| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07775187B2 |
Head of a glow plug provided with a pressure sensor
A glow plug includes a glow plug body (2), a pressure sensor arranged inside the glow plug body (2), a threaded portion (6) on the outside of the glow plug body (2) and gripping elements (12), generally of cylindrical form with a hexagonal section, enabling the body (2) to be gripped and screwed into a corresponding tapping, the gripping elements (12) being made from synthetic material. |
| US07775184B2 |
Deformable chamber-based homogeneous charge combustion ignition (HCCI) engine and generator
A reciprocating internal combustion engine is based on Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) that occurs in a deformable, resonant combustion chamber and that is coupled mechanically to efficient, resonant, electro-mechanical transducers acting as motors and generators. The mechanical coupling also implements fuel/air intake valves and exhaust valves. Embedded sensors allow an electronic control system to start the engine and thereafter to maintain operational configuration of the moving components in response to the effects of imperfect mechanical fabrication and/or assembly and dynamic changes in mechanical properties of the materials with run-time temperature and engine life. |
| US07775181B2 |
Heated pet brush and associated method
The device includes a brush with a body and a gripping end. There are first bristles and second bristles. The bristles have first and second operating temperatures. The device further includes a rechargeable battery, a recharging base station, and a temperature maintaining mechanism. A bridge circuit includes a heat supplying resistor, a temperature determining resistor, and unchanging resistors. Differential amplifiers are coupled to the heat supplying resister and the temperature determining resistor while a transistor is coupled to the heat supplying resistor. A power interrupting mechanism includes pressure sensors with a pressure comparison circuit coupled thereto. A switch is electrically coupled to the first temperature maintaining mechanism. The timer comparison circuit includes a processor, a memory electrically coupled to the processor, and a logic gate electrically coupled to the processor. Such a memory includes software instructions, and a logic gate operates a toggle switch. |
| US07775179B2 |
Apparatus and method for fabricating a color filter
An apparatus and method for fabricating a color filter by printing pixels on a substrate using an ink jet head, optically analyzing pixel quality and controlling printing in accordance with the pixel quality. Optically analyzing may include analyzing a number of ink droplets or a transmittance of a printed pixel. |
| US07775174B1 |
Self-propelled tow body
An at least partially self-propelled vehicle is configured for being towed by a towing vehicle, by way of a tow line. Operation of the vehicles may be coordinated so that, for a length of the tow line that connects the vehicles, the length of the tow line is curved in a manner that inhibits the tow line from transferring oscillatory motion between the vehicles while the entirety of the length of the tow line may be under tension. |
| US07775173B2 |
Sailboat rudder
A rudder mechanism for use upon a sailboat is capable of being raised or lowered at the discretion of the boater using a single connected cable operating system, so that the system may be called a “one-pull” system for both raising and for lowering the rudder. The rudder is preferably pivotal, using the cable operating system, greater than 90 degrees, and more preferably, about 180 degrees. A self-contained gas cylinder may aid in the raising and lowering operation and to dampen and smooth the vertical, pivotal movement of the rudder. The cylinder also may be utilized to retain the rudder in a raised or lowered position, once the boater/sailor has purposely placed the rudder in that position, and to return the rudder to the fully-lowered position after grounding has temporarily “kicked-up” the rudder. |
| US07775172B2 |
Foam stabilized watercraft with finned collar
A watercraft (100) is disclosed having a rigid hull (110) and outboard stabilizing members (112) attached to the hull sides (116). The hull preferably has a V-shaped bottom (118) and comprises a planing hull. The stabilizing members are preferably foam stabilizers, but may alternatively be inflatable bladder members. The stabilizing members cover a portion of the hull sides, extending part way to the chine (120) defined between the hull sides and the hull bottom. The stabilizing members each include an elongate fin (130) that extends from a bottom surface of the stabilizing member, and disposed in a front portion of the stabilizing member and in the region of the greatest hull dead rise angle. The fins may be formed integrally with the stabilizing members or may attach to the stabilizing members. The fins define a channel between the hull sides and the fins, that is hydrodynamically pressurized during certain watercraft operations, an in particular during low speed maneuvering. |
| US07775171B2 |
Flexible fluid containment vessel featuring a keel-like seam
A flexible fluid containment vessel (FFCV) including at least one segment made up of a fabric. Two ends of the fabric are beaded and are joined together so as to form a generally cylindrical section. The interface along which the ends of the fabric are joined form a keel that serves to stabilize the completed FFCV when the FFCV is placed in water. |
| US07775160B2 |
Method and device for generating compression waves
The invention relates to a device and to a method for producing pressure waves of a high intensity. Thereby, a flowable, explosive substance, or flowable components which form an explosive mixture on mixing and are preferably gaseous, are introduced into a pressure-tight container and ignited. The gas pressure arising from the ignition is led away through a previously closed passage. Preferably, a closure is kept closed by way of a spring element until the explosion, wherein the spring element comprises a relief device. |
| US07775158B2 |
Electrostatic printing apparatus and electrostatic printing method
An electrostatic printing apparatus according to the present invention rubs powdery ink into a screen having a predetermined printed pattern formed therein, and applies a voltage between the screen and an object so as to attach the powdery ink to the object. A plurality of screens (34a-34d) are provided so that the plurality of screens are movable to a position located above the object (1). The plurality of screens (34a-34d) are provided so as to be rotatable about a shaft (46). The screens (34a-34d) are rotated about the shaft (46) to move the screens (34a-34d) to the position located above the object (1). |
| US07775152B2 |
Portafilter system for use with a rigid pod
A portafilter system for use with a rigid pod. The portafilter may include a handle and a cup connected to the handle. The cup may include an aperture for positioning the rigid pod therein. |
| US07775151B2 |
Hydraulic lift structure
In a hydraulic lift structure formed by arranging a hydraulic cylinder case internally provided with a hydraulic cylinder for moving up and down a working machine (a rotary power tiller) in an upper portion of a transmission case of a working vehicle, an oil reservoir of a working fluid for the hydraulic cylinder is provided in a boundary portion between the transmission case and the hydraulic cylinder case in such a manner as to be isolated from an inner portion of the transmission case. The hydraulic lift structure which prevents a malfunction of a hydraulic cylinder or the like and improves a supplying and discharging efficiency of a working fluid. |
| US07775144B2 |
Disc saw blade
A disc saw blade includes a saw chain mounted around the circumference of a circular disk, which saw chain is provided with driving links, connecting links and cutting links. Due to the driving links, the chain is guided in at least one chain groove arranged around the periphery of the disk. The bottom of the groove has radial projections distributed around the circumference, and the driving link has a cam surface on a projecting part that projects radially inwards, for interaction with the respective radial projection. The chain can move from a neutral position, in which the respective projecting part is loosely disposed between two adjacent radial projections, to a working position, in which the respective cam surfaces are in contact with the associated radial projections. |
| US07775143B2 |
Work table having adjustable hose support
A work table includes a table plate having a slot for attaching a tool device, and a coupler for coupling to a vacuum device, a shield engaged onto the tool device for shielding the tool device and for gathering the dust, a hose coupling device coupled between the shield and the coupler, and a supporting device for adjustably supporting the hose coupling device to the work table at any required position. The hose coupling device may include two flexible hose members coupled to the shield and the coupler, and a rigid hose member coupled between the flexible hose members, and a rod extended from the rigid hose member for adjustably securing to the table with one or more brackets. |
| US07775140B2 |
Cork extractor
A cork extractor significantly reduces the countervailing forces that must be applied to a bottle during extraction of a cork by providing a handle having a rotational axis substantially perpendicular to the vertical, longitudinal axis of a cork as it is removed from a bottle. A handle rotates about an axis and comprises gripping portions on opposite sides of the rotational axis. The corkscrew is prevented from spiraling out of the cork during the application of upwardly directed forces independently of the screw carrier. |
| US07775136B2 |
Twist-grip handlebar controller
A twist-grip controller includes a cylindrical housing adapted to be nonrotatably received within a tubular end of a handlebar, and an elongate support member having a cylindrical internal cavity and a longitudinal guide surface, the support member being supported within the housing for relative rotation about a longitudinal axis. The controller is adaptable to actuate a first cam portion axially constrained within the support member cavity, the first cam portion thereby actuating a vehicle control via fluid power through a first range of motion. Rotating the tubular sleeve through a second range actuates a second follower mounted to a second cam portion axially toward the distal end of the handlebar, thereby generating an output throttle signal. |
| US07775135B2 |
Mesh control for a rack and pinion steering system
A steering mechanism is provided, including a rack, a rotatable support member, and an automatically-adjustable support member. The rack includes a rack gear portion and the pinion includes a pinion gear portion coupled with the rack gear portion. The rotatable support member is positioned with respect to the rack or the pinion such that rotation of the rotatable support member adjusts an overlap distance between the rack gear portion and the pinion gear portion. The automatically-adjustable support member automatically urges together the rack and the pinion along an urging direction. The urging direction remains substantially constant throughout the rotation of the rotatable support member within a desired angular range. |
| US07775132B2 |
Transaxle for a vehicle
A transaxle for a vehicle comprises a transaxle casing; an input shaft housed in the transaxle casing and configured to receive as an input a driving power from an engine of the vehicle; an intermediate shaft housed in the transaxle casing; an axle housed in the transaxle casing and configured to drive a rear wheel of the vehicle; a rearward travel gear mechanism which is mounted between the input shaft and the intermediate shaft and is configured to transmit the driving power for moving the vehicle rearward from the input shaft to the intermediate shaft; a forward travel chain mechanism configured to transmit the driving power for moving the vehicle forward from the input shaft to the intermediate shaft; and a transmission gear mechanism which is mounted between the intermediate shaft and the axle and is configured to transmit the driving power from the intermediate shaft to the axle. |
| US07775131B2 |
Actuator for a motor vehicle seat
An actuator for a motor vehicle, more specifically for a motor vehicle seat. The actuator comprises an electric motor having an output shaft, a gear that is connected to the output shaft and including a gear housing having two partially cylindrical exterior surfaces, and a spindle that communicates with the gear, the spindle defining a threading and runs transversely with respect to the output shaft. Further, the actuator comprises a gear retainer that (a) forms a surrounding grip around the gear housing, in which (b) the gear housing is held pivotal about a pivot axis that runs parallel to the output shaft, that (c) has two partially cylindrical interior surfaces, each mating the exterior surfaces against which they fit, and that (d) includes a recess or two recesses for the passage of the spindle. The gear retainer has fastening holes running parallel to the pivot axis. |
| US07775125B2 |
Low power ultrasonic flow measurement
There is described a method of ultrasonic flow measurement for measuring a flow speed of a fluid in a conduit, the method comprising: providing an ultrasonic flow meter comprising a microprocessor, a clock, and a pair of ultrasonic transducers operable to transmit signals through the fluid and to receive the transmitted signals; switching the ultrasonic flow meter from a passive state to an active state at time intervals measured by the clock, an amount of power used by the ultrasonic flow meter in the passive state being less than an amount of power used by the ultrasonic flow meter in the active state; performing an ultrasonic flow measurement cycle; and switching the ultrasonic flow meter from the active state to the passive state following completion of an ultrasonic flow measurement cycle. There is also described an ultrasonic flow meter for measuring a flow speed of a fluid in a conduit. |
| US07775121B2 |
Tension monitoring arrangement and method
Tension monitoring is described using a sensor which may exhibit an offset for which compensation may be provided to produce a zero voltage amplified output or to increase dynamic range. An arrangement determines whether a power reset is responsive to a battery bounce such that an initially-measured system start-up parameter can be retained. The start-up parameter is automatically saved at start-up if the power reset is responsive to a start-up from a shut-down condition. The start-up parameter may be a zero tension amplified output responsive to the sensor offset at zero tension. Protection of a tension data set is provided such that no opportunity for altering the data set is presented prior to transfer of the data set. A housing configuration forms part of an electrical power circuit for providing electrical power to an electronics package from a battery. |
| US07775119B1 |
Media-compatible electrically isolated pressure sensor for high temperature applications
A pressure sensor is described with sensing elements electrically and physically isolated from a pressurized medium. An absolute pressure sensor has a reference cavity, which can be at a vacuum or zero pressure, enclosing the sensing elements. The reference cavity is formed by bonding a recessed cap wafer with a gauge wafer having a micromachined diaphragm. Sensing elements are disposed on a first side of the diaphragm. The pressurized medium accesses a second side of the diaphragm opposite to the first side where the sensing elements are disposed. A spacer wafer may be used for structural support and stress relief of the gauge wafer. In one embodiment, vertical through-wafer conductive vias are used to bring out electrical connections from the sensing elements to outside the reference cavity. In an alternative embodiment, peripheral bond pads on the gauge wafer are used to bring out electrical connections from the sensing elements to outside the reference cavity. In various embodiments, a regular silicon-on-insulator wafer or a double silicon-on-insulator wafer may be used as the gauge wafer, and appropriate micromachining steps are adopted to define the diaphragm. A layer of corrosion resistant material is deposited on the surface of the diaphragm that is accessed by the pressurized medium. |
| US07775117B2 |
Combined wet-wet differential and gage transducer employing a common housing
A combined wet-wet differential transducer and a gage pressure transducer located in the same housing, comprising a semiconductor chip which comprises a gage sensor chip on one section and a differential sensor chip on a second section. Lach sensor chip has a Wheatstone bridge comprising piezoresistors and is responsive to an applied pressure. The gage chip and the differential chip are placed in a header having a front section and a back section adapted to receive a first and second pressure, respectively. A central section adjoins the front and back sections to form an H shaped header. The sensors are in communication with first and second pressure ports such that the absolute sensor provides an output indicative of a pressure applied to a first port and the differential sensor provides an output indicative of the pressure difference between the first and second pressure ports. |
| US07775115B2 |
Sensor component and method for producing a sensor component
A device for detecting a measured quantity has a sensor chip for detecting the measured quantity, a supply for providing a power supply, and an injection-molded enclosure for accommodating the sensor chip and the supply, the injection-molded enclosure including integrated conductive traces providing an electrical connection between the sensor chip and the supply. |
| US07775114B2 |
Method of on-line turbine blade slope and sensor position verification
A method of monitoring vibrations in a blade structure of a turbine including generating signals from a sensor located adjacent to a radial outer edge of the blade structure to sense passage of targets located on the blade structure. The sensor is mounted eccentrically and the signals are obtained with the sensor located at different angular positions. In a first aspect of the invention, the signals from the sensor are used to determine a target slope angle of a target on a first turbine blade during operation of the turbine. In a second aspect of the invention, the signals from the sensor are used to position the sensor in response to a sensed variation in the axial position of the target on the first turbine blade. |
| US07775108B2 |
Balancing machine for vehicle wheels with analog to digital conversion and adjustable sampling frequency
The upgraded balancing machine for vehicle wheels comprise a supporting frame for gripping and rotation means for gripping and rotating a wheel to be balanced around a rotation axis, a first sensor for detecting the unbalance of the wheel with respect to the rotation axis suitable for generating a first analog signal, a second sensor for detecting at least one portion of the profile of the wheel suitable for generating a second analog signal, at least one analog to digital converter associated with at least one of the first and the second detection sensors and suitable for converting at least one of the first and the second analog signals into a corresponding digital signal, a processing and control unit associated with the conversion device and suitable for processing the digital signal, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the sampling frequency of at least one of the first and the second analog signals associated with the conversion device. The adjustment unit responds to a first signal generated by a shaft encoder, and responds to a programmable timer, so that the frequency of the sampling operation can be altered. |
| US07775107B2 |
Measuring rotor imbalance via blade clearance sensors
A system and method can be utilized to determine an out of balance condition of a rotor having a plurality of blades. The system monitors a clearance between the blades and an associated housing. By looking at a center of that clearance information, a determination can be made of the magnitude of imbalance of the rotor. |
| US07775095B2 |
Valve stem with a connecting cap for a tire pressure detector
A valve stem with a connecting cap for a tire pressure detector has a body, a connecting cap and a fastener. The body is tubular, is a valve stem applied for truck and has an outer section, an inner section and a fixing nut. The inner section is integrally formed coaxially on the outer section and has an outlet hole being formed thereon. The fixing nut is movably mounted on the outer section. The connecting cap is cylinder, has an outer end and a hole and is detachably mounted on the inner section. The hole is coaxially and longitudinally formed on the connecting cap. The fastener corresponds to the hole and the outlet hole and holds a wireless pressure detector on the outer end of the connecting cap. |
| US07775094B2 |
Apparatus and method for measuring tire thickness
A reusable patch adhesively bondable to the inside of a tire. Disposed within the patch is at least one sensor that generates a radially outwardly directed signal and senses a reflection thereof from the tire's outer surface. Circuitry means is connected to the receiver for receiving data representative of the original and reflected signal and calculating a distance measurement representative of the distance between the sensor and the reflection point. Communication means then transmits the appropriate data to indication means, which triggers an indicator to alert the driver of a tire failure or potential tire failure. |
| US07775090B1 |
Inductively coupleable pulse generator plate detector and method of pulse generator plate detection
A detector and its method of use for detecting a pulse generator plate, such as a pulse generator plate associated with the crankshaft of an engine or motor. The detector includes a detection sensor that is adapted to inductively couple itself to a pulse generator plate sensor located on an engine or motor of interest when placed in proximity thereto. The detection sensor is preferably connected to an amplifier unit. When a pulse generator plate is present, rotation of the associated crankshaft will cause interruptions of the magnetic fields of both sensors, which interruptions produce electric currents. These electric currents may be passed to the amplifier unit to power an indicator that may be observed by a user. A detector and method of the present invention may be used to detect the presence of and/or damage to a pulse generator plate. |
| US07775089B2 |
Abnormality detection apparatus and abnormality detection method for internal combustion engine
A crankshaft of an engine is connected to a carrier shaft of a planetary gear via a damper. The damper includes a torsion member generating elastic force for suppressing relative rotation, when the crankshaft and the carrier shaft are relatively rotated. A control unit estimates engine torque with using rotation angular acceleration of the crankshaft calculated from a detected value of an engine speed sensor, and corrects the estimated engine torque with a correction term of the elastic force of the damper calculated based on a damper torsional angle. Then, the control unit diagnoses an abnormality of the engine based on the estimated engine torque after correction. |
| US07775081B2 |
Rotary fill member for a die assembly
A rotary fill slide assembly for a sheet metal forming die that has a working element that performs an operation on a portion of a sheet metal blank. The rotary fill slide assembly has a motor that is controlled based upon a press cycle timing mechanism. The rotary fill slide is assembled to the die to fill a space adjacent to a portion of the blank when the blank is in position for the working element to perform the operation on the blank. A linkage connects the motor to the rotary fill slide. The motor drives the linkage in synchronization with the press cycle to fill the space during the period of time that the working element performs the operation on the blank. |
| US07775078B2 |
Method of forming a boss
A bearing assembly is disclosed which addresses the problem of axially retaining a bearing journaled onto a shaft within a casing in an axially compact and technically economic and reliable way by first mounting a retaining plate (6) onto an outer race of the bearing (1). The mounting can be achieved by press fitting onto a shoulder so that the retaining plate can rotate relative to the outer race. The bearing is then journaled onto a shaft (4) and inserted into a compact casing (3) so that the outer race is guided into a housing (2) formed in an end wall of the casing (3). The retaining plate can then be rotated as required to align fastening bosses (7) with holes (8) to be engaged by screws (9) so that the retaining plate us urged axially against the outer race. |
| US07775075B2 |
Lock cylinder
A lock cylinder including a housing defining a cylindrical cavity, and a plug disposed in the cylindrical cavity and rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The plug includes an inner pin chamber aligned with an outer pin chamber of the housing when the plug is in the locked position. An inner pin is housed in the inner pin chamber and is engageable with the outer pin when the plug is in the locked position, and includes an outer surface having a non-axial groove. The non-axial groove has a curved surface that defines a substantially semi-circular cross-section. An engagement member is supported by the plug and has a substantially semispherical end portion extending into the non-axial groove such that the semispherical end portion is substantially engaged with the curved surface. |
| US07775073B2 |
Lock
An improved locking device, such as a combination padlock, is provided in which the re-coding thereof can be carried out in a convenient and/or efficient manner. The locking device has a body including a plurality of dials disposed to surround a lock member in an axially spaced relationship therealong. Relative axial sliding movement is possible between the dials and the lock member between a locked position and a release position. The lock member has at least one generally radially extending exterior locking configuration received in a corresponding first location at one side of a dial in the locked position, and in a corresponding second location within a dial in the release position. Each dial, in the release position, is angularly movable relative to the locking configuration so as to allow re-coding the dial. |
| US07775065B2 |
Methods and apparatus for operating a refrigerator
A method for operating a refrigerator including a fresh food compartment and a door includes providing a fresh food evaporator to produce cool airflow for the fresh food compartment, providing a chiller compartment within the fresh food compartment, providing a duct member in flow communication with the fresh food evaporator and the chiller compartment, and channeling cool airflow to the chiller compartment via the duct member. |
| US07775062B2 |
Modular cooling system
A modular cooling system includes a positive displacement compressor and a microchannel heat exchanger for cooling a heat generating device such as a semiconductor. |
| US07775060B2 |
Drive unit for electric vehicle
A drive unit for an electric vehicle is comprised of a motor, an inverter which supplies alternating current electric power to the motor, a speed reducer which is connected to the motor, and a cooling system which cools the motor, the inverter and the speed reducer. The speed reducer reduces a revolution speed of a mechanical output of the motor. The cooling system comprises a heat exchanger at which first refrigerant for receiving heat of at least one of the motor and the inverter receives heat of second refrigerant for receiving heat of at least one of the motor and the speed reducer. |
| US07775059B2 |
Air conditioner
An air conditioner includes a fixed displacement-type first compression mechanism and a variable displacement-type second compression mechanism independent from each other in a refrigeration cycle, and further includes second compression mechanism displacement control means, compression mechanism operation switching control means, an evaporator for refrigerant, a condenser, a blower, evaporator temperature detection means, and evaporator target temperature calculation means. When the refrigeration cycle is operated only by the first compression mechanism, referring to a temperature (Teva) detected by the evaporator temperature detection means, a temperature (Toff) calculated by the evaporator target temperature calculation means and a predetermined value A, if a condition of Teva−Toff≧A is satisfied, both compression mechanisms are operated simultaneously. The condition of required cooling ability is properly determined, an optimum control for air conditioning is realized, and the loss of consumption power and the like can be adequately suppressed. |
| US07775053B2 |
Heat transfer augmentation in a compact heat exchanger pedestal array
A compact heat exchanger pedestal array for augmenting heat transfer in a machine is disclosed. The compact heat exchanger pedestal array includes a wall having first and second surfaces. The first surface faces a heated flow path and the second surface partially forms a flow path for cooling fluid. A plurality of pedestals extend from the second surface of the wall. At least one turbulator strip extends between adjacent pedestals. The turbulator strips and pedestals are operable for mixing the cooling fluid to increase heat transfer from the wall to the cooling fluid. |
| US07775052B2 |
Active combustion control system for gas turbine engines
A system is disclosed for actively controlling combustion in a gas turbine engine, which includes a fuel injector for issuing fuel into a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine. The fuel injector has a dynamic pressure sensor for measuring acoustic pressure within the combustion chamber and a flame sensor for observing flame characteristics within the combustion chamber. The system further includes a high speed valve assembly for controlling flow of fuel to the injector and an electronic controller associated with the fuel injector for commanding the valve assembly to deliver fuel to the fuel injector at a commanded flow rate, based upon input from the sensors in the fuel injector. |
| US07775043B2 |
Turbocharger control system
A system for controlling boost pressure at various different altitudes of operation of a turbo charged internal combustion engine includes a wastegate valve, an actuator, and a controller. Signals delivered from an engine speed sensor, a boost pressure transducer, a barometric pressure sensor, and a turbocharger speed sensor are processed in the controller. A control signal delivered from the controller to the actuator controls the position of the wastegate valve, bypass of exhaust gasses, and the speed of the turbocharger. The controller is configured to compare the turbocharger speed to a predetermined threshold value and determine the control signal based on the comparison. |
| US07775041B2 |
Stirling engine
A Stirling engine, wherein the inner yoke of a linear motor is installed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylinder. To keep a proper pressure balance between a compression space on one end side of a displacer and a back pressure space on the outer peripheral side of the cylinder, a first flow passage is formed in the piston starting at the compression space side end face toward the outer peripheral surface and a second flow passage allowing the first flow passage to communicate with the back pressure space is formed in the cylinder. The second flow passage is composed of a through hole that penetrates the wall of the cylinder in a radial direction and a communication passage formed between the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder and the inner peripheral surface of the inner yoke to allow the through hole to communicate with the back pressure space. |
| US07775039B2 |
Procedure to operate a particle filter disposed in an exhaust gas area of an internal combustion engine and device to implement the procedure
A procedure to operate a particle filter disposed in an exhaust gas area of an internal combustion engine and a device to implement the procedure are proposed. The particle filter is regenerated if required by the particles lodged in the filter, whereby the particle filter is heated for regeneration by manipulation of the exhaust gas temperature upstream in front of the particle filter. During the regeneration of the particle filter, the exhaust gas temperature is established to a specified exhaust gas temperature set point, which is dependent upon at least one parameter of the particle filter during the regeneration. The procedural approach according to the invention allows for a quick regeneration of the particle filter without endangering the particle filter with an inadmissibly high temperature. |
| US07775038B2 |
Second air flow control apparatus
A second air flow control apparatus disposed between an air inlet port of an engine and an exhaust port includes a body, a base, a moving member, and a gas thread. The body has a cavity, an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet and the air outlet being connected through the cavity. The base is fixed in the cavity, having at least an opening for controlling the air flow through the air flowing path. The moving member is pivotably disposed in the cavity or the base by a spring force and having at least a gate and a cover configured for controlling the area of the opening. The gas thread is connected to the moving member and configured for pulling the moving member to generate a processional rotation and a resetting rotation. The rotations are configured for controlling the gate and the cover part to adjust the opening area of the opening so as to precisely control the second air flow. |
| US07775034B2 |
Control device and control method to exhaust purification device
A control device of an exhaust purification device is provided with a plurality of addition valves that supply an additive pressure-fed from a pump, to exhaust purification catalysts separately from each other. As for addition valves constituting the plurality of addition valves the addition period of at least one addition valve is set so as to be different from the addition period of another addition valve. |
| US07775033B2 |
System for evaluating regeneration of pollution management means integrated in a motor vehicle engine exhaust line
The invention concerns a system for evaluation regeneration of pollution management means (1) integrated in an exhaust line (2) of a motor vehicle engine, characterized in that it comprises means (4) for determining the thermal power input by the exhaust gas upstream of the pollution management means during the regeneration phase thereof and means (4) for comparing said power to threshold values (Sb, Sh) to determine a partial or total failure of regenerating said means. |
| US07775030B2 |
Power transmission chain, method for manufacturing the same, and power transmission apparatus
Larger pre-tension is applied to each link such that residual compressive stress is larger at the portion of the link facing the inside of a chain than the outside. Assuming that for each of the links in a state that pre-tension is not applied, a predetermined pitch is P, a first inclination angle of a fixing portion of the front inserting portion with respect to a chain proceeding direction is α, and a second inclination angle of a fixing portion of the rear inserting portion with respect to a chain proceeding direction is β, when the pre-tension is applied to each of the links, the pitch changes into P+ΔP, the first inclination angle changes into α−Δα and the second inclination angle changes into β+Δβ where ΔP>0, Δα>0, and Δβ>0. |
| US07775026B2 |
Lawn mower blade assembly for quick blade replacement and associated methods
A lawn mower blade assembly for a rotatable driveshaft includes a blade mount to be secured to the rotatable driveshaft and a cutting blade removably coupled to the blade mount and defining therewith a blade base unit having at least one wedge surface thereon. At least one sliding retainer removably couples the cutting blade to the blade mount and is slidably movable between a locked position and a released position. The at least one sliding retainer has at least one wedge surface thereon cooperating with the at least one wedge surface of the blade base unit to securely couple the cutting blade to the blade mount when in the locked position. |
| US07775025B1 |
Height adjuster for grass grooming reel
A height adjuster for a grass grooming reel used on a mower includes a rod secured to the bellcrank support(s) which carry the grooming reel. A driver used for a fine adjustment has a screw thread connection to the top of the rod. The driver sits atop a rotary knob having a cam connection to the frame of the mower. The knob effects a quick up/quick down adjustment of the grooming reel between a raised transport position and a lowered grooming position. The knob includes a pointer or finger that points upwardly away from the ground when the grooming reel is in its raised transport position and points downwardly towards the ground when the grooming reel is in its lowered grooming position. |
| US07775023B2 |
Snaffle bit with two side members and a shackle and method of manufacturing same
The invention relates to a horse snaffle bit with two lateral parts and a shackle, which is situated between these parts and comprises at least one joint and two lateral sections, each lateral section having an end located a distance from the joint and a borehole is made in these distal ends of the lateral sections to accommodate one of the parts in a manner that enables them to move freely. Additionally, each lateral section has a first surface area and a second surface area; the first surface area has a matte surface and extends from the joint to a distance of at least 20% and no greater than 50% of the overall length of the lateral section from the joint, and the second surface area has a high-lustrous surface and is connected to the first surface area and extends to the distal end of the lateral section. |
| US07775020B2 |
Bar code blocking package
A method and apparatus for blocking a bar code in a package includes a carrier with a plurality of apertures and an opaque section. The carrier is engaged with a plurality of containers so that a bar code on each container is rotationally oriented toward a center of the resulting package and is blocked by adjacent containers and/or the opaque section of the carrier from a bar code scanner. |
| US07775013B2 |
Door edge construction
A door is constructed with a separate member joined to the door edge by a tongue-and-groove coupling and screws so as to be readily removable and replaceable. The separate member sustains the impacts imparted to the door by carts or wagons pushed past the door and can be readily replaced when damaged, thus avoiding replacement of the entire door. A flexible cover snaps over the outer surface of the separate member to add impact resistance and aesthetic appeal. Intumescent strips may be inserted inside or outside of the cover to enhance sealing between the door, and as adjacent door or door frame, thereby improving the fire resistance rating of the door. Accent strips or reveals of contrasting or complementary colors may be incorporated to add to the aesthetic appeal of the door. The door construction is of particular utility in schools, health care facilities and other institutions. |
| US07775012B2 |
Portable panel construction and method for making the same
Disclosed herein is a portable panel having numerous favorable characteristics. The panel comprises a core having a length, a width, a first side and a second side. A first fiber layer is attached to the first side while a second fiber layer is attached to the second side. A first polyurethane layer is impregnated in the first fiber layer while a second polyurethane layer is impregnated into the second fiber layer. A first skin is attached to the first polyurethane layer while a second skin is attached to the second polyurethane layer. The panel can be used in the manufacture of tables, flooring, risers, stages, bleachers, and the like. |
| US07775011B2 |
One-piece injection molded door sill assembly
A sill assembly includes an integral sill assembly having a sill base and an inclined threshold. The sill base is overmolded in an injection molding process onto the inclined threshold. A rail assembly is adjustably secured to the sill base. |
| US07775010B2 |
Slab bolster coupling
In a first aspect, a plurality of slab bolster elements, each including a bolster frame member having a male connector disposed on a first end and a female connector disposed on an opposite end, with the male connector including first and second outer prongs for engaging a complementary female connector and the female connector including first and second opposing side walls with first and second transverse slats extending between the side walls so as to form a socket, the male connector further including a flexible prong extending inwardly between the outer prongs, with the flexible prong including a free inward end and a wedge element configured to resiliently contact and lockingly engage the first transverse slat of another of the plurality of slab bolster elements. In a second aspect, a continuous slab bolster assembly. |
| US07775007B2 |
System for joining building panels
The invention relates to a system for laying and mechanically joining building panels, especially thin, hard, floating floors. Adjacent joint edges (3, 4) of two panels (1, 2) engage each other to provide a first mechanical connection locking the joint edges (3, 4) in a first direction (D1) perpendicular to the principal plane of the panels. In each joint, there is further provided a strip (6) which is integrated with one joint edge (3) and which projects behind the other joint edge (4). The strip (6) has an upwardly protruding locking element (8) engaging in a locking groove (14) in the rear side (16) of the other joint edge (4) to form a second mechanical connection locking the panels (1, 2) in a second direction (D2) parallel to the principal plane of the panels and at right angles to the joint. Both the first and the second mechanical connection allow mutual displacement of joined panels (1, 2) in the direction of the joint. |
| US07775006B2 |
Fire stop system for wallboard and metal fluted deck construction
The present invention describes a fire stop system for wall board construction. The patent addresses the problem of a gap between the head of a wall and a metal fluted deck. Described here-in is a fire resistance assembly made of multiple components of: a fire stop panel and a mounting channel. The fire stop panel or wall has a wallboard geometry manufactured to match the contour shape of a metal fluted deck in a “cookie cutter” fashion. This provides the advantages of saving time and material of wallboard construction, with a product that is novel, simple, and easy to manufacture and implement. The mounting channel of the fire stop system provides for an effective way to provide compliance of the stresses from the roofing/ceiling deck's stresses, easy assembly of the fire stop system, while allowing for a meeting of the fire safety rating. |
| US07775005B2 |
Vent pipe covering system
A vent pipe covering system for efficiently forming a seal between a vent pipe structure and a supporting structure. The vent pipe covering system generally includes a base, a body extending from the base and a coupler extending from the body opposite the base. The base includes a first opening and the body includes a passageway, wherein the passageway longitudinally extends through the body and interconnects with the first opening. The coupler includes a retaining cavity to extend over an outermost end of a pipe extending through the passageway and the first opening, wherein the body and passageway may expand and retract to accommodate various length pipes via an expandable portion of the body. |
| US07775004B2 |
Sill flashing and associated method
A sill flashing and method for installing a window or other portal in a wall opening are provided. The flashing includes a sill portion, at least one jamb portion at an angle relative to the sill portion, and a front face plate. The flashing is configured to be disposed in the opening with the sill portion disposed against a sill of the opening, an outer surface of the jamb portion disposed against one of the jambs of the opening, and a front face plate at an outer surface of the wall. The sill portion defines a plurality of support portions and a rear dam which can support the portal in the opening. The sill portion also includes one or more integral housing, configured to overlap an adjacent support portion when the flashing is cut and disposed multiple parts defining an interface therebetween. |
| US07775003B2 |
Apparatus for securing an impact resistant window to a window frame
The invention generally relates to an apparatus for securing a piece of glass that has been covered substantially on one face with a window film within a frame by utilizing plurality of extruded window bolsters to secure the film to the frame without frame modification or alteration. |
| US07775001B2 |
Storm panel apparatus
A storm panel is provided for shielding a structure. The storm panel includes at least one corrugation, and comprises a first wall and a second wall disposed in spaced-apart relation. An angled wall is disposed between and connected to the first wall and the second wall to support the second wall away from the first wall. At least one ridge is disposed proximate the point of connection between the second wall and the angled wall, and may have a shape configured to strengthen the panel proximate the point of connection between the second wall and the angled wall. In addition, a storm panel assembly is provided comprising at least one storm panel and a mounting extrusion for attachment to the storm panel to provide support for the storm panel on a mounting surface, such as the side of a building. |
| US07775000B2 |
Modular in-wall medical services unit
A modular in-wall medical services unit for medical care facilities. A frame supports a cabinet with a cover panel providing electrical and/or gas outlets. Built-in electrical and gas conduits are included. A junction box and ends of the gas conduits near the top of the frame are accessible after wallboard is applied. Thus, wallboard can be installed before or after wiring is completed and gas connections are made. The self-aligning cover panel is “floatingly” supported on the frame so that a bead of sealant can be applied around the edge before the cover panel is “snugged up” to the wall and secured. The trim flanges on the cover panel include vertical equipment mounting tracks. Manufacturing is simplified by making the height of the frame adjustable; the same frame elements can be used to assemble units for different ceiling heights, decreasing the number of required parts in inventory and expediting assembly. |
| US07774996B2 |
Frictional damper for damping movement of structures
The invention is a damper and a method for protecting buildings and similar structural systems from dynamic loading such as loading caused by earthquakes, strong winds or machine vibrations. More specifically, the damper is made from structural members being interconnected in frictional or visco-elastically dampened rotational joints. Due to the dampening of the joints, relative movement between the structural elements is dampened. In particular, the damper is useful for base isolation, e.g., in order to allow a building or a machine to move in a dampened movement relative to its foundation or in order to allow a cable stay of a cable stay bridge to move in a dampened movement relative to its fixation point on the bridge. |
| US07774986B2 |
Pre-assembly unit for a motor vehicle door
A pre-assembly unit for a motor vehicle and for connection of such with a door frame of the motor vehicle, comprising a window frame, a side window guided at least within the window frame, a window lifting mechanism, which is joined to the side window in order to raise or lower it, and an equipment carrier connected to but disconnectable from the window frame with a wet side (N) and a dry side (T) for dividing the door frame into a wet and a dry area is provided. At least one fixing means, which joins the window lifting mechanism to the equipment carrier and can be undone from the dry side of the equipment carrier is also provided. At least one assembly preparation is provided on or in the window lifting mechanism, and is accessible from the dry side of the equipment carrier for connecting the window lifting mechanism to the door frame. A corresponding motor vehicle door as well as an assembly and disassembly method is also provided. |
