| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07698608B2 |
Using a single bank of efuses to successively store testing data from multiple stages of testing
A mechanism is provided for using a single bank of electric fuses (eFuses) to successively store test data derived from multiple stages of testing are provided. To encode and store array redundancy data from each subsequent test in the same bank of eFuses, a latch on a scan chain is used that holds the programming information for each eFuse. This latch allows for programming only a portion of eFuses during each stage of testing. Moreover, the data programmed in the eFuses can be sensed and read as part of a scan chain. Thus, it can be easily determined what portions of the bank of eFuses have already been programmed by a previous stage of testing and where to start programming the next set of data into the bank of eFuses. As a result, the single bank of eFuses stores multiple sets of data from a plurality of test stages. |
| US07698605B2 |
Device and method for device using electronic mail
An apparatus and method for enabling a device to notify a main server of a diagnosis result in a network system having a main server and the device connected to the main server is provided. The device stores diagnosis items and diagnosis execution information to diagnose with respect to the diagnosis items at an initial network configuration phase. Upon receiving a diagnosis execution item to be substantially diagnosed among the diagnosis items, the device delivers a diagnosis result of the diagnosis execution item to the main server using the diagnosis execution information. As the main server has only to send the diagnosis execution information to the device only once, so the load on the main server can be reduced. |
| US07698600B2 |
Programmable controller
A programmable controller having self-diagnosis unit 60 (70) for self-diagnosis, wherein the self-diagnosis unit 60 (70) comprises data storage unit 61 (71) for storing data pertaining to an inspection unit for which the inspection is completed, and inspection start unit 62 (72) for starting the inspection from the next inspection unit of the inspection unit for which the inspection is already completed at the time before the power is turned on, when performing a self-diagnosis that occurs after the power is turned on, based on the data stored in the data storage unit 61 (71). |
| US07698598B1 |
Automatic generation of core files and automatic generation of support information with generation of core files
The present invention is directed to an automatic generation of a support collateral as well as to an automatic generation of core files. In one embodiment, a support collateral is automatically generated when a core file is generated. The support collateral is information used to support diagnosis of potential problems. A computer appliance further includes a framework of rules organized by a subsystem. A subsystem is a functional component of the computer appliance. Rules are evaluated when an inflection point is encountered. An inflection point is a critical point in processing where processing is interrupted. A core file is generated for the computer appliance when indicated to do so by a rule. |
| US07698593B2 |
Data protection management on a clustered server
A data protection management system for protecting content controlled by a clustered server is presented. The data protection management system includes a data protection server and a data storage pool. The data storage pool is coupled to and controlled by the data protection server for storing a replicated copy of the protected content. The data protection management system also includes a file system filter deployed on each cluster node in the clustered server. Each file system filter is configured to, upon receiving notice of a modification to the protected content, generate a change record comprising information describing the modification such that the data protection server can effectuate the same modification on the replicated content in the data storage pool corresponding to the protected content. The data protection server communicates with the clustered server as a single server in providing data protection to the protected content. |
| US07698588B2 |
Circuit and related method for synchronizing data signals to a core clock
The present invention discloses, in one aspect, a synchronizing circuit for synchronizing transmitted data. In one embodiment, the synchronization technique comprises a subsystem configured to compare positive and negative transitions of a core clock signal with positive and negative transitions of a source clock signal to determine a relationship between the transitions of the core clock signal and positions of the negative transitions of the source clock signal. The synchronization circuit also comprises logic circuitry coupled to the subsystem and configured to generate a final sampling signal based on the relationship. In addition, the synchronization circuit comprises a data sampler coupled to the logic circuitry and configured to sample a source data signal synchronized with the source clock signal using the final sampling signal, and to generate a core data signal synchronized with the core clock signal based on the sampling. Also disclosed is a method of synchronizing a data stream, and a data transfer assembly incorporating the synchronization circuit and the method. |
| US07698583B2 |
Microprocessor capable of dynamically reducing its power consumption in response to varying operating temperature
A microprocessor capable of dynamically reducing its power consumption based on its varying operating temperature includes a temperature sensor that monitors the microprocessor's operating temperature and a control circuit that includes operating point data. The operating point data includes a first voltage at which the microprocessor may reliably operate at a frequency and at a first temperature, and a second voltage at which the microprocessor may reliably operate at the frequency and at a second temperature. The second temperature is less than the first temperature and the second voltage is less than the first voltage. The control circuit causes the microprocessor to operate at the frequency and at the second voltage rather than at the first voltage when the operating temperature drops below the second temperature while operating at the frequency and at the first voltage. |
| US07698582B2 |
Apparatus and method for compensating digital input delays in an intelligent electronic device
An apparatus and method for compensating digital input delay in an intelligent electronic device is provided. A method is provided which provides for accurate SER data recording while facilitating the reduction of processing burden on the IED and optimization of system performance during the processing of SER data flow. An apparatus is further provided which generally includes a time delay element coupled to a sequential events recorder for compensating for delay in communication of a data signal such that the sequential events recorder records a compensated time for a select event based on the clock and the time delay. An apparatus is provided which includes an edge detection element for detecting either a rising or falling edge from the data signal. |
| US07698581B2 |
Managing power consumption of a graphic apparatus
A power management system includes a graphic controller configured to generate a first display information signal and a second display information signal. The system includes a memory device operatively connected with the graphic controller and a parallel terminal unit. The memory device and the parallel terminal unit are configured to collectively support the graphic controller to generate the first display information signal at a first clock speed and at a first power consumption level. The memory device is configured to support the graphic controller without the parallel terminal unit to generate the second display information signal at a second clock speed and at a second power consumption level. The system includes a hybrid cycling controller configured to alternately connect the parallel terminal unit with the memory device for the first display information signal and to disconnect the parallel terminal unit from the memory device for the second display information signal during a predetermined period, and a power consumption controller configured to control the hybrid cycling controller according to a ratio between a connection interval and a disconnection interval of the parallel terminal unit with the memory device. |
| US07698580B2 |
Inline power policing
In a wired data telecommunication network power sourcing equipment coupled to a powered device performs policing of power drawn by the powered device. In one embodiment, a method includes monitoring power drawn by the powered devices at power sourcing equipment, each powered device having a policing limit associated therewith. If power drawn by one of the powered devices exceeds the policing limit, it is determined if a power budget of the power sourcing equipment continues to provide power to the powered devices. If the power budget has been exceeded, action is initiated at the power sourcing equipment. The action may include sending or logging a warning, requesting the powered device to reduce its power requirement or removing power from one of the powered devices. An apparatus for policing inline power is also disclosed. |
| US07698579B2 |
Multiplexed graphics architecture for graphics power management
A computer system includes a processor, a memory, first and second graphical processors that have different operating characteristics, a switching mechanism coupled to the graphical processors, and a display coupled to the switching mechanism. The switching mechanism is configured to couple a given graphical processor to the display, and is initially configured to couple the first graphical processor to the display. Furthermore, a program module, which is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, is configured to change a configuration of the switching mechanism thereby decoupling the first graphical processor from the display and coupling the second graphical processor to the display. Note that the changing of the configuration and switching module operations are configured to occur while an operating system is running and are based on the operating condition of the computer system. |
| US07698576B2 |
CPU power delivery system
A central processing unit (CPU) is disclosed. The CPU includes a CPU die; and a voltage regulator die bonded to the CPU die in a three dimensional packaging layout. |
| US07698570B2 |
Digital content distribution system and method
A content distribution system and method which prevents unauthorized access to secured content such as movies and music. The system includes a source, a receiver, an authorized security device such as a conditional access module (CAM) for decrypting authorized content and an output device for outputting content. The system can also include a backend for managing accounts and system operations. One aspect of this invention is that the content data is derived from the Internet. The system allows for the verification of authorization to play secured content, the addition of watermarks to the secured content, the conversion of the secured content to a displayable form and the means for preventing output of the secured content. |
| US07698567B2 |
System and method for tokenless biometric electronic scrip
The present invention satisfies these needs by providing an improved system and method for tokenless authorization of an electronic scrip transaction using at least one scrip supporter biometric sample and an electronic identicator. The preferred embodiment of the method comprises the steps of a scrip supporter registration step, wherein a scrip supporter registers with an electronic identicator at least one registration biometric sample, an electronic scrip transaction proposal step, comprising electronic scrip donator account data, at least one transmittal step, wherein a scrip supporter bid biometric sample is obtained from the scrip supporter's person and is electronically transmitted to the electronic identicator, a scrip supporter identification step, wherein the electronic identicator compares the bid biometric sample with at least one registration biometric sample for producing either a successful or failed identification of the scrip supporter, wherein upon successful identification of the scrip supporter, a scrip transaction is biometrically authorized, without the scrip supporter presenting any personalized man-made tokens such as smartcards or magnetic swipe cards. |
| US07698564B2 |
Apparatus and computer program product for password generation
The generation of a unique password using a secret key and an application name is disclosed. Other passwords may be generated for other applications using the same key. A user provides a key that is not easily able to be guessed by third parties. The user also inputs a name of an application for which a password is desired. The system utilises the application name and the secret key to generate a unique password for that application, using standard encryption techniques. The system generates the same password for that application and secret key combination every time. Alternate embodiments generate a user identifier from the same secret key and application name. |
| US07698561B2 |
Method and system for detection of aliases in a network
The invention provides a method and system of detecting aliases in a network. The network comprises at least one device and at least one Network management system (NMS) for managing the devices. The NMS identifies each device available in the network with a message digest. The NMS retrieves the message digest of a device that is submitted for management. The NMS tries to locate the retrieved message digest with a database of message digests. In case the retrieved message digest is located on the database, the NMS declares the device as an alias. However, if the message digest is not located on the database, the NMS stores the message digest in the database and starts managing the device. |
| US07698557B2 |
System and method for generating a digital certificate
A system and method for generating a digital certificate is provided wherein a new digital record is received and is assigned a sequence value. A first composite digital value is generated by applying a first deterministic function to the digital records stored in a repository. The sequence value and first composite digital value are included in a first certificate. After the digital record is added to the repository, a second composite digital value is generated by applying a second deterministic function to the digital records in the repository. This second composite digital value, and a composite sequence value, are published. An interval digital value which is based upon the first and second composite digital values, and the sequence value, are included in a second certificate which thus verifies the authenticity and sequence value of the digital record. |
| US07698553B2 |
Method for utilizing multiple level encryption
In a wireless communication system with an air interface comprised of a plurality of bursts, a communication device (102) receives a burst (200). The burst comprises payload (206, 208), a first indicator (202) and a second indicator (204). Upon receipt of the burst, the communication device determines a value of the first indicator to determine whether end-to-end encryption is applied to at least a portion of the payload, and determines a value of the second indicator to determine whether air interface encryption is applied to at least a portion of the payload. |
| US07698551B2 |
Method for broadcast encryption and key revocation of stateless receivers
A tree is used to partition stateless receivers in a broadcast content encryption system into subsets. Two different methods of partitioning are disclosed. When a set of revoked receivers is identified, the revoked receivers define a relatively small cover of the non-revoked receivers by disjoint subsets. Subset keys associated with the subsets are then used to encrypt a session key that in turn is used to encrypt the broadcast content. Only non-revoked receivers can decrypt the session key and, hence, the content. |
| US07698549B2 |
Program product for unified certificate requests from certificate authorities
Disclosed herein are several digital certificate discovery and management systems. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims. |
| US07698544B2 |
Automatic halting of a processor in debug mode due to reset
Disclosed herein is a system and method of operating a processor before and after a reset has been asserted. Prior to a reset being asserted the processor operates in one of a plurality of states wherein primary code may be executed by the processor depending on said state. Upon a reset being asserted the processor begins executing code for a reset routine. The processor also executes a process such that the processor operates in the same state it was in prior to the reset upon the reset no longer being asserted. |
| US07698535B2 |
Asynchronous multiple-order issue system architecture
An asynchronous circuit is described for processing units of data having a program order associated therewith. The circuit includes an N-way-issue resource comprising N parallel pipelines. Each pipeline is operable to transmit a subset of the units of data in a first-in-first-out manner. The asynchronous circuit is operable to sequentially control transmission of the units of data in the pipelines such that the program order is maintained. |
| US07698529B2 |
Method for trading resources between partitions of a data processing system
A method is provided for a data processing system configured to include multiple logical partitions, wherein resources of the system are selectively allocated among respective partitions. In the method, an entity such as a Partition Load Manager or a separate background process is used to manage resources based on locality levels. The method includes the step of evaluating the allocation of resources to each of the partitions at a particular time, in order to select a partition having at least one resource considered to be of low desirability due to its level of locality with respect to the selected partition. The method further comprises identifying each of the other partitions that has a resource matching the resource of low desirability, and determining the overall benefit to the system that would result from trading the resource of low desirability for the matching resource of each of the identified partitions. Resources are reallocated to trade the resource of low desirability for the matching resource of the identified partition that is determined to provide the greatest overall benefit for the system, provided that at least some overall system benefit will result from the reallocation. |
| US07698521B2 |
Data synchronization of multiple remote storage
A processing system includes a local or local storage and a number of remote or remote storage systems that store data mirroring that maintained by the local storage system. Data that is written, changed, deleted or other wise modified by the local storage system is periodically sent to the remote storage systems to update the mirroring data maintained by each. |
| US07698519B2 |
Backup of hierarchically structured storage pools
Provided are a system, method, and computer readable storage medium wherein at least two primary storage pools are configured, wherein a first primary storage pool is configured to indicate a second primary storage pool as a next storage pool in a storage hierarchy that comprises the first primary storage pool and the second primary storage pool. The first primary storage pool of the storage hierarchy is copied to a copy storage pool, wherein the first primary storage pool and the copy storage pool are included as parameters of a single command. The second primary storage pool is copied to the copy storage pool, in response to determining that the second primary storage pool is the next storage pool for the first primary storage pool in the storage hierarchy. |
| US07698512B2 |
Compressing address communications between processors
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining if data of a memory request by a first agent is in a memory region represented by a region indicator of a region table of the first agent, and transmitting a compressed address for the memory request to other agents of a system if the memory region is represented by the region indicator, otherwise transmitting a full address. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07698510B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying and registering a range of virtual memory
The invention provides apparatus and methods for registering shared memory objects. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for registering a shared memory object are presented including: locating the shared memory object, the shared memory object having a first size and a first virtual address; finding a shared memory region associated with the shared memory object, the shared memory region having a second size and a second virtual address, the second virtual address returned as a unique identifier; and registering the shared memory object using the unique identifier. In some embodiments, the methods further include: calculating a memory offset for the shared memory region; and registering the shared memory range using the memory offset. In some embodiments, the methods further include: storing the unique identifier, the second size, and the memory offset in a persistent shared memory data structure. |
| US07698508B2 |
System and method for reducing unnecessary cache operations
A system and method for cache management in a data processing system. The data processing system includes a processor and a memory hierarchy. The memory hierarchy includes at least an upper memory cache, at least a lower memory cache, and a write-back data structure. In response to replacing data from the upper memory cache, the upper memory cache examines the write-back data structure to determine whether or not the data is present in the lower memory cache. If the data is present in the lower memory cache, the data is replaced in the upper memory cache without casting out the data to the lower memory cache. |
| US07698506B1 |
Partial tag offloading for storage server victim cache
A technique for partially offloading, from a main cache in a storage server, the storage of cache tags for data blocks in a victim cache of the storage server, is described. The technique includes storing, in the main cache, a first subset of the cache tag information for each of the data blocks, and storing, in a victim cache of the storage server, a second subset of the cache tag information for each of the data blocks. This technique avoids the need to store the second subset of the cache tag information in the main cache. |
| US07698505B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for data caching in a distributed coherent cache system
A data caching approach is provided for a distributed computing environment employing coherent data caching. The data caching approach includes dynamically deciding whether to associate a priority tag with requested data for a processing unit, wherein the priority tag is to be employed in deciding whether to hold the requested data in a local cache associated with the processing unit. The dynamically deciding includes determining whether latency of arrival of requested data at the processing unit meets a set threshold, and if so, associating the priority tag with the requested data. The priority tag indicates that at least one of the requested data is to be captured in the local cache or the requested data is to be maintained in the local cache over other data without an associated priority tag. In one implementation, the threshold is a programmable threshold, and the local cache is a lookaside cache. |
| US07698498B2 |
Memory controller with bank sorting and scheduling
In some embodiments a memory controller is disclosed that includes at least one command/address input buffer to receive commands and addresses. The addresses specify a memory bank and a location within the memory bank. An arbiter, coupled to the at least one command/address input buffer, merges commands and addresses from the at least one command/address input buffer and sorts the commands and addresses based on the addresses specified. A plurality of bank buffers, coupled to the arbiter and associated with memory banks, receive commands and addresses for their associated memory banks. A scheduler, coupled to the plurality of bank buffers, groups commands and addresses based on an examination of at least one command and address from the bank buffers. Other embodiments are otherwise disclosed herein. |
| US07698495B2 |
Computer system having logically ordered cache management
A computer system is set forth that includes a processor, general memory storage, and cache memory for temporarily storing selected data requested from the general memory storage. The computer system also may include file system software that is executed by the processor. The file system software may be used to manage the file data and the structure of the file system for files stored on the general memory storage. Management of the cache memory is placed under the control of cache management software. The cache management software is executed by the processor to manage the contents of the cache memory pursuant to cache hit and cache miss criterion. Sections of the cache memory are organized by the cache management software based on logical addresses of file data requested from the general memory storage. |
| US07698493B2 |
Methods and apparatus for translating write request messages in a computing system
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to translate memory write requests to be transmitted from a first processor to a second processor in a computing system, such as between a CPU and a Southbridge, as an example. A method includes generating a memory write request in a second protocol responsive to a memory write request of a first protocol, the first protocol supporting a first memory write command type and a second memory write command type, the second protocol supporting only the first memory write command type. The method also includes inserting a predefined code in the memory write request in the generated memory write request in the second protocol to produce a translated memory write request. The method may also include receiving the memory write request from the first processor where the memory write request is operable according to the first protocol having at least first and second memory write command types. The predefined code in the received memory write request is then used to determine the type of memory write request (posted or non-posted). |
| US07698491B1 |
Modular patch panel with pluggable personalities
A modular patch panel for interconnecting a data storage system controller to data storage enclosures is provided. The modular patch panel includes a chassis and modular interface circuitry. The chassis has a front end and a back end, the front end and the back end being horizontally opposed, the back end attaching to a panel portion of a rack system, the panel portion electrically connecting to the data storage enclosures over a set of point-to-point connections. The modular interface circuitry has (a) a data storage interface portion electrically connected to the set of point-to-point connections through the panel and (b) a controller interface portion electrically connecting to the data storage system controller through the front end. The modular interface circuitry is interchangeable through an opening in the front end. It is also constructed and arranged to manage digital communications between the data storage system controller and the data storage enclosures according to a data storage system protocol used by the data storage system controller. |
| US07698489B1 |
Method for dynamically turning off bus signals into a GPU
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for dynamically turning off bus signals driven into a graphics processing unit (GPU) when the GPU is in a low power state. The GPU may be located on a graphics card mounted to a motherboard by a bus, such as a PCI-Express bus. |
| US07698486B1 |
Method and apparatus for bus arbitration dynamic priority based on waiting period
An arbitration circuit for granting access to a shared resource among requestors comprises N request shapers, where N is an integer greater than one. An input unit receives a request from a requestor. An age unit assigns an age to the request and increases the age of the request when the requestor is not granted access to the shared resource. A priority unit assigns a priority level to each of the requests and selectively increases the priority level of the request based on the age of the respective one of the requests and a delta period of the request. An arbiter core receives the requests from the N request shapers and selectively grants access to the shared resource to each of the requestors corresponding to the requests based on the priority level and age of the requests. The delta period of one of the N request shapers is different than the delta period of another of the N request shapers. |
| US07698485B2 |
Round-robin bus protocol
A low-latency, peer-to-peer TDM bus including one or more data lines and one or more control lines is provided. Attached devices access the bus sequentially in order of their bus addresses. During a device's access period, if the device has data to transmit, the device places its address on the data lines, asserts a START signal on the bus, and proceeds to transmit data to the other devices on the bus. When the data transmission is completed, the device asserts an END signal on the bus, thus passing control of the bus to the next device in the sequence. If the device has no data to transmit, the device simply places its address on the data lines, asserts the START signal, and asserts the END signal, and control passes directly to the next device in line. In this manner, each device has an opportunity to transmit on the bus. |
| US07698484B2 |
Information processor configured to detect available space in a storage in another information processor
An information processor that is connected to at least one other information processor via a network, includes a detecting unit that detects an optional device to be used for information processing, as a target optional device, installed on the other information processor, an issuing unit that issues an access request to use the target optional device to the other information processor, a receiving unit that receives an access permission for access to the target optional device from the other information processor, and a processing unit that performs the information processing with the target optional device. |
| US07698483B2 |
Switching apparatus and method for link initialization in a shared I/O environment
An apparatus has a first plurality of I/O ports, a second I/O port, and link training logic. The first plurality is coupled to a plurality of operating system domains through a load-store fabric. Each of the first plurality is configured to route transactions between the plurality of operating system domains and the switching apparatus. The second I/O port is coupled to a first shared input/output endpoint. The first shared input/output endpoint is configured to request/complete the transactions for each of the plurality of operating system domains. The link training logic is coupled to the second I/O port. The link training logic initializes a link between the second I/O port and the first shared input/output endpoint to support the transactions corresponding to the each of the plurality of operating system domains. The link is initialized in a manner that is transparent to the plurality of operating system domains. |
| US07698482B2 |
Multiple data rates in integrated circuit device serial interface
A serial interface for a programmable logic device supports a wide range of data rates by providing a first number of channels supporting a first range of data rates and a second number of channels supporting a second range of data rates. The first range of data rates is preferably lower than the second range of data rates and preferably the first number of channels is higher than the second number of channels which preferably is 1. For backward compatibility with existing devices, the first number of channels in each interface preferably is four. Each channel preferably includes a physical medium attachment module and a physical coding sublayer module. Each of the higher-speed channels in the second number of channels preferably also includes a clock management unit, while the lower-speed channels in the first number of channels preferably share one or more clock management units. |
| US07698480B2 |
Portable storage device with updatable access permission
A portable storage device controllable by a remote service center is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the portable storage device includes a register for storing permission indicia and a non-volatile user memory for storing user data. Upon receiving a permission directive from a remote service center (e.g. via the host device), the permission indicia may be replenished (i.e. if it is desired to extend additional device-use privileges) or depleted (i.e. if is desired to deny or reduce device-use privileges). When providing host access to the onboard non-volatile user memory of the portable storage device, the permission indicia are consumed, thereby limiting the extent of host-user memory access allowable without a refresh of the permission indicia. Exemplary permission indicia include but are not limited to distinct host-device couplings, inter-device transfer quota, and usage time quote. Methods, systems including the aforementioned portable storage device, and computer code are also described. |
| US07698479B2 |
User interface to a data storage system and rule store
This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for providing an interface between a client and one or more data storage systems. Existing approaches to the management of multiple, distributed heterogeneous data storage systems are deficient in that they are inflexible to change. To alleviate these deficiencies there is provided a method of providing an interface between a client (307) and one or more data storage systems (309). The method comprises the steps of receiving a request from a client (307), searching, in a rule store populated by modifiable human-readable rules each specifying a handler for use in responding to client requests, for a human readable rule and providing the interface by activating the handler specified in the human readable rule to communicate with the data storage systems. |
| US07698473B2 |
Methods and apparatus for list transfers using DMA transfers in a multi-processor system
Methods and apparatus provide for transferring a plurality of data blocks between a shared memory and a local memory of a processor in response to a single DMA command issued by the processor to a direct memory access controller (DMAC), wherein the processor is capable of operative communication with the shared memory and the DMAC is operatively coupled to the local memory. |
| US07698472B2 |
Hot unpluggable media storage device
Improved techniques for rendering a peripheral device removable (e.g., unpluggable) are disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, the peripheral device is rendered removable from a host computer without preparatory user actions. In effect, the peripheral device can be automatically prepared for removal in the event that its user removes (unplugs) it from its host computer. According to another aspect of the invention, the peripheral device includes a data storage device that is mounted to a file system of the other computer when the other computer desires access to the data storage device. Otherwise, the data storage device is normally unmounted so that if the peripheral device were to be removed (e.g., unplugged) no harm or damage to data stored therein would occur. These aspects of the invention can be utilized alone or in combination with one another. The invention is particularly well suited for peripheral devices that are media players which are “hot” unpluggable without detrimental consequences. |
| US07698469B2 |
Serial transmission controller, serial transmission decoder and serial transmission method thereof
A serial transmission controller, a serial transmission decoder and a serial transmission method thereof are disclosed. First, a current address and an access address are compared to select one of a plurality of transmission address modes as an access address mode and then to produce corresponding address information. The transmission address modes use different bits to transmit the address information respectively. According to the access address mode, an access command is selected from a serial command set. Finally, the access command and the address information are transmitted to a serial interface serially. After the access command is encoded to different length of bits, the encoded access command is transmitted to the serial interface so as to reduce the transmission bits and improve the transmission efficiency. |
| US07698465B2 |
Generalized Paxos
A distributed computing system can achieve a generalized consensus, enabling commands that commute to be selected in any order. A leader can learn of previously selected sequences of commands, and can propose a compatible sequence of commands. Devices can select a sequence of commands that is compatible with previously selected sequences. Additional commands can be selected by selecting a sequence of commands comprising a previously selected sequence and the additional commands. Further efficiencies can be realized if the devices receive proposals directly from clients. Two or more proposals arriving in varying orders at the various clients may be selected in varying orders. However, if those proposals commute, a generalized consensus nevertheless exists despite the variations, enabling the system to continue efficient operation. To conserve memory, a checkpoint command that does not commute with any other command can be used to secure a sequence of commands for archiving or deletion. |
| US07698462B2 |
Systems and methods for adaptive communication control
Computer program products, apparatus, and methods for processing digital messages to recipients at destination domains is provided. A plurality of profiles are established, each profile for handling digital to a specific domain or set of domains. A request to process a plurality of outbound digital messages is handled by, for each given digital message, processing the given digital message by (i) determining a destination domain for digital messages, (ii) reading a profile for the determined destination domain for the digital messages and (iii) based on at least one parameter set in the profile: (a) sending the given digital message to the determined destination domain in accordance with the profile when permitted by the at least one parameter set in the profile, or (b) not sending the digital message to the determined destination domain when required by the at least one parameter set in the profile. |
| US07698461B2 |
Method and apparatus for queuing data flows
In a data system, such as a cable modem termination system, different-priority flows are scheduled to be routed to their logical destinations by factoring both the priority level and the time spent in queue. The time that each packet of each flow spends waiting for transmission is normalized such that the waiting times of all flows are equalized with respect to each other. A latency scaling parameter is calculated. |
| US07698460B2 |
Peer-to-peer method of quality of service (QoS) probing and analysis and infrastructure employing same
A peer-to-peer (P2P) probing/network quality of service (QoS) analysis system utilizes a UDP-based probing tool for determining latency, bandwidth, and packet loss ratio between peers in a network. The probing tool enables network QoS probing between peers that connect through a network address translator. The list of peers to probe is provided by a connection server based on prior probe results and an estimate of the network condition. The list includes those peers which are predicted to have the best QoS with the requesting peer. Once the list is obtained, the requesting peer probes the actual QoS to each peer on the list, and returns these results to the connection server. P2P probing in parallel using a modified packet-pair scheme is utilized. If anomalous results are obtained, a hop-by-hop probing scheme is utilized to determine the QoS of each link. In such a scheme, differential destination measurement is utilized. |
| US07698458B1 |
Load balancing network traffic using race methods
Techniques are provided for using the mobility support features of IPv6 to allow client and server nodes to communicate without the continuing intervention of a load-balancing node that selected the server node. A load-balancing node intercepts a TCP SYN packet addressed to a virtual IP address. The load-balancing node selects a server node from among multiple server nodes, and sends the packet toward the server node. The server node sends an IPv6 packet toward the client node. The packet contains a Binding Update option that specifies the virtual IP address as a Home Address. This information causes the client node to replace destination addresses in outgoing IP packets so that packets that the client node would have sent toward the virtual IP address are sent toward the selected server node's IP address instead. Consequently, the IP packets are routed toward the selected server node instead of the load-balancing node. |
| US07698456B2 |
Methods and apparatus to support routing of information
A first network node maintains separate routing policy information to forward network traffic depending on a direction of the network traffic. Upstream routing policy information at the first node identifies a second node to forward upstream traffic received from at least a first client communicating through the first node. Downstream routing policy information at the first node identifies how to forward downstream network traffic received from another node to the first client. By preventing use of the downstream policy routing information by the first client to route upstream network traffic, the first node is able to forward traffic along a path that the network traffic otherwise would have not traveled. For example, network traffic communicated through the first node can be forced to travel through another network node through which it would have not otherwise have passed if the downstream policy information was available to route the network traffic. |
| US07698455B2 |
Method for providing scalable multicast service in a virtual private LAN service
Multicast capability in a virtual private LAN service (VPLS) is provided in a provider IP/MPLS infrastructure without headend replications by encapsulating a customer data packet to use an established multicast protocol, such as IP multicast. In one example, the customer data packet is encapsulated by an IP header having an IP multicast group address and an Ethernet header. In one implementation, a DNS type mechanism is provided to distribute the IP multicast addresses for VPLS use. Such IP multicast group address can be set aside from an administratively scoped address range. An efficient IP routing algorithm running on the provider's network provides an efficient distribution tree for routing IP-encapsulated customer packet for the VPLS. |
| US07698454B1 |
Interfacing with streams of differing speeds
A system processes packet data received in a number of incoming streams of variable speeds. The system includes an input interface, input logic, and one or more packet processors. The input interface receives the packet data and outputs the data using a first arbitration element. The input logic includes flow control logic, a memory, and a dispatch unit. The flow control logic initiates flow control on the data output by the input interface. The memory stores the data from the input interface. The dispatch unit reads the data from the memory using a second arbitration element. The packet processor(s) process the data from the dispatch unit. |
| US07698452B2 |
Access-controlling method, repeater, and server
The present invention includes a repeater and a server for controlling access, from a terminal of an outside network, to the server of an inside network. The repeater and the server permit a packet transmission from the terminal to the server under limited conditions. When the server acknowledges a connection for the permitted packet, transmission conditions for packets to be sent to the server are loosened. Subsequently, packet transmission between the terminal and the server is controlled under the loosened transmission conditions. As for encrypted packets, the server decodes the encrypted packets and notifies the repeater of relevant information. |
| US07698450B2 |
Method and apparatus for distributing digitized streaming video over a network
Continuous streaming video is conditioned for display at a remote monitor adapted for receiving and playing a streaming video file of a discrete length. The continuous streaming video has no known beginning of data signal and no known end of data signal, and an arbitrary beginning of data signal is assigned to the streaming video in mid-stream and an arbitrary end of data signal is assigned to the streaming video for identifying the length of the video stream and for making it compatible with the display platform. The continuous streaming video may be time stamped, and the beginning of data signal may be arbitrarily assigned a zero value for identifying an artificial beginning of the file. Specifically, the each time stamp received may be calculated by resetting each time stamp received time stamp with a value of the current time stamp minus first time stamp received, whereby the first time stamp received is set to zero and additional time stamps are counted from the first time stamp received. The encoded video signal may be viewed by more than one user, wherein the streaming video signal is sent to a multicast group address for forwarding the stream identified recipients, with a multicast routing technique used for determining that multiple recipients are located on one specific network path or path segment, wherein only one copy of the video signal is sent along that path. |
| US07698444B2 |
Systems and methods for distributed network protection
By distributing various information and monitoring centers that monitor distributed networks and unauthorized access attempts, it is possible to, for example, more quickly defend against an unauthorized access attempts. For example, a Level 1 monitoring center could monitor a predetermined geographical area serving, for example, a wide variety of commercial and public sites, an organizational structure, or the like, for alarms. Upon analyzing an alarm for various characteristics, the Level 1 monitoring center can refer the unauthorized access attempt to an appropriate Level 2 center for, for example, possible retaliatory and/or legal action. Then, a Level 3 monitoring center can record and maintain an overall picture of the security of one or more networks, the plurality of monitoring centers and information about one or more hacking attempts. |
| US07698442B1 |
Server-based universal resource locator verification service
A URL verification service is provided that is used to evaluate the trustworthiness of universal resource locators (URLs). As a user browses the world wide web, a URL verification client captures a URL associated with a web page of unknown authenticity. The URL verification client transmits the captured URL to a URL verification server. The URL verification server compares the URL to actively maintained whitelist and blacklist information. The server also uses the URL and a user-supplied or automatically-extracted brand to query a search engine. The URL verification server processes the response of the search engine to the search engine queries and the results of cache and whitelist and blacklist comparisons to determine whether the captured URL is legitimately associated with the brand. The results of the URL evaluation process are transmitted from the URL verification server to the URL verification client, which notifies user. |
| US07698439B2 |
Application programming interface for efficient multicasting of communications
An API enables an application to make a single call for a send operation to an operating system that results in a multicast communication. The API may provide the ability to define a socket group including one or more sockets, in which each socket represents a respective network connection to another network device. An application may utilize the socket group when calling to the operating system with a send operation, by specifying an identifier (i.e., a handle) of the socket group to the operating system. Based on the socket group identifier, the operating system may control sending multiple instances of a communication to the network devices corresponding to the connections represented by the sockets of the socket group. Tasks that are repeated for every destination of a multicast in known systems may be performed only once, reducing CPU utilization and making applications that use multicasting more scalable. |
| US07698426B2 |
Using social domains to manage a domain name registrant's social websites
Methods of the present invention allow for managing multiple social websites. An exemplary method may comprise the steps of registering a domain name to a Registrant, generating a Social Domain (that corresponds to a social website) by concatenating at least one subdomain to the Registrant's domain name, mapping the Social Domain to a URL for the Registrant's social website webpage, entering the Social Domain in a browser, and displaying the Registrant's social website webpage. In one possible embodiment, the displayed social website webpage may be the Registrant's public webpage. In another possible embodiment, after authenticating the Registrant, identity-related data collected during the domain name registration process may be transferred to a social website. The Registrant may then be logged into the social website and his private webpage from the social website may be displayed. |
