form an angle therebetween. |
| US07679929B2 |
Wiring board and wiring board module
A wiring board module includes a multilayer wiring board. A crystal oscillator and an IC component, for example, are mounted on the mounting surface of the multilayer wiring board. Mounting lands for the IC component, mounting lands for the crystal oscillator, and mounting lands for other surface mount components are provided on the mounting surface. Each mounting land for the crystal oscillator is not a conventional single large-area land but is defined by four adjacent land pieces. The four land pieces are electrically connected via an external terminal of the crystal oscillator, thereby functioning as a mounting land for the external terminal. In other words, each of the plurality of mounting lands provided at locations corresponding to external terminals of the crystal oscillator is divided into four land pieces. |
| US07679926B2 |
Capacitors with insulating layer having embedded dielectric rods
A circuit structure is provided. The circuit structure includes a capacitor including a top capacitor electrode; a bottom capacitor electrode parallel to the top capacitor electrode; and an insulating layer between the top and the bottom capacitor electrodes. The insulating layer includes a dielectric rod enclosed by a dielectric material. The dielectric rod has a higher dielectric constant than that of the dielectric material. The circuit structure may be a printed circuit board or packaging substrate, wherein the capacitor is formed between the two layers of the capacitor. Additional dielectric rods may be formed in the insulating layer of the capacitor and spaced apart from the dielectric rods. |
| US07679925B2 |
Method for fabricating wiring board provided with passive element, and wiring board provided with passive element
A fabricating method of a wiring board provided with passive elements is disclosed. The fabricating method includes coating one or both of resistive paste and dielectric paste on at least any one of first surfaces of a first metal foil and a second metal foil each of which has a first surface and a second surface; arranging an insulating board having thermo-plasticity and thermo-setting properties so as to face the first surface of the first metal foil, and arranging the first surface side of the second metal foil so as to face a surface different from a surface to which the first metal foil faces of the insulating board; forming a double-sided wiring board by stacking, pressurizing and heating the arranged first metal foil, insulating board, and second metal foil, and thereby integrating these; and patterning the first metal foil and/or the second metal foil. |
| US07679923B2 |
Method for applying coating agent and electronic control unit
A method for easily applying a coating agent to an electronic circuit board accommodated in a housing without leaving uncoated portions. The method includes mounting the electronic circuit board to the housing, performing an electrical connection process in the electronic circuit board, and filling the housing with the coating agent (anti-moisture agent) to immerse the electronic circuit board in the coating agent. |
| US07679922B2 |
Display device
A display device is arranged such that a voice device is laminated on a liquid crystal panel so as to be confined in a planar area of the liquid crystal panel, and a voice-system circuit block which drives the voice device is formed on the thin film substrate of the liquid crystal panel. A signal is inputted into the voice-system circuit block through an FPC which is connected to the thin film substrate and which inputs a video signal, and the signal processed at the voice-system circuit block is conducted through the FPC. A connecting terminal part is provided in a middle portion of the FPC and adhered to an FPC. One end of the FPC is connected to the voice device. In this way, a multifunctional display device can be achieved at low cost by efficiently using a limited space around the display element without sacrificing the advantages of a lightweight and thin-shaped flat display device. |
| US07679920B2 |
Cooling air distribution scheme for communication boards
A cooling distribution configuration is provided for chassis-mounted electronics boards. In one embodiment, the chassis comprises a housing and at least one electronics board. The electronics board may comprise a communication board having a plurality of ports. Cooling air spaces are defined above and below the board, permitting cooling air to be drawn over both sides of the board. Notches extend inwardly from an edge of the board, the notches serving as air flow paths between the cooling air spaces and serving to distribute cooling air flowing into the housing from one or more intakes to the cooling air spaces. |
| US07679919B2 |
Heat sink and electronic apparatus using the same
A heat sink and an electronic apparatus using the same are disclosed. The heat sink comprises a fin structure and a fastening assembly; the fastening assembly comprises an adjustable positioning member, an elastic member, and a hooking member, the elastic member being disposed between the hooking member and the fin structure such that the adjustable positioning member combines the hooking member, the elastic member, and the fin structure; wherein the hooking member may secure the heat sink onto an electronic component, and the adjustable positioning member may be used to adjust the tightness between the heat sink and the electronic component. |
| US07679917B2 |
Electronic assembly cooling
An electronic assembly including a first heat producing device mounted on a first outer surface of a first portion of a circuit board. The first portion can deflect upwardly and downwardly relative to other portions of the circuit board. A first force element urges the first heat producing device against a heat sink. The force exerted by the first force element is variable with respect to time. |