| US07774979B2 |
Process of photomorphogenically enhancing plants
A process for photomorphogenically enhancing plants is presented wherein a natural or artificial light source emits light through a transmittive material. The material is optionally borosilicate glass with a steep edge situation at or near 280 nm so as to selectively filter out light in the UVC or low UVB regions. The glass allows high transmissibility such that as much as 98% of all light at or above the edge situation passes thorough the material. The percent transmission and edge situation may be defined by glass thickness or by combining multiple types of glass. The light is then contacted with a plant whereby a photomorphogenic response is elicited. |
| US07774977B2 |
Trellis and tool system
A trellis system of the invention comprises a trellis and tool in combination. The trellis includes multiple legs and one or more horizontal supports. The tool includes a tray and a coning tool. The tray is adapted to slidably engage the legs by way of engagement means. The coning tool is adapted to engage the ends of the legs to facilitate shaping the trellis into a conical or pyramidal frame if desired. The trellis system can be used as a plant growth support and/or to hold potted plants. It can be installed into the ground or an existing potted plant. The trellis can be inverted position, the trellis can be used as a frame to build ornamental Christmas trees. |
| US07774975B2 |
Fishing lure with iridescent members
An apparatus for attracting fish including at least one iridescent member forming an iridescent tail extending from the shank of a fish hook. The iridescent tail includes one or more layers of a translucent film. The layers have an elongated shape with a longitudinal fold. The forward end of the layers is folded over the shank of the hook and secured to the hook. In various embodiments, the iridescent tail includes one or more colored translucent layers, trailing ribbons, and/or a worm-shaped member. The outboard end of the iridescent tail is configured to be pointed or have a V-shape. In another embodiment, the layers have one or more slits parallel to the longitudinal fold. |
| US07774967B1 |
Banner display assembly and method
A rectangular banner display assembly for the rapid installation and replacement of ad banners having a frame with two horizontal members both of which are built of extruded segments with channels along which a pre-rolled banner is slid into position during installation. The frame includes a member supportive of a spindle over which the pre-rolled banner is placed and from which the banner is drawn longitudinally. A vertical end-cap with a hinge-able flap partially occludes the member supportive of a spindle while in a closed position, but is opened to access the spindle. A second vertical end cap with a hinge-able flap is opened to expel a banner to be replaced. A method of quickly replacing a previously installed ad banner with a new ad banner by taping the leading end of a new banner with the trailing end of previously installed banner is disclosed. While expelling the previously installed ad banner out the end of the banner display assembly, the new ad banner is drawn along to take its place. |
| US07774964B2 |
Information display support
The support comprises at least one sheet (2) of a substantially rigid and foldable material having a display face (3), elastic return and constraint bands (44) for making the display face of the sheet convex, and a plurality of inserts (18-20) for keeping the display face of the sheet in the convex state, opposing the elastic constraint bands, and exerting their force in a discretely distributed way along the display face of the sheet. The inserts (18-20) have a length equal to the distance between the two lateral edges (8, 9) of the sheet (2), in its convex state, the sheet being extended by two sets of lateral tabs (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) intended to form two sets of dihedrals for receiving the inserts, the elastic bands (44) interacting with the inserts and the tabs (12-17) and exerting, in addition to their horizontal constraint force, vertical forces in opposite directions (49, 50) to keep the inserts at the correct height in the convex state of the display face. |
| US07774960B2 |
Apparatus for applying canvas to frame
An apparatus (100) for applying canvas to a frame comprising a surface (112) for supporting a sheet of canvas and a frame, a pair of parallel members (114) mounted on the support surface of the apparatus, means (141) for retaining the canvas and the frame on the support surface and control means for controlling operation of the apparatus. Each member (114) has a clamping bar arrangement (128) operable to engage a side end of the canvas to be applied, a stretcher bar (137), clamping drive means (125) operable to engage the canvas against side edges of the frame and stretcher bar drive means (139) operable to stretch the canvas over the edge of the frame and retain the canvas in the stretched state to enable the canvas to be secured to the frame. Means (129) for adjusting the clamping bar arrangement (128) and the clamping drive means (125) are provided. |
| US07774956B2 |
Article of footwear having a flat knit upper construction or other upper construction
Flat knitting allows production of textile structures (e.g., for use in footwear uppers) of a final desired shape such that textile cutting steps can be avoided. Flat knitted elements also can be formed directly in desired three dimensional shapes, which can help avoid the need to use additional support structures (e.g., in footwear construction). By selectively placing multiple different yarns and/or stitch patterns at multiple different locations in the overall structure during the knitting process, flat knitted products may have multiple different physical properties (e.g., different stretchability, different moisture management capabilities, etc.) at multiple different locations or zones within a single, unitary construction (e.g., different properties at different zones or locations within a single footwear structure). Additionally, flat knitting can be used to produce pockets, tunnels, or other layered structures in the final product. |
| US07774955B2 |
Article of footwear with a sole structure having fluid-filled support elements
An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure incorporates a support element that includes a fluid-filled chamber, a first insert, and a second insert. The chamber defines a first surface, an opposite second surface, and a sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface. The first insert is secured to the first surface and at least partially recessed into the polymer material of the chamber, and the second insert is secured to the second surface. In addition, the chamber may be pressurized to deform the first insert or the second insert. |
| US07774942B2 |
Utility knife
A utility knife includes a handle, a blade assembly secured to the handle, a blade cover mechanically coupled to the handle facilitating manipulability of the blade cover to an extended position over the blade assembly, and a slider that is repositionable along the handle to release the blade cover from the extended position, the slider being pivotally coupled to the blade assembly. |
| US07774941B2 |
Multi-tasking utility tool
A multi-tasking utility tool comprising a body; a knife compartment coupled to the body, wherein the knife compartment contains a cutting tool, the cutting tool configured to extend out from the knife compartment; and a cartridge unit coupled to the body, the cartridge unit having a first writing instrument and a second writing instrument, wherein the first writing instrument and the second writing instrument are positioned opposite from one another, the cartridge unit rotatable between a first position and a second position, further wherein the first writing instrument is positioned within the body in the first position and extends away from the body in the second position. |
| US07774939B1 |
Stud-lock knife
A folding knife includes a handle having a locking surface, a blade coupled to the handle and configured to rotate, relative to the handle, between a closed position and an open position, and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a locking post coupled to the blade and configured to move along a slot between a locking and a releasing position, with a biasing member configured to bias the post in the direction of the locking position. The post includes studs positioned above and below the plane of the blade. The studs may be rotatable around the axis, and the slot is positioned such that, when the blade is in the open position, the post may be moved toward the locking position until a face of the stud engages a locking surface of the handle, thereby locking the blade in the open position. |
| US07774935B2 |
Method of manufacturing an electrically conductive element
The electrically-conductive element, in particular for a rotary collector, for transferring electrical current between two parts (2, 24) that are movable relative to each other is covered in one or more layers of electrically-insulating enamel (42), with the exception of an electrical continuity zone (43). The layer(s) of enamel (42) is/are removed, e.g. by chemical, thermal, or mechanical attack. The enamel (42) is selected from the group comprising: polyvinyls, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyester imides, polyamide imides, and polyimides. The layers may be the same or different in chemical nature. |
| US07774934B2 |
Method for making a terminal connector
A lead includes a lead body extending from a distal end to a proximal end, and at least one conductor disposed within the lead body and extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the lead body. The lead further includes an outer terminal ring, a terminal pin, and an insulative sleeve disposed between the outer terminal ring and the terminal pin, where the insulative sleeve is coupled with the outer terminal ring with a snap-fit connection. A pin latch is disposed on an outer periphery surface of the insulative sleeve, where the pin latch is rotatable about a hinge point. |
| US07774930B2 |
Method of manufacturing a micromachined polymer beam structure
An integrated composite beam structure. The structure has a substrate, which includes a surface and a thickness defined underlying the surface. The substrate is composed of a first material. A thickness of polymer based material includes a first portion, a length, and a second portion. The second is coupled to a portion of the substrate. The length is defined between the first portion and the second portion. The structure also has a spring constant (K) of less than a predetermined amount (e.g., 10 N/m, 1 N/m) characterizing the length of the polymer based beam structure. The first portion is capable of moving in a first direction characterized by the spring constant upon application of an externally applied force and is substantially fixed in a second direction, which is normal to the first direction. The second end is capable of returning to a predetermined state when the externally applied force has been removed. The second portion includes a selected geometric configuration to secure the second portion to the portion of the substrate. |
| US07774929B2 |
Method of self-assembly on a surface
A method of self-assembly of components on a surface of a substrate includes obtaining a first component and a second component. The first component type is assembled onto the substrate by programming the surface. The second component type is assembled by reprogramming the surface. A third component, next to the first and second components, is assembled following the step of assembling the first and second components. The first, second, and third components are all different types of components. docking sites on the substrate can be used that contain alignment pedestals. One component delivery system employ a liquid-liquid interface to deliver and concentrate components with correct pre-orientation. |
| US07774928B2 |
Robotic pallet drive arrangement in a robotic roller hemming system
A robotic pallet drive arrangement in a robotic roller hemming system including a track and a plurality of pallets movable on the track. The arrangement also includes a robot having an arm adapted for engagement with the pallets. Movement of the robot arm while the robot arm is engaged with one of the pallets moves the pallet along the track. |
| US07774927B2 |
Wire positioning device for a wire termination machine
A wire positioning device for a termination machine includes a support housing configured to be located proximate to a termination zone of the termination machine. A wire gripping mechanism is coupled to the support housing and defines a wire alignment axis. The wire gripping mechanism is configured to hold a wire along the wire alignment axis. The wire gripping mechanism and wire are movable with respect to the support housing along a linear transfer path that is oriented transverse to the wire alignment axis. An electric actuator is mounted to the support housing and is joined to the wire gripping mechanism. The actuator drives the wire gripping mechanism along the transfer path. |
| US07774922B1 |
Polyimide tabbing method for manufacturing disk drive head suspension components
A method for manufacturing disk drive head suspension components includes supporting the components from carrier strips and/or other components by tab regions consisting substantially of a polyimide insulating layer. The components are detabbed by severing the insulating layer at the tab regions. |
| US07774913B2 |
Device and method for separating parts of acoustic sensors
A device for separating opposed ceramic elements from a metal base member, the device including a rigid body shaped complementarily to an inside surface of the base member and receivable therein. Opposed wedge members are mounted are in the body wall. The body includes a threaded interior surface. A bolt is included for threaded engagement with the interior surface and has a conically-shaped end. Each wedge member is engageable with one of the ceramic elements, such that upon inserting of the body in the base member and threaded movement of the bolt inward to the body, the end of the bolt engages the wedge members to urge the wedge members outward through a body wall to engage the ceramic elements to urge the ceramic elements apart and to separate from the base member. |
| US07774911B2 |
Method for attenuating driveline vibrations
A method for attenuating vibration in a driveline having a shaft assembly that transmits torque between first and second driveline components. The shaft assembly can have a hollow shaft member and at least one liner. The liner has a mass and a stiffness that are tuned such that the liner is a tuned resistive absorber for attenuating shell mode vibrations as well as at least one of a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating bending mode vibrations and a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating torsion mode vibrations. The tuned liner is inserted into the shaft member. |
| US07774910B2 |
Independent axis clamping apparatus and method
Apparatus for performing operations on a workpiece includes a clamping assembly mounted on a tool support for movement along at least one axis independent of the axes along which the tool moves. The clamping assembly includes clamping devices for applying clamping pressure to the workpiece, and a rotary drive mounted on the tool support for rotating the clamping devices around the independent axis. The clamping devices include clamping packs having a clamping roller mounted on a pneumatically driven slide for applying a programmed amount of clamping pressure to the workpiece. |
| US07774908B2 |
Casket having memorabilia compartment
A casket is provided with an integral memorabilia compartment for the placement, display and storage therein of personal effects and mementos of memorialization of the deceased. In one form the casket comprises a shell, a cap pivoted to the shell, and an openable and closable memorabilia compartment forming a part of the cap. In another form the casket comprises a shell, a cap pivoted to the shell, and an openable and closable memorabilia compartment forming a part of the shell. In both forms the memorabilia compartment is so positioned and configured as to provide convenient access to mourners paying respects to the deceased for placing personal effects and mementos therein and to provide display of the personal effects and mementos placed therein for viewing by the mourners. |
| US07774906B2 |
Slide fastener
A slide fastener (1) has a releasing end stop (15) having a shoulder (27) which impedes movement of the releasing end stop (15) through the channel (47) of the slider (35). The releasing end stop (15) is pivotable relative to the opposed coupling element (11) to allow movement of the releasing end stop (15) through the channel (47) of the slider (35) when additional force is applied to the slider (35). With this construction, the releasing end stop (15) enjoys a longer life span. Furthermore it is advantageously possible to use the same material for the top end stop (15) as for the coupling elements (11), so that the manufacturing process will be much simplified. |
| US07774902B2 |
Grab bar
A grab bar for projecting from a structure to a projecting side of the grab bar includes a user support member operable to support a user, the user support member being disposed at the projecting side of the grab bar; and an extending member attached to the user support member and dimensioned to extend between the projecting side and an attachment side of the grab bar opposite the projecting side, whereby an upper edge of the grab bar extends from the extending member upwardly and away from the attachment side at a first end of the grab bar and extends upwardly and away from the projecting side at a second end of the grab bar opposite the first end. |
| US07774901B1 |
Retractable handle assembly for tool
A retractable handle assembly includes an outer pipe, an inner pipe, an outer mounting sleeve, a control seat, a positioning post, a movable pin, a control knob, and a link. Thus, the positioning post extends through the through bore of the outer mounting sleeve and is inserted into one of the two positioning holes of the inner pipe to lock the inner pipe onto the outer pipe, so that the inner pipe and the outer pipe are combined solidly and stably to bear a greater load, thereby enhancing the strength of the retractable handle assembly. In addition, the inner pipe and the outer pipe are not in frictional contact to prevent from incurring jam between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, thereby enhancing the lifetime of the retractable handle assembly. |
| US07774881B2 |
Reclining means
The invention relates to a reclining means which has a mattress with a multiplicity of air chambers arranged in lattice form. Also provided is a mattress-profile memory which stores, for each of the air chambers, valve-control data corresponding to a mattress profile. The reclining means also has a data-carrier holder, into which a data carrier can be inserted, and means for writing valve-control data into a data carrier inserted into the data-carrier holder, as well as means for reading valve-control data which are stored on a data carrier inserted into the data-carrier holder. |
| US07774879B2 |
Pillow for a patient during a medical procedure
An accessory for a patient's use during a medical procedure is disclosed. The accessory includes a pillow that has an inner material and an outer material. The pillow includes a head support, at least one shoulder support and at least one hand support. The head support has a right side, a left side and a top side. The shoulder support is disposed adjacent the right side and/or the left side of the head support. The hand support is disposed adjacent the top side of the head support. The inner material of the pillow is made of a substantially rigid material. The outer material of the pillow is made of a substantially soft material. |
| US07774878B1 |
Rapidly deploying emergency evacuation stretcher
A rapidly deploying emergency evacuation stretcher includes an article for easy transport on one's person, wherein the article is characterized to include a first mode of utility and a second mode of utility, and the article includes a lightweight flexible member which is packed in an undeployed mode and disposed adjacent the article in a manner which cooperates with the article in a manner to enable the first mode of utility substantially without interference thereof and unpacked in its deployed state and cooperates with the article in a manner to provide the second mode of utility which includes forming the stretcher. A method uses the rapidly deploying emergency evacuation stretcher to transport a person. |
| US07774874B2 |
Crib bumper
A crib bumper for use in a baby crib is presented. The crib bumper includes at least one bumper section of dense non-absorbent material. The crib bumper may include a plurality of bumper segments abutting each other lengthwise to extend the length or width of a crib. The crib bumper may include a cover having an aperture through which a crib bumper section or crib bumper segments may be placed inside the cover. The cover may be formed of a washable material and may include a mechanism for closing the aperture to prevent the crib bumper from slipping out of the cover. In addition, the cover may include one or more connectors for connecting the cover to the crib. |
| US07774866B2 |
Impact energy management method and system
An impact-absorbing protective structure comprises one or more compressible cells. Each cell is in the form of a thin-walled plastic enclosure defining an inner, fluid-filled chamber with at least one small orifice through which fluid resistively flows. Each cell includes an initially resistive mechanism that resists collapse during an initial phase of an impact and that then yields to allow the remainder of the impact to be managed by the venting of fluid through the orifice. The initially resistive mechanism may be implemented by providing the cell with semi-vertical side walls of an appropriate thickness or by combining a resiliently collapsible ring with the cell. After the initially resistive mechanism yields to the impact, the remainder of the impact is managed by the fluid venting through the orifice. The cell properties can be readily engineered to optimize the impact-absorbing response of the cell to a wide range of impact energies. |
| US07774865B2 |
Athletic support garment
The present invention relates to athletic support garment having a support panel sized and shaped to encircle a person's waist or hips, and a crotch panel, the support panel having a front side, back side, top edge and bottom edge, the crotch panel having a front seamless portion sized and shaped to contain a person's genitals, a rear portion sized and shaped to cover the space between the buttocks but not restrict or impede movement of the person's legs and a strap portion joining the front portion and rear portion of the crotch panel, a first end of the crotch panel attached to the front side of the bottom edge of the support panel and a second end of the crotch panel attached to the rear side of the bottom edge of the support panel; wherein the support panel and crotch panel are formed from a fabric comprising a blend of a synthetic fiber and at least 10% of a stretchable fiber wherein the tensile strength of the fabric is sufficient to hold the genitals on top of and against the pubic bone above the crotch when in use. |
| US07774862B2 |
Pom-pom pocket scarf
A scarf has hand-receiving pockets at the opposed ends. Adjacent to or on a surface of the pockets are long flaccid strands, fringes, tassels or the like which may be manipulated through hand contact with the scarf body, to be waved about in the manner of cheerleading pom-poms. The flaccid strands are in a preferred method of fabrication cut but not fully severed from sheets of material. The sheets are then stacked together and sewn or otherwise affixed along a single axis. Several rows of sheets may be placed adjacent to each pocket, giving a finished appearance of cheerleading pom-poms. Each sheet may have a color selected from the colors of a team, wherein the pompons will as a collection include all of the team colors. |
| US07774861B1 |
Compressed cellulose pop-up sponge head or body band and method of use
A non-fabric head or body band is made from compressed cellulose pop-up sponge material for cooling the wearer. The band comprises a reversible strip of pop-up sponge material in which one or more holes or passageways are formed, the ends of which are connected by an elastic band. The band is wetted causing the pop-up sponge material to expand, such that the inner and outer surfaces are approximately ⅝th of an inch apart, between which is held a supply of water/liquid. The inner surface is substantially in contact with the wearer, while the outer surface is exposed to the elements. During the cooling process, the strip draws heat and/or sweat away from the user, into the cellulose material, and toward the outer surface of the strip, allowing relatively rapid evaporation of sweat and dissipation of heat from the cellulose material as it is cooled from exposure to the elements. The band can repeatedly be reversed to provide a further cooling effect by placing the cooler side of the strip against the user and in turn exposing the warmer/sweat side to the elements, thereby recycling the cooling process. |
| US07774859B2 |
Garment with plaything
In order to provide a garment which incorporates a plaything which can be operated within an element of surprise, the garment comprises a concealment space such as a pocket (2), in which a plaything such as glove puppet (8) can be stored. The concealment space comprises a concealment aperture (9). There is an operating aperture (10) through which a wearer may place their hand in order to operate the plaything. The plaything is configured to have a first position in which it is stored in an interior of the concealment space (2) and a second position in which it extends through the concealment space aperture (9). |
| US07779482B1 |
Delivery of license information using a short messaging system protocol in a closed content distribution system
Delivery of licenses in a closed distribution system including a playback device and secure processor. The secure processor allows only use of authorized content, and the playback device is authorized to execute content. A user requests a license to selected content using a communication link, without the playback device, outside the closed content system to a license server. The user requests licenses using SMS, sending small amounts of information, possibly including proofs of purchase. The server responds using SMS, providing the user with a code representing information interpretable as a license, such as an encrypted content key or a shared secret known to the user. The user, using a keypad or other device, inputs that code to the playback device, which determines if it authorizes use of the content. The playback device authenticates the license, determining whether that license authorizes the user for the content, and enforces the licensed rights. |
| US07779481B2 |
Systems and methods for electronic postmarking of data including location data
Systems and mehods for electronic postmarking of location data are provided. Electronic postmarking of location data (S.20) includes generating a hash value corresponding to merged data (S.30). Electronic postmarking further includes generating an electronic postmark data structure (S.40) comprising the hash value and a date/time stamp. The electronic postmarking data structure (S.40) may further include a digital signature. |
| US07779478B2 |
System and method for distributed module authentication
Distributed module authentication allows security checks to be initiated by multiple software modules. Module authentication processes can be inserted into two or more modules in an operating system and/or various other applications. These module authentication processes can verify the integrity of binaries associated with one or more modules in computer memory. Security checks can be performed on modules stored on disk, in active system memory, or in any other location. Various security checks can be coordinated with each other to ensure variety and frequency of module authentication, as well as to randomize the module authentication process that performs a particular security check. In addition, security processor code can be interleaved within normal application code, so the security code is difficult for attackers to remove or disable without damaging the useful functionality of an application. |
| US07779476B2 |
Active defense against wireless intruders
A wireless network security system including a system data store capable of storing network default and configuration data, a wireless transmitter and a system processor. The system processor performs a network security method. An active defense request signal is received, typically from an intrusion detection system. The received request signal includes an indicator of an access point within the wireless computer network that is potentially compromised. In response to the received an active defense of the wireless network is triggered. The triggered active defense may be on or more of transmitting a jamming signal, transmitting a signal to introduce CRC errors, transmitting a signal to increase the difficulty associated with breaking the network encryption (typically by including in the signal packet appearing legitimate but containing randomized payloads, or transmitting a channel change request to the potentially compromised access point. |
| US07779474B2 |
Virus detection in a network
A computer system and storage medium that in an embodiment count the number of times that a file or registry entry is added, changed, or deleted at clients in a network. If the count exceeds a threshold, then a warning is sent to the clients. The warning may prompt the clients to delete or rename the file or registry entry, run an anti-virus program, quarantine the file or registry entry, or issue a message. In this way, viruses may be detected at clients. |
| US07779472B1 |
Application behavior based malware detection
An executable file is loaded into a virtual machine arranged to emulate the instructions of said executable file. The virtual machine keeps track of application programming interfaces (APIs) used by the executable file during emulation. The executable file is scanned to determine names of (APIs) used. Behavior flags are set if certain conditions occur within the executable file. The APIs determined during emulation and during scanning are compared with a set of known behaviors. A match of the APIs and the known behaviors indicates a high risk of malware. A determination of malware being present is based upon any matches and any behavior flags that are set. |
| US07779468B1 |
Intrusion detection and vulnerability assessment system, method and computer program product
A system and associated method/computer program product are provided including an intrusion detection tool for determining whether network communications violate at least one of a plurality of policies. Such policies are defined to detect potential attacks in the network communications. Further included is a vulnerability assessment scanning tool coupled to the intrusion detection tool. The vulnerability assessment scanning tool is adapted for performing a vulnerability assessment scan for identifying vulnerabilities. |
| US07779467B2 |
N grouping of traffic and pattern-free internet worm response system and method using N grouping of traffic
Provided are N grouping of traffic and pattern-free Internet worm response system and method. According to the method, traffic factors generated by respective worms are grouped into N groups so that a great quantity of Information may be effectively understood and a worm generated afterward is involved with characteristics of a relevant group. Damages of a network or a system predictable through already classified N traffic characteristics are defined so that corresponding step-by-step measures are taken. Characteristics of the grouped worms are quantitatively analyzed so that a danger degree of a new worm is predicted when the new worm appears afterward and forecasting and alarming through the prediction are performed. Easiness with which a controlling operator instantly understands an accident using a visualization method having an approximate real-time characteristic is increased, so that detection efficiency for most worms not detected using a conventional rule is increased. |
| US07779465B2 |
Distributed peer attack alerting
A system and method for distributed peer attack alerting is disclosed. The method includes accessing a peer community wherein the peer community comprises a plurality of nodes comprising a network and wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises an attack identifier. The method further includes identifying an attack at one of the plurality of nodes. In addition, the method includes transmitting an alert to the plurality of nodes, the alert comprising information associated with the attack and automatically configuring at least one attack identifier associated with one of the plurality of nodes in response to the alert. |
| US07779464B2 |
System security approaches utilizing a hierarchical memory system
A method and system for ensuring system security is disclosed. Based on the content of the data units the method and system monitor, the method and system retrieve the states and the dependency relationships among these states that are representative of unwanted patterns. The method and system store the states and the dependency relationships mentioned above in different types of memories according to the frequency of accessing the states. The frequency is calculated by comparing a number of test data patterns with the states in a sequence specified by the dependency relationships. The method and system further identify a set of suspected data units by comparing the data units with the retrieved states in a sequence specified by the retrieved dependency relationships, wherein the content of the set of the suspected data units collectively matches any of the unwanted patterns. |
| US07779462B2 |
Switching an application, user and security context based on device orientation
A computer is adapted for changing one or more of the application, security, or user contexts based on the orientation of a component, such as a monitor. Changing the context responsive to the reorientation allows two or more users to use the same hardware to complete a transaction requiring at least two perspectives, for example, buyer and seller. In the background, transaction end points may be changed as well as establishment of a secure channel for supporting confidentiality of a user and their personal information. The computer so equipped may be applicable to many situations involving two parties, such as hospitals, personnel/human relations, banking, government benefits, and retail. |
| US07779461B1 |
Point-to-multi-point/non-broadcasting multi-access VPN tunnels
A system establishes a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel to a destination and determines a next hop for the VPN tunnel. The system inserts the next hop, and an address associated with the destination, into an entry of a first table. The system inserts the next hop, and a tunnel identifier corresponding to the established VPN tunnel, into an entry of a second table. The system associates one or more security parameters, used to encrypt traffic sent via the VPN tunnel, with the tunnel identifier. |
| US07779460B2 |
Partial grant set evaluation from partial evidence in an evidence-based security policy manager
An evidence-based policy manager generates a permission grant set for a code assembly received from a resource location. The policy manager executes in a computer system (e.g., a Web client or server) in combination with the verification module and class loader of the run-time environment. The permission grant set generated for a code assembly is applied in the run-time call stack to help the system determine whether a given system operation by the code assembly is authorized. The policy manager may determine a subset of the permission grant set based on a subset of the received code assembly's evidence, in order to expedite processing of the code assembly. When the evidence subset does not yield the desired permission subset, the policy manager may then perform an evaluation of all evidence received. |
| US07779456B2 |
System and method for enhanced protection and control over the use of identity
A method of protecting use of an entity's identity is provided. The method comprises setting a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity, changing, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state, requesting use of the identity after the changing; and returning, after the requesting, the state back to the first state. |
| US07779452B2 |
Computer access security
A method is provided for improved computer access security, the method including protecting an access record to prevent password access to a computer via the access record, creating an alternate access record corresponding to the protected record, enabling password access to the computer via the alternate record, providing the alternate record with the access level of the protected record, and configuring the alternate record to indicate a supplemental security program to be executed once a correct password for the alternate record is provided. |
| US07779451B2 |
Securing wakeup network events
In an embodiment, a method is provided. The method of this embodiment provides receiving a packet having a wake-up pattern, and waking up if the wake-up pattern corresponds to one of a number of dynamically modifiable passwords on a pattern wake list, each of the dynamically modifiable passwords being based, at least in part, on a seed value. |
| US07779447B2 |
Virtual channel table for a broadcast protocol and method of broadcasting and receiving broadcast signals using the same
A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel. |
| US07779441B2 |
Electronic program guide including live network multimedia broadcast channels
An electronic program guide system and a method for generating an electronic program guide are disclosed. A first information handling system obtains programming information from a program information source and generates a program guide based upon the obtained program information. A second information handling system receives the program from the first information handling system via downloading or transmission. The first information handling system searches a worldwide network for information regarding a transitory broadcast event and incorporates the transitory event information into the generated program guide prior to transmitting the program guide to the second information handling system. The transitory broadcast event information may be added to the program guide as additional, temporary channels that include links to the nodes from which the transitory broadcast event may be obtained. The program guide is thereby augmented with the additional, transitory broadcast event information. |
| US07779436B1 |
Method for using banner advertisements during commercial breaks
Apparatus is provided by which a television viewer can view other images e.g. during commercials or main program. For example, during a commercial, a viewer may channel surf or surf the internet. A banner is provided on a viewing screen while the viewer watches these other images. In this way the advertiser providing those commercials can still reach those viewers who are channel or internet surfing. Also, the banner will indicate to the viewer when the commercial is over and the normal programming has resumed. In another embodiment, during the main program user can activate one or more small commercial windows and position them on the screen based on his preference, e.g. using a remote device. Information is communicated to a broadcaster by the viewer's video system indicating the above-mentioned commercial windows are open on the viewer's screen. When each commercial window is positioned on the screen the viewer receives compensation based on the amount of time the commercial windows are displaying commercials to the viewer. All or part of commercial windows automatically close when a main commercial block starts. The commercial windows automatically open when the main commercial block finishes. In one embodiment, the viewer can turn the commercial windows ON/OFF on his discretion. |
| US07779431B2 |
Networked spreadsheet template designer
A networked spreadsheet template designer allows administrators to easily create and deploy robust reporting and input applications that leverage existing spreadsheet templates and knowledge in an easy to use user interface. Templates are created to operate directly in the particular spreadsheet program environment and can be created using existing templates and modeling workbooks of that spreadsheet program without the need for any code to be written. The template designer uses dynamic link library (DLL) worksheet functions directly on template worksheets to perform specified actions. The DLL functions enable a user to create an interactive, custom application by automating/encapsulating complex tasks. The DLL functions are managed across a computer network through an administrator interface to create the functions and a viewer interface that combines an Explorer® window to select the functions and a spreadsheet window for the actual spreadsheet program that implements the DLL functions. |
| US07779429B2 |
Method and machine-readable medium for building distributed software
In a method for building distributed software, a single computer program may be written which includes distinct sets of routines defining operation at distinct computing devices (or types of computing devices) in a distributed system. Direct calls may be made between routines, even if the routines define operation of distinct computing devices. Through examination and processing of the computer program, multiple computer programs which collectively constitute distributed software for the distributed system are created. Each program defines the operation of a computing device within the system. Direct calls are emulated using instructions for inter-process communication which effect remote routine invocation transparently from the perspective of the developer. In the result, the run-time operation of each output computer program at its respective target computing device is consistent with the operation defined for that computing device within the input computer program. Advantageously, the developer may be shielded from numerous implementation details. |
| US07779422B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for compatibility among hooking applications
A system, method and computer program product for permitting use of multiple hooking applications to hook an interface. Included are a first hooking application and a second hooking application. Further provided is computer code including a vector and a stub dynamic link library (DLL) for permitting the first hooking application and the second hooking application to both hook an interface. |
| US07779420B1 |
Verifying information stored on a managed network device
A method and mechanism for verifying information on a managed device is provided. A request is received at a managed device that contains one or more values that comprise proposals for a correct value of a managed object of the managed device. The managed object may be a SNMP MIB object. The managed object may store information for any attribute for the managed device. Next, a determination is made as to whether any of the one or more values in the request match the correct value of the managed object. Thereafter, a notification message is transmitted from the managed device to a management station that indicates whether any of the one or more values in the request match the correct value of the managed object. The notification message may identify which one of the one or more values in the request matches the correct value of the managed object. |
| US07779417B2 |
Method and apparatus for making inter-process procedure calls through shared memory
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates making an inter-process procedure call through a shared memory that is shared between a client process and a server process, wherein the client makes the inter-process procedure call as if the client is making a local procedure call, but the procedure call actually executes on the server. The system operates by providing an Application Programming Interface (API) to allow the client to make an inter-process procedure call. The system then allocates a section of the shared memory for the data structure parameters of the inter-process procedure call. |
| US07779408B1 |
Method and system for downloading and managing portable applications on a mobile device
A mobile information device may download and execute Java MIDlet and non-MIDlet applications. The mobile information device may use generic content descriptors to download and manage non-Java applications. |
| US07779405B2 |
Run-time determination of application delivery
A software application is dynamically partitioned into components. Selected components are delivered to a requesting client device. When a request is received from the client device to launch the software application that includes multiple software components, a profile of the client device is determined. The software application is dynamically partitioned into a first group of components and a second group of components based on the profile of the client device. Selected application components are delivered to the client device based on the profile of the client device. The first group is delivered to the client device based on the profile of the client device. The second group is retained based on the profile of the client device. The application is executed using the delivered first group and the retained second group of application components. |
| US07779404B2 |
Managing network device configuration using versioning and partitioning
Configuration versioning and partitioning are provided as methods for managing large configuration for a network element such as a router or switch. In one aspect, a method performed in a network element, the network element comprising a plurality of software components that control operations and features of the network element, wherein operations and features of the network element are defined in part by a configuration, comprises creating and storing one or more configuration partition namespaces each comprising a version identifier and one or more configuration tuples; associating one or more of the configuration partition namespaces in a configuration partition; associating one of the software components and the one or more configuration partition namespaces; and creating and storing information identifying one of the software components, its associated configuration partition namespaces, and the version identifier of each of the configuration partition namespaces. |
| US07779403B2 |
Method and system for discovering communication device capabilities
A method for discovering capabilities of a communication device, including updating the capabilities of the communication device, generating update information corresponding to the communication device after updating the capabilities of the communication device, and transferring the URL of user agent profile and the update information of the communication device to a first server, when the communication device connects to the Internet. |
| US07779400B2 |
System and method for modifying firmware of an optical storage medium device without requiring a compiling process
Firmware of an optical storage medium device includes an executable program code and at least one reference data set. A method for modifying the firmware without requiring a compiling process includes inputting an attribute data set for setting a user interface; modifying the firmware by modifying the reference data set according to the attribute data set, wherein the executable program code is not modified when the firmware is being modified; determining if the modified firmware is capable of performing a target operation before the modified firmware is written into the optical storage medium device, wherein the user interface can be displayed according to the attribute data set; displaying the user interface according to the attribute data set; and writing the modified firmware into the optical storage medium device after the modified firmware is capable of performing the target operation. |
| US07779399B2 |
System and method for securing web application code and verifying correctness of software
