| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07909018B2 |
Control for determining a firing timing of an internal-combustion engine
A control for determining a firing timing of an engine is provided. An in-cylinder pressure is detected at a predetermined time interval. An in-cylinder pressure for every predetermined crank angle is calculated based on the detected in-cylinder pressure. A motoring pressure in a case where combustion is not performed in the engine is estimated. It is detected that a pressure difference between the calculated in-cylinder pressure and the motoring pressure has exceeded a determination value. A time point is identified, as a firing timing, at which the pressure difference has exceeded a determination value with a finer resolution than the resolution of the predetermined crank angle interval through an interpolation calculation. The interpolation calculation uses a first crank angle when it is detected that the pressure difference has exceeded the determination value, the pressure difference corresponding to the first crank angle, a second crank angle previous to the first crank angle by the predetermined crank angle and a pressure difference corresponding to the second crank angle. |
| US07909017B2 |
Engine braking apparatus with mechanical linkage and lash adjustment
Apparatus for modifying engine valve lift to produce an engine valve event in an internal combustion engine, the engine including at least one exhaust valve and an exhaust valve lifter for cyclically opening and closing the at least one exhaust valve, includes (a) an actuator for operating the at least one exhaust valve to produce said modified engine valve lift, said actuator having an inoperative position and an operative position; in said inoperative position said actuator being disengaged from the operation of the at least one exhaust valve, and in said operative position said actuator opening the at least one exhaust valve for said engine valve event; and (b) a controller for moving said actuator between said inoperative position and said operative position. |
| US07909014B2 |
Oscillating piston machine
An oscillating piston engine comprises a housing in which at least one piston is arranged which can revolve in the housing about an axis of rotation which is fixed in relation to the housing, and which performs when revolving about the axis of rotation reciprocating pivoting movements about pivot axis extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation between a first end position and a second end position, the at least one piston having a running element which runs, as the piston revolves about the axis of rotation, along at least one control cam which is configured in such a way that the pivoting movements of the at least one piston are derived from the revolving movement of the running element along the control cam. A second running element mounted to the piston and/or a negative-pressure source applying a negative pressure to the backside of the piston are provided for assisting the return of the piston from the first end position to the second end position of the pivoting movement of the piston. |
| US07909011B2 |
Piston actuating engine for combusting fuel
An internal combustion engine having an engine block with a chamber disposed therein containing a reciprocating piston. A head is mounted on the head of the engine block for providing fuel to the chamber. The chamber is designed to have a first end with a first diameter that tapers inward to a second end that has a second diameter that is less than the first diameter and extends into a cylindrical portion such that the reciprocating piston reciprocates within the cylindrical portion. |
| US07909000B1 |
Universal panel member for forming feeder assemblies
A universal panel member can be connected with other universal panel members to form various sizes and shapes of feeder structures for dispensing forage material to horses and other animals. The universal panel members can be assembled to provide a floor with ground engaging legs and an upright wall surrounding the floor into which forage material can be placed for access by the animals feeding therefrom. Each panel member is formed with a main body portion that has a pair of connecting legs projecting outwardly from two opposing sides of the body portion within the same plane as the body portion, and a pair of connecting legs that project from the other two opposing sides perpendicularly to the plane of the body portion. Proper location of openings through the body portion allows the connecting legs of adjoining panel members to be connected with fasteners to form feeder structures. |
| US07908998B2 |
Gripper device, robot arm, and milking robot
A gripper device mountable on a robot arm (10) of a milking robot (2) provided for automatically attach teat cups (5) to the teats of a milking animal, the gripper device comprises an electromagnet (6) from gripping teat cups made of a magnetic material, the electromagnet including a coil (31) feedable with a current a core (33) of a magnetic material arranged at least partly within the coil; and a support structure (7) for holding the electromagnet. The core comprises two end and portions (33a-b) in a single face of the electromagnet, wherein the two end portions constitute different poles of the electromagnet, and are shaped to be engagable with each of the teat cups in a close fit. |
| US07908997B2 |
Hybrid hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing system
A new and improved hybrid hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing system wherein two or more different hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material depositions, comprising, for example, two or more different types of patterns, two or more different types of application techniques or processes, or two or more different types of cyclical operations, can effectively be simultaneously achieved at substantially two or more different locations relative to an underlying substrate. The hybrid system comprises a metering station upon which is mounted a metering head comprising a plurality of metering head dispensing modules, and a pair or remote applicator heads comprising a pair of applicator head dispensing modules. |
| US07908996B2 |
Liquid coating apparatus and maintenance method
A liquid coating apparatus, including; a head which has plural nozzles which eject liquid in which plural particles are dispersed, plural pressuring chambers each communicates to each nozzle, a piezo element which is provided on the pressuring chamber to change a volume of the pressuring chamber, and a common liquid chamber which communicates to each of the plural pressuring chambers; a sub-tank which stores the liquid and has an acceleration device to accelerate the plural particles to disperse in the liquid; a first flow channel which connects the common liquid chamber with the sub-tank; a second flow channel which connects the common liquid chamber with the sub-tank; and a circulation device which circulates the liquid through a circulation flow channel which includes the common liquid chamber, the first flow channel, the sub-tank and the second flow channel. |
| US07908984B2 |
Irrigation system and method for irrigating or fertilizing
A watering apparatus comprising a storage container having a tubular section which is closed with an open-cell foam based on an aminoplast, and a method for watering or applying fertilizer. |
| US07908975B2 |
Hollow railroad car structure
An hollow railroad car may be a have a lading containment structure that is a pressure vessel. The car may be a covered hopper car having one or more hopper discharge sections. Each hopper discharge section may include a transition from a substantially rectangular upper inlet to a substantially circular outlet. The transition may include developed plate formed as partial conic sections fitted as valleys between respective pairs of fore-and-aft slope sheets and side slope sheets. The car may have substantially planar internal ring reinforcement assemblies that serve to form a jig and a welding surface for the fore-and-aft slope sheet, a self-jig for the skins of the side wall and roof sheets, and which define buckling nodes for longitudinal compression of the car. The rings form local T-sections in combination with the adjacent wall skins, and do not employ out-of-plane formed sections such as hat sections. The reinforcement may be fabricated from flat sheet or flat bar. |
| US07908974B2 |
Railway bogies
This invention relates to bogies for railway rolling stock. In particular it relates to suspension arrangements for such bogies wherein the frame is mounted on a spring suspension arrangement. In one embodiment the spring suspension arrangement comprises two groups of springs on either side of a wheel axle (11), each group comprising an inner spring (14) and two outer fore and aft springs (15, 16). In another arrangement there are two lower springs (14) on either side of a wheel axle (11) and at least one upper spring (21) above the axle. The arrangements described provide better lateral and longitudinal stiffness and shear characteristics which, reduce hunting and wheel wear. They also enable the axles to accommodate increased loads. |
| US07908973B2 |
Lightweight deployment system and method
The disclosed system, device and method for deploying a sub-module from a carrier vehicle generally includes: a sub-module projectile (100) housed within a carrier vehicle; a rolling diaphragm (115) sealed between a first pressure chamber volume (145) and a second sub-module containment volume (e.g., substantially formed on the opposing side of rolling diaphragm 115 relative to pressure chamber 145); and a release mechanism (500), wherein the sub-module projectile (100) is secured until releasable deployment from the carrier vehicle. Disclosed features and specifications may be variously controlled, adapted or otherwise optionally modified to improve ejection, deployment and/or dispersal of a variety of sub-modules from a variety of carrier modules. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally provide for the ejection and dispersal of kinetic energy rod warheads from a kill-vehicle. |
| US07908972B2 |
Flare-bang projectile
A flare-bang projectile is comprised of a weighty ballast in the front leading edge, a flash-bang charge, a transfer charge and a flare charge that is lit by a starter composition located at the rear of the flare charge. When the flare charge is ignited such that it burns during the flight of the projectile, an the projectile path is indicated to thereby provide warning signaling. |
| US07908971B2 |
Propellant charge for recoilless gun
A propellant charge for a recoilless gun, in particular a propellant charge for a round of a reloadable support weapon. The propellant charge is cylindrically shaped and adapted for loading into a charge chamber formed between an inner casing and an outer casing of the round. |
| US07908966B2 |
Cylinder of an inking or dampening system
A cylinder, which is part of an inking system or of a dampening system, has a rotary individual drive which is embodied as a drive motor. A changeable drive is also provided. The rotary drive is driven by the drive motors by a bevel or angular gear. |
| US07908961B2 |
Locking device for linear actuators
The invention relates to a locking device for linear actuators, in particular for fluid-actuated adjusting devices, with a piston rod mounted in an axially displaceable manner relative to a receiving device. The object of the invention is to provide a locking device for linear actuators, with which a secure locking is possible over the entire travel path of the linear actuators. This is attained in that the piston rod has a hollow space extending in the axial direction, in which form-fitting devices are arranged distributed in the axial direction, that form-fitting elements corresponding to the form-fitting devices are arranged in the piston rod in a radially displaceable manner, which elements are mounted in an axially stationary manner relative to the receiving device, and that an actuating device that displaces the form-fitting elements radially is assigned to the form-fitting elements. |
| US07908959B2 |
System and method for protecting vehicle occupants
The present invention is directed to an armor system that protects vehicle occupants from lands mines or improvised explosive devices. In the preferred embodiment, the armor system has an arc member, a membrane, reactive blocks, and a reactive block enclosure. The armor system is designed to dissipate, neutralize, and redirect explosion energy, fragments and shrapnel, thereby ensuring the safety of the vehicle occupants. |
| US07908953B2 |
Cutting tool attached to package for wound line
A cutting tool for flexible line, the cutting tool being attached to the package for the flexible line, comprises a base member having a groove adapted to receive the flexible line when the cutting tool is in use and a blade recessed within the groove, the blade being adapted to cut the flexible line when the line is forced into the blade during use of the cutting tool. The cutting tool further includes an arm member in operative relationship with and complementary to the base member, which arm member is capable of producing and applying mechanical advantage in a manner that forces the flexible line received within the groove against the blade to thereby sever the flexible line. |
| US07908952B2 |
Anti-kickback device
The present invention provides an anti-kickback for arresting movement of a rail accommodated within an elongate channel. The anti-kickback device includes a slide member arranged to slide along a slide surface between an extended position and a retracted position. The device further includes a resilient member which biases the slide member along the slide surface. The slide member, when in the extended position, is designed to urge the rail into abutment with a wall of the channel to arrest movement of the rail accommodated within the channel. The device further includes a manually operable button coupled to the slide member to enable user-operated movement of the slide member towards the retracted position and a lock mechanism for holding the slide member in the retracted position. |
| US07908950B2 |
Table saw with improved safety system
A table saw having an adjustable blade, a detection system to detect contact between a person and the blade, and a brake mechanism to engage and stop the blade upon detection of contact between the person and the blade is disclosed. The saw includes a brake positioning system that adjusts the position of the brake mechanism to maintain the brake mechanism in an operative position relative to the blade as the position of the blade is adjusted. The saw also may include a retraction system that urges the blade downward, away from a user, upon detection of contact between a person and the blade. The retraction system may include a releasable gear. The saw may be constructed so that the blade is adjustable up and down around a pivot point downstream of the blade relative to the feed direction. |
| US07908949B2 |
Windshield removal assembly, method and blade for same
A windshield removal assembly, method and blade for same, with the thin metal blade having a unique delta-shape. The blade connects at its narrowed shank portion to the shaft of a reciprocating power tool. The blade has front and rear ends, the front end being substantially straight and wider than the blade rear end. The top edge of the blade forms a non-sharpened top edge on the front end and arc portions, while the bottom edge of the blade forms a sharpened bottom cutting edge which extends across the front end of the blade and along at least half of the arc portions. The blade has sufficient rigidity to cut the urethane bed when reciprocated, and sufficient lateral flexibility to conform to the curved surface of the windshield when pressed thereagainst. |
| US07908946B2 |
Tool for machining a workpiece made of a hard material
There is described a tool as well as a method for machining a workpiece made of a hard material by means of a geometrically determined blade. In order to obtain an improved surface quality of the machined workpiece when machining such a hard and brittle material, a tool is provided which has a cutting angle of less than 10°. According to the associated machining method, rotational speeds exceeding 1300 rpm are used. There is further described a machine that is to be used in such a tool and is utilized in such a method. |
| US07908943B2 |
Oblique tattoo machine
Through putting the coils of a tattoo machine in an angle and mounting an equivalently bent hammer on a, although in a (little more than the before mentioned ones), angle fixed spring mount we obtain a machine that is stronger than other machines compared in size and lighter and shorter than other machines that are comparable in power.A marking device with an oscillating needle. The needle is attached through a needle bar on an armature bar which is attracted by an electromagnetic assembly. A from rear to front ascending angled stair-like milled yoke supports the electromagnetic assembly, which consists of one lower and one higher coil. A spring mount with an adequate angle is mounted to the side plates. An inversely proportional bent armature bar levels that before mentioned angle. The armature bar is attached through a spring to the spring mount. The angle of the set-up procures the oscillating armature bar with a both forth and downward motion, following a so called arc principle. The air gap between the front coil and the armature bar is effectively smaller. The needle hits the skin not in a straight motion but in a diving motion. Thus, the resistance of the skin is easier to overcome. |
| US07908942B1 |
Jar lid opener
A device designed to aid in opening jars is herein disclosed, comprising a general form of a lever with a movable “C”-shaped jaw section. An upper jaw is designed to press down in the center area of a lid while a lower jaw presses upward on the edge or rim of the lid. In such a manner the device will break the seal of the jar and “pop” the lid. Once the seal has been broken, it is generally a simple issue to open the lid. An alternate embodiment provides for a lower adjustable section of the jaw which operates in a slip-joint manner similar to that of a pair of Channel-Lock® pliers to accommodate any size lid. The handle is fitted with a grip area for each finger and is covered with non-slip rubber to facilitate use and comfort. The device is generally small in size and can be easily stored in a kitchen drawer. |
| US07908941B2 |
Heated and cooled steering wheel
A steering wheel has a ring portion, spoke portions and a hub portion. The steering wheel is provided with a thermoelectric reversible heat pump to heat or cool a fluid. A closed hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic pump and at least one duct extending along the ring portion of the steering wheel. The fluid is heated or cooled by the thermoelectric heat pump and is circulated by the hydraulic pump within the ring portion of the steering wheel to heat or cool the ring portion. |
| US07908940B2 |
Bar end electric shifter
A bar end electric shifter is provided with a handlebar mounting portion, an electrical switch housing portion, a first electrical shift operating member and a second electrical shift operating member. The handlebar mounting portion is configured to be fixedly mounted to a free end of a bicycle handlebar. The electrical switch housing portion extends longitudinally from the handlebar mounting portion. The electrical switch housing portion has first and second lateral sides with a center axis of the free end of the handlebar extends longitudinally through the electrical switch housing portion when the handlebar mounting portion is mounted to the free end of the bicycle handlebar. The first electrical shift operating member is located on one of the lateral sides of the electrical switch housing portion. The second electrical shift operating member is located on one of the lateral sides of the electrical switch housing portion. |
| US07908938B2 |
Ball screw module
Provided is a ball screw module including a screw shaft, a nut member, a ball connector, and a circulating device inside the nut member. The screw shaft and the nut member constitute a first load rolling groove. The circulating device, being connected with the first load rolling groove, has a first turning section and a second turning section, and includes a first guiding groove and a second guiding groove. The first guiding groove has a radius of curvature greater than that of the second guiding groove when the ball connector passes the first turning section. The first guiding groove has the radius of curvature smaller than that of the second guiding groove when the ball connector passes the second turning section. |
| US07908934B2 |
Valve assembly
A valve assembly includes a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, the valve body also having a valve chamber extending between the inlet port and the outlet port, a pair of seals each being located on opposing ends of the valve chamber; and a reciprocating piston extending into the valve chamber and movable between a closed position extending through the pair of seals and an open position extending only through one of the pair of seals, wherein the inlet port is fluidly connected with the outlet port when the piston is in the open position. A method of using the valve assembly is also disclosed. |
| US07908930B2 |
Systems and methods for measuring multiphase flow in a hydrocarbon transporting pipeline
This disclosure relates in general to methods and systems for measuring multiphase flows in a pipeline using a combination of venturi, microwave and radiation techniques, where the pipeline is configured to transport hydrocarbons. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems in which low activity radiation sources may be used in combination with one or more microwave transmitter-receiver pairs and pressure differential sensors to measure the flow rates and fractions of phases in multiphase flows in a pipeline, such as may be encountered in producing hydrocarbon wells. Additionally, other embodiments of the present invention provide for the arrangement of one or more microwave transmitter-receiver pairs, one or more radiation source-detector pairs and/or one or more pressure sensor ports in the same cross-section of the throat of a venturi to measure multiphase flow in a hydrocarbon transporting pipeline. |
| US07908929B2 |
Test apparatus
One embodiment of a testing device is disclosed having an expansible element that expands radially outwardly upon the application of an axial force. In one form the testing device includes two bellows forming a deflection surface that expands radially outward upon the application of axial force to the testing device. |
| US07908924B2 |
Sound focusing mechanism and method of estimating acoustic leakage of an object and method of estimating transmission loss of an object
A sound focusing mechanism for generating a focused source of sound, which can be used to identify the transmission loss of an object or identify areas of acoustic leakage is disclosed. The sound focusing mechanism includes a housing having at least one wall formed from a material having high sound insulating properties. A sound generating device for generating a sound is located within a central cavity within the housing. An actuator assembly is operatively connected to the sound generating device for selectively operating the sound generating device. The wall is configured to limit the transmission of the sound there through such that a focused beam or pulse sound is emitted from the mechanism through the opening. |
| US07908910B2 |
Combustion state detecting apparatus for internal combustion engine
A combustion state detecting apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: an ignition plug (2) for generating a spark discharge for igniting an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber; an ignition coil (1) for supplying a high voltage to cause the ignition plug (2) to generate the spark discharge; and an ECU (3) for feeding a driving signal for driving the ignition coil (1). An electromotive force (secondary voltage) due to electromagnetic induction when a primary current is caused to flow through a primary winding of the ignition coil (1) in response to the driving signal from the ECU (3) is applied to the ignition plug (2) to detect an ion current generated in the combustion chamber to detect a combustion state in the ignition plug based thereon. |
| US07908909B2 |
Apparatus and method of transporting and loading probe devices of a metrology instrument
The preferred embodiments are directed to a probe cassette for a scanning probe microscope that includes a base having at least one probe storage receptacle, a lid mountable on the base with the probe storage receptacle at least substantially covering the at least one receptacle, and a probe retainer that retains a probe device of the scanning probe microscope in the receptacle under a compressive force. The probe cassette can be pre-loaded and shipped to a user site where the cassette can be loaded in an AFM without manual manipulation of the individual probe devices. |
| US07908908B2 |
Materials and methods for identifying biointeractive nanostructures and/or nanoparticles
Disclosed herein are surface force microscope probes comprising living cells adhered thereto, as well as methods of making same. Also disclosed is a system for high throughput screening of nanostructures having biological relevance through use of surface force microscope probes comprising living cells. Further disclosed are methods of screening for biointeractive nanostructures. |
| US07908904B2 |
Method for detecting the hermetic sealing of enclosed areas
This method makes it possible, with highest possible precision and without any major expense, to determine the air tightness of an enclosed space. Specifically, it introduces a method which, on demand and in effective yet easy-to-implement fashion, permits at any time the updated determination of the existing air tightness of the enclosed space without requiring a complex test series. To that effect, the first step according to the method is to define a concentration gradient between the internal air atmosphere of an enclosed space and the ambient air atmosphere by setting the physical concentration of at least one constituent component of the space-internal air atmosphere, in particular of oxygen, at a value that differs from the physical concentration value of that minimum of one corresponding component in the ambient air atmosphere. This is followed by a determination of the concentration change rate in that, in the space-internal air atmosphere, the time-based change of the physical concentration of the minimum of one constituent component is measured. Finally, taking into account the previously determined concentration change rate, the air-tightness value of the enclosed space is calculated. |
| US07908897B2 |
Spline rolling tool, and process of manufacturing spline rolling tool
A spline rolling tool including a plurality of forming teeth that are to bite into a cylindrical workpiece so as to roll splines in the workpiece. Each of the forming teeth has an incomplete toothed region in which a crest of each forming tooth is removed such that an upper end of each forming tooth in the incomplete toothed region is defined by an incomplete-toothed region surface that includes a curved surface portion, a flat surface portion and a slant surface portion. The incomplete-toothed region surface is defined at its periphery by a chamfered edge that has a surface roughness of not larger than about 3.2 μm. Also disclosed is a process of manufacturing the spline rolling tool, which includes a chamfering step of forming the chamfered edge by using a wire brush having abrasive grains that are fixed to bristles of the wire brush. |
| US07908896B1 |
Biometric deadbolt lock assembly
Implementations of biometric deadbolt lock assemblies having various aspects relating to lock housing; a fingerprint sensor in the housing; a controller in the housing and electrically coupled to the fingerprint sensor, the controller configured to store data and compare stored data to data from the fingerprint sensor; a deadbolt mechanism; a manual actuator couplable to the deadbolt mechanism; a controlled actuator electrically coupled to the controller that couples or uncouples the deadbolt mechanism from the manual actuator to enable or disable manual operation of the deadbolt lock through the manual actuator. A battery may also be included within the housing and in particular implementations a biometric deadbolt lock assembly may be configured to fit in the same size opening as a conventional deadbolt lock. |
| US07908893B2 |
Device and method for sensing temperature of a rotating electromagnetic machine
A system and method of determining the temperature of a rotating electromagnetic machine, such as an electric motor or generator. A temperature calibration parameter is calculated based on the temperature of an object situated close to the motor, such as a motor drive connected to the motor, and a first resistance value of the winding. In exemplary embodiments, the motor drive and first resistance value are determined only after the motor has been idle for some predetermined time period. Once the calibration parameter is calculated, the processor uses it along with subsequent resistance measurements to calculate the temperature of the motor. |
| US07908892B2 |
Stain masking cut resistant gloves and processes for making same
This invention also relates to stain-masking cut resistant gloves and methods for making the same, the gloves comprising at least one aramid fiber and at least one lubricating fiber selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamide fiber, polyolefin fiber, polyethylene fiber, acrylic fiber, and mixtures thereof; wherein up to and including 15 parts by weight of the total amount of fibers in the glove are provided with a dye or pigment such that they have a color different from the remaining fibers; the dye or pigment selected such that the colored fibers have a measured “L” value that is lower than the measured “L” value for the remaining fibers. |
| US07908890B2 |
Needle for transferring stitches therefrom to adjacent needles for hosiery knitting machines or the like
A needle for transferring stitches therefrom to adjacent needles for hosiery knitting machines comprises a shank, a head, arranged at a longitudinal end, or upper end, of the shank, and a latch which is pivoted to the shank proximate to the head, about a pivoting axis which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank and can rotate about the pivoting axis in order to open or close the head. The needle comprises at least one elastically flexible lamina, which is associated with the shank and forms, on the two opposite sides of the shank, below the latch, two receptacles, one for each side of the shank. The head of an adjacent needle can be inserted in each of the receptacles, in order to transfer the loop of knitting, from the needle being considered to the adjacent needle. |
| US07908887B2 |
Vacuum valve for an I.S. machine