| US07679910B2 |
Miniaturized liquid cooling device
A miniaturized liquid cooling device (200) includes a heat absorber (20), a heat dissipater (30), a droplet generator (40) driving a working fluid circulating between the heat absorber and the heat dissipater, and a plurality of tubes (50) connecting the heat absorber, the heat dissipater and the droplet generator with each other. The droplet generator includes a bottom electrode plate (42), a top electrode plate (44) hermetically covering the bottom electrode plate, a fluid channel (425) formed between and a plurality of control electrodes (422) disposed between the top electrode plate and the bottom electrode plate. The control electrodes are arranged between an inlet (481) and an outlet (491) of the droplet generator. Voltages are regularly applied across the control electrodes so as to generate a plurality of fluid droplets (D) and drive the fluid droplets to move from the inlet towards the outlet of the droplet generator. |
| US07679907B2 |
Electronic apparatus and fin unit
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, a heat-generating element mounted in the housing, a cooling fan mounted in the housing, a fin unit which is mounted in the housing and opposed to the cooling fan, and a heat transfer member which thermally connects the fin unit to the heat-generating element. The cooling fan includes a fan case which is provided with an opening portion. The fin unit includes an insertion portion which is inserted into the fan case through the opening portion. The insertion portion is provided to extend from one longitudinal end area to the other longitudinal end area of the opening portion. |
| US07679903B2 |
Display device and electronic apparatus
A display device includes: a frame that holds a display panel having a thin member and a light source that irradiates the display panel with light; and a cover that covers the frame. The display device further includes: a heat sink situated in the central portion in the width direction of the display panel in the frame and extending in and out of the frame; and a heat dissipation component provided in the cover and being in contact with the heat sink at a position outside the frame. |
| US07679901B2 |
I/O device and electronic device having the same
An electronic device is disclosed including a base having a first side on which a first opening is formed, a shaft disposed in the base, and an I/O port device having a plurality of I/O ports and a circuit board on which the I/O ports are disposed. The I/O port device is disposed in the base and rotates about the shaft, and the I/O ports are sequentially revealed by rotation of the I/O port device. |
| US07679900B2 |
Computer enclosure
A computer enclosure for mounting a disk drive bracket includes a chassis for receiving the disk drive bracket, and an extending plate releasably positioned and aligned at an end of the chassis. One portion of the disk drive bracket is fixed on the chassis, and the other portion is fixed on the extending plate. The disk drive bracket is completely mounted on the chassis and the extending plate. |
| US07679898B2 |
Air flap mechanism for server chassis
An air flap mechanism is installed in a server chassis with an opening. A functional module is capable of being inserted into the server chassis from the opening. The air flap mechanism includes an air flap pivotably installed in the server chassis for shielding the opening of the server chassis and a pair of first torsion springs attached to the air flap. A connecting bar connects between the first torsion springs for being driven by an end of the functional module to pivot the air flap inside the server chassis when the functional module is pushed into the server chassis. |
| US07679893B2 |
Display housing for computing device
An improved housing for a computing device is disclosed. The improved housing can have one or more of the following aspects. A first aspect of the invention pertains to a computer housing having a logo or other symbol that can be illuminated using light from the backside of a display panel. A second aspect of the invention pertains to a suspended frame that is able to support a display panel within a display housing. A third aspect of the invention pertains to a computing device provided with an internal antenna. A fourth aspect of the invention pertains to a stiffener for a computer housing so as to increase the rigidity and strength of the computer housing. A fifth aspect of the invention pertains to a housing having a logo, symbol or other device that can be illuminated using light from the backside of a display panel. A sixth aspect of the invention pertains to a lid for a computing device, such as a portable computer, that is provided with a translucent housing. |
| US07679885B2 |
Tantalum powder and methods of manufacturing same
Tantalum powder capable of providing a small-sized tantalum electrolytic capacitor while maintaining capacity is described. Tantalum powder in the present invention can be characterized in that the CV value is from 200,000 to 800,000 μFV/g, when measured by the following measuring method. Pellets are produced by forming tantalum powder such that the density is 4.5 g/cm3, then the pellets are chemically converted in a phosphoric acid aqueous solution of concentration 0.1 vol. % at a voltage of 6V and a current of 90 mA/g, and the chemically converted pellets are used as measuring samples to measure the CV value in a sulfuric acid aqueous solution of concentration 30.5 vol. % at a temperature of 25° C. under a frequency of 120 Hz and a voltage of 1.5V. |
| US07679880B2 |
Electrostatic chuck and manufacturing method thereof