Methods, software tools and systems for analyzing software applications, e.g., Web applications, are described. A software application to be analyzed is transformed into an abstract representation which preserves its information flow properties. The abstract interpretation is evaluated to identify vulnerabilities using, for example, type qualifiers to associate security levels with variables and/or functions in the application being analyzed and typestate checking. Runtime guards are inserted into the application to secure identified vulnerabilities. |
| US07779387B2 |
Offline source code control
A source code control architecture. A client user checks out a copy of a source code file to the client using a file checkout process. A client cache maintains a pristine copy of the file, and a client activity list maintains a list of commands executed during the offline mode to effect modifications to the copy. The client cache contains a pristine copy of all source code files that are modified or deleted in a local client workspace. The cache is maintained whether the user is online or offline. When the user is offline, the cache is utilized to facilitate many of the activities that historically would require server connectivity. The command activity list allows a developer to continue changing the source code while offline by automatically recording the executed commands. The offline commands are reconciled to the server, and used to update the server file(s) when the client returns online. |
| US07779381B2 |
Test generation for low power circuits
In the field of integrated circuit design and testing, especially directed towards integrated circuits intended to operate at low power, a method and system are provided for circuit design and simulation and testing for mapping portions of a circuit, such as a power domain or portion of a power domain, to a test mode. Thereby only those portions of the circuit which need to be powered up in a particular test mode are powered up both in the design (simulation) phase and in the actual testing. This conserves power usage during actual testing as against powering up all portions of the circuit, which is not desirable during the testing of the circuit after manufacture. This ensures that the power conditions required to excite and observe any circuit faults during testing exist for the power conditions that are applied during, for instance, manufacturing testing. By automatically partitioning the faults to remove those that cannot be excited or observed during manufacturing and testing, the testability of the device in terms of its partitions or parts will accurately reflect the power state of the logic portions of the circuit. |
| US07779380B2 |
Data processing apparatus including reconfigurable logic circuit
There is provided a data processing apparatus (1) including a logic circuit (10) that is reconfigurable in each cycle and a library (2) that stores hardware control information (20). The hardware control information (20) includes a plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information (21) for individually mapping a plurality of cycle-based circuits, which each realize a function in each cycle for executing an application, onto the logic circuit (10) and configuration selection information (22) for selecting at least one of the plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information according to an execution state of the application. The data processing apparatus (1) includes a control unit (11) that reconfigures at least part of the logic region (10) using at least one of the plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information (21) according to a request in each cycle based on the configuration selection information (22). |
| US07779377B2 |
Method and apparatus for aiding verification of circuit, and computer product
A verification aiding apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires implementation description information of a verification target circuit, and a classifying unit that classifies registers in the verification target circuit for each type of processing for each command executable by the verification target circuit. Thus, implementation description classification information can be obtained. A setting unit performs a verification priority setting process and a generating unit performs a sequential command generating process, and a sequential command is output. |
| US07779376B2 |
Operation analysis method of semiconductor integrated circuit
Operation analysis is performed for a semiconductor integrated circuit designed by using substrate bias control technology. Power supply potential and substrate potential are analyzed by using circuit information of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and from obtained power supply potential waveform information and substrate potential waveform information, potential difference information indicating a difference value between the power supply potential and the substrate potential is obtained. On the basis of this potential difference information, effects on circuit delay due to substrate noise are analyzed using a delay library showing a relationship between the difference value and the effects on circuit delay. Further, a determination is performed as to whether the difference value exceeds a predetermined difference restriction value. |
| US07779375B2 |
Design structure for shutting off data capture across asynchronous clock domains during at-speed testing
A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes an apparatus for testing logic devices configured across asynchronous clock domains, including a deactivation mechanism for deactivating, during at-speed fault testing, a local clock signal for each of a first plurality of latches having at least one data input thereto originating from a source located within an asynchronous clock domain with respect thereto; wherein the deactivation mechanism is configured to permit data capture within the first plurality of latches, and wherein the deactivation mechanism is further configured to permit at-speed data launch from the first plurality of latches to downstream latches with respect thereto during at-speed testing. |
| US07779374B1 |
Generating self-checking test cases from reduced case analysis graphs
A method, system and apparatus for constructing a comprehensive test plan using a case analysis graph is provided. Embodiments of the present invention further provide for automatically generating test cases from a case analysis graph and for measuring functional coverage of the test cases. Additional embodiments of the present invention provide for visualizing both the comprehensive test plan and functional coverage data. |
| US07779372B2 |
Clock gater with test features and low setup time
A clock gater circuit comprises a plurality of transistors having source-drain connections forming a stack between a first node and a supply node. A given logical state on the first node causes a corresponding logical state on an output clock of the clock gater circuit. In one embodiment, a first transistor of the plurality of transistors has a gate coupled to receive an enable input signal. A second transistor is connected in parallel with the first transistor, and has a gate controlled responsive to a test input signal to ensure that the output clock is generated even if the enable input signal is not in an enabled state. In another embodiment, the plurality of transistors comprises a first transistor having a gate controlled responsive to a clock input of the clock gater circuit and a second transistor having a gate controlled responsive to an output of a delay circuit. The delay circuit comprises at least one inverter, wherein an input of the delay circuit is the clock input, and wherein a first inverter of the delay circuit is coupled to receive a test input signal and is configured to force a first logical state on an output of the first inverter responsive to an assertion of the test input signal. |
| US07779370B2 |
User interface for mobile devices
A computer-implemented method of displaying information on a mobile device is discussed. The method includes displaying on the mobile device a first view having a first search result element in an expanded format and a plurality of additional search result elements in a collapsed format, receiving a user input that identifies a selected search result element from the plurality of additional search result elements, and in response to the user input, displaying on the mobile device a second view having one of the plurality of additional search result elements in an expanded format, and the remainder of the plurality of additional search result elements in a collapsed format. |
| US07779365B2 |
Display control device and program
A display control device for displaying a first display area and a second display area on a screen comprises: first control means for controlling at least one of the configuration, display content, character input direction and arrangement position of the first display area; and second control means for controlling at least one of the configuration, display content and arrangement position of the second display area based on the result of the control by the first control means. |
| US07779359B2 |
Multifunction display design tool
A method that includes but is not limited to accepting user input specifying a geometrical arrangement of two or more buttons on one or more displayed pages; accepting user input labeling at least two of the two or more buttons on the one or more displayed pages; accepting user input defining at least one interaction between the labeled at least two buttons; accepting user input specifying at least one constraint cost for the defined at least one interaction; and assigning the labels of the at least two buttons among the two or more buttons on one or more displayed pages such that the at least one constraint cost is substantially optimized. |
| US07779343B2 |
Opening network-enabled electronic documents
System(s), method(s), and/or technique(s) (“tools”) are described that enable a user to open a network-enabled electronic document in either a specific software application associated with the electronic document or a network browser. In some cases the tools do so using a single link. On selection of the link, if the user's computing device has access to the specific software application, the tools may load the electronic document using that application. Or, if the user's computing device does not have access to the specific software application, the tools may render the electronic document with a network browser. In so doing, the tools may make the document available to a larger set of potential users through their browsers, allow users the convenience of accessing the document within a browser, optimize users' experience in working with the document through a specific software application, or provide a simpler opening procedure. |
| US07779342B2 |
Hypervideo: information retrieval at user request
Disclosed is a method and device for selecting documents, such as Web pages or sites, for presentation to a user, in response to a user expression of interest, during the course of presentation to the user of a document, such as a video or audio selection, whose content varies with time. The method takes advantage of information retrieval techniques to select documents related to the portion of the temporal document in which the user has expressed interest. |
| US07779340B2 |
Interpolated timestamps in high-speed data capture and analysis
Methods and apparatuses for using interpolation to associate timestamp values to data received in a data capture and analysis system. An analysis processor receives data representing data transferred in a communications link. The analysis processor also receives timestamp signals. The analysis processor performs an interpolation between at least two timestamp values received and associates results of the interpolation with the data. The analysis processor analyzes the data. A logic device can be coupled to the analysis processor to interleave timestamp signal values with the data and transmit the interleaved data and timestamp signals to the analysis processor. |
| US07779334B2 |
Memory having an ECC system
An error correction code system for a memory having parity columns of a memory array located within the memory array is provided. The parity columns are grouped together or distributed throughout the memory array. An embodiment includes a multiplexor circuit for selectively coupling only parity bits stored in the parity memory array to I/O circuitry, bypassing ECC logic circuitry and allowing the parity columns to be directly accessible, in a direct access mode or for selectively coupling the parity bits to ECC logic circuitry in an ECC mode. |
| US07779331B2 |
Systems and methods for tri-column code based error reduction
Various systems and methods for tri-column code based error reduction are disclosed herein. For example, a digital information system is disclosed that includes channel detector. Such a channel detector receives an encoded data set and provides an output representing the encoded data set. The exemplary system further includes a decoder that receives the first output and is operable to perform three slope parity checks on the received first output. In turn, the decoder provides another output representing the encoded data set. |
| US07779326B2 |
Multi-source data encoding, transmission and decoding using Slepian-Wolf codes based on channel code partitioning
System and method for designing Slepian-Wolf codes by channel code partitioning. A generator matrix is partitioned to generate a plurality of sub-matrices corresponding respectively to a plurality of correlated data sources. The partitioning is performed in accordance with a rate allocation among the plurality of correlated data sources. A corresponding plurality of parity matrices are generated based respectively on the sub-matrices, where each parity matrix is useable to encode data from a respective one of the correlated data sources. |
| US07779324B2 |
Method and system for detecting wired network error in mobile communication terminal
Disclosed is a method and system for detecting wired network errors in a mobile communication terminal, which performs a selective checksum operation for received data in a UDP (User Datagram Protocol) layer to improve the processing speed of the mobile communication terminal. In the system, it is determined whether to perform the checksum operation in the UDP layer by a UDP checksum setup value that is changed to a first setup value when an IP (Internet Protocol) header checksum error occurs in an IP layer. In this case, the UDP checksum setup value is changed to a second setup value when the UDP checksum operation is performed. |
| US07779317B2 |
Test control circuit and reference voltage generating circuit having the same
A test control circuit according to an embodiment of the invention includes a test mode control unit that outputs a control signal according to a voltage trimming test signal, a decoding portion that receives the control signal and outputs a decoding signal, and a trimming signal adjusting portion that receives the decoding signal and outputs a trimming signal adjusted by a low level test signal. |
| US07779310B2 |
System and method for detecting a work status of a computer system
A system for detecting a work status of a computer system is provided. The system includes a super input/output (Super I/O) chipset, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a South Bridge chipset and a device driver. The device driver is configured for driving the Super I/O chipset to generate and send a start signal to the CPLD, and is further configured for driving the Super I/O chipset to periodically generate and send a test signal to the CPLD. The CPLD is configured for receiving the start signal and triggering a clock to start timing from an initial time, monitoring whether a predetermined amount of test signals have been received in a predetermined time, and is further configured for sending a reboot signal to the South Bridge chipset when the predetermined amount of test signals have not been received in the predetermined time. The South Bridge chipset is configured for rebooting the computer system when receiving the reboot signal. A related method is also provided. |
| US07779305B2 |
Method and system for recovery from an error in a computing device by transferring control from a virtual machine monitor to separate firmware instructions
A method and system for supporting recovery of a computing device includes determining and storing a sub-set of firmware instructions used to establish a pre-boot environment and executing the sub-set of firmware instructions in response to an error. |
| US07779301B2 |
Computer chip set having on board wireless interfaces to support test operations
A method and apparatus are provided for an embedded wireless interface that is embedded in, for example, one of an input and output controller device for controlling input and output communications with off-board devices, within a memory controller device and a processor motherboard. The embedded wireless interface may be utilized as a wireless test access point to provide signal stimulations for test purposes or to monitor communications over a specified wired communication link. |
| US07779300B2 |
Server outage data management
Server outage data is automatically created and managed. Outage data is automatically retrieved from one or more servers at which an outage is detected by an agent installed on the server. The agent may search for outage event data and transmit the data to a monitoring application. The monitoring application receives the event data and creates an outage record from the data. Server contents, such as the number of users having account data on the server, can be determined either before or after the outage has occurred. Once the outage data and server contents are known, the cost and impact of the outage for each particular server can be determined. The cost of a server outage may be determined based on the outage record and the server data identifying resources of the server, such as user account data. |
| US07779297B2 |
Fail-over method, computer system, management server, and backup server setting method
A management server obtains configuration information of an active server and creates a logical partition in a backup server so as to correspond to the active server. The backup server starts up the created logical partition. And when the created logical partition reaches a predetermined state, the backup server releases allocation of the first processor resource to the logical partition, thereby the logical partition stands by. The management server, when detecting an error occurred in the active server, stops the active server and searches the logical partition having same configuration as the active server in which error is detected, and enables allocation of the first processor resource to the searched logical partition, thereby completing the start-up of the logical partition. |
| US07779292B2 |
Efficient storage of metadata in a system memory
A cache coherent data processing system includes a plurality of processing units each having at least an associated cache, a system memory, and a memory controller that is coupled to and controls access to the system memory. The system memory includes a plurality of storage locations for storing a memory block of data, where each of the plurality of storage locations is sized to store a sub-block of data. The system memory further includes metadata storage for storing metadata, such as a domain indicator, describing the memory block. In response to a failure of a storage location for a particular sub-block among the plurality of sub-blocks, the memory controller overwrites at least a portion of the metadata in the metadata storage with the particular sub-block of data. |
| US07779287B2 |
Reducing power consumption in multiprocessor systems
Techniques that may be utilized in a multiprocessor system to reduce power consumption are described. In one embodiment, one or more internal components of a processor core are clocked at least partially by a frequency controlled clock signal. |
| US07779282B2 |
Maintaining network connectivity while operating in low power mode
A sub-system may maintain the network connectivity of the device, while the device is operating in low power. The sub-system may determine whether a pre-specified pattern is present in the incoming packet. The sub-system may send network messages such as keep-alive or time-out messages on behalf of the device if a first pattern is detected in the incoming packet. A first action associated with the first pattern may indicate that a network message is to be sent to another device. The sub-system may send a wake-up signal to the device if a second pattern is detected in the incoming packet. A second action associated with the second pattern may indicate that a wake-up signal is to be sent to the device. |
| US07779275B2 |
Communication of information via an in-band channel using a trusted configuration space
Communication of information via an in-band channel using a trusted configuration space is provided. The introduction of using a trusted configuration space associated with a computer bus system, such as PCI Express® (PCIe™), for example, enables the design of trusted computing platforms capable of providing compliant devices with assurance that their trusted configuration registers can only be accessed by software running in the trusted software environment. Establishing device trust in the software that initiates trusted configuration requests makes it possible to secure and control access to certain secret, sensitive, or personally-identifiable information these devices may contain (e.g., a uniquely-identifying public key, as described above or certificate which the device provides for revocation purposes). |
| US07779273B2 |
Booting a multiprocessor device based on selection of encryption keys to be provided to processors
A mechanism is provided for booting a multiprocessor device based on selection of encryption keys to be provided to the processors. With the mechanism, a security key and one or more randomly generated key values are provided to a selector mechanism of each processor of the multiprocessor device. A random selection mechanism is provided in pervasive logic that randomly selects one of the processors to be a boot processor and thereby, provides a select signal to the selector of the boot processor such that the boot processor selects the security key. All other processors select one of the one or more randomly generated key values. As a result, only the randomly selected boot processor is able to use the proper security key to decrypt the boot code for execution. |
| US07779271B2 |
Watermark embedding
Advanced watermark embedders use psycho visual/acoustic models to minimize perception of the embedded watermark in media contents. However, it is expensive to implement such advanced watermark embedders in consumer appliances (3) such as DVD recorders. In accordance with the invention, embedding strength parameters (JND) are calculated (13) off-line at a remote location (1) and transmitted along with the media contents to the consumer appliance (3). A relatively simple embedder (33) uses the received parameters to control the strength of the watermark (36) to be embedded. The parameters may be accommodated in the transmitted signal as payload of a fragile watermark or as user data in an encrypted MPEG stream. |
| US07779268B2 |
Biometric based user authentication and data encryption
Biometric parameters acquired from human forces, voices, fingerprints, and irises are used for user authentication and access control. Because the biometric parameters are continuous and vary from one reading to the next, syndrome codes are applied to determine biometric syndrome vectors. The biometric syndrome vectors can be stored securely while tolerating an inherent variability of biometric data. The stored biometric syndrome vector is decoded during user authentication using biometric parameters acquired at that time. The syndrome codes can also be used to encrypt and decrypt data. |
| US07779267B2 |
Method and apparatus for using a secret in a distributed computing system
There are many times when a secret needs to be used in a distributed computing system—these are often held in security tokens, such as smart cards. It may be desirable for another device, such as a computer platform, to act in place of the security token as the repository of a secret, particularly for operations within a distributed computing system. Within the distributed computing system there is located a trusted entity, physically and logically resistant to unauthorized modification—this may be a trusted device located within a specific computing platform. This contains validation information which can be communicated to the security token. The security token then carries out a validation process on this validation information—if successful, the security token then provides a secret to the trusted device for use within the distributed computing system. The trusted device may be required to use this secret only for a specified period of time, or for a specific purpose or task. |
| US07779266B2 |
Method for controlling pluggable port on interface board of communication device and interface board
A method for controlling a pluggable port on an interface board of a communication device, pre-setting; the process of controlling the port includes: the communication device receiving an external inputted password and verifies the received password according to a pre-set password; the communication device enables or disables the pluggable port according to the verification result. Also disclosed is an interface board with a pluggable port, the line(s) connecting with the pluggable module includes one or more switches, after verification by the above-mentioned method, control the pluggable port on the interface board to be enabled or disabled by controlling the switch(es) according to the verification result. The present invention can efficiently avoid the false or illegal use of the pluggable ports of the interface board, thereby guaranteeing the stability and reliability of the communication device and the communication network. |
| US07779264B2 |
Authentication apparatus, authentication method and authentication computer program product
An operation of an authentication apparatus is as follows: Moving image data including a plurality of pieces of still image frame data is accepted, and the move locus of at least one person image is detected based on the moving image data. Individual determination processing of adopting at least one piece of the still image frame data as attention frame data and determining the individual corresponding to the detected move locus of the person image in the attention frame data is executed. The result of the individual determination processing is provided for predetermined authentication processing. |
| US07779245B2 |
Providing access bearer related information in a packet data network
The invention discloses providing access bearer related information in a packet data network comprising network entities including an access processor for processing access requests, a service processor for processing service requests, and at least one service entity for providing services. An access bearer identification is obtained for a data packet to be transmitted between two of the network entities. The access bearer identification indicates the access bearer that the data packet is associated with. The access bearer identification is combined with the data packet. The combined access bearer identification and data packet is transmitted. The received access bearer identification is extracted. The invention allows providing additional identification information about the PDP context of a data packet while the data packet is being redirected between service entities, access processors, and service processors independent from each other. |
| US07779238B2 |
Method and apparatus for precisely identifying effective addresses associated with hardware events
A system and method for precisely identifying an instruction causing a performance-related event is disclosed. The instruction may be detected while in a pipeline stage of a microprocessor preceding a writeback stage and the microprocessor's architectural state may not be updated until after information identifying the instruction is captured. The instruction may be flushed from the pipeline, along with other instructions from the same thread. A hardware trap may be taken when the instruction is detected and/or when an event counter overflows or is within a given range of overflowing. A software trap handler may capture and/or log information identifying the instruction, such as one or more extended address elements, before returning control and initiating a retry of the instruction. The captured and/or logged information may be stored in an event space database usable by a data space profiler to identify performance bottlenecks in the application containing the instruction. |
| US07779233B2 |
System and method for implementing a software-supported thread assist mechanism for a microprocessor
A system and computer-implementable method for implementing software-supported thread assist within a data processing system, wherein the data processing system supports processing instructions within at least a first thread and a second thread. An instruction dispatch unit (IDU) places the first thread into a sleep mode. The IDU separates an instruction stream for the second thread into at least a first independent instruction stream and a second independent instruction stream. The first independent instruction stream is processed utilizing facilities allocated to the first thread and the second independent instruction stream is processed utilizing facilities allocated to the second thread. In response to determining a result of the processing in the first independent instruction stream requires write back to registers allocated to the second thread, the IDU sets at least one selection bit to enable selective copying of content within registers allocated to the first thread to registers allocated to the second thread. |
| US07779232B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamically managing instruction buffer depths for non-predicted branches
A method and apparatus for dynamically managing instruction buffer depths for non-predicted branches reduces wasted energy and resources associated with low confidence branch prediction conditions. A portion of the instruction buffer for a instruction thread is allocated for storing predicted branch instruction streams and another portion, which may be zero-sized during high prediction confidence conditions, is allocated to the non-predicted branch instruction stream. The size of the buffers is adjusted dynamically in conformity with an on-going prediction confidence that provides a measure of how well branch prediction mechanisms are working for a given instruction thread. An alternate instruction fetch address table can be maintained and multiplexed with the main fetch address register for addressing the instruction cache, so that the instruction stream can be quickly shifted to the non-predicted path when a branch instruction is resolved to the non-predicted path. |
| US07779230B2 |
Data flow execution of methods in sequential programs
Distant parallelization of sequential programs is obtained by making parallelization decisions at the boundaries between program methods (e.g., functions and sub-routines). Experimentation suggests that such a partitioning allows for large-scale parallelization without data flow conflicts. |
| US07779223B2 |
Memory leakage management
Methods, systems, and media to enhance memory leakage management by identifying a suspect allocation pattern during execution of a task, which may be indicative of memory leakage and implementing measures to protect against memory leakage based upon the suspect allocation pattern, are disclosed. More specifically, embodiments may detect a suspect allocation pattern by monitoring memory allocations and deallocations for tasks. The pattern of memory allocations and deallocations may then be analyzed to determine whether a suspect allocation pattern exists. For instance, the memory allocations and deallocations may be compared to determine whether there is an increasing net residual allocation left by the task after it has reached a quiescent runtime state. In some embodiments, a suspect allocation pattern exists if the total memory allocation for a task continues to rise after a pre-determined time period. |
| US07779222B1 |
Dynamic memory work-stealing
A dynamic memory work-stealing technique involves the implementation of a deque as a doubly-linked list of nodes. All, or almost all, of the nodes are memory structures that may be dynamically allocated and freed from a shared node pool accessible to a plurality of processes. When a process has exhausted its local memory resources, the process may “steal” memory resources from another process that has available memory resources. |
| US07779221B1 |
System and method for online data migration
A method and system for changing storage drive contents, including installing a virtual storage driver in a computer system, wherein the virtual storage driver redirects access requests directed to a main storage of the computer system to one of the main storage and a temporary storage; copying files from the main storage to the temporary storage; restoring files from a source storage into the main storage by overwriting corresponding files in the main storage; and redirecting, to the temporary storage, requests for access directed to files of the main storage that have been copied to the temporary storage. |
| US07779219B2 |
Application transparent autonomic availability on a storage area network aware file system
Techniques are provided for locating data. Mapping information for blocks associated with a file is provided. It is determined that a copy service has copied source blocks to target blocks. It is determined whether the mapping information should be updated to refer to the target blocks. Then, updated mapping information is provided in response to determining that the mapping information should be updated to refer to the target blocks. |
| US07779217B2 |
Systems for optimizing page selection in flash-memory devices
A storage device is provided. The storage device includes a memory that includes interleaved fast and slow pages and a controller. In response to a command from a host of the storage device the controller stores fast-reading data in the memory. If the fast and slow pages alternate, the controller stores the fast-reading data in the first pages alternately with filler data in the low pages, and if contiguous pluralities of the fast and slow pages alternate, the controller stores the fast reading data in the contiguous pluralities of the fast pages alternately with the filler data in the contiguous pluralities of the slow pages. |
| US07779216B2 |
Method and system of randomizing memory locations
A memory system that disperses memory addresses of strings of data throughout a memory is provided. The memory system includes a memory, a central processing unit (CPU) and an address randomizer. The memory is configured to store strings of data. The CPU is configured to direct the storing and retrieving of the strings of data from the memory at select memory addresses. The address randomizer is coupled between the CPU and the memory. Moreover, the address randomizer is configured to disburse the strings of data throughout locations of the memory by changing the select memory addresses directed by the CPU. |
| US07779215B2 |
Method and related apparatus for accessing memory
A method for utilizing the multi-channel transmission bandwidth in an asymmetrically arranged memory is provides. The present invention defines symmetrically arranged parts of the memory ranks of the memory as a virtual ranks. If data is stored in symmetrically arranged memory ranks of the memory, channels corresponding to the symmetrically arranged memory ranks could be simultaneously utilized to transfer data. If data is stored in an asymmetrically arranged memory rank of the memory, the channel corresponding to the asymmetrically arranged memory rank could only be utilized to transfer data. |
| US07779212B2 |
Method and apparatus for sending data from multiple sources over a communications bus
In a memory system, multiple memory modules communicate over a bus. Each memory module includes a hub and at least one memory storage unit. The hub receives local data from the memory storage units, and downstream data from one or more other memory modules. The hub assembles data to be sent over the bus within a data block structure, which is divided into multiple lanes. An indication is made of where, within the data block structure, a breakpoint will occur in the data being placed on the bus by a first source (e.g., the local or downstream data). Based on the indication, data from a second source (e.g., the downstream or local data) is placed in the remainder of the data block, thus reducing gaps on the bus. |
| US07779207B2 |
Accelerated write performance
A generic disk driver filter may be used to accelerate performance when writing to a disk. The generic disk driver filter may be connected between a file system and a disk driver and may be configured to be extensible and compatible with a variety of different file systems and different disk drivers. The generic disk driver filter has a filter component that intercepts and filters raw sector write commands from the file system before they are received by the disk driver. The generic disk driver filter may also have a cache memory component that stores a checksum for each sector which is written to the disk. The generic disk driver filter may also have a scavenger thread component that detects and removes latent checksum entries from the cache memory so as to preserve memory availability and reduce memory requirements. |
| US07779204B2 |
System and computer readable medium for highly available removable storage network environment
A removable media storage network environment employs a media management system for managing a removable media system on behalf of client applications, and a media management agent to enhance the management of the removable media system by the media management system. The media management agent operates to determine an operational state of the removable media system, and to enhance an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by a media management system, wherein one or more one error recovery techniques are conditionally initiated based on the determined operational state of the removable media system and wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured based on the determined operational state of the removable media system. |
| US07779202B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling disk array with redundancy and error counting
According to one embodiment, a read/write control unit controls read/write access to at least two disk drives that provide a disk array. Error counters are provided for the respective disk drives for counting respective numbers of errors if the errors occur when the disk drives are accessed. A failure estimation unit detects, as a disk drive which is very likely to fail, a disk drive included in the disk array and having a high error occurrence degree, based on the numbers of errors counted by the error counters. A mode-setting unit sets the detected disk drive in a particular mode in which the detected disk drive is maintained as a member of the disk array and is made more inaccessible than the remaining disk drive of the disk array. |
| US07779201B1 |
System and method for determining disk ownership model
A system and method for determining a disk ownership model to be utilized by a storage system is disclosed. The storage system and method determines the individual disk ownership of each accessible disk to the storage system. If the number of disks utilizing a first ownership model is exceeded, the storage system utilizes the first ownership model. Otherwise, the storage system utilizes a second ownership model. |
| US07779200B2 |
Method and apparatus for a magnetic tape storage system to adaptively handle space commands
A method for a tape storage system to adaptively handle Space commands sent from a host computer system is disclosed. In response to a Space command from the host computer system, a determination is made as to whether or not the tape storage system is in a Read mode. If the tape storage system is in a Read mode, the estimated cost of performing a special read operation for the Space command is compared with the estimated cost of performing a normal space operation for the Space command. If the estimated cost for performing a special read operation is lower than the estimated cost for performing a normal space operation, then a special read operation is performed. But if estimated cost for performing a special read operation is higher than the estimated cost for performing a normal space operation, then a normal space operation is performed. |
| US07779198B2 |
Method and apparatus of multiple abbreviations of interleaved addressing of paged memories
An interleaved addressing technique for addressing a plurality of memory banks (12, 72) uses a plurality of abbreviated interleaves (0, 1, . . . 2B−1) each addressing more than one and less than all of the memory banks. The interleaves are offset (S) from each adjacent other as to address all of the memory banks equally.An intelligent memory bank for use with interleaved memories storing plural vectors comprises setup apparatus (96) receives an initial address (B+C+V+NMSK) and spacing data (D) for each vector. Addressing logic (90) associates a memory cell select (C) to each initial and subsequent address of each of the plurality of vectors. Cell select apparatus (98) accesses a memory cell (in 92) using a memory cell select (C) associated to a respective one of the initial and successive addresses of each vector. |
| US07779197B1 |
Device and method for address matching with post matching limit check and nullification
A device and method are disclosed for performing a limit address check validation in a switching device. The device includes a data selector circuit that is enabled to select the content of an address register in an array of address registers, and a comparator electrically coupled to the data selector circuit and enabled to take a first input from the data selector circuit and target address as a second input from a communication packet. The method includes receiving the target address, seeking and locating a matching address in an array of base address registers, directing the packet to the port associated with the matching address, determining the target address to be a valid address by comparing the target address with a limit address associated with the matching base address, and nullifying the match if the target address is greater than the limit address. |
| US07779196B2 |
Interface between busses of different physical layers
First and second networks, for example Controller Area Networks (CANs), of different physical layers are interfaced by applying signals of the busses of the two networks to respective transceivers. A dominant state of one of the busses is sensed and data is transferred between the two transceivers in a direction from the dominant bus. The two busses are interfaced by a logic circuit interposed between the transceivers. A control circuit is coupled to the first and second logic units for mutually exclusively activating and deactivating the first and second logic units to control the direction of data transfer between the busses. |
| US07779193B2 |
Method and apparatus for external data transfer in a personal storage device
A micro-watt class sensing device uses host-computer Input/Output (I/O) capabilities when transferring data to/from the host-computer directly from/to memory in the sensing device. This capability allows data to be directly transferred (downloaded/uploaded) to/from the host system at a higher rate when a host system is present. |
| US07779191B2 |
Platform-based idle-time processing
A system and method for transitions a computing system between operating modes that have different power consumption characteristics. When a system management unit (SMU) determines that the computing system is in a low activity state, the SMU transitions the central processing unit (CPU) into a low power operating mode after the CPU stores critical operating state of the CPU in a memory. The SMU then intercepts and processes interrupts intended for the CPU, modifying a copy of the critical operating state. This effectively extends the time during which the CPU stays in lower power mode. When the SMU determines that the computing system exits a low activity state, the copy of the critical operating state is stored in the memory and the SMU transitions the CPU into a high power operating mode using the modified critical operating state. |
| US07779190B2 |
Arbitration device for arbitrating among a plurality of master devices, arbitration method, and video processing device including the arbitration device
An arbitration device arbitrates among master devices such that each master device is allowed to access a shared memory at a predetermined bandwidth, and the arbitration device permits an access request in a first period that a designer has set as desired if the access request has been made by a specific master device beyond a bandwidth that has been allocated in advance. The arbitration device masks an access request from the specific master device in a second period that follows the first period. |
| US07779183B2 |
Communication adapter for ambulant medical or therapeutic devices
The invention generally relates to a communication adapter for use with an ambulant medical device. The device carries out a data transmission to the communication adapter that carries out a data transmission to a computer by means of a data connection. The communication adapter processes the data to be read-out from the devices in such a fashion that it can be displayed on a computer without the use of specific software. |
| US07779175B2 |
System and method for rendezvous in a communications network
The present invention introduces the notions of a rendezvous component and rendezvous functionality into the communications network environment. Using the invention, an application can express information regarding when an operation requested of a device should complete and at which location, and it enables the device to perform its operations respecting this information while also improving the device's overall behavior. In an embodiment, one or more data objects are distributed across one or more collections of storage devices using a dispersal technique. When access to a data object is desired, a rendezvous component issues a set of constituent requests to the collections of storage devices. These requests typically include location and timing rendezvous parameters specifying a destination location where and a given time when a given data object is to be reconstituted. The data object is then reconstituted at the destination location and at the given time, while respecting a given characteristic of a storage device access model. In this embodiment, the collection of storage devices may comprise disk devices, and the requests are issued by a given application, such as a media server. |
| US07779174B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamically changing burst length using direct memory access control
A direct memory access controlling method includes checking a length value of remaining data corresponding to data remaining after transmission of the data stored in the source memory to the destination memory, and a currently set burst length value, comparing the length value of the remaining data with the currently set burst length value based on a result of the checking, and selectively changing the currently set burst length value based on a result of the comparing, and transmitting data to the destination memory. |
| US07779167B2 |
Universal integration system for auxiliary digital audio playback
A vehicle audio system 30 reconfigures with a PDAD 32 device by sending a series of queries through a supported channel, preferably a UART channel to the PDAD with the PDAD sending back requested control information 42 and meta-data housing information 46. |
| US07779163B2 |
Management of event order of occurrence on a network
Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that maintains an order of occurrence of events received from and transmitted to a communication medium. The communication controller includes an order of occurrence identification (OOO_ID) counter and an event queue memory. The event queue memory sequentially stores an event type identifier for each event that is processed by the communication controller. The OOO_ID counter provides an OOO_ID to associate with each event type identifier. |
| US07779162B2 |