A vacuum valve for use with a blow mold in an I.S. machine. When the blow molds close around a parison, vacuum is applied to the wall of the blow mold. At some time following the application of the vacuum, final blow will occur blowing the parison into a bottle. This vacuum will be applied until the parison has been blown into a bottle. During the period during which vacuum is applied but final blow has not started, vacuum is reduced by operating a needle valve in the vacuum line. |
| US07908883B2 |
Refrigerator accelerated heat exchanger
A heat exchanger for a refrigerator includes a dividing wall that bifurcates the heat exchanger into first and second airflow passages. The fins include apertures therein, allowing for both horizontal and vertical movement of air through the heat exchanger. The dividing wall extends through the heat exchanger at an angle, which decreases the cross-sectional diameter of both the first and second airflow passages and results in accelerated air flow through the air passages. In use, air from the refrigerator is directed into the first airflow passage of the heat exchanger for heat exchange, and is then directed by curved baffles into the second airflow passage for further heat exchange. Air exiting the second airflow passage is then directed into a compartment of the refrigerator. |
| US07908882B2 |
Refrigerator door
A refrigerator door is provided. The refrigerator door has an outer case forming a shape of the refrigerator door, an inner case provided within the outer case to configure a backside of the refrigerator door wherein a space between the inner case and the outer case is charged with a foaming liquid, an ice making unit provided to one side of the inner case to make ice, a fixing unit provided to the space charged with the foaming liquid between the inner case and the outer case and fixing the ice making unit to the refrigerator door, and a dispenser provided to one side of the outer case to discharge the ice supplied by the ice making unit. |
| US07908881B2 |
HVAC system with powered subcooler
An HVAC system having a main circuit and a subcooler circuit. The main circuit includes a main circuit evaporator, a main circuit expansion device, a main circuit condenser and a main circuit compressor connected in a closed refrigerant loop. The subcooler circuit includes a subcooler evaporator, a subcooler expansion device, a subcooler condenser and a subcooler compressor connected in a closed refrigerant loop. The subcooler evaporator is arranged and disposed to exchange heat between liquid refrigerant in the main circuit and the refrigerant in the subcooler circuit to cool the liquid refrigerant in the main circuit prior to entering the main circuit evaporator. The operation of the subcooler circuit provides an increased cooling capacity per unit of a mass flow of cooling fluid through the main circuit condenser and subcooler condenser for the HVAC system with a predetermined design efficiency. |
| US07908879B1 |
Multifunctional ceiling air-conditioning circulation machine
A multifunctional ceiling air-conditioning circulation machine includes a base having a square fixing frame mounted around the periphery of the base and a concave circular groove formed at the middle of the base, a circular evaporator installed on the concave circular groove, a fan installed in the evaporator, and a water pump installed in an extended area on an external side of the concave circular groove for discharging condensate water dripped from the evaporator to the concave circular groove to the outside through a drain pipe. The machine integrates the multiple of functions including a circulation fan, an air conditioner, an air guide and an air re-circulation into the machine mounted onto a ceiling or a light steel frame. |
| US07908878B2 |
Refrigerating apparatus
Refrigerant sent from a heat source side circuit (14) to utilization side circuits (11, 12, 13) is made to be single-phase liquid by using cooling means (36, 45) or a vapor-liquid separator (35). Variable-opening utilization side expansion valves (51, 52, 53) are provided in the utilization side circuits (11, 12, 13) so that an expansion process in a refrigeration cycle is performed also in the circuits. |
| US07908876B2 |
Refrigerator and method to control the same
A refrigerator and a method to control the same are provided. The refrigerator includes a body having a supercooling compartment, a cooling unit to provide cool air to the supercooling compartment, an electromagnetic radiation sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted when a food placed in the supercooling compartment begins to freeze, an energy supply to apply energy to the food placed in the supercooling compartment to prevent freezing of the food, and a controller to receive a detection signal from the electromagnetic radiation and then to activate the energy supply. Electromagnetic radiation emitted from each beverage in a supercooled state when the beverage begins to freeze is detected and energy is applied to the beverage according to the detection. |
| US07908873B1 |
Minimized insulation thickness between high and low sides of cooling module set utilizing gas filled insulation panels
A variable refrigeration system including a cooling system having a compressor, a condenser, and a refrigerant. An active insulation system includes an insulation portion disposed therein that holds a gas. The insulation portion is operably connected to the compressor and includes an insulation panel adjacent a refrigerated compartment. A controller is operably connected to the cooling system and to the active insulation system. The controller operates between a first stage, wherein the controller sends a signal to the compressor to compress the refrigerant in the cooling system, and a second stage, wherein the controller sends a signal to the compressor to alter the gas content in the insulation portion of the active insulation system. |
| US07908869B2 |
Thermal and external load isolating impeller shroud
A gas turbine engine has a compressor assembly and a turbine assembly rotationally mounted on a shaft, the turbine assembly being driven by hot gases discharged from a combustion chamber disposed between the compressor and turbine assemblies, the compressor having a centrifugal impeller for pressurizing and impelling air into the combustion chamber. The engine also includes an impeller shroud covering the bladed portion of the centrifugal impeller, the impeller shroud having a support bracket having a thin and curved load-isolating profile for supporting a strut that secures the impeller shroud to a case of the engine. |
| US07908859B2 |
Exhaust gas recirculation mixer for a turbo-charged internal combustion engine
An EGR mixer arrangement for mixing gas into the intake air of a turbocharged internal combustion engine is provided. The arrangement includes an inlet port with connection for a branch pipe, which with an insertion section opens out into the inlet port. The insertion section forms a diffuser vane with a surface which is positively double-bent in the direction of flow of the intake air and which extends in a curved shape in the flow direction of the inlet port. |
| US07908857B2 |
Engine having a turbocharger coupler
A turbo assembly may include a coupling member, a heat shield, and a turbo mechanism. The coupling member may include first and second ends and an annular body extending between the first and second ends. The first end may fix the coupling member to an exhaust manifold of an engine and the annular body may define an exhaust gas channel that receives exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold. The annular body may include a coolant passage that receives a coolant fluid. The heat shield may extend axially within the exhaust gas channel and radially between the annular body and an exhaust gas flow within the exhaust gas channel to limit an amount of heat transferred from the exhaust gas to the annular body. The turbo mechanism may include a housing fixed to the second end of the coupling member and in communication with the exhaust gas channel to receive the exhaust gas therefrom. |
| US07908855B2 |
Fluidic oscillator
The invention relates to fluidic oscillators including compressed gas driven pumps and liquid piston and thermoacoustic heat engines and heat pumps in which the intention is to generate large amplitude oscillations by eliminating the dependence of the oscillations on inertia. According to the principle embodiment represented by circuit 200 pressure or temperature variations 27′ drive pressure variations in vessel 11′ causing a flow of further working fluid between vessel 11′ and load 12′ wherein useful work is consumed. Said flow varies out of phase with said pressure variations in vessel 11′ by a first phase angle determined by inter alia the dissipative load 12′ and the capacity of vessel 11′. Oscillations are sustained due to a second phase angle determined by inter alia subcircuit 13′ comprising dissipative processes 260, 262 and capacitive processes 261, 263 wherein each said dissipative process comprises any one, or combination of the following: viscous drag, thermal resistance or mechanical friction and each capacitive process comprises any one, or combination of the following: hydrostatic pressure change due to a flow, fluid compressibility, thermal capacitance, or elasticity; and wherein, the magnitude of the pressure changes in the working fluid increases or remains constant with time due to at least one mechanism giving rise to a gain. |
| US07908854B2 |
Method and arrangement for collecting wave energy
The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for recovering energy contained by waves. In the arrangement, a plurality of collecting devices (8) is coupled in series. Each collecting device comprises a float (7) coupled by means of a power transmission member (10, 11) to a motion converter (13). The coupling between the collecting devices may be mechanical, the motion converters being coupled up by means of an intermediate shaft (60). |
| US07908849B2 |
Bladed shell or stator shell for a hydrodynamic torque converter, method for producing a stator shell of said type, and hydrodynamic torque converter having a stator shell of said type
A stator shell for a hydrodynamic torque converter (1), wherein said stator shell (2) comprises a plurality of blades (32, 34), wherein said stator shell (2) comprises plural components (20, 22), produced separately from one another and respectively comprising one or plural blades (32, 34) of said stator shell (2), wherein said components (20, 22) are fixated to one another and disposed relative to one another, so that blades (32, 34) of several of said components (20, 22) are disposed respectively offset relative to one another in a circumferential direction forming gaps provided in said circumferential direction extending about a central axis of the stator shell (2), wherein each of said blades (32, 34) is configured from an integral component between its respective leading edge and its respective trailing edge, so that each of the blades (32, 34) is respectively configured integrally from one of the components (20 or 22). |
| US07908847B2 |
Method and apparatus for starting up a fuel-fired burner of an emission abatement assembly
A method of starting up a fuel-fired burner of an emission abatement assembly includes lowering the fuel rate being supplied to the burner once flame ignition is detected. The fuel rate is maintained at this lower level as the assembly preheats. Once preheated, the fuel level is ramped up to a predetermined operational fuel level. An emission abatement assembly is also disclosed. |
| US07908843B2 |
Exhaust gas purification device
An exhaust gas purification device comprises a NOx catalyst for purifying NOx contained in exhaust gas by using ammonia as a reducing agent, an ammonia supply device for supplying ammonia to the NOx catalyst, a catalyst temperature sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the NOx catalyst, and a control unit that stops the ammonia supply from the ammonia supply device when the stop condition is satisfied that the internal temperature of the NOx catalyst becomes equal to or higher than first prescribed temperature in the process where ammonia is supplied from the ammonia supply device to the NOx catalyst. |
| US07908841B2 |
Gasifier and cyclone separator for coal combustion
A direct-fired coal combustion system includes a swirl chamber having an input configured to receive a coal-water slurry and causing the coal-water slurry to mix with discharge air from a compressor to gasify the coal-water slurry and create a synthesis gas. The system also includes a cyclone separator directly coupled to the second end of the swirl chamber and a second stage combustion input coupled to an output of the cyclone separator. |
| US07908830B2 |
Carriage for a stretch wrapping machine
A stretch wrap assembly comprising a base, a turntable mounted on the base, a column on the base and a carriage movable upon the column. The carriage includes a first nip roller, a first pre-stretch roller, an idler roller, a second pre-stretch roller and a second nip roller. The carriage is configured to have stretch wrap threaded through the carriage from a roll of stretch wrap, around a portion of a circumferences of the first nip roller, the first pre-stretch roller, the idler roller, the second pre-stretch roller, and the second nip roller and to the package. The first nip roller and the second nip roller can be on a chassis to be able to move rotationally and laterally relative to the first pre-stretch roller and the second pre-stretch roller. |
| US07908829B2 |
Apparatus for manufacturing a squeezable flexible package
A method and apparatus for manufacturing a non-rectilinear flexible package comprising an in-line process including application and selective sealing of a semi-rigid strip to an inner wall of the package and further including a dual-stage die-cutting technique to remove and cut a non-linear shape into a formed web of film. The semi-rigid strip is sealed to one interior wall of the package but not the other to provide a reinforced opening to the package through which a material can be dispensed. Additionally, the dual stage die-cutting method comprises first cutting and removing a portion of the web material prior to filling the package and again cutting and removing a portion of the web material after filling, resulting in a package having a narrowed neck adjacent the closed reinforced opening at an upper portion of the package and a body of the package that is tapered towards the reinforced opening. |
| US07908827B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatically filling prescriptions using interchangeable platens
A device for dispensing pills includes a set of pill canisters and a control for releasing a desired quantity of pills from a selected pill canister at a target location. A frame is situated beneath the target location. The frame is adapted to accept and hold a selected platen of a set of platens and to move the selected platen in both an X axis and a Y axis. The selected platen holds and supports a target container into which the desired quantity of pills is deposited. |
| US07908826B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing end seals on vertical stand-up packages
An improved method and apparatus for providing end seals on vertical stand up packages that prevents pleat formation and gusset variation. A clamping device is mounted below sealing jaws. A bottom end seal is made by the sealing jaws to form an open-ended tube. The open-ended tube is moved downward. The clamping device engages the tube to prevent twisting when product is placed into the tube. Product then enters an open-ended tube of flexible film packaging and the top seal is made. |
| US07908823B2 |
Container cover and dispenser therefor
It shows a container cover that is generally Shown as (1). The cover comprises an inner portion (2) which stretches over and covers the mouth of a cup A. The inner portion includes a pierceable area (9) for receiving a tube or straw B. The inner portion includes a “teat” of material that is not drawn as tightly over the mouth of the container as the inner portion (2). This allows for a degree of slack in the cover. The inner portion (2) is bounded by an outer portion (3), which can be pulled down the sides of the cup A so securing the container cover (1) in place. |
| US07908820B2 |
Spacer bar connector
An integrally molded window spacer bar connector for joining opposed spacer bar end passages in the form of a hollow tube with a longitudinal axis of symmetry and a transverse axis of symmetry includes inclined leading edge ramps, a medial rib to control the insertion of the connector into spacer bars, and external channels to receive a sealant material for sealing the connector to the spacer bar at the seam of the joint of the spacer bar. |
| US07908819B2 |
Device for bridging a difference in height between two floor surfaces
A device for bridging a difference in height between two floor surfaces (1, 3) is described, with said device comprising a profiled cover (4) that is provided with a covering flange (5) which covers the edge of each of the two floor surfaces (1, 3), with at least one clamping extension (6) that protrudes downward from the covering flange (5), extends longitudinally with respect to the profiled cover (4), and clamps into and engages with a fixture (7), with said device also comprising a compensating strip (10) located between the covering flange (5) of the profiled cover (4) and the lower of the two floor surfaces (1, 3). In order to create advantageous construction conditions it is proposed that the fixture (7) forms a clamping seat (11) for the compensating strip (10). |
| US07908817B2 |
Hypershelter
The instant invention is a method for achieving a-planar framing configurations which enable the construction of hyperbolic paraboloid surfaces, a multiplicity of which join to create roof structures and enclosures. In particular, the shaping and erecting of connected a-planar quadrilateral frames to create under-framing which can be completed by a simple in-framing, and covered with sheeting material resulting in a new method of constructing enclosures with hyperbolic paraboloid faces without the use of highly trained crews, or the need for elaborate pre-forms or specialized connecting or covering elements. |
| US07908814B2 |
Composite siding using a shape molded foam backing member
A panel for mounting on an exterior wall includes a shaped, molded backing member and a siding member attached to the backing member wherein the shape-molded backing member includes a rear face and an opposing front face. The shape-molded backing member is composed of closed cell expanded polystyrene foam, the front and rear faces having an outer surface composed of a tough smooth skin. |
| US07908812B2 |
Decking system and anchoring device
The present invention is an anchoring device for joining three boards. It includes a substantially flat horizontal top element having a top view configuration which includes two sides and has a first predetermined width as measured wide to side at its maximum width between the two sides. There is at least one substantially vertical support member attached to the underside of the top element along an imaginary center line and extending downwardly from the top element for a predetermined length, which has two sides and a second predetermined width as measured at its maximum width. There is a substantially flat horizontal bottom element with two sides and has a third predetermined width at its maximum width. The first predetermined width is greater than the second predetermined width and the third predetermined width, and the third than the second. The invention also includes a decking system utilizing the anchoring device. |
| US07908810B2 |
Corrugated steel deck system including acoustic features
The present invention relates to a sound rated floor system for inhibiting sound transmission between floors. The system includes a corrugated steel deck; a first layer of cementitious material or board or sheet applied over the corrugated steel deck; a sound insulation mat or board applied over the first layer; a second layer of cementitious material applied over the sound insulation mat or board. The floor system has an IIC rating of at least 25 and the corrugated steel deck provides at least 50 percent of the ultimate load carrying capacity under static and impact loading of the floor system with a floor deflection of at most 1/360 of the floor span. |
| US07908807B2 |
Insulated concrete form system
An insulated concrete form system for constructing the exterior walls and gable ends of a structure is disclosed using expanded polystyrene forms that interconnect and are bonded to each other and to the structure's slab or foundation with concrete. Internal, substantially columnar voids are provided in each of the panel forms and both the interior and the exterior surfaces of the walls and gable ends may be finished with a variety of finish materials using furring strips that are incorporated into the interior and exterior surfaces of the forms. |
| US07908806B2 |
Cable and overlay moldings
A cable molding primarily intended to be installed on a wall structure of a common hallway of a multiple dwelling unit below pre-existing molding, and an overlay molding attachable to the cable molding to conceal both the cable molding and the pre-existing molding. The overlay molding includes a panel member having upper and lower edges and a flange extending rearwardly from the panel member intermediate the upper and lower edges. The flange defines with a lower portion of the panel member a lower channel shaped for attachment to the cable member, and defines with an upper portion of the panel member an upper channel for receiving pre-existing molding. |
| US07908805B2 |
Partition system
A partition system for office spaces generally includes a framework and a plurality of different types of decorative and/or functional tiles mountable to the framework. The framework includes I- and C-shaped vertical frame members which are adjustably joined by upper and lower horizontal spanners such that the distance between the vertical frame members is adjustable. Also, the framework may include other types of vertical frame members for forming L-, T-, or X-junctions within the partition system framework. A variety of decorative and functional tiles are mountable to the framework, including retractable workspace tiles, several types of storage tiles, display tiles, window tiles, and electrical and data services tiles. |
| US07908800B2 |
Modular columbarium
A modular columbarium has side panels joined to front uprights by bolts on bent front tabs on the front panels and, respectively, the panels are joined to the rear uprights by L-shaped tabs that can be housed in slot in the rear uprights. The bottoms of the front uprights are extended by height-adjustable legs to adapt to any unevenness of the ground, a lower base panel being fastened between the legs. The front uprights are connected to each other by font crossbars, the crossbars comprising a longitudinal guide, whereon blocking elements are positioned that can move laterally along them. The longitudinal guide has slots for the projecting tabs of the front covers to pass through. The guide has central openings wherethrough the blocking elements can be actuated to block or release the front covers. |
| US07908797B2 |
Gutter cover
A gutter cover comprising a sheet having a front portion, a rear portion, and a central portion extending between said front portion and said rear portion; said central portion having a plurality of openings for passage of water therethrough, said front portion comprising an upper wall segment, a bend segment, and a lower wall segment, wherein said upper wall segment extends forwardly from said central portion to said bend segment, said bend segment joins said upper wall segment and said lower wall segment, and said lower wall segment extends rearwardly from said bend segment and underneath said upper wall segment, wherein a space is formed between said upper wall segment and said lower wall segment, wherein a first fastener extends through openings in said upper wall segment and said lower wall segment, and wherein a distance between an upper surface of said upper wall segment and an upper surface of said lower wall segment is greater than or equal to an axial height of a head portion of said first fastener. |
| US07908793B2 |
Zip tree tie
A tree tie and method of use is disclosed. The tree tie comprises a member. The tie member including a first end portion; a first tab coupled to the first end portion; a middle portion and one end of a middle portion coupled to the first tab. The tie member also includes an opposite end of the middle portion coupled to a second tab, a second end portion coupled to the second tab and a head portion coupled to the second end portion. The tree tie including a flexible hose surrounding the middle portion of the first member and being substantially held in place by the first and second tabs. Only flexible hose contacts the tree when the first member surrounds the tree. |
| US07908788B2 |
Reducing by-catch of seabirds
An apparatus for reducing by-catch of seabirds or turtles during fishing include a fish hook (220) and a barrier or shield (227) mounted in a position relative to the fish hook (220) such that the barrier (227) reduces or prevents hooking of a seabird or turtle by the fish hook or ingestion of the hook by a seabird or turtle. The apparatus includes a degradable component (226) that degrades when placed in water such that when the degradable component degrades the barrier moves away from the position relative to the fish hook or no longer exists to allow the fish hook to be taken by a fish. The degradable component (226) may be a retaining means or a mounting means. The degradable component may form part of, or all of, the barrier. |
| US07908785B2 |
Recoil mechanism and device
A non-motorized waterfowl decoy device includes a recoil mechanism adapted for use in a front-facing position or a rear-facing position. The recoil mechanism includes a rotatable spindle having a long axis about four times greater than its diameter. The recoil mechanism further includes a elastic drive member adapted to slidably couple into a pair of corresponding slots on the spindle and engage a rear-support post having a u-shaped alignment channel. A pull cord attached to the spindle causes the spindle to rotate and coil the elastic drive member. Positioning the pull cord through a provided aperture on the rear guide-post enables reward-facing operation and, positioning the pull cord through a provided aperture on a front guide posts enables forward-facing operation. |
| US07908781B2 |
Muzzle loading firearm with break-open action
A muzzle loading firearm with a break-open action includes a rear stock assembly and a barrel assembly. The barrel assembly includes an elongate barrel, having a bore with muzzle and breech ends, and a breech plug removably connected the breech end of the barrel, which encloses a chamber at the rear of the bore. The barrel assembly is pivotally attached to the rear stock assembly, and is movable with respect to the stock assembly between an open position in which the breech end is accessible for service, and a closed position in which the breech end is inaccessible and secured for discharge. A lever arm, optionally configured to serve as the firearm trigger guard, is user actuated for moving the action between the open and closed positions. The breech plug is configured for rapid removal from the barrel by hand when the action is open. |
| US07908775B2 |
Two-stage snow plow
A snow plow includes a primary moldboard and auxiliary plow positioned behind the primary moldboard. The snow plow may be a one-way or reversible snow plow. In the later case, the primary moldboard and auxiliary plow are attached to a drive frame that is rotatable about a frame. The frame is secured to the front of a vehicle by a frame and bracket, and controlled by hydraulic mechanisms. The auxiliary plow is operated independently of the moldboard by a pair of hydraulic cylinders and includes tines or a resilient blade for clearing snow and ice that is not taken up by the primary moldboard. The device also includes a mechanism whereby the scraping edge of the secondary plow follows the same path as the scraping edge of moldboard by sliding movement of the secondary plow relative to the drive frame, and the blade of the auxiliary plow may be formed by tines or a resilient blade. |
| US07908766B2 |
Clothes dryer
A clothes dryer is provided. In the dryer, air flowing into a drying container is provided with heat from heat pump. The clothes dryer comprises a cabinet, a drying container rotationally mounted in the cabinet, a motor providing the container with rotational force, a first air path connected to a side of the container, a second air path connected to another side of the container and to the outside of the cabinet, and a first heat exchanging member and a second heat exchanging member in the first air path. A damper may be additionally included in the second air path. |
| US07908763B2 |
Method of and apparati for sizing rodeo ropes
A method for and apparatus for determining the loop size of a rodeo rope comprising determining a circumference C, determining a spoke S length, providing a chart having loop sizes corresponding to a range of circumference measurements and spoke measurements, and finding a loop size based upon the measured circumference and measured spoke. The loop size refers to a set of parameters that characterize the rope. The method can be implemented by a computer and associated software. |
| US07908762B2 |
Device for measuring the relative position of a material measure and a reading head
A device for measuring the relative position of a material measure (10) and a reading head (12) is described, in which the material measure (10) has an incremental scale (14); in which the incremental scale (14) is non-magnetically scanned at a high resolution by a scanner (16) belonging to the reading head (12); in which the material measure (10) has permanent magnets (18), which are positioned at equidistant intervals in the direction of measurement and which establish continuous and adjoining segments (20) within the incremental scale (14); in which the magnetic field created by the permanent magnets (18) following each other in succession is recorded by at least one magnetic sensor (24) belonging to the reading head (12); in which the magnitude of the recorded magnetic field (22) is used to assign the position of the reading head (12) to a step of the incremental scale (14) within the segment (20) defined by these permanent magnets (18); and in which a Wiegand wire device (26, 28) belonging to the reading head (10) produces segment-counting pulses upon traversing the permanent magnets (18) and these pulses are counted and permanently stored in the storage component. |
| US07908760B2 |
Vehicle drive axis alignment device
An alignment device measures an angular offset between a vehicle body axis and a vehicle drive axis. The device includes an arm having a mounting portion for mounting to a vehicle such that the arm is aligned with the vehicle body axis. A wheel support member is coupled to the arm for rotation relative to the arm. A wheel is rotatably supported by the wheel support member and configured to roll on a ground surface, such that the wheel and the wheel support member are configured to self-align with the vehicle drive axis when the arm is mounted to the vehicle and the vehicle is driven on the ground surface. An indicator displays the angular offset between the wheel support member and the arm, which is indicative of the angular offset between the vehicle body axis and the vehicle drive axis. A method of carrying out a measurement with the device is also disclosed. |