The invention provides an electrostatic chuck in which a workpiece-chucking surface is made flat. An electrostatic chuck with a built-in electric heating means comprises a base plate formed of carbon or a carbon-based composite material and, successively formed on one surface of the base plate, an insulating layer (a1), an electroconductive layer (a2) to serve as a chucking electrode and an dielectric layer (a3) to form a workpiece-chucking surface and, successively formed on the other surface of the base plate, an insulating layer (b1) and an electroconductive layer (b2) to serve as an electric heater element, the electrostatic chuck improved in that the workpiece-chucking surface of the electrostatic chuck and an opposite surface thereof are warped to have a relationship selected from concavo-convex and convexo-concave, and in that the warping of the surfaces is in a manner such that the workpiece-chucking surface of the dielectric layer is rendered flat when the opposite surface of the electrostatic chuck is fastened to a machine. |
| US07679879B2 |
Air conditioning apparatus
An air cleaner includes an ion generator arranged in a path from an inlet port to an outlet port, a humidifying filter arranged in the path at a position closer to the inlet port than the ion generator, a dust sensor and an odor sensor for detecting impureness of air, and a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. When impureness is detected by the dust sensor and the odor sensor and when the temperature and the humidity attain a specific state (YES at S06 to S08), a fan motor is driven such that water is supplied to the ion generator in an amount larger than when the specific state is not attained (S14). |
| US07679877B2 |
Method for operating a transmission line and correspondingly constructed device
A method and a device for operating a transmission line are provided. The device includes a line driver circuit and a protective circuit. The line driver circuit converts an input signal of the device into a current or a voltage for the transmission line while the protective circuit prevents an overvoltage and/or an overcurrent on the transmission line. The line driver circuit and the protective circuit are integrated in a common package. |
| US07679876B2 |
Current limiter system, circuit and method for limiting current
A system capable of limiting a current through a load and a method thereof. The system comprises a current sensor, a determination circuit, and a current mirror circuit. The current sensor, coupled to the load, produces a current indication indicating the current. The determination circuit, coupled to the current sensor, generates a short-circuit signal when the current exceeds a predetermined threshold. The current mirror circuit, coupled to a voltage source, the current sensor and the determination circuit, comprises a current mirror and a bypass path, delivers a mirrored current from the current mirror to the load upon receiving the short-circuit signal, and passes the current from the voltage source through the bypass path to the load in the absence of the short-circuit signal. |
| US07679871B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for determining fuse state
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a fuse which comprises a conductive material and is formed on a semiconductor substrate, a contacting target conductor region which is placed around the fuse on the semiconductor substrate and formed so as to make electrical contact with the fuse through the conductive material constituting the fuse when a process for cutting the fuse is carried out, and a determination unit which detects whether or not the fuse is electrically disconnected, and detects whether or not the contacting target conductor region and the fuse are electrically connected, and determines that the fuse is in a cut state when electrical disconnection of said fuse is detected or electrical connection between said contacting target conductor region and said fuse is detected. |
| US07679869B2 |
Input/output device capable of blocking external interference signals
An input/output device comprises a bonding pad, a signal transport circuit, and a blocking unit. The signal transport circuit has a first terminal connected to the bonding pad and a second terminal connected to a core circuit of an IC product. The signal transport circuit is capable of transporting a signal either from the bonding pad to the core circuit or from the core circuit to the bonding pad. The blocking unit has a control terminal and is coupled between the bonding pad and the signal transport circuit. The control terminal is coupled to receive an enable signal. The blocking unit ties the bonding pad to a predetermined voltage level when the enable signal is de-asserted, thereby blocking the signal transport provided by the signal transport circuit. The blocking unit unties the bonding pad from the predetermined voltage level when the enable signal is asserted. |
| US07679867B2 |
Magnetic flux-coupling type superconducting fault current limiter
A magnetic flux coupling-type superconducting current limiter is capable of protecting lines more effectively by winding reactors of a primary coil and a secondary coil in series in the structure where the primary coil and the secondary coils are wound in parallel in the conventional magnetic flux-lock type current limiter to increase a linked flux generated from an iron core. An electric conducting current which rapidly increases when a fault occurs is divided into the secondary coil and a superconducting coil to decrease a load on the superconducting element and it is opened more rapidly than the existing superconducting current limiter during a quench time such that it better limits a fault current. |
| US07679861B2 |
Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording with controlled state of magnetization of the end face of the pole layer