Methods and systems for providing an asymmetric ethernet service
Methods and systems provide an asymmetric Ethernet service. An Ethernet network transports Ethernet frames over an asymmetric connection to a point of service for a subscriber located remotely from the Ethernet network, and the Ethernet connection is asymmetric in that the effective data transfer rates for uploading and downloading of data over the Ethernet connection are different. The subscriber may then have Ethernet capable network devices such as routers and computers linked to the point of service so that data transfer between the network devices of the subscriber and the Ethernet network occurs over the asymmetric Ethernet connection. The Ethernet network allows for communication between the network devices of the subscriber and any desired Ethernet network resources, such as network resources located on the Ethernet network or resources of downstream networks such as the global Internet that are available through the Ethernet network. |
| US07779154B2 |
Mobile telecommunication networks and digital broadcasting services
At integrated hybrid telecommunication system for providing voice, packet data and digital broadcast/multicast services to a mobile terminal (100) is disclosed. In an embodiment of the invention, the system includes a mobile telecommunication network (110) for providing lower bandwidth services and a digital broadband network (140) for delivering higher bandwidth broadcast content. In an embodiment, a broadcast service such as a video broadcast can be viewed by selecting the service on e.g. a portal page displayed on the mobile terminal (100). The request is received by the mobile telecommunication network (110), which is coupled to the broadcast network (140) for retrieving the associated service parameters. The service parameters are transmitted to the mobile terminal (100) via the mobile telecommunication network (110). The received parameters enable a broadcast receiver in the mobile terminal (100) to receive the broadcast service transmitted by the broadcast network (140). |
| US07779153B2 |
Automated collection of operational data from distributed medical devices
A system and method for automatically collecting at a data repository operational data from remotely distributed medical apparatus via a network, is disclosed, the method comprising: automatically capturing operational data at said medical apparatus; automatically selecting a route through the network for transferring said captured operational data to said data repository; and automatically transmitting said captured operational data to said central medical location via said selected network route. |
| US07779151B2 |
Notification system and method for a mobile data communication device
A scheme for replicating data items from a computer system to a mobile data communication device. In one embodiment, a method comprises one or more of the following: automatically detecting arrival of the data items at the computer system; characterizing the data items based on a characterization scheme; and redirecting the characterized data items from the computer system to the mobile data communication device, wherein the characterization scheme is adapted to correspond with a user-selectable notification scheme operable at the mobile data communication device. |
| US07779150B1 |
Enhanced channel access mechanisms for an HPNA network
A method and a system is disclosed for providing access in a centralized manner to a communications medium that is suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames. A plurality of messages are transmitted between a first enhanced station and a second enhanced station. Each transmitted message is transmitted in an enhanced frame that has timing to allow an Inter-Frame Gap (IFG). A blocking signal, such as a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal, is transmitted during at least one IFG between enhanced frames to mask the presence of the IFG to a non-enhanced STA. Alternatively, the blocking signal can be transmitted during at least one reply message. Contention-free access to the communications medium is also provided by transmitting messages in a highest priority level available in an HPNA v2 frame. |
| US07779149B2 |
Compound contents delivery method and delivery system
The present invention relates to a compound contents delivery method capable of reducing the network transmission quantity and of distributing the system processing load. The method according to the present invention comprises a compound contents element acquisition step of, in each of contents servers, acquiring a compound contents element undergoing a conversion into an encoding format for a portable terminal in corresponding relation to a contents portion which is an object of a fetching instruction in a contents portion fetching instruction step to return it to an intermediate apparatus and a production step of, in the intermediate apparatus, combining the compound contents elements returned from the contents servers according to time series on the basis of instruction information from a management server to produce compound contents oriented to the portable terminal. |
| US07779147B1 |
Method and system for advertisement placement based on network trail proximity
Users that visit a network site typically visit other sites in the same session. The surfing pattern or “trail” through the sites is significant because it may outline the underlining relationship between those sites. Once such data is available, the relationship between sites on the same user trails may be used to determine the placement of advertisements for sites by publishers. Additionally, the popularity or volume of traffic that navigates along a particular user trail may be used to affect the ranking/ordering of advertisements placed on a certain publisher site. An advertising broker may determine advertising pricing in part based on navigational path or user trail information. Thus, placing advertising on sites that are closer in proximity to the advertised site may cost more than placing advertising on sites not as close in proximity to the advertised site. |
| US07779146B2 |
Methods and systems for HTTP streaming using server-side pacing
Elements of the present invention relate to systems and methods for controlling the transmission rate of streaming processes. |
| US07779140B2 |
Method and system for switching media streams in a client system as directed by a control system
A method and system for switching media streams of a video in a client system. The media streams are made available to the client system by a content providing system. A first media stream received from the content providing system is played in a SHOW mode in the client system. A command is received from a control system to execute a procedure for deciding whether to switch from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream which has a different media stream bandwidth than the first media stream. The executed procedure decides to make the switch. The switch is made to playing the second media stream in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received from the content providing system in response having been requested from the content providing system. The switching preserves content continuity of the video. |
| US07779130B1 |
Method and apparatus to transfer a new data object from a data acquisition device to a user storage device
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for a data acquisition device to transfer a new data object to a user storage device. The method comprises detecting a new data object; determining an availability of one or more user storage devices to store the new data object in response to the detecting; establishing a communications session with at least one available user storage device; and sending the new data object to the at least one available user storage device for storage therein. |
| US07779127B2 |
System and method for determining a subset of transactions of a computing system for use in determing resource costs
A method comprises receiving a representative workload of a computing system, where the representative workload comprises a plurality of composite transactions. In certain embodiments, the representative workload is a historical workload of a computing system. In general, a composite transaction refers to a transaction that comprises a plurality of embedded transactions. The method further comprises determining a subset of the plurality of composite transactions for which a corresponding resource cost is to be determined; and determining, based at least in part on a statistical regression-based analysis, a resource cost for the composite transaction(s) in the determined subset, where the resource cost reflects an amount of utilization of at least one resource of the computing system in serving the composite transaction(s). |
| US07779122B2 |
Automatically identifying an optimal set of attributes to facilitate generating best practices for configuring a networked system
A method and system for automatically identifying an optimal set of attributes of entities included in a networked system. Entity types are ranked based on information gain. A first classification accuracy relative to a first entity type is determined. The first entity type is the top-ranked entity type or a first aggregate entity type. A second entity type is selected base on the ranking. A database join of a first set of attributes associated with the first entity type and a second set of attributes associated with the second entity type is performed. A second classification accuracy relative to a second aggregate entity type generated by the join is determined. In response to determining that the second classification accuracy is not greater than the first classification accuracy, an optimal set of attributes contributing to a problem in the networked system is identified as the first set of attributes. |
| US07779117B2 |
Monitoring digital images
Digital images are monitored by enabling access to a digital image, receiving a notification associated with the digital image from a first user, and regulating access of the first user to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user. |
| US07779115B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing client capability information over a network
In an instant message communication system, if a provider logs in to an instant message communication service, the provider supplies, via a server, main presence information to a consumer specified as a friend of the provider, wherein the main presence information is a basic part of presence information. The provider then acquires main presence information of the consumer. At the provider, consumers are registered in relation to respective capabilities of the provider. The provider supplies provider sub-presence information to each consumer to inform of the details of the capability related to the consumer. Furthermore, the provider acquires consumer sub-presence information indicating the details of a capability that the consumer has, and the provider manages the acquired information. Thus, information associated with the status of capabilities available in communication can be provided without imposing a high load on the transmission process. |
| US07779112B2 |
Method and device for deploying a distributed monitoring
A method and device for deploying a distributed monitoring of a computer system having a plurality of resources forming at least one monitored domain. The method includes specifying for each indicator to be deployed, the domain or domains of the computer system in which each indicator should be deployed and deploying the specified configuration using a configuration deployment agent that creates, for each resource to be monitored, a configuration agent to handle the creation of the indicators. |
| US07779111B2 |
Network device and network device managing method
To explicitly identify network devices without providing a database server using an IPv6 address. An IPv6 address for address management on a network is set in a network device connected to an IPv6 network and the network device keeps and maintains the address. An interface ID 12 of the IPv6 address is composed of a maker ID 13, a management ID 14, a device ID 15, and a function ID 16. Maker information kept and maintained by a maker of the network device is assigned to the maker ID 13 and a number indicating management by a device type is assigned as a number indicating a management system type to a device the management ID 14. The device ID 15 has numbers indicating a device type 17, a product type 18, and a product serial number 19. A number indicating a function of the network device is assigned to the function ID 16. |
| US07779104B2 |
Framework and programming model for efficient sense-and-respond system
A sense-and-response system that may include a server with a rules-engine where the server may receive sensor values for rules-engine operation from a plurality of sensors. The system may further include a controller that provides controller parameters to the server for the rules-engine operation. The server may provide to the controller rules-engine output based upon the controller parameters and sensor values related to the controller parameters. |
| US07779101B1 |
Method and apparatus for mapping and identifying the root causes of performance problems in network-based services
A method, apparatus and computer-program product for mapping and identifying root causes of performance problems in network based services, wherein the service is composed of applications and transactions, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of establishing a performance objective value, and a threshold value therefrom, for selected ones of the transactions for each of the applications, wherein the aggregate of the performance objective values insures a known service performance, monitoring a measure of performance for each of the selected transactions, generating an indication for each of the performance measures that exceeds a corresponding threshold value and determining the cause of the degradation by correlating the transactions generating the indication with the elements executing the transaction. |
| US07779100B2 |
Integrated access management of element management systems
Access to network elements of a telecommunications network is integrated through a common access point by an integrated access application which receives a request for communication with a network element. An element management system (EMS) group, including at least one EMS server, associated with the network element is identified. The at least one EMS server is queried to identify an active EMS server and to determine whether the active EMS server has an available connection sufficient to support the request. When the active EMS server has the available connection, the request is sent over the available connection. When the active EMS server does not have the available connection, the request may be buffered and, after a predetermined time, it is again determined whether the active EMS server has the available connection. When the request is sent, it may be multiplexed with other requests over the same available connection. |
| US07779097B2 |
Methods and systems for use in network management of content
The present embodiments provide methods, systems and apparatuses for use in managing content on at least a local network. Some embodiments provide a method for use in managing content that detects there is a change to content on a local network, determines whether the change is additional content on a first client device, determines whether the additional content can be identified, determines whether there is a predictive distribution scheme when the additional content is identified, distributes the additional content over the local network according the predictive distribution scheme when a predictive distribution scheme applies to the additional content, determines whether a new predictive distribution scheme can be defined when a predictive distribution scheme does not apply to the additional content, and saving the new predictive distribution scheme when a new predictive scheme can be defined. |
| US07779095B2 |
Apparatus for communicating with external apparatus, controlling method, and computer-readable storage medium
An apparatus receives an address for use in communication with an external apparatus and a lease period of the address. When the apparatus is switched into a state where the amount of electric power provided to the apparatus is reduced, the apparatus determines whether the address is valid based on the lease period of the address. If the address is valid, the apparatus carries out communication using the received address. |
| US07779094B2 |
Event problem report bundles in XML format
A network device may include logic configured to detect that an event has occurred in the network device, determine an XML document structure based on the detected event, and generate an XML document with the determined structure including information relating to the detected event. |
| US07779093B1 |
Proxy for network address allocation
This invention provides a method and apparatus for issuing or renewing a host address. The apparatus has an input device to receive a data packet having a host identifier, a memory to store a list of host identifiers, and a processor to match the host identifier with the list of host identifiers. If a match is found, an output device transmits the data packet to an address allocation device to issue or renew the host address. The method provides for retrieving the host identifier in the header of the data packet, matching the host identifier with a list of host identifiers, and maintaining a state of authentication for the host if a match is found, otherwise maintaining a state of unauthentication for the host. The method further provides for inserting a proxy address in a relay agent address field, setting a flag, and transmitting the data packet to an address allocation device to issue or renew the host address. The proxy address is also set in a server identifier address field and the flag is unflaged before any data packets are forwarded to the host. |
| US07779092B2 |
Method and system to manage services for multiple managed computer systems
A method to facilitate provision of services to a managed system (e.g., a PC, PDA, cell phone) includes causing installation of an agent application on the managed system, the agent application including an install component to install at least one of a plurality of service applications on the managed system. Each of the plurality of service applications is to facilitate provision of a service provided by a respective service provider of a number of service providers to the managed system. A service input (e.g., from an IT administrator) is received at the management system. The service input identifies a subset of a number of service applications to be installed on the managed system. The subset of service applications is distributed to the managed system for installation by the agent application on the managed system. |
| US07779089B2 |
Method and system for remote configuration of process data access servers
A remote configuration utility architecture is disclosed for a manufacturing/process control system data access server. Server agents, located on remote nodes, notify a configuration console of existing data access servers on the system. The configuration utility includes a control console from which a user selects one of the identified data access servers. Thereafter, the configuration console, via remote interfaces, obtains configuration parameters and associated rules associated with the selected data access server. The configuration utility thereafter displays the retrieved configuration information within a user interface faceplate defined for a type of configuration node selected for display/editing from the selected DAS. Using various faceplates for selected node types, the user creates, clears, examines and/or manipulates hierarchically arranged nodes for a configuration associated with the selected data access server. |
| US07779088B2 |
Autonomic learning method to load balance output transfers of two peer nodes
Disclosed are a system, a method, and a computer program product to provide for the optimization of the output transfer load balance between the peer computers transferring data to one or more storage devices. The peer computers receive, organize and transfer the data to storage devices. The data set is composed of a plurality of data transfers. After an initial division of the data transfers between the two peers, each peer will have assigned responsibility for a number of data transfers. If the one of the peer computers completes offloading transactions earlier than the other peer, then the peer that is still transferring data will employ the other peer to execute a portion of the remaining data transfers. The operation of the system is symmetrical in that either peer may assist the other peer depending upon which peer has idle time. In addition the operation is autonomous and self-adjusting resulting in the peer nodes optimizing the size of the portion of data transfers that are reassigned during the operation of the invention resulting in the minimization of idle time for either peer. The self-adjusting feature allows the system to react to changing conditions that affect data transfer rates to the storage devices. |
| US07779084B2 |
Process migration method computer and system
Process migration method includes copying first process context indicative of first processing, transmitting process context to second computer, causing first computer to start generation of first execution record, causing second computer to receive process context, determining, from first execution record, whether first processing should be migrated, if it is determined that first processing should postpone being migrated, finishing generation of first execution record, starting generation of second execution record, transmitting first execution record to second computer, reproducing process context, and determining, from second execution record, whether first processing should be migrated, after reproducing of process context is finished in the second computer. |
| US07779078B2 |
Method and system for managing multimedia messages in a mobile communication systems
A system and method for managing multimedia messages, wherein a mobile terminal for sends a multimedia message including multimedia data having a storage directory and a disclosure level set according by a user, a multimedia messaging service center stores the multimedia data included in the multimedia message in a directory of a multimedia message box corresponding to the set storage directory, and a web server detects an access level of a web user requesting access to the multimedia data, and offers the multimedia data stored in the corresponding directory to the web user, when the detected access level is identical to the disclosure level set for the multimedia data. |
| US07779077B2 |
File transmission method in instant messaging service and mobile communications terminal for supporting the same
A file transmission method in an instant messaging service by which clients can transmit files to each other during an instant messaging using a mobile communications terminal, and the mobile communications terminal for supporting the same, wherein clients can transmit and receive the file to/from each other while using an instant messaging service, using a new command related to the file transmission which is added to a protocol between a server and a client for a wireless instant messaging and using an MMS function, so that the clients can share files with each other. |
| US07779068B2 |
System and method for intelligent web content fetch and delivery of any whole and partial undelivered objects in ascending order of object size
A Web content fetch and delivery system is disclosed. The system comprises a proxy server configured for receiving requests for content from requesting end user browsers and fetching the content from content provider servers over at least one communication network. The proxy server is programmed for maintaining a log of all content fetched including a time of the fetch and the requesting end user browser, and storing associations between content fetched within a fixed time period by the same requesting end user browser. When subsequent requests for particular content are received by the proxy server, the proxy server will pre-fetch all content associated with that particular requested content. |
| US07779064B2 |
Method and system for efficient and dynamically adaptable digitally-encoded-information distribution
Embodiments of the present invention include efficient and dynamically self-adaptive digitally-encoded-information distribution systems that monitor digitally-encoded information transactions in order to continuously reconfigure themselves by redistributing stored digitally-encoded information among computer systems that together compose the digitally-encoded-information distribution systems and by dynamically balancing tradeoffs between storing particular encodings of particular information objects and generating particular encodings of particular information objects only as needed to satisfy requests. Distribution efficiency is further optimized by ensuring that the types, configurations, capacities, and capabilities of requesting consumer-electronics devices are accurately and precisely determined, so that stored information appropriately encoded for requesting consumer-electronics devices can be efficiently located or generated for rapid delivery to requesting devices. |
| US07779061B2 |
Repetitive controller for compensation of periodic signals
A repetitive controller scheme with positive feedback and feedforward introduces infinitely many poles on the imaginary axis located at the resonant peaks. The feedforward introduces zeros, which produce notches located in between two consecutive resonant peaks. The latter has the advantage of making the controller more selective, in the sense that; the original overlapping (appearing at the valleys in a simple positive feedback repetitive controller) or interaction between consecutive resonant peaks is removed by the notches. This would allow, in principle, peaks of higher gains and slightly wider bandwidth, avoiding, at the same time, the excitation of harmonics located in between two consecutive peaks. The repetitive controller includes a simple Low Pass Filter (LPF). This modification restricts the bandwidth of the controller and at the same time reinforces stability when the controller is inserted in the closed-loop system. |
| US07779060B2 |
Method of generating a chaos-based pseudo-random sequence and a hardware generator of chaos-based pseudo random bit sequences
A method for generating cryptographically secure (or unpredictable) pseudo-random numbers uses simple functions whose inverse is not a well-defined function and has a large number of branches, although the inverse could be easily computed on each particular branch. In this way the sequence of numbers is practically unpredictable and at the same time may be generated using very simple functions. A generator of such a pseudo-random bit sequence comprises circuit means for storing bit strings representing integer numbers of the pseudo-random sequence; a shift register coupled to the circuit means; a command circuit generating shift commands for the shift register; second circuit means for storing the bits output by the shift register; an adder modulo 2 summing the bits stored in the second circuit means, generating a bit of the chaos-based pseudo-random bit sequence; a second adder summing up the bit strings currently stored in the shift register and in the first circuit means, generating a bit string representing a successive number of the pseudo-random sequence. |
| US07779059B2 |
Geocoding and address hygiene system employing point level and centerline data sets
A method for processing two different types of geographic address data sets to establish candidate matched data includes entering address data into the system and accessing a point level address data set. A determination is made if the point level data set contains an exact match to the entered address data. Any exact address data match from the point level data set is output. Candidate address data matches from the point level data set are saved when no exact match is determined as existing in the point level data set. A centerline address data set is accessed and a determination is made of candidate address data matches from the centerline address data set. Candidate address data from both the point level data set and the centerline data set are scored and matched.A system for geocoding and address hygiene includes a processing system with an input and an output system coupled to said processing system. A point level data set is coupled to the processing system. A centerline data set is coupled to the processing system. A cascade geocoding scoring and matching engine is coupled to the processing system. |
| US07779057B2 |
Method and apparatus for retrieving and sorting entries from a directory
Method and system for retrieving and sorting data entries in a directory is provided. A unique predetermined identifier is stored in a directory. The unique predetermined identifier is assigned as a relative distinguished name (RDN) for at least two entries, where the unique predetermined identifier is monotonically increased for each entry. |
| US07779054B1 |
Heuristic-based resumption of fully-young garbage collection intervals
A method for heuristic-based resumption of fully-young garbage collection intervals comprises allocating memory to objects within one or more regions of a heap partitioned into a plurality of regions, and classifying each heap region as belonging to a category of a plurality of categories based at least in part on the recency of allocation of objects within the regions. The method may further comprise determining, using a garbage collection efficiency metric, whether regions belonging to a first category of the plurality of categories are to be excluded from a collection set of a particular garbage collection interval on the heap. In response to determining that the first category of regions is to be excluded, the method may comprise selecting a collection set that does not include any regions of the first category, and reclaiming memory from that collection set. |
| US07779050B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for data modeling and processing
A method and system to process a domain. A domain is modeled with one or more domain models. Support models are generated from domain models. An ontological system utilizes the support models to interact with and manipulate the domain models. Further, the support models are used to describe domain model states. |
| US07779047B2 |
Pluggable merge patterns for data access services
Provided are techniques for storing data. Invocation of a data access service is received, wherein the invocation identifies a data structure storing one or more data elements having a data format. An update handler to be plugged into a data access framework is identified, wherein the update handler processes data elements having the data format. Under control of the update handler, data elements are accessed in the data structure; one or more statements for storing the data elements into the data store are determined; and the one or more statements are forwarded to the data access framework. |
| US07779039B2 |
Custom entities and fields in a multi-tenant database system
Systems and methods for hosting variable schema data such as dynamic tables and columns in a fixed physical database schema. Standard objects, such as tables are provided for use by multiple tenants or organizations in a multi-tenant database system. Each organization may add or define custom fields for inclusion in a standard object. Custom fields for multiple tenants are stored in a single field within the object data structure, and this single field may contain different data types for each tenant. Indexing columns are also provided, wherein a tenant may designate a field for indexing. Data values for designated fields are copied to an index column, and each index column may include multiple data types. Each organization may also define custom objects including custom fields and indexing columns. Custom objects for multiple tenants are stored in a single custom object data structure. The primary key values for the single custom object table are globally unique, but also include an object-specific identifier which may be re-used among different entities. |
| US07779035B2 |
Consistent browser file download
According to the invention, a system for downloading audio or video to a browser is disclosed. The system includes a media server, a content database and a web page. The content database includes the content object, and the content database is linked to the media server. The web page presented to the browser and includes a link to the content object. The link avoids activating an autoplay feature of the browsers should the link be activated. |
| US07779032B1 |
Forensic feature extraction and cross drive analysis
Computer-based systems and methods enable analysts to manage and explore the information that hard drives and other storage devices or sources of data may contain, and for extracting forensic features and performing cross drive analysis. |
| US07779031B2 |
Multidimensional query simplification using data access service having local calculation engine
An enterprise business intelligence system includes a data access service that provides consistent availability of functionality for querying multidimensional data sources regardless of the capabilities of the underlying data sources. The data access service disassembles a multidimensional query into execution units, and may optimize the multidimensional query such that individual execution units may be executed locally or remotely to achieve increase computational efficiently. |
| US07779030B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing content using remote user interface
A method and apparatus are provided for managing content using a remote user interface (RUI). A method for a first RUI server to provide content to a second RUI server includes: receiving a request to provide content from a device using an RUI provided by the first RUI server; and transmitting access information of the content to the second RUI server, wherein the device is an RUI client to which RUIs from the first RUI server and the second RUI server are provided. Accordingly, since the providing and use of content between a plurality of RUI servers can be managed through RUIs in remote, every RUI client, which can receive an RUI, can control content transmission between the plurality of RUI servers. |
| US07779027B2 |
Methods, systems, architectures and data structures for delivering software via a network
Methods and systems for network-based or Internet-based software delivery are described. In one embodiment, an application program or software platform resides on a client and is configured so that it is extensible based on software extensions that are deliverable over a network such as the Internet. Various extensions can be developed by third party developers for incorporation into the program or platform. |
| US07779026B2 |
Method and apparatus for collecting and displaying network device information
In one particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a network management system. The network monitoring system includes at least one device definition file, a simple network management protocol enabled communications interface, and a data access interface. The definition file includes query instructions associated with portions of MIBs associated with a network device. The simple network management protocol enabled communications interface may access the network device using the query instructions and may receive response data from the network device. The data access interface may be configured to provide external access to the response data and configure thresholds. |
| US07779025B2 |
System and method for evaluating data sets over a communications network
The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing researchers with a computer-assisted tool to evaluate, over a communications network, large electronic data sets stored on a remote server. The system allows the centralization of multiple data manipulation and analysis software modules co-located with the large data sets to reduce the amount of data from the data sets and software that has to be downloaded to a particular user's client computer. The system is designed to accommodate multiple researchers located at different geographic locations each of whom may have, with regard to the data, different scientific research objectives. |
| US07779023B2 |
Intelligent internet website with hierarchical menu
An internet website which presents a hierarchical menu structure to users includes a personalization engine 14 to automatically modify the menu structure for each user at least according to that user's previous browsing history at the site. In one embodiment the engine 14 provides, as menu options for a selected menu page of the hierarchical menu, a plurality of the most probable links which the user may wish to reach from the selected menu page. In another embodiment there are provided, as additional menu options for a particular menu page, a plurality of links which are similar, as determined by meeting a predetermined similarity metric, to menu options present on the particular menu page other than through meeting the similarity metric. |
| US07779019B2 |
Linear combination of rankers
Described herein is a system that includes a receiver component that receives first scores for training points and second scores for the training points, wherein the first scores are individually assigned to the training points by a first ranker component and the second scores are individually assigned to the training points by a second ranker component. The apparatus further includes a determiner component in communication with the receiver component that automatically outputs a value for a parameter α based at least in part upon the first scores and the second scores, wherein α is used to linearly combine the first ranker component and the second ranker component. |
| US07779018B2 |
Presentation of data using meta-morphing
A computer-implemented method for presenting data is disclosed. The method includes determining items in a question that are contained in a predefined list of items and are defined to be measures or dimensions, determining an association based on the determined items and, based on the determined association, retrieving presentation properties related to a stored association, applying the determined association query the database, and retrieving data which is presented using the presentation properties. The method also includes registering a count that representing a frequency of use of the presentation properties. |
| US07779017B2 |
Employing abstract pipeline component connections to maintain data flow
The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for connecting pipeline components such as data flow pipeline components. Pipeline components are wrapped in metadata components that include the component as well as abstracted metadata in the form of input and output metadata descriptors. A connector can arbitrate metadata differences between pipeline components based on the metadata descriptors, thereby preventing upstream modifications from invalidating or breaking components downstream. Native or plug-in heuristic and/or related components can provide the functionality necessary to resolve metadata differences. |
| US07779013B2 |
System and method for determining a quantitative measure of search efficiency of related web pages
A system and method for determining a quantitative measure of search efficiency of related Web pages. An information goal is specified. A target Web page is identified within a plurality of Web pages. The information goal is searched via a search function in the Web pages to identify potential Web pages that include at least one hyperlink referencing and proximal cues relating to distal content included in another potential Web page. An activation network is formed. A directed graph is built, including nodes corresponding to the potential Web pages and arcs corresponding to the hyperlinks. A weight is assigned to each arc to represent a probability of traversal of the corresponding hyperlink based on a relatedness of keywords in the information goal to the proximal cues. A traversal through the activation network to the node corresponding to the target Web page is evaluated as a quantitative measure of search efficiency. |
| US07779009B2 |
Web query classification
A query phrase may be automatically classified to one or more topics of interest (e.g., categories) to assist in routing the query phrase to one or more appropriate backend databases. A selectional preference query classification technique may be used to classify the query phrase based on a comparison between the query phrase and patterns of query phrases. Additionally, or alternatively, a combination of query classification techniques may be used to classify the query phrase. Topical classification of a query phrase also may be used to assist a search system in delivering auxiliary information to a user who entered the query phrase. Advertisements, for instance, may be tailored based on classification rather than query keywords. |
| US07779005B2 |
Database management apparatus and method of managing database
Information on a referenced class or a referenced property is extracted from at least one referenced dictionary having a referencing relation with a referencing dictionary having the hierarchical structure, in which lower classes inherit the properties of upper classes; the extracted information is added to the referencing dictionary and organized; the extracted detailed information is outputted organized referencing dictionary. Thus, the detailed information on an imported property may be acquired simply at the side of the referencing dictionary. In addition, since only the information on the referenced class or property in the referenced dictionary is separately extracted, traffic of the dictionary data may be reduced, and the efficient inter-dictionary data exchange can be realized. |
| US07778992B2 |
Computing resource selection method and system
A selection method and system. The method includes enabling, by a computing system for a requester, access to the computing system. The computing system comprises a memory system. The memory system comprises group based access control data and computing resource data organized based on an XML schema that comprises a recursive format used to support a plurality of branch levels in a resource tree. The computing system associates first group data of the group based access control data with the requester. The computing system receives from the requester, a first request for accessing the computing resource data. The computing system associates the first group data with a first group of computing resources of the computing resource data. The computing system generates a first list comprising attribute values for the first group of computing resources. The computing system stores the first list. |
| US07778982B2 |
System for processing and using electronic documents
The illustrative embodiments provide a system and method for processing a document. A data storage unit is provided to store data corresponding to the document, several documents processed at a previous time, and a set of rules. A rule in the set of rules may include a rule identifier, a directive to proceed to a second rule based on a condition, a specification of a data component, the specification configured to include a data component identifier, a data component attribute, and a directive to proceed to a second specification of a second data component based on a second condition. A rules-based engine is provided that may communicate with the data storage unit and may execute a rule in the set of rules. The set of rules may include rules for parsing, validating, identifying, relating, selecting, extracting, transforming, generating, analyzing, error correcting, reporting, and sending. |
| US07778979B2 |
Method and apparatus for compressing log record information
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for compressing a log record information provided e.g. to a monitoring system. Frequent patterns in the log information are detected and, then, redundant frequent patterns whose value or record combination is a subset of a value or record combination of another one of said detected frequent patterns are removed. Accordingly, a general method is provided which can be applied to all event logs arising from communication networks or other monitoring systems. The detection of frequent patterns is only based on value or record combinations and is thus independent of the specific application. On the other hand, the size of the stored log files can be decreased remarkably while remaining readable for human beings. |
| US07778964B2 |
System and method for providing post HOC access to legacy applications and data
A method and architecture having components for performing a method comprising the steps of: forming a simple bi-directional communication link between each of the clients and a server; and, transmitting along the communication link at least one of two kinds of messages comprising a first message which is a synchronous query/response, and a second message which is an asynchronous subscription based event notification, to allow arbitrary data structures to be rendered into a standard communication format. |
| US07778962B2 |
Client store synchronization through intermediary store change packets
The subject invention pertains to systems and methods of data item synchronization. More specifically, the invention concerns synchronization of data entities utilizing an intermediary or shared storage system and associated data store. Each client sync device can include or be associated with an interface that facilitates communication between client synchronization devices and the intermediary storage system. The interface can send change information to the shared store utilizing change data packets including a data change attribute, a prerequisite knowledge attribute and a learned knowledge attribute. The data change attribute can specify changes to be made to certain data, while the attribute can include a complete copy or reference to a complete copy or single instance of data. |
| US07778960B1 |
Background movement of data between nodes in a storage cluster
A method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are described for the background movement of data between nodes in a storage cluster. According to one method, exception tables are generated that include data identifying the areas on each node that need to be migrated to another node and the areas on each node that are to be migrated from another node. The exception tables may be generated in response to the failure of a node in the storage cluster or in other circumstances. A background resynchronization thread utilizes the contents of the exception tables to migrate data between the nodes of the cluster, thereby synchronizing the data stored on the nodes. Input/output operations directed to an area that is to be migrated from another node are redirected to the other node. The methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable medium may be utilized with operations including the rebuilding, expansion, contraction, and compaction of a storage cluster. |
| US07778959B2 |
Protecting storages volumes with mock replication
A file server and a data protection manager server can work in tandem to efficiently backup protected volumes, and also provide efficient access to replicas of the protected volumes. In one implementation, a file server institutes a mock replication process, in which the file server observes data associated with write operations in one or more protected volumes. Appropriate volume allocation information can then be determined, which can be used to allocate log file, spill log file, replica volume, and shadow copy volume sizes, both at the file server and at the data protection manager server. In one implementation, the file server or data protection manager server automatically determines volume allocation information and automatically provides this information to the data protection manager server. The data protection manager server can then compare the volume allocation information with identified characteristics of its storage mediums, and implements an appropriate, efficient backup policy. |
| US07778953B2 |
Document management apparatus and document management method