| US07908759B2 |
Method for scanning the surface of a workpiece
A method for measuring a surface profile using a surface sensing device mounted on an articulating probe head in which the probe head is moved along a nominal path relative to the surface profile, an at least approximation of the surface normal of the surface profile, the surface profile is sensed with the surface sensing device and the distance or force of the surface sensing device relative to the surface profile substantially in the direction of the surface normal. The surface normal may be determined by approximating at least one section to a curved profile which can be mathematically parameterised. |
| US07908757B2 |
Articulating measuring arm with laser scanner
A coordinate measurement device comprises an articulated arm having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of jointed arm segments therebetween. Each arm segment defines at least one axis of rotation. A laser scanner assembly is coupled to the second end of the arm and is rotatable about a last axis of rotation of the articulated arm. The laser scanner assembly comprises a laser and an image sensor. The laser is positioned on an opposite side of the last axis of rotation from the image sensor. |
| US07908755B2 |
Adjustable angle framing square apparatus having a straight-edge element with a translational shift mechanism
An embodiment is an articulating straight-edge apparatus having an asymmetrical hub with a lobe having a flat edge. The hub has a bearing hole, an axle, a circular side with recesses which provide stopping at pre-set angles. There is a secant slotted channel through the lobe. The floor of the channel has depressions that provide stopping for translational shift. A connecting block is covered with a back and front plate. The block has an angle positioning SLD. The SLD impinges recesses as the hub is rotated. Additionally, there is a translational shift mechanism which includes a sliding rail in the channel. The rail has a SLD aligned to impinge a depression as the rail moves through the channel, therein stopping at a depression. Attached to the siding rail is a straight-edge element. The straight-edge serves as a carpenter's square, and can be adjusted angularly and translationally with manual force. |
| US07908746B2 |
Method of removing a backplane from an electrical enclosure
An electrical enclosure that includes a sidewall, a back and a top, defining an interior. The top of the enclosure is adapted to open and provide access to the interior. The enclosure includes a backplane mounted to the interior of the enclosure. The backplane has at least one cutout where the cutout is positioned on the backplane to align with an obstacle positioned on the enclosure sidewall and extending into the enclosure interior. |
| US07908744B2 |
Method for fabricating printed circuit board having capacitance components
A method of fabricating a printed circuit board having capacitance components, including: providing a core board having first and second surfaces with first and second wiring layers provided thereon, respectively, and electrically connected, a second dielectric layer, and a carrier board sequentially provided thereon with a second metal layer, a high dielectric material layer, and a third wiring layer with a plurality of first electrode plates thereon; laminating the core board, second dielectric layer, and carrier board to one another; removing the carrier board so as to expose the second metal layer; and patterning the second metal layer so as to form a fifth wiring layer having a plurality of second electrode plates and a plurality of second conductive vias electrically connected to the third wiring layer, thereby allowing the first electrode plates, high dielectric material layer, and second electrode plates together to form a plurality of capacitance components. |
| US07908742B2 |
Method of forming a protective covering for a wire harness
A system and method for forming a wire harness covering having a predetermined three-dimensional geometry is provided. The system and method make use of a mold and a post-molding fixture. In a first phase, the mold is used during an injection molding process to form a substantially flat and partially-cured harness covering having an intermediate, substantially two-dimensional shape. In a second phase, the post-molding fixture is used after the injection molding process to orient the harness with covering to a predetermined three-dimensional geometry corresponding to the desired final shape. |
| US07908740B2 |
Method and apparatus for manufacturing hub assemblies
A method and apparatus for assembling bearings and a stub into a bore of a hub. The apparatus includes a block defining a receiving position for the hub. A feed mechanism arranges plurality of bearings in the form of an annular array. A first mandrel is axially displaceable toward one side of the hub to push the annular array of bearings into the bore of the hub. A second mandrel is axially displaceable toward an opposite side of the hub to push a stub within the annular array of bearings in the bore of the hub. The stub includes at least one outwardly biased detent for retaining the bearings in the hub. |
| US07908735B2 |
Method and installation means for installing an electrical machine
The object of the invention is a method and installation means for installing an electrical machine, particularly for installing a rotor within a stator. According to the invention, two or more spacer elements (32) are fitted on the outer circumference of the rotor (6), the distance between the outermost part of these spacer elements and the rotor's central axis of rotation (7) being smaller than the inner radius of the stator (2) and greater than the outer radius of the rotor (6), and the rotor is inserted into the stator in the direction (S) of its shaft. |
| US07908730B2 |
PTC fitting cartridge
A Push To Connect (PTC) fitting cartridge for connecting to a pneumatic device, such as, an air brake or a height control valve, the PTC fitting cartridge including at least one protrusion positioned on an outer surface of the PTC fitting cartridge, which is provided to interact with an undercut positioned on an inner surface of a port. The undercut interacts with the protrusion to substantially eliminate stress on the surrounding material to reduce the chance of fraction thereof. |
| US07908729B2 |
Method for making a lollipop
A method for attaching a handle to a tablet to form a lollipop utilizes a specific work holder. The work holder has a tooling pallet with a plurality of openings going from a top surface to a bottom surface. A bullet and a spring are located in each opening and held in place by a plate that slides through a groove in the bottom surface of the tooling pallet to block the openings in the bottom surface. Each spring is positioned between a bullet and the plate. A tablet is placed in a cavity of each bullet and a handle is placed in contact with each tablet. High frequency mechanical vibrations, such as ultrasonic vibrations, are applied to a joint interface between each tablet and bullet until the joint interface reaches a molten state. The joint interfaces are then allowed to cool, thereby attaching a handle to each tablet and forming a lollipop. |
| US07908728B2 |
System and method for removing extrusion screw elements
An improved system and method for removing extrusion screw elements includes a puller assembly for removing at least one screw element from a screw shaft of a screw-type extrusion machine. The at least one screw element includes a sleeve portion received annularly about the screw shaft and at least one flute extending radially outward from the sleeve portion. The puller assembly includes a body having a sleeve portion with an inner diameter sufficiently sized for axially fitting over the at least one screw element on the screw shaft. At least one engaging element is removably secured to the body for enabling the body to be axially installed on the at least one screw element when the at least one engaging element is removed from the body and axially locking the body on the at least one screw element when the at least one engaging element is installed in the body. The at least one engaging element extends radially inward relative to the inner diameter of the sleeve portion beyond an outer radial edge of the at least one flute when the at least one engaging element is installed in the body to axially lock the body to the at least one screw element. To remove the at least one screw element from the screw shaft, an axial pulling force is applied to the body to axially move the at least one screw element relative to the screw shaft. |
| US07908727B2 |
Fastener insertion apparatus and method
A rivet is inserted into a workpiece by an apparatus that includes an internal roller screw linear actuator in which rotational movement of an internally threaded cylinder is converted into linear movement of a fastener insertion actuator assembly. The cylinder is driven in rotation by a servo-controlled motor. The angular velocity of the cylinder required to deliver the required energy to effect fastener insertion is calculated and the motor is first controlled to accelerate the cylinder up to the calculated angular velocity, the actuator assembly simultaneously being moved by the cylinder towards the workpiece. The motor is then controlled to maintain the angular velocity of the cylinder at not less than the calculated magnitude at least until insertion of the fastener. The cylinder stores kinetic energy by virtue of its inertia. Using this inertia to insert fasteners eliminates the need for position or force feedback control. The process allows for a rapid cycle time and the apparatus is compact. |
| US07908720B2 |
Casket and memorialization accessory
A casket and memorialization accessory combination comprises a casket comprising a casket shell having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and a casket lid closable on the casket shell, a decorative ornament, and a keepsake box adapted to receive keepsake items therein. The casket shell and ornament are configured such that the ornament is removably attachable to the casket shell. The keepsake box and ornament are configured such that the ornament is attachable to the keepsake box. The ornament can be removed from the casket in which a deceased was displayed for viewing and attached to the keepsake box so that the keepsake box and ornament can be presented to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased. |
| US07908718B2 |
Multi-item holder device and system
Inexpensively manufactured device and system permits the holding, typically for display purposes, of at least one, but preferrably multiple items such as a trading cards or photographs in a manner offering an unobstructed view of the items. |
| US07908715B2 |
Strap holder for a mobile device
A hinge portion of a case has a strap holder concavity into which a strap holder component is inserted, and a second pin hole into which a securing pin is inserted. A first pin hole into which a securing pin is inserted is formed in a strap holder component. As a result, lightly press-fitting the strap holder component into the strap holder concavity, and inserting the securing pin into the second pin hole and the first pin hole will cause the strap holder component to be secured to the case. This strap holder for a mobile device has a compact and high-strength structure. |
| US07908711B2 |
Hinge-mounted hanger systems
A device for mounting on a door hinge, of the type having intermeshing sleeves held together by a hinge pin, for supporting clothes and other items. A hinge-mounted hanger kit for use with different sized hinges, including a hanger for attaching to a hinge using an overlength pin to replace the hinge pin and a spacer or selection of spacers for use in accommodating different sized hinges. An extender for use with a hinge-mounted hanger for displacing the pivot axis of the hanger from the hinge pivot axis and having two different sized receptacles for receiving different sized hinges. A swing-restraint clip for use with a hinge-mounted hanger for attaching to a hinge and interposing between the hanger and an adjacent surface for impeding pivoting movement of the hanger relative to the surface. |
| US07908709B2 |
Check link assembly
A check link assembly is operatively connectable to a door to provide resistance to the rotation of the door. The amount of resistance varies with the position of the door to provide at least one detent position. The check link assembly stores energy when the door is latched in its closed position, and is configured to release the energy when the door is unlatched so that the door moves toward its open position. |
| US07908708B2 |
Surface cover with snap having a drill guide
The invention relates to method(s) and device(s) for accurately positioning and fastening a surface cover to the surface. A surface cover can be provided with a cover snap member that has a drill guide through which a hole can be drilled into the surface. The hole can be used to fasten a surface snap member, which snaps together with the cover snap member. The surface snap member can be attached to the surface through a separate screw. Alternatively, the surface snap member can comprise an integral screw that provides for self-attachment. The surface snap member can have a bore which aligns with the drill guide when the surface snap member and the cover snap member are snapped together. The user can snap the cover snap member and surface snap member and drill a hole into the surface through the channel formed by the aligned drill guide and bore. |
| US07908703B2 |
Wiper blade
A wiper blade (18) with a connecting device (84) to connect a wiper arm (10), which connecting device features a pivoted adapter (66) equipped with holding surfaces (70, 72) for the wiper arm (10) and an openable and closeable protective cap (26), which in its closed position can fix the wiper arm (10) with limiting surfaces (64) arranged on an inner side by means of the holding surfaces (70, 72). The protective cap (26) has an openable and closeable cover (50) with an opening in its covering wall through which the wiper arm (10) can be connected to the adapter (66). |
| US07908701B1 |
Adjustable contour-following mop
An adjustable scrubbing implement for cleaning a surface is disclosed. A resilient base that comprises a center portion and a plurality of resilient fingers each is joined at a proximal end thereof to the center portion and extends radially away therefrom. The rigid cap comprises a side portion fixed at a top end thereof to an inside upper side of the cap, and terminates at a wider open lower end. The inside upper side includes a central aperture therethrough. The cap includes a handle receiving means pivotally fixed thereto for receiving a threaded end of an elongated handle. An adjustment means interposed between the cap and the resilient base moves the center portion of the base relative to the inside upper side of the cap. The downward angle of the fingers are defined by the relative distance between the center portion of the base and the inside upper side of the cap. Changing the downward angle of the fingers results in a change in the effective resiliency of the resilient base, which affects the amount of force required to cause the fingers to move into a compressed. As such, the scrubbing characteristics of the scrubbing implement may be selectively adjusted by adjusting the adjustment means. |
| US07908695B2 |
Manually-operated ramp for handicapped access
A manually operated ramp assembly includes a ramp platform and a drive assembly. The ramp platform is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position, and the drive assembly is coupled to and affords movement of the ramp platform. A shaft extends away from the drive assembly and defines a shaft axis. The shaft is coupled to the drive assembly to cause movement of the ramp platform between the stowed position and the deployed position in response to rotation of the shaft about the shaft axis. A handle is disposed at a distal end of the shaft for manual rotation of the shaft about the shaft axis. A biasing member biases the ramp platform toward the stowed position. |
| US07908693B2 |
Coil-in coil springs and innersprings
A mattress innerspring having coil-in-coil springs arranged in an array. Each coil-in-coil spring an outside helical coil and an inside helical coil, wherein the outside helical coil has a greater height and diameter than the inside helical coil, each coil having a dual spring rate between that of the outside helical coil and the combined spring rates of the outside and inside helical coils. The coil-in-coil springs may be pocketed or unpocketed in a mattress innerspring. |
| US07908692B2 |
Support for supporting the neck and head of a human being
A support for the neck and head of a human being, such as a travel pillow, comprises a right and a left elongate support member (101,102; 201,202; 302;303; 401,402; 400A,401A; 500,502; 504,506; 906,908), and a collapsible intermediate section (100,106; 200; 300,305; 400; 510,512; 910). The support members are adapted to extend in the human being's cranial-caudal direction and to support a right and a left portion of the back head and neck, whereby the support members define left and right edges for engaging the human being's neck and mastoid bones behind the human being's ears to provide a stable support for the human being's head when the support is under pressure from the human being's head and neck. Each of the support members and the intermediate section is sufficiently bendable to conform to the natural contour of the left and right neck and head portions of the human being. |
| US07908691B2 |
Medical support pillow
The present invention provides a medical support pillow and method for supporting a patient in the lateral position while maintaining an open airway. The lateral airway support pillow includes a chest support, a shoulder recess, a head support and a posterior bolster. The orientation of these components support the patient in the lateral position, with the spine and airway in a straight position, thus eliminating possible airway obstruction. One embodiment of the invention contains a head support with a posterior recess and a neck support which provides for straightening of the neck and airway and aligning the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal axes of the airway. Other embodiments position and elevate the patient in such a manner to treat or prevent soft tissue pressure injury, gastroesophageal reflux, congestive heart failure, or sleep apnea. |
| US07908690B2 |
Supine patient support for medical imaging
A patient supporting apparatus used in medical imaging technologies has an inventive tabletop and stretcher system. The tabletop has a gap or narrowing of prescribed location and size, for example, more than thirty percent of the width of the tabletop is removed inferior to the patient's pelvis within a region of at least 0.3 meters in length. The stretcher supports the tabletop and includes a gap or narrowing so that the access of the operator's hand, arm, and line of sight is not obstructed from the gap or narrowing of the tabletop. |
| US07908688B2 |
Portable ventilation system
Provided herein is a portable device useful for providing ventilation to a selected area via circulation of ambient air. A device according to the present invention is especially well-suited to provide ventilating air to a person resting on a bed, by directing air from the room to the volume defined by the top surface of the mattress of the bed and a bed covering disposed thereon. Use of the present invention increases the ability of persons to achieve restful sleep by enabling convenient control of the air surrounding the person to a comfortable level. |
| US07908686B2 |
Changing table for a playard
A changing table for use with a playard includes a platform that is sized to support a child and at least one changing table mount arranged relative to the platform to releasably engage the platform to the playard. The changing table mount includes a release actuator. When the changing table is engaged with the playard, the changing table is configured to remain engaged with the playard when a force of less than or equal to 25 pounds is applied to a location on the changing table other than the release actuator. |
| US07908682B2 |
Fiberglass swimming pool shell having pre-formed sockets to attach miscellaneous items
A pool shell molding system that enables accessories such as tables, chairs, parasols, basketball rims, and volleyball nets to be selectively and easily attached and removed. The pre-formed mold includes a recessed section with an outer edge that contacts and grips the various pool accessories. The depth of the recess is reduced by including a lip section extending from the bottom of the pool accessory, forming a contact and seal with the pool shell. Additionally, the pre-formed mold also includes an extended section with an outer edge that contacts and is gripped by the various pool accessories. The pre-formed mold can also secure a pole structure that includes a pole and a base member attached to the pole that facilitates a flexing locking relationship with the pool surface. |
| US07908677B1 |
Insert panel for pants
A maternity pant insert that is configured to allow a user wear a conventional size pair of pants during the phases of pregnancy. The pant insert includes a main panel that is generally rectangular in shape and is of sufficient size to cover the opening in the front region of the pant created by the user being unable to utilize the fasteners integrally mounted on the pant. A waist strap is connected to the main panel and is configured to operably connect with the belt loops of the pant. Mounted on the waist strap are a plurality of fasteners located on opposing sides of the main panel that function to allow a user to releasably secure the pant insert to the pant. |
| US07908675B2 |
Multi-pocket system for pants
A multi-pocket assembly attachable to a garment and more particularly to a multipocket system for pants that allows easy access even when a user is in a seated position. One embodiment provides has a first pocket structure having an interior access opening with means for closing the top and at least one vertical side. Additional pockets can be added on top of the first pocket. Additional features that can be added to the invention include reflective tape, securable flaps, zippers, pleats, and the like. |
| US07908674B2 |
Body-shaping apparel
The present invention provides body-shaping apparel designed to lift and support the lower portion of a person's buttocks relative to the top of the person's thighs that include a pair of loop straps that are dimensioned to encircle and engage the top of a person's thigh at the juncture of the thigh and buttock and to lift and support a buttock upwardly relative to the top of the person's thigh. |
| US07908673B2 |
Glove with interior grasping element for inversion
An invertible glove includes a hand portion having at least two digit portions configured to cover at least two digits of a hand of a wearer of the glove and a palm portion configured to cover a palm of the hand of the wearer of the glove. The hand portion includes an exterior surface for handling an object and an interior surface for abutting the hand of the wearer of the glove. The hand portion further includes a grasping element that extends from the interior surface of at least one of the digit portions and is configured to be grasped by a digit of the hand of the wearer of the glove for facilitating inversion of the glove when the hand is removed from the glove. A glove is inverted by pulling on the grasping element as the hand is removed from the glove. |
| US07908672B2 |
Glove having weight-receiving features and weighted features
A glove includes a glove body including opposing dorsal and palmar side panels, opposing proximal and distal ends, a wrist portion formed in the proximal end, and finger stalls formed in the distal end. An elongate strap has an inner end secured to the wrist portion of the glove body and an opposed free outer end, and a plurality of weight-receiving pockets formed in the elongate strap between the inner end of the elongate strap and the outer end of the elongate strap. Corresponding engagement and complemental engagement elements are carried by the elongate strap. The elongate strap is movable between a first position extending away from the wrist portion and a second position wrapped about the wrist portion engaging the engagement element to the complemental engagement element securing the elongate strap in the second position. |
| US07908670B2 |
Exercise garment
An exercise garment according to which the exercise performance in various types of exercise accompanied by rotation of the trunk and movement of the arms can be sufficiently improved. The exercise garment includes first tightening portions exerting tightening forces on the scapulae and scapula-surrounding muscle groups, so that the scapulae and the scapula-surrounding muscle groups are supported such that the extent of mobility of the scapulae is broadened. The tightening force due to one of the first tightening portions is transmitted to the other first tightening portion via second tightening portions. As a result, movement of one scapula linked to the movement of the other scapula is promoted, and the extent of mobility of the scapulae is further broadened. Consequently, the flexibility around the shoulders during exercise in which the left and right shoulders are working together can be effectively increased. |
| US07908667B2 |
Mounting system for accessories on a safety helmet
Embodiments of a fixture secured, securable to, or integral with the outer shell of a helmet of the type that has a bulge or protrusion on a side thereof to facilitate convenient positional adjustment, attachment and removal of multiple accessories include a fixture for securely receiving an accessory, wherein the fixture comprises a rail for slidably and adjustably receiving a plurality of accessories thereon. |
| US07913310B2 |
Device for protecting against unauthorized use of software
A device for protecting against unauthorized use of software, characterized in that a first processor emulates a second processor, whereby the second processor executes program code and the second processor transmits data to a computing system running the software in a process, whereby the process enters an error condition if the data contain errors. |
| US07913309B2 |
Information rights management
Information rights management (IRM) systems enable information to be protected after it has been accessed by or delivered to an authorized individual. For example, this might be to allow an email to be viewed for a limited time by specified individuals but to prevent that email from being forwarded. However, existing IRM systems are limited in the situations in which they may operate. An IRM server is provided which communicates with one or more policy evaluators which are independent of the IRM server. Results from the different policy evaluators may be combined by the IRM server and one or more identity providers may be used in conjunction with each policy evaluator. By enabling the IRM server to act as a broker between authors, recipients and policy evaluators situations in which IRM systems may operate are greatly extended. |
| US07913308B1 |
Secure remote referencing of a networked object of service
A solution for a remote service provider outside a customer's controlled network to reference an object of service (OOS) that is part of the customer's controlled network using a globally unique identifier (GUID) which is derived independently of network information associated with the OOS. A GUID generator module within the customer's controlled network generates a GUID for each device in the customer's controlled network and stores each GUID with a reference to its network information (e.g., IP addresshost name) in a lookup datastore accessible by an object of service management system (OOS) within the customer's controlled network. For service instances (e.g., data harvesting, software upgrades), the OOS management module sends the GUID in lieu of network information for the OOS. Thus the remote service provider can uniquely identify a device and reference it in a customer's network without the security implications of transferring customer network information outside the customer's network. |
| US07913305B2 |
System and method for detecting malware in an executable code module according to the code module's exhibited behavior
A malware detection system that determines whether an executable code module is malware according to behaviors exhibited while executing is presented. The malware detection system determines the type of code module and executes the code module in a behavior evaluation module for evaluating code corresponding to the code module's type. Some behaviors exhibited by the code module, while executing in the behavior evaluation module, are recorded as the code module's behavior signature. After the code module has completed its execution, the code module's behavior signature is compared against known malware behavior signatures stored in a malware behavior signature store. A determination as to whether the code module is malware is based on the results of the comparison. |
| US07913304B2 |
Event detection method and device
The embodiments of the present invention disclose an event detection method and device. The method includes: predefining event-based detection rules with a predicative context-free grammar; generating by parsing the detection rules a parsing table of pushdown automaton which supports parallel parsing; receiving an event to be detected; and analyzing by a controller the event to be detected according to the parsing table, to obtain a detection result. The present invention is especially applicable to detection of network attack events. The embodiments of the present invention detect the attacks with a predicative context-free grammar on the basis of events, and ensure a close combination of a protocol parsing process and an attack detection process, as well as a close combination of multiple attack detection rules, thus decreasing unnecessary calculations. In addition, with an optimized parallel pushdown automaton, the embodiments of the present invention can efficiently analyze the predicative context-free grammar. Consequently, besides hierarchical processing capability and state description capability, the embodiments of the present invention deliver high efficiency. |
| US07913299B2 |
Systems, methods and computer program products for firewall use of certified binaries