A pole layer incorporates a track width defining portion and a wide portion. The track width defining portion has an end face that is located in the medium facing surface and that defines the track width. The maximum width of the wide portion is greater than the track width and equal to or greater than the length of the wide portion taken in the direction orthogonal to the medium facing surface. When the coil is generating no magnetic field, in the end face of the track width defining portion, there exist first and second regions in which the directions of components of magnetization orthogonal to the medium facing surface are opposite. |
| US07679860B2 |
Thin film magnetic head with layer having high saturation magnetic flux density, and magnetic storage apparatus
Embodiments of the invention provide a magnetic film capable of providing a higher saturation magnetic flux density as compared with the conventional one, a process of forming the magnetic film, a thin film magnetic head that makes use of the magnetic film, and a magnetic disk drive having this thin film magnetic head. In one embodiment, a magnetic film contains Co, Ni, and Fe, and its composition is such that 10≦Co<20 wt %, 0≦Ni≦2 wt %, and 80 |
| US07679853B2 |
Detection of signal disturbance in a partial response channel
In one embodiment, irregular electronic disturbance signals in a partial-response read channel are detected by a disturbance detector using state metrics generated by maximum-likelihood sequence detector. For example, a thermal asperity (TA) detector detects the occurrence of TAs in the read channel of perpendicularly recorded magnetic media by using the state metrics generated by a Viterbi detector. Changes in state metrics (e.g., magnitudes of the branch metrics of the trellis diagram) used by the Viterbi detector are tracked. If the magnitude of the rise of the path metric increases above a set threshold, then a TA is detected. Alternatively, or additionally, the rate of change of the magnitude of the path metrics is tracked. If the rate of change within a set time window is above a specified threshold, then a TA is detected. |
| US07679852B2 |
Adjustment of read/write clock edge timing
Apparatus and methods are disclosed that adjust the phase of a read/write clock signal. The read/write clock signal may be used in a data storage apparatus to regulate reading/writing on a data storage media. An apparatus includes an adjustment circuit that adjusts phase of an edge of a read/write clock signal based on the timing of information that is read from a data storage media. Another apparatus includes a servo circuit and a read/write channel circuit. The servo circuit generates a leading edge transition of a servo gate signal in response to a signal indicating that a read/write transducer is approaching a start of a servo wedge. The read/write channel circuit generates a trailing edge transition of the servo gate signal in response to occurrence of a defined time delay following the transducer reading a servo address mark from the servo wedge. |
| US07679850B2 |
Position determination using circular shift codes
A shift code that consists of N-symbol code words is provided as an L-symbol “master sequence” in which no sub-sequence of N symbols repeats, where L≦SN and S is the number of code symbols. A decoder determines a location in the code from N decoded symbols. The code locations may, for example, correspond to radial positions, or other position, times, and so forth. In one embodiment, the master sequence is continuously written to a data storage disk during a spiral write operation and a reader on a given circular track reads at least N symbols from the portion of the spiral that crosses the track and determines a code word. The radial position of the reader is then determined based on the location of the code word in the code. |
| US07679846B2 |
Lens driving device, optical pick up device and adjusting method
A lens driving device according to the present invention includes a mounting base; a collimation lens that is engaged with the mounting base and movable in optical axis directions; and a driving source that moves the collimation lens in the optical axis directions, and the mounting base includes a fulcrum section with which, when the driving device is mounted on a base, a pitch angle and a roll angle of the driving device are adjusted with respect to the base and the optical axis. |
| US07679843B2 |
Adjustment method, particularly a laser adjustment method, and an actuator suitable for the same
The invention relates to an adjustment method, especially for adjusting optical or fiber optical components. According to an embodiment of the invention, a first adjustment process is carried out in which, after a cooling process, the regions of the actuator in which the tensile stresses or compressive strains are frozen following the cooling process are brought to a critical temperature in relation to the operational temperature range of the actuator, at least until the flow processes of the material at said critical temperature are largely completed. A second adjustment process is then carried out. |
| US07679841B2 |
Optical system for taking image
An optical system for taking image comprises three lens elements with refractive power, wherein a first lens element with positive refractive power includes at least one aspheric surface, a second lens element with negative refractive power, and a third lens element with negative refractive power includes at least one aspheric surface, which are mounted orderly from the object side to the image side. By such arrangements, the volume of the lens assembly can be reduced, and can obtain high resolution. |
| US07679836B2 |
Zoom lens system and image pickup apparatus equipped with the same
A zoom lens system that performs zooming by moving lens units includes, in the following order from an object side towards image side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power and movable along a locus convex towards the image side during zooming from a wide-angle end to telephoto end, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, an aperture stop movable independently of the lens units, and third and fourth lens units having positive refractive powers. The following conditions are satisfied: −0.6 |