| US07698425B2 |
Systems for managing a domain name registrant's social websites
Systems of the present invention allow for managing multiple social websites. An exemplary system may comprise means for registering a domain name to a Registrant, at least one social website, and a Personal Portal Website communicatively coupled to the registering means and social website(s). The Personal Portal Website also may comprise means for generating a Social Domain (possibly by concatenating at least one subdomain to the Registrant's domain name), means for mapping the Social Domain to a URL for the Registrant's public webpage on his social website(s), and means for displaying the Registrant's public webpage(s) when the Social Domain is entered in a browser. |
| US07698419B2 |
Automatic tracking of usage of a software application having different versions
A method for automatically tracking application and content usage is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method first recites the step of accessing an application interface (API) call with a parameter specifying a first portion of content to be measured. For example, the amount of time for which the portion of content is used is measured. Next the method recites, in response to the accessed call, measuring usage for the first portion of content. Then, the method recites continuing to access API calls specifying additional portions of content to be measured until the program making the calls finishes execution. In this fashion, content usage is tracked. Application developers may determine, from the content usage, where users are getting stuck in a game or what segments of an electronic document are being viewed. |
| US07698417B2 |
Optimized performance counter monitoring
In a management system, computing devices collect sample performance values that describe utilization or usage of resources or processes. The sample performance values may be in the form of performance data or performance counters. Sample performance values are either sent or not sent to a management server, based on a delta value of a current collected sample performance value and a last current collected sample value. Plots may be constructed based on actual received sample performance values and interpolated, or estimated sample performance values based on a known frequency at which the sample performance values are collected. |
| US07698415B1 |
Networked port-inventory system and method
A method, system, and medium are provided for taking port inventories over a network. The process uses a web form which receives either an IP address or a device name for a particular piece of equipment, e.g., a network switch. After submission of this identifier, the system uses a Perl script to access an inventory management application associated with the piece of equipment and extract port information. The port information extracted reveals the number of ports which are both unconnected and unconfigured. This number is then used for resource management or other purposes. |
| US07698412B2 |
Parallel data link layer controllers in a network switching device
The present invention features a data link layer processor for performing VLAN tagging operations, policing, shaping, and statistics acquisition integrally with one or more media access controllers (MACs). When a plurality of data link layer processors are operated in parallel in a switching device, the computational burden carried by the route engine is significantly reduced. Moreover, the data link layer processor in its several embodiments may be used to introduce various forms of pre-processing and post-processing into network switching systems that employ route engines that do not posses such functionality. |
| US07698409B2 |
Method and an apparatus for executing timed network operations
An arrangement and a method comprising maintaining knowledge of a number of current network connections that require performing a periodic network operation (204, 206, 208, 210), with one or more predetermined timing sequences, targeted to at least one remote entity for maintaining the connections, and adjusting the time of execution of at least two such network operations to regularly substantially coincide (212). |
| US07698403B2 |
Automated management system generating network policies based on correlated knowledge to modify operation of a computer network
A method and apparatus for an automated system management process are described. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method comprises receiving data regarding operation of a network; automatically generating network policies based at least in part on the data regarding operation of the network using automation intelligence; applying the network policies to modify operations of the network; and receiving data regarding the operation of the network after the modification of the operations of the network. |
| US07698400B1 |
Dedication of administrative servers to management of server functions in a multi-server environment
A system for managing administration of computer services provided to users includes a computer system and an operating system running on the computer system. A server process is launched by the computer system for providing services to users. An isolated Virtual Private Server (VPS) has a set of services that perform administrative operations relating to the server process. The server process can be a webserver, a file server, an FTP server, an authentication server, a VPS, a chroot environment, a jail environment, a sand box environment, a print server and a Windows Terminal Service. The administrative operations can include collection of statistics relating to the server process; servicing of requests for management of the server process; servicing of requests for management of operating system functions; servicing of requests for computer system resource allocation; servicing of requests for computer system resource re-allocation; servicing of requests for authorization within the operating system; servicing of requests for authorization within the server process; servicing of requests that the server process is forbidden from executing; servicing of operations that potentially can cause a fault in the server process; and servicing of operations that require multiplexing of server processes. The multiplexing can be based on a network protocol addressing, or on a content of a request directed to the server process. The VPS isolation can include logical isolation of processes, physical isolation of processes, resources isolation, namespace isolation, data isolation, address isolation, fault isolation and performance isolation. |
| US07698399B2 |
Advanced IPMI system with multi-message processing and configurable performance and method for the same
An advanced IPMI system with multi-message processing and configurable performance and method for the same, optimally used among message sources, i.e. a host system and/or an operating terminal, to process IPMI messages from said message source is disclosed. The IPMI system includes an IPMI message subsystem, an IPMI core subsystem, and a central message buffer unit. The central message buffer unit provides a pointer to a corresponding address for temporary storage of each IPMI message. Each said subsystem each time just transmits the pointer, without a copy of the IPMI message, when transmittal of IPMI message is needed, for reducing times of reading IPMI message. The IPMI message subsystem utilizes multiple programmable-configured message processing units to concurrently multi-process lots of IPMI messages, in compliance with modular design of most units of said subsystems, for raising the implementing performance of the IPMI system. |
| US07698395B2 |
Controlling start up in a network
A method for controlling start-up of a network is provided. The method includes receiving a message from one node of a plurality of nodes at a hub while the network is in an unsynchronized state, relaying the message to the other nodes of the plurality of nodes of the network independent of the content of the message, and blocking all messages from the one node of the plurality of nodes until a relaying condition is met. |
| US07698394B2 |
Global network management configuration
A method and system are disclosed for remotely storing information for initializing a configurable network device at a direct server in the network. The information for initializing the configurable network device is automatically retrieved and used by the network device to self-initialize after the network address of the directory server is provided. Included in the information in some embodiments are the network addresses of a policy server and an authentication server, thereby allowing the network device to automatically retrieve policy information and authentication information as needed. Remote storage of substantially all information used to setup and run the network device substantially reduces the effort needed to backup or change information for large distributed networks including numerous configurable network devices. |
| US07698393B2 |
Method and system for shadowing information between computing devices
A method and system for seamlessly integrating computing devices shadow information between computing devices. The transfer of information proceeds in accordance with user-defined preferences. While a user is interacting with an application on one computing device, the application is shadowed to another computing device. Since the information is shadowed, the user may continue interacting with the application on the other communication device at any point without first having to perform a synchronization. |
| US07698384B2 |
Information collecting system for providing connection information to an application in an IP network
Information collecting system wherein at least an Application Service Provider (ASP) provides services to a user through an Internet network and wherein there are at least an access network to which is connected the user and an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network connected to each access network by a RADIUS client, the Internet network being connected to the ISP network by a proxy. This system comprises a RADIUS Client Agent (RCA) connected to the ISP network and adapted to collect information about parameters of the connection of the user to the system, and at least a Provisioning Proxy Agent (PPA) adapted to receive the information from the RCA and to add this information in the request sent by the user to the ASP. |
| US07698382B2 |
System and method for remote controlling equipment with the aid of at commands, and corresponding device, radiocommunication module, and set of commands
A system is provided for remote controlling equipment, which allows at least one server and at least one remote piece of equipment to be interconnected according to the MQIsdp protocol. The system associates at least one of the remote pieces of equipment with radio communication device that emits and receives AT-type commands issued by and/or addressed to an external application which is used by the distance piece of equipment. The radio communication device is provided with a set of specific AT commands for exchanging data with at least one server that uses the MQIsdp protocol such that said server/s and the remote piece/s of equipment can be interconnected via the radio communication device without the distant pieces of equipment having to know the MQIsdp protocol. |
| US07698381B2 |
Methods and systems for controlling the scope of delegation of authentication credentials
Methods and systems are provided for controlling the scope of delegation of authentication credentials within a network environment. A server is configured to provide a trusted third-party with a ticket authenticating the server, information about a target service that a server seeks to access on behalf of the client, and a service ticket associated with the client. This service ticket may be provided by the client or may be a previously granted service ticket granted to the server for itself in the name of the client. The trusted third-party grants a new service ticket to access the target service to the server, in the client's name, if such delegation is permitted according to delegation constraints associated with the client. |
| US07698380B1 |
System and method of optimizing social networks and user levels based on prior network interactions
An optimization server with associated databases for use in social networks utilizes previous interactions and other factors and parameters to optimize a user's level in a social network. The optimization server may be configured to proactively and/or reactively optimize a user's level in a social network by selecting previous social network instances, merging data from the selected instances into a single social network data representation, determining the shortest path between originating and recipient nodes in the network, and assigning a default level for the recipient node based on the shortest path. Additional optimization parameters may be applied to increase or decrease the recipient node's default network level (within certain optionally established limits for change). Various parameters that may be utilized to optimize the social network may include, but are not limited to, user parameters, content classification, user classification, distribution history, existing FOAF definitions, and other external data. |
| US07698379B2 |
System and method for document isolation
A computer based system and method of providing document isolation during routing of a document through a workflow is disclosed. The method comprises maintaining a separate “working” copy of the original base document while the document is routed through a workflow. Access controls, which define who may access the original document as well as any versions of the working copy document, are defined and stored in relation to the documents. The access controls further define the types of actions users may take with respect to the document. Users are selectively directed to the appropriate document, either the base document or working copy, and selectively granted permission to perform publishing operations on the working copy document, as determined by the access controls. |
| US07698378B2 |
Service diversity for communication system
A communication transaction or use case is broken down into constituent parts, one of which can be provided, at the direction of a master service node, from the master service node or primary service path and the other of which can be provided from a support service node or secondary service path that the client station might happen to be able to communicate with. For instance, the base layer of a multimedia stream might be provided from the master node, but if its bandwidth becomes full, an enhancement layer of the stream can be provided by the support node, as directed by the master node. |
| US07698374B2 |
Storage system with data redundancy between storage volumes
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems of storing data in storage volumes while ensuring data matching between the storage volumes. In one embodiment, a system for storing data comprises a first storage area to store data, a second storage area to store data, a first storage control unit configured to control the first storage area, and a second storage control unit configured to control the second storage area. In response to a first write request issued to write data in the first storage area, the first storage control unit is configured to write data associated with the first write request to the first storage area and to transfer the first write request to the second storage control unit, and the second storage control unit is configured to write the data associated with the first write request to the second storage area. In response to a second write request issued to write data in the second storage area, the second storage control unit is configured to transfer the second write request to the first storage control unit. |
| US07698373B2 |
Method, processing unit and data processing system for microprocessor communication in a multi-processor system
A processor communication register (PCR) contained in each processor within a multiprocessor system provides enhanced processor communication. Each PCR stores identical processor communication information that is useful in pipelined or parallel multi-processing. Each processor has exclusive rights to store to a sector within each PCR and has continuous access to read the contents of its own PCR. Each processor updates its exclusive sector within all of the PCRs, instantly allowing all of the other processors to see the change within the PCR data, and bypassing the cache subsystem. Efficiency is enhanced within the multiprocessor system by providing processor communications to be immediately transferred into all processors without momentarily restricting access to the information or forcing all the processors to be continually contending for the same cache line, and thereby overwhelming the interconnect and memory system with an endless stream of load, store and invalidate commands. |
| US07698372B2 |
System for publishing messages from identified, authorized senders to subscribers
A message publishing system processes a message from a sender in a first format and comprises a central processor, a sender account, a storage area to store at least a portion of the message, and software executing to configure the central processor. The processor identifies the sender as an authorized sender based on information associated with the message in comparison to data in the sender account, wherein the identification is dependent upon the first format, and publishes the portion of the message so as to be viewable only if the sender has been identified as an authorized sender. The software can further configure the processor to allow a requester to subscribe to receive new messages from one or more senders including the identified sender; and send a copy of a new message from the identified sender to one or more notification devices associated with the subscribed requestor. |
| US07698370B1 |
System and method for circumventing spam filters
A system and method for circumventing schemes that use duplication detection to detect and block unsolicited e-mail (spam.) An address on a list is assigned to one of m sublists, where m is an integer that is greater than one. A set of m different messages are created. A different message from the set of m different messages is sent to the addresses on each sublist. In this way, spam countermeasures based upon duplicate detection schemes are foiled. |
| US07698367B2 |
System and method for presence enabled e-mail delivery
A telecommunications system includes a network (102), a destination multimedia server (104), and a destination presence server (215) operably coupled to the network. A plurality of multimedia clients (122) are also operably coupled to the network. The multimedia clients (122) include a presence option (128) and are adapted to be able to select whether the option is to be activated. In operation, when a client sends an e-mail to another client, the destination multimedia server (104) receives the e-mail and determines if the recipient supports presence. If so, the destination multimedia server (104) sends a query to the destination presence server (215) to check the recipient's presence. If the recipient is present, the message can be delivered. If not, the message can be held on the server until the recipient is present. |
| US07698364B2 |
Shared views for browsing content
Systems and methods for enabling users at a plurality of client computers to share a common browsing experience are provided. A server computer according to the invention includes an interface to a communications network for establishing a first link between the server and the host client computer and a second link between the server and the slave client computer. The server has a shared view engine for receiving from the host client computer, an identifier that identifies the slave client computer and a locator corresponding to content on the server. The shared view engine causes the server to deliver the content corresponding to the locator to both the host client computer and the slave client computer. Thus, the host client computer and the slave client computer are enabled to share browsing of the content received from the server. To enable the slave clients to share in the browsing experience, the host client can send information such as URL and cookie data to the slave clients. Using the information from the host client, the slave clients can request the same Web pages being viewed by the host client. Alternatively, the host client can request the content not only for itself, but for the slave clients as well. |
| US07698363B2 |
System and method for composite business interactions in electronic commerce
A method, system, computer program product, and data structure for processing requests for services in a networked data processing system is provided. In one embodiment a request is received by a service provider. The request includes defined allowable actions and request definition compositions. The request also includes a plurality of actions wherein the relationships between the plurality of actions are defined. The service provider processes the plurality of actions according to the defined relationships and generates a response. |
| US07698358B1 |
Programmable logic device with specialized functional block
In a programmable logic device having a specialized functional block incorporating multipliers and adders, multiplication operations that do not fit neatly into the available multipliers are performed partially in the multipliers of the specialized functional block and partially in multipliers configured in programmable logic of the programmable logic device. Unused resources of the specialized functional block, including adders, may be used to add together the partial products produced inside and outside the specialized functional block. Some adders configured in programmable logic of the programmable logic device also may be used for that purpose. |
| US07698357B2 |
Modular multiplication with parallel calculation of the look-ahead parameters
A device for calculating a multiplication of a multiplier and a multiplicand includes a first performer that performs an exact three operand addition and a second performer that performs an approximated operand addition and a calculator that calculates current look-ahead parameters using the approximated intermediate results. The first performer is further implemented to perform an exact three operand addition in the current iteration step using the exact intermediate result for the current iteration step and using the look-ahead parameters calculated for the current iteration step. |
| US07698356B2 |
Smart evaluation in computer algebra
In a computing system, evaluating a mathematical expression in presented hierarchically according to the rules of precedence of operations, initial operations at the bottom of the hierarchy may yield values too large to be calculated conventionally, even if the ultimate value of the expression may represent a calculable value. The mathematical expression is evaluated top down to determine if portions of the mathematical expression are re-expressible to simplify the expression and avoid initial or intermediate calculations that would prevent calculation of the mathematical expression. Portions of the original mathematical expression are re-expressible by substituting known mathematical identities, applying arithmetic rules, or treating a portion of the mathematical expression as a variable on which other operations are performed. Once the mathematical expression has been re-expressed, the mathematical expression is simplified, and, if possible, its value calculated. |
| US07698355B2 |
Minimal area integrated circuit implementation of a polyphase interpolation filter using coefficients symmetry
A minimal area integrated polyphase interpolation filter uses a symmetry of coefficients for a channel of input data. The filter includes an input interface block for synchronizing the input signal to a first internal clock signal; a memory block for providing multiple delayed output signals; a multiplexer input interface block for outputting a selected plurality of signals for generating mirror image coefficient sets in response to a second set of internal control signals, a coefficient block for generating mirror image and/or symmetric coefficient sets, and to output a plurality of filtered signals, an output multiplexer block for performing selection, gain control and data width control on said plurality of filtered signals, an output register block synchronizing the filtered signals, and a control block generating clock signals for realization of the filter and to delay between two channels to access a coefficient set, thereby minimizing hardware in the filter. |
| US07698353B2 |
Floating point normalization and denormalization
A data processor includes a first bit field of a first plurality of bits representing a mantissa of a floating point number and a second bit field of a second plurality of bits representing an exponent of the floating point number. The first plurality of bits is partitioned into a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions comprises more than one bit of the first plurality of bits. A leading zero anticipator or other type of leading bit indication circuit is coupled to each region and determines a position of a leading bit of the first plurality of bits. A normalizer is coupled to receive a region of the plurality of regions that contains the leading bit, the normalizer may normalize or denormalize the region to produce a normalized or denormalized floating point number. |
| US07698350B2 |
Reproducing apparatus, reproduction controlling method, and program
A reproducing apparatus is disclosed which includes: a grouping section configured to group a plurality of content data stored on a storage medium into a plurality of content groups; a group selection section configured to select one of the plurality of content groups in response to an input from a user; and a reproduction control section configured to reproduce one of a plurality of content data belonging to one content group selected by the group selection section, for output starting from a point in time of the selection. |
| US07698347B2 |
System and method for shortening click URLS
The present invention is directed to a system and method for reducing the size of one or more keys encoded into a link to a target resource. The method of one embodiment comprises receiving a request for a target resource, encoding a link to the target resource with one or more key/value pairs and selecting a given key/value pair from among the one or more key/value pairs to identify a key. The key is located in a key map to identify a substitute key, which replaces the key in the link. |
| US07698341B2 |
Server-side object filtering
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for retrieving over a network a subset of object data from a persistence layer. The persistence layer is structured at least partially upon an object model definition. A server computer receives over the network a request from a client computer for object persisted data stored in the persistence layer. The server computer parses the request to obtain search criteria and object association data, wherein the object association data identifies at least one association between a pair of objects. Filtering criteria is created based upon the parsed search criteria and object association data. The object model definition determines how the search criteria and the object association data form the filtering criteria. The object data from the persistence layer is filtered by the filtering criteria in order to generate the object data subset. The object data subset may also be encoded as a package of objects formatted as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document. The server computer transmits the encoded object data subset to the client computer over the network. |
| US07698340B2 |
Parsing hierarchical lists and outlines
A system and method for determining hierarchical information is described. Aspects include using the Collins model for parsing non-textual information into hierarchical content. The system and process assign labels to lines that indicate how the lines relate to one another. |
| US07698339B2 |
Method and system for summarizing a document
A method and system for calculating the significance of a sentence within a document is provided. The summarization system calculates the significance of the sentences of a document and selects the most significant sentences as the summary of the document. The summarization system calculates the significance of a sentence based on the “important” words of the document that are contained within the sentence. The summarization system calculates the importance of words of the document using various scoring techniques and then combines the scores to classify a word as important or not important. The summarization system can then be used to identify significant sentences of the document based on the important words that a sentence contains and select significant sentences as a summary of the document. |
| US07698335B1 |
Cluster organization of electronically-stored items
Clusters are described which may be utilized to organize electronically-stored items. A variety of techniques may be employed using the clusters to organize the items. For instance, the clusters may be automatically generated and then modified by a user to classify the items as desired such that a modification made to a single item is propagated to other similar items. Therefore, the single item and the other similar items may be clustered automatically through interaction with the single item. |
| US07698328B2 |
User-directed search refinement
A search query is used to search on a corpus of documents. A statistical collocation analysis is performed on the search results. A list of collocations is determined and can be presented to a user. The search can be refined by modifying the search query, so that the search results include documents with desirable collocations or exclude documents with undesirable collocations. |
| US07698327B2 |
Universal search interface systems and methods
Systems and methods for enhancing information retrieval and communication functionality through the use of a universal interface that is configurable to interface with multiple applications resident on a user computer, and which provides a persistent two-way communication channel for communicating with search intelligence on a remote system. Sharable, actionable labels and codebooks of labels may be defined by a user. Each label may be defined in a natural language format and may include a mapping to a specific application or set of applications executable on a user system. Transfer of labels and codebooks between user systems allows for enhanced information exchange and retrieval among users as well as information exchange tracking and analysis by a server system. |
| US07698322B1 |
Method and system for integrating duplicate checks with existing computer systems
A method for integrating duplicate checks with an existing computer system includes capturing participant biometric data from each of a plurality of participants and enrolling each of the participants in a biometric duplicate check computer system. Moreover, the method includes checking for potentially duplicate biometric enrollment data records and communicating potentially duplicate unique identifiers associated with potentially duplicate biometric enrollment data records from the biometric duplicate check computer system to the existing program computer system. Furthermore, the method includes identifying potentially duplicate enrollment data records using the potentially duplicate unique identifiers, determining whether any of the potentially duplicate enrollment data records are true duplicate enrollment data records, and deleting true duplicate data records that are not to be retained. |
| US07698321B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for updating web content
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for dynamically updating web content using W3C standards. One such method sends a request to a web server for a web page. A web browser receives and renders a static HTML web page. The web browser periodically sends a query to the web server and, in response, receives a latest date and time stamp indicating the latest update to the web page. The web browser compares the latest date and time stamp to a previously stored date and time stamp representing a previous update. If the latest date and time stamp matches the previously stored date and time stamp, then no update has occurred and no update is required. If, however, the date and time stamps do not match, then the web page has changed since the previous update and the web browser retrieves the latest update to the web page. |
| US07698319B2 |
Database system management method, database system, database device, and backup program
A method manages a database system that includes a first database device whose memory content in a storage area is changed based on a command designated through a network from any business terminal device, and a second database device for storing the same memory content as the first database device as a backup. The method makes the first database device execute: creating and storing a logical log that correlates a command content with a memory content in the storage area every time the process is executed; creating a physical log that correlates a position information about the portion that is changed by the process, the memory content after changing by the process, and a class of the process every time the process is executed; and storing command specifying information that specifies the command corresponding to the physical log with the corresponding physical log every time each physical log is created. |
| US07698312B2 |
Performing recursive database operations
A method and apparatus for performing recursive database operations is provided. According to one aspect, a plurality of first-stage slaves and a plurality of second-stage slaves are established in a database server. During one or more iterations of a recursive database operation, the first-stage slaves concurrently process data items stored in a data repository and send results to the second-stage slaves. The second-stage slaves receive the results and concurrently process those results. The second-stage slaves store the results of the second-stage slaves' processing in the data repository. Subsequent iterations of the recursive database operation proceed in this manner until the recursive database operation has been completed. In each iteration, the first-stage slaves consume the product of the second-stage slaves' previous iteration's processing, and the second-stage slaves consume the product of the first-stage slaves' current iteration's processing. |
| US07698311B2 |
Method and system for augmenting and tracking web content
A system for augmenting data from a source data file with data from a reference database to generate an augmented data file and tracking the augmented data file is provided. The system includes a reference database including at least one reference datum. A handler component is configured to retrieve a source data file including the structured datum. A locator component is configured to locate the structured datum in the source data file; an analyzer component configured to associate the identified structured datum to one reference datum to create an association according to an analyzing strategy. A generating component is configured to generate a hyperlink based upon the association and embeds the generated hyperlink and an identification code in the source file to create and track an augmented data file. |
| US07698305B2 |
Program modification and loading times in computing devices
Systems and methods for implementing system management which are based on reviewing of the interactions between one or more programs and the persistent state they tend to represent. The system provides for detection of modifications that occur within a system, verifying whether the modifications are approved or not and generating notifications on detecting unknown modifications. |
| US07698299B2 |
Reserved image transmission system and method
An image transmission system for reserving and transmitting an image to be broadcast is provided. The image transmission system includes: an uploading unit for inputting reservation request information for reservation of image transmission and uploading an image; and a server for storing the reservation request information and the image and transmitting the image to one or more recipients' display devices according to the reservation request information. |
| US07698295B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling a LET binding
An apparatus and method for handling a LET binding used in a WHERE clause of an XQuery FLWOR expression during an XML pivot join procedure. XPath steps under a LET binding are identified and marked as bindings. During a match graph construction phase of the pivot join procedure, the bindings are linked to a first common non-LET binding ancestor, while traversing from the bottom up. A location identifier for each binding is truncated to the location identifier of the first common non-LET binding ancestor to create a truncated location identifier. The truncated location identifier is compared to a node identification of a FOR binding of the XQuery FLWOR expression. A match of the node identifications will qualify the XML document and the XML document is returned by the XML pivot join procedure. |
| US07698294B2 |
Content object indexing using domain knowledge
A content object indexing process including creating a content object knowledge index, calculating a description vector of a target content object, and indexing the target content object by searching for the description vector in the content object knowledge database. It may be difficult to search for an exact content object such as a music file or academic researcher as a conventional search index may not include related hierarchical information. A content object indexing process may add hierarchical information taken from a content object knowledge index and incorporate the hierarchical information to the index entry for a specific content object. An application of such a content object indexing process may be a world wide web search engine. |
| US07698292B2 |
Tag management within a decision, support, and reporting environment
A system and methods for retrieving and presenting data in a tag-based component environment. The disclosed system provides an efficient mechanism for associating point and non-point data using highly configurable data acquisition strategies. The data acquisition strategies incorporate customized retrieval routines to perform data acquisition at desired intervals so as to reduce unnecessary bandwidth consumption and computational overhead. |
| US07698281B2 |
Use of extensible markup language in a system and method for influencing a position on a search result list generated by a computer network search engine
A database search apparatus and method for generating a search result list which responds to Extensible Markup Language (XML) requests from a client to a server of an on-line marketplace. A bid management tool is operable on a client computer to manage search listings and account information of one or more advertisers. The client application communicates with the server via an XML-based application program interface. The bid management tool provides functions for reporting account activity, modifying accounts and manual, timed or event-driven changes to search listings including listings of several advertisers. |
| US07698280B2 |
Active cache offline sharing of project files
In a client-server computer system, an active cache is utilized by a client-based project management application program to share server-based project files with an offline client, so that the project files may be updated by modifications made offline. A project file is saved from the active cache for sharing with the offline client. The shared project file is sent to the offline client for editing. After editing, a modified project file is received from the offline client and saved to the active cache. The active cache initiates an update of the server-based project file with the project file which was modified offline. |
| US07698275B2 |
System and method for providing remediation management
In one embodiment, software for remediation management is operable to automatically identify an asset in an enterprise network. One or more vulnerabilities of the identified asset is automatically identified based on comparing the identified asset to content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities. At least a portion of the content is collected from a plurality of third party content providers. Other example software for remediation management may be operable to identify one or more vulnerabilities of an asset based on comparing the asset to content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities and automatically generate remediations for the asset based on the content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities. |
| US07698272B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for deterministic file allocations for parallel operations
An apparatus, system, and method for determining the maximum supported degree of parallel sort operations in a multi-processor computing environment. An allocation module allocates a minimum number of sort files to a sort operation for each data source that participates in the parallel sort. The allocation module attempts to allocate sort files of one-half the sort operation data source file size, and iteratively reduces the sort file size requests in response to determinations that sort files of the requested size are not available. After allocation, a parallel operation module determines whether there is sufficient virtual storage to execute the sort operations in parallel. If there is not, the parallel operations module collapses the two smallest sort operations, thereby reducing the degree of parallelism by one, and repeats the request. The parallel operation module repeats the process until the sorts are executed or the process fails for lack of virtual storage. |
| US07698268B1 |
Method and system for filtering false positives
Embodiments of the present invention may be used in the generation of an overall weight from the comparison of various attributes of data records, where the linking of the data records is dependent on the overall weight. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention may calculate a false positive penalty based on a set of results, each of the set of results based on a comparison of an attribute. The false positive penalty may be subtracted from the overall weight generated from the comparison of the attributes of data records to adjust the overall weight. By configuring which attributes of the data records are used as the set of attributes for generating the false positive penalty, and the penalties associated with a particular combination of results for the comparisons of these attributes, the incidence of false positives in the linking of data records may be significantly reduced. |
| US07698266B1 |
Meaning-based advertising and document relevance determination
A method for advertising on electronic data networks based upon semantic differentiation. |
| US07698264B2 |
System and method for sparsity removal
Method and system for removing sparse data in a response to a query to a multidimensional database by establishing a cross-tab with sparse data. After selecting a member in an axis of the cross-tab for sparsity removal, a first set expression on the orthogonal axis is selected in the context of the member. The context of the orthogonal axis is collected for generating a filter set expression with a data removal criteria, based on the collected context; and the query is submitted to the database with the filter set expression. |
| US07698263B2 |
Providing a lateral search
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a lateral search. First, a media guide may be displayed comprising at least one display element. The at least one display element may comprise an action card configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to a selected program. One of the plurality of actions may comprise a search action. In addition, in response to a user selecting a user selectable element corresponding to the search action on the action card, a search card may be displayed. The search card may be configured to display a plurality of search options comprising, for example, an upcoming episodes search option, a related programs search option, a related personalities search option, and a related key word search option. |
| US07698259B2 |
Semantic search in a database
A search system performs a search in a database. In one embodiment, a process of the search system includes, but is not limited to, in response to a request to search a search term in the database, performing the search in the database based on semantics relationships of the search term and an entity in view of one or more transactions associated with the entity, and presenting a search result of the search, the search result including one or more documents associated with the one or more transactions. |
| US07698257B2 |
Apparatus and method for recursively rationalizing data source queries
A computer readable medium stores executable instructions to receive a Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) query. The MDX query is recursively rationalized to form a rationalized query. The rationalized query is applied to a multidimensional data source to produce query results. The query results are returned. |
| US07698250B2 |
Differential data privacy
Systems and methods are provided for controlling privacy loss associated with database participation. In general, privacy loss can be evaluated based on information available to a hypothetical adversary with access to a database under two scenarios: a first scenario in which the database does not contain data about a particular privacy principal, and a second scenario in which the database does contain data about the privacy principal. Such evaluation can be made for example by a mechanism for determining sensitivity of at least one database query output to addition to the database of data associated with a privacy principal. An appropriate noise distribution can be calculated based on the sensitivity measurement and optionally a privacy parameter. A noise value is selected from the distribution and added to query outputs. |
| US07698246B2 |
System and method for optimal and adaptive process unification of decision support functions associated with managing a chaotic event
A method for displaying information related to a chaotic event. A mathematical optimization algorithm is used to select a first optimal decision set for a user. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input a decision template, chaotic event information, at least one constraint, and a user profile. A heuristic algorithm is used to eliminate a first subset of decisions. The first subset of decisions is in the first optimal decision set. A second optimal decision set is formed. The second optimal decision set comprises the first optimal decision set less the first subset of decisions. The mathematical optimization algorithm is used to select a sequence in which decisions in the second optimal decision set are to be considered. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input the second optimal decision set, the decision template, the chaotic event information, the at least one constraint, and the user profile. The sequence is stored. |
| US07698241B2 |
Method for resolving conditions of a medical system using solution verification
A technique is provided for resolving a reportable condition. Upon detection of a reportable condition on a processor-based medical system, machine data is provided to a knowledge engine. One or more identified solutions are received from the knowledge engine and implemented on the processor-based medical system. The one or more solutions are verified as they are implemented to determine if the currently implemented solution resolves the reportable condition. Routines implementing some or all of the technique may be provided on a processor-based system or on a machine-readable medium. |
| US07698240B1 |
System and method for providing electronic financial transaction services
A computer-implemented marketplace (16) for providing financial transaction services to participants (12, 14, 60, 62) in connection with commercial transactions involving the participants (12, 14, 60, 62) includes a database (22). The database (22) contains registration information for types of transactions available to participants (12, 14, 60, 62) and participation criteria for each participant (12, 14, 60, 62) that specifies types of transactions in which the participant (12, 14, 60, 62) is willing to participate. Processes (24) provide associated financial transaction services for the participants (12, 14, 60, 62) in connection with ongoing transactions involving the participants (12, 14, 60, 62). The marketplace (16) initiates a selected process (24) in response to a specified event associated with an ongoing transaction, according to the registration information and participation criteria, to provide a corresponding financial transaction service to at least one participant (12, 14, 60, 62) involved in the ongoing transaction. |
| US07698239B2 |
Self-evolving distributed system performance using a system health index
In a distributed computing system, an artificial intelligence system may be employed to configure the network variables. A metric describing the overall system performance may be derived during network operation or simulation and compared to an ideal metric describing the same distributed system performance. The difference between the derived metric and the ideal metric may then be used with an artificial intelligence system to modify the network variables to evolve the system toward the ideal performance standard. |