Systems, methods and computer program products for firewall use of certified binaries. Exemplary embodiments include a method including reading a plaintext component from a digital signature, searching the plaintext component for an identifier, reading in a TotalTCPIPPorts field for a total number of sockets to be opened for an application, reading in ports and descriptions for each of the ports, displaying information from the plaintext component up to a block including the identifier, the port being opened and the port description, prompting an instruction, displaying on the screen information from the plaintext component up to a block including the identifier, displaying a warning that the application is opening additional ports beyond the default number specified displaying a warning that opening the additional ports should be avoided and prompting the instruction. |
| US07913298B2 |
Method and apparatus for end-to-end identity propagation
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates end-to-end identity propagation to a backend-tier application that is not single sign-on enabled. During operation, the system receives request from a user at a middle-tier application to access private data from the backend-tier application. Upon receiving this request, the system redirects the user to a single sign-on server that verifies authentication credentials of the user. The middle-tier application then receives a token from the single sign-on server authorizing access to a backend-tier application. Next, the middle-tier application uses the token to access the private data from the backend-tier application, and then provides the private data to the user. |
| US07913291B2 |
Means and method for control of personal data
In the setting of policies for personal data, instructions originating from a primary user and defining a privacy policy for a selected piece of personal data are communicated, via an application unit (220), to a privacy-setting node (258) of a service broker (250). The instruction define possible data providers (240) for the data. The policy is stored at a database (254) in a privacy tree for the primary user comprising hierarchically arranged personal data with associated policies. Upon receiving a request for the personal data, the privacy-setting node determines whether there is a privacy policy defined from the data by checking the privacy tree of the primary user. If there is a policy for a requested data, it selects a data provider among the possible data providers and returns a response to the application unit, providing access to the requested personal data at this provider. |
| US07913289B2 |
Method and apparatus for security policy and enforcing mechanism for a set-top box security processor
In multimedia systems that implement secure access techniques, a method and apparatus for a security policy and enforcing mechanism for a set-top box security processor are provided. A security policy may be determined for a multimedia terminal based on high-level requirements by various system users. A default mode of operation may be generated based on the security policy and may be stored in a security policy memory. An access control matrix that indicates the operation of security components in a security processor for various user modes may be stored in the security policy memory. Control and/or access operations not supported by the access control matrix may be supported by the default mode of operation. The user modes in the access control matrix may include composition user modes. Accessing the information in the security policy memory may be utilized to enforce the security policy in the multimedia terminal. |
| US07913288B2 |
Home entertainment system
A dedicated apparatus for playing unmodified software, housed in a home entertainment system chassis, for playing in a home entertainment environment the existing body of interactive multimedia software that has been formatted and published for compatibility with standard personal computer platforms. Video and audio output signals are generated in response to the processing of the multimedia software program, which are fed to the home entertainment system for presentation to an audience. A further aspect is the provision of a drop & play feature which automatically initiates playing of multimedia software in a sequence that appears to be similar to playing on a videogame console, i.e., without requiring any further action from a user after inserting the media or selecting play. This feature is in part provided by a table containing installation information for each of numerous multimedia software titles; entries in this table are preferably indexed by an identifier that can be uniquely derived from a given CD-ROM/DVD or other portable media. The multimedia software may alternatively be provided via a network, such as the Internet. |
| US07913285B2 |
Apparatus and method for interfacing between set-top box and point of deployment for pay-per-view service
A method for providing pay-per-view service while observing an OpenCable standard in realization of bi-directional digital cable broadcasting includes a method for interfacing between a set-top box and a point of deployment (POD), the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the set-top box, an arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction inputted by a user, generating an object based on the arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction, and transmitting the arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction object to the POD; and receiving, at the POD, the object transmitted by the set-top box, generating an answer object based on the reception, and transmitting the answer object to the set-top box. |
| US07913280B1 |
System and method for creating and managing custom media channels
A system and method for creating and managing custom media channels within an Interactive Digital Program Guide (IDPG) of a device having a set-top box function associated with a cable or satellite television network. In general, a user interacts with the set-top box function to define a custom media channel. The custom media channel may be defined by a channel name and user preferences. Once the custom media channel is defined, an Internet search is performed based on the user preferences in order to identify media presentations for the custom media channel. Thereafter, when a user selects the custom media channel via the IDPG, the media presentations are played in a substantially continuous stream in either a predetermined or random sequence. |
| US07913274B2 |
Method for detecting whether an apparatus having an emergency alert function has been relocated
An apparatus such as a television signal receiver includes an emergency alert function which, when activated, provides an alert output to notify users of an emergency event. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a tuner operative to tune signals including emergency alert signals capable of activating the emergency alert function. A processor is operative to detect a condition indicating relocation of the apparatus after a power interruption to the apparatus, and to enable a predetermined output associated with the emergency alert function responsive to detecting the condition. |
| US07913273B2 |
System and method for receiving broadcast audio/video works and for enabling a consumer to purchase the received audio/video works
A system and method for purchasing broadcast audio and/or video (audio/video) works. According to one embodiment, the system includes a data stream processor that receives a broadcast audio/video data stream and produces from the broadcast audio/video data stream a first audio/video output data stream and a second audio/video output data stream, wherein the broadcast audio/video data stream contains information corresponding to an audio/video work and the first audio/video output stream is in a format that can be recognized and processed by conventional audio/video reproducing equipment; a storage device that stores data included in the second audio/video output data stream, wherein the data corresponds to the audio/video work; and a user interface that enables a user of the system to input to the system an indication that the user desires to purchase the audio/video work. |
| US07913269B2 |
Motor and storage disk drive with a chucking mechanism for retaining a data storage disk
A motor used for a data storage disk drive is provided. The motor includes a rotor holder having a cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion has a radially inner surface defining a through hole and an inner protruding section arranged at an axial end portion of the radially inner surface. The inner protruding section radially inwardly protrudes from the radially inner surface into the through hole. A shaft of the motor is inserted into the through hole and fixed to the radially inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the rotor holder with an adhesive. In the motor, a radially inner end of the inner protruding section of the rotor holder radially opposes an axially upper portion of the shaft. In addition, the portion of the axially lower surface of the inner protruding section of the rotor holder axially opposes the shaft while the axially upper portion of the shaft and the inner protruding portion are arranged in an axially vicinity manner. |
| US07913266B2 |
Disk drive, disk feeding device, and disk loading mechanism
The present invention provides a disk drive with a compact size that makes it possible to effectively utilize space within a disk drive and permits a straightforward layout of members.The disk drive comprises a disk holder 10 that has a plurality of holder plates 11 that individually hold disks D, a drive unit 62 that plays back disks D, disk selectors 41A and 41B that form a space above and below a desired disk D by raising and lowering the holder plates 11, and a drive base 60 that moves the drive unit 62 into the space that is formed by raising and lowering the holder plates 11. The opening amount of the disk holder 10 by the rise and fall of the holder plates 11 is fixed. The height of insertion of disk D into the disk holder 10 is on the upper side between the highest holder plate 11 and the lowest holder plate 11 when the disk holder 10 is open. |
| US07913257B2 |
Scheduling method, scheduling apparatus and multiprocessor system
A thread status managing unit organizes a plurality of threads into groups and manages the status of the thread groups. A ready queue queues thread groups in a ready state or a running state in the order of priority and, within the same priority level, in the FIFO order. An assignment list generating unit sequentially retrieves the thread groups from the ready queue. The assignment list appends a retrieved thread group to a thread assignment list only when all threads belonging to the retrieved thread group are assignable to the respective processors at the same time. A thread assigning unit assigns all threads belonging to the thread groups stored in the thread assignment list to the respective processors. |
| US07913255B2 |
Background thread processing in a multithread digital signal processor
Techniques for the design and use of a digital signal processor, including processing transmissions in a communications (e.g., CDMA) system. The disclosed method and system provide background thread processing in a multithread digital signal processor for backgrounding and other background operations. The method and system form a background thread interrupt as one of a plurality of interrupt types, the background thread interrupt initiates a low-priority background process using one of a plurality of processing threads of a multithread digital signal processor. The process includes storing the background thread interrupt in an interrupt register and a background processing mask for associating with a processing thread of the multithread digital signal processor, which associates with at least a subset of said plurality of processing threads. Upon sensing a cache miss in one of the processing threads during multithread processing, the interrupt register issues the background thread interrupt and the digital signal processor initiates background processing using one of the processing threads having an associated background processing mask. |
| US07913252B2 |
Portable platform for executing software applications in a virtual environment
A portable platform for executing software applications on a computing device without installing or configuring the applications on the computing device. Furthermore, the execution of the applications is performed without making any changes or modifications to the computing device's memory or file system. The portable platform can reside on, for example, a portable memory device, a portable storage device, or downloaded from a web site. |
| US07913249B1 |
Software installation checker
A software installation checker is disclosed. A small stub application is put inside a desktop package, and is run at certain points during a software installation. The stub contacts a server and fetches a library which comprises a class with a method. The stub runs the method on the class, passing to the class the information as well as the server. The class unpacks an engine and passes control to the engine. The engine runs a check with tasks received from a collector of the server. Data is uploaded to the server, and can be examined via a web interface. |
| US07913246B2 |
System and method for updating a software program
A system and method of provided for automatically update a system's software. In one example, the software is updated without requiring user intervention. Further, a system is provided that is capable of performing a software update on a non-PC system, such as a networking device, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), or other system. In another example, a system and method is provided for updating multiple components of a system by a proxy system responsible for downloading and applying updates. |
| US07913245B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for modular distribution and maintenance of non-“object code only” dynamic components
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for modular distribution and maintenance of non-“object code only” (OCO) dynamic components. OCO components comprise compiled executable modules. Non-OCO components comprise user readable and/or editable components. The modular distribution of non-OCO components comprises updating a skeleton data set comprising text and component fields such that user customizations and developer customizations are preserved. The modular distribution further allows for the generation of an output data in response to a reportable operational event, wherein the output data set is based on the skeleton data set and user customizations and developer customizations stored in customization data sets. |
| US07913240B2 |
Method and apparatus for transforming java native interface function calls into simpler operations during just-in-time compilation
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for transforming JAVA Native Interface function calls to constants, internal just-in-time (JIT) compiler operations or simpler intermediate representation. A compiler generates plurality of intermediate representations for a plurality of native interface function calls. During inlining of native code, matching is performed on each native function call (against this list) and a list of native interface function calls is generated. For each native interface function call, a (JIT) call transformer attempts to replace the native interface function call with a constant, internal JIT compiler operation or a simpler intermediate representation depending on the type of native interface function call. |
| US07913239B2 |
Method and apparatus for a programming framework for pattern matching and transformation of intermediate language expression trees
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions are provided by the present invention for a programming framework for easy pattern matching and transformation of intermediate language expression trees. With expression matching and transformation framework (EMTF) of the present invention, pattern matchers may be defined and embedded in a C++ program code in a manner that resembles their intermediate representation. EMTF also provides capabilities for unification, unbinding, transformation, intra-pattern referencing, common operators, creation of pattern objects in a storage pool. With EMTF, less common patterns may be applied against input expressions without repeatedly implementing an algorithm. |
| US07913233B2 |
Performance analyzer
A method for performance analysis of a system may include capturing data including callee stack information and persisting the callee stack information in a form that can be queried. The method may also include generating a performance analysis report in response to a query. |
| US07913232B2 |
Certifying software for safety-critical systems
A method of collecting information includes retrieving a criterion for certifying software for use on a safety-critical system, receiving user input information associated to the criterion, determining if the input information satisfies criterion for certifying the software for use on the safety-critical system, and providing output information to the user where the output information is identifying if the criterion is satisfied. |
| US07913228B2 |
Translation viewer for project documentation and editing
A software documentation system is provided. This includes a selection component that detects a project component within a context of a current language. A translation viewer displays alternative language documentation associated with the detected project component, where the translation viewer can be associated with an editor that is linked to the context of the current language. Other aspects include providing components to switch from a current language to an alternative language within the software documentation or development system. |
| US07913222B2 |
Automatic generation of code for component interfaces in models
Methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed for automatically generating hardware description language code from a model. The hardware description language code may be generated from a graphical program/model, such as a block diagram model. The hardware description language code may also be generated from a text-based program/model, such as a model created using MATLAB® tools. In particular, the present invention provides for the automatic code generation of an interface between components in the model. The present invention may provide options for selecting at least one of multiple types or styles of the component interfaces in the model. The selection of the interface types or styles may be controlled by the user or inferred by other parameters, such as implementation parameters. |
| US07913218B2 |
Reduction of XOR/XNOR subexpressions in structural design representations
A method, system and computer program product for reducing XOR/XNOR subexpressions in structural design representations are disclosed. The method includes receiving an initial design, in which the initial design represents an electronic circuit containing an XOR gate. A first simplification mode for the initial design is selected from a set of applicable simplification modes, wherein the first simplification mode is an XOR/XNOR simplification mode, and a simplification of the initial design is performed according to the first simplification mode to generate a reduced design containing a reduced number of XOR gates. Whether a size of the reduced design is less than a size of the initial design is determined, and, in response to determining that the size of the reduced design is less than a the size of the initial design, the initial design is replaced with the reduced design. |
| US07913217B1 |
Visualizing hardware cost in high level modeling systems
Within a high level modeling system (HLMS), a method of visualizing a circuit design can include identifying the circuit design and reading hardware cost information for the circuit design. The method also can include presenting a graphical representation of the circuit design having at least one visual characteristic which can be varied according to the hardware cost information. |
| US07913215B2 |
Memory macro with irregular edge cells
A memory macro includes a first set of cells disposed in a first area of a memory array, and a second set of cells, which differ from the first set of cells in physical dimensions, disposed at an edge of the first area for improving robustness of the cells at the edge of the memory array. |
| US07913212B2 |
Method for determining a length of shielding of a semiconductor integrated circuit wiring
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a shielded wire line and a shielding wire line provided for the shielded wire line and divided into a plurality of segments in a longitudinal direction of the shielded wire line. |
| US07913211B2 |
Logic cell configuration processing method and program
A logic cell configuration processing method for a CMOS semiconductor is configured in which leak current per unit width equal for P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors, by calculating a probable average leak current, which is an expected value of leak current of the P-channel MOS transistor and the N-channel MOS transistor in the logic cell based on an input signal to be input to the logic cell; comparing a contribution of the P-channel MOS transistor with a contribution of the N-channel MOS transistor to the calculated probable average leak current; deciding the P-channel MOS transistor or the N-channel MOS transistor, whichever has a greater contribution, to be a low leak type MOS transistor; and adjusting ON current of the low leak type MOS transistor to be equal to ON current of the other MOS transistor. |
| US07913208B2 |
Optimal simplification of constraint-based testbenches
Methods and systems are provided for determining redundancies in a system model such as a complex circuit design including gates that are state components. A candidate redundant gate is selected, and a merged model is built that eliminates the candidate redundant gate. If the candidate redundant gate is within the merged constraint cone the pre-merge model is used to validate redundancy of the candidate redundant gate. However, if the candidate redundant gate is not within the merged constraint cone the merged model is instead used to validate redundancy of the candidate redundant gate. |
| US07913206B1 |
Method and mechanism for performing partitioning of DRC operations
An improved method and mechanism for data partitioning for a DRC tool is disclosed that efficiently and effectively allows parallelization and multithreading to occur for DRC analysis of the IC design. Data partitioning is performed to allow some of the data to be processed in parallel by distributed processing units, while allowing other of the data to be processed in parallel by multiple threads. This can be accomplished by identifying different types of rules and data, and having different types of processing for the different types of rules and data. Certain types of rules/data will be processed with multi-threaded processing and other types of rules/data will be processed in parallel using distributed processing units. |
| US07913204B2 |
High-level synthesis apparatus, high-level synthesis system and high-level synthesis method
A high-level synthesis apparatus for automatically generating a register transfer level (RTL) logic circuit from a behavioral description has a scheduling unit configured to perform data flow analysis and scheduling to generate a data flow graph showing an operation cycle of an operation from the behavioral description, a scheduling result inputting/outputting unit configured to extract a point to be allocated to a register from the data flow graph and output register information indicating the point, the scheduling result inputting/outputting unit being provided with dynamic analysis data that includes at least one of the number of times that data at the point has been substituted and the number of times that a value stored at the point has changed by a predetermined simulation, an allocating unit configured to consult dynamic analysis data and allocate circuit elements to the behavioral description, and an RTL description generating unit configured to generate the logic circuit based on the allocation of circuit elements by the allocating unit. |
| US07913201B2 |
Structure for estimating power consumption of integrated circuitry
A design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing integrated circuitry. The design structure includes first hardware for executing first software in response to macros that describe the integrated circuitry, and for generating a set of constants in response to the execution of the first software. Second hardware is for receiving the set of constants from the first hardware, and for executing second software in response to the macros and the set of constants, and for estimating a power consumption of the integrated circuitry in response to the execution of the second software. |
| US07913198B2 |
Method for designing array antennas
A method for designing low signature array antennas using a calculation method. The method proposes a way of improving antenna and signature performance of array antennas. According to the method electromagnetic antenna and signature characteristics are specified, an iterative optimizing method is performed to design the antenna to fulfil the specified characteristics, the iterative method is interrupted when a design fulfils the specified characteristics, and the specified characteristics are readjusted in an iterative optimizing method to follow if the specified characteristics not are fulfilled. |
| US07913190B2 |
Method, system and software for visualizing 3D models
A combined viewer-spreadsheet application provides display of (i) a spreadsheet including a tree window for an extendable tree structure of an object and (ii) a three dimensional (3D) model of the object. A user of the application is able to add one or more columns or arrays to the tree structure and to reflect in the 3D model the values of elements of the columns or arrays added. The tree structure includes at least one assembly, a plurality of subassemblies forming the assembly, and a plurality of parts for each of the subassemblies. |
| US07913187B2 |
Method and system for unified communication
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for providing Unified Communication (UC) service, which includes obtaining communication information displayed on a terminal where a mouse locates; triggering a corresponding UC service based on the communication information. The present invention also discloses a UC client. The UC client includes a communication information obtaining unit, capable of capturing communication information displayed on a terminal where a mouse locates, and a UC service unit, capable of triggering a corresponding UC service based on the communication information. In this way a user needs to move a cursor or press a key in the active interface to enter corresponding communication information into the UC client, therefore the complicated operations of manually keying in communication information or searching an address book in the UC client interface according to conventional technique are avoided and the users' burden will be relieved. |
| US07913186B2 |
Combined menu-list control element in a graphical user interface
A control element for use in a graphical user interface, which combines the display features of the list box element and the pop-up menu element into a single GUI control element. The combined menu list control element is capable of displaying data in multiple states thereby allowing to it to optimally use the available display space for presenting data to the user. By allowing menu list control element to display data as either a list or a menu, it combines the advantages of lists and menus while avoiding their disadvantages. |
| US07913180B2 |
HVAC zone control panel with mode navigation
A zone control panel that is easy and intuitive to use and to program. In some embodiments, a zone control panel may be configured to have an easy to use, single level menu structure with, for example, a configuration mode and/or a checkout mode. The configuration mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. Likewise, the checkout mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. A mode selector may be provided to select a particular mode, after which, the menu screens that correspond to the selected mode may be sequentially displayed to the user. Other features and aspects are also disclosed. |
| US07913178B2 |
Method and system for collaborative and private sessions
Examples of a method and system for collaborative and private sessions are provided. A cursor movement request may be received from at least two users of a plurality of users of a collaborative session during a time period. The cursor may move on a common interface according to the cursor movement request from a first user selected from the at least two users that has satisfied a movement criterion. A completion criterion and a private session parameter may be designated for a private session. A number of user interactions may be processed from a participant of the private session. The private shopping session may be terminated for the participant when the completion criterion is satisfied. |
| US07913177B1 |
System and method for managing instantiation of interface elements in rich internet applications
A system and method are described for managing instantiation of interface elements in a rich Internet application (RIA) that includes systematically creating a tree of descriptive nodes that describe the visual interface elements of the application. Only interface elements that are not stacked under other objects or not fully hidden on the screen are instantiated using the corresponding descriptive nodes. Detail objects corresponding to the descriptive nodes are then constructed and used by a rendering engine to render the visual interface elements of the declarative application. As the user moves to locations within the application that are stacked under other objects or are hidden, the descriptive nodes and detailed objects are created representing the interface elements of those locations for rendering by the rendering engine. |
| US07913176B1 |
Applying access controls to communications with avatars
Senders of instant messages may inspire perception by a recipient of avatars capable of being animated in order to customize or personalize communication exchanges from the sender. The avatar, an animation of or associated with the avatar, an object associated with the avatar, or another component of the avatar or communication may be inappropriate, or otherwise objectionable, to the recipient, the recipient class or category, or an identity associated with the recipient. In one example, a parent of a minor who is the intended recipient of an avatar (or a component of the avatar or communication) may object to the minor being exposed to the avatar (or the component of the avatar or communication). In such a case, the communication may be discarded or the perception of the objectionable avatar (or component associated with the avatar or the communication) by the intended recipient may be disabled, replaced or modified. |
| US07913170B2 |
System and method for performing type checking for hardware device nodes in a graphical program