| US07679834B2 |
Zoom optical system and image pickup apparatus provided with the same
An zoom optical system comprises a prism component which comprises in order from an object side, an entrance surface having negative refracting power, and a reflecting surface, and movable groups which are movable when either of zooming or focusing is carried out. An image pickup apparatus is provided with the zoom optical system. Thereby, thinning of the image pickup apparatus can be attained sufficiently, and it is possible to shorten the full length of the optical system furthermore, while keeping a moderate zooming ratio. |
| US07679833B2 |
Electrowetting element, lens system, electronic device and driving method
The electrowetting optical element comprises a first electrically conducting fluid and a second electrically insulating fluid. According to the invention the second fluid comprises a compound including an aliphatic ring-structure. The optical element may be a lens or a zoomlens or be part of a zoomlens system. |
| US07679827B2 |
Integral optical plate, and backlight assembly and liquid crystal display apparatus having the same
An integral optical plate includes a convex lens plate, a microlens sheet and an adhesion element. The convex lens plate includes a first light incident surface into which light is incident and a first light-exiting surface disposed opposite the first light incident surface and on which a convex tens pattern is formed. The microlens sheet is disposed on the first light-exiting surface, and includes a microlens pattern. The adhesion element is disposed between the convex lens plate and the microlens sheet to combine the convex lens plate with the microlens sheet. The convex tens pattern includes a plurality of convex in lenses having a stripe shape extending lengthwise along the convex lens plate. |
| US07679824B2 |
Polarizing device, cross dichroic prism, liquid crystal projector, and method for fabricating polarizing device
A polarizing device having a synthetic resin film of a polarizing plate sandwiched and bonded between two glass members. At least a surface on one side of the polarizing plate is bonded to one of glass members by the use of a tackiness agent. Adjoining surfaces of the two glass members, which are located on the side of the sandwiched polarizing plate, are finished to a high degree of planeness, and at least one of the two glass members is in the form of a resilient glass plate capable of flexural deformation in a lateral direction. |
| US07679818B2 |
Optical switch using rare earth doped glass
The present invention provides an optical switch including a loss element having a signal loss, and a rare earth doped gain element optically connected in series with the loss element. The rare earth doped gain element is operable to produce a signal gain. The signal gain and the signal loss are about equal. The present invention also provides a method of optical switching including optically connecting a loss element in series with a rare earth doped gain element and passing an optical signal through the loss element and the gain element. The loss element attenuates the optical signal by a first amount. The method further includes selectively applying an optical pump to the gain element to perform the switching, the gain element amplifying the optical signal by the first amount in response to the optical pump. |
| US07679811B2 |
Image system and miniature deformable mirror thereof
A miniature deformable mirror includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a spacer. The upper portion includes a frame, an organic thin film, and a reflecting layer. The organic thin film is used as a deformed element and is supported by the frame. The reflecting layer is disposed on the organic thin film used for reflecting incident light. The lower portion includes a conductive substrate. The conductive layer is disposed on the substrate and is used for conducting the driving voltage. The spacer is sandwiched between the upper portion and the lower portion. While voltages are applied, electrostatic forces are generated to deform the organic thin film and reflecting layer. Therefore, a miniature deformable mirror with continuously variable focuses is realized. |
| US07679809B2 |
Variable reflectance mirrors and windows
Various structures for variable reflectance rearview mirrors and variable transmittance windows are disclosed. One embodiment pertains to the provision of a polarized reflector in a rearview mirror. Another embodiment pertains to the provision of a switchable cholesteric liquid crystal element in a window. Yet another embodiment pertains to the provision of a plurality of apertures in a reflector layer of a rearview mirror where the apertures are sized and positioned in alignment with light emitting areas of a display positioned behind the reflector layer. In another embodiment, a moveable display or mirror element is attached to a rearview mirror housing. |
| US07679808B2 |
Portable electronic device with an integrated switchable mirror
Portable electronic devices with displays having switchable mirrors are described. The switchable mirror covers the display and is capable of switching from a transparent state to a reflecting state responsive to a switch in the portable electronic device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the display is switched off when the switchable mirror switches to its reflecting state. In another embodiment of the present invention, the switchable mirror is switched to its reflecting state when the portable electronic device is switched off. |
| US07679798B2 |