| US07698230B1 |
Transaction architecture utilizing transaction policy statements
A transaction receiver obtains a transaction packet comprising at least one document and instructions for processing the at least one document to complete a transaction. Thereafter, a rule parser accesses a transaction policy statement associated with the transaction packet including one or more rules for allowing the at least one document to be electronically signed. A verification agent then determines whether the rules of the transaction policy statement are met, after which a signature inhibitor prevents the at least one document from being electronically signed unless each rule of the transaction policy statement is met. |
| US07698229B2 |
Method and apparatus for trading digital items in a network data processing system
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for transferring a unique digital item between a first party and a destination party in a network data processing system. A request to transfer a unique digital item in an account of the first party is received. Responsive to receiving the request, a retrieval tag is associated with the unique digital item. The retrieval tag is generated by a server process, such as one on which the unique digital item is located. The unique digital item is transferred from the source account to a temporary storage account in association with the retrieval tag. The unique digital item is listed on a trusted third-party server. A second party may inspect the unique digital item and agree to exchange something in return for the first party's listed unique digital item. The transfer occurs after all parties have committed to the transaction. Responsive to a redemption request initiated by the trusted third-party, the unique digital item is transferred from the temporary storage account to an account of the second party. |
| US07698228B2 |
Tracking purchases in a location-based services system
A system and method for tracking purchases in a location-based services system is disclosed wherein a request for information on a particular product is received from a consumer using a remote terminal. A geographically tailored response to the request is then generated with the location-based services system. At least one offer is then displayed to the consumer based on the geographically tailored response. An acceptance of a respective offer made by the consumer is then processed by the location-based services system and information is stored about the transaction in a usage data file or database. |
| US07698226B2 |
Information processing apparatus and controlling method of the same
The present invention provides an information processing apparatus in which a limiting value of a counter for restricting the use of the apparatus can be dynamically set and changed in a secure method and a controlling method of the information processing apparatus. License information including an appliance serial number of a copy machine SC1 and a new limiting value is input to the copy machine with a counter function that restricts a function when a counter value reaches a limiting value. The input license information is determined whether it is valid or not. If it is determined valid, a saved limiting value is updated to the new limiting value included in the license information. |
| US07698224B2 |
System and method for certification
A method of preparing a certification project plan for certifying compliance for a mobile platform project with pre-defined regulations is provided. The method includes defining the project in a software system and defining a certification plan for the project in the software system. The method also includes selecting authorized representatives based on their delegated authorities from a database to carry out the certification plan. The method can include verifying the completion of the certification plan and generating at least one document to indicate that the mobile platform is in compliance based on the completed certification plan. |
| US07698222B1 |
Systems and methods of check re-presentment deterrent
A user or a device may separate a check into two or more portions prior to generating a digital image of the check for remote deposit of the check. The user or a device may separate the check by cutting or tearing the check. After separating the check into the portions, the user may generate a digital image of the portions of the check using a scanner for example. The digital image may be transmitted to an institution for deposit of the check. The institution may retrieve the images of the portions of the check and generate an image of the check based on the portions, by combining the images of the portions for example. The image of the check that may be generated based on the images of the portions may be processed for deposit. |
| US07698220B2 |
Virtual terminal for payment processing
In some embodiments, a process for performing transaction tasks using a virtual terminal comprises: presenting functions to a user, receiving a selected function, and performing the selected function. The presented functions may comprise: (a) activating at least one card; (b) deactivating a card; (c) generating a PIN; (d) inserting value; (e) generating an End of Day report; and (f) managing users. |
| US07698219B2 |
Methods, systems and agreements for increasing the likelihood of repayments under a financing agreement for renewable energy equipment
A business method is disclosed of increasing the probability of timely receiving payment for financing renewable energy consumer premises equipment (CPE) by a consumer for power generation at a consumer premises, the renewable energy CPE adapted to deliver power onto a power grid. The method comprises creating an agreement between a consumer and an entity financing renewable energy CPE, wherein creating the agreement includes creating a provision that allows the entity to control power at the consumer premises if a default of the agreement by the consumer occurs. |
| US07698214B1 |
Systems and methods of trading closed loans, debt, and other financial obligations
A method of trading individual, closed residential mortgage loans without loans being presented in a structured pool. The method includes authorizing a file associated with an individual, closed residential mortgage loan to be made available to a plurality of potential buyers and converting information in the file into electronic file data for submittal to the plurality of potential buyers. The information in the file includes information of importance to the potential buyer in understanding the loan. The method also includes making the electronic file data available to the plurality of potential buyers for review and purchase without pooling or averaging the electronic file data prior to making it available to the plurality of potential buyers, and prior to bidding, thereby making the risk of the individual, closed mortgage loan transparent to the plurality of potential buyers; receiving a bid from one or more of the potential buyers on the individual, closed residential mortgage loan; accepting the bid and electronically forwarding a note associated with the file to a clearing agency for delivery to the potential buyer; and receiving funds from the clearing agency into a seller account as payment for the individual, closed residential mortgage loan. |
| US07698209B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for determining results of programming logic
A method, system, and computer-program product for determining one or more decision steps of a programming logic set executed by a computer. The method comprises steps of: receiving at least one data set; receiving conditional information; tagging one of said one or more data sets to indicate qualification under the conditional information. The tagging includes determining, for each tagging condition element, if the tagging condition element passes or fails, and combining, in accordance with a predefined logic scheme, the results of the individual tagging condition elements from the determining step to further determine whether said data set meets the conditions. |
| US07698204B2 |
Method and system for e-commerce freight management
A freight management method and system for arranging for shipment of a load, offering equipment, selling a product, or providing a service from a shipper by a carrier, based on shipping data and carrier data supplied by the shipper and the carrier, respectively, comprising a central processing system (10), inputting into the central processing system (10) a request for bids (18), which includes requests to apply pre-defined rates from the shipper (12) for shipping a load; electronically transmitting an invitation to bid (19) for shipping the load from the central processing system (10) to a plurality of carriers (13); electronically receiving bids (20) at the central processing system (10) from at least some of the carriers (13) for shipping the load; electronically transmitting to the shipper a bid report (21) with bids received from at least some of the carriers (13) receiving the invitation to bids; and electronically receiving from the shipper a bid selection (22) and notifying the carrier of acceptance (23) of at least one of the bids. |
| US07698201B2 |
Financial instrument utilizing an optional benefit election
A financial instrument includes an account with an account balance that changes over time, wherein at least part of the account balance may be discretionarily withdrawn and wherein the initial account balance is based upon an initial deposit; a guarantee that a beneficiary may periodically receive a transfer of an amount of money for the life of a first designated party, wherein the transfer may be due to withdrawal from the account or due to benefit payments made to the beneficiary, provided that the amount may vary based upon withdrawals from the account in excess of a particular limit; and an option to modify the guarantee such that upon election the beneficiary may periodically receive the transfer of the amount of money for the longer of the life of the first designated party and the life of a second designated party. |
| US07698199B2 |
System and method for offering a futures contract indexed to entertainment revenue
A method of trading includes performing a transaction of a futures contract between a buyer and a seller. The futures contract is associated with at least one entertainment event and comprises a purchase price and a settlement date. The method concludes by performing a settlement of the futures contract based at least in part upon the purchase price and a value associated with the entertainment event at the settlement date. The entertainment event is associated with a security and the transaction of the futures contract is performed in conjunction with the issuance of the security to the seller. |
| US07698198B2 |
System and method for purchasing a financial instrument indexed to entertainment revenue
A method for purchasing a securities bundle indexed to entertainment revenue comprises selecting a securities bundle offered by a special-purpose entity. The securities bundle comprises a first security and a second security and the securities bundle is associated with a closing date. The first security is associated with a first entertainment event and the second security is associated with a second entertainment event. The method continues by identifying a return value associated with the securities bundle, and by identifying a purchase price associated with the securities bundle. The method concludes by purchasing the selected securities bundle at least partially based on the purchase price and the return value. |
| US07698197B1 |
Index of initial public offerings (IPOX) and IPOX derivatives
Systems and techniques for providing an index of initial public offerings (IPOs) may include selecting a set of IPOs for inclusion in the IPO index (IPOX), selecting an index start date and base value, acquiring price data and weighting data for the selected IPOs, determining first adjustment factors associated with any new exclusion of an IPO from the selected set of IPOs, determining second adjustment factors associated with any new inclusion of an IPO in the selected set of IPOs, determining reconstitution dates for the index, and computing an index value based at least in part on the index start date and base value, the acquired price data and weighting data, and the determined first and second adjustment factors. |
| US07698196B1 |
Method and system for modeling and benchmarking private equity and applications of same
Methods and systems are presented which permit more accurate analysis of the performance of private equity assets relative to the performance of a public index and also permit the simulation of private equity asset behavior during time periods for which reliable data for actual private equity performance is not available. The methods systems permit more accurate evaluation of a private equity asset relative to a benchmark, performance comparison of multiple private equity assets, the generation of scaled private equity data for use during simulation or other analysis under market conditions for which reliable private equity performance data is not available, risk analysis, rating and risk monitoring of private equity assets or structured products that invest in private equity assets, and as part of a private equity asset management and portfolio allocation tool. |
| US07698192B2 |
Open end mutual fund securitization process
A mutual fund securitization process permitting the trading of open end mutual funds and linked derivative securities on or off the floor of a National Securities Exchange. The targeted individual open end mutual fund or group of open end mutual funds, selected through a screening process is securitized through the creation of a new, separate security. This new security is preferably a “closed end fund of funds” and linked derivative securities, which synthetically replicate the statistical relationship of the defined individual or group of open end mutual funds. The maintenance of financial records for the new security is maintained by electronically storing dividend, capital gains and income received from the open end funds which have been invested in, and calculating pro-forma financial statements to disseminate to shareholders and all relevant parties. |
| US07698188B2 |
Electronic enterprise capital marketplace and monitoring apparatus and method
An automated and interactive system that facilitates efficient capitalization/liquidation and monitoring of private and publicly-traded enterprises through a network-driven marketplace is disclosed. The system may be comprised of a dynamic process for enterprise characterization, a customizable computational engine that utilizes statistical reference information to quantify a multi-factor scoring value for each unique enterprise, a customizable system for investor-users to filter, rank, and screen enterprise prospects, a customizable system for monitoring the performance of enterprises, an integrated internal system for electronic communication between market participants, and an empirical feedback system that provides a dynamic knowledge base of statistical reference information for various computational components of the invention. |
| US07698186B2 |
Multi-level transaction flow monitoring
A computer-implemented method for monitoring transactions in a computer system includes monitoring events reported by components of the computer system responsively to a flow of the transactions through the system. A state machine model and a rule-based model are jointly applied to the monitored events, so as to identify respective transaction-level events and business-level events. A status of the flow of the transactions is assessed responsively to the transaction-level events and the business-level events. |
| US07698182B2 |
Optimizing profitability in business transactions
A system and method for optimizing profitability is provided disclosing an intelligent customer scoring system (iCSS) for receiving a telephone number and transaction request. When the iCSS receives an initial transaction request, it accesses local information related to the number to predict a real-time initial customer score, wherein the requested initial transaction is allowed in real-time based on a comparison of the initial customer score, an expected profitability of the transaction, and a predetermined threshold level. The iCSS accesses information related to the number and the profitability of the transactions to refine the customer score. When the iCSS receives a subsequent transaction request, it is allowed or denied by comparing the refined customer score and expected profitability with the predetermined threshold. The system further comprises an intelligent revenue opportunity module (iROM) for implementing a plurality of revenue opportunity applications (ROA) responsive to the customer score and other specific transaction requirements. |
| US07698180B2 |
System for tracking data relating to radiopharmaceuticals and/or containers therefor
The present invention relates to management of information relating to medical fluids, containers therefor, and medical fluid administration devices for administering such medical fluids to patients. Data tags (e.g., RFID tags) are generally associated with containers of the invention and may be electromagnetically read from and/or written to using an electromagnetic device, for example, that may be associated with a medical fluid administration device of the invention. |
| US07698178B2 |
Online game advertising system
In one embodiment an online game advertising system provides an architecture for enabling the definition, sales, distribution, and management of interactive advertisements, sponsorships, and placements that appear within an online video game as part of the game experience or during idle load, wait, and pause screens. For example, in a race car game, when a driver pulls in for a pit stop, the engine oil brand that the game player may choose may be defined as locations for advertisements or product placements for real life engine oils and game publishers and advertisers may manage what specific advertisements to place in these locations. |
| US07698177B2 |
Device for displaying a current status during order processing in a production plant
The present invention relates to a device for displaying current status during order processing in a production plant, with an inter-face (1) to a data processing system (5), from which up-to-date in-formation is obtained about order processing in the production plant, a processing unit (2) for processing the up-to-date information from the data processing system (5) relating to at least one process selected by an operator in graphic form, whereby processing in graphic form includes the graphic display of the allocation of material supply areas for the source process, the allocation of production areas for the make process and essential information for packaging and delivery for the deliver process, and an output unit (3) to output up-to-date information relating to the selected process in the graphic display on one or a plurality of monitors (4). The present device allows employees to have a fast and clear overview of the current status of order processing without additional training. |
| US07698171B2 |
Methods and system for facilitating bids for placement of offers in an alternative payment platform
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating bidding for placement of alternate offers in an alternative payment platform, including methods and systems for providing a platform for presenting alternate offers the completion of which serves as an alternative to payment for an item associated with a primary offer, receiving a bid for the opportunity to present an alternate offer in the platform, wherein the bid is associated with a placement attribute, wherein the placement attribute is at least one of an attribute of a prospective user and an attribute associated with the presentation of the alternate offer, and determining a placement of the alternate offer based at least in part on the bid. |
| US07698167B2 |
Catalog building method and system
Systems and methods are described which produce a catalog from a previously existing database. The method defines catalog data fields and links same to the data fields of the database. In one embodiment, the method scans the database for its dat fields and automatically uses same as the catalog data fields. This improves the efficiency of catalog production because a publisher need not be trained as to what data is in the database. The method further automatically formats the data from the data base into a catalog. In another embodiment, the method automatically produces a table of contents and an index. The present method can produce the catalog in multiple formats, including electronic, portable document format, rich text format, and printed. |
| US07698164B2 |
Method and system for providing a payment incentive for distributing digital files over a network
A method and system for providing a payment incentive for distributing digital files over a network are provided. The method and system allow a publisher, distributor(s), and/or users to receive a payment incentive for downloading digital files on the Internet. The present disclosure creates a method and system where every party along the distribution chain will have an incentive for further distribution of the digital content file. The method includes the steps receiving by a server of a file agent at least one digital content file from a content provider; presenting the at least one digital content file for purchase; downloading the at least one digital content file to at least one user for a transaction amount; distributing a first distribution amount of the transaction amount to the content provider; and distributing a second distribution amount of the transaction amount to the at least one user. |
| US07698162B2 |
Customer satisfaction system and method
A customer satisfaction system, includes a query module for automatically sending queries to customers as to problems with goods or services provided by a provider according to a predetermined schedule and for receiving responses from customers to the queries; an analysis module for analyzing responses from customers and for sending responses indicating a problem to a problem solver for resolution; and at least one problem solver for responding to customer problems, for generating solutions to customer problems and for transmitting solutions to customers; wherein, upon transmission of a solution to a customer problem to a customer, the query module sends a query to the customer requesting verification that the problem has been solved. |
| US07698158B1 |
Life insurance policy evaluation method
A method of evaluating a permanent life insurance policy including the steps of accessing a policy illustration, establishing an effective life span of the policy illustration, identifying a first amount attributed to death benefit claims, identifying a second amount attributed to premium loads, identifying a third amount attributed to policy expenses, calculating a sum of the first, second and third amounts for a plurality of policy years, averaging the sum for each year throughout the effective life span, calculating a cash value of the policy illustration for the plurality of policy years, identifying a projected investment earnings forecast in the policy illustration, normalizing the projected investment earnings forecast, adding the project investment earnings to the cash value, and recalculating the current cash value of the policy illustration for the plurality of policy years. |
| US07698157B2 |
System and method for multi-dimensional physician-specific data mining for pharmaceutical sales and marketing
The present invention relates to a system and method for electronic and algorithmic data mining of an individual physician's prescribing history to determine the approximate distribution of diseases within their practice population for optimizing pharmaceutical sales and marketing. Rapid and large-scale determination of specific clinical safety and efficacy attributes of a marketed drug which are most pertinent and relevant to a given physician, when compared to a competitor's drug, are defined and tabularized. Major clinical characteristics taken into account include a drug's safety, efficacy, cost, dosing convenience, formulary insurance coverage, side effect profiles, and FDA approval for the intended use. A symbolic representation of knowledge is employed in which the marketed drug and each competitor's drug are compared algorithmically against each other with a scoring system that is based upon machine analysis of each major clinical characteristic. The score is further refined according to the number and severity of safety interactions which are relevant to the comparison, and also based upon predicted prevalence of such interactions within a specific physician's practice. |
| US07698155B1 |
System for determining a disease category probability for a healthcare plan member
A system and method is provided for determining a probability that a member of a health plan has a disease or condition within one or more disease categories, by using data from the member's pharmacy claims. Logistic regression models are generated for each condition category using therapeutic drug categories, provider information, and/or other variables including member demographic information. |
| US07698154B2 |
Patient-controlled automated medical record, diagnosis, and treatment system and method
A system and process for providing a computerized medical and biographical records database and diagnostic information. A medical records database and diagnostic program is stored on a central computer that is accessible to individuals using remotely situated computers connected to a computer network. Individual patient medical and biographical records are owned by individual patients who can enter information in their record as well as grant or deny authorization to others, such as health care professionals, insurance providers and other entities, to review part or all of their record. The diagnostic program provides a series of diagnostic questions to an individual who must respond either “yes” or “no” to each question. Each potential response is weighted relative to its importance to a particular disease diagnosis. Relative weights for all responses to diagnostic questions are summed to identify potential diagnoses to connected to the answered questions. The diagnostic program provides the individual with a list of potential diagnoses as well as permitting the individual to save the information to his or her individual medical and biographical record. The information maintained in the above system and process is utilized for health care financing and insurance. |
| US07698153B2 |
Automated system and method for health care administration
An information collection and processing system and related automated method for use by an organization providing health care to a given population. The system includes an arrangement for storing information relating to a plurality of contractual relationships existing between the organization, a plurality of health care providers, and a plurality of payors. The storage arrangement also includes information relating to a plurality of patients in the given population, and information relating to transactions between the organization, providers and the payors. An aspect of the system and method relates to storing information relating to an expected receivable resulting from an encounter between a patient and one or more of the providers, storing information relating to a corresponding remittance received as a result of said encounter, comparing the expected receivables with the corresponding remittances, and initiating an action if the remittance falls outside of predetermined limits of the respective receivable. |
| US07698152B2 |
Medical image viewing management and status system
A system identifies, flags and tracks images and series of images previously accessed by a healthcare worker. A system for tracking medical image viewing by a user includes at least one repository storing data representing multiple medical images of a particular patient available for use in preparing a report. A viewing processor tracks whether an individual image of the multiple medical images has been presented on a display device by using predetermined rules in determining whether data representing the individual image has been communicated to the display device for display to a particular user associated with received user identification information. The viewing processor generates a viewed indicator associated with the individual image and the particular user in response to a determination data representing the individual display image has been communicated to the display device for display to the particular user. A documentation processor at least one of, (a) associates data representing the generated viewed indicator with data representing the individual image and (b) stores data, representing the generated viewed indicator and associates the generated viewed indicator with the individual image and the particular user, in a record. |
| US07698151B2 |
Electronic document presentment services in the event of a disaster
The disaster recovery techniques, for presentment of a company's bills, statements or the like, provide electronic document presentment in the event of a disaster that impacts the company's print mail delivery operation or other existing mailing system(s). Files containing electronic documents are received, from a system associated with the print mail delivery operation, and the documents are stored in a database. Preferably, the systems use the company's existing data files. The files may be converted to a format compatible with one or more electronic delivery methodologies, if necessary. The disaster recovery systems present notice and/or data from the documents to the company's customers electronically, for example as e-mail (notice or message containing some or all of the document data), as a document attachment to an e-mail, via a web site, and possibly via telephone voice announcement. |
| US07698147B2 |
Information based network process for mail sorting/distribution
In a network-based mail processing system and method of the invention, the originating presort bureau or node is defined as the first bureau to receive and process mail, usually near the point of creation. Each presort bureau or node in the network is generally also a destination bureau or node since each processes mail from other nodes for delivery to recipients in its respective region by the postal regional sorting centers associated with its destination codes. Interactive network processing enables higher density of sorts at destination nodes and reduces overall sorts, postage, and sort costs over non-interactive processing centers. The term “presort bureau” is used to connote a service bureau or any other entity which is a) part of the enterprise network, b) processes mail created and entered by itself or by mailers it services, and/or c) processes mail interactively with other network nodes. A similar network is described for mail-like items. |
| US07698144B2 |
Automated audio sub-band comparison
Automated testing of audio performance of applications across platforms is provided for via capture of audio data. The audio data can include, inter alia, output sounds from a sound card or pre-rendered buffer data. The audio data is processed to produce descriptive data including data describing the audio data at least a first resolution and a second resolution. This descriptive data is used to compare data samples and describe the degree of similarity of two or more data samples. This comparison enables a determination as to whether the audio performance is satisfactory. |
| US07698143B2 |
Constructing broad-band acoustic signals from lower-band acoustic signals
A method generates envelope spectra and harmonic spectra from an input broad-band training acoustic signal. Corresponding non-negative envelope bases are trained for the envelope spectra and non-negative harmonic bases are trained for the harmonic spectra using convolutive non-negative matrix factorization. Higher-band frequencies are generated for an input lower-band acoustic signal according to the non-negative envelope bases and the non-negative harmonic bases. Then, the input lower-band acoustic signal is combined with the higher-band frequencies to produce an output broad-band acoustic signal. |
| US07698142B2 |
Voice control of a generic input device for an ultrasound system
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing voice control of a system, an ultrasound system for example. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of forming a generic input device used in an ultrasound system and responsive to at least one voice command. In at least one embodiment, the method comprises forming at least one display in the generic input device, the display having at least one tab associated therewith. The method further comprises defining a grid layout on at least one display and associating at least one control of the ultrasound system with at least one of the tab and the grid layout. At least one voice command is associated with at least one of the tab and grid layout. |
| US07698139B2 |
Method and apparatus for a differentiated voice output
In a method and apparatus for a differentiated voice output, systems existing in a vehicle, such as the on-board computer, the navigation system, and others, can be connected with a voice output device. The voice outputs of different systems can be differentiated by way of voice characteristics. |
| US07698138B2 |
Broadcast receiving method, broadcast receiving system, recording medium, and program
A broadcast receiving system includes a broadcast receiving part for receiving a broadcast in which additional information that corresponds to an object appearing in broadcast contents and that contains keyword information for specifying the object is broadcasted simultaneously with the broadcast contents; a recognition vocabulary generating section for generating a recognition vocabulary set in a manner corresponding to the additional information by using a synonym dictionary; a speech recognition section for performing the speech recognition of a voice uttered by a viewing person, and for thereby specifying keyword information corresponding to a recognition vocabulary set when a word recognized as the speech recognition result is contained in the recognition vocabulary set; and a displaying section for displaying additional information corresponding to the specified keyword information. |
| US07698135B2 |
Voice detecting method and apparatus using a long-time average of the time variation of speech features, and medium thereof
A first filter (2061 in FIG. 1) calculates a long-time average of first change quantities based on a difference between a line spectral frequency of an input voice signal and a long-time average thereof. A second filter (2062 in FIG. 1) calculates a long-time average of second change quantities based on a difference between a whole band energy of the input voice signal and a long-time average thereof. A third filter (2063 in FIG. 1) calculates a long-time average of third change quantities based on a difference between a low band energy of the input voice signal and a long-time average thereof. A fourth filter (2064 in FIG. 1) calculates a long-time average of fourth change quantities based on a difference between a zero cross number of the input voice signal and a long-time average thereof. A voice/non-voice determining circuit (1040 in FIG. 1) discriminates a voice section from a non-voice section in the voice signal using the long-time average of the above-described first change quantities, the long-time average of the above-described second change quantities, the long-time average of the above-described third change quantities, and the long-time average of the above-described fourth change quantities. |
| US07698131B2 |
Speech recognition system for client devices having differing computing capabilities
A speech-enabled internet based computing system includes a configurable speech recognition engine which allows support for client devices having differing computing capabilities. Natural language operations can also be supported as desired. |
| US07698130B2 |
Audio encoding method and apparatus obtaining fast bit rate control using an optimum common scalefactor
Provided are an audio encoding method and apparatus capable of fast bit rate control. The audio encoding method includes: converting audio sampling data into frequency domain data; adjusting a scalefactor value in each predetermined frequency band based on an available bits and allowed distortion of a psychoacoustic model to allocate a number of necessary bits to the frequency domain data and quantize the frequency domain data; and generating a bit stream based on the quantized data. The quantizing of the frequency domain data includes: obtaining the available bits for the frequency domain data; obtaining the common scalefactor value satisfying that the used bits is not larger than the available bits, using a difference the available bits and the used bits to quantize the audio data; calculating quantization noise in the each predetermined quantization band; and adjusting a scalefactor value of a quantization band in which the quantization noise exceeds the allowed distortion of the psychoacoustic model to quantize the audio data. |
| US07698129B2 |
Information processor, customer need-analyzing method and program
The present invention enables analysis of customer needs with a high level of precision, not by indicating whether the customer opinions are positive or negative, but by quantitatively indicating their levels of importance. An information processor storing customer opinion information containing document data expressing opinions of customers in natural language, includes: a morphological analysis unit which parses document data into individual words, correlates each individual word to a grammatical part of speech, and outputs resultant data; a syntactic analysis unit which uses the data outputted from the morphological analysis unit to analyze content of the document; a clustering unit which uses the processing results from the syntactic analysis unit to categorize and output the customer opinion information according to predetermined customer needs; an evaluative word definition unit which receives, from a user, a setting of a keyword for evaluating the customer needs and an evaluation value for the keyword; and a tally processing unit which calculates a score indicating level of importance of the customer need, by using the customer opinion information categorized by the customer needs, along with the keyword and evaluation value set for the keyword. |
| US07698126B2 |
Localization matching component
Embodiments of a localization system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of localization components provide localized data that is localized to one or more distinct markets. A translation matching component receives a localization request corresponding to input data to be localized. The translation matching component accesses the plurality of localization components based on the localization request. The translation matching component selects and outputs localized data from one or more of the plurality of localization components based on pre-determined criteria. In one embodiment, the translation matching component selects the localized data based on a time required to obtain the localized data. In another embodiment, the localization components provide confidence scores associated with the localized data, the translation matching component selecting the localized data based on the confidence scores. |
| US07698124B2 |
Machine translation system incorporating syntactic dependency treelets into a statistical framework
In one embodiment of the present invention, a decoder receives a dependency tree as a source language input and accesses a set of statistical models that produce outputs combined in a log linear framework. The decoder also accesses a table of treelet translation pairs and returns a target dependency tree based on the source dependency tree, based on access to the table of treelet translation pairs, and based on the application of the statistical models. |
| US07698120B2 |
Method for improving a working model for the management of the man-machine interaction
The method according to the invention is characterized in that on the basis of an existing task model, which may be provided by an expert, it is enhanced with the current state of the user in his task, the events allowing a change of state of the user are described, and the interaction to be performed with the user to manage an event is described for this event occurring during a state of the user. Advantageously, before each interaction procedure, the list of constraints necessary for triggering the interaction is added, and after each interaction procedure, the values that this interaction should provide according to the result of the interaction and which should be presented to the user as feedback are added. |
| US07698119B2 |
Simulator of fuel cell on gas phase reaction
The present invention takes place of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) in tests. Some tests among them are done to find ways to recycle exhausts of the SOFC. And, some other tests among them are done to evaluate benefits of re-burning the exhausts. All tests save cost and time. |
| US07698118B2 |
Logic design modeling and interconnection
A dynamic reconfigurable interconnect network architecture in a logic simulation system that interconnects a plurality of simulation engines together, providing a high degree of interconnectivity in an efficient manner. The logic simulation system may create and manage linkable sub-programs for execution by a simulation engine. The logic simulation system may schedule various tasks in a design to be simulated, including horizontal and vertical partitioning of the design and determination of an order in which events such as clock edges and asynchronous signals are to be implemented by a logic simulation system. |
| US07698113B2 |
Method to automatically detect and predict performance shortages of databases
A Method for self controlled early detection and prediction of a performance shortage of an application is described comprises the steps of monitoring at least one performance parameter of the application, storing performance data including a time dependency of said performance parameter, using said performance data to compute a mathematic function describing a time dependent development of said performance parameter, using said mathematical function to compute a point in time when the performance parameter exceeds a certain threshold, and generating and outputting a prediction comprising information that a performance shortage of the application is expected at said computed point in time, if said point in time lies within a settable timeframe. |
| US07698112B2 |
Tetrahedralization of non-conformal three-dimensional mixed element meshes
A dynamic directory and tetrahedralization method. The dynamic directory of degree of freedom data for elements in a non-conformal mixed-element mesh includes elements subdividable into tetrahedral, in which a respective degree of freedom value is stored for each element, wherein the degree of freedom value is current as element subdivision proceeds. The tetrahedralization method includes providing a non-conformal mixed element mesh comprising elements subdividable into tetrahedra, identifying respective degree of freedom values for the elements in the mesh, and performing element subdivision based on the degree of freedom values of elements in the mesh. |
| US07698110B2 |
Method for dynamically generating multiple views of three-dimensional models for utility networks
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, apparatus and article of manufacture for modeling a variety of three-dimensional (3D) utility networks constructed from individual network part elements. In one embodiment, users may construct a utility network by selecting and assembling a network of inter-connected parts, where each part is selected from a pipe and structure list. Connectivity among parts is established through part placement. Structure and connected pipe properties may be managed as a single property set. As parts are placed in the utility network, auto-sizing logic resizes existing structures to connected pipes. Pipes and structures are represented by part model data that defines a set of common behavior and properties. When a user modifies part model data or property sets or moves inter-connected parts, a logic component resizes and automatically updates any associated two-dimensional and three-dimensional views of the utility network. |
| US07698108B2 |
Parameterization of non-linear/non-Gaussian data distributions for efficient information sharing in distributed sensor networks
A method for parameterization of data distributions for efficient information sharing in distributed sensor networks including a plurality of sensors, comprising the steps of performing Bayesian multi-source data fusion and sharing probalistic data information. |
| US07698106B2 |
System and method for benchmarking correlated stream processing systems
A system, method, and computer program product for benchmarking a stream processing system are disclosed. The method comprises generating a plurality of correlated test streams. A semantically related data set is embedded within each of the test streams in the plurality of correlated test streams. The plurality of correlated test streams is provided to at least one stream processing system. A summary is generated for each of the semantically related embedded data sets. A common identifier, which is transparent to the system being tested, is embedded within each stream in the plurality of correlated test streams. The common identifier is extracted from the output data set generated by the stream processing system. At least one of the stored copies of the summaries and the common identifier are compared to an output data set including a set of zero or more correlation results generated by the stream processing system. |
| US07698105B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving performance of noninvasive analyte property estimation
The invention relates to noninvasive analyte property determination. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for performing conditional additional acquisition of noninvasive spectra to improve analyzer performance. Conditional additional data acquisition is used to confirm, update, and/or supplement spectral data. |
| US07698101B2 |
Smart garment
A sensor authenticated to a garment transfers information, either wirelessly or wired, to an external data processing device. Such information includes location information, physiometric data of the individual wearing the garment, garment performance and wear data (when the garment is an athletic shoe, for example). The external data processing device can be portable digital media players that are, in turn, in wireless communication with a server computer or other wireless devices. |
| US07698100B1 |
Multidimensional sensor data analyzer
A multidimensional sensor data analyzer that includes: discretizing values in multidimensional sensor data at index locations in value surfaces that reside in a multidimensional value space; deriving surface components resulting from the intersection of a geometric beam shape function that describing the sensor beam with the value surfaces; determining minimum-maximum index location limits for the surface components; determining surface component index points by identifying the index locations that are located within the minimum-maximum index location limits for the surface components; and generating a beam value by performing a beam function using the values at the surface component index points. |
| US07698097B2 |
Method for controlling a pedometer based on the use of inertial sensors and pedometer implementing the method
A method for controlling a pedometer includes the steps of: generating a signal correlated to movements of a user of the pedometer; and detecting steps of the user on the basis of the signal. The method moreover envisages the steps of checking whether sequences of detected steps satisfy pre-determined conditions of regularity; updating a total number of valid steps if the conditions of regularity are satisfied; and preventing the updating of the total number of valid steps if the conditions of regularity are not satisfied. |
| US07698096B2 |
Information processing apparatus, storage medium, and methodology for calculating an output value based on a tilt angle of an input device
A game apparatus stores, when an output value is equal to a boundary value of a predetermined range, boundary angle data representing a boundary angle corresponding to a tilt angle of an input device. The game apparatus obtains, from an input device, data including a value changed in accordance with a tilt angle of the input device so as to calculate the tilt angle of the input device. Thereafter, when a tilt angle calculated in a tilt calculation step is greater than the boundary angle represented by the boundary angle data, the boundary angle data is updated such that the tilt angle calculated in the tilt calculation step becomes a new boundary angle. The output value is calculated based on a ratio of the tilt angle calculated in the tilt calculation step to the boundary angle represented by the boundary angle data. |
| US07698095B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for detecting fan rotation direction in electronic devices
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining fan rotation direction. A first temperature detection module detects a first temperature at a first location between a fan and a heat generating device. The fan provides cooling for the heat generating device by drawing air from the heat generating device across the first location to the fan when the fan is rotating in a first direction. A second temperature detection module detects a second temperature at a second location where the heat generating device is between the second location and the fan such that heat from the heat generating device is drawn away from the second location when the fan is rotating in the first direction. A temperature comparison module determines if the second temperature is above the first temperature. A fan rotation error module generates a fan rotation error signal if the second temperature is above the first temperature. |