A system and method for propagating type information for hardware device nodes in a graphical program. A hardware device node may be any of various types of nodes relating to hardware devices and may perform any of various hardware-related functions in the graphical program, e.g., may access registers of a hardware device. After displaying a first hardware device node in the graphical program, the user may associate the first hardware device node with a hardware device. A second hardware device node may also be displayed in the graphical program, and the user may connect the first hardware device node to the second hardware device node. In response to connecting the first hardware device node to the second hardware device node, information may be propagated from the first hardware device node to the second hardware device node, wherein the information specifies the hardware device or device class with which the first hardware device node is associated. The second hardware device node may then be automatically, i.e., programmatically, associated with the same hardware device class with which the first hardware device node is associated. A method for performing type checking for a hardware device node in a graphical program is also described, e.g., to ensure that a method or property which the hardware device node is configured to invoke or access is a valid method or property for the hardware device or device class with which the hardware device node is associated. |
| US07913166B2 |
Method and apparatus for implied editing action through directional and ordered data selection
Provided are a computer implemented method and apparatus for manipulating data through directional or ordered selection of data. A first user input is received for selecting a section of data in a direction of selection, or an order of selection, from a source. A second user input is received for performing a basic editing operation on the selection. Responsive to the second input received from the user, the selected section of data is re-oriented or re-ordered in a direction or order corresponding to the direction or order of selection. A third user input is received for performing a basic editing operation at a destination. The re-oriented or re-ordered section of data is subjected to the second action at the destination. Once the user has selected a section of data, the user can also choose to re-orient or re-order the data in conjunction with a basic editing operation by selecting an enhanced editing operation that implements the inventive method from a menu. |
| US07913163B1 |
Determining semantically distinct regions of a document
A structured document is translated into an initial hierarchical data structure in accordance with syntactic elements defined in the structured document. The initial hierarchical data structure includes a plurality of nodes, and each node corresponds to one of the syntactic elements. The method then annotates a node with a set of attributes including geometric parameters of semantic elements in the structured document that are associated with the node in accordance with a pseudo-rendering of the structured document. Finally, the method merges the nodes in the initial hierarchical data structure into a tree of merged nodes in accordance with their respective attributes and a set of predefined rules such that each merged node is associated with a semantically distinct region of the pseudo-rendered document. The predefined rules include rules for merging nodes associated with semantic elements that have nearby positions and/or compatible attributes in the pseudo-rendered document. |
| US07913159B2 |
System and method for real-time validation of structured data files
A system and method validating entry of data into a structured data file in real-time is described. The system and method also described a real-time validation tool that enables a developer to create custom validation rules. These custom validation rules can include preset validation rules, which the real-time validation tool enables a developer to create in an easy-to-use way. |
| US07913155B2 |
Synchronizing method and system
A synchronization system and method. Text data is received by a computing device. The text data is associated with audio/video data. The audio/video data is generated during a related performance. The audio/video data and the text data are discrete data. The text data is synchronized to correspond with the audio/video data during the performance. The synchronized text data is displayed by the computing device during the performance. |
| US07913149B2 |
Low complexity LDPC encoding algorithm
A method of encoding a binary source message u, by calculating x:=Au, calculating y:=B′x, resolving the equation Dp=y for p, and incorporating u and p to produce an encoded binary message v, where A is a matrix formed only of permutation sub matrices, B′ is a matrix formed only of circulant permutation sub matrices, and D is a matrix of the form D = ( T 0 … 0 0 0 T … 0 0 … … … … … 0 0 … T 0 I I … I I ) where T is a two-diagonal, circulant sub matrix, and I is an identity sub matrix. |
| US07913146B2 |
Optical disk manufacturing method and device, optical disk, and reproduction method thereof
Optical discs are adapted to be used with a light beam having a wavelength of 405 nm for recording or reproducing data. Error correcting blocks for recording BMID including copy protection key information are defined on optical discs (1) dedicated to data reproduction. A data string of BMID to be recorded has 64 bytes. An error correcting block is constituted by 304 columns of error correcting code words (LDC). A BMID data string of 64 bytes is inserted to predetermined 64 error correcting code words (LDC) of a block (304 columns of error correcting code words). The total code length of the predetermined 64 error correcting code words (LDC) is 248 bytes, of which a predetermined byte (symbol) is replaced by a predetermined byte (symbol) of the BMID data string. |
| US07913140B2 |
Method and device to detect failure of static control signals
A method and circuits for monitoring and detecting an error in the static pervasive signals applied to input/output pins of an integrated circuit during functional operation of the integrated circuit. The method and circuits provide a signal signature of each of one or more groups of the static pervasive signals and then monitoring the signal signature for any change of logic level. |
| US07913136B2 |
Method for performing a logic built-in-self-test in an electronic circuit
The present invention relates to a method for performing a logic built-in self-test (LBIST) on an electronic circuit with a plurality of logic circuits (18, 20, 22, 24) and storage elements (14, 16) connected serially to a number of LBIST stumps (10, 12) between a pseudo-random-pattern generator (26) and a multiple-input-signature register (28), wherein at least one constrained logic circuit (18) requires constrained values as input signals. Said method comprises the following steps: scanning the LBIST stumps (10, 12) with the pseudo-random-pattern generator (26), deactivating the multiple-input-signature register (28), performing a functional update in order to propagate legal values into those storage elements (16), which require constrained values, activating or resetting (51) the multiple-input-signature register (28), and setting or programming a start value in a counter (42) for activating a loop back circuit (34) in order to avoid an overwriting of the well-constrained values in the storage elements (16). |
| US07913135B2 |
Interconnections for plural and hierarchical P1500 test wrappers
A test architecture accesses IP core test wrappers within an IC using a Link Instruction Register (LIR). An IEEE P1500 standard is in development for providing test access to these individual cores via a test structure called a wrapper. The wrapper resides at the boundary of the core and provides a way to test the core and the interconnections between cores.-The test architecture enables each of the plural wrappers in the IC, including wrappers in cores embedded within other cores, with separate enable signals. |
| US07913134B2 |
Test circuit capable of sequentially performing boundary scan test and test method thereof
A boundary scan test circuit is capable of sequentially performing a boundary scan test with respect to semiconductor integrated circuits bonded to both surfaces of a memory board. In order to reduce a boundary scan test time, the boundary scan test circuit includes a mirror function unit which transmits data signals of a first group pin or data signals of a second group pin corresponding to the first group pin according to a mirror function enable signal, and a boundary scan test unit which receives the data signals of the mirror function unit to perform a boundary scan test. |
| US07913132B2 |
System and method for scanning sequential logic elements
A digital system and method for scanning sequential logic elements are disclosed. The digital system may comprise a plurality of sequential logic elements subdivided into power domains, wherein at least one of the power domains is power gated; a scan chain configured for processing a scan data sequence; a scan enable switch configured for controlling a scan mode; and at least one shadow engine, wherein the at least one shadow engine comprises a control circuit. At least some of the power domains may be interconnected to the scan chain with the scan enable switch, and the scan enable switch may control the scan mode by asserting a scan enable signal. The at least one power gated power domain with one or more sequential logic elements to be power gated may be bypassed via the at least one shadow engine. |
| US07913124B2 |
Apparatus and methods for capture of flow control errors in clock domain crossing data transfers
Apparatus methods for capturing flow control errors in FIFO exchanges between producing and consuming circuits operating in different clock domains. Tag information at the start of an exchange is transferred to a synchronizing component before data of a transfer transaction is entered in the FIFO. The tag information is also associated with each unit of data transferred to the FIFO by the producing circuit. The synchronizing component verifies the each unit of data retrieved by the consuming circuit has the expected tag information associated therewith and signals an error is the tag information does not match. Thus an error by the producing circuit in entering too much or too little data for a transfer is detected before erroneous data is retrieved and processed by the consuming circuit. |
| US07913119B2 |
Method and device for verifying integrity of data acquisition pathways
Disclosed is a method of verifying the integrity of data acquired from a device emulating a hard disk to a host computer over a data transfer pathway. A storage medium containing known data is connected to the data transfer pathway, the storage medium capable of emulating a hard disk. The known data is transferred from the storage medium to the host computer over the data transfer pathway for storage on the host computer. A characteristic of the data stored on the host computer is compared with a corresponding characteristic of said known data to determine whether data corruption has occurred during data transfer over said data transfer pathway. The characteristic could be a hash code value, such as a Message-Digest 5 (MD5) or Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) value. |
| US07913118B2 |
In-circuit debugging system and related method
An in-circuit debugging (ICD) system includes at least a first target processor, an embedded debug mode with a debug information memory (DIM), a debug host, and an ICD bridge. The first target processor has an embedded debug module (EDM) and performs a program code in normal mode, where the first EDM controls the first target processor in debug mode. The DIM stores debug information for debugging in debug mode, and is invisible to the first target processor when the first target processor operates in normal mode. The debug host has debug software, and is utilized for debugging the program code by using the debug information in debug mode. The ICD bridge has a host debug module (HDM) coupled to the first EDM, and is coupled between the first target processor and the debug host and utilized for bridging information communicated between the first target processor and the debug host. |
| US07913117B2 |
Providing removable storage management services using removable storage error information
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for providing removable storage management services using removable storage error information. Read/write error information is obtained for at least one removable storage by interfacing with the removable storage manager. The obtained read/write error information for the at least one removable storage is processed to determine read/write error rates for the at least one removable storage. A determination is made as to whether the determined read/write error rates for the at least one removable storage exceed at least one read/write error threshold. At least one message is sent to the removable storage manager to replace the at least one removable storage having read/write error rates that exceed the at least one read/write error threshold. |
| US07913112B2 |
Storage controller and storage control method
This storage controller includes a port unit and multiple processing units for inputting and outputting data to and from a storage apparatus. The port unit sorts the data I/O requests given from a host system to the corresponding processing units according to a table pre-defining the storage apparatus or a storage area in the storage apparatus to perform data I/O processing allocated to each of the processing units. The processing unit inputs data in the corresponding storage apparatus or the corresponding storage area according to the data I/O request sorted to itself from the port unit and, upon detecting a blockage of the other processing unit due to a failure, updates the table retained in each of the port units so as to sort the storage apparatuses or the storage areas allocated to the other processing unit to the remaining unblocked processing units. |
| US07913111B2 |
Recording medium, recording apparatus, reproduction apparatus, recording method and reproduction method
In a write-once media, by using a selected area such as an area starting from a postscript-recording point in the main data area as an alternate area, by determining whether or not an address specified in a request such as a write request is an address at which data has been recorded on the basis of information on a sequential recording range and by recording pieces of alternate-address management information for replacing defective locations on the media and for renewing data recorded on the media in a table by letting the pieces of information coexist in the table, defective locations on the media can be replaced with other locations and data already recorded on the media can thus be renewed even without providing pre-allocated alternate area on the media. In addition, if the media is provided with an alternate area and the alternate area becomes insufficient for alternate-address processing, a selected region in the main data area can be used as a region supplementary to the insufficient alternate area. An example of the region is an area starting from a postscript-recording point mentioned above. |
| US07913108B1 |
System and method for improving disk drive performance during high frequency vibration conditions
Described are a system and method for improving the performance of a disk drive in a data storage system by enabling the disk drive to “ride through” events that can induce disk drive errors. In response to an error message received from a disk drive, a disk director temporarily places the disk drive into a wait state. While in the wait state, the disk drive is prevented from shutting down, despite the current error and any subsequent errors that the disk drive may experience. The disk drive may continue to service I/O requests while in the wait state, with the disk director monitoring the disk drive performance. After the disk drive exits the wait state, the disk director can determine from the monitored results whether to shut down the disk drive or to permit the disk drive to return to normal operation. |
| US07913104B1 |
Method and apparatus for receive channel data alignment with minimized latency variation
Data and clock synchronization within a gigabit receiver is maintained throughout the data byte processing logic of the receiver by utilizing the same byte clock signal. The deserialization clock signal that is used to deserialize the received serial data stream is phase coherent with the distributed byte clock signal used within the physical coding sublayer (PCS), thus establishing reliable data transfer across the physical media attachment (PMA) and PCS layers of the gigabit receiver while maintaining a known, fixed latency. The phase relationship between a derived bit clock signal and the byte clock signal is shifted in a manner that achieves coarse data alignment within each data byte without affecting the latency. Conversely, the coarse data alignment is combined with a data alignment toggling procedure to reduce data alignment granularity with minimized latency changes. |
| US07913102B2 |
Variable frequency clock output circuit and apparatus, motor driving apparatus, and image forming apparatus
A variable frequency clock output circuit, comprising: a target value register which stores a target value corresponding to an arbitrarily set target frequency; an increase/decrease value register which stores an arbitrarily set increase/decrease value; an adder-subtractor which has an input portion into which a current output value is inputted and outputs a calculation result obtained by adding/subtracting the increase/decrease value stored in the increase/decrease value register to/from the current output value inputted into the input portion based on an addition/subtraction instruction signal; a comparator which compares an output value of the adder-subtractor to the target value stored in the target value register, and outputs an addition/subtraction instruction signal to the adder-subtractor until the output value of the adder-subtractor and the target value coincide; and a clock generator which outputs a clock signal having a frequency proportional to the output value of the adder-subtractor. |
| US07913101B2 |
Method and apparatus for treating a signal
A method includes: delaying an excursion of at least one signal a first number of clock phases when the excursion departs from a value in a first direction; and delaying the excursion of the at least one signal a second number of the clock phases when the excursion departs toward the value in a second direction. The first number of clock phases is different from the second number of clock phases. The at least one signal effects a plurality of succeeding excursions in substantial synchrony with a clocked signal presenting succeeding clock cycles having a plurality of the clock phases in each respective clock cycle. |
| US07913099B2 |
Dynamic processor operating voltage control in response to a change in a core/bus clock frequency ratio
A technique to adjust a processor's operating voltage dynamically while preventing a user from placing the processor into a harmful operating voltage state in relation to the core/bus frequency ratio of the processor. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a technique to control the operating voltage of the processor as a function of the processor's bus and/or core clock frequency. |
| US07913097B2 |
Fiscal data recorder programmed to write only non-blank values to memory
A fiscal data recorder for storing transaction related data in a point of sale system is provided with a processing unit receiving the transaction related data. Memory in communication with the processing unit is operable to store the transaction related data. A protection circuit acting between the processing unit and the memory inhibits the electronic tampering with the transaction data stored in the memory. |
| US07913095B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a specific user interface in a system for managing content
A method and apparatus for managing use of protected content by providing a specific user interface to an application program used to render the content. The method includes identifying a user interface description associated with content, building a specific user interface based on the user interface description, and replacing the standard user interface of an application program used to render the content with the specific user interface. The specific user interface can be unique to the user, unique to a Web site, or otherwise customized. |
| US07913090B2 |
Authentication systems and authentication method
An authentication system and method thereof are provided. A threshold value determination unit determines a threshold value Xth so that a Mahalanobis distance defined by a mean value μt of a true profile and a standard deviation σt and the Mahalanobis distance defined by a mean value μo of the other profile and a standard deviation σo coincide. |
| US07913087B2 |
Optimization methods for the insertion, protection, and detection of digital watermarks in digital data
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for encoding digital watermarks into content signals. Also disclosed are systems and methods for detecting and/or verifying digital watermarks in content signals. According to one embodiment, a system for encoding of digital watermark information includes: a window identifier for identifying a sample window in the signal; an interval calculator for determining a quantization interval of the sample window; and a sampler for normalizing the sample window to provide normalized samples. According to another embodiment, a system for pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding at least one digital watermark using a digital filter is disclosed. According to another embodiment, a method for pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding digital watermarks comprises: (1) providing a digital signal; (2) providing a digital filter to be applied to the digital signal; and (3) identifying an area of the digital signal that will be affected by the digital filter based on at least one measurable difference between the digital signal and a counterpart of the digital signal selected from the group consisting of the digital signal as transmitted, the digital signal as stored in a medium, and the digital signal as played backed. According to another embodiment, a method for encoding a watermark in a content signal includes the steps of (1) splitting a watermark bit stream; and (2) encoding at least half of the watermark bit stream in the content signal using inverted instances of the watermark bit stream. Other methods and systems for encoding/decoding digital watermarks are also disclosed. |
| US07913080B2 |
Setting information distribution apparatus, method, program, and medium, authentication setting transfer apparatus, method, program, and medium, and setting information reception program
A setting information distribution apparatus belonging to a first network, comprises: authentication unit that receives and authenticates an authentication request from a user terminal which requires an access authentication by using a network access authentication procedure between the user terminal and the first network; transmitting unit that transmits an authentication cooperation request which requires setting data to be set to the user terminal to another, network by using the network access authentication procedure and an authentication cooperation procedure between a plurality of networks; and distribution unit that distributes a first response message added with setting data to the user terminal by producing the first response message corresponding to the authentication request by adding the setting data included in a second response message corresponding to the authentication cooperation request. |
| US07913076B2 |
Method for changing the configuration of a media drive apparatus, computer readable medium, and media drive apparatus
A configuration of a media drive apparatus is stored as a plurality of configuration settings in a non volatile memory of a media drive apparatus. A removable storage medium is identified as a reconfiguration medium, and data is read from the removable storage medium, where the data includes an identifier of one configuration setting of the plurality of configuration settings and a value for the one configuration setting. The one configuration setting is updated with the value read from the removable storage medium. |
| US07913073B2 |
System embedding plural controller sharing nonvolatile memory
An embedded memory card system includes a CPU, a nonvolatile memory storing a booting code and data, a card slave controller controlling the nonvolatile memory, a card host controller communicating with the card slave controller, and a memory controller controlling a volatile memory. The CPU controls the memory controller to boot the system directly from booting code as it is read from the nonvolatile memory. |
| US07913069B2 |
Processor and method for executing a program loop within an instruction word
A computer array (10) has a plurality of computers (12). The computers (12) communicate with each other asynchronously, and the computers (12) themselves operate in a generally asynchronous manner internally. Instruction words (48) can include a micro-loop (100) which is capable of performing a series of operations repeatedly. In a particular example, the series of operations are included in a single instruction word (48). The micro-loop (100) in combination with the ability of the computers (12) to send instruction words (48) to a neighboring computer (12) provides a powerful tool for allowing a computer (12) to utilize the resources of a neighboring computer (12). |
| US07913068B2 |
System and method for providing asynchronous dynamic millicode entry prediction
A system and method for asynchronous dynamic millicode entry prediction in a processor are provided. The system includes a branch target buffer (BTB) to hold branch information. The branch information includes: a branch type indicating that the branch represents a millicode entry (mcentry) instruction targeting a millicode subroutine, and an instruction length code (ILC) associated with the mcentry instruction. The system also includes search logic to perform a method. The method includes locating a branch address in the BTB for the mcentry instruction targeting the millicode subroutine, and determining a return address to return from the millicode subroutine as a function of the an instruction address of the mcentry instruction and the ILC. The system further includes instruction fetch controls to fetch instructions of the millicode subroutine asynchronous to the search logic. The search logic may also operate asynchronous with respect to an instruction decode unit. |
| US07913058B2 |
System and method for identifying TLB entries associated with a physical address of a specified range
A system and method for identifying a TLB entry having a physical address that is within a specified range are disclosed. The method includes obtaining a tentative TLB entry from a page table entry and accessing a physical address associated with the tentative TLB entry. The method further includes comparing the physical address of the tentative TLB entry with a predetermined range of addresses. If the physical address is within the finite range of addresses, an exception is invoked. In response to the exception, the physical address and/or an attribute of the tentative TLB entry can be modified. The tentative TLB entry can then be stored in a TLB. |
| US07913051B1 |
Methods and apparatus for increasing the storage capacity of a zone of a storage system
Some embodiments are directed to a technique for storing and/or locating content units stored on an object addressable storage (OAS) system, wherein each content unit is identified by an object identifier. The OAS system may comprise a plurality of zones, each of which stores content units. A mapping process may be defined that maps object identifiers for content units to zones on the OAS system. Thus, the storage location for a content unit on the OAS system may be the zone on the OAS system to which the object identifier for the content unit maps. |
| US07913050B2 |
Fencing using a hierarchical relationship
A method and apparatus for processing a write request at a storage device is provided. A write request that identifies a sender of the write request is received at a storage device. The write request is examined to determine the identity of the sender. A determination is made as to whether, within a hierarchical relationship, the sender is subordinate to any entity that has been designated as being unable to perform write requests at the storage device. Upon determining that (a) the sender is not subordinate to any entity that has been designated as being unable to perform write requests at the storage device, and (b) the sender has not been designated as being unable to perform write requests at the storage device, the sender is allowed to write to the storage device. Thereafter, the write request from the sender may be performed at the storage device. |
| US07913049B2 |
Securing non-volatile data in an embedded memory device
The various embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology. More specifically, the various embodiment and examples of the invention relate to memory devices, systems, and methods that protect data stored in one or more memory devices from unauthorized access. The memory device may include third dimension memory that is positioned on top of a logic layer that includes active circuitry in communication with the third dimension memory. The third dimension memory may include multiple layers of memory that are vertically stacked upon each other. Each layer of memory may include a plurality of two-terminal memory elements and the two-terminal memory elements can be arranged in a two-terminal cross-point array configuration. At least a portion of one or more of the multiple layers of memory may include an obfuscation layer configured to conceal data stored in one or more of the multiple layers of memory. |
| US07913046B2 |
Method for performing a snapshot in a distributed shared file system
A method for performing a snapshot in a distributed shared file system (DSFS) is provided. The method includes synchronizing a snapshot operation among a plurality of domains of the DSFS; writing pending write requests to a memory to suspend write operations for the domains of the DSFS; and after the writing the pending write requests, generating a snapshot file comprising data items representing a current state of the DSFS. |
| US07913044B1 |
Efficient incremental backups using a change database
Efficient incremental backups using a change database is disclosed. Based at least in part on a file attribute it is determined that a file has changed since a previous backup. Change data is stored in a data structure additional to a file system with which a file is associated. Change data indicates the file has changed since the previous backup. The file attribute is configured to be reset, each time a file is backed up, to a value indicating the file has not changed. Storing the change data enables a backup operation performed subsequent to the file attribute being reset to determine that the file has changed since the previous backup. |