Optical scanning device and cover glass cleaning mechanism for optical scanning device
The present invention relates to an optical scanning device in which a light beam is incident twice on a deflective reflecting facet and its object is to reduce curvature in scanning line trail or make the curvature substantially zero, or correct scanning line displacement due to the curvature in scanning line trail. Two stationary plane mirrors (13, 14) are disposed to face a deflective reflecting facet (11) which can be rotated about its rotational axis (12) such that a light beam (a1) being incident on and reflected from the deflective reflecting facet (11) is reflected by the two stationary plane mirrors (13, 14) sequentially. The reflected light beam (a3) is incident on and reflected by the deflective reflecting facet (11) again. Assuming that a plane being parallel to the rotational axis (12) and including the light beam (a0) which is first incident on the deflective reflecting facet is an incident plane, the central ray of an emergent light beam (a4) when the emergent light beam (a4) after the second reflection by the deflective reflecting facet (11) is on the incident plane and a straight line as the central ray of a light beam being projected on the incident plane when the deflective reflecting facet (11) is revolved by the maximum rotational angle are set substantially parallel to each other. |
| US07679795B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method thereof
There are provided an image processing apparatus and method thereof which, in a case where drawing data represented by an RGB space satisfies a predetermined condition, perform a compensation of color that converts a pixel value of image data in an MCYK color space into a predetermined value, and in accordance with information for designating whether or not to use color conversion for each respective object included in the drawing commands, select whether to perform normal conversion processing for converting the drawing data of the RGB color space into a pixel value in the MCYK space or to perform color compensation conversion processing, and convert the pixel data from RGB to MCYK. |
| US07679790B2 |
Image processing apparatus and its control method
An image processing apparatus includes a decompression unit (302) that is configurable by dynamic reconfigurable logic into either a first decompression circuit (302a) or a second decompression circuit (302b) that has a slower decompression speed and a lower power consumption than the first decompression circuit (302a), a buffer unit (304) that temporarily stores image data decompressed by the decompression unit (302) to be supplied to an engine unit, and a detection unit (305) that detects a data amount accumulated in the buffer unit (304). In accordance with the data amount detected by the detection unit (305), the decompression unit (302) carries out reconfiguration into the first or second decompression circuit (302a/302b). |
| US07679785B2 |
Method for correcting measured image values
Image measurement values of a measurement object, in particular a printed sheet, measured by means of a photoelectric image measuring unit operating on the basis of pixels are corrected with respect to at least one influencing variable which influences the measurement result with a view to at least partially eliminating the effect of this influencing variable on the measuring process. The image measurement values measured by the image measuring unit are converted by correction parameters of a parameter-based correction model into corrected image measurement values which no longer contain the influencing variable affecting the measuring process. The correction parameters used for the parameter-based correction model are automatically calculated using reference measurement values measured at reference measurements points on preferably the same measurement object by means of a reference measuring unit and the image measuring unit. In particular, image measurement values measured without polarization filters are converted into polarization filter image measurement values by means of this method. Influences induced by print medium, fluorescence effects and the influences of non-standard measuring geometries are also corrected. |
| US07679780B2 |
Method of producing a color conversion table, image processing apparatus, method of image processing, image forming apparatus and recording media
A method for producing a color conversion table by which a color image signal to be handled in an image input system is converted to a N bit color image signal to be handled in an image output system, comprising the step of producing a color conversion table from which a N+α bit color output value, exceeding a color gamut of the color image signal to be handled in the image output system can be read out corresponding to a color input value of the color image signal to be handled in the input system. |
| US07679779B2 |
Image processing
A method of digitally processing data for use in representing an image, comprising scaling edge data relating to edges in at least one colour-adjusted component of the image using unadjusted data relating to a colour-unadjusted component of the image, and a device operable in accordance with the method. |
| US07679771B2 |
Printer capable of refusing receipt of printed materials sent from an unintended source
A printer (100) for printing based on a print job signal sent from a data processing device (200) registers print job signal sending sources and a message corresponding to each sending source in memory (111, 112). A controller (113) detects whether the sending source of a received print job signal is registered in memory. If the sending source is registered, a messaging unit (110, 111) outputs a corresponding message. Sending sources that are permitted to print can also be registered in memory (111, 112). In this case, the controller (113) detects whether the sending source of a received print job signal is registered in memory, and instructs the printer (110) to print only when the sending source is registered as permitted to print. |