| US07698094B2 |
Position and orientation measurement method and apparatus
An index detection unit (2030) detects indices allocated or set on an object from a sensed image. An evaluation amount calculation unit (2060) calculates evaluation amounts of the indices using two-dimensional geometric features of the indices on the image and/or three-dimensional geometric features that represent relationships between an image sensing device (2010) and the indices on a three-dimensional space. A reliability calculation unit (2070) calculates reliabilities of the indices according to the calculated evaluation amounts of the indices. A position and orientation calculation unit (2080) calculates the position and orientation of the object or the image sensing device (2010) using at least the calculated reliabilities of the indices and information associated with the image coordinates of the detected indices. |
| US07698093B2 |
Sensor for the detection of the position of a mechanical force-transmitting device
A device for the wire-free determination of a position of a mechanical force-transmitting device, having at least one storage device for storing electrical energy, at least one sensor element which detects the position and is monitored by at least one sensor electronic unit, including at least one radio transmitter, and at least one photovoltaic energy supply device supplying the storage device with electrical energy. |
| US07698091B2 |
Method for detecting the start of a dive for a dive computer
The present invention provides a method for detecting the start of a dive for a portable electronic device (1) comprising a pressure sensor (5) for measuring the value of the ambient pressure (P) as well as electronic circuits (2) for processing the pressure measurement results comprising a time base (4) and at least one memory zone (7, 8). The detection method updates the reference pressure value (Pref) on the basis of ambient pressure (P) measurements, this value being used to detect the start of a dive. In certain particular conditions, the method according to the present invention suspects the start of a dive, and backs up the value (Psauv) of the reference pressure (Pref) stored before updating. If the start of a dive is confirmed after having been suspected, the reference pressure value (Pref) stored is replaced by the backed up value (Psauv) upon activation of the dive mode. |
| US07698089B2 |
Generation of software thermal profiles executed on a set of processors using processor activity
A computer implemented method, data processing system, computer usable code, and apparatus are provided for generation of software thermal profiles for applications executing on a set of processors. Sampling is performed of the hardware operations occurring in a set of processors during the execution of a set of workloads to create sampled information. A thermal index is then generated based on the sampled information. |
| US07698085B2 |
Head stack assembly gramload process capability improvement
A method for measuring a gramload corresponding to a read/write head, where the head is an inner head of a plurality of heads in a head stack assembly (HSA), involves a measurement instrument having a plurality of cam-rods for systematically placing each of various heads in a preloaded state in order to measure the respective gramload of the heads. While an inner head's gramload is being measured, an adjacent inner head is configured in a supported state, and the cam-rod corresponding to the supported head transmits some additional force to the head whose gramload is being measured, e.g., via a common support arm for the adjacent inner heads. Therefore, this additional applied force is compensated for in order to provide more accurate gramload values. |
| US07698081B2 |
Component of a technical installation
A Component of a technical installation comprises a memory unit for storing identification data related to the component and/or technical date related to the component and/or a user manual and/or transportation information related to the component and/or links directed to further information related to the component. |
| US07698077B2 |
System and method for signal level detection
An electronic signal level detection system and method are provided. The method receives an analog input signal having a variable voltage and compares the input signal voltage to a threshold. A detection signal is generated for input signal voltages exceeding the threshold in a periodic first time frame. In a second periodic time frame (following the first time frame), a count is updated in response to the generated detection signals. The count is used to create a metric representative of the difference between the input signal voltage and the threshold. The count is incremented in response to the generating a detection signal (“1”) in the first time frame, and decremented in response to not generating a detection signal (“0”) in the first time frame. |
| US07698075B2 |
Three-dimensional structural damage localization system and method using layered two-dimensional array of capacitance sensors
A system and method for detecting damage to a structure is provided. The system includes a voltage source and at least one capacitor formed as a layer within the structure and responsive to the voltage source. The system also includes at least one sensor responsive to the capacitor to sense a voltage of the capacitor. A controller responsive to the sensor determines if damage to the structure has occurred based on the variance of the voltage of the capacitor from a known reference value. A method for sensing damage to a structure involves providing a plurality of capacitors and a controller, and coupling the capacitors to at least one surface of the structure. A voltage of the capacitors is sensed using the controller, and the controller calculates a change in the voltage of the capacitors. The method can include signaling a display system if a change in the voltage occurs. |
| US07698073B2 |
Anti-terrorism water quality monitoring system
An Anti-Terrorism water quality monitoring system for continuously monitoring a potable water treatment system and related potable water distribution network that provides potable water to a municipality, city, housing development or other potable water consumer. The system includes the collection of data from the water distribution system and from the water treatment facility and from advanced separation processes which are integrated into analytical instruments. The data collected are stored in a remote database on a remote server computer or bank of computers and accessible by Homeland Security or its designated agency. Preferred parameters of monitoring include the turbidity and disinfectant such as chlorine, hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, ozone, chlorine dioxide, chloramines, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid. |
| US07698071B2 |
Methods and devices relating to estimating classifier performance
Methods and devices, including methods and devices for estimating classifier performance such as generalization performance, are disclosed. One method includes providing multiple samples. Each sample is characterized by one or more features. This method also includes associating a feature variability with at least one of the one or more features on a feature-by-feature basis; and computing a first probability of misclassification by a first classifier using the feature variability. Devices, including integrated circuits (ICs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), that are configured for use in carrying out the present methods are also disclosed. |
| US07698069B2 |
Method for designing primer for realtime PCR
A method for designing a primer for real-time PCR comprises retrieving a primer set using a known primer search algorithm and based on primer design conditions, visually displaying the retrieved primer set together with its splicing information and base sequence, narrowing the primer set using narrowing conditions, and visually displaying a narrowed primer set together with its splicing information and base sequence. |
| US07698066B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating formation slowness
A method and apparatus for estimating the slowness of a geological formation using waveforms recorded by an acoustic borehole logging tool. Phase slowness coherence is extracted from the recorded waveforms after transformation to the frequency domain (804) at various frequencies (806), and this is converted into a formation slowness curve (808) which can be used as an objective function from which an anomaly, such as a local maximum or minimum (810), can be identified as representative of an estimate of the formation slowness. |
| US07698064B2 |
Gas supported inertial sensor system and method
An inertial navigation system is provided. The system includes a sensor block, an outer shell that substantially surrounds the sensor block and a plurality of gas pads connected to the outer shell that float the sensor block in gas creating a near frictionless environment to allow the sensor block to rotate in all directions. Each of the plurality of gas pads is adapted to receive pressurized gas. The outer shell and the sensor block are separated by a gap created by the pressurized gas at each pad. |
| US07698062B1 |
Most convenient point of interest finder apparatus and method
Methods and systems are disclosed for finding a most convenient point of interest for a traveler traveling along a route to a destination. The method includes the steps of identifying the location of the traveler, receiving one or more traveler-specified convenience criteria (e.g., maximum distance or time off-route to arrive at the point of interest); receiving a traveler-specified type of point of interest (e.g., hotel, sporting goods store, ice cream parlor) indicating the type of point of interest the traveler wishes to go to while traveling to the destination; searching through a database containing points of interests and their locations for points of interest of the type specified by the traveler meeting the traveler-specified convenience criteria; and providing instructions to the traveler to travel to at least one of the points of interest identified in the searching step if the searching step resulted in finding at least one point of interest meeting the convenience criteria. |
| US07698058B2 |
System, method and apparatus for searching geographic area using prioritized spatial order
A spatial data search method, system and apparatus for identifying particular data of significance around a reference vector through the spatial data. The method involves determining a reference vector within a spatial region for which spatial data exists, loading a portion of the spatial data including the data around the reference vector into a memory buffer, and searching the spatial data in a prioritized order. The method, system and apparatus have particular utility in searching geographic data for a terrain awareness and warning system (“TAWS”) and display in an aircraft. Embodiments of the present invention provide advantages over existing sequential and radial search methods, significantly reducing the processing and calculations required and providing faster alerts to pilots. |
| US07698057B2 |
Map display control apparatus, program product therefor, and method for controlling an in-vehicle navigation apparatus
An in-vehicle navigation apparatus is equipped with (i) an HDD for recording map data for display and, further, (ii) an external memory, which is not an HDD and in which the map data recorded in the HDD can be copied. The navigation apparatus performs the following: when the main power is supplied to the map display device, the altitude of the position of the vehicle (startup altitude) is specified; when the specified startup altitude is equal to or higher than a reference altitude, the map data are read from the external memory and the corresponding map is thereby displayed on an image display device, with the HDD not activated; and when the specified startup altitude is lower than the reference altitude, the map data are read from the HDD and the corresponding map is thereby displayed on the image display device. |
| US07698056B2 |
Method for the input data into a vehicle navigation device
In the case of a method for the input of input data into a vehicle navigation device, by which input data are supplied to the vehicle navigation device by way of a receive interface and the input data are subjected to a plausibility check, in the event of a negative plausibility check, a prompt is emitted for correcting the input data. The input data can be corrected by a user via an operating device, and the corrected input data are imported into the vehicle navigation device. |
| US07698055B2 |
Traffic forecasting employing modeling and analysis of probabilistic interdependencies and contextual data
Systems and methods are described for constructing predictive models, based on statistical machine learning, that can make forecasts about traffic flows and congestions, based on an abstraction of a traffic system into a set of random variables, including variables that represent the amount of time until there will be congestion at key troublespots and the time until congestions will resolve. Observational data includes traffic flows and dynamics, and other contextual data such as the time of day and day of week, holidays, school status, the timing and nature of major gatherings such as sporting events, weather reports, traffic incident reports, and construction and closure reports. The forecasting methods are used in alerting, the display graphical information about predictions about congestion on desktop on mobile devices, and in offline and real-time automated route recommendations and planning. |
| US07698054B2 |
Start-up control device and start-up control method for internal combustion engine
An engine ECU stores a map in which a region at high temperature and high pressure, a region at low temperature and low pressure, and a region provided therebetween are defined by the relationship between the temperature and pressure of fuel and the saturation fuel vapor pressure of the fuel. The engine ECU executes a program including the following steps: when start-up of the engine is requested, detecting the engine cooling water temperature and the fuel pressure; if the detection results fall into the region, setting a pre-feed time; pre-feeding until the fuel pressure reaches a desired fuel pressure threshold; and when the fuel pressure reaches the fuel pressure threshold, starting cranking. In this way, start-up failure due to fuel vapor can be avoided without unnecessarily actuating a fuel pump. |
| US07698053B2 |
Economy running system, economy running controller and navigation apparatus
An economy running system having: a function of stopping an internal combustion engine of a vehicle when the vehicle stops and all of stop conditions are satisfied; and a function of restarting the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. The economy running system includes: a control unit that judges whether the vehicle stops or not, and judges whether each of the stop conditions is satisfied or not; and a notification unit. When the control unit judges that the vehicle stops and that at least one of the stop conditions is not satisfied, the control unit causes the notification unit to notify to a user first notification information concerned with the at least one of the stop conditions. |
| US07698050B2 |
Method and device for controlling a drive unit
A method and a device for controlling a drive unit are provided, which allow for a reproducible load reversal damping. For this purpose, a setpoint value for an output variable of the drive unit is limited so that an overrun fuel cutoff of the drive unit is prevented. A limiting value for the setpoint value for the output variable is formed as a function of a loss value of the drive unit. |
| US07698049B2 |
Speed control in a torque-based system
An engine control system includes a power module, an air flow module, a torque estimation module, and an air control module. The power module determines a power-based torque based on a desired engine speed. The air flow module determines an air flow value based on the power-based torque. The torque estimation module estimates a desired torque based on the air flow value. The air control module selectively determines a throttle area based on the desired torque. A throttle valve is actuated based on the throttle area. |
| US07698044B2 |
Method and apparatus for braking and stopping vehicles having an electric drive
A method and apparatus are provided for braking and stopping a vehicle whose powertrain includes an electric drive. The electric drive is used to generate braking torque which is used to decelerate the vehicle down to a full stop. The braking torque is achieved using any of several closed loop speed control systems. The system can be used as a substitute for or as a supplement to conventional friction bakes. |
| US07698038B2 |
Vehicle seat belt apparatus
Vehicle seat belt apparatus includes: a belt reel; a motor for driving the belt reel to take up a belt; a rotation detection section for detecting rotation of the belt reel; and a failure determination section for determining, on the basis of a detection signal output from the rotation detection section, whether or not the rotation detection section is currently in a failed state. The rotation detection section includes Hall ICs for generating first and second pulse signals that have characteristics such that temporal relationship between the first and second pulse signals is reversed in accordance with the rotating direction of the belt reel. |
| US07698037B2 |
Seatbelt device for vehicle
A seatbelt device for a vehicle includes a belt reel for winding a belt for restraining a target object, a motor for driving the rotation of the reel, and a control unit. The control unit determines whether the target object to be restrained is a child seat or a vehicle occupant on the basis of a winding position of the belt while no electricity is being supplied to the motor and the winding position of the belt when electricity is being supplied to the motor. |
| US07698036B2 |
Vehicle rollover detection system
A roll angular velocity sensor and an occupant sensor are operatively coupled to a processor, which provides for detecting a rollover condition responsive to a measure of roll angular velocity and controlling a safety restraint system responsive thereto, wherein a detection criteria associated with the rollover detection process is responsive to a signal from the occupant sensor. In one embodiment, a closure time is estimated from estimates or measurements of occupant velocity or acceleration, and the estimated closure time is compared with a threshold. If the estimated closure time is less than the threshold, activation of the safety restraint system is either inhibited or advanced relative to that otherwise provided by the rollover detection process alone. Otherwise, the activation may be delayed to provide additional time for the rollover detection. |
| US07698034B2 |
Integrating active front steering and vehicle stability brake control
An integrated vehicle control system includes a first control system having a maximum authority to selectively operate a first vehicle sub-system and a second control system to selectively operate a second vehicle sub-system. A controller is adapted to monitor a first parameter associated with the first vehicle sub-system and a second parameter associated with the second vehicle sub-system. The controller is operable to control the first and second parameters by selectively invoking operation of the second control system when the first control system exceeds the maximum authority and the second parameter exceeds an upper threshold. |
| US07698033B2 |
Method for realizing a preferred in-vehicle chime
A method of realizing a preferred in-vehicle chime includes the steps of selecting the preferred in-vehicle chime from an Internet-enabled program or a call center, transmitting the preferred in-vehicle chime from the Internet-enabled program to a telematics unit operatively disposed within the vehicle, and transmitting the preferred in-vehicle chime from the telematics unit to a vehicle chime module disposed within the vehicle. |
| US07698030B2 |
Turbine component tracking system
A turbine component tracking system is provided. The turbine component tracking system is advantageously adapted to determine the remaining life of individual turbine components based on how and where they are used as well as if and how they are repaired. The turbine system is also advantageously adapted to track and analyze design, manufacturing and repair changes or modifications performed on turbine components. |
| US07698028B1 |
Data logging, collection, and analysis techniques
A system and method for data logging, collection, and analysis techniques. Logging, collection, and analysis of data relating to the condition of a structure, such as a railway rail. Monitoring the neutral temperature of a railway rail. |
| US07698027B2 |
Aircraft path verification assistance method
A method for assisting in verifying the path of an aircraft comprising a step of computing a path by means of a flight management computer, based on lateral constraints originating from a navigation database, characterized in that it comprises a step consisting in assisting the pilot to verify that the computed path complies with the lateral constraints in order to improve safety. |
| US07698021B2 |
Method and apparatus for producing paint
A paint manufacturing system includes a paint component storage system and a colorant storage system. A dispenser is in fluid communication with the paint component and colorant storage systems. A spectrophotometer is operatively coupled with a computer system. The computer system controls the flow of paint components from the paint component storage system and colorants from the colorant storage system. |
| US07698019B2 |
System and software of enhanced pharmaceutical operations in long-term care facilities and related methods
A system, software and related methods of enhanced pharmaceutical operations in long term care facilities are provided. An embodiment of a system includes a long-term care facility pharmacy group management server, long-term care facility pharmacy management software associated with the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server to manage pharmacological operations in a plurality of long-term care facilities, a plurality of pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing carts each positioned in a long-term care facility remote from the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server and in communication therewith, a remote pharmacy group server in communication with the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server, and a plurality of pharmaceutical prescription document processors each positioned in a long-term care facility and in communication with the remote pharmacy group server or the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server. |
| US07698010B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for altering video images to aid an operator of a fastener insertion machine
The present invention provides methods, systems and computer program products for altering video images including superimposing objects onto the images, particularly addressed to identifying fastener insertion locations onto displayed images of a work pieces. The invention is capable of importing an image of a work piece contained in a computer file, displaying the image, and altering the displayed image and/or superimposing objects onto the image to show the location(s), sequence(s) and/or type(s) of fasteners to be inserted onto the displayed work piece according to operator input and instructions. After each insertion is completed, the display is again altered to show the completion. During use, the system is capable of tracking the fastener installations and updating the video display to show the current status of insertions on the work piece. |
| US07698009B2 |
Control surface with a touchscreen for editing surround sound
A control surface for an audio processing system that performs surround sound panning includes a touchscreen in combination with one or more other input devices. The touchscreen displays the position and movement of sound according to inputs from the various input devices or from recorded control information. An operator can input position information through the touchscreen or through one or more other input devices. The control surface may include two complete, separate panning sections. Each panning section may include the touchscreen, input devices, and switches. The touchscreen may also provide switches that change function based on the state of the other switches in the panning section. The separate panning sections can be linked together, for example to process stereo tracks. An “autoglide” operation enables an operator to move the location of a sound along a fixed path between a start location and a destination location over a time period set by the operator. |
| US07698008B2 |
Content-based audio comparisons
A content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals can be performed by generating, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal; comparing the first set of spectral characteristics with the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference; and determining, for the portion of the corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified degree of difference. Further, one or more match criteria can be received from a user and utilized to determine, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal if the identified degree of difference is within the received match criteria. |
| US07698005B2 |
Reception device and management device of service advertisement information
A transmission unit of an information processing device transmits user identification information which identifies users, a password, and device identification information which identifies the information processing device to a management device which manages the information processing device. A receiving unit receives registration completion information which indicates that the user identification information, the password and the device identification information were associated with each other and registered at the management device. A storage unit stores device identification information transmitted by the transmission unit into a storage medium. A control unit controls the transmission unit to transmit device attribute information which indicates the attributes of the information processing device and request information which requests advertisement information in the event that the device identification information is not stored by the storage unit. |
| US07697996B2 |
Telescoping guide catheter with peel-away outer sheath
A guide catheter includes an outer guide having an open lumen and a longitudinal pre-stress line extending between a distal end and a proximal end of the outer guide. The outer guide has a longitudinal stiffness that facilitates transmission of forces and prevention of kinking during steering of the outer guide within cardiac vasculature and structures. An inner guide has an open lumen and is movably displaceable within the open lumen of the outer guide. At least a distal end of the outer guide and inner guide are dimensioned for passage into the patient's coronary sinus. A guide handle is connected to the proximal end of the outer guide and includes a longitudinal pre-stress line separable into at least two sections such that guide handle separation splits the outer guide along the longitudinal pre-stress line at the proximal end of the outer guide. |
| US07697995B2 |
Surgical lead paddle
The present invention provides for an improved apparatus and method for electrical stimulation. A paddle having a thickness up to 0.030 inches is implanted adjacent the spinal cord dura mater to reduce the likelihood of paralysis due to stress on the spinal cord attributed to bulkier leads. The paddle is then positioned so that at least one of a plurality of electrodes is positioned over the area of the spinal cord requiring pain treatment; and then electric stimulation is applied to the electrodes to effect pain treatment. In another embodiment the paddle is curved about a vertical axis to substantially match the shape of a human spinal cord dura mater to help reduce lead migration. |
| US07697994B2 |
Remote scheduling for management of an implantable medical device
A method and system for remotely programming a medical device that includes generating a remote monitoring schedule; establishing a communication link between a centralized programming instrument and an external medical device; and transferring the remote monitoring schedule to the external medical device via the communication link. The remote monitoring schedule is transmitted to an implantable medical device via an established telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external medical device. |
| US07697992B2 |
Systems for selecting one or more stimulation channels
Implantable neural stimulation systems include an array of electrodes configured to apply one or more stimulation signals to a patient via one or more channels out of a multiplicity of channels during a stimulation frame and a signal processor configured to select the one or more channels for stimulation. The selection of the one or more channels is based on a probability associated with each channel within the multiplicity of channels. |
| US07697989B1 |
Collet spring for high voltage electrical contacts in ICD headers
A connector assembly includes a conductive collet spring with an annular base and integral circumferentially spaced cantilevered generally parallel arms terminating at tip members diametrically spaced closer than the diameter of the base. A conductive housing overlying and electrically and mechanically engaged with the collet spring engageably receives the electrical terminal of a medical stimulating device and includes a distal mounting flange. A non-conductive barrel is fittingly attached to the distal mounting flange of the housing and has an inner bore for receiving a medical electrical lead. A non-conductive header encapsulates the connector assembly, is mounted on the casing, and has a header bore aligned with the inner bore for receiving the medical electrical lead which, when inserted and sufficiently advanced through the header bore, the inner bore, and the annular base, the tip members firmly engage the proximal terminal pin thereof. |
| US07697984B2 |
Method and device for electronically controlling the beating of a heart
An electro-stimulation device includes a pair of electrodes for connection to at least one location in the body that affects or regulates the heartbeat. The electro-stimulation device both electrically arrests the heartbeat and stimulates the heartbeat. A pair of electrodes are provided for connection to at least one location in the body that affects or regulates the heartbeat. The pair of electrodes may be connected to an intravenous catheter for transvenous stimulation of the appropriate nerve. In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for arresting the beat of a heart in a living body comprising the steps of connecting the pair of electrodes to at least one location in the body that affects or regulates the heartbeat and supplying an electrical current to the electrodes of sufficient amplitude and duration to arrest the heartbeat. |
| US07697980B1 |
Technique for high spatial resolution, focused electrical stimulation of electrically-excitable tissue
A tissue stimulation method which uses wave-guiding principles to construct a focused point of stimulation at any location within a region of electrically excitable living tissue. The excitation is formed through the constructive interference of different frequency wave energies, traveling at frequency-dependent velocities, which coalesce at the stimulation point. Further energy is brought to the stimulation point through reflection(s) at the boundaries of the wave-guiding structure. The resulting excitation signal depends upon several factors, including pulse envelope and duration, allowable frequency range, and stimulation time. |
| US07697979B2 |
Analysis method and real time medical or cognitive monitoring device based on the analysis of a subject's cerebral electromagnetic activity use of said method for characterizing and differentiating physiological or pathological states
A method for analyzing synchronizations of the electroencephalography of an individual using a set of sensors starting from cerebral electromagnetic analysis of the individual. The method creates a database by acquisition and digitization of electrophysiological signals output from the sensors, and calculates the degree of synchronization existing between all pairs of sensors recorded in an assembly protocol, in frequency bands between 0 and 2000 Hz, to build up the database of classes each characterizing a reference state. The method further performs statistical validation of a period analyzed in real time, which assigns this period to a class in the database, and detects a specific period with a determined degree of synchronization. A device implements this method. |
| US07697974B2 |
Methods and apparatus for analysis of angiographic and other cyclical images
A method for analyzing stored frames of time-stamped imaging data and time-stamped physiologic data obtained during a study of a patient during a plurality of cardiac cycles. The imaging data includes frames representative of a succession of images of the patient's heart. These configurations use a computer to analyze the stored physiologic data to determine times of a selected phase in the plurality of cardiac cycles, select, in the plurality of cardiac cycles, stored images corresponding to the determined times of the selected phase, and align and average images corresponding to the selected phase across the plurality of cardiac cycles to produce a single representative frame of image data. |
| US07697968B2 |
System and method of predicting efficacy of tongue-base therapies
A method, computer-readable medium, and system for predicting a response to tongue-base therapies (particularly as it relates to obstructive sleep apnea) are provided. The method includes generating with a processing element a plurality of images of at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, acquiring data indicative of the portion of the patient's anatomy from the images, and determining a probability of a patient's response to a tongue-base treatment based on the acquired data. |
| US07697967B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing analyte sensor insertion
Devices and methods for positioning a portion of a sensor at a first predetermined location, displacing the portion of the sensor from the first predetermined location to a second predetermined location, and detecting one or signals associated with an analyte level of a patient at the second predetermined location are disclosed. Also provided are systems and kits for use in analyte monitoring. |
| US07697960B2 |
Method for displaying status information on a mobile terminal
A method for displaying status information on a mobile terminal is provided. The method comprises the steps of when an event is generated in the mobile terminal, determining whether a function for displaying a character image has been set for the event; if the function has been set, processing the generated event, selecting a character image corresponding to the event in a character memory and displaying an event processing result together with the selected character image; and if the function has not been set, processing the generated event and displaying the event processing result. |
| US07697956B2 |
Management of LAN devices behind firewalls via dual mode mobile device
Methods and systems are provided for enabling a service provider to manage a service node that is separated from the service provider by a firewall. A dual-mode mobile device establishes separate secure connections with the service provider and the service node. The mobile device can then serve as a bridge between the service provider and the service node so that a secure management session can be initiated between the service provider and the service node. A method of managing a service node includes: establishing a first secure connection between a dual-mode mobile device and the service node; establishing a second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and a remote system; and initiating a secure management session between the service node and the remote system via the first secure connection and the second secure connection. |
| US07697952B2 |
Power adaption in a multi-station network
The invention relates to a method of operating a communication network, the network comprising a plurality of stations which are able to transmit data to and receive data from one another. The method comprises monitoring, at each station, the transmission path quality between that station and each other station with which that station can communicate. Data corresponding to the monitored path quality is recorded at each station, thereby permitting a transmission power value based on the relevant path quality data to be selected when transmitting data to another station. Thus, the probability of transmitting data to any selected station at an optimum power level is increased. Each station transmits path quality data in its own transmissions as well as local noise/interference data, so that other stations can obtain path quality data for a particular station even if they are out of range of that particular station. The invention extends to communication apparatus which can be used to implement the method. |
| US07697951B1 |
System and method for distributed dispatch translation gateways
A system and method for translating dispatch communications between networks which operate according to different dispatch communication formats are provided. A communication system includes a dispatch translation network that translates dispatch communications between different dispatch communication networks. The dispatch translation network includes two or more dispatch translation gateways coupled to dispatch communication networks, the dispatch translation gateways perform signaling protocol and media translation for dispatch communications between the dispatch communication networks. |
| US07697949B2 |
PoC server, PoC terminal, floor control method, and PoC terminal control method
A floor can be fairly acquired in a PoC communication. In the PoC server which controls a floor in a PoC communication, a floor is put in an idle state in a PoC communication after a session establishing process required in the PoC communication. The information about the floor idle state is notified to terminals TA and TC which perform the PoC communication. When the PoC communication is initiated, the idle state of the floor is simultaneously noticed to both calling and called users, thereby realizing fair acquisition of a floor. |
| US07697947B2 |
Method of combining audio signals in a wireless communication device
A wireless communication device mixes audio content by combining audio signals from two or more different audio sources available at the wireless communication device and directing the mixed audio signal to a selected audio output circuit included in or associated with the wireless communication device. The audio signals can comprise received audio signals, stored audio signals, or a combination thereof. The audio signals can be synchronized, and one or more video signals may be synchronized with them. In at least one embodiment, the wireless communication device includes one or more circuits, such as a baseband or system processor, configured as a mixing circuit. An included (mixing) control circuit may be configured to control a user interface of the wireless communication device to support audio source selections, mixed audio signal output destinations, and audio signal control (volume, tone, etc.) for audio signals included in the mixed audio signal. |
| US07697945B2 |
Cross-carrier content upload, social network and promotional platform
Described is a system for handling multimedia content with a wireless network. The concept is a cross-carrier mobile social network and promotional platform for submitting content (e.g., photos, videos, and/or audio) taken with a camera phone to the Internet via short code. By combining mobile messaging, short codes, MMS, camera phone, email and Internet technologies, this solution offers camera phone enthusiasts a simple, fun and easy way to upload multimedia content to social networks, a variety of world wide web destinations, as well as participate in promotional events. |
| US07697939B2 |
Mobile terminal device, reception quality notification method, broadcast base station device, reception quality notification program, and storage medium
A mobile terminal device receives and reproduces a broadcast program on air. At this moment, in the mobile terminal device, a reception quality measuring section measures the reception quality by measuring electric field intensity of the broadcast waves. A reception quality notifying section notifies the user of the measured reception quality in a form that is easily interpreted by the user. This allows the mobile terminal device to notify the user of whether the user can stably view the program. |
| US07697937B2 |
Transmission rate control method and mobile station
A transmission rate control method for controlling a transmission rate of data transmitted from a mobile station to a radio base station via an uplink, includes: receiving, at the mobile station, an Absolute Rate Grant Channel which indicates an absolute value of the transmission rate from the radio base station; and ignoring, at the mobile station, a Relative Rate Grant Channel which indicates a relative value of the transmission rate until each HARQ process has been performed once, after receiving the Absolute Rate Grant Channel. |
| US07697934B2 |
Registration of a mobile station in a mobile communications network
The current invention relates to the registration of mobile stations in a mobile communications network. It has particular relevance to handovers and roaming between base stations of an unlicensed radio access network (110) and those of a conventional cellular network (120). As the cells in an unlicensed radio access network have a rather small size, it means that handover potentially can occur far more frequently than for a conventional cellular network. This can result in an undesired ‘ping-pong’ effect, i.e. that the mobile station is switching back and forth between two radio cells too frequently. The current invention reduces this effect by preventing the mobile station to register to the unlicensed radio access network during a modifiable period of time (306). |
| US07697933B2 |
System and method for providing information to a portable terminal
An information providing system can include a registration terminal having a guidance information registration database which stores information groups, which are correlated with reference position information. When portable terminal position information for specifying the position of a portable terminal is received together with a transmission request for the guidance information, the guidance information is automatically selected from an information group in accordance with the received transmission request on the basis of the position relationship between the reference position which is specified by the reference position information corresponding to the information group in accordance with the received transmission request, and the position which is specified by the received portable terminal position information, and the selected guidance information is transmitted to the portable terminal. |
| US07697931B2 |
Method for performing access procedure of mobile communication terminal in data communication system, and mobile communication terminal using the same
A method and system for performing an access procedure of a mobile communication terminal in a data communication system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes performing an access procedure with a network according to an established access type. The method then determines whether a failure of the access procedure has occurred. A counter value of an access control module is adjusted according to the determined result. Based on the magnitude of the adjusted counter value, the established access type may be abandoned, and another access type may be selected. Therefore, the access procedure suitable for the network environment is executed, such that the probability of success of the access procedure increases. |
| US07697930B2 |
Method and apparatus for mobility management in wireless networks
This invention provides a method and apparatus that uses a mobility management server (MMS) device for supporting mobility management in wireless networks. With the MMS device for services of resource management and packet relay, this invention speeds up the handover procedure for a mobile device switching from a first network domain to a second network domain in a wireless network environment having a session initiation protocol (SIP) server. When the mobile device needs to switch to the second network domain, the MMS allocates the required resources for packet relay, provides the related information for the second network domain, and takes care of the packet relay. This invention shortens the inter-domain handover latency and reduces the number of lost packets during the handover procedure. Thereby, the transmission efficiency of the present invention meets the requirement for real-time multimedia applications. |
| US07697928B2 |
System and method for device testing
An electronic device (120) is provided that comprises: a transceiver circuit (310) configured to send and receive signals; a memory unit (330) configured to contain testing, configuration, and calibration (TCC) code (440, 450, 460) used to define TCC functions in the device, and operational code (470) used to define operational functions in the device; and a device controller (320) connected to the transceiver circuit and the memory unit, configured to control the device in an operational mode in accordance with the operational code and operational instructions received via the transceiver circuit (650), and to control the device in a TCC mode in accordance with the TCC code and TCC instructions received via the transceiver circuit (635, 640). The device controller is further configured to permanently disable access to at least a portion of the TCC code in response to a disable instruction received via the transceiver circuit (645). |
| US07697925B1 |
Synchronized light shows on cellular handsets of users at a gathering
Light shows are produced by a plurality of individuals at a gathering using a plurality of personal wireless cellular devices wherein each device is carried by a respective individual and wherein each device has a programmable digital processor and a controllable light show illumination source. A light show application program resides on each personal wireless cellular device for providing coordinated control of the light show illumination sources. An event server stores at least one event sequence corresponding to a predetermined gathering and including at least one timed action. The event sequence is downloadable by the plurality of personal wireless cellular devices for activation of the controllable light show illumination sources in accordance with the event sequence. The system further includes a synchronizer in each device for initiating the timed action. The synchronizer may be a clock or a proximity detector (such as a Bluetooth connection with nearby users). |
| US07697914B2 |
Radio receiver and radio receiver front-end
A radio receiver front-end includes first and second RF receiver sections and an RF combining module. The first RF receiver section is coupled to receive an inbound RF signal and provide to a first representation of the inbound RF signal, wherein the inbound RF signal includes a desired signal component and an undesired signal component. The second RF receiver section is coupled to receive the inbound RF signal and to provide a second representation of the inbound RF signal. The RF combining module is coupled to combine the first and second representations of the inbound RF signal to produce a desired RF signal, wherein the desired RF signal includes the desired signal component and an attenuated representation of the undesired signal component. |
| US07697913B2 |
Dual tuner diversity for background processing and to reduce multipath distortion
A receiver system with dual tuner diversity for background processing and for reducing multipath distortion. The receiver system provides a plurality of antennas with a dual tuner design. One tuner may be used solely for background processing of a received signal while the other tuner may be simultaneously used to reduce multipath distortion. |
| US07697909B2 |
Extended range RMS-DC converter
Described herein is technology for, among other things, reducing offset errors in RMS-to-DC converters. The technology involves generating first and second feedback signals with first and second feedback paths respectively. A multiplier is then employed to receive first and second signals and provide a third signal based on multiplying the first signal and the second signal. The first signal is based on an input signal and the first feedback signal, and the second signal is based on the input signal and the second feedback signal. A chopper is then employed to receive an output signal, which is based on the third signal, and a chopping signal, and in turn provide a fourth signal based on multiplying the output signal with the chopping signal. As a consequence, the fourth signal represents the output signal shifted to a frequency different than that of low-frequency noise components of the first and second signals. |