A document management apparatus according to the invention is aimed at easily processing, managing and reusing newly taken image data in accordance with user's needs. The apparatus includes: a document area analyzing unit; a text information analyzing unit; a text information semantic analysis unit; a managing unit; an integrated information presenting unit; and a user-designated semantic setting unit capable of allowing the user to change the semantics of the text information presented by the integrated information presenting unit and to set the changed semantics. |
| US07778951B2 |
Efficient construction of quantum computational clusters using Hadamard rotations
A method of creating two-dimensional quantum computational cluster states is demonstrated that is considerably more efficient than previously proposed approaches. The method uses local unitaries and type-I fusion operations. The increased efficiency of the method compared to previously proposed constructions is obtained by identifying and exploiting local equivalence properties inherent in cluster states. |
| US07778947B2 |
Anomaly monitoring device using two competitive neural networks
An anomaly monitoring device includes two neural networks which are switchable between a training mode by using training samples and a checking mode for classifying, based on a training result, whether an amount of characteristics obtained by an operation of an apparatus indicates that the operation of an apparatus is normal and a mode switching unit controlling one of the neural networks to operate in training mode and the other neural network to operate in the checking mode. Further, the anomaly monitoring device includes a switching determining unit computing a judgment evaluation value serving to evaluate reliability of a judgment result of the other neural network operating in the checking mode, and for instructing the mode switching unit to have the one of the neural networks operate in the checking mode and the other neural network operate in training mode when the judgment evaluation value does not meet evaluation criteria. |
| US07778943B2 |
Stochastic evidence aggregation system of failure modes utilizing a modified dempster-shafer theory
A system for obtaining diagnostic information, such as evidence about a mechanism, within an algorithmic framework, including filtering and aggregating the information through, for instance, a stochastic process. The output may be an overall belief value relative to a presence of an item such as, for example, a fault in the mechanism. |
| US07778940B2 |
System and method for creating and operating an enhanced distributed energy network or virtual power plant
A system and method for operating a distributed power generation system comprising one or more Local Production Units (LPPUs) is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving and storing data relating to the operating performance of a plurality of LPPUs, receiving and storing data relating to the local power consumption for the plurality of LPPUs, determining the available aggregate quantity of excess power generation capacity for the plurality of LPPUs based upon the operating performance data and the power consumption data, communicating to at least one power purchasing entity an offer to sell at least part of the available aggregate quantity of excess power generation capacity, receiving from at least one power purchasing entity an order to purchase, and communicating with the plurality of LPPUs to provide each LPPU with instructions regarding the quantity of power to be produced. The system includes means for performing each of these steps. |
| US07778939B2 |
Outbound mail piece tracking
The exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a way for low-volume mailers to track individual outbound mail pieces, including tracking of individual U.S. Postal Service FIRST-CLASS MAIL® letters. The exemplary embodiment of the present invention encodes a unique mail piece tracking identifier as a CONFIRM® service identifier in a graphic symbology. The unique mail piece tracking identifier of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention conforms with requirements of a CONFIRM® service identifier, while at the same time, provides, for a defined period of time, mail-piece-level uniqueness for first class and other mail class mail piece tracking. |
| US07778938B2 |
System and method for screening of job applicants
A method and system for objectively evaluating job applicants utilizing a computer system is disclosed. This includes allowing the job applicant to answer a series of predetermined job related profile questions, providing a numeral score associated with each response, and tabulating the total score for all responses so that each job applicant can be objectively compared to other job applicants. The questions selected and numerical weight of each response can be custom tailored for each position. There is also a method and system for creating interview questions for job applicants utilizing a computer system is disclosed. Moreover, there is a method and system for managing the recruiting process for job applicants. This includes flexible shifting of job applicant responsibility among numerous personnel on a global basis and sharing information including objective test scores and interview questions. |
| US07778929B2 |
Online music and other copyrighted work search and licensing system
Search and licensing systems and method for copyrighted works, such as music tracks, images, and video. The system may comprise a database that stores data regarding copyrighted works. The system may also comprise a search engine for allowing a user to search the database for copyrighted works. The system also comprises a licensing module that implements licensing negotiations between the user and a copyright licensor for a selected copyrighted work selected by the user. The licensing module may send an electronic quote request via email to the licensor in response from a license request from the user. The email may contain an activation link to a web site at which the licensor can enter a quote for a license to use the copyrighted work in accordance with use details input by the user. Also disclosed are systems and methods for automating licensing negotiations for copyrighted works detected and recognized in uploaded files (such as video files) to be distributed via the Internet or other communication networks. |
| US07778921B2 |
Guaranteed negotiation system and method
A system and method for facilitating the negotiation of credits. The bank issuing the credit and a nominated bank agree to program conditions pursuant to which the nominated bank, based upon its own examination of documents presented under the credit and before said documents are forwarded to, received, and accepted by the issuing bank, will pay, accept, or negotiate the credit with no or limited recourse to the issuing bank for discrepancies in the documents. |
| US07778919B2 |
Method for managing distributed trading data
In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a computer-implemented system and method of managing market information across a network of data providers, comprising the steps of: (a) electronically receiving first data including confidential information regarding market participants in a first system that protects said first data behind a firewall; (b) electronically receiving second data including confidential information regarding market participants in a second system that protects said second data behind a firewall; (c) electronically receiving an order and targeting parameters from a first market participant; (d) electronically issuing an advertisement request message to said first system and said second system, said advertisement message comprising display attributes of said order and comprising said targeting parameters; (e) electronically prompting said first system and said second system via the advertisement request message to each send a coordination request message to a Coordination Hub, said coordination request message comprising information deduced from said confidential information regarding market participants in said first and second systems, wherein the selection of the information that is sent to the Coordination Hub is based at least in part on said first market participant's targeting parameters; (f) electronically prompting based on the coordination request message said Coordination Hub to issue permissions to advertise the order to selected market participants, wherein market participants are selected based, at least in part, on said received information regarding market participants; and (g) electronically prompting based on the permission to advertise the order said first system and said second system to route information about said order from first participant to said selected market participants. |
| US07778918B2 |
System and method for providing an index linked to separately managed accounts
A system comprises a memory operable to store a master index that is based at least in part on a separately managed account (SMA) index, a market index, a first weight associated with the SMA index, and a second weight associated with the market index. The system further comprises a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to update the first weight based at least in part on the market index. The processor is further operable to update the second weight based at least in part on the SMA index. The processor is further operable to update the master index based at least in part on the SMA index, the market index, the updated first weight, and the updated second weight. The processor is further operable to store the updated master index in a memory. |
| US07778914B1 |
Method and apparatus for agreement netting
A system, method, apparatus, computer program code and means for performing a netting analysis of an agreement is provided. Pursuant to some embodiments, the netting analysis is performed by receiving agreement information, the agreement information identifying a party and a counterparty. The agreement information is compared with a netting rule. A netting determination for the agreement is generated based at least in part on a result of the comparing. |
| US07778909B2 |
System and method for updating valuation data relating to pass-through securities
A system and method for updating and applying a financial outcome of transactions involving pass-through securities to portfolios associated with the transactions by updating valuation data associated with the pass-through securities found during a search of a trade database, computing a financial outcome of the transactions found based on the updated valuation data and applying the computed financial outcome to the portfolios of investments involved in the transactions. |
| US07778906B2 |
Method and system for analyzing financial data to determine the cost of fraud
A system for analyzing financial data to determine the cost of fraud related to financial presentation devices that are presentable to providers of goods or services is provided. A fraud assessment module executable by a processor receives sales data and operating cost data both related to financial presentation devices and determines a direct fraud loss and fraud operating cost based on the received data. |
| US07778904B1 |
Method for providing an affordable housing collateralization pool
The present invention is a method for providing a low cost source of mortgage funding to sub-prime borrowers which reduces the desire of quality sub-prime borrowers to leave the mortgage pool. A lender may receive an amount of money from a financial institution in the form of a borrowing instrument. A lender may deliver an amount of money in the form of a collateralization loan to a housing agency. Housing agency may invest loan in one or more financial products, such as lender underwritten insurance policies. Housing agency may deliver individual mortgage loan recommendations to lender. Lender may borrow funds used in the collateralization loan by selling the interest bearing borrowing instrument to a financial institution. Lender may also sell individual mortgage loans to one or more government sponsored entities. From these financial products, borrowing instruments, and individual mortgages, mortgage funding may be provided to sub-prime borrowers. |
| US07778903B2 |
Direct payment with token
According to the invention, a method for transferring funds from a payor to one or more payees using a wide area network when the transfer information is incomplete at some point is disclosed. In one step, initial transfer information for a transfer of funds from the payor to the payee is received. In another step, supplemental transfer information for the transfer of funds from the payor to the payee is received. The transfer of funds from the payor to the payee is completed using both the initial transfer information for the transfer of funds from the payor to the payee and the supplemental transfer information for the transfer of funds from the payor to the payee. |
| US07778900B2 |
Method and software application for computer-aided cash collection
Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media describe the computerized processing of invoices. Invoices having a balance larger or smaller than preselectable values are selected from a plurality of invoices presented to two or more customers. It is determined whether payments according to the selected invoices have been made before or at the time of selection, and invoices that have been partially paid or not paid are automatically presented to a collector or collection specialist. |
| US07778899B2 |
Method and system for object-oriented workflow management of multi-dimensional data
Methods and systems for managing and analyzing multi-dimensional data are provided. Example embodiments provide a Meta-Object Data Management System “MODMS,” which enables users to arrange and to rearrange the hierarchical relationships of the data on an ad-hoc basis and allows the data to be analyzed using any set of attributes (dimensions) while the system is running. The MODMS represents heterogeneous data in a normalized (standardized) fashion using an object type management system that allows the coercion of one type of object into another different type of object and automatically resolves attribute dependencies. The MODMS supports object transitions for transforming an object from one type to another based upon meeting a defined set of criteria and subject to approval by designated entities. In one embodiment, the MODMS is used to implement an enterprise portfolio management system. |
| US07778898B2 |
Knowledge portal for evaluating product attractiveness and risk
A method and system is provided to uniformly evaluate product characteristics and identifying risk factors associated with the products so that a comprehensive scoring system provides an attractiveness score by age brackets and also provides for a consistent quantification process so that an overall characterization may be viewed by a color coded scoring scheme. The scoring system is based on predetermined scores created for age brackets and pre-identified product attributes. Through user feedback a new product may be evaluated using a series of questions that are associated with the predetermined scores producing an overall attractiveness score. Through another set of questions and predetermined mitigation scores, a mitigations score may be developed for the product so that by combining the attractiveness score with the mitigation score and comprehensive product score may be produced indicative of risk. The invention also provides for exploring various categories of characteristics that may lead to particular behavioral responses to the product by age group. |
| US07778892B2 |
Bonus depreciation record and proposal system
A system has been invented that enables recording and proposing bonus depreciations, with a variety of advantageous features. The system enables a computing device to receive user-defined bonus depreciations, receive records of assets, and propose values for the bonus depreciations as applied to the assets. Bonus depreciations may be recorded and associated with several different classifications of assets, enabling the right bonus depreciations to be proposed for the right assets as they are recorded. This may include applying several bonus depreciations to the same assets while maximizing bonus depreciations within statutory requirements. |
| US07778890B1 |
Methods and systems for distributing information within a dynamically defined community
One embodiment of the present invention distributes data via a network to remotely located users. Historical purchase information for a first user is stored in a database. Authorization is received over a network from the first user allowing a second user to view at least a portion of the historical purchase information. In addition, the first user selectively specifies which historical purchase information may be viewed by the second customer. An electronic notification is transmitted to the second user, wherein the notification informs the second user of the first user's authorization. |
| US07778889B2 |
Modular e-commerce web site development system
A system in accordance with the invention creates a predesigned software product generally for e-commerce applications that is modifiable by a company-user in terms of not only look and feel, but also functionality and flow. Such a system includes a set of predesigned business modules where each business module performs a unique function. Each business module is accompanied by a respective set of templates, each of which models a web page. Within each template is embedded one or more commands. To customize its system, the company-user (1) selects which business modules it desires, (2) selects which templates it desires to use with each business module, and (3) customizes each template in terms of look and feel. By selecting the modules, the company-user determines the system's overall functionality, and by selecting the templates, the company-user determines the look and feel and flow of the system. Once customized, the company-user populates a database for use of the system with company-specific data. |
| US07778883B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for managing an electronic contract
A system and method for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, and for electronically facilitating subsequent contractual activities executed pursuant to a contract. The contract comprises a Business Rules Book containing a set of rules from which specific rules may be selected for inclusion in the contract. A Terms and Conditions Set representing a unique set of instances of rules selected from the Business Rules Book is selected from a plurality of stored Terms and Conditions Sets. The seller and the buyer settle the provisions of the contract by agreeing to a mutually acceptable set of Terms and Conditions. The administering organization creates a Product List Filter specific to each seller or buyer, targeting products in which there is a mutual interest. The Business Rules Book, Terms and Conditions and Product List Filter are linked in a contract profile, to create a contract representing the agreement between the seller and the buyer, and the contract is locked. The Product List Filter allows the product list visible to the buyer or seller to be altered unilaterally by the administering organization, by modifications to the master product list. |
| US07778882B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for automatic real-time iterative commercial transactions over the internet in a multiple-buyer, multiple-seller marketplace, optimizing both buyer and seller needs based upon the dynamics of market conditions
A method of communications network shopping by buyers of products and services for purchasing such from sellers in which buyers request an automatic reverse auctioneer or auction controller to initiate a reverse auction in real time amongst willing sellers and to solicit their automatic real-time iterative bidding price quotations for such products and services to be returned automatically over the network back to the controller under the iterative processing guidance of the controller to assure a best bid price quotation for the buyer; and automatically effecting buyer notification or purchase at such best price, all while the buyer may remain on-line, and without any manual intervention. |
| US07778872B2 |
Methods and apparatus for ordering advertisements based on performance information and price information
An ordering of advertisements requested by an ad consumer is based on scores generated for the ads. In each case, a score may be a function of at least one performance parameter associated with the ad and/or a price parameter associated with the ad. The ad consumer may generate presentation information (e.g., a Web page) including advertisements and non-advertisement content (e.g., search results) by (i) accepting the non-advertisement content and advertisements, each of the advertisements including a score, and (ii) combining the non-advertisement content and the advertisements such that relative placements of the advertisements are based on their associated scores. |
| US07778870B1 |
System and method for managing, monitoring and reporting on a plurality of online incentive programs
A system and method for centralizing the creation, approval, monitoring and managing of a plurality of incentive reward or spiff programs. The system preferably includes a host system that allows program managers, an administrator and participants to access the system in connection with spiff programs. The system also may monitor and report on the effectiveness of the spiff programs to permit the program manager to increase its return on investment. Once a spiff program is approved, registered participants are automatically enrolled in the program. Upon the entering or receipt of sales information, the system automatically begins the claims process for all eligible products. Centralizing the available spiff programs allows the participants to combine rewards and simplifies tax issues. The users may also view various reports on the spiff programs and directly communicate with one another. |
| US07778863B2 |
System and method for customer behavior movement frequency prediction in a store
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a behavior prediction apparatus including: an area attribute database which stores area attributes of each of a plurality of areas in an activity area of customers; an inter-area attribute database which stores inter-area attributes between two areas; a behavior history database which stores behavior history of the customers in the activity area; a movement frequency database generator which generates a movement frequency database representing a movement frequency between the two areas on the basis of the individual behavior history database; and a movement frequency model estimator which estimates a value of a parameter in a movement frequency model having area attributes and inter-area attributes as its input and a movement frequency as its output. |
| US07778858B1 |
Linking unable to respond messages to entries in electronic calendar
The present invention is directed to the storage of a customized greeting in an on-line calendar entry of a subscriber and providing the customized greeting to a contactor contacting the subscriber when the calendar entry is current. |
| US07778856B2 |
System and method for measuring and managing operational risk
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of modeling operational risk comprising the steps of: defining one or more reporting hierarchies, wherein said reporting hierarchies are composed of operational units; associating operational risk data to one or more of said operational units, wherein said operational risk data includes data associated with a plurality of first loss events; and calibrating a plurality of loss processes and a plurality of loss process attributes using said plurality of first loss events, wherein a plurality of loss processes are generated for use in at least one of risk management, operations management, and financial management. |
| US07778851B2 |
Medical information system
A medical information system receives patient data and information from various sources and displays such information in a variety of formats for use by member of a medical team in a hospital, clinic, or office. The system receives patient information from doctors, pharmacists, patient monitoring equipment, testing laboratories, and/or computer databases. Access to selected subsets of patient information is provided by user selection of specific data sets identified by job function selection icons. Multiple types of patient data are selectively displayed simultaneously, and to multiple remote users. The system can access stored data according to user-specified formulae to compute a score or metric which reflects a relationship between various factors, each factor being weighted appropriately according to its significance as defined in the formula. |
| US07778849B1 |
Data accuracy filter for integrated emergency medical transportation database system
An integrated medical database system for the emergency medical transportation business. The system includes a dispatch module, clinical module, administration module and billing module. Each module may communicate data with one or more of the other modules to form a system incorporating data sharing, thus achieving an end-to-end automation of emergency medical care accounting. Internal consistency checks using specific libraries of modifiable data rules are performed by the system to ensure that proper treatments are performed according to a chosen diagnosis. The system includes a demographic data accuracy filter operating on patient data prior to the billing module. |
| US07778845B2 |
Multiple patient monitoring system for proactive health management
A system and method for monitoring a group of patients having a chronic disease or ongoing health condition. The method includes the step of collecting from each patient a corresponding set of measurements of a control parameter of the health condition. Each set of measurements has a collection date. A control value is calculated for each patient from the corresponding set of measurements. The method further includes the steps of generating and displaying a group overview chart having one data point for each patient. Each data point indicates the control value calculated for the corresponding patient and a time period which has elapsed since the collection date of the patient's corresponding set of measurements. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the additional steps of selecting from the group overview chart at least one of the patients represented thereon and transmitting supervisory instructions to the at least one selected patient. |
| US07778838B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for buffering audio data to allow low power states in a processing system during audio playback
An audio data stream from a processing system may be buffered to allow low power states in the processing system during audio playback. An audio buffer may be provided external to the processing system and between the processing system and an audio codec. The audio buffer may also shift to an alternate audio data interface mode when the processing system is in the low power state. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment. |
| US07778836B2 |
System and method of using modular spoken-dialog components
A system and method are disclosed for switching contexts within a spoken dialog between a user and a spoken dialog system. The spoken dialog system utilizes modular subdialogs that are invoked by at least one flow controller that is a finite state model and that associated with a dialog manager. The spoken dialog system includes a dialog manager with a flow controller and a reusable subdialog module. The method includes, while the spoken dialog is being controlled by the subdialog module that was invoked by the flow controller, receiving context-changing input associated with speech from a user that changes a dialog context and comparing the context-changing input to at least one context shift. And, if any of the context shifts are activated by the comparing step, then passing control of the spoken dialog to the flow controller with context shift message and destination state. |
| US07778832B2 |
Speaker recognition in a multi-speaker environment and comparison of several voice prints to many
One-to-many comparisons of callers' voice prints with known voice prints to identify any matches between them. When a customer communicates with a particular entity, such as a customer service center, the system makes a recording of the real-time call including both the customer's and agent's voices. The system segments the recording to extract at least a portion of the customer's voice to create a customer voice print, and it formats the segmented voice print for network transmission to a server. The server compares the customer's voice print with multiple known voice prints to determine any matches, meaning that the customer's voice print and one of the known voice prints are likely from the same person. The identification of any matches can be used for a variety of purposes, such as determining whether to authorize a transaction requested by the customer. |
| US07778831B2 |
Voice recognition with dynamic filter bank adjustment based on speaker categorization determined from runtime pitch
Voice recognition methods and systems are disclosed. A voice signal is obtained for an utterance of a speaker. A runtime pitch is determined from the voice signal for the utterance. The speaker is categorized based on the runtime pitch and one or more acoustic model parameters are adjusted based on a categorization of the speaker. The parameter adjustment may be performed at any instance of time during the recognition. A voice recognition analysis of the utterance is then performed based on the acoustic model. |
| US07778830B2 |
Training speaker-dependent, phrase-based speech grammars using an unsupervised automated technique
The present invention can include a method for tuning grammar option weights of a phrase-based, automatic speech recognition (ASR) grammar, where the grammar option weights affect which entries within the grammar are matched to spoken utterances. The tuning can occur in an unsupervised fashion, meaning no special training session or manual transcription of data from an ASR session is needed. The method can include the step of selecting a phrase-based grammar to use in a communication session with a user wherein different phrase-based grammars can be selected for different users. Feedback of ASR phrase processing operations can be recorded during the communication session. Each ASR phrase processing operation can match a spoken utterance against at least one entry within the selected phrase-based grammar. At least one of the grammar option weights can be automatically adjusted based upon the feedback to improve accuracy of the phrase-based grammar. |
| US07778828B2 |
Method and system for automatic gain control of a speech signal
A method and system for automatic gain control of a speech signal in a communication system are disclosed. The gain of the speech signal can be controlled, based on a calculated gain value. This gain value is calculated on the basis of energy calculation and speech activity identification in the speech signal which is done by means of the encoder. Encoding the gain controlled speech signal for transmission follows the step of gain control. |
| US07778823B2 |
Pre-processing individual audio items in a media project in order to improve real-time processing of the media project
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method of processing audio data while creating a media presentation. The media presentation includes several audio streams. The method processes a section of a first audio stream and stores the processed section of the first audio stream. The method also processes a section of a second audio stream that overlaps with the processes section of the first audio stream. The method then processes the section of the second audio stream independently of the first audio stream. In some embodiments, the method processes the first audio stream section by applying an effect to the first audio stream section. Also, in some embodiments, the processing of the first audio stream section also entails performing a sample rate conversion on the first audio stream section. |
| US07778818B2 |
Directional input system with automatic correction
A system associated with a text entry application, such as email or instant messaging, comprises an optional onscreen representation of a circular keyboard, a list of potential linguistic object matches, and a message area where the selected words are entered. The circular keyboard is manipulated via a hardware joystick or game-pad with analog joystick or omni-directional rocker switch built therein. The user points the joystick in the general direction of the desired letter, and then continues pointing roughly to each letter in the desired word. Once all letters have been roughly selected, buttons are used to select a specific word from the list of potential matches and send the selected word to the message area. |
| US07778815B2 |
Method for the fast exploration of bus-based communication architectures at the cycle-count-accurate-at-transaction-boundaries (CCATB) abstraction
A computer system simulation method starts with algorithmically implementing a specification model independently of hardware architecture. High level functional blocks representing hardware components are connected together using a bus architecture-independent generic channel. The bus architecture-independent generic channel is annotated with timing and protocol details to define an interface between the bus architecture-independent generic channel and functional blocks representing hardware components. The interface is refined to obtain a CCATB for communication space. The read( ) and write( ) interface calls are decomposed into several method calls which correspond to bus pins to obtain observable cycle accuracy for system debugging and validation and to obtain a cycle accurate model. The method calls are replaced by signals, and the functional blocks representing hardware components are further refined to obtain pin/cycle-accurate models which can be manually or automatically mapped to RTL, or be used to co-simulate with existing RTL components. |
| US07778808B2 |
Geospatial modeling system providing data thinning of geospatial data points and related methods
A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial database for storing geospatial data points each having respective elevations associated therewith. The system may further include a processor for data thinning the geospatial data points by selecting discriminant points therefrom. The processor may select discriminant points based upon: (a) identifying a current patch having a plurality of spaced-apart current geospatial data boundary points; (b) selecting a current discriminant point within the current patch based upon sequentially stepping through the geospatial data points therein to determine respective elevation differences relative to the current geospatial boundary points and comparing the elevation differences to a threshold range; (c) identifying a plurality of new patches, each having a plurality of spaced-apart new geospatial boundary points including the current discriminant point; and (d) iteratively repeating steps (b) and (c) for each of the new patches until no further new discriminant point is selected. |
| US07778807B2 |
Simulation model generator of causality phenomena and events
A simulation model generator presents a screen view which defines causality between phenomena and events using nodes and links to support user's input operation. The generator includes a database for storing and controlling in a centralized way, metric information representing, for each of the registered phenomena and events, a quantity indicating a magnitude of the phenomenon or the event; unit information including, for each unit, a unit name, a conversion coefficient, and a time flag determining whether the unit is associated with time; coefficient information including coefficient name and coefficient value to be used in a metrics calculation formula, and a simulation time bucket representing a period of time per time step in the simulation; and a simulation model generating module for generating a simulation model using data registered to the database. |
| US07778803B1 |
Validation of function approximation by fusion
An error bound that indicates how well a hypothesis function approximates an unknown target function over a set of out-of-sample examples is computed from known error bounds for basis functions, as follows. An optimization problem is formed in which basis function error bounds imply constraints on feasible outputs of the target function over out-of-sample inputs. The optimization problem is solved to find an upper bound on the differences between the hypothesis function outputs and feasible target function outputs. This upper bound is a an error bound for the hypothesis function. |
| US07778802B2 |
Wireless devices as guard tour checkpoint data collection and checkpoint data communication devices
A system that utilizes wireless devices as guard tour checkpoint data collection and checkpoint data communication devices is disclosed. The wireless devices have the capability of reading various types of checkpoints and communicating the collected checkpoint data with a computer via a cellular telephone communication system and either a land-based telephone network or the Internet or a cellular data communication device. Alternatively, a Wi-Fi network or the Wi-Fi network and the Internet can be used to communicate collected checkpoint data with the computer. The computer stores and processes the data according to guard tour expected performance parameters, such as rules, schedules, and exceptions, and then generates the necessary commands to produce exception notifications and reports at various types of peripheral equipment. |
| US07778799B2 |
Automated self test for a thermal processing system
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses for automated self test for a thermal processing system. A signal to execute the automated self test is received. The automated self test is executed. The execution includes executing one or more self test instructions for the one or more subsystems of the system. Data can be received from sensors associated with the subsystems. The data can be analyzed to determine the results of the automated self test for the thermal processing system. |
| US07778797B2 |
Method and system for detecting abnormal operation in a stirred vessel
A system and method for detecting abnormal situations associated with a stirred vessel in a process plant receives statistical data associated with a pressure within a stirred vessel. A pressure signal associated with the pressure in the vessel is filtered by a digital filter to isolate a frequency component corresponding to pressure changes caused by the movement of a blade of an agitator through a fluid. For example, a pressure sensor device disposed at least partially within the stirred vessel may generate the statistical data based on a pressure signal. The statistical data is analyzed to detect whether one or more abnormal situations associated with an agitator of the stirred vessel exist. For example, the statistical data may be analyzed to detect whether the agitator is broken/unbalanced, corroded, missing a blade or multiple blades, etc. If an abnormal situation is detected, an indicator of the abnormal situation may be generated. |
| US07778790B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit device and delay fault testing method
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a plurality of flip-flops configured to form a scan chain in a scan path test to operate as a shift register. The first flip-flop of the plurality of flip-flops latches a first input signal in synchronization with a clock signal, outputs a first output signal and fixes the first output signal based on the first selection control signal. A second flip-flop of the plurality of flip-flops latches a second input signal in synchronization with the clock signal, outputs a second output signal, and fixes the second output signal based on a second selection control signal. The semiconductor integrated circuit device further includes a control circuit configured to generate the first and second selection control signals such that a period during which the first flip-flop fixes the first output signal is different from a period during which the second flip-flop fixes the second output signal. |
| US07778789B2 |
Digital phase calibration method and system
A method of digital phase calibration is disclosed. An input signal is sampled using a clock. The sample points of the sampled signal are changed by a scaler. A phase calibration is performed by adjusting the phase of the scaler to obtain an optimum phase for the scaler. It is determined whether the input signal represents a static frame and the phase calibration is performed only if the input signal represents a static frame. |
| US07778783B2 |
Method and apparatus for analysis of elements in bulk substance
A substance analyzer utilizing Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis for identifying characteristics of a substance and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The analyzer is small enough to be portable and to allow its use in many applications where current analyzers cannot be utilized. The analyzer uses a neutron radiation source and a gamma-ray detector to activate the sample material and detect the prompt gamma rays emitted by the sample material. A novel housing for such an analyzer and method for making the housing are also described. Novel methods of operating such an analyzer including via a communications network are also disclosed. Also disclosed are data analysis methods that improve the accuracy and sensitivity of the results of such material analysis. |
| US07778782B1 |
Peroxisome proliferation activated receptor alpha (PPARα) signatures
The present invention includes methods and apparatus for use in rapid testing for and prediction of a PPARα response (i.e. a response similar to that of PPARα agonists). The invention includes a PPARα response signature comprising a set of twenty genes. The invention discloses methods whereby the differential expression of the genes of the PPARα response signature may be used to predict whether a compound will induce a PPARα response in a test subject. |
| US07778780B2 |
Well characterisation method
One aspect of the invention relates to a method (10) for characterizing a well (700) using distributed temperature sensor (DTS) data to optimise a well model (12). The method comprises providing a well model of flow and thermal properties (12a, 12b) of the well (700), where the well model (12) has a plurality of adjustable physical parameters, providing a data set made up of a plurality of DTS temperature profiles of the well (700) taken at different times during operation of the well (700), and running the well model (12) with different combinations of the plurality of adjustable physical parameters to match to the plurality of DTS temperature profiles. The DTS temperature profiles may also be pre-processed to make them consistent with one another. |
| US07778779B2 |
Method of identifying a chemical entity which is a hydroxylase modulator
A method of identifying, screening, characterising or designing a chemical entity, which mimics or binds to FIH, is described. The method comprises comparing a structural model of FIH with a structural model for said chemical entity, wherein said structural model of FIH is derived from structural factors or structural coordinates determined by subjecting to X-ray diffraction measurements a crystal comprising FIH. Such chemical entities may be used in the treatment of a condition associated with increased or decreased HIF levels or activity. |
| US07778778B2 |
Correction of multi-component measurements for tool eccentricity in deviated wells
Measurements made by a multi-component induction logging tool are corrected for tool eccentricity in a deviated borehole. The eccentricity angle is determined from single frequency skin-effect corrected data and is then used to correct multifrequency data. Multifrequency focusing is then applied to the corrected multifrequency data. An inversion is then used to recover formation resistivity and relative dip and azimuth of the borehole. |
| US07778777B2 |
Methods and systems for designing and/or selecting drilling equipment using predictions of rotary drill bit walk
Methods and systems may be provided simulating forming a wide variety of directional wellbores including wellbores with variable tilt rates and/or relatively constant tilt rates. The methods and systems may also be used to simulate forming a wellbore in subterranean formations having a combination of soft, medium and hard formation materials, multiple layers of formation materials and relatively hard stringers disposed throughout one or more layers of formation material. Values of bit walk rate from such simulations may be used to design and/or select drilling equipment for use in forming a directional wellbore. |
| US07778769B2 |
Method and system for calculating least-cost routes based on historical fuel efficiency, street mapping and location based services
This disclosure outlines a method, which enables a vehicle driver to achieve increased fuel efficiency by implementing least-cost route planning based on terrain data and derived from advanced mapping, logging and location based services. Actual fuel efficiency is recorded and correlated by vehicle conditions, time of day and date, and then referenced to achieve the most accurate least-cost route plan for the intended destination. |
| US07778768B2 |
Reducing airport delays using passive radar information and analytics
A system and method for reducing airport delays using passive radar information and analytics. The system includes (a) a data receiving arrangement receiving, from a data source, at least one type of information for a plurality of aircraft; (b) a data processing arrangement calculating efficiency data based on the received information; and (c) a data distribution arrangement organizing efficiency data into a displayable file and distribute the file to users of the system. |
| US07778760B2 |
Driving amount controller
A driving amount controller is provided for a vehicle. An ECU on the vehicle reduces a damping output Udamp when the deviation e between the target opening DTHR of the throttle valve and the actual opening DTH is near zero or when a switching function value σ is near zero. This makes it possible to reduce the damping output Udamp immediately after the start of, or immediately before the end of, the control of the opening of the throttle valve when the deviation e or the switching function value σ is near zero, and to realize a high response performance as to the control of the actual opening DTH of the throttle valve. |
| US07778758B2 |
Cruise control system for a vehicle
This invention provides a vehicle cruise control system which, during recognition of a shape of a road extending in a frontward direction of host vehicle, can calculate the road shape rapidly and accurately from a positional relationship with respect to the host vehicle. The system includes at least: a position change detector that detects, from information on the road existing in the frontward direction of the vehicle, a horizontal distance from a line segment orthogonal to a traveling direction vector of the vehicle, to a centerline of the road, the detection being conducted at a plurality of measuring points in an extending direction of the traveling direction vector; a road shape recognizer that identifies the shape of the road from data relating to linearity of changes in each of the horizontal distances, the linearity data being obtained by the position change detector; and a cruise controller that controls traveling of the vehicle according to results of the identification by the road shape recognizer. |
| US07778755B2 |
Method for reaching a deployment decision
A deployment decision for a vehicle restraint system is reached as a function of vehicle dynamics data, at least one vehicle transverse acceleration and one yaw rate about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle being linked to one another as the vehicle dynamics data to reach the deployment decision. The vehicle transverse acceleration is then additionally subjected to a threshold value decision for reaching the deployment decision, the threshold value being set as a function of the integrated vehicle transverse acceleration and the integrated yaw rate. |
| US07778754B2 |
Method and system for preventing mixing of materials in two-shot molding for production of crash pad
Disclosed is a method and system for preventing mixing of materials upon two-shot molding for the production of a crash pad, in which, in the course of the production of a crash pad through the simultaneous injection of two types of resins, the penetration of one type of resin into the region of the crash pad, which is filled with another type of resin, is effectively prevented by a flow-retarding dam that is formed at a portion of an injection mold which is positioned outside the passenger-side airbag door region. |