| US07679770B2 |
Methods and systems for print-processor-based printer status detection and print task distribution
Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems which enable a user to detect the status of printing devices without the use of additional hardware or application program modification for this purpose. These systems and methods are typically used in conjunction with a computer network comprising at least one computing device and a plurality of printing devices. When a print task is sent for printing it will activate a print processor for interpreting the print task. In addition to a print processor's interpretation function, the print processors of the present invention may detect the status of printing devices. Some embodiments may use this information to redirect or otherwise modify a print task for improved printing performance. |
| US07679766B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and system for determining a destination for print data
When a printing apparatus serving as a print data destination does not have the iPrint function (S302), print data is transmitted to a printing apparatus having the iPrint function (S311). |
| US07679761B2 |
Data processing device, facsimile machine having data processing function, and computer program
A digital multifunction device is provided with RAM having a virtual drive area. The digital multifunction device enables a personal computer connected to and capable of communicating with the digital multifunction device via a USB interface to recognize this virtual drive area as an external storage device. When the personal computer writes image data to the virtual drive area, the digital multifunction device selectively executes one of an image forming process, fax transmitting process, and mail transmitting process based on the type of folder in which the image data is written. Accordingly, image data in a first folder is printed on recording paper, or image data in a second folder is transmitted to an external facsimile machine. |
| US07679759B2 |
Test printing for tab paper
A mechanism for performing tab paper printing and test printing by simple operation is provided. A printer performs a print process with an image formation position unshifted in the test printing and a print process with the image formation position shifted in the tab paper printing. In case of performing the tab paper printing after the test printing, the printing is performed by using print data already held in the printer or a host computer. It structured to enable to output to a plain paper a print result in which a decoration is added only to a tab position correspondence portion, enable to change its decoration method, and enable easy discrimination of the position. By the above structure, a user can easily correct the position of the content intended to be printed on a tab, and costs necessary for the tab paper used in the test can be reduced. |
| US07679758B2 |
Fastener inspection system and method
A method of optically inspecting a fastener to determine whether it meets two or more dimensional parameters is provided. The method includes using centrifugal force to place the fastener in a predetermined location. Two or more sets of image data of the fastener are generated from two or more corresponding different angles. Fastener pass/fail data is generated using a dimensional requirement associated with each set of image data. |
| US07679751B1 |
Method and apparatus for three-dimensional imaging
A method and apparatus are provided for imaging three-dimensional scenes and objects by detecting reflections from emitted sequences of electromagnetic radiation. At least one transmitter is provided for emitting a sequence of electromagnetic radiation, and at least three sensors are provided for detecting radiation reflected from the scene and objects being imaged. Signals based on the detected radiation are used, together with spatial information of the transmitters and sensors, to calculate reflectivity coefficients for points of interest in the scene. Velocity vectors associated with moving objects within the scene can also be determined based on the rate of change of the phase differences between the emitted and reflected radiations. |
| US07679750B2 |
Cavity ring-down apparatus and method for measuring reflectivity of highly reflective mirrors
A cavity ring-down apparatus and method is provided for measuring the reflectivity of highly reflective mirrors. The apparatus comprises an optical ring-down cavity including three highly-reflective mirrors whose frequency-selective optical transmission is retro-reflected into the oscillator cavity of a continuous-wave semiconductor laser, creating a change of output spectrum of said laser and enhancing the coupling coefficient of the laser power into the optical ring-down cavity. The drive current/voltage of the semiconductor laser is modulated by a square-wave function output by a function generation card. Thus the laser beam is suddenly switched off at the negative step of the square-wave signal periodically. Immediately after switching off the laser beam, an exponential decay signal of the ring-down cavity is measured by a photo detector and used to determine the decay time of the cavity and the reflectivity of highly reflective mirrors. |
| US07679743B1 |
Apparatus for measuring magnitude of deflected probe beam signal generated by laser-induced breakdown and method of measuring size of nanoparticles using frequency distribution curve of magnitude of probe beam deflection signal