| US07697907B2 |
System and method for controlling the transmit power of a wireless module
A method (600) for controlling a transmit power of an interface module (230) is provided. The method includes generating a transmit power code at a power code generator (240) (610); receiving the transmit power code at the interface module (620); receiving control signals at the interface module (650); and generating a transmit signal at a transmitter circuit (410) in the interface module based on the control signals and the transmit power code (660). In this method, the power level of the transmit signal is controlled by the transmit power code, and the transmitter circuit and the power code generator are formed on separate circuit elements. |
| US07697902B2 |
Radio frequency remote control
A control signal is wirelessly transmitted from a first radio communication unit of a portable communication device to a second radio communication unit. The portable communication device is provided for radio communication over a first radio frequency band using a first modulation technique. The control signal is transmitted by generating a control signal, switching off the first modulation of a carrier signal, shifting the frequency of the carrier signal from a first radio frequency band to a second radio frequency band for the first radio communication unit, switching on the second modulation of the carrier signal having a frequency within the second radio frequency band, wherein the carrier signal is modulated with the control signal, and transmitting the control signal modulated carrier signal wirelessly over the second radio frequency band to the second radio communication unit. |
| US07697897B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive activation or deactivation of the coordination of the radio activities of two mobile-radio transmitting and/or receiving devices
The method is based on the capability for coordination of the radio activities of two mobile radio transmitting and/or receiving devices (3, 4). In the case of the method, a value of at least one characteristic variable (PRSSI,BT, N; 15, 16, 17) is first of all determined, which is characteristic of the requirement for coordination of the radio activity of one or both transmitting and/or receiving devices. The coordination of the radio activity of one or both transmitting and/or receiving devices is then activated or deactivated as a function of the value. |
| US07697895B2 |
Bluetooth smart offset compensation
An offset history table is implemented and maintained in a BLUETOOTH device and is used to pre-seed an expected frequency offset of a received signal from another BLUETOOTH device. The disclosed offset history table includes one entry for each piconet device in a particular piconet, each entry including a best guess of the relevant piconet device's frequency offset with respect to the receiving BLUETOOTH device. Using a frequency offset history table and a pre-seeded frequency offset corresponding to an expected frequency offset based on the offset value maintained in the frequency offset history table, the performance of a BLUETOOTH device can be increased in a steady state piconet scenario. |
| US07697892B2 |
Wireless communication system, cradle apparatus, and portable device
A cradle apparatus and a portable device are interconnected employing reflected wave transmission without interfering with an adjacent wireless system or impairing ease of use of the portable device. The cradle is provided with a function of a reflected wave reader and a digital camera is provided with a function of a reflector, whereby communication between the cradle and the digital camera is performed in a non-contact manner. The digital camera modulates a reflected wave of an unmodulated carrier transmitted from the cradle by varying the antenna load impedance in accordance with picked up image data, thereby performing reflected wave transmission. Communication is possible even while the portable device is somewhat apart from the cradle, and the ease of use of the portable device is not impaired even while communication is being performed. |
| US07697884B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The sheet conveying apparatus includes a first curl forming part provided downstream of a fixing part for fixing a toner image to a sheet, for curling the sheet; a second curl forming part provided downstream of the first curl forming part, for curling the sheet in a direction opposite to a direction in which the sheet is curled in the first curl forming part, in which a curling amount of the sheet in the second curl forming part is set to be smaller than that in the first curl forming part, and the curling amount of the sheet in the second curl forming part is variable according to rigidity of the sheet. Thus, a shape of the curled sheet can be reliably reformed with a simple structure. |
| US07697883B2 |
Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus that can prevent, with higher certainty, lift of the trailing end of each sheet placed in sheet stacking portion. This apparatus includes a first holding member and a second holding member that prevent lift of the trailing end of each sheet from an intermediate stacking portion. When introduced to the intermediate stacking portion, the subsequent sheet comes into contact with the first holding member, so that the first holding member moves to the retracting position. As the subsequent sheet continues to be conveyed, the subsequent sheet comes into contact with the second holding member, so that the second holding member moves from the restricting position to the retracting position. As the trailing end of the sheet is introduced, the first holding member moves from the retracting position to the restricting position, to hold down the trailing end of the sheet. |
| US07697881B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt for heating an image on a recording material; a plurality of supporting members on which the belt is trained; magnetic flux generating means, disposed outside of the belt, for generating heat in the belt by a magnetic flux, the magnetic flux generating means being effective to cause induction heating both in a region of the belt between the supporting members and in at least one of the regions of the belt trained on the supporting members; a temperature detecting element for detecting a temperature of the belt in the region between the supporting members at a position across the belt from the magnetic flux generating means; and electric power supply shut-off means for shutting off electric power supply to the magnetic flux generating means on the basis of an output of the temperature detecting element. |
| US07697880B2 |
Process cartridge and image-forming device with brush holder member
A process cartridge includes: an image bearing body; a brush member; a brush holder member; and a tension imparting portion. The image bearing body bears an image on its surface. The brush member removes deposits adhered to the surface of the image bearing body. The brush holder member extends along a longitudinal direction of the image bearing body and holds the brush member. The tension imparting portion imparts tension to the brush holder member in the longitudinal direction thereof. |
| US07697878B2 |
Fuser assemblies, xerographic apparatuses and methods of fusing toner on copy sheets
Fuser assemblies for fusing toner on copy sheets, xerographic apparatuses, and methods of fusing toner on copy sheets in xerographic apparatuses are disclosed. An embodiment of the fuser assemblies includes a continuous fuser belt including an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface; at least a first roll and a second roll which support the fuser belt, at least one of the first roll and second roll being adapted to heat the fuser belt; a heater including an outer heating surface facing the inner surface of the fuser belt; and a mechanism operatively connected to the heater for moving the heater to bring the heating surface into contact with the inner surface of the fuser belt. The heater is operable to supply heat from the heating surface to the inner surface to increase the temperature of the outer surface of the fuser belt adjacent the inner surface heated by the heating surface. |
| US07697877B2 |
Image forming apparatus employing heating and fixer fluid applying sections
An image forming apparatus is provided in which a toner is prevented from flowing and being agglomerated, at the time of application of a fixer fluid to a toner image so as to fix the toner image to a recording medium, and the recording medium is prevented from generating curl and wrinkle, and consumption of the fixer fluid and electricity can be reduced, and even a multicolored toner image can be fixed for a relatively short time. An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, an intermediate transfer section, a secondary transfer section, a heating section, a fixer fluid applying section, and a recording medium supplying section. A recording medium carrying the toner image on a surface thereof is heated by the heating section and then, a fixer fluid is applied to the toner image by the fixer fluid applying section so that the toner image is fixed. |
| US07697872B2 |
Developing cartridge including an improved developer regulating member and image forming apparatus having the same
An image forming apparatus includes: a main body, a photosensitive body spreading developer on a printing paper, a developing roller supplying the photosensitive body with the developer, a developer regulating member regulating the amount of the developer supplied for the photosensitive body by the developing roller, the developer regulating member comprising a supporting member coupled to the main body and an elastic metal board having a bent part extended from the supporting member and contacting with the photosensitive body, and a free length of the elastic metal board being adjusted shorter as a draw rate of the elastic metal board material increases. Accordingly, a developing cartridge and an image forming apparatus has a free length of a developer regulating member that is adjustable to keep the density of developer uniform according to material characteristics of the developer regulating member. |
| US07697871B2 |
Toner container and developer replenishing device
A toner container for containing toner includes a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to each other; a toner discharge hole; an agitator for agitating the toner, the agitator rotatable around an agitating shaft bridged between the first side wall and the second side wall; a bearing portion for supporting one end of the agitating shaft; a swing prevention portion for preventing the container from swinging; and a toner charging hole for charging toner into the container. The first side wall is formed with the bearing portion, the swing prevention portion, and the toner charging hole. The bearing portion is between the toner charging hole and the swing prevention portion on an outer surface of the first side wall. |
| US07697869B2 |
Image forming apparatus with image forming unit nearly orthogonal to developer supply unit
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a developer accepting part accepting supplied developer and a developer supply unit having a developer supply part supplying the developer to the developer accepting part, wherein the developer accepting part is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the image forming unit, the developer supply unit is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the developer supply unit, and the image forming unit and the developer supply unit are arranged in a position where one end in the longitudinal direction of the developer supply unit is nearly orthogonal to the image forming unit near one end in the longitudinal direction of the image forming unit. |
| US07697865B2 |
Frame structure for an image forming device and frame assembly method
A frame structure includes a base plate 70, and a pair of side plates 72, 73. The base plate 70 has a bottom surface 70a, and an attachment edge 70b formed by drawing the edge of the base place downward around the entire periphery of the bottom surface 70a. The pair of side plates 72, 73 is attached on the attachment edge 70b of the base plate 70, and serves to support components used by an image forming device in image formation. |
| US07697860B2 |
Fusers, printing apparatuses, and methods of fusing toner on media
Fusers for fusing toner on media, printing apparatuses, and methods of fusing toner on media in printing apparatuses are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the fusers comprises a fuser roll comprising a fusing imaging surface; at least one heating element for heating the fuser roll; a pressure roll including an outer surface, the outer surface and the fusing imaging surface defining a nip; a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature on the fusing imaging surface; a time delay calculator connected to the temperature sensor; a feedback controller connected to the temperature sensor and the heating element, the feedback controller receives a signal from the temperature sensor indicating the temperature on the fusing imaging surface and controls the heating element based on the temperature; and an open-loop controller connected to the heating element and the time delay calculator. The open-loop controller receives a time delay signal from the time delay calculator and bypasses the feedback controller to control the heating element to increase the temperature of the fusing imaging surface starting at about a time, t−Δt (where Δt is a time delay), which is before a medium arrives at the nip, and continuing until about a time, t, at which the medium arrives at the nip and is contacted by the fusing imaging surface. The feedback controller resumes control of the heating element at about the time t. |
| US07697859B2 |
Image forming apparatus for controlling the capability of cooling sheets
A first heating device heats a recording sheet having a developer image formed thereon, and a cooling device cools the recording sheet having been heated. A second heating device heats the recording sheet having been cooled, thereby giving gloss to the image on the recording sheet. A cooling capability of the cooling device is switched over in accordance with temperature detected by a temperature sensor which is disposed in a conveying path for the recording sheet under cooling by the cooling device. |
| US07697858B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a developer storage tank which stores a developer therein and has a developer discharger to discharge the developer therethrough, a developer receiver which receives the developer, a delivery member which is connected with the developer discharger and delivers the developer to the developer receiver through a delivery path, and a vibrator which vibrates the delivery member. |
| US07697856B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method for detecting separated state of transfer unit
An image forming apparatus has a structure in which a toner image formed in an electrophotographic process is transferred from an intermediate transfer belt to a member to be transferred. The apparatus includes a secondary transfer roller that becomes a pressure contact state with respect to the intermediate transfer belt to make it perform a transfer process and can move between the pressure contact state and a separated state, and a press and separation driving device for driving the secondary transfer roller to become the pressure contact state and the separated state. The pressure contact state or the separated state of the secondary transfer roller is detected in accordance with a variation of an output of an IDC sensor for detecting a state of a bare surface of the intermediate transfer belt. |
| US07697850B2 |
Image-based printer system monitoring
A printer monitoring interface is disclosed that uses a combination of dynamic three dimensional representations of a printing system and actual photographic images (still or video) of problem areas to give an operator monitoring the printing system realtime feedback, in both graphical and actual-image form, of areas of the printing system experiencing problems. The graphical images (which may also be actual photographic images) provide the operator with a representation of the overall system, and the actual images of problem areas provide the operator with the ability to actually see the problem that is occurring. The graphical and actual-image views are combined so that the operator can quickly and easily identify where in the system the problem is occurring, and quickly diagnose problems and determine solutions. |
| US07697848B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless transmitting apparatus, and wireless receiving apparatus
A wireless communication system, a wireless transmitting apparatus, and a wireless receiving apparatus which can be applied to all types of light sources and can be applied to a variety of fields, provided with a medium forming an information transmission source, a general light source made of for example a lamp or the sun or another natural light source or artificial light source, a wireless transmitting apparatus for making the polarization of the light from the light source uniform and controlling the polarization plane of an infrared ray, visible ray, UV ray, or other light (modulating the light in polarization) so as to superimpose other information invisible to the human eye on visual information due to general reflected light and transmitting the same as an optical wireless signal, and a wireless receiving apparatus for receiving the optical wireless signal transmitted from the wireless transmitting apparatus and able to determine a change in orientation of the polarization plane of the light as information of the signal. |
| US07697847B2 |
Dispersion compensator for frequency reshaped optical signals
An optical transmitter is disclosed including an optical signal source generating a frequency modulated signal encoding data. An optical spectrum reshaper is positioned to receive the frequency modulated signal and converts the frequency modulated signal into a reshaped signal having increased amplitude modulation relative to the frequency modulated signal. A third-order dispersive element is positioned to receive the reshaped signal and is adapted to impose third-order dispersion on the reshaped signal to generate a compensated signal having third-order dispersion effective to compensate for second-order dispersion caused by an optical fiber positioned between the optical transmitter and a receiver. |
| US07697846B2 |
Method for changing frequency and base station in radio optical fusion communication system
In a radio optical fusion communication system with the integration of an optical fiber transmission path and a radio propagation path, wherein by first and second light sources, an intermediate-frequency signal generating means for generating a modulating signal at an intermediate frequency band, a modulator for modulating an optical signal from the first light source into an SSB modulated optical signal using the intermediate-frequency signal, and an optical mixer for mixing the modulated optical signal with the optical signal from the second light source to obtain an optical transmission signal in a base station, the frequency of either of the optical signals is controlled such that the difference in frequency between the optical signals is a desired frequency of a modulated radio signal, thus switching the frequency channel of the modulated radio signal in the radio propagation path. |
| US07697843B2 |
Modular add/drop multiplexer including a wavelength selective switch
Consistent with the present invention, tunable demultiplexers are provided in WSS-based add/drop multiplexer. The tunable demultiplexers are modular and thus allow the add/drop multiplexer to be readily expandable, and facilitate flexible add/drop capabilities whereby a channel present on any input line to the WSS can be dropped and supplied to one or more desired outputs of the tunable demultiplexer. Similar flexibility can be achieved on the add-side of the WSS. Moreover, the demultiplexers and the WSS are remotely configurable, thus obviating the need to manually disconnect and connect demultiplexers to a router. In a particular embodiment, multicast switches are provided that permit the same channel, for example, to be provided to one or more outputs of the add/drop multiplexer, such that copy of the channel can carry working traffic while the other copy carries protection traffic. As a result, 1+1 and 1:N optical layer protection can be achieved. |
| US07697839B2 |
Parametric calibration for panoramic camera systems
Architecture for spatially calibrating a multi-sensor panoramic camera. A panorama warping calibration model and manufacturing calibration data is characterized in a parametric model that is stored on the camera and utilized for camera calibration. Calibration techniques can employ combinations of intra-camera homography, inter-camera homography, and polynomial warps, which correct the error-free spatial panorama warping calibration model. Calibration system configuration can include a stationary camera system for spatial pattern testing for each camera and a rotational camera system for rotating a multi-sensor panoramic camera through a single spatial pattern. |
| US07697838B2 |
Illumination apparatus and image-taking apparatus
An illumination apparatus which can efficiently condense light from a light source such as an LED. The illumination apparatus has a light source and an optical member disposed on the side of light irradiation of the light source. The optical member has an incident surface, an emergent surface having a positive optical power, and a reflecting surface reflecting part of light from the incident surface and leading it to the emergent surface. The reflecting surface is formed further away from an irradiation optical axis than a normal to the emergent surface at a position of the emergent surface closest to the reflecting surface. |
| US07697834B1 |
Hidden autofocus
In a method and system for focusing a camera focus can be repeatedly alternated between an original focus position and a plurality of other focus positions. An image can be displayed when the focus position is the original focus position. The image can be suppressed at other focus positions when the images are out of focus. The image can be displayed at one of the other focus position when the image is in focus. In this manner, the display of annoying and distracting unfocused images is mitigated. |
| US07697833B2 |
Two-step auto focus camera and method for driving the same
A two-step auto focus camera with two focal points includes a lens unit (20) and a permanent magnet (30) being fixedly mounted around the lens unit to move with the lens unit. Upper and lower coil seats (60a, 60b) are mounted around the lens unit and are arranged at upper and lower sides of the magnet, respectively. Upper and lower coils (50a, 50b) wind around the upper and lower coil seats, respectively. A circuit board (80) supplies a current to each of the coils, wherein the current to each coil has a plurality of square waves in one focusing time for the lens unit to move from one focal point to the other focal point. |
| US07697830B2 |
Digital camera that performs focus detection using phase difference and contrast value
A digital camera includes a phase difference AF sensor unit, phase difference AF detection unit, contrast AF detection unit, lens driving unit which focuses a taking lens, shading determination unit which determines based on lens information of the taking lens whether focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is possible, and an AF control unit. The AF control unit cause the lens driving unit to focus the taking lens based on a focus detection result of the phase difference AF detection unit when the shading determination unit determines that the focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is possible, and causes the lens driving unit to focus the taking lens based on a focus detection result of the contrast AF detection unit when the shading determination unit determines that the focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is not possible. |
| US07697828B2 |
Integrated optical focusing/zooming system
An integrated optical auto focus and zooming system is provided, which includes a first optical lens, a first hollow casing, a second hollow casing, a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The first optical lens is placed in the first hollow casing, the first hollow casing and the second hollow casing are screwed with each other, and the plurality of piezoelectric elements are attached either on the first hollow casing or the second hollow casing. Upon the excitation of mechanical vibrations by the plurality of piezoelectric elements, a traveling wave is generated on the attached casing, so as to drive the other casing to rotate and then to move axially. Additional lens groups and casings can be added in the same way so to achieve multiple relative motions between lens groups and image sensor, and thus achieving the objectives of focusing and zooming. The present invention integrates the motor into the lens and hence eliminates the transmission mechanism, leading to simple structure, high efficiency, and multiple advantages in size, cost, and efficiency, etc., and thus can be very useful. |
| US07697827B2 |
User-friendlier interfaces for a camera
This invention provides a camera system, including voice recognition, one or multiple microphones, gaze tracking, touch sensitive inputs and others. The voice recognition unit is operable for, among other things, receiving multiple different voice commands, recognizing the vocal commands, associating the different voice commands to one camera command and controlling at least some aspect of the digital camera operation in response to these voice commands. The gaze tracking unit is operable for, among other things, determining the location on the viewfinder image that the user is gazing upon. One aspect of the touch sensitive inputs provides that the touch sensitive pad is mouse-like and is operable for, among other things, receiving user touch inputs to control at least some aspect of the camera operation. Another aspect of the disclosed invention provides for gesture recognition to be used to interface with and control the camera system. |
| US07697825B2 |
DVD player with language learning function
A DVD player with language learning function using a general DVD as an audio source of language learning. The DVD player includes a DVD play unit for playing the audio and video of the DVD and outputting a subtitle picture and display information for the subtitle picture according to a play control signal, a text identifying unit for receiving the subtitle picture and converting the subtitle picture into text data, a text-to-speech unit for receiving the text data and converting the text data into synthesized voice signal, and a control module for receiving the display information of the subtitle picture and generating the play control signal according to the display information and a learning mode selected by the user. Thus, the DVD player of the invention does not need specific audio source media. |
| US07697824B2 |
Recording and playback apparatus
So far, consumer AV equipment were not designed to ensure good usability for all users because operations of such equipment become complicated as a result of sophistication and diversification of their functions, or such equipment are provided with functions that can be used only by part of users. In this connection, a recording and playback apparatus is configured such that an expanded function control module which controls GUI functions or network connections is provided to enable a user to choose use conditions of the expanded functions and easily switch over operations of the expanded functions according to such use conditions. Thus, usability is improved. |
| US07697823B2 |
Recording control apparatus, recording control method, and program used therewith
In a recording control apparatus and method, in recording areas on an optical disk, consecutive empty areas for an ALLOCATION_UNIT are reserved as reserved areas. Multiplexed data in units of packets which can be recorded in the reserved areas is recorded in the reserved areas. A remaining part of the reserved areas in which the multiplexed data in units of packets is not recorded is freed as empty areas. Subsequently, multiplexed data is similarly recorded. |
| US07697822B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatically selecting and recording highlight portions of a broadcast signal
A method and apparatus for automatically selecting and recording a highlight portion of a broadcast signal, which is capable of detecting a highlight code, a voice level, or an image motion in a broadcast signal when a highlight recording mode is set, judging the presence of a highlight portion in the broadcast signal based upon such detection, and automatically recording a thusly judged highlight portion of the broadcast signal, thereby reducing tape consumption and user frustration. |
| US07697820B2 |
Digital video recording device ticker playback system and method
A system and method of controlling the playback of the event stream information of a particular television channel by a digital video recorder (DVR). The DVR is a computer system configured with a hard drive and video decoder/encoder devices. The hardware environment of DVR (100) includes an input interface (102), tuner (105), MPEG-2 encoder (120), MPEG-2 decoder (110), external mass storage device (125), and a central processing unit (CPU) (135), internal memory (127), operating system (140), and event stream generator (250). The system and method of controlling the playback function of the present invention is primarily implemented within event stream generator (250). Event stream generator (250) generates a new video stream for playback onto the television by incorporating the broadcasted event stream information into the selected recorded video stream. |
| US07697819B2 |
Storage medium including AV data and application program, and apparatus and method using the same
A storage medium including audio-video (AV) data and application programs for providing additional functions using the AV data includes: movie mode data for reproducing audio-visual (AV) data; program mode data including a plurality of application programs for providing additional functions using the AV data; system data for controlling the execution of the movie mode data and the program mode data; and management information for managing the execution of the application programs in a unit of title, wherein the system data comprises mode information indicating whether a reproduction mode of a title to be reproduced is a movie mode or a program mode. |
| US07697816B2 |
Circulating memory apparatus and image storage distribution system
A circulating memory apparatus and a data storage and distribution system using a circulating recording area effectively and having an improved access efficiency to the circulating recording area are disclosed. A memory area secured in a disk unit is used in circulation thereby to record the time series input data. The time series input data are edited into a data block of a predetermined size including a plurality of subblocks, and written into the disk unit by data block. In response to a request for outputting specific data, the data are read by subblock from the disk unit into a cache memory thereby to selectively output the specific data contained in the subblocks. |
| US07697815B2 |
Video playback unit, video delivery unit and recording medium
The present invention relates to the video playback unit of one or a plurality of videos, the delivery unit and the recording medium for recording the program of the processing of these units. The video playback unit of one video reads in order the video data of the video file from the storage unit. The display displays the video data, the time information sequence data and the still image sequence data positioned before and after the playback time of the video data. In this way, the video scene contained in the video file stored in the storage unit and the video file within the server network-connected can be effectively read or the target scene can be effectively retrieved. On the other hand, the playback unit of a plurality of videos divides a plurality of videos read from the storage unit into the main videos and the proxy videos so that these videos can be simultaneously displayed. In this way, a plurality of videos can be played back even in a limited transmission bandwidth and decoding capacity. |
| US07697814B2 |
Radiation emitting apparatus with spatially controllable output energy distributions
A laser handpiece is disclosed, including a fiber optic end having a non-cylindrical shape and further including a reflector surrounding a portion of the fiber optic end. The reflector is shaped to direct laser energy emitted from the fiber optic end in a direction away from the laser handpiece and toward a treatment site. |
| US07697813B2 |
Light guide member and backlight unit including light guide member and methods of fabricating light guide members and backlight units
A light guide member capable of guiding light received from at least a first light source and second light source, wherein the first light source is spaced a distance D3 from the second light source. The light guide member may include a first side including a plurality of first grooves extending along a first direction and a plurality of second grooves extending along the first direction, wherein the first grooves may have a first pitch and the second grooves have a second pitch, the first pitch being different from the second pitch. |
| US07697808B2 |
Multi-tipped optical component
An optical component has a plurality of parallel noncontiguous optical conduits of at least one protrusive phase material embedded in a recessive phase material that acts as a support structure. The optical conduits extend from a proximal surface to a distal surface of the optical component. The distal surface has a plurality of spaced apart surface features of the protrusive phase material. Each independent optical conduits act as waveguides for a wavelength or range of wavelengths. The optical component can be formed such that the protruding surface features at the distal end of the component form an ordered array. An optical instrument can include the optical component in conjunction with a light source for illuminating a sample and a detector in optical communication optical component via the optical conduits. |
| US07697805B2 |
Fiber Bragg grating system having a thermo module for supplying or absorbing heat to or from an FBG module
An FBG system with lower power supplied to a temperature controller, while allowing for precise temperature control of an FBG grating. The FBG system includes a high temperature FBG-mounting structure and a low temperature FBG-mounting structure, and a housing containing them. The high temperature FBG-mounting structure includes an FBG module and a thermo module. The temperature of the FBG in the FBG module may be made higher than the environmental temperature by supplying heat from a heat-conducting portion to the thermo module. The low temperature FBG-mounting structure includes an FBG module and a thermo module. The temperature of the FBG in the latter FBG module may be made lower than the environmental temperature by supplying heat from the latter thermo module to the heat-conducting portion. The FBG-mounting structures are provided in parallel on the inner bottom surface of the heat-conducting portion, part of the housing. |
| US07697803B2 |
Systems and methods for phase control for RZ-DQPSK modulation
RZ-DQPSK (Return-to-Zero Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) systems and methods are provided with a single real-time phase alignment mechanism. The present invention eliminates the requirement for phase adjustment between a carver modulator and a DQPSK modulator. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention replaces the carver modulator with AND gates between drivers of a DQPSK modulator and a data processor. The AND gates are configured to provide a single phase alignment signal. |
| US07697802B2 |
Optical bypass method and architecture
This invention pertains to optical fiber transmission networks, and is particularly relevant to transmission of high volume of data and voice traffic among different locations. In particular, the improvement teaches improvements to an optical transport system to allow for efficient and flexible network evolution. |
| US07697796B2 |
Plasmon-polariton refractive-index fiber bio-sensor with fiber Bragg grating
An optical waveguide sensing method and device in which a waveguide layer receives an optical signal and propagates the optical signal in accordance with a predetermined optical waveguide propagation mode. A testing medium surface in communication with the waveguide layer is responsive to a testing medium for modifying at least one characteristic of the propagated optical signal in relation to a given parameter of the testing medium. In this manner, the modified characteristic of the propagated optical signal can be measured in view of determining the given parameter of the testing medium. |
| US07697795B2 |
Acoustic modulation
The present invention relates to the modulation of light traveling along a waveguide, in particular to the acoustic modulation of the light. There is provide a modulator arrangement for acoustically modulating optical radiation. The modulator arrangement has: a waveguide portion formed from a flexible material; a vibrator element for generating acoustic vibrations; and, a coupling arrangement for releasably coupling the vibrating element to the waveguide portion, the coupling arrangement including a first coupling member secured to the waveguide portion, and a second coupling member secured to the vibrator element. The second coupling member is removable from the first coupling member, and the first coupling member has a substantially rigid portion for retaining the shape of the waveguide when the second coupling member is removed from the first coupling member. |
| US07697791B1 |
Method and system for providing targeted documents based on concepts automatically identified therein
A system and method for providing a graphical document are provided. A graphical document is processed to identify one or more ideas associated with the graphical document. The identified ideas may be used to determine concepts to associate with the first electronic document and suggest those concepts for association with the first electronic document for use in a document distribution system that distributes documents based on a price parameter associated with concepts and a performance parameter. A request for a document associated with a concept is received. Responsive to the request, the graphical document is delivered if an association between the one or more ideas and the concept is determined. |
| US07697789B2 |
System and method for enhancing stored binary images
A multifunction apparatus and method for enhancing store binary image data, is disclosed. The method includes retrieving the stored binary image data, converting the binary image data into higher-resolution image data, determining image enhancement processes, and applying the image enhancement processes to the higher-resolution image data to produce an enhanced image. The method further includes determining output format of the enhanced image and outputting the enhanced image. |
| US07697788B2 |
System and method for automatically identifying a geometrical element in an image
An identifying system is provided for identifying a geometrical element in an image automatically. The image may be retrieved from an image capturing apparatus and is imported in a coordinate system. The identifying system includes: a collecting module for collecting dots from the image as a dot muster and retrieving coordinates of all dots of the dot muster from the coordinate system; a curve fitting and geometrical element identifying module for curve fitting according to the coordinates of all the dots of the dot muster to identify what geometrical element the dot muster is; a storing module for storing the coordinates of all the dots of the dot muster, data produced during the curve fitting process, and result data of curve fitting and geometrical element identifying; and an outputting module for outputting the result data. A related identifying method is also provided. |
| US07697787B2 |
Dynamic replacement of the face of an actor in a video movie
The present invention concerns a method for replacing the face of an actor in a video clip, with the one of a user (U) of an entertainment video system (4), consisting in: a preparation phase, taking one first fixed picture of the face of the user; building a 3D-model of that face; replacing a first video picture of the actor with a reproduction of the face of the user; and while the clip is going on, replacing the face of the actor in the successive pictures of the video clip with successive pictures reproducing the face of the user, the transitions of the face of the actor being followed by applying at least orientation, size and displacement vectors to the 3D-model of face of the user on the basis of orientation, size and displacement vectors calculated for the face of the actor in the clip. |
| US07697784B2 |
Method for reducing noise in images
There is provided a method of reducing block noise, mosquito noise and other image noises in an image by a filtering process using a smoothing filter, which block noise, mosquito noise and other image noises being caused at the time of decoding encoded, compressed image data on a block-by-block basis. The method includes changing the extent or intensity of the image noise reduction in the filtering process in a continuous or stepwise manner according to an output size or expansion rate of an image to be outputted to printer paper, photographic paper or other output media, thereby allowing the extent or intensity of the image noise reduction to be increased as the output size or expansion rate of the image increases. This method is capable of allowing the extent of the image noise reduction applied to image data to be perceived in a similar fashion, irrespective of the output size. |
| US07697782B2 |
System for reducing ringing artifacts
A system for reducing ringing artifacts on an image. |
| US07697779B2 |
Ultrasonic image processing apparatus
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus allowing an ultrasonic image of an inspection object to be displayed using echo data in a three-dimensional region constructs a three-dimensional image based on the echo data by an image construction section. An image operation input section performs an operation for changing the display state of the constructed three-dimensional image. Also, an image display state changing section changes the display state of the three-dimensional image that has been constructed based on input information inputted by the image operation input section. |
| US07697772B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program product for performing image compression of image data
When image data to which attribute bits indicating attribute information of each pixel of an image has been attached is compressed, replacement bits for replacing the attribute bits are determined in accordance with the attribute bits. If total size of the attribute bits and image data exceeds a predetermined value, the attribute bits are replaced with the replacement bits and the replacement bits and image data are compressed. A bit string having a compression rate higher than that of the attribute bits before the replacement thereof is used as the replacement bits. |
| US07697771B2 |
Method and apparatus for compressing and decompressing images
A method and apparatus for encoding (622) digital image data wherein a region of interest (606) can be specified either before the encoding process has begun or during the encoding process, such that the priority (616) of the encoder outputs are modified so as to place more emphasis on the region of interest, therefore increasing the speed and/or increasing the fidelity of the reconstructed region of interest. The system, therefore, enables more effective reconstruction of digital images over communication lines. |
| US07697769B2 |
Interpolation image generating method and apparatus
An interpolation image generating method includes dividing each of the first reference image and the second reference image into reference regions each including pixels, executing a correlation operation between the first reference image and first destination images located before and after the first reference image and a correlation operation between the second reference image and a second destination image to derive motion vectors for the first and second destination images every reference region, obtaining correlation values between the regions of the first and second destination images that are indicated by the motion vectors and the reference region to determine the reference region as a high or low correlation region, generating an interpolation image candidate between the first reference and second images using the reference region determined as the high correlation region, and mixing the interpolation image candidates using the motion vectors of the reference region to produce an interpolation image. |
| US07697767B2 |
Code processing device, code processing method, program, and recording medium
In a code processing device, a rank assignment unit assigns ranks to sets of partial codes of original codes respectively, wherein, when the sets have different quality levels, a high rank is assigned to a set of partial codes having a low quality level, and when the sets have a same quality level and different resolution levels, a high rank is assigned to a set of partial codes having a low resolution level. A partial code selecting unit selecting sets of partial codes that have a quality specified by a specified quality value and are included in output codes, in order of the assigned ranks. A code forming unit forms the output codes in which the sets of selected partial codes are included. |
| US07697766B2 |
System and method to determine awareness
A system for measuring the awareness of a subject including an imaging device adapted to acquire data representative of an image of the subject, and an awareness processor connected to the imaging device, wherein the awareness processor is adapted to classify the awareness of the subject according to the position of the subject. |
| US07697760B2 |
Handwritten word recognition using nearest neighbor techniques that allow adaptive learning
A handwritten word is transcribed into a list of possibly correct transcriptions of the handwritten word. The list contains a number of text words, and this list is compared with previously stored set of lists of text words. Based on a metric, one or more nearest neighbor lists are selected from the set. A decision is made, according to a number of combination rules, as to which text word in the nearest neighbor lists or the recently transcribed list is the best transcription of the handwritten word. This best transcription is selected as the appropriate text word transcription of the handwritten word. The selected word is compared to a true transcription of the selected word Machine learning techniques are used when the selected and true transcriptions differ. The machine learning techniques create or update rules that are used to determine which text word of the nearest neighbor lists or the recently transcribed list is the correct transcription of the handwritten word. |
| US07697758B2 |
Shape clustering and cluster-level manual identification in post optical character recognition processing
Techniques for shape clustering and applications in processing various documents, including an output of an optical character recognition (OCR) process. |
| US07697756B2 |
GPU accelerated multi-label image segmentation (MLS)
A method for image segmentation includes specifying seed points in an image of interest, the seed points corresponding to a node in a seed texture, each seed point having a different color. The method includes determining a matrix for each node, including neighboring edge weights of each node, and determining a probability that a node can be characterized as each seed point. The method includes assigning the node the color of a most probable seed point, and outputting a segmentation of the image of interest according to node assignments, wherein the segmentation differentiates portions of the image of interest. |
| US07697748B2 |
Method and apparatus for high resolution 3D imaging as a function of camera position, camera trajectory and range
A system and method for imaging a three-dimensional scene having one or more objects. The system includes a light source, a detector array, a timing circuit, an inertial guidance system and a processor connected to the timing circuit and the inertial guidance system. The light source generates an optical pulse and projects the optical pulse on an object so that it is reflected as a reflected pulse. The detector array includes a plurality of detectors, wherein the detectors are oriented to receive the reflected pulse. The timing circuit determines when the reflected pulse reached detectors on the detector array. The inertial guidance system measures angular velocity and acceleration. The processor forms a composite image of the three-dimensional scene as a function of camera position and range to objects in the three-dimensional scene. |
| US07697745B2 |
Enclosure inspection method and apparatus thereof