| US07778749B2 |
Adaptive diagnostic cable with relay
An apparatus and method are provided that allow a scan tool to communicate with a data link connector in a vehicle. A cable that can automatically multiplex its connections in order to make the appropriate connections between the scan tool and a data link connector based on a communication protocol of the vehicle under test. This allows the scan tool to communicate with the data link connector regardless of the pins being used by the communication protocol of the vehicle. The cable is also capable of switching between a signal ground and a chassis ground in order to provide the scan tool with a reference signal. |
| US07778748B2 |
System and method for testing a vehicle suspension
A systems and method for testing a vehicle suspension may include a kinematics rig and a main control unit having a graphical user interface (GUI). The system can provide for automated testing, control, data acquisition and analysis, and sensor handling for conducting comprehensive performance testing of vehicle chassis and suspension systems in a contained solution. All requisite tests for suspension systems analysis may be user-selectable and configurable from the GUI and executed via software based on test procedures stored in memory. The system's data acquisition capabilities may be easily integrated into standard industry analysis tools. |
| US07778746B2 |
Control and diagnostics system and method for vehicles
An apparatus and method for a remote diagnostic system for motorized vehicles. Apparatus according to this aspect of the invention includes a base station having a processor associated with a transceiver and a remote unit installed in a vehicle. The remote unit includes a controller associated with a transceiver, where the controller gathers diagnostic data. The remote unit controller transmits a vehicle identification signal in conjunction with diagnostic data to the base station transceiver such that the base station processor monitors the diagnostic data for the vehicle. Another aspect of the invention further includes a mapping processor associated with a memory. The memory stores a virtual map of a local operating area having areas that are allowable and restricted. The controller is coupled to the mapping processor and a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver is coupled to the mapping processor. The GPS receiver determines a current vehicle location and the mapping processor correlates the current vehicle location to a corresponding location on the virtual map. The mapping processor determines whether the vehicle is in a restricted area. The vehicle transceiver is configured to transmit a vehicle identification signal and location to the base station transceiver such that the base station processor monitors the location and status for each of the motorized vehicles. |
| US07778744B2 |
Avionics framework
A modular avionics system for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has a control module that executes flight control and vertical and lateral guidance algorithms to generate control commands. A data link module communicates with a remote control station and receives control commands from the remote control station. A data acquisition module communicates with the control module and the data link module. The data acquisition module is configured to receive and process data from one or more onboard sensors and to actuate a plurality of servo motors in response to control commands. A switching module selectively couples the data acquisition module to the control module or to the data link module responsive to an input from the remote control station to respectively switch between a fully autonomous mode of UAV operation and a manual mode of UAV operation. Power may be provided by a power module. |
| US07778743B2 |
Remote control device and remote control method for vehicle
A counter increases a counted value at regular time intervals during a transmission time of a request signal Sr transmitted based on trigger signals input from a door unlocking sensor or the like. On the other hand, the counter decreases the counted value at regular time intervals during a non-transmission time of the request signal Sr. A determination unit either prohibits or permits transmission of the request signal Sr to a portable unit, based on comparison results of the counted value with a prohibition value and a lifting value. |
| US07778740B2 |
Point-sequence approximation method and apparatus
A point-sequence approximation apparatus determines whether a proportion of a straight-line approximation region is high as compared to that of a curve approximation region. In addition, if it is determined that the proportion of the straight-line approximation region is high as compared to that of the curve approximation region, the point-sequence approximation apparatus repeatedly performs random setting of a candidate of an approximation straight line, and evaluation of approximation accuracy of the candidate of the approximation straight line based on distances between the candidate of the approximation straight line and the points constituting the point sequence. Moreover, the point-sequence approximation apparatus performs straight-line approximation by using the candidate of the approximation straight line with the best result of evaluation of the approximation accuracy as an approximation straight line. |
| US07778739B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic configuration of multiprocessor system
A multiprocessor system used in a car, home, or office environment includes multiple processors that run different real-time applications. A dynamic configuration system runs on the multiple processors and includes a device manager, configuration manager, and data manager. The device manager automatically detects and adds new devices to the multiprocessor system, and the configuration manager automatically reconfigures which processors run the real-time applications. The data manager identifies the type of data generated by the new devices and identifies which devices in the multiprocessor system are able to process the data. |
| US07778738B2 |
Method and system for reducing feeder circuit loss using demand response
A system and method that analyzes at least one aspect of the power grid for demand response in order to reduce feeder circuit losses is provided. The system and method may use a demand response model to select one or more factors for the demand response, such as selecting a subset of customers for demand response from a larger pool of available demand response customers. The demand response model may include a grid structure component, such as an indication of the particular customer's position in the grid and a dynamic operation component, such as a real-time measurement of current in the feeder circuit. By using the demand response model, feeder circuit losses may thereby reduced. |
| US07778737B2 |
Method and system for local load control
A method and system for shedding loads based upon a power system characteristic, such as voltage or frequency, is provided. In one embodiment, a remote party, such as a power generator or utility, transmits a signal to a control device proximately located with a load device. Upon receipt of the signal, the control device measures the power system characteristic for a predetermined time to establish a baseline threshold. The control device then monitors the power system characteristic. When the power system characteristic falls outside the baseline threshold, the control device sheds load. In one embodiment, the loads are prioritized such that the load of least importance may be shed first. |
| US07778736B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program for sprinkler control
A sprinkler system having a method and computer program comprises one or more sprinklers each comprising a sprinkler valve adapted to regulate an amount of fluid delivered by the sprinkler in response to a control signal; a master unit adapted to transmit digital data; and a sprinkler controller comprising a receiver adapted to receive a signal representing the digital data; a media access controller adapted to obtain the digital data from the signal; and a processor adapted to produce the control signal based on the digital data obtained by the media access controller; and an output circuit adapted to provide the control signal to the sprinklers. |
| US07778735B2 |
Environmental control system, method, and computer program product for controlling the interior environment of a pressurized compartment
Methods, environmental control systems, and computer program products are provided for controlling an internal environment of a pressurized compartment of a vehicle. In one aspect, the pressurized compartment includes first and second exit valves for selectively allowing gas to exit the pressurized compartment. The first and second exit valves are located, respectively, in spaced apart portions of the pressurized compartment. The pressurized compartment also includes first and second systems that are located, respectively, in the spaced apart portions of the pressurized compartment. Flow rates of gases in the first and second systems are determined and at least one of the first and second exit valves is controlled in response to the flow rate determinations. |
| US07778734B2 |
Using energy-use sensors to model activity and location of building users
A household energy management system uses measurements of the household electricity supply to identify and to determine the energy consumption of individual household appliances. From these measurements, models can be built of the behaviour of the occupants of the house, the thermal properties of the house and the efficiency of the appliances. Using the models, the household appliances—in particular heating and cooling appliances—can be controlled to optimize energy efficiency; and maintenance programmes for the appliances and for the house itself can be recommended to the householder or arranged with a service company. |
| US07778729B2 |
Robot system and robot controller
A robot system capable of checking the status of all robot controllers connected to the same network by using at least one robot controller, among the robot controllers, having a function for checking the status. The robot system includes a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers for controlling the robots. The robot controllers are connected to each other via a control network and also connected to an information network. The at least one robot controller, having the function of checking the status, transmits and receives data to and from the other robot controllers and, further, indicates information, concerning the statuses of the networks and the robots, on a display of a teaching operation panel of the at least one robot controller. |
| US07778728B2 |
Apparatus and method for positioning objects/mailpieces
An apparatus and method for positioning objects at a desired reference position, including a sensor for determining the length of each object/mailpiece from a leading to a trailing edge, a transport mechanism having a positionable drive element for transporting the object/mailpiece, and a controller or processor for controlling the position of the drive element to release the object/mailpiece at a desired reference position. The described embodiments of the invention relate to positioning an object/mailpiece in a clamp assembly of a mixed mail sorter. The jaws of the clamp assembly are separated to receive the object/mailpiece by a pair of spiral cams. The spiral cams interpose and engage tabs of each jaw to open and close the clamp assembly as they concomitantly effect translation of the clamp assembly linearly past the positioning apparatus. The apparatus and method ensures predictable conveyance and release of objects/mailpieces while being manipulated by automated handling equipment. |
| US07778725B2 |
Method for estimating thermal displacement in machine tool
After a thermal displacement correcting program has started, a temperature is measured with a temperature sensor in S1, then when a rotational speed of a spindle is changed during the measurement (S2), a counter starts (S3). Then in S4, from a preset relationship between the rotational speed of the spindle and a setting-equivalent heat value, a correction factor that is a difference in setting-equivalent heat value between before and after the change in rotational speed of the spindle is calculated. Subsequently, in S5, a temperature-equivalent heat value is calculated, and then in S6, a compensation amount is calculated from the correction factor and a time elapsed after the change in rotational speed of the spindle. In S7, an equivalent heat value for compensating a dead time is obtained based on the sum of them S8, an estimated calculation for thermal displacement conversion is performed, and a correction process by an NC unit is performed in S9. |
| US07778721B2 |
Small lot size lithography bays
In a first aspect, a small lot size lithography bay is provided. The small lot size lithography bay includes (1) a plurality of lithography tools; and (2) a small lot size transport system adapted to transport small lot size substrate carriers to the lithography tools. Each small lot size substrate carrier is adapted to hold fewer than 13 substrates. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US07778719B2 |
Method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for providing configure to service for a semiconductor manufacturing service guide system
A system, method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for generating a code for a semiconductor manufacturing system are provided. A first code segment is derived from a customer code uniquely associated with a customer. At least one additional code segment is derived from at least one attribute selected for a semiconductor product ordered by the customer. A configure-to-service code is generated in a service guide system from the first code segment and the at least one additional code segment. |
| US07778718B2 |
Frequency normalization of audio signals
A system and method is provided to produce a flatter frequency response from an audio source that has a non-flat frequency response and, as such, has missing spectral content. The system and method achieves a flatter frequency response by characterizing the frequency response of the audio source based upon a reference input signal. This reference input signal is used to establish a reference frequency response, which is stored in a memory and used to select equalizer settings. The system restores missing spectral content by way of summing multiple input signals from the audio source. The system then normalizes the frequency response based on characterizations of the signal by utilizing equalizer settings from memory. |
| US07778717B2 |
Component object model communication method for a control system
The invention provides improved methods and apparatus for workflow editing. Such methods and apparatus permit, for example, user-defined and/or other tasks to be combined in any combination or combinations to specify a workflow. The tasks can be linked for direct, serial processing and/or for conditional processing that includes branching and/or looping. The invention also improved methods and apparatus of workflow definition and processing with extensible actions. The invention provides, further, improved methods and apparatus for workflow definition and processing which utilize workflow variables for communication of data and control information among tasks within a workflow. The invention provides, still further, improved methods and apparatus of workflow definition and processing with enhanced messaging. The invention provides, still yet further, improved methods and apparatus for workflow definition and processing which permit definition of hierarchically enumerated data types and for definition of “plans” to collect, e.g., for storage, data such as the aforementioned hierarchical data types. |
| US07778714B2 |
On-line editing associated with controller engine instances
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates programming in an industrial environment. An online controller can execute with a real-time operating system such that the online controller can include two or more controller engine instances executing as processes on the online controller, wherein at least one controller engine instance can employ a portion of code to utilize a device within the industrial environment. An edit component can dynamically implement a portion of disparate code with at least one controller engine instance. |
| US07778712B1 |
Bulb apparatus
A novel bulb and bulb assembly. In an embodiment, the present invention comprises a shell enclosing a hollow interior, and a tube intersecting with the shell such that the ends of the tube reside outside the shell and a portion of the tube resides within the shell. Each intersection of the tube and the shell in this embodiment is accomplished so that any contents of the hollow interior of the shell are sealed within the shell and any contents of the hollow interior of the shell are segregated from any contents of the portion of the tube residing within the shell. This embodiment may further comprise at least one electrode having at least one end terminating inside the shell. This embodiment may further comprise a source of electromagnetic waves positioned such that electromagnetic waves emanating from the source of electromagnetic waves pass through the shell. |
| US07778711B2 |
Reduction of heart rate variability by parasympathetic stimulation
Apparatus is provided that includes an electrode device, adapted to be coupled to a vagus nerve of a subject, and a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to the vagus nerve a current that reduces heart rate variability of the subject. Also provided is a method comprising applying to a vagus nerve of a subject a current that reduces heart rate variability of the subject. |
| US07778709B2 |
Method and device for using impedance measurements based on electrical energy of the heart
A method and a device are disclosed for evaluating the cardio-circulatory and pulmonary condition of a patient, including determining the patient's thoracic impedance based on information solely derived from the electrical energy generated by the patient's own heart. |
| US07778707B2 |
Method and device for myocardial stress redistribution
Methods and devices are described for delivering electrical stimulation to the heart in a manner that advantageously redistributes myocardial stress during systole for therapeutic purposes in the treatment of, for example, post-MI and HF patients. Pre-excitation pacing may be applied to deliberately de-stress a particular myocardial region that may be expected to undergo deleterious remodeling, such as the area around a myocardial infarct or a hypertrophying region or to deliberately stress a region remote from the pre-excitation pacing site in order to exert a cardioprotective conditioning effect, similar to the beneficial effects of exercise. Pre-excitation pacing may be advantageously combined with inotropic electrical stimulation applied to the stressed region. |
| US07778703B2 |
Selective nerve fiber stimulation for treating heart conditions
Apparatus for treating a heart condition of a subject is provided, including an electrode device, which is adapted to be coupled to a vagus nerve of the subject. A control unit is adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to the vagus nerve a stimulating current, which is capable of inducing action potentials in a therapeutic direction in a first set and a second set of nerve fibers of the vagus nerve. The control unit is also adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to the vagus nerve an inhibiting current, which is capable of inhibiting the induced action potentials traveling in the therapeutic direction in the second set of nerve fibers, the nerve fibers in the second set having generally larger diameters than the nerve fibers in the first set. |
| US07778701B2 |
Proton generating catheters and methods for their use in enhancing fluid flow through a vascular site occupied by a calcified vascular occlusion
Catheter devices and methods are provided for enhancing fluid flow through a vascular site occupied by a calcified lesion. The catheter devices of the subject invention at least include, at their distal end, a proton generating means, and in many embodiments also include a flushing means. In using the subject devices, the distal end of the catheter is placed proximal to the vascular occlusion and protons are generated, e.g., via proton generation from water, in a manner sufficient to reduce the pH of the vascular site in the region proximal to the occlusion. The subphysiologic pH is maintained for a period of time sufficient for fluid flow through the vascular site to be enhanced. Also provided are kits comprising the subject catheter devices for use in the subject methods. |
| US07778700B2 |
Brain wave measuring method, apparatus and computer readable recording medium implemented with program for executing the method
A method for measuring a brain wave comprises extracting positive and negative peaks from an electrocardiogram (EKG) signal reflecting heartbeat information, and positive peaks from an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal reflecting heartbeat-caused noise information and brain wave information. The positive peaks of the EEG signal are classified into a first peak group and a second peak group based on the positive peaks of the EKG signal. The first peak group is affected more greatly by the heartbeat than by the brain wave, and the second peak group is affected more greatly by the brain wave than by the heartbeat. Noise of the first and second peak groups is removed from the EEG signal. |
| US07778699B1 |
System and method for trigger-specific recording of cardiac signals using an implantable medical device
Techniques are provided for controlling the recording of intracardiac electrograms (IEGMs) within an implantable medical device such as a pacemaker, wherein the device is capable of recording different channels of IEGMs in response to different diagnostic triggers. Exemplary triggers include pacemaker-mediated tachycardia; atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, etc. In one example, the device stores, for each diagnostic trigger, a physician selection of particular IEGMs to be recorded for subsequent review. Then, whenever a trigger is detected, the device senses and records only the particular IEGMs that had been selected by the physician for that particular trigger. The IEGMs are eventually transmitted to an external programmer for review. In this manner, the physician can specify particular IEGMs to be stored in response to particular diagnostic triggers, thereby providing considerable diagnostic flexibility, while also conserving memory. Triggers can be classified as atrial-related or ventricular-related, with appropriate IEGMs stored. Pre-trigger IEGM storage can also be accommodated. |
| US07778693B2 |
System and method for quantifying the dynamic response of a target system
A time series of optical tomography data is obtained for a target tissue site in a human (or animal), using an optical wavelength, such as near infrared, at which hemoglobin is absorptive, to observe properties of the vasculature of the human. The data may be compared to baseline data of a corresponding tissue site, e.g., from a healthy human, or from another, corresponding tissue site of the human. For example, a suspected cancerous breast of a human may be compared to a known healthy breast to detect differences in the vasculature. Measures may be made of flow, oxygen supply/demand imbalance, and evidence of altered regulation of the peripheral effector mechanism. The function of the target tissue site may be analyzed, along with the coordinated interaction between multiple sites of the target system. A provocation may be administered to identify surrogate markers of an underlying state or process. |
| US07778688B2 |
System and method for delivering a stent to a selected position within a lumen
Method for delivering a stent coupled with a catheter, to a selected position within a lumen of the body of a patient, the method includes the procedures of: selecting a single image of the lumen, among a plurality of images of an image sequence of the lumen, receiving a position input associated with the selected image and respective of the selected position, the position input is defined in a coordinate system respective of a medical positioning system (MPS), detecting the current position of the stent in the coordinate system, according to position data acquired by an MPS sensor attached to the catheter in the vicinity of the stent, superimposing on at least one maneuvering associated image of the lumen, at least one stent representation respective of the current position, and at least one marking representation respective of the position input, according to a real-time organ timing signal of an inspected organ of the body, maneuvering the catheter through the lumen, toward the selected position, according to the current position relative to the position input, and producing an output when the current position substantially matches the selected position. |
| US07778686B2 |
Method and apparatus for medical intervention procedure planning and location and navigation of an intervention tool
A system and method for a medical intervention procedure within a cardiac chamber having an imaging system to obtain image data of the cardiac chamber and to create a 3D model from that image data, an interventional system to register the 3D model with a real-time image of the cardiac chamber and to display the 3D model, and an interventional tool positioned in the cardiac chamber to be displayed upon the interventional system and to be navigated in real-time over the registered 3D model. Preferably, the method and system also includes a storage medium to store the 3D model and wherein the interventional system receives the stored 3D model to register with the real-time image of the cardiac chamber. |
| US07778681B2 |
Method of determining the spatial distribution of magnetic particles
The invention relates to a method of determining the spatial distribution of magnetic particles in an examination zone. According to this method a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field is generated which includes at least one zone (301) in which the magnetization of the particles is in a non-saturated state whereas the particles in the remaining zone are in a saturated state. Shifting this zone within the examination zone produces a change of the magnetization which can be externally detected and contains information concerning the spatial distribution of the magnetic particles in the examination zone. |
| US07778679B2 |
Implantable sensor and integrity tests therefor
An implantable sensor includes electronic circuitry for automatically performing on a periodic basis, e.g., every 1 to 24 hours, specified integrity tests which verify proper operation of the sensor. |
| US07778675B1 |
Remotely accessing a computing device in a low-power state
Aspects provide a computer-readable medium for accessing computer applications and application data on a computer operating in a low-power state utilizing a wireless device and providing the requested information in a usable format over a short-range communications link. According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium causes a computer to receive a request for data over a short-range wireless link. If the computer is in a standby state, a low-power state is initiated, a software component is executed to receive the request, retrieve the data, format the data for display on the wireless device, and send the data to the wireless device. If the computer is in a hibernation mode, a pre-boot application is executed to retrieve, format, and send the stored data to the wireless device or to initiate a low-power or power-on state and forward the request to a software component for retrieving the requested data. |
| US07778674B2 |
Communication apparatus having a SIM interface compatible with radio isolation
A communication apparatus including a radio frequency (RF) circuit coupled to a digital processing circuit and an interface circuit coupled to an authentication device. The RF circuit may be configured to operate on a radio frequency signal. A portion of the digital processing circuit may be disabled during an active mode of operation of the RF circuit. The interface circuit may be configured to buffer data communicated between the digital processing circuit and an authentication device during the active mode of operation of the RF circuit. In one embodiment, the interface circuit includes a memory and memory control logic to buffer data available for transmission to and/or received from the authentication device. In some embodiments, the digital processing circuit includes a processing unit configured to process authentication data received from the authentication device. In these and other embodiments, the authentication device may be a subscriber identity module (SIM). |
| US07778671B2 |
Mobile communications terminal having an improved user interface and method therefor
A mobile communication terminal having a display with an application area thereon. The application area is partitioned into at least two unequally sized sections. The size of the application area allocated to the respective application area sections is dynamically controlled in response to user input. |
| US07778667B2 |
Set up logic for dual interface wireless IP communication device
A communication interface device includes a wireless Internet packet (IP) transceiver and a PCMCIA card electrically connected to the transceiver. Also, a universal serial bus (USB) connector is plugged into a hub that holds the PCMCIA card, with a cord extending from the USB connector and terminating in another USB connector. Accordingly, the device can be engaged with the PCMCIA bay of a user terminal or, if a user terminal has no PCMCIA bay, with a USB receptacle of the user terminal, to establish wireless communication. To simplify set-up, a CD containing all operating system versions of PCMCIA and USB drivers is engaged with the user terminal. The terminal's operating system is then automatically determined, and only the drivers associated with that operating system are loaded onto the terminal. |
| US07778664B1 |
Communication device
A communication device, such as a mobile phone, which implements a voice communication mode, a digital mirror mode, a video phone mode, and a call blocking mode. |
| US07778663B2 |
Hinge module for three-step open type portable terminal and portable terminal having the same
Disclosed is a hinge module for a three-step open type portable terminal and a portable terminal having the same, in which a body of the portable terminal is divided into three body sections and semi-automatically slides. The portable terminal includes a hinge module, which couples the upper body to the intermediate body in such a manner that the upper body is movable in a transverse direction relative to the intermediate body and couples the lower body to the intermediate body in such a manner that the lower body is movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the intermediate body. |
| US07778660B2 |
Mobile communications terminal, information transmitting system and information receiving method
The present invention provides a portable telephone which allows the efficient storage of data. The portable telephone 100 comprises a pattern data receiving unit 103, a pattern data extraction unit 104, and a pattern data storage unit 105. The pattern data receiving unit 103 receives a plurality of sets of pattern data that are transmitted from a server device 10 in accordance with a pattern data transmission request. The pattern data extraction unit 104 extracts specified pattern data from the plurality of sets of pattern data received by the pattern data receiving unit 103 on the basis of terminal information that relates to the portable telephone 100. The pattern data storage unit 105 stores the specified pattern data that is extracted by the pattern data extraction unit 104. |
| US07778653B2 |
Method and apparatus for targeted paging in a multi-cell wireless communication system
A method and communication system is provided for optimizing paging of a mobile communication device in cells of a multi-cell communication system. The communication system includes the cells, a network controller, and the mobile communication device. Each of the cells has a base station located therein for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals. The network controller is coupled to each of the base stations and provides information thereto for transmission as RF signals within an associated cell, the network controller also receiving information from the base stations that is received from RF signals transmitted in the associated cell. The mobile communication device travels within the cells during one or more mobile communication device runs and detects RF signals transmitted from the base stations. Thereafter, the mobile communication device provides run information to the network controller identifying acquired cells acquired during the one or more mobile communication device runs and neighbor cells adjacent to the acquired cells and detected during the one or more mobile communication device runs at a signal strength greater than a predetermined signal strength. The network controller receives the run information and defines a user specific paging zone for the mobile communication device, the user specific paging zone including a portion of the ells selected in response to the run information. |
| US07778652B2 |
Method and apparatus for selectively modifying a portion of a radio access network via a homeland security alert system
A system (100) includes a mobile station (125) to initiate an outgoing communication anywhere in a coverage area (115). A base station (110) and a radio access network (105) provide wireless service to the mobile station (125). The mobile station is paged in the sectors overlapping with only the clean zone. The mobile station (125) is paged in the sectors overlapping with the hot zone if the mobile station has predetermined trusted characteristics, or the mobile station is located within a clean zone of sectors overlapping with the hot zone, and an incoming communication for the mobile station originates from a predetermined trusted source. Existing calls to the mobile station are terminated in response to the existing call exceeding a predetermined threshold time limit, or a detected amount of voice activity in the existing call being below a predetermined threshold level. |
| US07778651B2 |
Wireless network range estimation and associated methods
The wireless communications system includes a plurality of wireless communications devices, with each device type having a known latency profile associated therewith. A wireless device detector includes a controller for cooperating with a transceiver for transmitting a plurality of device finding signals to a target wireless communications device. The target wireless communications device transmits a respective reply signal for each of the device finding signals. Also, the controller generates an observed latency profile for the target wireless communications device based upon the transmission of device finding signals and the received reply signals therefor, determines a propagation delay based upon the observed latency profile and the known latency profile, and estimates a range to the target wireless communications device based upon the determined propagation delay. |
| US07778650B2 |
Method, apparatus, and program for automated property adjustment in a cellular network
A mechanism is provided for detecting when a wireless device is entering a quiet zone. An out-of-range condition is created in an entryway to a quiet zone. When a wireless device is in a transition zone, the device transmits a re-scan message with a unit identification in an attempt to reestablish communication with the communication tower. A re-scan receiver is provided in the entryway to receive re-scan messages and notify a mobile telephone switching office that the device is entering a quiet zone. The switching office then sends a ring type modifier property to the device when the device leaves the transition zone and reestablishes communications with the communication tower. |
| US07778647B2 |
Location based service for point-to-multipoint broadcasting
A method for providing a location based service (LBS) in a point-to-multipoint broadcasting system comprises, in a mobile station, receiving a transmitter identifier (ID) from a point-to-multipoint transmitter, and obtaining location information based on the transmitter ID. The method also comprises determining a service area for the LBS based on obtained location information, in the mobile station. The method may further comprise updating stored location information in the mobile station based on the obtained location information. The method may further comprise receiving an LBS selection from a user, and transmitting the LBS selection to the point-to-multipoint transmitter. The method may further comprise receiving the LBS from the point-to-multipoint transmitter based on transmitted LBS selection. The point-to-multipoint broadcasting system may comprise a digital multimedia broadcast (DMB) system. The DMB system may comprise at least one of a satellite DMB system and a terrestrial DMB system. |
| US07778635B2 |
Means and apparatus for control of remote electronic devices
An apparatus to control remote devices or equipment via existing cellular telephone networks. The apparatus receives information from a customer concerning a specific function, which the customer wants to perform at the remote equipment. A Central Control receives this information from the customer and correlates the function to a specific cellular telephone MIN number, which has been pre-programmed in a computer at the Central Control. The MIN number is then sent to a cellular provider. The cellular provider then transmits the MIN number to an antenna, which transmits the MIN number to a remote equipment controller at the remotely located equipment. The remote equipment controller then takes the a part of the MIN and gives these numbers to a PLC at the remote equipment controller. The PLC then memory maps the part of the MIN to a specific function to be carried out by the remote equipment controller. Then the remote equipment controller carriers out specified functions at the remote equipment. |
| US07778632B2 |
Multi-modal device capable of automated actions
A multi-modal multi-lingual mobile device that facilitates intelligently automating an action. The device can automatically synchronize a user schedule based upon a user state, intention, preference and/or limitation. The device can employ sensors to automatically detect criteria by which to automatically implement an action. Moreover, the system can interrogate a user thus converging upon a user intention and/or preference. An analyzer component can intelligently evaluate the compiled criterion in order to automatically perform an action. The multi-modal multi-lingual mobile device can automatically facilitate identification of an individual. Other actions that are automatically performed can include modifying personal information manager data, translating languages into a language comprehendible to a user, etc. Implementation of these actions can be based at least in part upon an environmental factor, a conversation, a location factor and a temporal factor. |
| US07778622B2 |
Positioning and recording information system for rescue at sea implemented with a multi-hopping technique and without using GPS
A positioning and recording information system for rescue at sea implemented with a multi-hopping technique. At least two stations transmit navigation information to one another in the form of data packets. The data packets are received and temporarily stored in the stations. The steps of transmitting, receiving and storing are repeated to form a network topology that records a track of a station mounted on a ship. When the ship meets with misfortune at sea, the latest data packet transmitted by the ship provides a position near the location of the ship accident. Consequently, the rescue can be started immediately, and efficiency of a rescue operation is improved when compared to traditional ways of estimating a ship's position. |
| US07778620B2 |
Controlling phase locked loop in a mobile station
A method of controlling a phase locked loop in a mobile station and a mobile station of a cellular telecommunications system are provided. The mobile station comprises an integrated phase locked loop for generating output frequencies; a frequency control unit for providing a frequency control word for the phase locked loop, according to which frequency control word an output frequency is generated; and a tuning unit for providing a synchronized tuning word for the phase locked loop, the tuning unit being configured to output the synchronized tuning word to the phase locked loop in synchronization with the output of the frequency control word. The invention reduces the settling time of a mobile station when an operating frequency is changed from one to another. |
| US07778619B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic frequency correction with a frequency error signal generated by block correlation of baseband samples with a known code sequence
The present invention is related to a method and apparatus for automatic frequency correction of a local oscillator. The apparatus receives a carrier signal. The carrier signal includes a code sequence known to the apparatus. The apparatus downconverts the carrier signal to a baseband signal using the local oscillator. The apparatus performs a block correlation of the samples of the baseband signal with the known code sequence to generate a frequency error signal. The frequency error signal is fed back to the local oscillator to correct the frequency error. |
| US07778616B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing signal interference in a wireless receiver based on signal-to-interference ratio
One illustrative method of reducing signal interference in a wireless receiver includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal; amplifying the received RF signal with a gain G; producing a baseband signal from the amplified RF signal; producing a signal-to-interference (S/I) ratio from the baseband signal; and adjusting the gain G based on the S/I ratio. Preferably, the gain G is varied over a time period to produce a plurality of S/I ratios, so that the gain G corresponding a maximum S/I ratio produced over the time period can be selected for optimal performance. With this technique, higher accuracy is provided as intermodulation distortion is accounted for in the S/I ratio. Advantageously, the S/I ratio calculations and the gain adjustments are performed digitally by one or more processors such as a digital signal processor (DSP). |
| US07778612B2 |
Polar modulation circuit, integrated circuit and radio apparatus
An object of the invention is to provide a polar modulation circuit capable of reducing the capacity of data stored in memory and suppressing an increase in the circuit scale related to distortion compensation while assuring the compensation accuracy. The polar modulation circuit according to the invention stores output signal characteristic relative to the control voltage at the steady state after input of the control voltage for a predetermined input amplitude of an input high frequency signal as the basis of distortion compensation of an amplifier separately into an offset storage section 101a which stores data used to add a predetermined DC offset voltage and a coefficient storage section 102 which stores data used for multiplication by a predetermined constant, thus reducing the circuit scale related to distortion compensation while assuring the compensation accuracy. |
| US07778611B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method
A radio communication apparatus for performing transmission and reception of radio communications simultaneously by using different carrier frequencies for transmission and reception, comprising: a transceiver having a coupling loop interference signal removal function for analog domain and/or a coupling loop interference signal removal function for digital domain, for removing a coupling loop interference signal contained in a signal; and a power suppressor for coupling loop interference signal for attenuating the signal power in order to suppress the coupling loop interference signal power that is contained in the signal. |
| US07778610B2 |
Local oscillator with non-harmonic ratio between oscillator and RF frequencies using XOR operation with jitter estimation and correction
A novel and useful apparatus for and method of local oscillator (LO) generation with non-integer multiplication ratio between the local oscillator and RF frequencies. The LO generation schemes presented are operative to generate I and Q square waves at a designated frequency while avoiding the well known issue of harmonic pulling. The use of analog mixers of the prior art is avoided and replaced with an XOR gate configured to generate the correct average frequency. The edges are dynamically adjusted by ±T/12 or zero based on the state of the controlled oscillator down-divided clock. |
| US07778607B2 |
Echo MIMO: a method for optimal multiple input multiple output channel estimation and matched cooperative beamforming
A method for estimating a communication channel comprising one or more sub-channels between at least a first transceiver and at least a second transceiver is provided. The method comprises transmitting a first set of training data from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, receiving observed signals at the second transceiver, re-transmitting said observed signal back to the first transceiver, and calculating a roundtrip channel estimate at the first transceiver. The method further comprises transmitting a second set of training data from the second transceiver to the first transceiver, receiving observed signals at the first transceiver, and calculating a reverse link channel estimate. From the roundtrip channel estimate and the reverse link channel estimate, a forward link channel estimate is computed at the first transceiver. |
| US07778602B2 |
Method and apparatus for searching neighboring bluetooth devices in a portable terminal
Provided are a method and an apparatus for searching neighboring Bluetooth devices in a portable terminal having a Bluetooth module. In the method, addresses of searched neighboring Bluetooth devices are used to determine whether the searched neighboring Bluetooth devices are newly-searched Bluetooth devices. If the searched neighboring Bluetooth devices are newly-searched neighboring Bluetooth devices, name request signals are transmitted to the newly-searched neighboring Bluetooth devices to acquire names of the newly-searched neighboring Bluetooth devices. Names of the newly-searched neighboring Bluetooth devices are created, and the addresses, names and names of the newly-searched neighboring Bluetooth devices are registered in a Bluetooth management database. |
| US07778595B2 |
Method for managing media
An audio system and method are disclosed. A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an electronic device having a display, a wireless receiver, and a housing component at least partially defining a cavity in which the wireless receiver is secured. The system may also include a device interface system that has a sound system connector and a mounting region. The sound system connector may communicatively coupled the device interface system to an existing sound system, and the mounting region may be capable of releasably engaging the electronic device such that a contact portion of the device interface system contacts a conductive element of the electronic device to form at least a portion of a communication path interconnecting the sound system and the electronic device. |
| US07778594B2 |
Pager and mobile communications system and method
A paging and mobile communications system and method is disclosed whereby entertainment, news, and other timely information may be delivered to a service recipient through a pager while the service recipient is waiting for service. A master unit delivers information to base units associated with each service provider subscribing to the system, and a plurality of pager units are associated with each base unit. The pager units may allow two-way communication with the base unit, whereby games and other interactive content may be delivered to the service recipient using the paging unit. Advertising may be delivered to service recipients through the system, thereby providing an additional revenue flow to the subscriber. |