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring the size of nanoparticles present in an aqueous solution as an infinitesimal quantity, and, more particularly, to a scheme that remotely measures the laser-induced breakdown of a fine nanoparticle using a probe beam in a non-contact manner, performs curve fitting on the symmetrical frequency distribution curve of the measured magnitude of a probe beam signal to form the shape of a Gaussian function, obtains calibration curves for the size of the nanoparticle from the peak and full-width at half-maximum thereof, and determines the size of an unknown nanoparticle from the calibration curves. |
| US07679740B2 |
Method and apparatus for multimodal detection
Methods for detecting and classifying an unknown substance in a sample include the steps of (a) providing a spectrum for each of a predetermined number of reference substances; (b) detecting an area of interest that contains the unknown substance; (c) targeting the area of interest; (d) determining a spectrum of the unknown substance from the area of interest; (e) comparing the determined spectrum of the unknown substance with the spectrum of one or more of the reference substances; and (f) classifying the unknown substance based on the comparison of spectra. Systems for performing these methods include means for providing a spectrum for a predetermined number of reference substances, means for detecting an area of interest on a sample that contains an unknown substance to be classified, means for targeting this area of interest, means for determining a spectrum of the unknown substance in the area of interest, means for comparing this spectrum with the spectrum of one or more of the reference substances, and means for classifying the unknown substance based on the comparison of spectra. |
| US07679738B2 |
Method of inspecting a body having fine-gap grooves and method of repairing the body
A molding die has through holes composed of feed holes and slit grooves for producing honeycomb structure bodies. The slit groove is formed in at least a part of each through hole. In a method of inspecting the molding die, a light is irradiated into the feed holes side to pass through the through holes. A camera is disposed at the slit groove formation side of the molding die to photograph the amount of light output from the slit groove side. A difference in intensity of the amount of light output from the slit grooves is calculated in order to detect at least the presence of a defective slit groove having an abnormal part. In another method of repairing the defective slit groove, a modifier made of abrasive grains and clay mother material is forcedly provided into the defective slit groove in order to repair or remove the abnormal part. |
| US07679733B2 |
Optical tracking device employing a three-axis gimbal
An optical tracking device, includes an azimuth sub-assembly providing a 360-degree range of motion and a transducer sensing the azimuth position within this range of motion; and an elevation sub-assembly coupled to the azimuth sub-assembly and providing at least a −30-degree to +100-degree range of motion and a transducer sensing the elevation position. A cross-elevation sub-assembly is coupled to the elevation sub-assembly and provides at least a ±14-degree optical range of motion and a transducer sensing the cross-elevation position. An elevation gyroscope is affixed to the elevation sub-assembly and generates an elevation rate signal; and a cross-elevation gyroscope is affixed to the elevation sub-assembly and generates a cross-elevation rate signal. A controller receives the azimuth, elevation, and cross-elevation position signals, and the elevation and cross-elevation rate signals and sends command signals to the sub-assemblies to initiate movement to allow inertially stabilized tracking of an object. |
| US07679730B2 |
Surface inspection apparatus and surface inspection method for strained silicon wafer
An image pickup device disposed in a predetermined position relative to a surface of a strained silicon wafer photographs the surface of the strained silicon wafer in a plurality of rotation angle positions on photographing conditions under which bright lines appearing on the surface of the strained silicon wafer can be photographed, in an environment where a light source device illuminates the surface of the strained silicon wafer which is rotating. A composite image in a predetermined angle position is generated from surface images of the strained silicon wafer in a plurality of rotation angle positions obtained by the image pickup device. |
| US07679727B2 |
Method and system for determining the position of a receiver unit
Disclosed are a method and a system for determining the position of a receiver unit. According to said method, modulated radiation is generated by at least one radiation projector, and a number of reference points, from among which reference points lying within a detection range of the receiver unit are detected, are projected by means of said modulated radiation. Positional data, particularly location data and/or orientation data, is derived for the receiver unit from the radiation of said reference points. |
| US07679724B2 |
Determining target distance in imaging reader
A target distance to a system target located at variable distances from an imaging system is determined by illuminating a calibration target at a calibration distance with a collimated light beam during a calibration mode of operation, by illuminating the system target at the variable target distance with the collimated light beam during an imaging mode of operation, by configuring the collimated light beam with a beam spot of a generally constant size during both modes of operation, by capturing return light of a calibration image size from the calibration target during the calibration mode, by capturing return light of a target image size from the system target during the imaging mode, and by determining the variable target distance based on the calibration distance, the calibration image size, and the target image size. |