In an enclosure inspection apparatus 11, when a sealed letter 2 is inputted into a sealed letter loading station A, visual inspecting means 27 and X-ray inspecting means 33 determine thickness of the sealed letter and whether an enclosure in the sealed letter is a predetermined suspected object. The sealed letter not less than a predetermined thickness is rejected in first sorting station D, and the sealed letter which is not thicker than the predetermined thickness and in which the suspected object is not detected is conveyed as it is to second sorting station G. As for the sealed letter which is not thicker than the predetermined thickness and in which the suspected object is detected, after the suspected object in the sealed letter is positioned in a positioning station E, a suspected object inspecting station F determines whether the above-described suspected object is a predetermined object, such as an explosive or a narcotic drug, using a terahertz wave.It is possible to detect promptly the presence of the objects even if there are a large number of sealed letters. |
| US07697743B2 |
Methods and systems for prescribing parameters for tomosynthesis
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for performing tomosynthesis including: receiving an image representative of an anatomy of a patient; allowing an interaction with the image to arrange at least one element with respect to the image to form an arrangement; and prescribing at least one parameter for obtaining a tomosynthesis image based at least in part on the arrangement. In an embodiment, the method further includes performing tomosynthesis in accordance with the at least one parameter. In an embodiment, the at least one element includes a detector representation. In an embodiment, the at least one element includes at least one thickness guide. In an embodiment, the at least one element includes at least one slice location guide. In an embodiment, the at least one parameter includes at least one of: a detector position, a detector size, a thickness size, a thickness position, a slice size, a slice position, a slice thickness, a slice separation, a field of view, a reconstruction algorithm, a hanging protocol, and an image processing routine. In an embodiment, the at least one parameter includes at least one of: an x-ray source location, an x-ray source angulation, an x-ray beam intensity, an x-ray beam gating, and a detector sensitivity. |
| US07697742B2 |
Lesion boundary detection
A method of detecting a junction between a lesion and a wall in a CT scan image may include determining the boundary (B) of the wall to an internal space (L), identifying critical points (c1, c2) along the boundary, and selecting one critical point at either side of the lesion as a junction point between the wall and the lesion. The critical points may be points of maximum local curvature and/or points of transition between straight and curved sections of the boundary. The critical points may be selected by receiving first and second seed points (p1, p2) at either side of the lesion, moving the seed points to the boundary if they are not already located on the boundary, and finding the closest critical points to the seed points. The seed points may be determined by displacing the determined junction points (j1, j2) from an adjacent slice of the image into the current slice. |
| US07697740B2 |
Medical image processing system and medical image processing method
IVR-CT apparatus has an angio-image obtaining unit, an angio-image imaging direction obtaining unit, a CT-image obtaining unit, a blood vessel part extracting unit, a projected image generating unit and a display control unit. The angio-image obtaining unit obtains a required angio-image from multiple chronological angio-images. The angio-image imaging direction obtaining unit obtains a direction of imaging as incidental information included in data on the required angio-image. The CT-image obtaining unit obtains a three-dimensional CT-image corresponding to the required angio-image. The blood vessel part extracting unit extracts a blood vessel part in the three-dimensional CT-image. The projected image generating unit generates a three-dimensional projected image by projecting the blood vessel part, and a three-dimensional projected image corresponding to a direction of a projection after a manual operation operates the direction of the projection. The display control unit makes display the three-dimensional projection image and the angio-image one over another. |
| US07697726B2 |
Interferometer system for and a method of determining a surface characteristic by modifying surface height data using corresponding amplitude data
An interferometer system (2) directs light along a sample path (SP) towards a sample surface (7) and along a reference path (RP) towards a reference surface (6). Light reflected by a sample surface region and by the reference surface interfere. Sensing elements (SE) sense interference fringes at intervals along a scan path to provide a set of intensity data. A coherence peak position determiner (201) determines from the intensity data set a position on the scan path that corresponds to the height of the surface region. An amplitude determiner (202) determines amplitude data representing the amplitude of the intensity data at the determined height position. A modified surface height calculator (207) calculates modified height data by modifying the height data by a correction factor determined using the corresponding amplitude data and a correction parameter provided by a correction parameter provider (260). |
| US07697721B2 |
System and method for mapping a surface
In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention, an image is projected upon a surface. The image can include a pattern having a plurality of individual shapes used to measure and map the surface. The plurality of individual shapes include features that are detectable in a direction parallel to the plane formed by a projection axis of the projected shapes and a point associated with a view axis. The image further comprises a feature containing an encoding information for identifying the plurality of shapes individually. The feature containing encoding information can be a separate feature from each of the plurality of individual shapes, or may be a feature integral to the plurality of individual shapes. The feature containing encoding information is oriented such that the encoding information is retrieved along a line perpendicular to a plane formed by the projection axis and the point along the view axis. The use of the feature is used to perform multiframe reference independent scanning. |
| US07697718B2 |
Methods employing topical subject criteria in video processing
The picture information of video can be used in various ways to identify the video or its topical subject matter. This enables numerous novel arrangements in which particular video of interest to a particular consumer can be discerned. A variety of other embodiments and features are also detailed. |
| US07697717B2 |
Method of embedding watermark into digital image
Methods of embedding and detecting a watermark into-from a digital image are disclosed. A method of embedding a watermark in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention into a digital image, the method comprising: generating a difference from an original image; segmenting said difference image into sub-regions; and calculating a watermark block into each sub-region by adding said watermark block with pixel values of each sub-region. |
| US07697715B2 |
Methods and apparatus for hiding data in halftone images
We propose methods for generating a halftone image, in which each pixel takes one of two tone values. The generated image contains hidden data, which is present at data storage pixels chosen using a pseudo-random number generator. In a first case, the data is hidden within an existing halftone image by reversing the tone value at certain of the data storage pixels, and at pixels neighbouring the data storage pixels. In a second case, the halftone image is generated from a grey-scale image, and data is hidden during this conversion process. |
| US07697712B2 |
Speaker device for improving antenna property in a wireless portable terminal
A speaker device installed in an earpiece, for improving an antenna property in a wireless portable terminal is provided. The speaker device includes a housing, a magnet is installed on the housing, a diaphragm located a predetermined distance away over the magnet and includes a coil situated at a position corresponding to the magnet, and a cover covers the diaphragm and is in engagement with the housing, thereby forming a module. At least one inductor is provided at a feeding portion of the coil formed or installed on the diaphragm, thereby preventing the speaker device from resonating at a radio frequency (RF). |
| US07697708B2 |
Condenser microphone
It provides a condenser microphone such as a tiepin type including a small microphone unit, which is capable of effectively suppressing noise generation due to an electromagnetic wave. It covers the entirety from a microphone unit 12 to a connecting cable 22 with an integrally formed cover member 32 and connects the cover member 32 to a shielded wire 25 so as to electromagnetically shield the entirety. |
| US07697706B2 |
Low sound attenuating hearing protection device
A hearing protection device and a method of manufacturing thereof is provided. The device includes a sound attenuating portion for being disposed within an ear canal of a user to obstruct the passage of sound and a channel formed through the sound attenuating portion for allowing sound to pass through the sound attenuating portion. |
| US07697704B2 |
Hearing aid with a current limiter
A hearing aid having a microphone for conversion of sound into an input audiosignal, a signal processor for processing the input audiosignal, a receiver for conversion of the processed signal into sound, an audio amplifier for supplying current to the receiver in response to the processed signal, a battery for current supply of the signal processor, the audio amplifier, and the receiver, and a current limiter connected in series between the battery and the audio amplifier for analogue limitation of the current supplied by the battery to the audio amplifier in response to the battery output voltage. |
| US07697702B2 |
Condenser microphone
The present invention provides a condenser microphone having a proximity sensor consisting of an infrared light emitting diode and an infrared photodetector, the condenser microphone preventing the occurrence of noise and the malfunctioning of the infrared photodetector when the infrared light emitting diode is lighted using an AC component. Specifically, the present invention provides a condenser microphone operated using a predetermined DC power source; an infrared light emitting diode 20 is lighted at a predetermined frequency by an oscillation circuit 22 using an AC component, and a microphone output is turned on and off by an output signal from the infrared photodetector 21 which is tuned to the predetermined frequency. The condenser microphone further includes two DC-DC converters 23 and 24 connected in parallel with the DC power source. One 23 of the DC-DC converters 23 supplies power to the infrared light emitting diode 20 and the oscillation circuit 22. The other DC-DC converter 24 supplies power to the infrared photodetector 21. |
| US07697699B2 |
Method of and apparatus for reducing noise
An apparatus for reducing noise includes a comparator for generating a noise timing signal corresponding to a noise producing period of noise introduced from a noise source and contained in an audio signal, a gap time generator for generating a gap period in which to remove noise from the audio signal, a selector switch for selectively outputting the audio signal and a noise-removed signal, a level detector for detecting a signal level of the audio signal, and a masking degree determining unit for determining from the signal level detected by the level detector a gap period for which the audio signal is masked by the human auditory system. The selector switch outputs the noise-removed signal in a period corresponding to the gap period within the noise producing period of the noise timing signal, and outputs the audio signal in other than the gap period. |
| US07697695B2 |
Stereophonic sound reproducing system and stereophonic sound reproducing apparatus
To provide a surround sound reproducing system capable of obtaining high realistic sensation even in the case where an integral surround speaker cannot be installed rearward of a listening position.A surround system 100 is constructed by: a sound source output device 110 for outputting bit stream data of a predetermined format; a signal processor 120 for performing a signal process on every audio signal of each channel; and a speaker system 130 made of various speakers corresponding to various channels and including an integral surround speaker. The signal processor 120 has a signal processing unit 200 including: a switch control unit 203 for selecting one of right and left surround signals amplified from a surround speaker; a frequency correcting circuit 204 for correcting the frequency characteristic of the surround signal selected by the switch control unit 203; and an adder 205 for adding the surround signal whose frequency characteristic was corrected to a main signal. |
| US07697687B2 |
Streaming implementation of AlphaEta physical layer encryption
A method of synchronizing the encryption/decryption functions of an AlphaEta physical-layer encryption or key generation system. The method includes the insertion of a header to indicate the start of encryption after clock-synchronization has been established. The method also allows for a side-channel to signal other useful information, such as a loss-of-syncrhonization signal from Bob or to synchronize a dynamic key change. |
| US07697685B1 |
Data dependent scrambler with reduced overhead
A scrambling system includes a seed finder that selects a scrambling seed. A first scrambler generates a scrambled sequence in response to a user data sequence and the scrambling seed. A code finder generates at least one of a token and an offset of the token from the scrambling seed. An encoder increases a Hamming weight of the scrambled sequence in response to at least one of the token and the offset. |
| US07697682B2 |
Encryption apparatus and encryption method
An encryption apparatus having an encryption interruption/restart function and temporarily interrupting packet processing accompanied with encryption to first process packets having a higher priority order, having a data storage memory for storing data for processing, a common key cipher block for encrypting transferred data to be processed by a common key cipher, and a memory access controller for controlling the data transfer from the data storage memory to the common key cipher block based on a descriptor providing information instructing the transfer data to be processed from the data storage memory, wherein the descriptor includes a descriptor format for instructing a cipher algorithm in the common key cipher and for instructing an encryption mode, and an encryption method. |
| US07697678B2 |
Unified method and apparatus to simplify telephone area code dialing
A method and apparatus for unified overlay dialing enables simplified telephone dialing to occur within a standard overlay area and eliminates disruption dealing with area code saturation. Each three-digit area code within an overlay area is associated with a single-digit suffix, with the parent area code obtaining the suffix “0”. Intra-overlay area dialing then proceeds on the basis of a seven digit number plus a one-digit suffix, rather than a full 10 or 1+10-digit number. For dialing to the parent area code from within the overlay area, the suffix may be omitted entirely, and the expiration of a suitable timing delay causes the seven digit number provided to be dialed into the original (parent) area code. This method can be implemented in connection with a telephone company central office switch, a modified custom calling service or be made accessible to individual telephone subscribers using computerized customer premises equipment. It can also be used to simplify dialing in non-overlaid situations. |
| US07697676B2 |
Methods of operating communication networks including command communications with identifications of target lines/devices and initiating devices, and related systems and computer program products
Operations of a communication network may include receiving an initiating communication from an initiating device directed to a network administration application, wherein the initiating communication includes an identification of the initiating device and an identification of the network administration application. A target device for which action is being requested may be identified by the initiating device, and a command communication may be transmitted from the network service application to a subscriber line providing service for the target device. More particularly, the command communication may include the identification of the initiating device, an identification of the target device, and a code identifying the action being requested by the initiating communication. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed. |
| US07697675B2 |
Multiparty call of portable devices with party positioning identification
A portable communication device engages in voice communication with a plurality of parties by establishing connections between the portable communication device and at least two other parties, positioning the other connected parties at different positions in space in relation to the portable communication device, and providing information in relation to the position of one of the other connected parties when this connected party provides audio information over the connection so that the user of the device can identify which party is active. |
| US07697671B1 |
Enhanced-software defined data network
A method and system of providing data calls to a subscriber having a data network, such as an integrated services digital network (ISDN), connected to a network switch to enable communication with another party at a fixed rate are disclosed. The methodology discovers a data calls system that enables data calls to be placed over trunk lines for communication with a subscriber having an ISDN with a dedicated ISDN line connected to a network edge switch forming a trunk line of the ISDN in communication with a central office. A plurality of base stations are adapted to make and receive data calls using the ISDN over the trunk line. A billing apparatus charges each subscriber a fixed or flat rate per service period for data calls using the trunk line, for the plurality of stations, regardless of the number of calls using the base stations during the service period. |
| US07697659B2 |
Direct conversion energy discriminating CT detector with over-ranging correction
A CT detector capable of energy discrimination and direct conversion is disclosed. The detector includes multiple layers of semiconductor material with the layers having varying thicknesses. The detector is constructed to be segmented in the x-ray penetration direction so as to optimize count rate performance as well as avoid saturation. The detector also includes variable pixel pitch and a flexible binning of pixels to further enhance count rate performance. |
| US07697658B2 |
Interior tomography and instant tomography by reconstruction from truncated limited-angle projection data
A system and method for tomographic image reconstruction using truncated limited-angle projection data that allows exact interior reconstruction (interior tomography) of a region of interest (ROI) based on the linear attenuation coefficient distribution of a subregion within the ROI, thereby improving image quality while reducing radiation dosage. In addition, the method includes parallel interior tomography using multiple sources beamed at multiple angles through an ROI and that enables higher temporal resolution. |
| US07697654B1 |
Determining effective carrier-to-interference plus noise ratio in OFDMA systems
Techniques are provided to determine a more realistic measure of a physical carrier-to-interference plus noise radio (pCINR) associated with a wireless channel between first and second wireless communication devices. Channel conditions are used to derive a channel margin quantity that is in turn used “discount” the pCINR. The discounted pCINR is then used to determine a modulation and encoding scheme that can be used on the wireless channel for communications between the first and second wireless communication devices. |
| US07697653B2 |
Mobile station and output control method
A mobile station is configured to acquire at least one of country information and carrier in formation as output control information. The mobile station is also configured to receive download data that includes harmful level information. The mobile station includes a predetermined rule for determining whether output of the data is to be permitted based on the harmful level information and the output control information. |
| US07697652B2 |
Recovery of clock and data using quadrature clock signals
A quarter-rate phase detector can include: four latches controllable to latch, at different times according to quadrature clock signals, respectively, data received by the phase detector so as to form latched signals; an error circuit to combine corresponding ones of the latched signals, respectively, resulting in a plurality of intermediate signals; and a multiplexing unit to selectively output the intermediate signals as a phase error signal. A related method can have similar features. |
| US07697647B1 |
Method and system for switching between two (or more) reference signals for clock synchronization
An apparatus and method is disclosed for synchronizing a timing signal for a computational system to different reference clock signals without impairing the operation of the computational system. A corresponding “offset” register is provided for each of the reference clock signals (RCS) for storing signal timing differences between the timing signal and RCS. When one of the reference clock signals not used for synchronizing the timing signal, is selected as the signal for synchronizing the timing signal, the corresponding offset register R0 (for the newly selected reference clock signals) retains its last value prior to the switch, and another register R1 stores subsequent signal timing differences between the timing signal and the newly selected reference clock signals. To synchronize the timing signal with the new reference clock signal without distorting the timing signal and impairing the operation of the computation system, differences between R1 and R0 are output (for successive time intervals) for iteratively adjusting the timing signals. The contents of the offset register R0 is incrementally changed toward a predetermined value (i.e., zero) thereby gradually adjusting the timing signals to factor in a potentially large timing change when switching between reference clock signals. |
| US07697646B2 |
Discrete state-space filter and method for processing asynchronously sampled data
A discrete state-space filter directly applies a linear transfer function that describes the frequency-domain representation of an IIR filter or control plant to asynchronously sampled data. The discrete state-space technique maps a continuous time transfer function into the discrete state-space filter and stores the states of the filter in a sample-time independent fashion in a discrete state-space vector. The filter states are propagated with the asynchronous time measurements provided with the input data to generate the filtered output. |
| US07697645B2 |
Method and apparatus for removing channel interference in wireless communication system
A wireless communications receiving apparatus and a method for removing interference in a wireless communication system. The apparatus removes interferences and comprises a power detector, a channelization filter, a channel filter unit having a plurality of filters (e.g., including an all-pass filter, a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter), a plurality of interference power detectors corresponding to the plurality of filters, a channel filter selection block and a multiplexer. The power detector receives a digital signal and detects its power, the channelization filter selects a signal having a predetermined channel frequency from the received digital signal; the channel filter unit has a plurality of filters each for receiving and filtering the signal output from the channelization filter; each of the plurality of interference power detectors respectively receives a stored training signal and a training signal received within an output signal of a corresponding filter among the plurality of filters and calculates a plurality of corresponding interference powers; the channel filter selection block outputs a selection signal based on the power of the first signal; the interference powers calculated from the plurality of interference power detectors and a plurality of reference values; and the multiplexer selects any one from the output signals of the plurality of filters based on the selection signal. |
| US07697644B2 |
Stepped automatic gain control for OFDM systems
A system and method for performing stepped automatic gain control (AGC) for orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) applications comprises a radio frequency (RF) tuner and an OFDM demodulator operatively connected to the RF tuner, the OFDM demodulator comprising logic circuitry adapted to (i) detect OFDM symbols from a stream of data; (ii) detect boundaries of the OFDM symbols; (iii) detect a cyclic prefix duration of data values associated with the OFDM symbols; and (iv) provide a feedback to the RF tuner of the information pertaining to the boundaries of the OFDM symbols and the cyclic prefix duration. |
| US07697639B2 |
Apparatus and method for robust BPSK/QPSK blind modulation classification against errors in satellite control system
Provided are an apparatus and method for robust Binary Phase Shift Keying/Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (BPSK/QPSK) blind modulation classification. The apparatus includes first and second likelihood value calculators for calculating a likelihood value of a received baseband signal each for of BPSK and QPSK modulation modes. A maximum setting unit derives a maximum value of the likelihood values or ith likelihood ratios calculated by the first and second likelihood value calculators. A flag is set for the maximum value to “1” and a flag for the remaining value is set to “0”. First and second flag combining units combine the flags for the modulation modes. A modulation mode flag setting unit selects a maximum value from the flags combined by the first and second flag combining units. |
| US07697633B2 |
Receiving method and receiving apparatus
An RF unit receives radio-frequency signals where a plurality of channels are frequency-multiplexed. An A-D unit converts the radio-frequency signals to digital signals. A processing unit processes the plurality of channels contained in the digital signals which have been converted by the A-D unit. The processing unit includes: a band-pass filter, having bands corresponding respectively to the plurality of frequency-multiplexed channels, which separates the digital signals into the plurality of channels; and a demodulation unit which demodulates the plurality of channels separated by the band-pass filter. |
| US07697631B2 |
Method and apparatus for multiplexing data and control information in wireless communication systems based on frequency division multiple access
An apparatus for transmitting data in a frequency division multiple access based communication system is disclosed. The apparatus includes a symbol block generator for generating a symbol block in a predetermined symbol block period within one TTI when control information to be transmitted exists in the TTI, an FFT unit for performing FFT on the symbol block, and an IFFT unit for performing IFFT on signals output from the FFT unit and then transmitting the signals. The symbol block includes the control information and data to be transmitted. The TTI includes multiple symbol block periods. |
| US07697628B2 |
Data signal transmission devices and methods for ternary-line differential signaling
An apparatus for transmitting data signals includes a logic unit configured to generate an encoded clock signal in response to a clock signal and a first data signal, and a demultiplexer configured to receive the encoded signal, the first data signal, and a second data signal, and to output odd-numbered data signals of the received signals at a first edge of the clock signal and even-numbered data signals of the received signals at a second edge of the clock signal. A data state elimination block is configured to receive the signals and to invert one of the received signals if logic levels of the signals are the same. An apparatus for receiving data signals according to some embodiments of the invention includes a plurality of termination resistors connected between a corresponding pad and a power source, a plurality of differential amplifiers configured to amplify a voltage difference between corresponding pads, and a logic unit configured to restore a clock signal from signals received from two of the differential amplifiers. |
| US07697623B2 |
Method and system for switching antennas during transmission time intervals in OFDMA systems
A method and system switches antennas in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed access (OFDMA) wireless communication system while transmitting symbols. Each symbol includes a cyclic prefix and a block of data signals. The symbols are transmitted during a first portion of a transmission time interval (TTI), from a first antenna. Then, the RF chain is switched to a second antenna to transmit the symbols, and in which the switching is performed substantially between transmitting two consecutive transmitted symbols. |
| US07697621B2 |
Method and system for power loading implementation detection in beamforming systems
A method of detecting the power loadings at a receiver wherein estimation of power loadings based on the received reference signals is unnecessary. Channel condition is obtained for each channel and transmission power loading per channel is detected according to channel condition, wherein estimation of power loadings based on the received reference signals is unnecessary. A received encoded information bit stream is then decoded according to the detected power loading per channel. |
| US07697620B2 |
Equalizer for AM in-band on-channel radio receivers
A method is provided for equalizing OFDM symbol vectors received on AM in-band on-channel radio signal including a main carrier and first and second BPSK modulated subcarriers. The method comprises the steps of: computing a BPSK magnitude signal; filtering the BPSK magnitude signal; filtering complex samples received on the main carrier; using the filtered BPSK magnitude signal and the filtered complex samples received on the main carrier to compute a plurality of flat fade equalization coefficients; and multiplying the OFDM symbol vectors by the flat fade equalization coefficients. A receiver that includes an equalizer, which operates in accordance with the method is also provided. |
| US07697619B2 |
Training sequence for channel estimation in a data transmission system
An improved training sequence for estimating a channel (e.g., channel impulse response) in the time domain is disclosed. The improved training sequence enables time-domain estimation and eliminates the need for correct frequency-domain channel estimation at every frequency. By utilizing the training sequence according to the invention, estimation of each of a plurality of time-domain channel taps can be decoupled from each other. This enables a channel estimate to be performed with not only a higher convergence speed but also lower complexity. |
| US07697618B2 |
Multiplexing scheme for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system
A method is provided for controlling transmissions between a base station and a mobile station in a wireless system using a plurality of subcarriers. A subcarrier allocation scheme is proposed where a total scheduling interval is divided into at least two sub-intervals. In a first interval, data transmission takes place using a large number of subcarriers. In a second interval, a smaller number of subcarriers are used for transmission. In a time-synchronized system, the first interval overlaps with the first interval in at least some neighboring cells and the second interval overlaps with the second interval in at least some neighboring cells. |
| US07697613B2 |
Method for providing an extension code for a binary description for multimedia data
For the binary representation of a description corresponding to an extended description scheme, the same principles as in the MPEG-7 binary format could in principle be used, however, the resulting binary format is different from the binary format of the original MPEG-7 description scheme, even for the identical parts of both description schemes. Means and method are provided for user or application specific extension of the binary format, where the binary format of that part of the description schemes, which is common to both the original MPEG-7 description scheme and the extended description scheme, is preserved. |
| US07697607B2 |
Moving picture coding, coded-moving picture bitstream conversion and coded-moving picture bitstream multiplexing
First pictures as reference for inter-picture prediction of an incoming moving-picture and second pictures are coded. The first pictures are coded by intra-picture or unidirectional inter-picture predictive coding. The second pictures are coded by bidirectional inter-picture predictive coding by referring the first or their locally-decoded pictures to obtain a moving-picture bitstream. The bitstream is multiplexed with obtained motion activity information. Incoming first bitstreams are multiplexed into a bitstream at a rate lower than a total bit rate of the incoming first bitstreams. Each bitstream has first bitstreams of the first and second pictures. A code amount of the multiplexed bitstream is obtained for each reproduction period as virtual buffer occupancy, according to which a decimation rate is set on the second pictures. The second pictures bitstreams are decimated from the incoming first bitstreams according to the decimation rate to obtain second bitstreams, which are multiplexed to obtain the multiplexed bitstream. |
| US07697604B2 |
Dual pDFE system with forward-backward viterbi
The present invention provides a novel technique for improving the performance of equalizers by reducing the effects of error propagation in equalizers that use a Viterbi Decoder. Methods and systems are described that can improve the performance of equalizers by reducing the effects of error propagation in equalizers that use a Viterbi Decoder. Systems and methods of symbol correction in prediction decision feedback equalization (“pDFE”) architectures are described. Systems are described that include one or more enhanced Viterbi decoders together with novel methods of symbol correction to obtain better system performance. Systems and methods are described that utilize dual pDFEs and can use a blending algorithm to reduce errors in symbol decoding. Dual pDFEs are described that include forward and backward Viterbi decoders wherein the backward Viterbi decoded may operate on time reversed data blocks and with some degree of latency. Forward and backward Viterbi decoders can generate different decoded symbols from the same equalized data. A blending algorithm is described for weighting results based on reliability of the respective decoded symbols. A forward-backward blender can additionally increase performance of the second pDFE by blending long delayed trellis symbols from the first Viterbi decoder with symbols output by the second Viterbi decoder. |
| US07697602B2 |
Method for pre-filtering training sequences in a radiocommunication system
A training sequence is pre-filtered in a radiocommunication system having an emitter in the form of an antenna device with several antenna systems, thereby making it possible to transmit the training sequences through a pre-filter to said antenna systems side for reradiation by the emitter. Estimation enabling to form the properties of radio transmission channels described by spatial correlations is formed. The prefilter is dimensioned according to the correlations, thereby minimizing the error value of an algorithm used for estimation the channel on a reception side. |
| US07697599B2 |
xDSL modem and method for stabilizing connection of xDSL modem
An xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem (160) includes a setting module (168), a detection module (164), and a distinguishing module (166). The setting module pre-sets a threshold value, and adjusts the threshold value according to noise types. The detection-module captures connection parameters of the xDSL modem and the central office (CO) (120), and computes a judging value. The distinguish module distinguishes noise types according to the judging value, and determines whether the connection is maintained or disconnected. A method for stabilizing connection between an xDSL modem and a CO is also provided. |
| US07697597B2 |
Apparatus for calculating decision parameters in an IMT-2000 system
An apparatus for calculating decision parameters in an IMT-2000 system includes a correlation value calculation unit having a number of correlation value calculators, each of which calculates a correlation value between selected information that is selected at the mini-slot selection unit and one of capable input signals. To selectively operate the correlation value calculators, a ranking determination unit is included to receive and rank the correlation values and to selectively operating the correlation value calculators according to the rank of the correlation values. Accordingly, the power consumption of the correlation value calculators is reduced. And, the decision parameter is selected from the decision parameters previously selected during the divided monitoring section, thereby enabling high-speed cell search. |
| US07697596B2 |
Cluster path processor time alignment for signal suppression/separation in a wireless device
A system for processing radio frequency (RF) signals includes a searcher and a plurality of Cluster Path Processor (CPPs). The searcher detects a maximum signal energy level and position of at least one of a plurality of individual distinct path signals in a signal cluster of a first information signal, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of individual distinct path signals is received within a duration of a corresponding delay spread. The sampling position is used as a starting sampling location by the plurality of CPPs, including a first information signal CPP and a second information signal CPP. Fine sampling positions of the plurality of CPPs are based upon channel energy estimates for the plurality of individual distinct path signals. CPP outputs are employed to produce channel estimates, which are themselves used in subsequent equalization operations. Sampling positions may change over time in order to satisfy alignment criteria. |
| US07697592B2 |
Spread spectrum clock generating apparatus
A spread spectrum clock generator capable of generating a smooth spread spectrum clock while suppressing an increase in the size of the circuitry includes a phase interpolator, receiving a clock signal from a clock input terminal and a control signal (an up signal and/or down signal) are input, for adjusting the phase of an output clock signal in accordance with the control signal and outputting the resultant clock signal, and a control circuit for counting the clock signal that enters from the clock input terminal and outputting the control signal to the phase interpolator, the control signal varying the phase of the output clock signal based upon the count result. The phase of the output clock signal from the phase interpolator varies with time and is frequency-modulated within a prescribed frequency range. |
| US07697591B2 |
Crest factor reduction processor for wireless communications
A wireless base station (15) for transmitting spread spectrum signals is disclosed. The base station (15) includes a peak compression unit (16), which is comprised of a sequence of peak detection and cancellation circuits (32). Each peak detection and cancellation circuit (32) detects and compresses identified peaks. The further stages of peak detection and cancellation circuits (32) serve to reduce peaks that, as a result of “peak regrowth”, are caused at sample points near to a reduced peak point. According to one disclosed embodiment, a peak sample point is not qualified for compression unless a number of sample points subsequent to the peak all have lower magnitude than that of the peak. The cancellation pulses applied by the peak detection and cancellation circuits (32) may be generated by a finite impulse response (FIR) filter pulse, or alternatively by a minimum phase infinite impulse response (IIR) pulse. The peak compression unit (16) identifies and compresses statistical peaks in the digital symbol amplitude, so that the dynamic range requirements of the power amplifier (24) in the base station (15) may be relaxed. |
| US07697588B2 |
Structure having photonic crystal and surface-emitting laser using the same
To provide a structure having a photonic crystal that can display a reflection function using GR even when a refractive index difference between a photonic crystal layer and a cladding layer adjacent thereto is not sufficient and a surface-emitting laser using the structure. The structure includes a photonic crystal layer including a first member of a flat shape and plural pillars arrayed two-dimensionally periodically on the first member. The photonic crystal layer is formed of a first material having a first refractive index. A low refractive index layer formed of a second material having a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index is adjacent to the photonic crystal layer. A relative refractive index difference between the first refractive index and the second refractive index is not less than 0.04 and does not exceed 0.13. The height of the pillars with respect to the thickness of the photonic crystal layer is not less than 0.10t and does not exceed 0.07t. |
| US07697587B2 |
Systems and methods for utilizing pulsed radio frequencies in a ring laser gyroscope
Ring laser gyroscope that includes a gyroscope block, a radio frequency transmitting device, and a radio frequency energy source. The gyroscope block has at least one discharge bore containing a gain medium, and the radio frequency transmitting device is located within the gyroscope block in proximity to at least one discharge bore and located so as to encompass the discharge bore. The radio frequency energy source is configured to apply a pulsed radio frequency signal to the transmitting device. |
| US07697583B2 |
Semiconductor laser driving device and semiconductor laser driving method
A semiconductor laser driving device is mounted on an information recording and reproduction device, and is suitably used for recording and reproducing information. The semiconductor laser driving device includes: a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser light; and a temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the semiconductor laser. The semiconductor laser driving device changes the output of the laser light based on the detected temperature. Thus, the semiconductor laser driving unit can suitably improve response characteristics of the semiconductor laser, irrespective of the temperature of the semiconductor laser. Therefore, the semiconductor laser driving device can ensure recording performance onto an optical disc without being affected by the temperature of the semiconductor laser. |
| US07697582B2 |
Laser driving circuit
A purpose of this invention is to suppress radiation noise while satisfying demands for higher speeds and higher image qualities of a semiconductor laser driving device in a laser beam printer or the like. A laser driving circuit includes a first wiring pattern and a second wiring pattern which are connected to a main wiring pattern, a first circuit which is connected to the first wiring pattern and has a semiconductor laser element (7) and a laser driving device for driving the semiconductor laser element, a second circuit which is connected to the second wiring pattern, has a compensation element and a compensation driving device, and compensates for noise in the first circuit, and a common mode choke coil which is connected to the first and second wiring patterns and selectively increases impedances to in-phase signal components in a signal flowing through the first wiring pattern and the first circuit and a signal flowing through the second wiring pattern and the second circuit. |
| US07697578B2 |
Wavelength variable laser
The present invention provides a directly modulatable wavelength variable laser that enables long distance and large volume communication with a simple and compact configuration. The wavelength variable laser includes a semiconductor optical amplifier, an optical filter, and a frequency-amplitude converter. The semiconductor optical amplifier produces optical gain of the light signal. The optical filter configured by multi-stage connected waveguide ring resonators performs frequency modulation on the light signal. The frequency-amplitude converter performs amplitude modulation on the light signal frequency modulated in the optical filter. |
| US07697577B2 |
Wavelength conversion apparatus and two-dimensional image display apparatus
A wavelength conversion apparatus capable of stably providing high output harmonic laser light is provided. The wavelength conversion apparatus comprises an end pump fiber laser 3 containing a laser activating substance, and including a reflecting surface at one end thereof and a fiber grating in the vicinity of the reflecting surface; an excitation laser light source 1 for outputting excitation laser light; an excitation laser light introduction section 4 for introducing the excitation laser light from the excitation laser light source to the fiber laser; a wavelength conversion element 5 for converting a fundamental wave generated by the fiber laser to a harmonic; and a rear reflecting surface 6 located outside the fiber laser and forming a laser cavity together with the fiber grating. |
| US07697575B2 |
Remultiplexing apparatus and method based on reallocated decoding time
The remultiplexing apparatus includes a control information selector that selects a packet containing program control information from the inputted bit stream, a program control information editor that edits contents of the selected program control information and generates new program control information corresponding to an outputted bit stream, and a remultiplexer for multiplexing again the packet containing media information in the inputted bit stream and the program control information generated by the program control information editor. |
| US07697571B2 |
System and method for effectively performing an audio/video synchronization procedure
A system and method are disclosed for effectively performing an audio/video synchronization procedure in a receiver device that is embodied in a computer that receives input data from a source device and provides output data to a destination device. The receiver device may preferably include a demultiplexer configured to recover elementary bitstreams from a multiplexed bitstream. The demultiplexer may also preferably extract decode timestamps and output timestamps corresponding to the elementary bitstreams. One or more decoders may then decode the elementary bitstreams to produce decoded frames in accordance with the foregoing decode timestamps. One or more output modules may then process the decoded frames to produce processed frames in accordance with the output timestamps. In accordance with the present invention, an output controller may preferably perform an output timing resynchronization procedure following a program change event to align output timings of the processed frames in accordance with new output timestamps from the selected program. |
| US07697566B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling transport of ethernet data over a serial digital interface transport service
A method and apparatus enables Ethernet data transport over a serial digital interface network. An Embedder/DeEmbedder for embedding Ethernet derived data and for de-embedding Ethernet derived data supports selective use of the active video region of the SDI frame and the unused HANC space for transporting Ethernet media independent interface data. |
| US07697564B2 |
Long range handshaking communication system for multiple xDSL
A method for Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) handshaking begins when a remote DSL transceiver transmits first signals containing even numbered carriers for a predetermined period of time to initiate the DSL handshaking to produce R-ETONES-REQ. The processing continues when the central office DSL transceiver determines alignment of a hyperframe in accordance with a TCM-ISDN TTR. The processing continues when the central office DSL transceiver transmits first response signals containing odd numbered carriers in accordance with the alignment of the hyperframe to produce C-TONES-TTR. The processing continues when the remote DSL transceiver acquires TTR synchronization in accordance with the C-TONES-TTR. The processing continues when, after acquiring TTR synchronization, the remote DSL transceiver transmits second signals containing even numbered carriers to produce R-TONE-TTR. The processing continues when, in response to the R-TONE-TTR, the central office DSL transceiver transmits second response signals containing odd numbered carriers to produce C-GALF1-TTR. The processing continues when the remote and central office DSL transceivers exchange flag signals. |
| US07697562B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting data in a wireless local area network
An apparatus and method are provided for transmitting data in a station of a wireless local area network (LAN) system. In the apparatus, a data queue stores transmission data, and a data processor processes data output from the data queue. A radio frequency (RF) module up-converts a signal output from the data processor to a frequency band of the wireless LAN system, and transmits the up-converted signal as an RF signal. A scheduler performs scheduling such that a specific stepping index decreases each time a backoff time reaches ‘0’ so as to determine whether to transmit the data, and the data is transmitted when both the stepping index and the backoff time reach ‘0’. A backoff stepping generator determines an initial value of the stepping index within a predetermined range. |