| US07913043B2 |
Method for backup storage device selection
A method and system for backing up computer data uses a network device to select a storage device in a manner that enhances at least one parameter associated with the backup process. |
| US07913042B2 |
Virtual storage system control apparatus, virtual storage system control program and virtual storage system control method
A virtual storage system control apparatus, a virtual storage system control program and a virtual storage system control method can move one or more than one virtual volumes without suspending the services being provided. The virtual storage system control apparatus comprises a plurality of storage device control sections that assign virtual volumes to the storage devices of the virtual storage clusters, generate information on the virtual volumes, set up a link between the virtual volumes of the own virtual storage clusters and the virtual volumes of other virtual storage clusters by way of the network and copy data on the basis of the link and a management node that directs a move of a virtual volume by having the link set up according to the information on the virtual volumes. |
| US07913041B2 |
Cache reconfiguration based on analyzing one or more characteristics of run-time performance data or software hint
A method for reconfiguring a cache memory is provided. The method in one aspect may include analyzing one or more characteristics of an execution entity accessing a cache memory and reconfiguring the cache based on the one or more characteristics analyzed. Examples of analyzed characteristic may include but are not limited to data structure used by the execution entity, expected reference pattern of the execution entity, type of an execution entity, heat and power consumption of an execution entity, etc. Examples of cache attributes that may be reconfigured may include but are not limited to associativity of the cache memory, amount of the cache memory available to store data, coherence granularity of the cache memory, line size of the cache memory, etc. |
| US07913039B2 |
Array-type disk apparatus preventing data lost and providing improved failure tolerance
A storage system includes a plurality of disk apparatuses configuring a plurality of RAID groups, a spare disk apparatus, and a controller. The controller is adapted to copy data stored in a disk apparatus, whose error count exceeds a first threshold, to the spare disk apparatus. If an error count of a disk apparatus included in a RAID group exceeds a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold, the controller is adapted to check error counts of other disk apparatuses included in the same RAID group. If any of the error counts of the other disk apparatuses included in the same RAID group exceeds the second threshold, the controller is adapted to change the first value of the first disk apparatus and the other disk apparatuses included in the same RAID group. |
| US07913035B2 |
Method and apparatus for address FIFO for high bandwidth command/address busses in digital storage system
A method of buffering a data stream in an electronic device using a first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer system wherein a first read latch signal does not change a pointer location of a read pointer. A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and system are also disclosed in accordance with the invention to include a FIFO buffer system to buffer memory addresses and commands within the DRAM until corresponding data is available. |
| US07913029B2 |
Information recording apparatus and control method thereof
According to one embodiment, an information recording apparatus has a control unit configured to control mutual transfer of information between each of a disc-shaped recording medium, a cache memory, and a non-volatile memory and the outside, control mutual transfer of information between the disc-shaped recording medium, the cache memory, and the non-volatile memory, and control to set a substituting region corresponding to a defect region generated in the disc-shaped recording medium in the non-volatile memory. |
| US07913027B2 |
Configurable storage array controller
A configurable storage array controller can be configured to either a single-processor configuration or a multi-processor configuration by configuring a data bus switch system. |
| US07913022B1 |
Port interface modules (PIMs) in a multi-port memory controller (MPMC)
Port Interface Modules (PIMs) are provided for ports of a Multi-Port Memory Controller. The PIMs include logic that is programmable to be compatible with different types of devices, processors or buses that can be connected to the ports. The PIMs can further include protocol bridges to enable one port PIM to connect to a device or another port PIM in a master/slave fashion. |
| US07913021B2 |
Scalable bus structure
A processing system is disclosed with a sending component and a receiving component connected by a bus. The bus may be configured with first and second channels. The sending component may be configured to broadcast on the first channel read and write address information, read and write control signals, and write data. The sending component may also be configured to signal the receiving component such that the receiving component can distinguish between the read and write address information, the read and write control signals, and the write data broadcast on the first channel. The receiving component may be configured to store the write data broadcast on the first channel based on the write address information and the write control signals, retrieve read data based on the read address information and the read control signals, and broadcast the retrieved read data on the second channel. |
| US07913013B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to an aspect of the invention includes a plurality of master devices which issue data transfer requests, at least one slave device which performs data transfer in accordance with the data transfer requests, and a network which arbitrates the plurality of data transfer requests respectively issued from the plurality of master devices, and informs the slave device of the arbitration result, thereby performing data transfer between the master devices and the slave device, wherein when issuing the data transfer request, the master device informs the network of a period which extends from the issuance of the data transfer request to the start of the data transfer. |
| US07913008B2 |
Auto-detection system and method for communication protocol
An auto-detection system for communication protocol includes a driving device, a communication mode selection circuit and a human-machine interface circuit. The human-machine interface circuit transmits a detection signal to the driving device through the communication mode selection circuit. The detection signal includes a transmission speed identification and a transmission mode identification. The driving device sets its transmission speed according to the value of the transmission speed identification of the detection signal and sets its transmission mode according to the transmission mode identification of the detection signal. An auto-detection method for communication protocol using the auto-detection system for communication protocol is also provided. |
| US07913003B2 |
Reclaim algorithm for fast edits in a nonvolatile file system
A processing device stores fragmented files in a nonvolatile memory that are tracked in RAM as direct pointers. The initial file is stored in memory and data edits are stored in new memory locations and tracked as file offsets in the header structures associated with the memory blocks. The new reclaim/collapse algorithm collapses data into a reserved memory block using the edited file offsets. |
| US07913002B2 |
Test apparatus, configuration method, and device interface
A test apparatus includes a bus switch unit capable of switching the output ports to select which of the output ports an input signal is output from, a control unit for inputting a plurality of control signals, according to a test program for testing the electronic device, to the bus switch unit and controlling which of the output ports each of the control signals is output from, a plurality of slots provided corresponding to the plurality of output ports, and a device interface capable of switching the connectors, which couple the plurality of slots and the electronic device, to select which of the connectors the slot is coupled to, wherein the device interface further includes a diagnosis decoder for sequentially supplying each of the test modules with a diagnosis signal via each of the connectors, and the control unit detects which of the test modules the diagnosis signal received via each of the connectors is supplied to and which of the connectors each of the output ports is coupled to based on a result of detecting the module. |
| US07912999B2 |
Buffering method and apparatus for processing digital communication signals
A buffering apparatus to process digital communication signals includes a plurality of buffers, a processing unit, and programmed memory. The programmed memory has instructions directing the processing unit to process the digital samples corresponding to a group of symbols to be processed in a plurality of buffers. The digital samples start in a first buffer of the plurality of buffers and end in a second buffer of the plurality of buffers. The digital samples are received at a third buffer of the plurality of buffers during the processing of the digital samples. |
| US07912993B2 |
Methods and media for managing interruption of the out of box experience
A method for managing interruption of an out of box experience for an information handling system (IHS) whereby the method includes writing a flag to storage device, wherein the storage device is coupled to a processor within the IHS and executing an interruption handling sequence at the processor within the IHS, wherein the processor is operable to read the flag in the storage device as an input to the interruption handling sequence. |
| US07912992B2 |
Disk-drive automatic recognition/setting apparatus and disk-drive automatic recognition/setting method
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a disk-drive automatic recognition/setting apparatus for a disk system including a controller, a disk drive, and an expander attached to the controller, the disk drive, or another expander, provides an information obtaining requesting unit issuing a request for obtaining information regarding a device attached to each attachment port of the expander, an information obtaining unit obtaining the information requested, and a routing reset request transmitting unit determining based upon the information obtained, whether a routing method of the attachment port is correctly set, and, if the routing method is wrong, transmitting a reset request for correctly resetting the wrong routing method. |
| US07912989B2 |
Network interface for decreasing power consumption
A network interface is provided, in which it has an active mode and at least one of a disconnect mode and a suspend mode, and performs a predetermined process when a release condition of the disconnect mode or the suspend mode is satisfied. The network interface includes a driving control circuit for stopping at least a part of driving clock generation circuits included in the network interface until the release condition of the disconnect mode or the suspend mode is satisfied from the time when the disconnect mode or the suspend mode is established, wherein the driving control circuit operates irrespective of a clock signal. |
| US07912985B2 |
Method and device for processing a request or compressed digital data
The invention relates to a method of processing a request coming from a first communication apparatus connected through a communication network to a remote second communication apparatus, the method comprising a step of receiving the request for obtaining digital data of a compressed digital signal that comprises header data and a signal body comprising in particular data packets, wherein the processing of the request comprises a step of determining the position, in the body of the signal, of at least one data packet corresponding to the request according, on the one hand, to the length of the header data and, on the other hand, to at least one pointer marker present in the signal and adapted to provide the length of the part of the body preceding the data packet under consideration. |
| US07912983B1 |
Multi-layer stack platform for cloud communications
A multi-layer stack platform is provided for cloud communication connections and services between devices. The system includes three or more layers, including a directory component, an applications component, and a peering component. An interconnection component may also be provided for communication between the applications component and the peering component. The components operate to provide communication services, such as sessions, according to the functionality of a selected application by adhering to device, user, and routing rules and preferences. The device, user, and routing rules and preferences are maintained in and processed by the directory component. The applications component receives communication session requests and accesses corresponding application scripts to perform the requested session. The peering component receives the device, user, and routing rules and preferences, and establishes connection between devices based on, the rules and preferences as defined by the directory component. |
| US07912982B2 |
Wireless routing selection system and method
A technique involves untethered access points (UAPs) that can broadcast estimated transmission time (ETT) that represents an estimated time it would take for a packet to be transmitted from the first UAP to an AP that is wire coupled to a network. The proposed system can offer, among other advantages, accurate ETT values for use by UAPs of a wireless network. |
| US07912981B2 |
System and method for intelligent data routing
Embodiments of the invention relate to premise, fire, security, or access control systems and their associated communication devices that can receive data routing commands from a security programming or monitoring center, and to a lesser extent, those devices that receive and transmit those data routing commands. The data routing command may instruct the premise communication device to route data to a specific destination address. The data routing commands may instruct the premise communication device to redirect, repeat, or send the data to multiple destinations. More specifically, the data routing command may instruct the premise communication device to route audio/video (A/V) data streams or files to a specified server, monitoring center, or other security address destination. By intelligently routing incoming data to a specific location on command, the data can be redirected to areas of greatest need. This technique enables the monitoring center to process the incoming data efficiently. |
| US07912979B2 |
In-order delivery of plurality of RDMA messages
An RNIC implementation that performs direct data placement to memory where all segments of a particular connection are aligned, or moves data through reassembly buffers where all segments of a particular connection are non-aligned. The type of connection that cuts-through without accessing the reassembly buffers is referred to as a “Fast” connection because it is highly likely to be aligned, while the other type is referred to as a “Slow” connection. When a consumer establishes a connection, it specifies a connection type. The connection type can change from Fast to Slow and back. The invention reduces memory bandwidth, latency, error recovery using TCP retransmit and provides for a “graceful recovery” from an empty receive queue. The implementation also may conduct CRC validation for a majority of inbound DDP segments in the Fast connection before sending a TCP acknowledgement (Ack) confirming segment reception. |
| US07912976B2 |
Method and system for throttling network transmissions using per-receiver bandwidth control at the application layer of the transmitting server
A method is presented for throttling data transmissions within a data processing system. Information about a data transfer from a server to a client is received within the application layer of a server, which stores the information about the data transfer along with information about a number of recent data transfers from the server to the client to create a sliding window of historical information about data transfers. The data transfer from the application layer of the server is delayed within the application layer of the server for an amount of time that is approximately equal to a computed delay time value in response to a determination that an average data transfer rate over the number of recent data transfers from the server to the client may exceed a data transfer rate threshold parameter. |
| US07912974B2 |
Transmitting over a network
Data for presentation in real time, such as a video or audio sequence, is available on different encoded versions having different degrees Of compression. In order to assess, during transmission of one version, the feasibility of switching to another version, given the data rate known to be available at the time, a server computes, for a candidate version, in respect of at least one portion thereof that has not yet been sent, the maximum value of a timing error that would occur if any number of portions starting with that portion to be sent at the available rate. The selection of the same or a different version for continuing transmission is taken in dependence on a comparison between the computed error and the current state of a receiving buffer. Error values may be computed in advance for a range of transmitting rates, stored and later retrieved for use in estimating an error value corresponding to the actual transmitting rate. |
| US07912966B2 |
Electronic device and remote computer system and method for controlling remote communications
A remote communication system and method are disclosed. An environment is identified defining a plurality of parameters communicated between an electronic device (or a computer-based device) and a remote computer as part of a remote session (i.e., the electronic device remotely controlling the remote computer via the remote session), with each parameter defining an action associated with the remote session. A first application (associated with the electronic device), via a unidirectional communication with the environment, modifies at least one parameter associated with the environment (e.g., modifying keyboard scan codes, cursor position, mouse position, clipboard data, screen resolution, or channel administration), wherein the modified parameter is extracted by an interceptor associated with the remote computer and, the interceptor, based on a look-up, executes a pre-defined action affecting the remote session, wherein the pre-defined action being different than the modified parameter's associated action. |
| US07912965B2 |
System and method for anomalous directory client activity detection
An information processing system for a computing network in which the access log of a directory server is analyzed to detect anomalous client access requests. |
| US07912962B2 |
Invitation to bind to a device
A server device sends a list of account holders together with an invitation to bind to the server. A client device can decide to present the invitation to a user for decision only if the client device finds a match between the list and the user. |
| US07912960B2 |
Reciprocal public trust relationship
Publicly accessible linking information is to establish a trusted relationship between reciprocally linked entities controlling web resources, such as websites or web logs. A method of establishing a trust relationship between two entities identifying a user-installed link to a second web resource in a first web resource. Next, the method determines when a reciprocal link is made in the second web resource directed to the first web resource and creates a trust relationship between the entities based on the reciprocal link. |
| US07912959B2 |
Architecture for building a peer to peer messaging platform
The claimed system is a multicast programming model for implementation on top of a service oriented framework, specifically a service oriented messaging system. It provides application-layer multicast capability without requiring an IP multicast infrastructure. The claimed system enables service oriented applications to implement multicasting communications easily and efficiently. |
| US07912956B1 |
Service level agreement based control of a distributed computing system
According to one embodiment, a distributed computing system includes a resource control system coupled to an enterprise service bus that orchestrates a plurality of services into a business application. The resource control system is operable to receive a performance parameter from the enterprise service bus in which the performance parameter includes a metric of the business application. Using the performance parameter, the resource control system determines a loading of each of a plurality grid nodes on which the plurality of services are executed, and provisions or un-provisions one of the plurality of grid nodes according to the determined loading. |
| US07912955B1 |
Model-based provisioning of resources
Resources are provisioned for shared services in a resource-on-demand system. A model representing an observed state of resources in the resource-on-demand system allocated to the shared services and a model representing a desired state of the shared services are stored. At least one policy applicable to provisioning the resources for the shared services is determined. The policy and information from the models are applied to automatically provision the resources for satisfying the desired state of the shared services. |
| US07912946B2 |
Method using footprints in system log files for monitoring transaction instances in real-time network
Techniques for monitoring one or more transaction instances in a real-time network are provided. The techniques include obtaining one or more system log files, wherein one or more footprints left by one or more transaction instances are recorded in the one or more system log files, obtaining a transaction model, wherein the transaction model comprises one or more transaction steps and a footprint pattern corresponding with each transaction step, and using the one or more system log files and the transaction model to monitor the one or more transaction instances in a real-time network at least one of an individual level and one or more aggregate levels. |
| US07912919B2 |
Common storage in scalable computer systems
A computer system comprises a plurality of processing modules, each operable to provide a service to an external entity. Each processing module has a processor and a memory. A storage module is provided, operable to store information required by the processing modules to provide the service. A switching module is also provided, operable to provide a switching service between the processing module and storage module and between the processing module and an external entity. |
| US07912911B2 |
Method and system for increasing throughput rate by dynamically modifying connection parameters
Methods, systems and computer program products for dynamically modifying at least one connection parameter between a client and a server connected via a network and thereby increasing throughput rate between the server and the client are provided.The method comprises determining a first parameter value based on one or more characteristics of the network and a connection between the client and the server. The method further comprises determining whether a second parameter value encoded in a connection parameter field of the first packet received from the client is optimum based on a comparison with the first parameter value and overwriting the second parameter value with the first parameter value, if the second parameter value is not optimum. |
| US07912910B2 |
Triggering a communication system to automatically reply to communications
A communication system, which facilitates distribution of electronic communications for a user account, includes an emergency auto-reply agent that scans each received communication addressed to the user account for a particular communication sent from at least one emergency address specified for the user account separate from the address of the user account. Responsive to the communication system detecting the particular communication sent from one of the emergency addresses, the emergency auto-reply agent parses the content of the particular communication to detect whether the particular communication comprises a required password. Responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular communication, the emergency auto-reply agent directs the communication system to compose and send auto-reply communications from the user account in reply to received communications addressed to the user account. |
| US07912909B2 |
Processing encumbered electronic communications
The invention includes, in various embodiments, a method for archiving an electronic message which includes the steps of scanning the electronic message to determine whether at least a portion of the message is encumbered, disencumbering the encumbered portion of the message if it is encumbered, storing a copy of the disencumbered electronic message, and transmitting the electronic message to a recipient. Once stored, the disencumbered message can be accessed and reviewed by a supervisor, for example, without having to request a password from the sender or recipient. Encumbered messages include messages, or portions of messages, which are password protected, encrypted, and/or otherwise structured to prohibit unauthorized access thereto. |
| US07912900B1 |
System and method for providing education-related alerts in an online learning environment
A system and method for providing education-related alerts in an online learning environment is provided. An online learning environment including a plurality of users participating in online educational activities is monitored. An online database including event rules and education-related information for the online educational activities is maintained. An event occurring in the online learning environment is identified. The event satisfies at least one of the event rules. A benchmark is determined for the event. The benchmark includes at least one of information selected from and information indicated by the education-related information. An alert is generated for the event by selecting a template for the event and populating the template with the benchmark as the alert. The alert is provided to one or more of the users. |
| US07912895B2 |
System and method for managing service interactions
A system and method for managing service interactions launches a process that is defined by a programming abstraction based on a syntax of a general purpose programming language. Interaction with a service, such as a web-based service, is initiated and the process requests the service to perform an action. Execution of the process is suspended until a response is received from the service. Execution of the process continues after receiving a response from the service. |
| US07912894B2 |
Computerized, copy-detection and discrimination apparatus and method
An engine identifying segments or portions of one source material or source file common to or found in another source material or file. The engine may receive a first data stream in binary form as well as a second stream in binary form. The engine may include a data stream processor or pre-processor programmed to translate the first and second data streams to generate respective first and second processed data streams. The commonality between the first and second processed data streams may be greater than the commonality between the first and second data streams themselves. Also, a comparator may be programmed to compare the first and second process data streams and identify binary segments found in both the first and second processed data streams. |
| US07912890B2 |
Method and apparatus for decimal number multiplication using hardware for binary number operations
According to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed in this application, decimal floating-point multiplications and/or decimal fixed-point multiplications may be implemented using existing hardware for binary number operations. The implementation can be carried out in software, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware. Pre-calculated constants that are approximations to negative powers of 10 and stored in binary format may be used for rounding multiplication results to a designated precision by multiplying the results with a pre-calculated constant. Additionally, several parts of a decimal multiplication may be carried out in parallel. Furthermore, a simple comparison with a constant instead of an expensive remainder calculation may be used for midpoint detection and exactness determination. |
| US07912889B1 |
Mapping the threads of a CTA to the elements of a tile for efficient matrix multiplication
The present invention enables efficient matrix multiplication operations on parallel processing devices. One embodiment is a method for mapping CTAs to result matrix tiles for matrix multiplication operations. Another embodiment is a second method for mapping CTAs to result tiles. Yet other embodiments are methods for mapping the individual threads of a CTA to the elements of a tile for result tile computations, source tile copy operations, and source tile copy and transpose operations. The present invention advantageously enables result matrix elements to be computed on a tile-by-tile basis using multiple CTAs executing concurrently on different streaming multiprocessors, enables source tiles to be copied to local memory to reduce the number accesses from the global memory when computing a result tile, and enables coalesced read operations from the global memory as well as write operations to the local memory without bank conflicts. |
| US07912885B2 |
Method and system for filtering of networked, synchronized measurements
A system processes discrete digital data according to a function, the discrete digital data including data values and time stamps, the time stamps being at non-uniform time intervals according to a time scale. The system comprises a processor having program instructions for implementing the function in terms of state space equations, using system design and data flow language software; inputting the discrete data into the implementation of the function; and outputting the result as an output discrete data stream of new data values and time stamps. |
| US07912884B2 |
Method and apparatus for implementing finite impulse response filters without the use of multipliers