| US07778593B2 |
Wireless local access network system detection and selection
Method and apparatus for detection and selection of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) service. A cellular network may provide an advertisement for a WLAN, such as in an overhead signaling message. The advertisement may identify the Access Point(s) by an Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID). The remote station may then scan for the WLAN service automatically or manually. |
| US07778591B1 |
Radio with backchannel feedback
An interactive radio system includes a broadcast radio station and an interactive radio device wherein the interactive radio device sends feedback data to the broadcaster. In various embodiments, the broadcast radio station can broadcast an enhanced radio signal that includes control data to instruct the interactive radio device on how to collect feedback data. The feedback data can be collected directly by posing input requests to a listener or indirectly by transparently monitoring the listener's activities. Feedback is provided back to the broadcaster over a backchannel by which data can be sent from a listener back to the broadcast station or another data gathering source. Backchannel routes can be provided by any of a host of communications technologies such as the Internet and/or wireless networks such as cellular networks, Bluetooth, 802.11 networks, and the like. |
| US07778589B2 |
Method and apparatus for sheet handling in an imaging device
A method and apparatus for adjusting the print area by positioning a sheet in an imaging device utilizing length data from a prior sheet. A first sheet length is measured and thereafter utilized to determine the print zone for a subsequent sheet. |
| US07778587B2 |
Auto document feeder
An auto document feeder which loads and feeds a document to a read position provided on a read surface of a reader, the auto document feeder including a conveying device having an upstream roller placed upstream of the read position and a downstream roller placed downstream of the read position, the conveying device conveying the loaded document through the read position, a stabilizing roller provided upstream of the read position and opposing to the read surface, the stabilizing roller stabilizing movement of the document conveyed by the conveying device, and a guide member provided downstream of the read position and opposing to the read surface, the guide member guiding the document conveyed by the conveying device, wherein the following relationship is established the thickness of the document |
| US07778576B2 |
Development device with partitioned developer container for reserving liquid developer
A development device includes a developer supply member that supplies a developer supporting member with liquid developer from a developer container. An agitating member is disposed in the developer container supplies the developer supply member with the liquid developer. The developer container includes a partition member partitioning between and extending above first and second developer holding sections. The partition member is aligned in parallel to an axial direction of rotation of the agitating member and allows liquid developer to move between the first and second developer holding sections. |
| US07778570B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has a tray, which is able to be drawn out of the apparatus and on which a plurality of cartridges of different sizes can be mounted. A cartridge, being the largest in size among a plurality of process cartridges, is detachably arranged at a location at which it is first exposed to outside when a cartridge tray is drawn out. A developer storage portion of the largest cartridge has the largest capacity and stores a developer of a black color. |
| US07778548B2 |
Optical communication system, lighting equipment and terminal equipment used therein
A communication system has lighting equipment that has transmitter comprising multiple light-emitting elements that each emit light of different wavelengths and terminal equipment that has light-receiver comprising multiple light-receiving elements that receive optical signals for each of the different wavelengths. |
| US07778546B2 |
Point-to-multipoint high data rate delivery systems from optical node in HFC systems over existing and advanced coaxial network
Methods and apparatus are described for transmitting and receiving data. A method includes a process of transferring data over a coaxial network at a bandwidth above 1000 MHz, wherein the process of transferring data transfers the data between an optical node and a plurality of cable modems of a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network. An apparatus includes a data transfer system which sends and receives data over a coaxial network at a bandwidth above 1000 MHz, wherein the data transfer system is located at an optical node of a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network. |
| US07778543B2 |
Passive optical network rogue optical network unit diagnostics
A system, method, and computer readable medium for passive optical network rogue optical network unit diagnostics, comprises, detecting an alarm of a network, correlating the detected alarm to a bandwidth map, and selectively disabling an optical network unit upstream to the detected alarm on the bandwidth map for a pre-determined interval. |
| US07778540B2 |
Verification apparatus and verification method for recording media
On a recording medium serving as a verification object, a picture whose state changes in accordance with optical conditions is formed. A verification apparatus images a plurality of pictures of the recording medium while changing an optical relationship among a light source for illuminating the recording medium, a camera for imaging a picture of the recording medium, and the recording medium with a condition modifying unit. The verification apparatus displays the plurality of pictures of the recording medium imaged by the camera, on the display unit in a state in which the optical relationship has been changed. The verification apparatus determines imaging conditions for imaging a picture for verification on the basis of the optical relationship at the time of photographing selected pictures among the plurality of pictures displayed on the display unit. |
| US07778534B2 |
Method and apparatus of correcting geometry of an image
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus that obtain error correction data by adjusting the LOS vector of a sensor, and assign precise ground coordinates to respective image coordinates of an image using the error correction data and auxiliary data for the image.In the method of correcting geometry of an image using a LOS vector adjustment model of the present invention, an image, obtained by photographing a ground surface, and auxiliary data for the image, are acquired. Ground coordinates for a ground control point, and image coordinates of the image matching the ground coordinates are acquired. A LOS vector of a sensor of a photographing device is adjusted, thus obtaining error correction data. The auxiliary data and the error correction data are applied to LOS vector adjustment models, and ground coordinates are assigned to respective image coordinates of the image, thus performing exterior orientation. |
| US07778529B2 |
Method for supplying electrical power to a DC motor which can be commutated electronically via a semiconductor power output stage
A method is proposed for supplying electrical power to a DC motor (16) which can be commutated electronically via a semiconductor power output stage (28), preferably a three-phase DC motor, through which a control unit (22) passes current in blocks, corresponding to the signals from a rotor position sensor (20). Current is passed through the motor (16) variably in steps, in such a manner that the magnitude and/or the duration and/or the trigger angle of the current blocks can be varied as a function of the rotation speed and/or of the load, with respect to the profile of the induced voltage (E). |
| US07778525B2 |
Method of preventing audio or video from interruption due to the other for a mix mode multimedia player
A method of preventing playing of audio or video data from being interrupted for a mix mode multimedia playback system comprises the following steps: a video stream buffer, a audio stream buffer, and a parser module is provided; then amount of free space in the video stream buffer is checked so as to ensure the amount of the free space is larger than a sum of a track buffer and video data being processed by the parser module. Whenever the playing of an audio scene state machine is paused or stopped, audio data processed by the parser module and audio data in the track buffer are pushed into the free space of the audio stream buffer so as to release entire space of the track buffer for video data to be loaded. On the other hand, whenever the playing of a video scene state machine is paused or stopped, the video data processed by the parser module and video data in the track buffer are pushed into the free space of the video stream buffer so as to release entire space of the track buffer for audio data to be loaded. |
| US07778523B2 |
Method for reproducing data recorded on an interactive recording medium in conjunction with associated auxiliary data
A method for reproducing data recorded on an interactive recording medium in conjunction with associated auxiliary data is disclosed. An interactive recording medium reproducing apparatus reproduces A/V data recorded on an interactive recording medium such as an interactive DVD in conjunction with contents data provided by a contents providing server using navigation information for the contents data also provided by the contents providing server, thereby allowing synchronized reproduction of data from different sources. |
| US07778522B2 |
Recording medium having a data structure for managing graphic information and recording and reproducing methods and apparatuses
In the data structure for managing reproduction of text subtitle data, a recording area stores graphic control information indicating whether to still a display of main data when a display of graphic information is activated. |
| US07778520B1 |
Personal video recording device
The present invention is a set top box or other content management device that can convert television programming stored in a temporary buffer into a persistent event. The present invention may also trim data from a temporary buffer, such as an input buffer, without requiring additional software, RAM and other hardware normally associated with general purpose computers. |
| US07778516B2 |
Identifying, recording and reproducing information
A signal processing system comprises a recorder (500,204) for recording information signals representing video audio and/or data material on a tape (502, 126). The recorder (500, 204) generates (152,178) first material identifiers for identifying respective pieces of material on the medium such that each piece is differentiated from other pieces on the medium, and generates second, universally unique, identifiers for pieces of material, the second identifiers being associated with the first identifiers.The recorder (468, 472, 470 FIG. 31) records the material on successive slant tracks. A slant track stores a video timecode. At least one linear track stores a linear track timecode. The timecodes each have a plurality of user-definable bits. The material identifiers (464) are stored in the user-definable bits of the slant track timecode and in the user-definable bits of the linear track timecode. The identifiers associate the material with metadata objects. The metadata objects are repeatedly recorded (FIG. 33, 2)on the tape. The metadata objects are recorded a number of times corresponding to the relative importance of the metadata objects. [FIGS. 1, 31 and 33] |
| US07778515B2 |
System and method for linking DVD text to recommended viewing
A system and method for automatically linking DVD text to recommended viewing, based on a viewer selection of a word or phrase displayed in a DVD-based program. A microprocessor in a PVR associated with the TV can automatically record TV programming or recommend additional products and/or programs based on the selected word or phrase from the DVD text. |
| US07778507B2 |
Light guide and method of producing a light guide
A light guide comprising a base body and a plurality of outcoupling elements that are disposed on an outcoupling side of the base body and are provided to couple radiation out of the base body, said outcoupling elements being applied on a film. A method of producing the light guide. |
| US07778502B2 |
Optical transmission assembly
An optical transmission assembly consists of an upper cladding; a lower cladding; a core formed between the upper cladding and the lower cladding; a surface light emitting device mounted to an upper surface at one end of the upper cladding, a light emitting surface of the surface light emitting device facing the core and emitting wavelength λ1 light thereto; a reflective surface formed in the core and at a position facing the light emitting surface of the surface light emitting device, and inclined in a longitudinal direction of the core; an inclined surface formed in the core and facing the reflective surface in a longitudinal direction of the core, and inclined in a thickness direction of the upper or lower cladding; a wavelength filter formed on the inclined surface and transmitting wavelength λ1 light incident in a longitudinal direction of the core while reflecting wavelength λ2 (λ2≠λ1) light incident in the opposite longitudinal direction of the core to the incident direction of the wavelength λ1 light, in a thickness direction of the lower cladding; and a light receiving device mounted on a lower surface of the lower cladding and facing the wavelength filter. |
| US07778497B2 |
Optical modulators
An optical modulator having an optical modulation part and a connection part for an optical fiber propagating light. The optical modulation part has a modulation substrate of an electro-optic material, a modulation optical waveguide formed on the modulation substrate, a high frequency interaction part for applying a voltage to the modulation optical waveguide to modulate the propagation of light, a first supporting substrate and a first adhesion layer for adhering the modulation substrate to the first supporting substrate. The connection part has a connection substrate of an electro-optic material, a connection optical waveguide formed on the connection substrate, a second supporting substrate, and a second adhesion layer for adhering the connection substrate to the second supporting substrate. The modulation substrate is adhered to the connection substrate. The first supporting substrate is adhered to the second supporting substrate. The modulation optical waveguide is connected to the connection optical waveguide. |
| US07778496B2 |
Method for processing dump data packets in low earth orbital satellite
Provided is a method for processing dump data packets in a low earth orbital (LEO) satellite. The method includes the steps of: a) extracting table identification (ID) information from a header of high-resolution camera (HRC) dump data transmitted from the LEO satellite; b) searching a HRC dump table from a HRC dump table list based on the extracted table ID information; c) extracting sequence information from the transmitted HRC dump data; d) completing and storing an complete table based on the sequence information searched in the HRC dump table and the extracted sequence information; and e) reading and displaying the HRC dump table upon request of an operator. |
| US07778495B2 |
System and device for image processing
An image processing system, which includes an image processing device including at least one of an image reading unit which reads an image and generates image data representing the image and an image printing unit which prints an image represented by image data, a service supply unit configured to execute a service regarding at least one of image data generated by the image reading unit and image data representing an image to be printed by the image printing unit, in response to a request from the image processing device, and an information supply unit which supplies the image processing device with information on services executable by the service supply unit. The information supply unit includes a service storage unit that stores the information on services executable by the service supply unit, and a service information transmitting unit that transmits the stored information on services to the image processing device. |
| US07778490B2 |
Method of image registration and medical image data processing apparatus
The present invention relates to a method of image registration comprising the steps of, a) providing at least first image data and second image data, b) selecting of sub-volumes of the first and the second image data, c) performing a registration for each one of the sub-volumes, each registration providing a transformation parameter set, d) performing a global registration for the first and second image data, the global registration providing a global transformation parameter set, e) comparing one of the transformation parameter sets to other transformation parameter sets and/or to the global transformation parameter set for identification of an outlier transformation parameter set of the transformation parameter sets, f) outputting of a signal being indicative of the sub-volume of the outlier transformation parameter set. |
| US07778486B2 |
Online image processing systems and methods
The present invention allows for online image processing. A sample embodiment of the system comprises an Image Processing Means with one or more predetermined graphical layers, residing on the Image Processing Means The Image Processing Means has the ability to obtain one or more substitute layers and repeat a set of predetermined steps using predetermined layers and substitute layers to create a new image. A sample embodiment of the method comprises the steps of determining graphical layers (predetermined graphical layers) and steps (predetermined steps) for creating an image. A substitute layer maybe obtained from a remote User. The predetermined steps may be repeated using predetermined graphical layers and the substitute layer, thus, creating a new image. The image may be further delivered to the User. Described systems and methods may allow users to create complex digital images using remote servers, without the use of graphical tools on the user's computer. Even users without substantial technical or artistic skills may create complex digital images. |
| US07778481B2 |
Apparatus and method for image processing including photometry and colorimetry
The present invention provides an image processing apparatus comprising: a principal object extraction device which extracts a shape of a principal object from an overall screen of an image entered, a weighted area determining device which determines a plurality of areas including the area of the principal object that matches the shape of the extracted principal object as a weighted area, a weighting factor determining device which determines a weighting factor for each of the determined weighted areas, a measuring device which divides the overall screen into a plurality of areas and calculates measured values of divided photometry and/or divided colorimetry for each divided area, and a correction device which performs exposure correction and/or white balance correction based on a measured value calculated for each divided area and a weighting factor determined for each of the weighted areas to which the divided area of each measured value belongs. |
| US07778480B2 |
Block filtering system for reducing artifacts and method
A method includes identifying a pair of image data blocks separated by a boundary. The image data blocks include image information defining multiple pixels in at least one image. The method also includes identifying at least one filter length based on edge contents of at least some of the pixels in the at least one image. In addition, the method includes filtering at least some of the pixels in the pair of image data blocks along the boundary using the at least one identified filter length. |
| US07778478B2 |
Image processing device, image processing program, image processing method, and electronic camera for controlling degree of noise reduction in image data
An image processing device changes degree of noise reduction for image data in accordance with tone correction to be performed according to the image data and includes a change rate acquisition part and a noise reduction part. The change rate acquisition part obtains, at a plurality of portions in the image data, a change rate of a signal level of the image data before and after tone correction. The noise reduction part controls a degree of noise reduction for each portion in the image data according to the change rate. |
| US07778477B2 |
Image display encoding and/or decoding system, medium, and method
A display image encoding and/or displaying apparatus, medium, and method. The image encoding apparatus may include a transform unit, a quantizer, a clipper, and an entropy encoder. The transform unit converts image data to generate a transform block and the quantizer quantizes the transform block from the transform unit. The clipper clips some of coefficients contained in the transform block from the quantizer, and the entropy encoder performs dual entropy coding using VLC or FLC on the transform block from the clipper. |
| US07778472B2 |
Methods and systems for significance coefficient coding in video compression
A method for decoding significance coefficients in an encoded video sequence is described. An encoded video bitstream is received. Codebook table information is retrieved from the bitstream. Significance symbols are decoded using the retrieved codebook table information. Significance coefficients are decoded using the significance symbols. A plurality of transform coefficients is dequantized. An inverse transform is applied to a residual signal. A video sequence is constructed. A method for coding significance coefficients in a video sequence is also described. |
| US07778471B2 |
Dynamic capacitance compensation apparatus and method for liquid crystal display
A dynamic capacitance compensation (DCC) apparatus and method for a liquid crystal display (LCD). The apparatus includes a one-dimensional block-encoding unit reading pixel values of an image in line units, dividing the pixel values of the read image into one-dimensional blocks in predetermined pixel units, transforming and quantizing the one-dimensional blocks, and generating bit streams; a memory storing the generated bit streams; a one-dimensional block-decoding unit which decodes the bit streams stored in the memory by inverse quantization and inverse transform; and a compensation pixel value-detecting unit detecting a compensation pixel value for each pixel based on a difference between each pixel value of a current frame and each pixel value of a previous frame decoded by the one-dimensional block-decoding unit. |
| US07778469B2 |
Methods and systems for discriminative keyframe selection
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for discriminatively selecting keyframes that are representative of segments of a source digital media and at the same time distinguishable from other keyframes representing other segments of the digital media. The method and system, in one embodiment, includes pre-processing the source digital media to obtain feature vectors for frames of the media. Discriminatively selecting a keyframe as a representative for each segment of a source digital media wherein said discriminative selection includes determining a similarity measure for each candidate keyframe and determining a dis-similarity measure for each candidate keyframe and selecting the keyframe with the highest goodness value computing from the similarity and dis-similarity measures. |
| US07778463B2 |
Pattern recognition system, pattern recognition method, and pattern recognition program
A pattern recognition system, pattern recognition method, and pattern recognition program capable of increasing the accuracy in computing the false acceptance probability and capable of ensuring a stable security strength are provided. Pattern recognition systems 10 and 10a comprise a first probability computation unit 32, and a second probability computation unit 33 coupled to the first probability computation unit 32. The first probability computation unit 32 computes a first probability PFCR based on the number n of corresponding characteristic points cs1 to csn and cf1 to cfn indicating points corresponding between characteristic points s1 to sns in a first pattern and characteristic points f1 to fnf in a second pattern. The first probability PFCR indicates the probability of existence of a third pattern that has a greater number of corresponding characteristic points to the first pattern than the number n of the corresponding characteristic points. The second probability computation unit 33 refers to the first probability PFCR to compute a false acceptance probability PFAR indicating the probability of falsely determining that the first pattern and the second pattern correspond to each other. |
| US07778456B2 |
Automatic currency processing system having ticket redemption module
An apparatus for currency discrimination comprises first and second stationary scanheads, disposed on opposite sides of a bill transport path, for scanning respective first and second opposing surfaces of a bill traveling along the bill transport path and for producing respective output signals. The bill travels along the transport path in the direction of a predetermined dimension of the bill. A memory stores master characteristic patterns corresponding to associated predetermined surfaces of a plurality of denominations of genuine bills. Sampling circuitry samples the output signals associated with the respective first and second opposing surfaces of the scanned bill. A signal processor is programmed to determine which one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponds to the associated predetermined surfaces of the plurality of denominations of genuine bills. The processor then correlates the output signal associated with the one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponding to the associated predetermined surfaces with the master characteristic patterns to identify the denomination of the scanned bill. |
| US07778455B2 |
Method of and system for reconstructing a digital optical image
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system of and method for processing a digitized image derived from detector instrumentation (11) to form a reconstructed image. In a typical image processing system (9), γ-rays (10) impinge upon a gamma camera unit (11), defining detector instrumentation, and then pass through a lead collimator (12) to cause a scintillator (14) to emit light in the visible electromagnetic spectrum at given locations above an array of analogue photomultiplier tubes (16). With appropriate circuitry (18) these analogue signals may then be digitized, by means of processor (20), and then stored in memory (22). The present invention aims to more accurately reconstruct these digital images, with, in broad terms, the raw data stored in memory (22) being sent to a processor (24), which processes the data in terms of algorithms that form part of the invention. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of processing a digitized phantom image derived from detector instrumentation to form a reconstructed point spread function image. |
| US07778452B2 |
Image reconstruction method for structuring two-dimensional planar imaging into three-dimension imaging
An image reconstruction method for structuring planar images into three-dimension images is disclosed in the present invention. The image reconstruction method, being adopted to perform an image reconstruction operation upon a measured value of at least a line of response (LOR) obtained by detecting an object-to-be-imaged using an inspection system, comprises steps of: utilizing a plurality of voxels, each having a first radioactivity value, to construct an image domain with reference to the object-to-be-imaged; projecting the LOR while comparing the result of the projection with the measured value to obtain a calibrated value; performing a back-projection operation basing on the relationship between the calibrated value and the first radioactivity value of each voxel of the LOR; performing a calculation basing on the relationship between the calibrated value and the first radioactivity value of each voxel to obtain a second radioactivity value; utilizing the second radioactivity value to update the first radioactivity value of each voxel of the LOR while enabling an image reconstruction operation by an iteration manner. By the method of the invention, images with preferred contrast comparing to those of prior art can be obtained such that the method of the invention can have better tumor detection ability. |
| US07778442B2 |
Variable message coding protocols for encoding auxiliary data in media signals
Variable message coding protocols enable greater flexibility in encoding auxiliary data in media signals. One such protocol employs a version identifier that indicates the type of coding used to process an auxiliary data message before it is embedded in a host media signal. This version identifier specifies the type of error robustness coding applied to a variable message. The error robustness coding may be varied to alter the message payload capacity for different versions of auxiliary data embedding and reading systems. Another protocol uses control symbols to specify the format and variable length of the variable message. |
| US07778441B2 |
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. |
| US07778440B2 |
Apparatus and method for embedding searchable information into a file for transmission, storage and retrieval
Forensic communication apparatus and method. An apparatus is disclosed for recording image or other data in real time. The apparatus includes a capture device for capturing the image or other information. Once captured, a local verification device is operable to indelibly mark the captured image or other information with a representation of date, time, location and information identifying the creator of the data and location of the capture device. A transmitter is provided for transmitting the locally verified captured image or other information in real time to a secure storage facility. The capture device is operable, after the locally verified captured image or other information is transmitted to the secure storage facility, to receive and verify acknowledgment of the receipt of the transmitted locally verified captured image or other information to the storage facility. |
| US07778439B2 |
Image processing device and method, recording medium, and program
An image processing device, method, recording medium, and program and a learning device, where the learning device includes a computer configured to compute image data corresponding to light signals when the light signals corresponding to second image data pass through an optical low-pass filter and to output computed image data as first image data, a first tap extractor configured to extract a plurality of pixels corresponding to pixels of interest within the second image data from the first image data, and a learning unit configured to teach a predictor configured to predict pixel values of the pixels of interest from the pixel values of the plurality of pixels extracted by the first tap extractor. |
| US07778433B2 |
Wireless system and method thereof for hearing
A two-piece wireless hearing improvement system having a pocket piece and an earpiece, wherein the pocket piece includes a microphone adapted to receive analog signals, a first processor coupled to the microphone to convert the analog signals to digital signals, and a first transceiver coupled to the processor to transmit the digital signals. The earpiece includes a second transceiver for receiving the digital signals, a second processor coupled to the second transceiver for converting the digital signals to analog signals, a speaker coupled to the second processor for transmitting the analog signals, and a movement detector for detecting relative movements between the earpiece and the pocket piece and generating a first signal according to the relative movements. The first processor provides signal compensation based on the first signal. |
| US07778431B2 |
Sound enhancing stands for portable audio devices
Stands for a portable audio device include a housing and a mounting member. The mounting member is configured to couple the audio device to the housing at a location selected to reflect sounds generated by a speaker of the audio device away from the housing. Stands may include a resonator cavity in the housing with an outlet opening extending to the resonator cavity from an exterior surface of the housing and a volume of the resonator cavity and a size of the outlet opening extending thereto may be selected to provide a desired resonant frequency response of the resonator cavity to amplify sounds generated by the speaker of the audio device. |
| US07778430B2 |
Flesh conducted sound microphone, signal processing device, communication interface system and sound sampling method
A microphone is installed on a surface of the skin immediately below the mastoid of a human to implement a sound sampling method including sampling at least one of a non-audible murmur, a whisper, or an audible sound. The microphone includes a condenser microphone portion having a pair of diaphragm electrodes and a contact portion which has an acoustic impedance close to the acoustic impedance of soft tissues in a body of a speaker, which is stuck tightly to the condenser microphone portion with no intervening air space, and which conducts an input speech from a skin surface of the speaker to the condenser microphone. |
| US07778419B2 |
Key masking for cryptographic processes
Countermeasures for differential power or electromagnetic analysis attacks are provided with the definition and use of key encryption masks and masked substitution tables in a cryptographic process. Different key encryption masks and masked substitution tables are applied to different portions of masked keys used in the cryptographic process and are rotated as the cryptographic operations are carried out. The rotation of the key encryption masks and the masked substitution tables is non-uniform. Input and output masking for the substitution tables is provided. |
| US07778418B1 |
System and method for copy protection for digital signals
Embodiments of the present invention provide for the copy protection of distributed material after conditional access is applied, regardless of where the material is distributed. The solutions described provide the advantage of being sufficiently simple in implementation to qualify as “curb high” solutions. “Curb high” solutions provide a range of security from minimal security to a high level of security while requiring relatively fewer system resources to implement than prior approaches. |
| US07778417B2 |
System and method for managing encrypted content using logical partitions
The present invention provides a means for managing title keys by establishing logical partitions of title keys encrypted with the same binding information. The invention supports delayed and background processing of title keys when binding information changes. This invention supports proper accounting for devices required to recover rebinding processing when devices fail or go offline unexpectedly during processing. The invention uses binding context which represents a set of data that can be used to determine if the binding information used to encrypt a set of title keys is outdated and allow for rebinding to the current cluster binding information level. |
| US07778415B2 |
Substitution cipher text-encoding and un-encoding software and method
A method or computer program for encoding or un-encoding data receives a keyword string and removes characters in the keyword string which are not in a pre-approved character set and duplicate characters to form a validated keyword. The validated keyword is sequenced with un-used characters of the pre-approved character set and formed into a cipher grid. Clear text may be encoded using an algorithm in combination with the cipher grid, and encoded text may be un-encoded to form clear text using a reverse algorithm in combination with the cipher grid. |
| US07778414B2 |
Encryption method based on factorization
The present invention relates to an asymmetrical encryption method. The public key is made up of a large composite number n; the private key is made up of the factors of the composite number. The encryption is made up of a number of iterations of individual encryption steps that are successively reversed during the decryption. In this context, the reversal of an individual encryption step requires the solving of a quadratic equation modulo m [sic]. The private key is preferably made up of the large prime numbers p and q. The public key is the product n of these two prime numbers, as well as a comparatively small integer L which is greater than one. The message m is made up of two integral values m1 and m2, thus m=(m1, m2), both values being in the set Zn={0, 1, 2, . . . , n−1}. The encryption is accomplished via the equation c=fL(m). |
| US07778409B2 |
Enabling cisco legacy power to support IEEE 802.3 AF standard power
An apparatus and method for enabling Cisco legacy power to support IEEE 802.3af standard power. A network power system capable of delivering data terminal equipment power via a media dependent interface (MDI) includes power source equipment according to a first power via MDI scheme such as Cisco legacy power and at least one powered device according to a second power via MDI scheme such as IEEE standard power. A power compatibility module is inserted between the power source equipment and the powered device to enable the power source equipment to appear according to the first power via MDI scheme and the powered device to appear according the second power via MDI scheme. In one embodiment, the module includes switches, a DC/DC converter, an IEEE power source equipment circuit, and an isolator. The module may optionally include a user signaling device for communicating operating conditions of the module to a user. |
| US07778400B2 |
Centralized personal directory scheme for communications networks
An apparatus and method for personalized calling party number determination and identification. The apparatus includes an interface for receiving a calling party number corresponding to a calling party, a memory for storing an alpha tag corresponding to the calling party number, and a processor coupled to the interface. The processor includes instructions to determine a character indicating presence of a character string including a unique identifier portion, a classification portion, and a calling party portion. The processor correlates the alpha tag to the calling party upon matching the calling party portion of the character string to the calling party number stored in the memory. The method of personalized calling party number determination and identification can occur for incoming or outgoing call messages relative to the communications network including the apparatus. |
| US07778391B2 |
Field emission cathode and x-ray tube embodying same
A field emission cathode has a field emitter and an extraction grid, and the field emitter and the extraction grid can be moved relative to one another. Such a field emission cathode is highly durable and exhibits a longer lifespan. An x-ray tube has a field emission cathode composed of a field emitter and an extraction grid that can be moved relative to one another. Such an x-ray tube is highly durable and exhibits a longer lifespan. |
| US07778390B2 |
X-ray facility with error protection circuit
The invention relates to a residual-current circuit breaker for an X-ray device. In one embodiment, the residual-current circuit breaker comprises at least one input, via which a detector identification signal of a detector identification element can be received, said signal characterizing the presence of an X-ray detector and at least one input, via which a selection signal for an exposure measurement element can be received, said signal characterizing the activation of an exposure measurement element. A deactivation signal can be issued via at least one output of the residual-current breaker, the deactivation signal being generated as long as a detector identification signal and a selection signal that is assigned to the same detector as the detector identification signal are not received at the same time. |
| US07778389B2 |
X-ray imaging system and method
The present invention provides an X-ray imaging system and method capable of performing time-resolved observation in a short measurement time at the same density resolution and in the same dynamic range as those for a diffraction enhanced X-ray imaging method, and also capable of observing a sample with high sensitivity even if the intensity of an incident X-ray varies with time. A refraction angle of X-ray beams caused by the sample is detected at a time by X-ray imagers by utilizing multiple X-ray diffractions by multiple analyzer crystals. |
| US07778384B2 |
Direct measuring and correction of scatter for CT
Cone-beam CT scanners with large detector arrays suffer from increased scatter radiation. This radiation may cause severe image artefacts. An examination apparatus is provided which directly measures the scatter radiation and uses this measurement for a correction of the contaminated image data. The measurement is performed by utilizing a 1-dimensional anti-scatter-grid and an X-ray tube with an electronic focal spot movement. Image data is detected at a first position of a focal spot and scatter data is detected at a second position of the focal spot. The image data is corrected on the basis of the scatter data. |
| US07778382B2 |
CT imaging system with multiple peak x-ray source
An x-ray source (32) for performing energy discrimination within an imaging system (10) includes a cathode-emitting device (82) for emitting electrons and an anode (81) that has a target (80) whereupon the electrons impinge to generate an x-ray beam (93) with multiple x-ray quantity energy peaks (116 and 120). A method of performing energy discrimination in the imaging system (10) includes emitting the electrons. The x-ray beam (93) with the x-ray quantity energy peaks (116 and 120) is generated. The x-ray beam (93) is directed through an object (44) and is thereafter received. An x-ray image having multiple energy differentiable characteristics is generated in response to the x-ray beam (93) as received. |
| US07778379B2 |
Shift register apparatus
A shift register apparatus is provided. The pull-down unit of each of the shift registers in the shift register apparatus is controlled by itself, previous, and next two shift registers to enhance the ability of pull-down and voltage regulating. Therefore, the circuit structure of each of the shift registers does not need to be designed a large compensation capacitor therein to substantially restrain the coupling noise effect caused by the clock signal, and thus permitting that each of the shift registers can be collocated with a small compensation capacitor to enhance the output capability thereof. |
| US07778378B2 |
Leak detection method for testing fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor for leaks
Fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor are tested for leaks. A plurality of fuel assemblies are each arranged adjacent to one another in a cell of the upper core grid of the boiling water reactor. A hood is placed above a plurality of cells A water sample is taken from each of the cells, and the water samples from a plurality of cells forming a group are combined and tested for the presence of radioactive fission products A plurality of groups are analyzed simultaneously in a number, which number corresponds to the number of groups, of measurement channels. Where a result of a group is positive, the cells of the group are tested separately by the measurement channels. Those fuel assemblies of a cell that is found positive are tested individually outside the hood. |
| US07778377B2 |
Methods and apparatus for spread spectrum generation using a voltage controlled delay loop
Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a frequency with a predefined offset from a reference frequency. A spread spectrum generator circuit is disclosed that comprises a voltage controlled delay loop for generating a plurality of signals having a different phase; and at least one interpolator for processing at least two of the signals to generate an output signal having a phase between a phase of the at least two of the signals, wherein the output is varied between a phase of the at least two of the signals to generate the spread spectrum. A spread spectrum having a frequency lower than an applied clock signal is generated using a continuous phase delay increase and a spread spectrum having a frequency higher than the clock signal is generated using a continuous phase delay decrease. |
| US07778376B2 |
Static phase adjust using LC tanks with offset center frequencies
A phase detector includes a first clock driver comprising a first LC tank. The first clock driver provides a strobe to a plurality of flip-flops associated with sampled data being received by the phase detector. The second clock driver includes a second LC tank. The second clock driver provides a strobe to a plurality of flip-flops associated with sampling the phase error of the phase detector. The first and second LC tanks have different adjustable center frequencies and experience a programmable delay between the outputs of the first and second clock drivers so as to determine the data sampling phase of the phase detector. |
| US07778374B2 |
Dual reference input receiver of semiconductor device and method of receiving input data signal
A dual reference input receiver, and a method of receiving, wherein the input receiver includes a first input buffer which is synchronized with and enabled by a clock signal, senses a difference between the input data signal and a first reference voltage, and amplifies the sensing result; a second input buffer which is synchronized with and enabled by the clock signal, senses a difference between a second reference voltage and the input data signal, and amplifies the sensing result; and a phase detector which detects a difference between a phase of output signals of the first and second input buffers, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detection result. The first and second reference voltages may respectively be higher and lower than a median voltage of the input data signal. Thus, a single input data signal is advantageously used and a wide input data eye is provided. |
| US07778366B2 |
Wireless system having channel fading compensation using zero-forcing
A MISO wireless LAN includes multiple inputs and a single output. The present invention includes a method and apparatus of compensating for time sensitive or frequency sensitive channel fading using zero forcing. The time sensitive channel fading is represented by the vector [H(t)], and the interference compensation is performed by multiplying the incoming data by a zero forcing factor that is determined as [(H*·H)−1·H*]. More specifically, the H* represents channel matching and (H*·H)−1 represents interference cancellation due to channel fading over time or frequency. |
| US07778365B2 |
Satellite TWTA on-line non-linearity measurement
The present invention discloses methods and systems of measuring transmission performance characteristics, such as from an amplifier. The method comprises the steps of receiving a signal, demodulating the signal, generating an ideal signal from the demodulated signal and estimating the performance characteristic from a difference between the ideal signal and the received signal. A system for measuring a transmission performance characteristic, comprises a demodulator for demodulating a received signal, a signal generator for producing an ideal signal from the demodulated signal and a processor for estimating the performance characteristic from a difference between the ideal signal and the received signal. |
| US07778364B2 |
Signal strength estimation system and method
A signal strength estimation circuit for a code division multiple access system comprises a channel compensator, a demodulator, an extractor and an average circuit. The channel compensator compensates different channel effect upon a received signal and outputs first and second compensated signals wherein the received signal comprises a first signal and a second signal. The demodulator electrically connected to the channel compensator demodulates the first and second compensated signals and outputs first and second demodulated signals wherein the demodulator demodulates the first and second compensated signals by corresponding 4 bits pilot patterns when each of the first and second compensated signals only has 2 pilot bits in a slot and the second signal is obtained by space time transmit diversity encoding the first signal. The extractor coupled to the demodulator respectively extracts first and second pilot signals from the first and second demodulated signals. The average circuit coupled to the extractor averages the first and second pilot signals, thereby obtaining a signal strength estimation. |