| US07697560B2 |
Method of assigning radio channels
A base station assigns a most appropriate carrier from wide frequency bands in response to a re-request for channel establishment received from a mobile station, even if a same slot as a slot last assigned is assigned. Furthermore, a frequency management table is managed in which carriers that form a radio channel and are grouped by a specific number thereof so as to be distributed over wide frequency bands. Priorities used to search groups are individually provided for base stations that form a system. This allows neighboring base stations to distribute carriers over the wide frequency bands. |
| US07697559B2 |
Communication terminal, server, relay apparatus, broadcast communication system, broadcast communication method, and program
An apparatus and associated methodology provided to enable broadcast media to be reproduced quickly while reducing an overhead accompanied with the broadcast media. A broadcast communication system transmits the broadcast media from a server to a communication terminal. The server transmits broadcast notification information (SAP message) designating at least one broadcast media, and transmits reproduction information indicating a reproduction method of the designated broadcast media prior to reproduction of the broadcast media by the communication terminal. The communication terminal reproduces the broadcast media designated by the broadcast notification information (SAP message) based on the reproduction information when receiving the broadcast notification information. |
| US07697555B1 |
Fibre channel SERDES with elastic transmitter FIFO
A serialization unit comprises a buffer that includes a plurality of storage cells that store parallel data based on a first clock signal and that transmits the parallel data based on a second clock signal that is different than the first clock signal. A buffer controller causes the buffer to transmit a first predetermined amount of the parallel data when a first number of the storage cells storing the parallel data received by the buffer but not yet transmitted by the buffer is less than or equal to a first threshold. |
| US07697554B1 |
On-line data migration of a logical/virtual storage array by replacing virtual names
Data is transparently migrated between groups of logical units of storage presented as virtual arrays. A source virtual array has at least one source virtual port coupled to a fabric. Each source virtual port having a source virtual port name and a source virtual port address. A destination virtual array has one or more destination virtual ports coupled to the fabric, each destination virtual port having a destination virtual port name and a destination virtual port address. All data resident on the source virtual array is copied to the destination virtual array. The destination virtual port names and LUN names and numbers are then replaced with the source virtual port names and LUN names and numbers. The fabric then updates its name server database so that the database associates the source virtual port name with the destination virtual port address. |
| US07697553B2 |
Method for managing variation in a data flow rate
The present invention discloses a method of detecting overproduction of data when an H.323 endpoint is transmitting more video or other data than initially negotiated, and makes it produce less by utilizing standard flow control procedures. Flow control messages are sent periodically, incrementally instructing the H.323 endpoint to transmit lower amounts of bit rates, until the video rate received from the endpoint is equal to or lower than the initially negotiated rate, or some other fixed rate. |
| US07697549B2 |
Wireless LAN control over a wired network
Apparatus for mobile communication includes a switch and a plurality of access points, which are arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station using a common basic service set identification (BSSID) for all the access points. The access points are coupled by a LAN to the switch so that upon receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station on the common frequency channel, the one or more of the access points convey messages responsively to the uplink signal over the LAN to the switch. A manager node is coupled to the switch so as to receive the messages and is adapted to process the messages so as to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal. |
| US07697548B2 |
Load balancing of broadband subscriber sessions
We describe an example system that includes a plurality of aggregation nodes. Each aggregation node is configured to generate a node utilization data. A pool master is configured to generate a node utilization list responsive to the node utilization data received from each aggregation node and to activate the plurality of aggregation nodes responsive to the node utilization list. |
| US07697544B1 |
Multi-protocol label switching in a network device
A network device for processing data packets includes input logic, a register, route lookup logic and output processing logic. The input logic receives a data packet having at least one multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) tag, stores the packet and forwards a portion of the packet including the MPLS tag. The route lookup logic receives the portion of the packet, generates next hop information based on the MPLS tag and determines whether at least one MPLS tag is to be removed from the packet before the packet is to be output by the network device. The route lookup logic also modifies a start offset value in the register for each MPLS tag that is to be removed and forwards the start offset. The output processing logic receives the start offset and begins processing the data packet for output at a location identified by the start offset. |
| US07697535B2 |
Error resilient protocol data unit boundary detection
The present invention provides systems and methods for boundary detection of protocol data units in a communication system. A protocol entity such as a header check sequence (HCS) validation circuit is used to compute header check sequences of protocol data units in a packet burst. If a given HCS is valid, then the payload of the respective protocol data unit may be used. However, if the given HCS is invalid, then a parallel sliding window is used to compute other possible HCSs to identify a protocol data unit boundary. Once the boundary is located, then the payload may be used. Even if a protocol data unit is invalid or a header is not found, other protocol data units in a packet burst may be used in accordance with aspects of the invention. Such operation reduces the number of retransmissions required due to invalid HCSs. |
| US07697533B2 |
Communication device and method
A communication device and a method of processing input data. The communication device, processing input data constituting at least one of data packet comprises a detection unit, an Automatic Gain Controller (AGC), a signal processor, a demodulator, a pre-detection module, and a Baseband module. The detection unit receives the input data to perform the packet detection. The Automatic Gain Controller, coupled to the detection unit, generates an adjusted data and a gain control parameter once packet is detected. The signal processor, coupled to the AGC, performs the data signal processing includes at least one of analog to digital transformation processing, radio frequency processing and baseband processing, and detects at least one of the desired signal, noise and interference. The demodulator, coupled to the signal processor, demodulates the processed data into a processed data according to at least one processing function of noise reduction, interference reduction, and signal compensation. The pre-detection module, coupled to the demodulator, determines whether a potential error has occurred in the demodulated input data by a pre-detection method prior completing retrieval of the data packet for performing a packet-based error check sequence, and performs a selection to decide whether the components need to be terminated and which of the components need to be terminated if there is a potential error occurred on the demodulated input data. The Baseband module, coupled to the demodulator, performs a packet-based error check on the data packet upon completing retrieval of the data packet if there is no potential error occurred on the demodulated input data. |
| US07697530B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing information for universal plug and play device
A method and apparatus for managing information regarding a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device when an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the UPnP device is changed are provided. In the method, a second address of the UPnP device is obtained from a message indicating the end of a first address-based network connection based on a first address of the device, and information regarding the UPnP device is updated by using the second address. |
| US07697529B2 |
Fabric channel control apparatus and method
A method for receiving packet data at a communication channel and transmitting the packet data over serial links of the communication channel. The packet data is sliced into n-bit data portions which are concatenated with a header prior to transmitting an n-bit portion across one of the serial links of the communication channel. The header may include an invert bit to alter the majority sign of an n-bit portion. Other aspects of the present invention are also described herein. |
| US07697528B2 |
Multilink trunking for encapsulated traffic
A node of a frame-based network has a group of outgoing links which are to be treated as an aggregated group of links. A frame distributor performs a distribution function on data frames which are intended for transmission on the group of links. The frame distributor determines if the data frame is an encapsulated data frame which forms part of a tunnelled traffic path across the network. If the data frame does form part of a tunnelled traffic path across the network, the frame distributor allocates the data frame to one of the group of links using at least part of an identifier from the header of the data frame. The identifier represents a service with which the data frame is associated, a customer or user of the data frame, or the tunnelled traffic path, which have greater variability than the backbone destination and source addresses. |
| US07697526B2 |
Packet filtering based on port bit map
A network device for processing a packet can have at least one port within the network device configured to received or transmit a packet, and a storage unit configured to store a port bit map, wherein the port bit map corresponds to the at least one port. Furthermore, the network device for processing a packet can have a rules table configured to have at least one port match entry and at least one action corresponding to the at least one port match entry therein, and a control unit configured to compare the port bit map with the at least one port match entry, and to implement the at least one action when a first positive value results from comparing the port bit map with the port match entry. |
| US07697524B2 |
Method and system for determining path maximum transfer unit for IP multicast
A method and system for determining path maximum transfer unit (PMTU) in an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast is described. If a packet of a size greater than the MTU of any link of a path, with its Don't Fragment (DF) bit set, is sent by the source, the packet is dropped and an ICMP message, stating “Destination unreachable, DF bit set”, is sent to the source. The rate of messages to the source is controlled to avoid implosion of traffic. In response to the messages, the source sends multicast probe packets of multiple sizes to multicast distribution tree to determine its PMTU. |
| US07697515B2 |
On-line data migration of a logical/virtual storage array
Data is transparently migrated between groups of logical units of storage presented as virtual arrays. A source virtual array has at least one source virtual port coupled to a fabric. Each source virtual port having a source virtual port name and a source virtual port address. A destination virtual array has one or more destination virtual ports coupled to the fabric, each destination virtual port having a destination virtual port name and a destination virtual port address. All data resident on the source virtual array is copied to the destination virtual array. The destination virtual port names and LUN names and numbers are then exchanged with the source virtual port names and LUN names and numbers. The fabric then updates its name server database so that the database associates the source virtual port name with the destination virtual port address. |
| US07697513B1 |
Private branch exchange (PBX) networking over IP networks
A method for sending messages between a first PBX device and a second PBX device is provided. The method includes receiving a first message from the first PBX at a first gateway. The message includes a standard section and a proprietary section. The standard and proprietary sections may be provided in a protocol associated with the PBX system. The standard section is decoded but the proprietary section is not. The standard section and proprietary section are then packetized in one or more packets. These packets are then sent over a packet-based network to a second gateway and may be routed over the packet-based network using the decoded standard section. The second gateway is then configured to generate a second message including the standard section and the proprietary section for sending to the second proprietary PBX device. |
| US07697511B2 |
Selective voice switching of multiparty communications
A method for processing speech data packets passed between a plurality of devices in a conversation is disclosed. The method associates priorities with each of the devices in the conversation and processes speech data packets received from the devices according to the priorities. Devices in the conversation are identified, a priority for each device is determined, and the priority for each device is associated with speech data packets transmitted from the device. The priorities may change during the conversation. If more than one speech data packet is received in a time window, the speech data packet with high priority is transmitted. Speech data packets that are not transmitted may be deleted or buffered. If a device is not assigned a priority, a low priority is assigned to speech data packets transmitted from the device. |
| US07697505B2 |
Techniques for decreasing queries to discover routes in an interior gateway protocol
Techniques for recovering lost routes include receiving reported costs for transmitting data to a destination from neighboring nodes; and determining total costs as a sum of costs for transmitting data packets to the neighboring nodes and a corresponding reported cost. A selected neighboring node with a minimum total cost is determined as the next hop for the route to the destination. A feasible successor set of neighboring nodes which have reported costs less than the total cost of the selected neighboring node and excluding the selected neighboring node, and successor data about the feasible successor set, are determined. The successor data is sent to the neighboring nodes. A neighboring node that loses a route to the particular destination node is able to determine whether to query the sending node while recovering a lost route to the destination based on the successor data, thereby reducing network resource consumption. |
| US07697504B2 |
Mesh network that includes fixed and mobile access nodes
An apparatus and method of selecting a routing path through a mesh network that includes a mobile access node is disclosed. The method includes each access node of the mesh network capable of receiving routing beacons from at least one upstream access node. The routing beacons including information of all upstream access nodes along a path to a gateway access node. The mobile access node selecting a route through an upstream access node based upon a quality of beacons received from at least one upstream access node, and whether the at least one upstream access node is a fixed access node or another mobile access node. |
| US07697497B2 |
Method and apparatus for using multiple transmission states while maintaining quality of service
A wireless transmitter (400) having a quantity of data to transmit (101) can automatically determine (102) whether that data can be transmitted using a first transmission state in a manner that complies with regulatory requirements as will apply to such a transmission state. When true, these teachings can provide for automatically transmitting (108) that data using that first transmission state. When not true, however, these teachings will then provide for automatically determining (103) whether this data can be transmitted using a second transmission state in a manner that is appropriately compliant with the salient regulatory requirements. By one approach, this second transmission state is at least partially different from the first transmission state but offers a substantially comparable quality of service. When true, these teachings then provide for transmission (105) of that data using this second transmission state. |
| US07697495B2 |
Packet sniffer node and system including the same to assess wireless communication performance
A wireless system includes a plurality of wireless nodes structured to participate in a system test of the wireless nodes. The system test includes a plurality of test packets. A packet sniffer node includes a wireless receiver, a memory storing a schedule defining transmission and reception of the test packets by the wireless nodes, and a processor cooperating with the wireless receiver and the memory to receive at least some of the test packets responsive to the schedule, and to output data corresponding to the received test packets of the system test. A monitoring computer receives the output data from the processor of the packet sniffer node. Operation of the packet sniffer node, which does not transmit, does interfere with or alter execution of the system test. |
| US07697491B2 |
Retransmission control of burst transmission by wireless communication apparatus
A wireless communication apparatus includes a transmitting device configured to transmit burst data of a plurality of transmission data, a receiving device configured to receive an acknowledgement status of the burst data transmitted by the transmitting device, a retransmitting device configured to control the transmitting device to retransmit any of the plurality of transmission data contained in the burst data, in accordance with the acknowledgement status received by the receiving device, and a retransmission limiting device configured to limit the retransmission for each frame exchange sequence of the burst data. |
| US07697490B2 |
Cluster of terminals and ad-hoc network for cluster-based multi-party conferencing
A cluster of terminals, and an ad-hoc network of two or more such clusters, for carrying a multi-party, cluster-based, conference, wherein each cluster includes a super member comprising a super user agent, and one or more members including a user agent. Communications sessions are established between the super member of each cluster and each member terminals of the same cluster, and between the super members of each one of the first and second clusters. The user agent comprises identity of the super member, a conference identity, cluster parameters including a split value (Sv) indicative of a maximum number of terminals that may be part of the cluster, wherein when Sv is reached during the conference the cluster is split, and a merge value (Mv) indicative of a minimum number of terminals that may be part of the cluster, wherein when Mv is reached the cluster is merged with another cluster. The super user agent comprises a cluster member list, the conference identity, a cluster neighbour list, the one or more terminals also participating to the same conference, and cluster parameters. |
| US07697486B2 |
TSTD apparatus and method for a TDD CDMA mobile communication system
Disclosed a transmission apparatus in a CDMA mobile communication system. Transmission frames each have a plurality of time slots, and each of the time slots includes two data parts having the same length, a midamble intervening between the data parts, and a guard period for dividing the consecutive time slots. The transmission apparatus modulates the frames into a radio signal with a modulation signal and transmits the modulated radio signal using a plurality of antennas. A power amplifier amplifies the radio signal. A controller generates a switching control signal in a guard period of time slots of a frame associated with the radio signal amplified by the power amplifier. A switch switches the amplified radio signal from the power amplifier between a first and a second antenna in response to the switching control signal. |
| US07697481B2 |
Device, system and method of layer 2 handover between hereogenous networks
Embodiments of the present invention provide devices, systems and methods of seamless layer 2 handover between heterogeneous networks for a hybrid wireless communication device. For example, an apparatus includes a first wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol, a second, collocated, wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol, and possibly shared radio frequency components. A method includes a fragmented handover procedure in which a network entry procedure is divided into atomic operations which may be performed during short, orderly, absences from the active network. The method further includes orderly switching back to the active network for any data or connection-management transactions, until the fragmented handover is completed and layer 2 connections are established at the second network. Other features are described and claimed. |
| US07697479B2 |
Self-learning geographically aware handoff method and system
A self-learning geographically aware handoff method and system is disclosed. The system includes a handoff manager (108), which receives information about a position and movement of the mobile nodes (102a, 102b, 102c and 102d) present in the mobile network (100). The handoff manager learns the coverage capabilities of the access points (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) in the mobile network. It then determines a second access point, to which a mobile node will handoff to, based on the learned coverage capabilities. The handoff manager then informs the mobile node about the second access point. |
| US07697478B2 |
Method and a mobile terminal for performing a handover in a broadcast system
In a digital broadcasting network, a mobile terminal receives hierarchical ESG data relating to available broadcast programs adjacent network areas. The terminal is operable whilst receiving a first program from a transmitter in a first network area for detecting a need for handover to a second network area, and for then determining from the ESG data if the same program is available in the second network area. If it is, the terminal then receives the program from a transmitter in the second network area. Otherwise, it determines one or more programs which are similar to the first program, and presents them on a display for selection by a user. This involves determining which programs have an identifier in common with the first program. The identifier can be any one or more of a program identifier, a service identifier, a channel identifier, a category identifier and a genre identifier, for example. |
| US07697477B2 |
Communications protocol to facilitate handover in a wireless communications network
Handover in a wireless communications system from a first communications platform to a post-handover platform is implemented utilizing low-level synchronization mechanisms to enable at least some of a plurality of terminals to adjust timing and synchronize communications with the post-handover platform. Synchronization with the post-handover platform can be facilitated based on a comparison between an expected time to receive response data and the actual time that such data is received from the post-handover platform. |
| US07697476B2 |
Effective management of overlapping wireless channels
An arrangement facilitating the connection of a client to a network through an access point, particularly in an area with overlapping 0.11n channels. Preferably, a client may communicate with two access points and “ask” one of them to stop transmitting long enough so as to facilitate communication with the other access point. Current specifications otherwise provide no workable arrangement for handling overlapping channels. |
| US07697472B2 |
Reporting portable device statistics
A system, a method and computer-readable media for collecting device usage information from portable devices. The portable devices are enabled to maintain device operation parameters. This information is communicated from a portable device to a host device. The host device may communicate the received information over a network to a database. The database may consolidate the device operation parameters from multiple portable devices. |
| US07697467B2 |
Hierarchical data collection network supporting packetized voice communications among wireless terminals and telephones
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc. |
| US07697466B2 |
Base station apparatus, mobile station apparatus, radio communication system, and radio communication method
At a base station apparatus, known pilot signals for use in channel estimation are transmitted, and in addition thereto MCS pilot signals that are used to perform adaptive modulations respectively corresponding to a plurality of modulation schemes are multiplexed and output. A mobile station apparatus dispreads the respective MCS signals out of the multiplex signal, compares these to known symbols patterns, and sends the MCS pilot signals that show a matching relationship to the base station apparatus as a mobile station reception result. Upon receiving the mobile station reception result from the mobile station apparatus, the base station apparatus selects the modulation scheme of the optimum modulation level for the downlink signals. This configuration makes it possible to switch the modulation schemes in an accurate and simple way. |
| US07697465B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for receiving multicast and broadcast service
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for receiving Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS), include: adding information of a next MBS_MAP message in a current MBS_MAP message; determining receiving information of the next MBS_MAP message according to the current MBS_MAP message and the information added in the current MBS_MAP message, receiving the next MBS_MAP message according to the receiving information determined, and receiving the MBS service according to the next MBS_MAP message received. The embodiments of the present invention also provide two other methods, apparatus and a system for receiving the MBS service. The method, system and apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present invention implement the continuous receiving of the MBS service without the requirement of frequent receiving the DL_MAP message. |
| US07697464B2 |
Wireless terminal management method, base station and wireless terminal management program
In order to make it possible for almost all of wireless terminals to operate intermittently without generating any conflicts in communication, and thereby, to achieve lower power consumption and transmission/reception of data pertaining to a wireless terminal immediately after a return from its power save state with top priority, mobile stations other than a first mobile station may be put in their power save states, while a return timing from the power save state of each of the mobile stations is intentionally shifted by a base station so as not to overlap in time. In addition, the base station performs polling on a mobile station returned from its power save state is polled with top priority so that transmission/reception of data pertaining to the mobile station is carried out between the mobile station and the base station within a CFP. |
| US07697461B2 |
Method and node for discovering topology structure in multiprotocol label switching ring network
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a node for discovering topology structure automatically in a Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) ring network. The method includes: when receiving a topology discovering message, determining, by a node in the MPLS ring network, whether the topology discovering message is sent by the node; if yes, updating information of topology structure of the MPLS ring network stored in the node according to information of topology structure of the MPLS ring network carried by the topology discovering message; otherwise, appending information of topology structure of the node to the topology discovering message and forwarding the topology discovering message to a next node. Thus, the network topology may not depend on the topology of the physical layer network and the speed of discovering topology structure of the ring network is increased. |
| US07697458B2 |
Node for self localization, clustering method using the same, and localization method
A node for self localization, a clustering method using the same, and a localization method are provided. The node, which is located in a specific space so as to constitute a sensor network, includes a location information messaging unit which receives one or more location information messages including information on spatial locations of one or more neighboring nodes in the sensor network from the neighboring nodes in the sensor network; a distance calculator which calculates a first distance to the neighboring node on the basis of the location information included in the received location information messages and calculates a second distance to one or more neighboring nodes on the basis of the received time or intensity of the message on the location information; and a clustering unit which forms clusters of the node and a plurality of neighboring nodes in which the difference between the first and second distances is less than a predetermined threshold. |
| US07697454B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling the dissemination of routing information on a communication network
The propagation of link state advertisements (LSAs) is limited by defining a propagation radius on the network, measured by sum of link cost, or using another metric. By limiting the distance a LSA will propagate on the network it is possible to limit LSA traffic on the network without defining areas on the network. This eliminates the need to name those areas and designate nodes as belonging to particular areas, which enables the nodes to be added on an ad-hoc basis without a centralized management structure. Additionally, this enables the nodes to be mobile on the network without requiring close monitoring and updating of area affiliation by the nodes. Further, not having areas on the network eliminates the requirement for area border routers to control link state advertisements, reduces or eliminates special intra-area communication protocol exchanges, and avoids potential congestion which may occur in connection with inter-area traffic. |
| US07697453B2 |
Synchronization techniques in multipoint-to-point communication using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
Systems and methods for synchronization techniques in multipoint-to-point communication using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing are provided. In one embodiment, a method for multipoint-to-point communication comprises: receiving at a host a plurality of upstream symbols transmitted from a plurality of remote units, the upstream symbols transmitted on a plurality of orthogonal carriers modulated using an inverse Fourier transform; and determining respective round trip path delay values associated with each of at least two of the plurality of remote units. |
| US07697449B1 |
Adaptively determining a data rate of packetized information transmission over a wireless channel
Systems and techniques relating to processing a signal received over a wireless channel. A technique includes adaptively determining a data rate of packetized information transmission based on both a signal quality measure of a received signal and a channel quality measure derived from the received signal, the channel quality measure being indicative of frequency selectivity in the wireless channel. An apparatus includes a channel estimator configured to be responsive to a received OFDM signal corresponding to multiple frequency tones of the channel, and configured to evaluate channel response characteristics of the frequency tones; and a channel state indicator configured to generate a channel quality measure usable along with a signal quality measure in adaptively determining a data rate of packetized information transmission, wherein the channel quality measure is generated from the channel response characteristics of the frequency tones and is indicative of frequency selectivity in the wireless channel. |
| US07697448B2 |
Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers
Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers. The PHY (physical layer) of devices operating within wireless communication systems assess 1 or more operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link that communicatively couples 2 or more devices. These PHYs provide this assessed intelligence to the devices' higher protocol layers so that these higher protocol layers have greater visibility of the operational parameters of the PHY link. These higher protocol layers may use this assessed intelligence to make decisions about how future communication are governed across the PHY links. For example, based on a change of the operational parameter(s), the higher protocol layers may modify the operational parameter(s) for future communications. The higher protocol layers may direct the PHY to assess a particular set of operational parameters, and the higher protocol layers may assess different operational parameters at different times. |
| US07697447B2 |
Control of jitter buffer size and depth
A packet data communication system that includes a mobile station having a jitter buffer and a wireless infrastructure having a base site serving the mobile station controls a size or dept of the jitter buffer. The size or depth is controlled based on a number of retransmissions of erroneously received data employed by the system, a radio frequency load of the base site, and a round trip time period for acknowledgments and corresponding retransmissions. The jitter buffer size may be further controlled by use of a supplemental channel to expedite the transmission of data and thereby fill up the jitter buffer more quickly and by reduction of a waiting period for retransmission of the acknowledgments, thereby reducing the round trip time period. |
| US07697445B2 |
Autonomous data path verification in multi-module shelf configuration
A system and method for autonomous data path verification in a multi-module shelf configuration, such as in a digital cross-connect system, are disclosed. The system generally includes a source port module, a destination module, and optional n-stage network of mapping interface modules. The source port module is configured to reuse transport overhead bytes of received SONET or SDH signals by inserting data path verification data therefor. The destination module is configured to perform autonomous data path verification between the source port module and the destination module by examining the reused transport overhead bytes of the signals received from the source port module. The method generally includes reusing transport overhead bytes by inserting data path verification data into the overhead bytes of signals received by a first module, e.g., a source port module, and transmitting the signals with the data path verification data toward a second module, e.g., a destination port module. The second module emits a confirmed or unconfirmed pattern upon detecting presence or absence of an expected pattern in the reused transport overhead bytes, respectively, and reports changes in the received pattern to facilitate autonomous data path verification. |
| US07697440B2 |
Scalable selective alarm suppression for data communication network
Scalable selective alarm suppression is achieved through a new class of management packet, such as a new class of Ethernet management frame, adapted to convey a reachability relationship between a lower level maintenance point and a single higher level maintenance point, and more particularly adapted to convey to a first higher level maintenance point that receives the packet an identity of a single second higher level maintenance point that will become unreachable to the first higher level maintenance point in the event of a loss of continuity involving the lower level maintenance point. Once the first higher level maintenance point has learned a totality of operative reachability relationships through receipt of such packets and is notified of a loss of continuity involving the lower level maintenance point, the first higher level maintenance point can reference the learned reachability relationships and readily determine under what circumstances it should suppress an alarm in response to a detected loss of continuity with a higher level maintenance point. |
| US07697432B2 |
Equal and weighted cost multipath load balancing in a network device
A method of mediating the flow of datagrams to a destination in a network is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving a datagram at a port of a network device, evaluating a destination address for the datagram based on fields in the incoming packet, searching a longest prefix match (LPM) table using the destination address as a LPM key, determining an address table index and an offset based on entries found in the search of the longest prefix match table, searching an address table using the address table index and the offset as an address key to determine an egress port number of the network device and forwarding the packet based upon at least the egress port number. |
| US07697431B1 |
Managing the bandwidths of virtual circuits when the aggregate bandwidth to an adjacent device changes
The bandwidth of a virtual circuit is changed when the aggregate bandwidth available on path(s) to an adjacent ATM device (through which the VC is provided) changes. The change of bandwidth may be implemented by changing the QoS parameters associated with the virtual circuits. Thus, for example, when one of the paths becomes non-operational, the bandwidth of a virtual circuit may be reduced in a fair manner. |
| US07697428B2 |
Analyzing network traffic using an improved markov modulated poisson process model with two barrier states
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for analyzing network traffic using an improved Markov Modulated Poisson Process Model with two barrier states that include: retrieving a previous state for the network traffic; measuring inter-arrival times between individual packets received in one or more network adapters; establishing a transition window in dependence upon the measured inter-arrival times, the transition window having a transition value λBmax that represents an upper boundary for the inter-arrival times in a bursty state and having a transition value λImin that represents a lower boundary for the inter-arrival times in an idle state; retrieving a previous fence value that prevents premature transitions into the idle state or the bursty state; and determining a current state for the network traffic in dependence upon the previous state for the network traffic, an inter-arrival time of a most recently received packet, the transition values, and the previous fence value. |
| US07697424B2 |
Method and device to transfer data in a communication network comprising a low-bit rate artery
In a method for the conveying of data between several users A, B, in a communications network comprising at least one low-bit-rate artery and one or more standard-bit-rate arteries, the network comprises a basic transmission unit, such as a cell, and at least one adaptation layer protocol, the data to be transmitted taking the form of packets Pi having a size smaller then the size of the basic transmission unit, the method comprising at least the following steps: extracting the packets Pi from the upstream and/or downstream cells of a low-bit-rate artery (steps (4a) or (5a)), inserting said packets according to a given adaptation layer protocol, in the cells of a virtual circuit set up between the ends of the low-bit-rate artery (steps (4b)), or between the users (steps (5b) and (5c)). |
| US07697417B2 |
Methods and devices for re-routing MPLS traffic
Multi-Protocol Label Switched (MPLS) traffic is re-routed to an alternate, Label Switched Path (LSP) to bypass a failure along a primary LSP, even though the failure occurs at or along an ingress section of an LSP, while associating an original IP address to the alternate path. Failures are also detected farther downstream outside an ingress section. When this occurs, MPLS traffic is re-routed to an alternate LSP which maintains the same quality of service as an original primary path and includes other network devices which are not a part of the primary path (except for the network device and a destination network device). The techniques require less resources than existing techniques. |
| US07697406B2 |
High density phase-change type optical disk having a data efficiency of more than 80 percent
An optical disk includes a land and a groove. The optical disk has a data efficiency of 80% or more. Data is recorded on both the land and the groove. A distance between the center of the land and the center of the groove adjacent to the land is 0.28 μm or more. Thus, an optical disk having a storage capacity of 25 GB or more can be provided. |
| US07697405B2 |
Inspection apparatus for optical disk having phase modulated wobble tracks and optical disk apparatus for driving the optical disk
An inspection apparatus for inspecting a phase modulated wobble track of an optical disk is provided. A radial push-pull signal (a wobble signal) of an optical disk is supplied to a low pass filter where a phase boundary portion of the wobble signal is smoothed, and then binarized by a binarizer and supplied to a time interval analyzer. The time interval analyzer analyzes a period of the binary wobble signal to extract two peak values T1 and T2 thereof. An operation device computes a difference value of the two periods T1 and T2 and a standard deviation of each peak, and compares each computed value to a threshold value for simultaneously evaluating CNR and a phase shift. The low pass filter and the binarizer may be incorporated into an optical disk apparatus for smoothing the phase boundary portion of the reproduced wobble signal. |
| US07697403B2 |
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. |
| US07697399B2 |
Power control system and related method
A method for controlling a specific output power level emitted from a laser diode (LD) in an optical pick-up head unit (OPU) is disclosed. The LD is configured to provide a plurality of output power levels for accessing/recording an optical disc. The method includes: determining a specific power control value according to a first output power level, a second output power level, a first power control value of the first output power level, and the specific output power level, wherein the first output power level is less than the specific output power level and greater than the second output power level; and driving the LD to emit the specific output power level according to the specific power control value, the first power control value, and a second power control value of the second output power level. |
| US07697398B2 |
Optical pickup device having an electromechanical conversion element for recording and/ or reproducing information
A piezoelectric element of a driving device is arranged on the opposite side of the light source, when an optical pickup device is divided by a plane that includes an optical axis of an objective lens and perpendicularly intersects the axis line of a light flux entering a raising mirror, that has come from the light source, whereby, it is possible to cause optical elements existing between the objective lens and the laser light source to be away from the piezoelectric element, and thereby to avoid an influence of heat even when a gap between members is reduced. |
| US07697388B2 |
Defect management method and system of optical disk drive
A defect management method applied in an optical disc drive for managing defect information of an optical disc is disclosed. The optical disc drive saves a plurality of defect tables comprising at least a first defect table and a second defect table. The first defect table records a plurality of first defect entries and the second defect table records a plurality of second defect entries. The method includes appending an adaptive defect entry comprising a new defect information corresponding to a new defect into a new defect table, a data structure of the adaptive defect entry conforming to a data structure of at least one of the defect entries recorded in the defect tables; and merging the adaptive defect entries into one of the defect tables saved in the optical disc drive when a condition is met. |
| US07697387B2 |
Information recording medium, and information recording apparatus and method
An information recording medium is provided with: a recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas; and an information area for recording therein (i) management information for managing recording conditions of the plurality of partial areas at least for each of the plurality of partial areas and (ii) reliability information for indicating reliability of the management information for each of the plurality of partial areas. |
| US07697385B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling recording laser power
Test signals are sequentially generated. A laser beam inclusive of the generated test signals is applied to a preset test recording area in a disc-shaped recording medium to record the generated test signals thereon. A recording power of the applied laser beam is changed stepwise from a lowest level to a highest level through different intermediate levels. The lowest level, the highest level, and the intermediate levels the recording power of the applied laser beam takes are assigned to the test signals respectively. The recorded test signals are reproduced from the preset test recording area in the disc-shaped recording medium. An optimum value of a laser-beam recording power is decided on the basis of the reproduced test signals and at least one of the lowest level, the highest level, and the intermediate levels. |
| US07697383B2 |
Optical disc reproducing apparatus
In the first and second light-receiving regions equally divided into two in parallel with the track of the optical disc, the reflected light received from the optical disk is converted into electric signals and fed out by individual light-receiving regions. Then, the light-receiving ratio indicating the ratio of amounts of received light is calculated from the amplitude of the electric signal generated in the first light-receiving region and the amplitude of the electric signal generated in the second light-receiving region. Then, it is determined whether or not an absolute value of the light-receiving ratio is larger than a predetermined vale. When the absolute value is larger, the movement of the objective lens in a radial direction is corrected by incorporating a predetermined correction value. |
| US07697382B2 |
Near-field light generating method and near-field optical head using a light blocking metal film having a fine opening whose size is not more than a wavelength of irradiated light, and near-field optical microscope having the optical head
A near-field light generating method for irradiating light from a light source to a metal film having a fine opening that has a size of not more than a wavelength of the light emitted from the light source, and forming a fine light spot adjacent to the fine opening on a light outgoing side of the fine opening. The method includes providing the metal film with a rectangular fine opening whose length to width ratio is between 1.1 times and 2 times that of a standard square opening, obtained by increasing the length of the standard square opening, and irradiating the metal film with light from the light source to form the fine light spot, which has a length and a width that are substantially equal to those of the standard square opening, and where the fine light spot has a light intensity, which is not less than two times that of the standard square opening. This method is applicable in a corresponding near-field optical head, which can be included either in an optical microscope to observe a sample surface or in an apparatus for recording and reproducing with respect to a recording medium. |
| US07697380B2 |
Apparatus for detecting the wobble carrier frequency of an optical disk and method for same
An apparatus for detecting the wobble carrier frequency of an optical disk is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an offset canceller, a binary conversion module, an adjustable band pass filter, and a frequency detection module. The offset canceller cancels the direct current offset of a first wobble signal to obtain a second wobble signal. The binary conversion module converts the second wobble signal to a binary data stream. The adjustable band pass filter passes only an adjustable frequency range of the binary data stream to generate a filtered signal, wherein the center frequency of the adjustable frequency range is sequentially adjusted. The frequency detection module then determines maximum amplitude of the filtered signal, and determines the center frequency of the adjustable frequency range according to which the filtered signal with the maximum amplitude is generated, wherein the wobble carrier frequency is the center frequency corresponding to the maximum amplitude. |