A finite impulse response filter is implemented as a sum of individual component, running-sum filters. The sum of all of the component filters required for a desired filter response is calculated in an accumulator and only the component filters' update terms, which are the difference between a new and an old discarded sample, is calculated for each component filter. A desired impulse response is decomposed into a sum of rectangular impulse responses of equal height, each of which implemented as a running sum requiring a subtraction and an addition. Using circuits running at a multiple of the sampling clock, multiple running sums may be implemented on the same hardware. A whole filter of arbitrary impulse response shapes and lengths may be implemented using memory and two arithmetic units. Two or more such filters may be cascaded to obtain a better approximation of the desired frequency characteristic. The invention saves significant chip resources and manufacturing costs. |
| US07912879B2 |
Method for applying clothoid curve values to roadways in a geographic data information system
Embodiments of the invention are methods for applying clothoid curve values to roadways in a geographic data information system. One embodiment is a method, comprising: selecting database segments in the geographic data information system, wherein the database segments describe roadways; determining segment chains from the selected database segments; preparing the segment chains for transition to curvature space; transitioning to a curvature function in the curvature space, by computing heading change at points along the segment chain, resulting in a transformation of the segment chains into clothoids; smoothing the curvature function; fitting the smoothed curvature function with a more generalized form which remains within a selected tolerance of the smoothed curvature function; and storing identified segments of straight lines, transition zones, and segments of constant curvature in the geographic data information system. |
| US07912877B2 |
Leveraging garbage collection to dynamically infer heap invariants
A program analysis tool leverages the garbage collection process to dynamically infer invariants of objects or data structures created by a program on the heap during execution. During execution of the program in a garbage-collected execution environment, the program analysis tool tracks object allocations made by the program, and records some meta data relating to invariants tracked for the type of the object, which are initially assumed satisfied by the object. Whenever a garbage collection pass visits the object, the tool checks whether the object still satisfies the invariants, and updates the meta data accordingly. The tool finally reports the invariants reflected by the meta data upon the object's death or at termination of the program. The invariants can then be used to annotate the program source code and/or detect bugs that violate the invariants. |
| US07912871B2 |
Incremental validation of key and keyref constraints
The present invention relates to a method, and system for implementing the method, for performing incremental validation of an XML document with respect to XML Schema key and keyref constraints, and handling the semantics dictated by the XML Schema specification. Several operations are defined that change the content of a document, i.e., add or remove nodes, or change the value of existing nodes. The present invention verifies whether performing such an operation would violate key or keyref constraints, and allows changing the document only if the operation maintains the validity of the document with respect to the constraints. The verification traverses only the parts of the document that may be affected by the change operation, and not the whole document. The invention maintains, in an efficient manner, data structures that hold information relevant to the validation of key and keyref constraints. |
| US07912870B2 |
Automated generation of modeling language profiles
A database of data can be leveraged to automatically generate profiles for use in modeling. The data may be specific to one or more domains and/or general to multiple domains. A mapping scheme is established to map structure of the database to a structure of a profile. The mapping scheme is read and the database is read in accordance with the mapping scheme to automatically generate one or more profiles. |
| US07912869B1 |
Database component packet manager
A computer-based database processing system contains a database, as well as a number of other components, including one or more user applications and an application interface which communicates data to and from each user application. An entity manager communicates data to and from the application interface, while a constraint manager communicates data to and from the application interface. An attribute description manager communicates data to and from the application interface, and a component manager communicates data to and from the entity manager, the constraint manager, the attribute description manager, and the database. A free space manager transmits data to and from the component packet manager and the database. |
| US07912866B2 |
System and method for detecting and storing file identity change information within a file system
A system and method for detecting and storing file identity change information within a file system. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device. The file system may be configured to detect an operation to modify an identity of a first file stored on the storage device and, subsequent to detecting the operation, store a record of the operation associated with the first file, where the record includes a signature corresponding to the first file. |
| US07912865B2 |
System and method for linking multiple entities in a business database
Embodiments of a system and method are described for determining whether an applicant is a multiple-business owner and for providing information related to multiple-business owners to a financial service provider or other client. According to one embodiment, a computing system is provided to collect and store business data and identify business owners associated with multiple business records. |
| US07912863B1 |
Compositional lifting of operations over structural types
A set of syntactic extensions that are compiled with a type-directed translation method to facilitate lifting member access on base types to a newly constructed type. The extensions are processed with a type system that facilitates seamless data access to relational and semi-structured data in an object oriented host language. |
| US07912861B2 |
Method for testing layered data for the existence of at least one value
One or more embodiments of the invention enable a user to search for at least one value in layers of audience specific data comprising language, regional, regulatory and/or cultural specific values per layer. The word “audience” for the purposes of this specification means a group of document consumers such as people or computers that are associated with a language, country, region, regulation or culture. A search utilizing at least one embodiment of the invention occurs with respect to data that makes use of rule-based inheritance. For a three level inheritance embodiment, there are 8 permutations involving a NULL value in at least one of the layers, instead of making the user calculate the proper mask, the Current Audience Layer mask can be logical ORed with the Primary Audience Layer Mask or the Secondary Audience Layer Mask in order to create the desired search combination. In addition, predefined audience layer operators may also be used comprising “has value”, “is missing value”, “inherits primary”, “inherits secondary”, “inherits any” and “does not inherit”. These predefined masks save the user from generating a bit mask for searching by hand. |
| US07912858B2 |
Data synchronization method
The invention concerns a method of synchronizing a distributed system comprising a server (2) having a master data base (21) and a set of clients (31 to 35) having respective client data bases (41 to 45), as well as a server and a computer program product for executing this method. The client data bases (41 to 45) are incrementally updated from the master-data base (21) of the server (2). A trace of transaction (22) is maintained at the server (2) for recovery. The server (2) synchronizes the client data bases (41 to 45) in case of a failure by coordinated rollback transactions from the trace (22). |
| US07912857B2 |
Document management method and apparatus
A start date of check-out processing of setting a shared document accessible by a plurality of users via a network into an exclusive state is reserved as a check-out start date based on an instruction of a user. In the exclusive state, the shared document can be updated by the user but cannot be updated by other users. When current date has reached the check-out start date, the shared document is set into the exclusive state for the user. The shared document can be released from the exclusive state in response to an instruction of the user checking-out the shared document. An expected check-in date to release the shared document from the exclusive state after the check-out start date can be reserved. This invention enables reservation for a document operation and prevents any decrease in the operation efficiency of users. |
| US07912856B2 |
Adaptive encryption
A scalable access filter is used in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Access is permitted or denied according to access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets. The access filter in the path performs the access check, encrypts and authenticates the request. |
| US07912855B2 |
History preservation in a computer storage system
A method by which a disk-based distributed data storage system is organized for protecting historical records of stored data entities. The method comprises recording distinct states of an entity, corresponding to different moments of time, as separate entity versions coexisting within the distributed data storage system, and assigning expiration times to the entity versions independently within each of a plurality of storage sites according to a shared set of rules, before which times deletion is prohibited. |
| US07912853B2 |
Query processing client-server database system
There is disclosed a method for processing a query in a client-server database system comprising a server for managing content in a database and at least one client connected to the server via a network. The method comprises inputting a query from an application; and transmitting the inputted query to the server, skipping a query parsing processing at the client. The server parses the query transmitted from the client computer module and executes the query by manipulating the data in the database according to the query. |
| US07912847B2 |
Comparative web search system and method
A system and method for a comparative web search engines, search result summarization, web snippet processing, comparison analysis, information visualization, meta-clustering, and quantitative evaluation of web snippet quality are disclosed. The present invention extends the capabilities of web searching and informational retrieval by providing a succinct comparative summary of search results at either the object or thematic levels. |
| US07912840B2 |
Indexing and filtering using composite data stores
Data stores combined into a composite data store. A method includes referencing a first index entry for a user specified first parameter pattern. The first index entry includes references to record addresses for records in the composite data store which include the first parameter pattern. A first beginning composite data store address of a first selected data store is referenced. A determination is made that the first beginning composite data store address is at or above an address at or above a predetermined threshold above the first record address. Based on determining that the first beginning composite data store address is at or above a predetermined threshold above the first record address, a speed-up data structure is used to eliminate one or more comparisons of record entries in the first index entry between the first record address and the first beginning composite data store address. |
| US07912837B2 |
Geographic coding for location search queries
A method for performing a location search includes receiving a location search query, determining key words corresponding to the location search query, identifying one or more documents that correspond to the key words in the location search query, and providing to a client system information identifying at least one location corresponding to the one or more documents. |
| US07912835B2 |
Compile time opcodes for efficient runtime interpretation of variables for database queries and DML statements
A method system and program for performing a query in which context and information including opcodes accompanies an execution plan for the query. The opcodes determine operations to retrieve a set of bind variables. The execution plan and context information shared by a plurality of application programs. |
| US07912834B2 |
Rewrite of queries containing rank or rownumber or Min/Max aggregate functions using a materialized view
Techniques are provided for improving efficiency of database systems, and in particular, to refreshing materialized views maintained by database systems and rewriting queries to access the materialized views. According to the approaches, a ranked materialized view is incrementally refreshed, and during the incremental refresh operation, rows in the partitions of the materialized view are ranked within the partitions. |
| US07912832B2 |
Link generation system to allow indexing of dynamically generated server site content
A link generator generates links to servable data to allow the servable content of a network server to be accessed using the links. Encoded links in a form suitable for an indexing agent are generated and used to access dynamically generated data in a database of the network server and to analyze same to determine query data for retrieving servable data from the database. A proxy server receives a request generated in response to selecting one of the encoded links, translates the request, and forwards it to the network server to access corresponding dynamically generated data. |
| US07912831B2 |
System and method for characterizing a web page using multiple anchor sets of web pages
A system and method are provided to accessing a set of web pages within a context. The set of web pages may be represented using a graph comprising a set of nodes and a set of edges. First and second probability distributions may be generated over a set of nodes of the graph using a first algorithm to indicate a measure of closeness among the set of web pages. A characterization may be determined with respect to context for a web page from a second subset of web pages based on the first and second probability distributions. An indication of the characterization of the web page from the second subset of web pages may be outputted. |
| US07912830B2 |
Knowledge portal for accessing, analyzing and standardizing data
A method and system is provided to access one or more historical incident databases, for example, CDC, CPSC, DTI, AAPCC and the like, for standardizing the potentially differing categories and coding among the databases. The standardizing includes recoding of the categories by providing a unified set of categories reflective of similar categories found among the one or more databases, if any. Submission of search queries allows users to obtain unified data across the databases so that incident history statistics for one or more products tracked by commonly available databases may be easily acquired. The resulting reports and statistics may be used by various entities to understand historical incidents from multiple perspectives including, for example, injury and fatality statistics as a function of age group, type of injury, time periods, diagnosis, injury outcome, severity, and the like. Data may be presented in standardized formats or in any of the native database formats. |
| US07912828B2 |
Pattern searching methods and apparatuses
A computer-based method for identifying patterns in computer text using structures defining types of patterns which are to be identified, wherein a structure comprises one or more definition items, the method comprising assigning a weighting to each structure and each definition item; searching the computer text for a pattern to be identified on the basis of a particular structure, a pattern being provisionally identified if it matches the definition given by said particular structure; in a provisionally identified pattern, determining those of the definition items making up said particular structure that have been identified in the provisionally identified pattern; combining the weightings of the determined definition items and optionally, the weighting of the particular structure, to a single quantity; assessing whether the single quantity fulfils a given condition; depending on the result of said assessment, rejecting or confirming the provisionally identified pattern. |
| US07912826B2 |
Apparatus, computer program product, and method for supporting construction of ontologies
To construct an ontology for a target data by re-using an existing ontology, from an aspect of the structure of the class hierarchy according to an object-oriented method and an aspect of the levels of relevance with other properties, the properties that correspond to the data items in the data serving as an ontology construction target and the extraction classes of the properties are determined as property extraction destination candidates for the ontology to be constructed. As a result, it is possible to re-use even a fine difference in the meanings among the properties in the classes. Consequently, it is possible to provide a support for constructing an effective ontology, while reducing the load on the user. |
| US07912825B2 |
Configurable plug-in architecture for manipulating XML-formatted information
A method and system is described for building a document using a configurable plug-in architecture. In one example, a configuration file containing information of building the document with one or more components is received. The one or more components execute to modify or manipulate the document. The document may further be passed from one component to another component, where each of the components performs a function on the document. The sequence of execution of the components, the type of function or activity executed by each of the components, and/or configuration data of the components may be provided by the configuration file. The document may further be output to a user or stored. |
| US07912824B2 |
Processes and systems for enhancing an electronic program guide displaying particular timeslot associated with first channel and the link is not associated with other timeslots
A process of displaying program information on a viewing screen may include: providing an electronic programming guide, the electronic program guide divided into timeslots containing program information; displaying program information from the displayed timeslots on a viewing screen; providing a link to additional information, the link associated with the program information of a particular timeslot; and displaying the additional information upon receiving a user input while displaying the program information of a particular timeslot. A related system may include: a client device configured to receive and display audio-visual programs; an electronic programming guide including a link to additional information associated with the program information of a particular timeslot; and a processor configured to display program information from the displayed timeslots on a viewing screen and to display the additional information on the viewing screen upon receiving a user input while the program information of the particular timeslot is displayed. |
| US07912823B2 |
Hierarchical data-driven navigation system and method for information retrieval
A data-driven, hierarchical information navigation system and method enable search of sets of documents or other materials by certain common attributes that characterize the materials. The invention includes several aspects of a data-driven, hierarchical navigation system that employs this navigation mode. The navigation system of the present invention includes features of an interface, a knowledge base and a taxonomy definition process and a classification process for generating the knowledge base, a graph-based navigable data structure and method for generating the data structure, World Wide Web-based applications of the system, and methods of implementing the system. Users are able to search or browse a particular collection of documents by selecting desired values for the attributes. A data-driven, hierarchical information navigation system and method enable this navigation mode by associating terms with the materials, defining a set of hierarchical relationships among the terms, and providing a guided search mechanism based on the relationship between the terms. |
| US07912820B2 |
Automatic task generator method and system
An automatic task generation mechanism provides generation of tasks such as maintenance tasks for a computer system. A set of tasks is set up along with rules for performing the tasks. The rules may be associated with metadata that allow the tasks to be mapped to the tasks. Events may be detected that are related to database operations such as a create, modify, delete or add command. Upon event detection by the system, the system may store the event and associated metadata. Another process may query the event and metadata storage and compare those items to the rules previously set up. If there is a match between the rules and the event, one or more tasks may be established which correspond to an action that is desired to be taken. The task may then be inserted into a computer system for subsequent execution. |
| US07912818B2 |
Web graph compression through scalable pattern mining
A method and a processing device are provided for compressing a web graph including multiple nodes and links between the multiple nodes. Nodes of the web graph may be clustered into groups including no more than a predetermined number of nodes. A list of links of the clustered nodes may be created and sorted based on a frequency of occurrence of each of the links. A prefix tree may be created based on the sorted list of links. The prefix tree may be walked to find candidate virtual nodes. The candidate virtual nodes may be analyzed according to a selection criteria and a virtual node may be selected. The prefix tree may be adjusted to account for the selection of the virtual node and the virtual node may be added to the web graph. |
| US07912806B2 |
System and device for providing contents
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a content providing system, which is provided with a data acquisition unit configured to obtain data inputted and/or outputted through a user interface which is included in an information processing device, an interest estimation unit that generates interest information representing a user's interest by estimating the user's interest based on the data acquired by the data acquisition unit, and a latest estimation result saving unit that saves latest interest information generated by the interest estimation unit so that contents reflecting the latest interest information can be provided to a user. |
| US07912805B2 |
System for matching pattern-based data
A pattern-based data matching system matches pattern-based data. The data matching system generates a regular expression pattern for input datasets and describes similarity measures between the generated patterns. The data matching system analyzes an input dataset in terms of symbol classes, generalizing input values into a general pattern to allow identification or extrapolation of overlap between input datasets, aiding in matching fields in databases that are being merged and in learning a pattern for an input dataset. For each sequence of data values, the present system computes a compact pattern describing the sequence. Embodiments of the data matching system comprise noise reduction and repetitive pattern discovery in the input dataset and calculation of recall and precision of the generated pattern. |
| US07912804B1 |
Change management in a distributed system based on triggered policy rules
A method for providing change management in a distributed system is provided. The method includes compiling a policy for change management in the distributed system, the policy includes at least one policy rule based on an event-condition-action (ECA) framework with a pre-condition and a post-condition to an action in the policy rule, wherein the pre-condition is separate from a condition of the policy rule and indicates a prior condition in the distributed system that enables the action, and the post-condition indicates a subsequent condition in the distributed system that results from the action; receiving at least one event indicating a change in the distributed system; determining that the at least one received event triggers the at least one policy rule; generating a workflow to manage the change in the distributed system based on the at least one triggered policy rule; and initiating one or more actuators in the distributed system to dynamically configure or deploy components in the distributed system to execute the workflow. |
| US07912801B2 |
Method and apparatus to define a ruleflow
Some embodiments of a method and an apparatus to define ruleflows for a rule engine have been presented. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) is generated to allow a user to graphically specify an execution order of some rules. Then the rule engine is used to execute the rules according to the execution order. The rules may include one or more rule sets, where each rule set contains one or more rules. |
| US07912799B2 |
Smart containers
Smart containers are disclosed. A definition is received of a logical structure configured to manage associated content. A policy or operation specified by the definition is applied to an item of content associated with an instance of the logical structure. |
| US07912797B2 |
Monitoring and control of analytical effectiveness in an analyst network
Monitoring and/or controlling analytical effectiveness of a plurality of analysts in an analyst network is provided. In one embodiment, information concerning treatment of information elements (i.e., discrete quantities of content suitable for analysis by one or more analysts) within an analyst network by the plurality of analysts is provided to a management terminal. Based on this treatment information, the management terminal determines information concerning achievement of analysis goals. In another embodiment, the management terminal receives modifications to the analysis goals that are used to provide modified analysis goals, which modified analysis goals are subsequently provided to the routing controller. In this manner, the present invention provides the ability to determine whether the available analyst resources are being used in the best manner to address the universe of available topics in the most efficient and productive manner. |
| US07912795B2 |
Automated predictive modeling of business future events based on transformation of modeling variables
Predictive models are developed automatically for a plurality of modeling variables. The plurality of modeling variables is transformed, based on a transformation rule. A clustering of the transformed modeling variables is performed to create variable clusters. A set of variables is selected from the variable clusters based on a selection rule. A regression of the set of variables is performed to determine prediction variables. The prediction variables are utilized in developing a predictive model. The development of the predictive model may include modification of the predictive model, review of the plurality of transformations, and validation of the predictive model. |
| US07912793B1 |
Computer-implemented method and apparatus to allocate revenue from a derived avatar component
A computer-implemented hierarchical revenue model includes providing a first revenue value associated with a first avatar component, providing a second revenue value associated with a second avatar component, and combining the first revenue value with a second revenue value to produce a third revenue value associated with a third avatar component, the third avatar component being a derived avatar component that inherits characteristics of the first and the second avatar components, the third avatar component inheriting the first revenue value from the first avatar component, the third avatar component inheriting the second revenue value from the second avatar component. |
| US07912791B2 |
Method and device for synthesising an electrical architecture
A method and device for synthesizing an electrical architecture. The method synthesizes a routing that obtains the following parameters: different configurations of service variants and calculator variants and rate of occurrence of the configurations, a sum of the rates of the configurations being considered as equal to one; component cost characteristics stored and weighted according to their respective rates of increase; and partial or full positioning of the service variants on the calculator variants. The method also identifies valid routings, evaluates the routing cost of the valid routings for each configuration, and determines the valid routing that minimizes the average of the routing costs for each configuration, the average being weighted by the rates of increase of each configuration. |
| US07912783B2 |
System and method for facilitating unified trading and control for a sponsoring organization's money management process
An embodiment of the present invention provides a system, method, process, software and standards that enable a unified trading and control process utilized by sponsoring organizations and asset managers (money managers) for sub advised or externally managed investment portfolios as to increase control over the trading process by a sponsoring organization, enhance regulatory compliance, substantially lower trading costs and improve investment performance on a recurring basis for the shareholders and beneficiaries investing in registered and non registered mutual funds and institutional investment portfolios. |
| US07912779B2 |
Method and apparatus for stock and index option price improvement, participation, and internalization
A method for stock option trading includes receiving an option order at a market, contemporaneously receiving a copy of the option order at an electronic drop (EDrop) system, which is separate and distinct from the market, obtaining a potential cross quantity and a potential cross price based on the option order at the EDrop system, and submitting, through the EDrop system, a contra-order, with respect to the option order, to the market for fulfillment, wherein the contra-order specifies at least one of an underlying security potential cross quantity, and the potential cross price. |
| US07912777B2 |
System and method for using cash rebates