| US07778362B2 |
Method and device for OFDM channel estimation
A method and device for OFDM transmission, the method includes: (i) defining a channel estimation sequence that is characterized by a low peak to average ratio at a significant guard to information power ratio; and (ii) transmitting the channel estimation sequence over multiple over multiple sub-carriers. A method and device for OFDM transmission, the method includes: (i) providing a channel estimation sequence that is characterized by a low peak to average ratio over a significant range of guard to information power ratio; and (ii) transmitting the channel estimation sequence over multiple sub-carriers. |
| US07778361B1 |
Feed forward method for NICAM decode
A method and apparatus for decoding digital quadrature phase shift keying data includes converting and intermediate frequency signal from an analog signal to a digital signal and digitally processing the digital signal to detect and decode the digital quadrature phase shift keying and extract encoded data. |
| US07778359B2 |
Method and device for clock synchronisation with a vestigial-sideband-modulated transmitted signal
A method for clock synchronisation between an amplitude-modulated or phase-modulated received signal (r(t)) and a transmitted signal (s(t)) estimates the timing offset (ε) between the received signal (r(t)) and the transmitted signal (s(t)) by means of a maximum-likelihood method. The maximum-likelihood method in this context is realised by an estimation filtering (S40; S140) dependent upon the transmission characteristic, a subsequent nonlinear signal-processing function (S50; S150) and an averaging filtering (S60, S100; S180, S200). The received signal (r(t)) is especially a modified vestigial-sideband-modulated received signal (rVSB′(t)). The nonlinear signal-processing function (S50; S150) maintains the alternating component in the spectrum of the pre-filtered vestigial-sideband-modulated received signal (vVSB′(t)). |
| US07778357B2 |
COFDM demodulator
A COFDM demodulator including a fast Fourier transform circuit receiving a signal on an information channel, the received signal corresponding to a sequence of symbols, each conveying several carriers, some of which are pilots, each carrier of a symbol being modulated in plase and/or in amplitude by a current complex coefficient, the fast Fourier transform circuit providing for each carrier the associated current complex coefficient; a circuit for determining an estimate of the frequency response of the information channel providing, for each pilot, a complex coefficient estimated based on the current complex coefficient associated with the pilot, and a circuit for determining the time variation of the frequency response of the information channel based on the estimated and current complex numbers associated with at least one pilot. |
| US07778353B2 |
Controller for a radio-frequency amplifier
A controller for an RF amplifier, in particular for an RF amplifier of an MR tomograph, contains an RF control element that finely adjusts an RF signal requiring to be fed to the RF amplifier in magnitude and phase using LF control parameters of a control element regulator, a power meter that measures the input power of the RF signal fed to the RF amplifier and a pre-emphasizer that applies correction values dependent on the input power to the LF control parameters to compensate a power-dependent characteristic curve of the RF amplifier. |
| US07778352B2 |
Digital compensation for nonlinearities in a polar transmitter
A polar transmitter includes a digital processor coupled to receive a complex modulated digital signal and a feedback signal produced from the complex modulated digital signal and that is operable to compare the complex modulated digital signal to the feedback signal to determine an error signal indicative of a difference between the complex modulated digital signal and the feedback signal. The digital processor is further operable to produce a correction signal from the error signal and to add the correction signal to the complex modulated digital signal to produce a corrected complex modulated digital signal. |
| US07778351B2 |
Tunable CMOS receiver apparatus
A CMOS receiver system having a tunable receiver having a tunable gain and a bandwidth system is provided. The tunable receiver includes means for receiving input signals; and a control circuit controlled by a control signal for tuning at least one of the gain and the bandwidth of the tunable receiver, wherein the control signal is indicative of a data rate of the input signals. Furthermore, a method is provided for tuning a CMOS receiver receiving input signals. The method includes the steps of receiving at least one control signal, and controlling one of gain and bandwidth of the CMOS receiver in accordance with the at least one control signal, wherein the at least one control signal is indicative of a data rate of the received input signals. |
| US07778348B2 |
Transmitter for suppressing out-of-band power for a signal
A transmitter includes: a limiter performing clipping in which an amplitude part at a level higher than an amplitude level based on a predetermined clipping level is clipped from an input signal, separating the input signal into an input signal after the clipping, which contains a predetermined out-of-band component, and a clip signal clipped from the input signal through the clipping, and outputting the input signal after the clipping and the clip signal; a high-pass filter subjecting the clip signal inputted from the limiter to high-pass filtering for blocking an in-band component contained in the clip signal while passing an out-of-band component contained in the clip signal, which is opposite in phase to the out-of-band component contained in the input signal after the clipping; an adder performing an addition process on the out-of-band component received from the high-pass filter and the input signal after the clipping received from the limiter; and an amplifier performing power amplification on a signal outputted from the adder, and outputting the amplified signal. |
| US07778346B2 |
Upstream power cutback
An upstream signal power in a communication system is optimized. At least one system parameter is determined and a bits and gains table is modified. For example, a maximum received power parameter for the transmitting device is used by the receiving device to calculate a power backoff parameter. The power backoff parameter is used to calculate the bits and gains table which is then used by the transmitting device. The new SNR may be estimated. This estimation may distinguish between noise sources that vary with the signal level received and those that do not. |
| US07778342B2 |
Method and apparatus in a MIMO based communication system
Communication in a MIMO network is optimized by selecting a first set of users comprising at least one user, selecting a second set of users not comprised in the first set, adapting communication parameters for the first set of users according to a first principle suitable, e.g. SVD, adapting communication parameters for the second set of users according to a second principle, e.g. opportunistic MIMO, and transmitting to the first set of user terminals according to the first communication parameters and to the second set of user terminals according to the second communication parameters. In this way, communication with one or a few users can be optimized while network resources can be used in an efficient way also for other users. |
| US07778340B2 |
Accurate channel quality indicator for link adaptation of MIMO communication systems
A method for performing link adaptation in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system comprises: receiving a signal at a receiving unit of the MIMO system, calculating channel state information (CSI) from the received signal, and calculating a plurality of values of a parameter from the CSI, the parameter mapping to an error rate of the system, the mapping being substantially one-to-one within a range of interest of the error rate, each one of the calculated values corresponding to one of a plurality of Modulation Coding Schemes (MCSs). |
| US07778339B2 |
Transmission of a plurality of sub-carriers in an OFDM signal
A method of transmitting a plurality of sub-carriers in a plurality of OFDM signals. During a given transmission time, an OFDM signal transmits a plurality of sub-carriers which act as synchronizing pilot symbols. The transmission of the pilot sub-carriers in a given OFDM signal at a given time are coordinated as not to interfere with sub-carriers transmitted by other OFDM signals. The OFDM signals are transmitted in the same frequency band from a plurality of antennas. |
| US07778332B2 |
Method and device for crosstalk test in multi-subscriber communication line
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for crosstalk test in multi-subscriber communication line. The core of embodiments includes: first, transmitting a test signal in a selected line; then, receiving the signal in the line to be tested, and calculating the received signal according to the transmitted test signal; thus, determining whether there is crosstalk between the line to be tested and the selected line according to the calculation result, as well as the value of the crosstalk if the crosstalk exists. |
| US07778330B2 |
Method of measuring blocking artefacts
The invention relates to a method of measuring blocking artefacts on the basis of video data encoded in accordance with a block encoding technique. This method comprises a step of computing a monodimensional inverse discrete transform (31) of a first row of a first block of encoded video data, suitable for supplying a value of a first virtual border pixel (vep1). It also comprises a step of computing a monodimensional inverse discrete transform (32) of a first row of a second block of encoded video data, the second block being adjacent to the first block, suitable for supplying a value of a second virtual border pixel (vep2). Finally, the method comprises a step of computing (33) a blocking artefact level (VEP-L) on the basis of an absolute value of the difference between the values of the first and second virtual pixels. This method finds its application, for example, in video encoders, decoders and transcoders. |
| US07778329B2 |
Mode decision system and method for motion vector fine search
A mode decision system and method for motion vector fine search. Each macroblock in a frame has a pre-determined clock number. The system includes a first subtractor, an operation level generator and a determinator. The first subtractor has a first input terminal to receive a clock number and a second input terminal to receive the pre-determined clock number in order to subtract the clock number from the pre-determined clock number and accordingly generate a clock difference. The operation level generator is connected to the first subtractor in order to generate an operation level based on the clock difference. The determinator selects one or more modes in accordance with the operation level and accordingly performs the fine search on the macroblock. |
| US07778327B2 |
H.264 quantization
Low complexity (16 bit arithmetic) H.264 video compression replaces a single quantization table for all quantization parameters with multiple quantization tables and thereby equalizes quantization shifts and round-off additions; this eliminates the need for 32-bit accesses. |
| US07778325B2 |
Optical drive controller chip capable of sending command messages in advance and transmission method thereof
An optical drive control chip capable of sending command messages in advance and the transmission method of the optical drive control chip are described. The method includes at least the following steps. First, a MPEG module sends a command message to a decoder module. After receiving the command message, the decoder module reads an amount of data and stores it in a memory, so that the data is accessible to the MPEG module. After the data is stored in the memory, the decoder module sends an acknowledgement message to the MPEG module. Without receiving the acknowledgement message, the MPEG module directly sends the next command message to the decoder module. The MPEG module reads the data stored in the memory. |
| US07778320B2 |
Multi-channel equalization to compensate for impairments introduced by interleaved devices
A system includes a time-interleaved device. An equalizer effectively can apply different equalization to different interleaved channels. For convenience, these equalizers will be referred to as multi-channel equalizers. In one aspect, an apparatus includes an interleaved device having M interleaved channels, and a multi-channel equalizer coupled to the interleaved device. The multi-channel equalizer is capable of applying a different equalization to different interleaved channels, thus compensating for channel-dependent impairments. |
| US07778317B2 |
Method and device for detecting inductive elements in a communication line
A method for detecting inductive elements in a communication line, including the processes of: inputting a detecting signal to an end of the communication line; sampling the time domain voltage vector of one end of the communication line; generating the amplitude-frequency characteristic curve of the differential input impedance of one end of the communication line according to the time domain voltage vector; determining the number of the inductive elements in the communication line according to the number of the apexes or zeros on the curve. The present invention also discloses a device for detecting inductive elements in a communication line. By the present invention, the automatic detections of the number of inductive elements such as load coils or phone splitters in the communication line are implemented with the exact detection and the high efficiency, thereby lowering the cost of detecting failures of communication line. |
| US07778311B2 |
Bit synchronization for weak navigational satellite signals
Methods to achieve data bit synchronization from weak navigational satellite signals are based on a maximum likelihood criterion. The bit synchronization technique may be implemented by calculating a normalized dot product of two consecutive one-millisecond correlation values. Similar normalized dot products are calculated at intervals separated by one bit duration, and these dot products are summed and compared with pre-computed thresholds to declare bit edge detection. In another implementation, the normalized dot product of adjacent correlation values is replaced by a coherent integration powers of adjacent correlation values. |
| US07778303B2 |
Laser having distributed inductances
An RF excited laser assembly includes a pair of opposed electrodes, and at least one inductor. The pair of opposed electrodes defines an inter-electrode gap that provides a discharge volume for laser propagation within a gas medium. The pair of opposed electrodes define one or more discharge-free regions within a laser-free region in the inter-electrode gap. The least one inductor is electrically connected to both electrodes and extends between the electrodes within the inter-electrode gap and inside of the one or more discharge-free regions within the laser-free region. |
| US07778298B2 |
Semiconductor laser device
An object of the invention is to achieve a high output gain waveguide semiconductor laser device exhibiting high reliability by suppressing growth of <100>DLD. A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser structure of a gain waveguide formed on a semiconductor substrate in which two grooves extending in an oscillation direction thereof are formed, wherein a current injection stripe is arranged between the two grooves. Preferably, a quantum well constituting an active layer of the semiconductor laser device is composed of GaAs. |
| US07778296B1 |
Optical microcavity emitter arrangements and methods therefor
Optical microcavity arrangements and approaches facilitate a variety of applications. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, an optical microcavity arrangement includes a microcrystal structure having a plurality of optical cavities therein to facilitate the control of light. Emitters such as colloidal quantum dots are optically coupled to the optical cavities by attaching or otherwise arranging a material, which includes the emitters, to the optical microcavity arrangement. In many applications, the emitters couple photons of a wavelength in a range of wavelengths selectively passed by the optical cavities, and are amenable to operation at relatively high temperatures (e.g., at about room temperature or higher), which is useful for a variety of applications. |
| US07778289B2 |
Optically pumped surface-emitting semiconductor laser and optical projection apparatus having a semiconductor laser such as this
An optically pumped, surface-emitting semiconductor laser having a mode-selective apparatus (7) which is intended for suppression of predeterminable, higher resonator modes of the semiconductor laser. The mode-selective apparatus is arranged in the beam path of a pump beam source (2) of the surface-emitting semiconductor laser. |
| US07778284B2 |
Synchronising cell transmission for packet switching
The invention relates to a method and a packet switch for synchronising port controllers (1) with cross-connection means (40). By switching cross-connection means from loopback configurations (41a, 43a) to no-transmission configurations, consecutively an offset counter (32) in a port controller (1) may be altered until transmission of cells is synchronised, so as cells are switched within said cross-connection means (40) within transmission periods. |
| US07778283B2 |
Timing bridge device
A timing bridge device is used to gain boundary and transparent clock functionality using conventional network components on those network links that require good timing distribution. This timing path is invisible to the network component. The timing bridge device has an internal time clock and timestamps a received message according to the internal time clock when the message is received by a network device and when the message leaves the network device. The time associated with the message is then adjusted based on a determined transit delay. |
| US07778282B2 |
Propagation of conflict knowledge
A sync community may include a group of synchronization endpoints. When two synchronization endpoints of the sync community synchronize with one another, a synchronization data conflict may be detected when the two synchronization endpoints make a change to a same particular data item and the two synchronization endpoints were unaware of the changes to the same particular data item made by the other respective synchronization endpoint at the time the changes were made. Resolution of the detected synchronization data conflict may be delayed and data indicative of the detected synchronization data conflict may be propagated to other synchronization endpoints during a synchronization operation. |
| US07778278B2 |
System and method for implementing dynamic suppression and recreation of suppressed data in a communications environment
A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method also includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples if the selected samples are similar to previously received samples. In a more particular embodiment, the method also includes positioning unique samples that are included in the flow in a super-frame to be communicated to a next destination. Additionally, the method may include receiving the unique samples and evaluating the unique samples in order to restore a plurality of bits associated with the communications flow. |
| US07778277B2 |
Timing recovery method and system thereof
A timing recovery method includes receiving a plurality of data packets via a transmission channel, wherein at least a data packet is attached with a timestamp generated according to a channel clock of the transmission channel at a source end; calculating a compensation value according to the timestamp and a channel timer value upon receipt of the data packet, wherein the channel timer value is generated by the channel clock of the transmission channel at a destination end; and utilizing the calculated compensation value to adjust processing timing of the received data packets. |
| US07778275B2 |
Method for dynamically allocating network adapters to communication channels for a multi-partition computer system
In an arrangement comprising a partitioned computer system and a switch with multiple adapters, wherein adapters are combined to form channels on respective partitions, a method is provided for dynamically changing the configuration of channels to which some of the adapters are assigned. The method allows better utilization for over-all network bandwidth. In one embodiment, the method includes initially allocating the adapters to establish at least one communication channel between each partition and the switch, wherein one or more adapters are allocated to each channel. Metric data is acquired for each channel during a time period, wherein the metric data indicates bandwidth utilization of respective channels. The metric data is evaluated to detect a first channel that under-utilizes available bandwidth when a second channel is over-utilizing available bandwidth. Adapters are reallocated from the first channel to the second channel by leveraging advanced Operating System and firmware support for dynamic adapter configuration, following detection of such event. |
| US07778274B2 |
System and method for providing a compatibility feature in a session initiation protocol (SIP) environment
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for addressing compatibility in a session protocol environment is provided that includes a communications platform operable to communicate with a first endpoint and a second endpoint and to recognize signaling capabilities of the first and second endpoints. The apparatus also includes a media termination point (MTP) operable to communicate with the endpoints and the communications platform, the media termination point being provisioned by the communications platform in a stream that involves the first and second endpoints if a signaling compatibility issue is present amongst the endpoints. If an out-of-band digit from the first endpoint is received by the communications platform, the out-of-band digit is sent to the MTP, which is operable to inject a digit associated with the second protocol into the communication session such that a mapping occurs between the digits for the first and second protocols. |
| US07778273B2 |
Application-level multicasting architecture
An application-level multicasting architecture that enables multiple nodes to interact in real time with data packets that are routed based on information about the connection states between the nodes is provided. Each node shares their connection states with other nodes in the same interactive session. The data packets may be routed in the application level using multiple packet transport protocols that are available on the sending node. A particular transport protocol may be selected based on a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of the data packet. Nodes in the interactive session may relay data packet to other nodes according to a routing map that is created based on the connection states. The application-level multicasting architecture may be implemented for any multiparty interactive application, such as an application for videoconferencing, multiplayer games, distance learning, virtual meeting, and voice communication. |
| US07778272B2 |
Method for a mobile station to select an uplink coding mode
Although the AMR coding mode control in a cellular telecommunication system is mainly centrally performed, preferably controlled by the RNC, and based on the system load quality measurements, such as, e.g., FER measurements, the MS is nevertheless allowed to change the AMR mode in certain situations. |
| US07778270B1 |
Code-switching in wireless multi-hop networks
The present invention relates to the field of code-switching in multi-hop wireless networks. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a method and apparatus that uses orthogonal codes as the forwarding labels in multi-hop forwarding. The processing of the forwarding labels is done at the physical layer. Advantages include reduced processing and energy to forward a packet; reduced latency; reduced bandwidth overhead; and increased security. |
| US07778269B2 |
Methods and systems for customized multi-application channel control
Methods and devices are provided to aid in the control of a channel used in communicating data packets between a first communication device and a communication device with which the first communication device is communicating. For an open session occurring on the channel, the channel can be in an active state or a dormant state. Controlling when the channel is brought down to the dormant state can help improve operating conditions such as battery life of a communication device. Time-out parameters associated with the communication device, each open session and packets being sent and received on the channel are used in determining when the channel is brought up to the active state or brought down to the dormant state. |
| US07778268B2 |
Method and system of providing redundancy in a network device
Systems and methods for redundancy in a network device are disclosed. An exemplary network device comprises: a plurality of data forwarding elements (DFEs); and a redundant control plane. The redundant control plane comprises: an active control processor for configuring forwarding operation of each of the DFEs; an active layer-2 switch coupled to the active control processor and to each of the DFEs; a standby control processor; and a standby layer-2 switch coupled to the standby control processor and to each of the DFEs. The active control processor is programmed in a full-mesh so that the active control processor is in communication with each of the DFEs. The standby control processor is programmed in a full-mesh so that the standby control processor is in communication with each of the DFEs. |
| US07778257B1 |
Virtual ethernet stack
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to virtual Ethernet switches. In some implementations, a system includes two or more Ethernet switches. Two or more components are included in the system to open at least one tunnel, over a network, between the two or more Ethernet switches to connect the two or more Ethernet switches together. In addition, two or more components are included in the system to operate a protocol over the opened at least one tunnel to manage the two or more Ethernet switches as a single unit that shares at least one network feature among all of the two or more Ethernet switches. |
| US07778255B2 |
Frame transfer method and frame transfer device
A network enables a transfer path to be formed between nodes in the network so as to transfer frames. A terminal for transmitting frames located outside the transfer path, upon transmitting a frame through the transfer path, writes the transfer path selection information related to the transfer path and the output line information related to the output line from the terminating node of the transfer path in the frame according to the destination information set in the frame and transmits the frame to the destination. The starting node of the transfer path decides the transfer path used for transferring the frame according to the transfer path selection information set in the frame to transmit the frame while the terminating node of the transfer path decides the output line used to output the frame according to the output line set in the frame, thereby transmitting the frame to the output line. |
| US07778252B2 |
Hardware monitor of LIN time budget
Local Interconnect Network message budget calculation error is reduced by utilizing an eight bit time measurement of the sync byte in the message header. The method determines the header budget separately from the data budget, simplifying the required logic. The sync byte reference time is multiplied by the message data size to determine the data budget. |
| US07778248B2 |
Method and apparatus for prioritized processing of routing information
A method is disclosed for prioritized processing of routing information in a network element. A priority is assigned to routing information received at the network element. The priority and the routing information are stored in a Routing Information Base (RIB) of the network element. The routing information is transferred from the RIB to a Forwarding Information Base (FIB) of the network element according to the priority assigned to the network element. |
| US07778245B2 |
Method and apparatus for remapping module identifiers and substituting ports in network devices
A method of adjusting fields of a datagram in the handling of the datagram in a network device is disclosed. The method includes receiving a datagram, with the datagram having at least module identifier fields and port identifier fields, at a port of a network device, determining whether the received datagram is a unicast datagram, adjusting the module and port identifier fields of the datagram based on data registers in the network device when the received datagram is a unicast datagram and forwarding the datagram based on the module and port identifier fields of the datagram. The port of the network device is connected to a legacy device, where the legacy device has a reduced handling capacity when compared to the network device. |
| US07778242B1 |
Protecting content of a packet containing speech data using unequal error protection
A wireless communications system includes components to apply unequal error protection to different portions of a packet containing real-time data (e.g., speech data, video data, and so forth). The packet is separated into plural portions (e.g., subflows of radio bearers), with different protection techniques applied to the plural portions. |
| US07778236B2 |
Method and system for implementing transport service of next generation network
A method for implementing transport layer service of NGN, wherein the NGN includes a service layer and a transport layer, the method including: establishing an independent transport-layer control device in the control plane of the transport layer in the NGN network; establishing a transport connection in the user plane of the transport layer under the control of the transport-layer control device; bearing the NGN service through the transport connection. The present invention also discloses a system for implementing transport layer service of NGN. According to the present invention, the network design of NGN may be simplified, the cost of the transport layer network may be reduced, and a strict QoS guarantee for NGN services may be provided. |
| US07778229B2 |
Optimized IP address use in a mobile IP environment
Methods and apparatus for initiating the release of an IP address allocated for use by a Mobile Node supporting Mobile IP are disclosed. The IP address may be a collocated care-of address or a dynamically assigned home address. The release of the IP address may be initiated by the Home Agent based upon information it has received in a registration request or, alternatively, may be initiated by the Home Agent in response to a de-registration request. In this manner, a Home Agent may initiate the release of an IP address that is no longer in use by a Mobile Node. |
| US07778222B2 |
Wireless IP telephone system
A wireless IP telephone system including a dynamic address lease server for leasing an IP address to each of terminals and a controller. The controller has information about the IP address, a SIP URI of the terminal, a type thereof, and a function thereof. The information of the controller is dynamically set by a system administrator who manually sets the information or by the dynamic address lease server and the controller which are cooperated. The controller decides an effective period of the address to be leased to each terminal, informs the dynamic address lease server of the fact, and requires the address lease server to release the address which became unnecessary. |
| US07778220B2 |
Method to loadbalance among mobile IPv6 home agents
The invention relates to load balancing the binding creation on a home agent with a mobile node in an IPV6 network. A home agent serving a prefix learns about load on other home agents and when a home agent address discovery request from a mobile is received by a home agent, the home agent processing the message returns addresses of the least loaded home agent to the mobile node. |
| US07778218B2 |
Power control of network part transmitter in radio system
An apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium in various embodiments includes a transmitter that establishes a radio connection that sends signals to a user equipment using a required transmission power; a receiver that receives a signal sent by the user equipment over the radio connection, the signal comprising at least one power control command determined by the user equipment; and a processor configured to specify the required transmission power in the transmitter using a delay requirement of a service to be transferred over the radio connection and the at least one power control command as a basis for making the power control decision, wherein at least one dedicated physical channel and at least a part of a shared physical channel that is time-divisionally shared are allocated to the user equipment on the radio connection, wherein the processor is further configured to carry out the power control of the time-divisionally shared physical channel on the basis of the power control decision of the dedicated physical channel. |
| US07778217B2 |
System and method for scheduling uplink in a communication system
An uplink scheduling system and method in a wireless broadband internet communication system includes calculating priorities of mobile stations (MSs) taking into account headroom size indicating transmission power additionally available for each of the MSs; and determining a transmission format of an MS selected to be preferentially allocated a slot as a result of the priority calculation, taking into account headroom size reported by the selected MS and a margin determined depending on a variation in channel state between the selected MS and a base station (BS). |
| US07778214B2 |
Relay apparatus, relay method, and relay program
A relay apparatus for relaying a packet in radio communication by a wireless terminal in a communication area includes a packet monitoring part for obtaining data on a bandwidth to be used in the radio communication by the wireless terminal from a packet to be relayed, a bandwidth managing part for calculating and recording a total bandwidth in use used for the radio communication by the wireless terminal from the obtained data on a bandwidth, a retransmission adjusting part for determining an upper limit of a packet retransmission number, in accordance with an amount of an available bandwidth obtained by excluding a total bandwidth in use from a maximum bandwidth, and a retransmitting part for retransmitting a packet in a range not exceeding the upper limit of the packet retransmission number. Consequently, the relay apparatus enables retransmission appropriately adaptable to a use situation of a bandwidth by wireless communication of a wireless terminal in a communication area. |
| US07778213B2 |
Method and system for selectively communicating with mobile platforms
There is provided a method for selectively communicating from a remote system to a subset of a plurality of vehicles. Each of the vehicles is equipped with a first wireless communications device and a second wireless communication device. The method comprises broadcasting a common message from the remote system to the vehicles via the first wireless communication device. A subset of the plurality of vehicles is selected based upon the common message. A communications link is established between the remote system and the second wireless communication device of each of the selected subset of vehicles to transmit formatted electronic data therebetween. |
| US07778208B2 |
Wireless communication system for time division duplex
Disclosed is a wireless communication system applicable to a time-division duplex transceiver system. The time-division duplex mobile communication system can achieve miniaturization, low power consumption and low costs by using a frequency conversion circuit including a mixer and an intermediate frequency (IF) circuit for both transmitter and receiver, and also can cope with multi-band, multi-application systems by using a broadband amplifier, a variable IF filter and a variable gain amplifier. |
| US07778206B2 |
Method and system for providing a conference service using speaker selection
A method for providing a conference service using speaker selection includes hosting a conference between a plurality of endpoints and receiving from the plurality of endpoints a plurality of media streams. The plurality of media streams each include a power indicator. The method includes normalizing the power indicators to determine a normalized power indicator for each of the plurality of media streams and selecting, based on the normalized power indicators of the plurality of media streams, a first number of the plurality of media streams for processing into a conference stream. The method also includes processing the selected first number of the plurality of media streams into the conference stream and communicating the conference stream to at least some of the plurality of endpoints. |
| US07778204B2 |
Automatic maintenance of a distributed source tree (DST) network
In one embodiment, an automatically maintained, distributed source tree (DST) network has a plurality of fully connected internal nodes. One or more internal nodes may be connected to one or more external nodes. A first internal node synchronizes its link-state database with another internal node by sending and receiving respective Reduced Sequence Number Packet-Data-Units (PDUs) (RSNPs). An RSNP includes summary information for link-state packets (LSPs) (1) originated by the first internal node, (2) received by the first internal node from the other internal node, and (3) received from and/or originated by external nodes. If an internal link fails, then the corresponding end-nodes may recover and maintain automatic DST operation by entering either relay-mode or switch-mode operation. In relay-mode operation, an end-node tunnels packets to the other end-node via an intermediary node. In switch-mode operation, an intermediary node is selected to forward packets from one end-node to the other end-node. |
| US07778201B2 |
Determining a logical neighbor of a network element
Element managers and processes receive, from a selected network element, first neighbor information describing a first neighboring network element directly connected to the selected network element and second neighbor information describing a different second neighboring network element directly connected to the selected network element. Based at least in part on the first neighbor information and the second neighbor information, the element managers and processes determine that the first neighboring network element is a logical neighbor that is connected by a tunnel to the selected network element and is coupled to the selected network element via one or more intermediate packet switches. |
| US07778200B2 |
Remote management apparatus and method of setting IP address thereof
A remote management apparatus and a method of setting an IP address thereof. The remote management apparatus includes a determination unit to determine whether an IP address of a server connected through a network coincides with an IP address intended to be used for communications with the server, and a control unit to perform an IP address mapping for the server and automatically allocating the mapped IP address to the server if the IP address of the server and the IP address intended to be used for the communications with the server do not coincide with each other. When an IP-based device is added to a network in which the remote management apparatus takes part, the IP address of the added device is automatically set for the convenience of the user. |
| US07778199B2 |
Techniques for customer self-provisioning of edge nodes for a virtual private network
Techniques for configuring a particular network interface on a particular node at an edge of a provider network to support a particular virtual private network include receiving customer input data. The provider network is a packet-switched network and the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network. The customer input data indicates a topology for customer equipment devices outside the provider network on the particular virtual private network, and may include properties for corresponding interfaces that connect the customer equipment devices to the edge nodes. Based on the customer input data, configuration data is determined for configuring the particular interface at the particular node. The particular node is caused to configure the particular interface based on the configuration data without human intervention. Among other effects, these techniques support zero-touch provisioning of virtual private networks. |
| US07778197B2 |
Mobile communications terminal for supporting space-time hybrid automatic repeat request techniques and method thereof
A mobile communications terminal for supporting a space-time Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) schemes and a method thereof, are discussed. According to an embodiment, the mobile communications terminal includes an encoder for encoding data inputted based upon at least one preset puncturing table, and a mapper/modulator for mapping the encoded data to a physical channel and modulating the mapped data. |
| US07778194B1 |
Examination of connection handshake to enhance classification of encrypted network traffic
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to the classification of encrypted network traffic. In one implementation, the present invention facilitates the classification of network traffic that has been encrypted according to a dynamically-created encryption mechanism involving a handshake between two end-systems, such as the SSL and TLS protocols. In one implementation, the present invention observes and analyzes attributes of the handshake between two nodes to enhance the classification of network traffic. In one embodiment, the enhanced classification mechanisms described herein operate seamlessly with other Layer 7 traffic classification mechanisms that operate on attributes of the packets themselves. Implementations of the present invention can be incorporated into a variety of network devices, such as traffic monitoring devices, packet capture devices, firewalls, and bandwidth management devices. |
| US07778192B2 |
System and method for automated double-ended field management of DSL service
A system and method to perform double-ended measurements of a network is provided. The system includes a test device that makes measurements at the customer end and a portable computing device that interfaces with the test device, a customer gateway and database at a network location to analyze the data and determine a performance metric of the network. |
| US07778191B2 |
System and method for fast detection of communication path failures
A system and methods for reducing detection time of path failures in a communications network is disclosed. Computing devices are organized into at least three groups based on their connectivity. The computing devices are assigned three identification values based on their group assignments. The identification values for each computing device are stored in a router connected to the communications network. Heartbeat packets are sent from the computing devices to the router on a periodic basis. If the router fails to receive a heartbeat packet from a particular computing device, a communication path from the router to the computing device is determined based on the three identification values. |
| US07778190B2 |
Correlating label switched paths of a pseudowire
In one embodiment, correlating label switched paths of a pseudowire includes receiving a first message at a second label switching router. The first message is sent from a first label switching router and includes a pseudowire identifier and a first label switched path identifier. The pseudowire identifier identifies a pseudowire, and the first label switched path identifier identifies a first label switched path that implements the pseudowire. A second message is sent from the second label switching router to the first label switching router. The second message comprises the pseudowire identifier and a second label switched path identifier. The second label switched path identifier identifies a second label switched path that implements the pseudowire. |
| US07778182B2 |
Method and apparatus for communications traffic engineering
This invention provides for a technique for selectively off-loading traffic from congested sub-regions of a network to more lightly-loaded regions by making use of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). For each network element, an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing is employed to provide re-routing and to identify congested links caused by re-routed trunks for each single failure. The re-routed traffic is then analyzed and alternate Label Switched Paths (LSPs) are identified for such traffic trunks so that the traffic is directed to the alternate LSPs during the single failure event. |
| US07778181B2 |
Method for forwarding data packets by a router
The invention describes a method for transmitting data packets by a router, whereby the ports of the router are assigned to affinity values. The data packets also comprise affinity values. Depending on a match of the affinity values of the data packets and the affinity values of the ports, the router forwards the data packets to selected ports. Furthermore, the data of the payload of the data packets are attenuated depending on the affinity value that is used for selecting the port. |
| US07778179B2 |
Using filtering and active probing to evaluate a data transfer path
If a condition in a data transfer path is modeled appropriately, then a filter-based approach can be used to provide an estimate of the condition. This permits accurate, real-time estimates of the condition with modest requirements for data processing and memory resources. |
| US07778176B2 |
Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating concurrent classification and control of tunneled and non-tunneled network traffic
Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating the concurrent classification and control of tunneled and non-tunneled data flows in a packet-based computer network environment. As discussed in more detail below, embodiments of the present invention allow for the “intra-tunnel” classification of data flows and, based on the classification, the deterministic and intelligent application of aggregate bandwidth utilization controls on data flows corresponding to a given tunnel. Embodiments of the present invention allow for the allocation of bandwidth on an application-level basis between tunneled and non-tunneled traffic, as well as between applications within a given tunnel. Other embodiments of the present invention can be configured to provide a differentiated security model for non-tunneled and tunneled traffic. In addition, embodiments of the present invention can be further configured to implement a layered security model for tunneled traffic. |
| US07778175B2 |
Method of managing requests for remote access to multimedia contents
In a method of managing a request for remote access to a multimedia content, a corresponding datum stream is inserted at the instant or in a delayed manner with the set of the data streams being transmitted on a distribution network as a function of a capacity threshold of this network. Each data stream is of the variable-throughput type, with a data throughput profile corresponding, whose width corresponds to a time of transmission of the stream. The management of the request comprises a verification that the capacity of the network is not exceeded on the width of the profile, as a function of a given instant of insertion, of the throughput of the data stream or streams in progress on the said distribution network, obtained on the basis of the throughput profiles of these streams, and of the throughput profile of the requested stream. |