| US07697379B2 |
Information processing apparatus and its control method, program, and storage medium
When a disk unloading operation is made by mistake or when recording is suddenly required after the unloading operation in a conventional disk recording/playback apparatus which has no cancel function of the disk unloading operation, an important recording chance is often missed. This invention allows the user to cancel the disk unloading operation, and can quickly restore the state before the disk unloading operation, thus solving the above problem. |
| US07697378B2 |
Information reproducing device
An information reproducing device includes an information recording medium housing portion 8 for housing an information recording medium 7 that is detachably attached, a pickup 75 for reading information recorded at least on the information recording medium 7, and a pickup restrainer 94 for restraining a displacement that exceeds a normal operating range of the pickup 75, wherein the pickup restrainer 94 is constructed to displace in response to loading/unloading of the information recording medium 7 into/from the information recording medium housing portion 8. |
| US07697375B2 |
Combined electro-magnetic acoustic transducer
A combined electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) is disclosed adapted to generate both SH-type acoustic waves and LAMB-type acoustic waves in a conductive casing, surroundings of which are to be analyzed. The transducer comprises one magnet assembly and two RF coils implemented as multi-layer printed circuit board. Each coil is used to generate or receive acoustic signals of one wave type. Compared to using two single-wave-type transducers the combined EMAT significantly reduces total attraction force to the casing and, correspondingly, simplifies mechanics of the measurement tool. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. |
| US07697374B2 |
Water inflatable volumetric hydrophone array
A hydrophone array includes an inflatable shaped housing enclosing an interior space and formable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, a framework of compliant material disposed within the interior of the inflatable housing, and a plurality of hydrophones attached to the compliant material at respective positions, wherein said hydrophones are arranged in a predetermined geometric array when the shaped housing is in the expanded configuration. Also provided herein is a system and method for deploying the hydrophone array. |
| US07697373B1 |
Method for deriving 3D output volumes using dip vector analysis
A method and computer instructions on computer readable media for determining and analyzing spatial changes in the earth's subsurface associated with dip vectors measured using 3D data in regions near a fluid contact or seismic flat spot event. The method obtains seismic attribute data, then derives corresponding 3D dip and azimuth as a 3D volume and derives corresponding 3D reliability volumes or 3D censor volumes. A set of vector is formed within a local subvolume of interest interior to the focused subvolume of interest for each reliability location, and a subset of local vectors within a user specified deviation of the azimuth of the structural dip vector are identified. A set of candidate flat spot dip vectors within the local subvolume of interest are identified enabling a significance measure for each vector within the set of candidate flat spot dip vectors to be determined. |
| US07697369B2 |
System with controller and memory
According to the system of the present invention, data (DQ) signals are outputted/received between a controller 100 and a memory 200 based on a data strobe signal sent out from the controller 100. The data strobe signal is independently and completely separated from a clock signal. The data strobe signal has a frequency different from a clock signal. Therefore, the memory 200 is not required to generate a read data strobe signal from the clock signal nor to send the read data strobe signal in synchronization with the clock signal. |
| US07697364B2 |
Memory architecture having multiple partial wordline drivers and contacted and feed-through bitlines
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to a memory circuit architecture. In an example embodiment, which may accommodate a change to a new memory size or cell aspect ratio, while migrating between different process nodes or the same process generation, while retaining at least a portion of the periphery circuitry, a memory circuit architecture may be employed in which the memory array is divided into an upper half and a lower half, thereby splitting the cache Ways among the two halves. The wordline may be split among the two array halves, with each half driven by a half wordline driver. Also, in another embodiment, two sets of bitlines may be provided for each column, including a contacted set of bitlines and a feed-through set of bitlines. |
| US07697360B2 |
Semiconductor device
Double refresh executing means is changed in accordance with a manner (distributed refresh or burst refresh) of a refresh command so as to suppress a drop of internal power supply that occurs upon double refresh. |
| US07697345B2 |
Nonvolatile memory system, semiconductor memory, and writing method
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory recovers variation in the threshold of a memory cell due to disturbance related to a word line. The nonvolatile memory continuously performs many writing operations without carrying out single-sector erasing after each writing operation, performing the additional writing operations quicker than the usual writing operation, and lightening the burden imposed on software for use in additional writing. The data stored in a designated sector is read out before being saved in a register, and the selected sector is subjected to single-sector erasing when a predetermined command is given. Then write expected value data is formed from the saved data and data to be additionally written, completing the writing operation. |
| US07697341B2 |
Method of testing a non-volatile memory device
A method of testing a non-volatile memory device on a wafer is disclosed. The method includes performing an erase operation and a first verify operation about every memory cell in the non-volatile memory device, storing data of a first latch in a page buffer for storing result in accordance with the first verify operation in a second latch, and setting the data of the first latch to data indicating pass of the verifying, and performing a soft program and a second verify operation about every memory cell. |
| US07697340B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for trimming reference cells in semiconductor memory devices
A method and apparatus for trimming a reference cell in a semiconductor memory device are provided. The method includes generating an internal bias current capable of being trimmed, and trimming the reference cell based on the internal bias current. The semiconductor memory device includes a reference cell in which a reference cell current flows between a drain and a source based on a bias voltage, an internal bias current generator configured to generate an internal bias current capable of being trimmed, and a trimming circuit configured to trim the reference cell based on the internal bias current. |
| US07697338B2 |
Systems for controlled boosting in non-volatile memory soft programming
A soft programming pre-charge voltage provides boosting control during soft programming operations for non-volatile memory devices. A pre-charge voltage can be applied to the word lines of a block of memory cells to enable pre-charging of the channel region of a NAND string to be inhibited from soft programming. The level of boosting in the channel region of the inhibited NAND string is governed by the pre-charge voltage and the soft programming voltage. By controlling the pre-charge voltage, more reliable and consistent channel boosting can be achieved. In one embodiment, the pre-charge voltage is increased between applications of the soft programming voltage to reduce or eliminate a rise in the channel's boosted potential. In one embodiment, the soft programming pre-charge voltage level(s) is determined during testing that is performed as part of a manufacturing process. |
| US07697336B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and method of operating the same
The present invention is directed to a non-volatile memory device and a method of operating the same. The non-volatile memory device includes a first transistor connected to an nth bitline and a second transistor connected to an (n+1)th bitline. The first transistor and the second transistor are serially coupled between the nth bitline and the (n+1)th bitline. The non-volatile memory device may include a 2-transistor 1-bit unit cell where a drain region and a source region of a memory cell have the same or similar structure. Since a cell array of a non-volatile memory device according to the invention may include a 2-transistor 2-bit unit cell, storage capacity of the non-volatile memory device may be doubled. |
| US07697333B2 |
NAND flash memory
A NAND flash memory including a memory cell array having a plurality of blocks, each of the blocks is composed of a plurality of memory cell units, drain-side select gate transistors, and source-side select gate transistors. The NAND flash memory further includes a row decoder that is connected to word lines, the drain-side select gate lines, and the source-side gate line of the memory cell array, and that applies a signal voltage to word lines, the drain-side select gate lines and the source-side gate line of the memory cell array for selecting blocks. The NAND flash memory further includes a sense amplifier that is controlled by a column decoder and that makes a selection from the bit lines of the memory cell array. |
| US07697328B2 |
Split gate flash memory cell with ballistic injection
A split floating gate flash memory cell includes source/drain regions in a substrate. The split floating gate is insulated from the substrate by a first layer of oxide material and from a control gate by a second layer of oxide material. The sections of the floating gate are isolated from each other by a depression in the control gate. The cell is programmed by creating a positive charge on the floating gate and biasing the drain region while grounding the source region. This creates a virtual source/drain region near the drain region such that the hot electrons are accelerated in the narrow pinched off region. The electrons become ballistic and are directly injected onto the floating gate section adjacent to the pinched off channel region. |
| US07697327B2 |
NAND flash memory device and programming method
A NAND flash memory device and a programming method thereof capable of improving a program speed during a multi-level cell programming operation are provided. The device performs a programming operation using an ISPP method. Additionally, the device includes a memory cell storing multi-bit data; a program voltage generating circuit generating a program voltage to be supplied to the memory cell; and a program voltage controller controlling a start level of the program voltage. The device supplies an LSB start voltage to a selected word line during an LSB program, and an MSB start voltage higher than the LSB start voltage to the selected word line during an MSB program. |
| US07697323B2 |
Magnetic storage device
A magnetic storage device is provided which has significantly reduced power consumption. The magnetic storage device includes: a yoke which is arranged so as to cover part of a line extending in an arbitrary direction; and a magneto-resistive element which is arranged near the line and is capable of writing information using a field occurring from the line. The magnetic storage device is set to satisfy the equation Iw≦a·R+b, where Iw is the write current necessary for the line, R is the magnetoresistance of the yoke, a (mA·H)=7.5E−11, and b (mA)=0.1. |
| US07697321B2 |
Non-volatile memory cell and methods thereof
A non-volatile storage element disposed at an integrated circuit is disclosed. The storage element includes a first resistive element having a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element, a first node coupled to the first resistive element, a second resistive element having of a second MTJ element, a second node coupled to the second resistive element, a sense amplifier having a first input coupled to the first node, a second input coupled to the second node, and an output, and a first conductor disposed to conduct a first current to set the first resistive element to a first resistive value and the second resistive element to a second resistive value different from the first resistive value. |
| US07697319B2 |
Non-volatile memory device including bistable circuit with pre-load and set phases and related system and method
An embodiment of a device for memorization of a memory bit is provided, comprising a bistable circuit having complementary first and second read/write terminals, wherein the device comprises an initialization input connected to said bistable circuit, said input being designed to go into a first state controlling a pre-load phase of said bistable circuit and following said preload phase, to go into a second state controlling setting up of said memory bit and its complement at said read/write terminals. |
| US07697318B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells arranged at intersections of bit line pairs and word lines. Each memory cell includes a first transistor having one main electrode connected to a first bit line, a second transistor having one main electrode connected to a second bit line, a first node electrode for data-storage connected to the other main electrode of the first transistor, a second node electrode for data-storage connected to the other main electrode of the second transistor, and a shield electrode formed surrounding the first and second node electrodes. The first and second transistors have respective gates both connected to an identical word line, and the first and second bit lines are connected to an identical sense amp. The first and second node electrodes, the first and second bit lines, the word line and the shield electrode are isolated from each other using insulating films. |
| US07697314B2 |
Data line layout and line driving method in semiconductor memory device
A data line layout structure comprises a plurality of first data lines, second data lines, a third data line, a first data line driver, and a second data line driver. The plurality of first data lines are connected to sub mats in a memory mat so that a predetermined number of first data lines are connected to each sub mat. The second data lines are disposed in a smaller quantity than the number of the first data lines so as to form a hierarchy with respect to the first data lines. The third data line is disposed to form a hierarchy with respect to the second data lines, and transfers data provided through the second data lines to a data latch. The first data line driver is connected between the first data lines and the second data lines, and performs a logical ORing operation for output of the first data lines so as to drive a corresponding second data line. The second data line driver is connected between the second data lines and the third data line, and performs a logical ORing operation for output of the second data lines so as to drive the third data line. |
| US07697310B2 |
Control apparatus for inhibiting synchronous-rectifier switching elements at low output current for a voltage transforming apparatus
The control apparatus for controlling a voltage transforming apparatus having a transformer, power switching elements disposed in a primary side, and synchronous-rectifying switching elements disposed in a secondary side includes a judging circuit making a judgment as to whether or not an output current of the voltage transforming apparatus is smaller than a specified current on the basis of a primary-side current of the transformer and an inhibition circuit inhibiting the synchronous-rectifying switching elements from performing their synchronous-rectifying control operation when the judging circuit judges that the output current is smaller than the specified current. The judging circuit makes the judgment with compensating for a variation of a relationship between the primary side-current and the output current due to variation of duty ratio of the power switching elements, and variation of at least one of the DC output voltage and the DC input voltage of the voltage transforming apparatus. |
| US07697309B2 |
Overpower-protection circuit and power supply apparatus having the same
The present invention provides an overpower-protection circuit and a power supply apparatus having the same. The power supply apparatus comprises a rectifier, a transformer and an overpower-protection circuit The overpower-protection circuit comprises a converter having a converter input electronically coupled to the rectifier and a converter output, a photo coupler having at least a first terminal coupled with the converter output, and having an output terminal, and a clipper electrically coupled across said terminals of the photo coupler for keeping the converter output below a predetermined voltage. |
| US07697307B2 |
Power supply circuit for outputting steady voltage
An exemplary power supply circuit includes a transformer (21) having a primary coil (211) and a secondary coil (212); a rectification circuit and a transistor (26) respectively coupled to two terminals of the primary coil; a communicating and filter circuit (22) coupled to the secondary coil; a sampling circuit (13) having a first resistor (231) and a first capacitor (232) connected in series; and a pulse width modulation circuit (25) coupled between the transistor and the sampling circuit. Direct current (AC) voltage is applied to the rectification circuit and is converted into DC voltage via the transformer and the communicating and filter circuit. The DC voltage is fed back to the pulse width modulation circuit via a voltage applied to the first capacitor. The pulse width modulation circuit adjusts a gating time of the transistor so as to adjust the output DC voltage output by the power supply circuit. |
| US07697306B2 |
DC/DC converter
According to the switching supply such as a DC/DC converter, since primary side coils provided in two transformers are mutually connected in series, voltage variation generated in parallel-connected secondary side coils can be suppressed, and the uniformity of secondary side parallel output can be enhanced even in case of voltage value fluctuations or the like caused by variation in the output of an inverter circuit. |
| US07697302B2 |
Mounting apparatus for expansion cards
A mounting apparatus is configured for fixing an expansion card. The mounting apparatus includes a support fixed to an enclosure, a fastening member, and a latching member pivotably coupled to the fastening member. One end of the fastening member is fixed to the support, and the other end of the fastening member is urged against the expansion card. The latching member includes a first elastic portion configured for pressing the fastening member, and a locking portion extending from the first elastic portion. When the first elastic portion is pressed, the first elastic portion is deformed to press the fastening member to urge against the expansion card, and the latching portion is engaged in the support. |
| US07697301B2 |
Printed circuit board having embedded electronic components and manufacturing method thereof
A printed circuit board having embedded electronic components and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. With the printed circuit board having embedded electronic components, including a core sheet, a first electronic component mounted on one side of the core sheet, a second electronic component mounted on the other side of the core sheet and overlapping the first electronic component, a first insulation layer stacked on one side of the core sheet and covering the first electronic component, a second insulation layer stacked on the other side of the core sheet and covering the second electronic component, and a circuit pattern formed on the surface of the first insulation layer or the second insulation layer, the density of the printed circuit board having embedded components is improved, as a plurality of electronic components are embedded simultaneously, and when a thin CCL substrate or a metal substrate is used as the core, a metal substrate in particular, the heat-releasing property and mechanical strength are improved, including increased bending strength in a thermal-stress environment, as electronic components are mounted on both sides of the core sheet. |
| US07697297B2 |
Heat dissipation device having a clip assembly
A heat dissipation device for removing heat from an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board, includes a heat sink and a clip attaching the heat sink onto the printed circuit board. The heat sink has a rectangular base and a plurality of fins extending upwardly from the base. The fins define a receiving channel therein, which is slantwise to two opposite sides of the heat sink. The clip includes a main body placed in the receiving channel and two latching legs extending obliquely and oppositely from two opposite ends of the main body. The two latching legs are located in front of and in rear of the two opposite sides of the heat sink, respectively, and are parallel thereto. |
| US07697295B2 |
Heat sink clip
A heat sink clip (30) includes an elongated resilient main body (31) with two spaced barbs (315) at a first end thereof, a first locking member (33) coupled with a second end of the main body and a moveable second locking member (32) movably coupled with the first end of the main body. The barbs each vertically extend and include a neck (3151) connecting with the main body and a locking end (3152) at a free end thereof. The moveable second locking member includes an operating portion (321) and a locking leg (322) defining two connecting slots (323) therein. Each of the connecting slots includes a longitudinally narrow portion (3231) and a longitudinally wide portion (3232) beside the narrow portion. The barbs enter the connecting slots through the wide portions and the necks are received in the narrow portions. |
| US07697293B1 |
Heat dissipation device
A heat dissipation device includes a first heat sink, a second heat sink juxtaposed with the first heat sink and a plurality of heat pipes thermally connecting the first heat sink and the second heat sink. The first heat sink includes a plate-like spreader used for contacting with a first electric component and a honeycomb-like first fin unit thermally attached on the spreader. The spreader is a flat heat pipe. The heat pipes each include a flat plate-shaped evaporating section sandwiched between the spreader and the first fin unit of the first heat sink and a condensing section extending in the second heat sink. Due to a provision of the honeycomb-like first fin unit, the heat dissipation area of the first heat sink greatly increases. |
| US07697292B2 |
Aircraft electronics cooling apparatus for an aircraft having a liquid cooling system
The invention relates to an improved aircraft electronics cooling system for an aircraft having a liquid cooling system (2), the aircraft electronics cooling system providing a thermal coupling between an electronic device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, 42, 44) to be cooled and the liquid cooling system (2) of the aircraft. A coolant delivered by the liquid cooling system (2) may flow through a board of the electronic device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d), through a heat sink on which the electronic device (42) is arranged and/or through a housing in which the electronic device (44) is arranged. The coolant may be permanently in the liquid state in a cooling circuit. The coolant may vaporize at least partially while cooling the electronic device. |
| US07697291B2 |
Active liquid metal thermal spreader
The present invention is a method and apparatus for cooling a semiconductor heat source. In one embodiment a thermal spreader is provided and includes a substrate for supporting the semiconductor heat source and a heat sink coupled to the substrate. A channel is disposed between the heat sink and substrate. The channel has at least one wall defined by the heat sink. The surface area of the channel wall defined by the heat sink is about 10 to about 100 times the surface area of a bottom surface of the semiconductor heat source. A coolant, for example liquid metal, circulates within the channel. |
| US07697279B2 |
Mounting apparatus for storage device
A mounting apparatus for mounting a data storage device with a sliding member attached thereon, includes a bracket and a latch member slidably mounted on the side plate. The bracket includes a side plate. The side plate defines a slideway for slidably receiving the sliding member of the data storage device. The latch member includes a resilient tab. The latch member is slidable on the side plate between a first position wherein the resilient tab is located at a halfway of the slideway so as to block the sliding member from passing therethrough, and a second position wherein the resilient tab is located outside the slideway so as to allow the sliding member to pass therethrough. |
| US07697276B2 |
Fixing apparatus for hard disk drive
An exemplary fixing apparatus is for mounting a hard disk drive (HDD) having a plurality of holes defined in sidewalls and includes a bracket, a clip, and a plurality of fixing pins. The bracket includes an end plate, and a pair of side plates extending from opposite ends of the end plate respectively. The side plates are capable of being flexed away from each other for allowing the HDD to be placed therebetween. The clip is pivotably attached to one side plate and detachably locked with the other side plate. The fixing pins are attached to the side plates to engage in the holes of the HDD. |
| US07697275B2 |
Shock resistant mounting for small display screen
The display screen unit of a cell phone or PDA is carried in a mounting frame, which is bolted into the casing. The screen unit is sandwiched between cushioning layers of foam. The screen unit can move laterally, relative to the mounting frame, putting the foam in shear, in response to an edge or corner impact. Springy tabs are bent up from the metal backing plate of the screen unit, and these springy tabs serve to cushion the impact of the screen unit against the mounting frame, in response to the edge or corner impact, leading to a marked improvement in drop test performance. As a production-line benefit, the springy tabs also permit the screen unit to rest on the lip of the mounting frame, enabling the screen unit to be accurately positioned in the mounting frame just before the screen unit is finally pressed down into contact with the securing adhesive. |
| US07697273B2 |
Display device
A liquid crystal display according to this invention includes a liquid crystal display panel, a frame assembly accommodating the liquid crystal display panel and being provided with a space adjacent to an end of the accommodated liquid crystal display panel, and a designed package covering the frame assembly. There is provided on a surface of the frame assembly with a through hole exposing the space and the end of the liquid crystal display panel adjacent to the space. Further, provided on an inner surface of the designed package is a positioning projection which passes through the through hole to be brought into contact with the end of the liquid crystal display panel within the space. As the designed package and the liquid crystal display panel can be positioned directly with each other, it is possible to realize accurate positioning of the designed package with respect to the liquid crystal display panel. |
| US07697272B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus is provided. A frame is fixed and supported at the rear of a front panel forming the front portion of the display apparatus, and a separate bracket member is not mounted on the edges of the front panel. Thus, the front exterior of the display apparatus is neatly finished, and the display screen looks bigger than it actually is. |
| US07697269B2 |
Housing mechanism for electronic device
An exemplary housing mechanism (8) for an electronic device includes a cover (10) and a frame (20). The cover has a cover body (11), a sealing element (12), and a sidewall (13) formed around the cover body. A surface of a distal end of the sidewall is recessed thereby forming a receiving slot (16) therein. The sealing element has a connecting portion (122) and a positioning portion (124) connected to the connecting portion. The connecting portion is fixedly received in the receiving slot of the cover. The frame has a positioning slot (26) defined therein and the positioning portion of the sealing element is for reception in the positioning slot of the frame when the cover is closed to the frame. |
| US07697267B2 |
Capacitor and method for manufacturing same
The present invention relates to a capacitor having high capacitance, low ESR (equivalent series resistance) in a high-frequency region and low leakage current, including a composite oxide film obtained by reaction of an oxide film obtained by subjecting the surface of the substrate comprising valve-acting metal element to electrolytic oxidation with a solution in which metal ion and an organic base are dissolved and by subsequently sintering the reactant, a solid electrolyte formed on the composite oxide film and a conductor layer formed thereon; a method for producing the same and electronic devices using the same. |
| US07697265B2 |
Electric double layer capacitor with a sealing plate fitted inside a container
An electric double layer capacitor comprises an electrode, a current collector, an electrolyte, a separator, a concave-shaped container for accommodating them, and a sealing plate for sealing an opening part of the container, wherein the sealing plate is fitted inside the container. By having a structure fitting the sealing plate inside an opening part of the concave-shaped container, the positioning between the sealing plate and the container becomes easy, and the displacement of the sealing plate in the horizontal direction can be reduced. Thus, the decline of the yield can be prevented. |
| US07697263B2 |
High-temperature dielectric materials and capacitors made therefrom
A ceramic dielectric composition suitable for preparing capacitors for use in high-temperature service conditions is disclosed. The ceramic material and capacitors made from it exhibit unique and heretofore unrealizable properties including low variation in capacitance with voltage up to high fields, low variation in capacitance with temperature over a broad temperature range, retained high permittivity at temperatures up to 200° C. and beyond, low loss, low field-induced strain and adequate capacitance to retain performance at very low service temperatures. The material is based on sodium bismuth titanate (NBT) with selected additions of substituents and dopants to broaden and flatten its dielectric response, lower loss, lower strain, lower voltage coefficient and increase resistivity. |
| US07697255B2 |
Dissipator
A dissipator useful for discharging provides a continuously variable high-voltage load under control of a computer or other device capable of providing an analog control voltage. Known dissipator arrangements use multiple high voltage switches and resistors to attempt to dissipate power. However, the disclosed dissipator uses the resistive property of a matrix of photo resistive cells, typically cadmium sulphide arranged on a circuit board. These photo resistive cells are series connected and controlled optically to vary their resistances. An optical control signal is provided for each photo resistive cell by a corresponding light emitting diode (LED). The amount of light emitted by each LED is analog controlled. |
| US07697246B2 |
Magnetoresistive sensor having biasing AFM layer in contact with free layer and a track width defined by a lead contact area
A current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor having a current path defined by first and second overlying insulation layers between which an electrically conductive lead makes content with a surface of the sensor stack. The current path being narrower than the width of the sensor stack allows the outer edges of the sensor stack to be moved outside of the active area of the sensor. This results in a sensor that is unaffected by damage at outer edges of the sensor layers. The sensor stack includes a free layer that is biased by direct exchange coupling with a layer of antiferromagnetic material (AFM layer). The strength of the exchange field can be controlled by adding Cr to the AFM material to ensure that the exchange field is sufficiently weak to avoid pinning the free layer. |
| US07697240B2 |
Magnetic head actuator and magnetic disk device having damper material attached to actuator arm
The present invention relates to a magnetic head actuator and a magnetic disk device in which a magnetic head is moved to a predetermined position by actuating an arm on a revolving magnetic disk. A magnetic head actuator comprises an arm in which a suspension for supporting a magnetic head is provided, the arm being actuated to move the magnetic head. A damper material is provided on at least one side of the arm, the damper material comprising a restriction material and a viscoelastic material, the restriction material suppressing vibrations of the arm, and the viscoelastic material absorbing vibrations of the arm. |
| US07697236B2 |
Method and apparatus for disk damper extending across all data tracks of a rotating disk surface upwind of the voice coil actuator in a hard disk drive
The invention includes a disk damper containing an extended area located on the upstream side of the head stack assembly. The extended area is joined to a tail section. In the extended area, the disk damper provides a wall near the neighboring rotating disk surface that extends from the outside diameter to the inside diameter of the rotating disk surface. Experimental results have shown that this provides much more consistent dampening of disk vibrations and vibrations of a head stack assembly positioned anywhere from the inside diameter to the outside diameter. The hard disk drive including the disk damper. Using the disk damper in a hard disk drive to improve the reliability of the hard disk drive during track following. Making the hard disk drive using the disk damper, and the hard disk drive as a product of that manufacturing process. |
| US07697234B2 |
Storage apparatus, control method, and control device which enable or disable compensation control
A rotation disturbance compensation control unit applies a compensation signal to a positioning control unit so as to cancel out rotation disturbance vibration components detected by using acceleration velocity sensors. At predetermined timing, a position error detection unit detects respective position errors of the case in which the rotation disturbance compensation control unit is turned on and the case in which it is turned off. A compensation control switching unit switches the rotation disturbance compensation control unit to be on if the position error of the case in which the compensation control of rotation disturbance is turned on is small and switches the compensation control switching unit to be off if the position error of the case in which the compensation control of rotation disturbance is turned off is small. |
| US07697233B1 |
Disk drive comprising a servo accelerator implementing state space equations for a plurality of task objects
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head, and an actuator for actuating the head over the disk. The disk drive further comprises a state variable memory for storing a plurality of state variable sets, wherein each state variable set comprises a plurality of state variables and each state variable set corresponds to a task object. A coefficient memory for stores a plurality of coefficient sets, wherein each coefficient set comprises a plurality of coefficients and each coefficient set corresponds to a task object. A task object is executed by initializing a base state register to address a selected one of the state variable sets in the state variable memory, and initializing a base coefficient register to address a selected one of the coefficient sets in the coefficient memory. |
| US07697232B2 |
Storage device and storage device controller including feature for causing thermal protrusion phenomenon in the head during startup period of device
A storage device has a head that floats over a rotating storage medium. The storage device includes a measuring unit that measures the operating time and a head slider having a head element. The head element includes a reading element, a writing element and a heater, and a control unit that controls a protruding amount of the head element, by issuing an instruction causing an amount of power of a first predetermined value to be supplied to the heater until the amount of time measured by the measuring unit becomes a predetermined value. When the amount of time exceeds the predetermined value, the control unit cause an amount of power of a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value. |
| US07697230B2 |
Tape drive position control
In one embodiment a tape drive system comprises a reel adapted to engage a tape cartridge, the tape cartridge comprising a tape media having a servo code written along a length of the tape media, a tape head comprising at least one servo element to detect the servo code, a drive assembly to induce relative motion between the tape and the tape drive, a servo system to control a rate of relative motion between the tape and the tape drive, wherein the servo system comprises a sampling module to sample servo code from the tape media and the sampling module implements a dithered sampling routine centered around a design sampling frequency. |
| US07697229B2 |
Method and system for writing information to a tape cartridge
A tape drive system for a tape cartridge including a tape and wireless identification tag may read information from the wireless identification tag and write the information to the tape. The tape drive system may toggle a bit stored on the wireless identification tag to indicate that the information has been written to the tape. The information may include tape initialization information. |
| US07697226B2 |
Control apparatus, storage apparatus, and computer product
A rewrite determining unit acquires, for every servo frame recorded on a magnetic disk, an amplification degree, i.e., a gain of an amplifier circuit by which a read signal read from the magnetic disk is amplified to a predetermined output, determines a rewrite sector count based on the amplification degree, and performs data rewriting according to the rewrite sector count. |
| US07697225B2 |
Storage apparatus, method of controlling amount of write current overshoot in storage apparatus and storage medium storing its program
A storage apparatus comprises: a current parameter varying section that can make a write current used for writing information on the storage medium and an overshoot amount corresponding to the write current variable; a detection section that detects an error rate or its corresponding error rate parameter for a plurality of combinations of the write current and overshoot amount varied by the current parameter varying section; a saturation factor calculation section that calculates a saturation factor representing a change in the error rate relative to a unit write current value from the error rate or error rate parameter detected by the detection section; and a current parameter setting section that determines current parameters based on the saturation factor obtained by the saturation factor calculation section for setting. |
| US07697221B2 |
Imaging lens and imaging device
An imaging lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens G1, a second lens G2, a third lens G3, an aperture stop St and a fourth lens G4. The first lens is a negative lens having a meniscus shape with a convex surface directed to the object side. The second lens is a negative lens. The third lens is a positive lens having a convex surface directed to the object side. The fourth lens is a biconvex lens. The following conditional expression is satisfied: 1.5 |
| US07697218B2 |
Lens control apparatus, lens barrel, imaging apparatus, and optical apparatus
A lens control apparatus includes a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature near a zoom lens and a focus lens, a zoom lens drive unit configured to drive the zoom lens, and a controller configured, if it is determined that a current temperature near the zoom lens and the focus lens detected by the temperature detection unit is higher than a reference temperature, to acquire a telephoto end position to be set at the current temperature, to compare the telephoto end position with a current position of the zoom lens, and to cause the zoom lens drive unit to move the zoom lens to the telephoto end position if the current position of the zoom lens is located beyond the telephoto end position on a telephoto side. |
| US07697215B2 |
Zoom lens system, imaging device and camera
The zoom lens system is used for forming an optical image of an object with a variable magnification, and, in order from the object side, comprises a first lens unit G1 of negative optical power, a second lens unit G2 of positive optical power and a third lens unit G3 of positive optical power. The lens units move respectively along the optical axis so that a magnification is changed with changing a distance between the respective lens units. The second lens unit G2 comprises at least three lens elements including an object side lens element of the second lens unit which is a positive lens element arranged on the most object side with the surface of strong curvature facing the object side, and an image side lens element of the second lens unit which is a positive lens element arranged on the most image side with the convex surface facing the object side. |
| US07697213B2 |
Optical element and imaging apparatus
An optical element is disclosed. The optical element may include a container having a holding chamber, a polar or conductive first liquid filled in the holding chamber, a second liquid filled in the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid, first and second electrodes for applying an electric field to the first liquid, and voltage application means for applying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US07697212B2 |
High-order aberration correction for optimization of human visual function
The present invention relates to the optimization of human visual function by correcting and/or optimizing high-order optical aberrations in high performance optical devices. The optimization is particularly useful for high performance devices used under low light conditions such as binoculars, rifle scopes, telescopes, microscopes, night vision goggles and laser eye protection devices. |
| US07697210B2 |
Wide-angle objective lens system and camera
A vehicle camera and wide-angle objective lens system are disclosed wherein the wide-angle objective lens has image aberrations or errors that do not deteriorate the detection of obstructions or obstacles in its field of view. |
| US07697202B2 |
Screen, fresnel lens sheet used for the same, and image display apparatus using the same
An image display apparatus includes an image generation source, optics for projecting in an enlarged form the image generated by the image generation source, and a transmissive screen for displaying the image projected from said optics. The transmissive screen includes a Fresnel lens sheet disposed at an image generation source side, and a diffusing sheet disposed at an image-watching side in order to diffuse image light at least in a horizontal direction of the screen. The Fresnel lens sheet has a plurality of entrance-side prisms formed at the image generation source side, and a plurality of exit-side prisms formed at the image-watching side, and the Fresnel lens sheet emits lights in a first direction and a second direction. The first direction is almost parallel to a central axis of the Fresnel lens sheet, and the second direction extends toward the central axis. |
| US07697201B2 |
Screen, rear projector, projection system, and image display unit
A screen that displays images as a result of receiving projection light, includes: a plurality of plate components that are optically transparent and are provided apart from each other; a scatterer that is placed in a light scattering space that is formed between the plurality of plate components, and is formed by dispersing a light scattering material in a gas or liquid dispersion medium; a flow path that allows the scatterer to flow through the light scattering space; and a flow device that causes the scatterer to flow through the light scattering space. |
| US07697200B2 |
Screen having image viewable only in ambient light
A reflective display screen comprises a first component surface responsive to absorb low level ambient light from above the screen and a second surrounding component surface responsive to light of high intensity from an image source. The first component surface is graphically formed to represent a fixed permanent image within the screen viewable only in ambient overhead lighting and without incidence of the high intensity light from the image source. Other embodiments include a method of displaying a permanent, fixed image and a method of making a display screen. |
| US07697196B2 |
Tuneable optical amplifier or optical parametric oscillator
A parametric process is provided for producing visible light at a second wavelength including pumping an optical fiber (4) with input light (1) at a first wavelength of less than one micron, which is longer than the second wavelength, and wherein the optical fiber (4) has zero group velocity dispersion at a third wavelength in the visible or near infrared region and longer than the first wavelength. An optical amplifier that uses the parametric process for producing light at second wavelength is also provided. The optical fiber (4) may be a photonic crystal fiber. The parametric process is tuneable by adjusting the frequency of the zero group velocity dispersion, the frequency of the first wavelength or the birefringence of the optical fiber (4). |
| US07697192B2 |
Method of spatially separating wavelengths of multi-wavelength signal using electronically controlled thermal structure
A thin-film interference filter structure has a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic. |
| US07697191B2 |
Generation of a desired three-dimensional electromagnetic field
The present invention relates to a method and a system for synthesizing a prescribed three-dimensional electromagnetic field based on generalized phase contrast imaging. Such a method and apparatus may be utilized in advanced optical micro and nano-manipulation, such as by provision of a multiple-beam optical tweezer. |
| US07697184B2 |
Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus
An optical scanning device includes a polygon mirror, a beam detector, a correcting unit, and a controller. The polygon mirror deflects and scans a light beam in a main scanning direction on a surface of an image carrier. The beam detector detects a beam position of the deflected light beam in a sub-scanning direction. The correcting unit calculates a correction amount of out-of-color registration based on the beam position, and corrects out-of-color registration in the sub-scanning direction based on the correction amount. The controller controls, during correction of out-of-color registration, a deflection speed of the deflector to be less than a deflection speed for writing a latent image on the surface of the image carrier. |
| US07697183B2 |
Post-objective scanning beam systems
Scanning beam systems, apparatus and techniques in optical post-objective designs with two beam scanners for display and other applications. |
| US07697182B2 |
Scanning optical apparatus and image forming apparatus wherein a route of the second laser beam reflected by the first rotating polygon mirror and a route of the third laser beam reflected by the second rotating polygon mirror cross each other in the optical box
A scanning optical apparatus includes two deflectors that are driven by motors to deflect laser beams. One of the deflectors is provided while inclined by about 10° from an attaching reference plane in an optical box, and the other deflector is provided in parallel with the attaching reference plane. An image forming apparatus provided with the image forming apparatus includes four photosensitive drums corresponding to Y, M, C, and K colors. In the image forming apparatus, the photosensitive drums corresponding to Y, M, C, and K colors are alternately irradiated with laser beam fluxes from the deflectors. Accordingly, the two photosensitive drums corresponding to the K and M colors are irradiated with one of the deflectors, and the two photosensitive drums corresponding to the C and Y colors are irradiated with the other deflector. |
| US07697177B2 |
Image processing method, apparatus and program product
A coloring material color separating section 101 separates an input image into ink colors of a printer referring to an LUT which is registered in the printer as initial values and used for color separation of coloring materials. A total coloring material amount calculating section 102 calculates total amounts of coloring materials equal to amounts of component coloring materials to be used of each pixel from the data passing through the ink color separation, and obtains the maximum value of them. A total coloring material amount adjusting section 103 readjusts the total amounts of the coloring materials of all the pixels such that they become equal to the maximum amount of the coloring materials using the total amount of the coloring materials of the pixel at which the total amount of the coloring material becomes maximum. |