The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating a bid transaction over a computerized network using a rewards account balance from any type of cash rewards program. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a participant applies rewards from their rewards account to bid on items in a closed online auction over a computerized network such as the internet. The online auction is open only to participants of a sponsoring or participating cash rewards program and only bids made with accumulated cash rewards are accepted. Further, the present invention provides a system and method for facilitating online management of a rewards account by the participant. |
| US07912775B1 |
Liquidity analysis system and method
A liquidity analysis system and method are disclosed for monitoring, analyzing and reporting on liquidity generated in a market or in a market center. The reports generated by the liquidity engine may be used for many differing purposes, including analyzing the effectiveness of market makers, the proportionate re-distribution of market data fees or as the basis for a liquidity generation financial incentive program. |
| US07912774B2 |
Transaction card system and approach
A deferred-type payment approach facilitates transaction card management and processing. According to an example embodiment, a user's transaction card purchases are authorized against a purchase limit associated with a consideration-bearing (e.g., interest-bearing) account. The purchases are tracked and, at the end of a billing cycle, provided to the user via a statement or other informative approach. During a payment time period after the end of the billing cycle, the user is afforded an opportunity to review tracked purchases and provide funds to cover the purchases. If the user does not provide funds for the purchases during the payment time period, funds are automatically transferred from the consideration-bearing account to cover the purchases at the end of the payment time period. In this regard, purchases made with the transaction card against the consideration-bearing account are not assessed against the consideration-bearing account until after the billing cycle has ended. |
| US07912766B2 |
Limited risk wagering environment
Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for rendering returns to users on an online platform. The online platform allows users to wager stakes for an event. The wagered stakes are pooled in a combined pot. Stake groups of users are created based on predetermined outcomes of the event. A winning stake group is determined out of stake groups at completion of a predetermined period of time. Time frame groups are identified from the winning stake group based on time of entry into the event. The time value appreciated returns to be rendered to the time frame groups are calculated. If the allotment of the time value appreciated return is possible, winning stakes and the time value appreciated returns are rendered to time frame groups. If the allotment of time value appreciated returns is not possible, the winning stakes are returned to the time frame groups. |
| US07912763B1 |
Facilitating generation by users of new composite services based on other constituent network services
Techniques are described for assisting users in dynamically creating and using composite services that are based on other constituent services. In some situations, each constituent service is a Web service (“WS”), and each composite service is a new WS whose execution involves dynamically invoking multiple specified constituent WSes in a specified manner. Such techniques may be used, for example, in conjunction with an electronic WS marketplace via which third-party WS providers make their WSes available to third-party WS consumers who locate and purchase access to those WSes, such as to allow a user to dynamically create a new composite WS that is based on one or more WSes available from other WS providers and that reflects any constraints of the WS marketplace, with the composite WS available for use by other WS consumers. This abstract is not intended for use in interpreting or limiting the scope of the claims. |
| US07912750B2 |
System and method for the presentation of advertisements
A system and method for the presentation of advertisements is present. According to one embodiment, a number of impressions of an advertisement message are presented over a computer network such as the Internet to a variety of viewer computers. Depending on the actions taken by the viewers (e.g., whether the Viewer selects the advertising message and accesses a web-link to the advertiser's web-site), bonus exposure (e.g., an additional number of impressions provided to the viewers) of the advertising message is given. |
| US07912747B2 |
Facility management system and method
A system and method are disclosed for aligning stored data in a matter that may facilitate budgeting and/or forecasting. A definable calendar period is provided which has a starting day. The starting day is applied to the stored data to locate and align each of a plurality of time periods associated with the stored data so that each time period has a starting day that matches the starting day of the calendar period. |
| US07912745B2 |
Method and system for scheduling a meeting for a set of attendees via a special attendee
Methods and systems are provide for providing a group scheduling solution in which a hard-to-schedule attendee takes over responsibility for setting the start time of an event. In accordance with one implementation, an organizer sends a request to the hard-to-schedule person. The request may be maintained in a queue for the hard-to-schedule person. The hard-to-schedule person can then review the request and select a suitable time for the meeting, thereby causing an update to be sent back to the organizer and the other attendees and indicating the appointed time for the meeting. The organizer of the meeting can update the meeting details, etc. The hard-to-schedule person may change the start time or the duration of the meeting. The hard-to-schedule person can also decline the meeting entirely. |
| US07912742B2 |
Visualization of airline flight schedules
A method for visualizing airline flight schedules graphically simulates the effect of a program implemented in airline flight operations to reduce the effect of disruptions in scheduled airline flights. One or more disruptions are introduced into a pre-selected airline flight schedule, using frequency distributions of disruptions and disruption severities, resulting in a disrupted flight schedule that reflects both initial and propagated delays. The disrupted flight schedule is used to visually simulate flight operations in 4-D, allowing comparisons of “as is” and “what if” scenarios. |
| US07912741B1 |
Systems and methods for copay adjustments
Systems and methods may provide for copay adjustment. The systems and methods may include receiving a claim request from a pharmacy computer, where the claim request may be associated with a product requested by a customer, transmitting the claim request to a claims processor for adjudication, and receiving, from the claims processor, a first claim response for the claim request, where the first claim response may include a current copay amount payable by the customer. The systems and methods may also include determining, based upon a historical claim transaction record associated with the customer, that a prior copay amount for the drug is less than the current copay amount, and transmitting a second claim response to the pharmacy computer with a new copay amount lower than the current copay amount of the first claim response. |
| US07912739B2 |
Method for health plan management
A method for managing health plans includes the use of theoretically derived mathematical models. The methods may be used in the analysis of health insurance products. The method may also assist in the selection of a particular health plan's benefit and contribution strategy. The analysis may further be used in the selection of a health plan's funding arrangement. |
| US07912735B1 |
Method and system for eligible health care expense identification
A method and system for eligible health care expense identification includes a process for eligible health care expense identification whereby electronic data including data representing health care expense transactions for a defined time frame is accessed. Electronic data representing rules defining eligible health care expenses is then obtained. The electronic data is then analyzed using the electronic data representing the rules defining eligible health care expenses to identify health care expense transactions that are potentially eligible for reimbursement from a health care expense account and/or a tax deduction. A user is then notified of the identified health care expense transactions. |
| US07912732B1 |
Method for pricing network bandwidth services on a virtual private network
A computer method is disclosed for calculating an approximate cost of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS)-based virtual private network (VPN) services. The method computes a lower bound and an upper bound for the bandwidth used in an MPLS-based VPN. These are then combined to produce an estimate for the cost of the bandwidth. |
| US07912722B2 |
Method and system for text retrieval for computer-assisted item creation
A tool, method, and system for use in the development of sentence-based test items are disclosed. The tool may include a user interface that may include a database selection field, a sentence pattern entry field, an option pane, and an output pane. The tool may search a database for one or more sentences and may generate one or more responses to the one or more sentences. The one or more sentences and one or more responses may be used to produce the sentence-based test items. The tool may allow test items to be developed more quickly and easily than manual test item authoring. Accordingly, test item development costs may be lowered and test security may be enhanced. |
| US07912718B1 |
Method and system for enhancing a speech database
A system, method and computer readable medium that enhances a speech database for speech synthesis is disclosed. The method may include labeling audio files in a primary speech database and a secondary speech database, enhancing the primary speech database by placing the labeled audio files from the secondary speech database into the primary speech database, and storing the enhanced primary speech database for use in speech synthesis. |
| US07912715B2 |
Determining distortion measures in a pattern recognition process
A method for determining a set of distortion measures in a pattern recognition process, where a sequence of feature vectors is formed from a digitized incoming signal to be recognized, said pattern recognition being based upon said set of distortion measures. The method comprises comparing (S10) a first feature vector in said sequence with a first number (M1) of templates from a set of templates representing candidate patterns, based on said comparison, selecting (S12) a second number (M2) of templates from said template set, the second number being smaller than the first number, and comparing (S14) a second feature vector only with said selected templates. The method can be implemented in a device for pattern recognition. |
| US07912714B2 |
Method for segmenting communication transcripts using unsupervised and semi-supervised techniques
A method is provided for forming discrete segment clusters of one or more sequential sentences from a corpus of communication transcripts of transactional communications that comprises dividing the communication transcripts of the corpus into a first set of sentences spoken by a caller and a second set of sentences spoken by a responder; generating a set of sentence clusters by grouping the first and second sets of sentences according to a measure of lexical similarity using an unsupervised partitional clustering method; generating a collection of sequences of sentence types by assigning a distinct sentence type to each sentence cluster and representing each sentence of each communication transcript of the corpus with the sentence type assigned to the sentence cluster into which the sentence is grouped; and generating a specified number of discrete segment clusters by successively merging sentence clusters according to a proximity-based measure between the sentence types assigned to the sentence clusters within sequences of the collection. |
| US07912712B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding of background noise based on the extracted background noise characteristic parameters
An encoding method includes extracting background noise characteristic parameters within a hangover period; for a first superframe after the hangover period, performing background noise encoding based on the extracted background noise characteristic parameters; for superframes after the first superframe, performing background noise characteristic parameter extraction and DTX decision for each frame in the superframes after the first superframe; and for the superframes after the first superframe, performing background noise encoding based on extracted background noise characteristic parameters of the current superframe, background noise characteristic parameters of a plurality of superframes previous to the current superframe, and a final DTX decision. Also, a decoding method and apparatus and an encoding apparatus are disclosed. |
| US07912708B2 |
Method for controlling duration in speech synthesis
The present invention relates to a method of synthesizing of a speech signal, comprising: —assigning of a first identifier to a first class of intervals of an original speech signal and assigning of a second identifier to a second class of intervals of the original speech signal, —windowing the original speech signal to provide a number of pitch bells, —processing the pitch bells having the first identifier assigned thereto for modifying a duration of the speech signal, —performing an overlap and add operation on the processed pitch bells. |
| US07912707B2 |
Adapting a language model to accommodate inputs not found in a directory assistance listing
A statistical language model is trained for use in a directory assistance system using the data in a directory assistance listing corpus. Calculations are made to determine how important words in the corpus are in distinguishing a listing from other listings, and how likely words are to be omitted or added by a user. The language model is trained using these calculations. |
| US07912704B2 |
Handheld electronic device with reduced keyboard and associated method of providing quick text entry in a message
An improved handheld electronic device having a reduced keyboard provides facilitated language entry by making available to a user certain words that a user may reasonably be expected to enter. In some situations, certain words can be stored, for example, in a temporary dictionary for use in particular situations. For instance, the names of the recipients of an electronic message might be stored in a temporary dictionary for rapid retrieval when entering a salutation in the message. As another example, a number of the words in an existing electronic message may be stored in a temporary dictionary and made available to a user when replying to or forwarding the message since the existing message might include words that the user might reasonably be expected to type in the reply message or the forwarded message. |
| US07912701B1 |
Method and apparatus for semiotic correlation
A method for a computer system includes receiving an input source comprising a plurality of sentences, determining a set of semiotic relationships from the plurality of sentences, performing a contextual correlation in response to the set of semiotic relationships and in response to an ideas index to determine a reduced set of semiotic relationships from the set of semiotic relationships, omparing the reduced set of semiotic relationships to each of a plurality of semiotic relationships associated with a set of documents to determine comparison values, determining a reduced set of documents from the set of documents in response to the comparison values, and outputting portions of the reduced set of documents to a user. |
| US07912697B2 |
Character inputting method and character inputting apparatus
When an input section is actuated by a user, a character is inputted, and a storage section stores therein the inputted character. On this occasion, when the inputted character is a vowel character, a control section causes the storage section to store therein the inputted vowel character and an intonation associated therewith. In a case where a vowel character identical to the inputted vowel character is successively inputted by the input section, the control section causes the storage section to store therein the vowel character and the initial intonation in association with each other, for a first input. At second and subsequent inputs, the control section does not cause the storage section to store therein the identical vowel character anew, but it alters only the intonation associated with the vowel character which has been already stored in the storage section. |
| US07912696B1 |
Natural language processing apparatus and natural language processing method
A natural language processing apparatus includes an input section for inputting natural language, a representation converting section for converting representation of the natural language, a display section for displaying, for confirmation, sentence converted at the representation converting section, a machine translation section for carrying out machine translation of the confirmed sentence, and a control section for controlling these respective sections, thus to provide natural language processing in which confirmation operation of user is reduced. |
| US07912695B2 |
Performance evaluation of J2EE applications
Simulation techniques for measuring the performance of J2EE applications are described. Simulation models for J2EE systems are generated which utilize one or more simulation components comprising queuing centers. The queuing centers employ logic to emulate J2EE thread models by locking on threads when messages are received by simulation components and waiting to unlock until a response is received from every subsequent component in the system. Additionally, simulation components which correspond to J2EE system components running on java virtual machines employ logic which emulates overhead introduced during memory allocation and garbage collection. The simulation models are also utilized during software development in a continuous performance evaluation process which gives feedback at each software development stage based on simulations run using the models described. |
| US07912694B2 |
Print events in the simulation of a digital system
According to a method of simulation processing, one or more HDL source files describing a digital design including a plurality of hierarchically arranged design entities are received. The one or more HDL source files include one or more statements instantiating a plurality of print events within the plurality of hierarchically arranged design entities, where each print event has an associated message and at least one associated signal in the digital design. The one or more HDL source files are processed to obtain a simulation executable model including a data structure describing the plurality of print events defined for the simulation executable model and associating each of the plurality of print events with its respective associated signal. |
| US07912692B2 |
Analysis support system and method, computer readable recording medium storing analysis support program, and analysis support apparatus
An analysis support system has an analysis purpose input section being able to input an analysis purpose, an analysis level designator designating an analysis level representing a range for analysis according to the inputted analysis purpose, a configuration information record section recording configuration information about other component to be combined with each component, in association with the analysis level, a purpose-specific component group generator generating a purpose-specific component group representing an analytic component that is to configure the purpose-specific analytic model on the basis of the analysis level and the configuration information, and an analytic model generator generating the purpose-specific analytic model on the basis of a basic analytic model having the analytic component corresponding to the analysis object and the purpose-specific component group. An analytic model according to an analysis purpose can be readily generated, which improves the serviceability. |
| US07912687B2 |
Methods of predicting cavitation damage
A method is provided for predicting the likelihood of cavitation damage occurring on a surface of a hydrodynamic component. The method may include creating a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the hydrodynamic component, wherein creating the CFD simulation includes simulating fluid flowing relative to the hydrodynamic component. The method may also include selecting a location on the surface of the hydrodynamic component, wherein the selected location is exposed to the simulated fluid flow. The method may also include determining and analyzing at least one of a mean pressure and standard deviation, a standard deviation of the rate of change in pressure, a mean void percentage and standard deviation, and a standard deviation of the rate of change in void percentage for the flowing fluid at the selected surface location to predict the likelihood of cavitation damage occurring at the selected surface location. |
| US07912685B1 |
Mitigating quantization effects in computer telemetry signals
A system that mitigates quantization effects in quantized telemetry signals. During operation, the system monitors a set of quantized telemetry signals. For a given quantized telemetry signal in the set of quantized telemetry signals, the system uses a set of models to generate a set of estimates for the given quantized telemetry signal from the other monitored quantized telemetry signals, wherein each model in the set of models was initialized using a different randomly selected subset of a training dataset. The system then averages the set of estimates to produce an estimated signal for the given quantized telemetry signal. |
| US07912684B2 |
Diabetes care management system
A diabetes care management system for managing blood glucose levels associated with diabetes comprising a computing device and an insulin delivery device. The computing device generally includes (i) a memory comprising one or more optimal blood glucose values, one or more self care values of a patient, one or more measured blood glucose values, and one or more scaling factors for weighting the impact on a future blood glucose value and that are customizable to an individual patient to predict the effect on the blood glucose of self care actions performed by the individual patient; (ii) a microprocessor, in communication with the memory, programmed to (A) determine the one or more scaling factors from one or more physiological parameters including body mass, metabolism rate, fitness level or hepatic or peripheral insulin sensitivity, or combinations thereof, and (B) calculate a further value, the further value being based on the self care values, and on the one or more optimal blood glucose values, and on the one or more scaling factors; and (iii) a display configured to display information according to the further value; and (iv) a housing, wherein the memory and the microprocessor are housed within the housing, thereby providing a hand-held, readily transportable computing device. The insulin delivery device may deliver insulin in response to information associated with the further value. |
| US07912683B2 |
Tire transient response data calculating method, data processing method, tire designing method, vehicle motion predicting method, and tire cornering characteristic evaluation method and evaluation device therefor
The tire transient response data obtained while cornering with a slip angle is calculated based on a tire dynamic model. The deformation response of a tread part in the tire dynamic is set as a first-order-lag response. The value of the transient response parameter is initialized in order to define the first-order-lag response. The time-series data of the transient response of the slip angle between the tread part and the road surface in the tire dynamic model is obtained by computing the convolution integral of the defined response function of the first-order-lag response with a time gradient of the time-series data of the slip angle. The value of a lateral force is calculated by using the tire dynamic model based on the time-series data of the transient response of the slip angle thus obtained. Accordingly, the transient response data is calculated and the value of the transient response parameter is obtained. |
| US07912681B2 |
Method for designing a flight vehicle
A method for designing a flight vehicle includes determining a preferred aerodynamic shape of a structure of the vehicle; modifying the preferred aerodynamic shape based upon constraints; and determining, using aerodynamic computational fluid dynamics, limit loading conditions for the modified aerodynamic shape. A computer-implemented system for designing a flight vehicle includes at least one computer operable to determine a preferred aerodynamic shape of a structure of the vehicle; modify the preferred aerodynamic shape based upon constraints; and determine, using aerodynamic computational fluid dynamics, limit loading conditions for the modified aerodynamic shape. Software for designing a flight vehicle, embodied in a computer-readable medium, is operable to, when executed, determine a preferred aerodynamic shape of a structure of the vehicle; modify the preferred aerodynamic shape based upon constraints; and determine, using aerodynamic computational fluid dynamics, limit loading conditions for the modified aerodynamic shape. |
| US07912676B2 |
Method and system for detecting abnormal operation in a process plant
A system for detecting abnormal operation of at least a portion of a process plant includes a model to model at least the portion of the process plant. The model may be configurable to include multiple regression models corresponding to multiple different operating regions of the portion of the process plant. The system may also include a deviation detector configured to determine if the actual operation of the portion of the process plant deviates significantly from the operation predicted by the model. If there is a significant deviation, this may indicate an abnormal operation. |
| US07912673B2 |
Auto-referenced system and apparatus for three-dimensional scanning
A system, apparatus and method for three-dimensional scanning and digitization of the surface geometry of objects are claimed. The system includes a hand-held apparatus that is auto-referenced. The system is auto-referenced since it does not need any positioning device to provide the 6 degree of freedom transformations that are necessary to integrate 3D measurements in a global coordinate system while the apparatus is manipulated to scan the surface. The system continuously calculates its own position and orientation from observation while scanning the surface geometry of an object. To do so, the system exploits a triangulation principle and integrates an apparatus that captures both surface points originating from the reflection of a projected laser pattern on an object's surface and 2D positioning features originating from the observation of target positioning features. |
| US07912670B2 |
Testing processor cores
Systems, methods and program codes are provided for testing multi-core processor chip structures. Individual processor core power supply voltages are provided through controlling individual power supplies for each core, in one aspect to ensure that one or more cores operate at clock rates in compliance with one or more performance specifications. In one example, a first power supply voltage supplied to a first processing core differs from a second core power supply voltage supplied to a second processing core, both cores operating in compliance with a reference clock rate specification. Core power supply voltages may be selected from ordered discrete supply voltages derived by progressively raising or lowering a first supply voltage, optionally wherein the selected supply voltage also enables the core to operate within another performance specification. |
| US07912665B2 |
Method and apparatus for driver hands off detection for vehicles with active front steering system
A system and method for detecting the absence of contact between the hands of a driver of a vehicle and a steering wheel of the vehicle that have particular application in ensuring the proper functioning of various components of the driver assist steering systems and maintaining driver attentiveness. The method for detecting a no-contact condition between the hands of the driver of the vehicle and the steering wheel includes generating a model of the no-contact condition using a second-order transfer function. The method further includes obtaining a set of model-generated steering dynamics by estimating a plurality of parameters of the second-order transfer function and a set of measured steering dynamics using a plurality of sensors. The set of model-generated steering dynamics and the set of measured steering dynamics are then compared and the no-contact condition is detected based on this comparison. |
| US07912663B2 |
Method for improving an indirectly measuring tire pressure monitoring system
Disclosed is a method of improving the recognition of a tire pressure loss in a tire pressure monitoring system in which at least one reference value (A) is formed on the basis of signals representing the rotational speeds of several vehicle wheels. A pressure loss is concluded by comparing a currently determined reference value with at least one reference value if the currently determined reference value exceeds or falls short of a predefined value. A noise analysis of the reference value(s) (101) is executed and at least one threshold value (T, S) is adjusted (108) based on the result of the noise analysis (102). |
| US07912660B2 |
System and method for locating and analyzing arcing phenomena
System and method for detecting partial discharge arcing phenomena in a power network distribution system which employs a mobile receiving assemblage including a wideband antenna, a computer controllable wideband radio receiver deriving an amplitude detected output and a global positioning system providing system position data. The amplitude detected outputs are digitized and treated with a digital signal processor based analysis including fast Fourier transforms extracting narrowband signal frequencies that are harmonically related to the network fundamental frequency. The narrowband signal frequencies are analyzed for peak amplitudes which are summed to derive maintenance merit values related to the arcing phenomena. |
| US07912658B2 |
Systems and methods for determining two or more characteristics of a wafer
Systems and methods for determining two or more characteristics of a wafer are provided. The two or more characteristics include a characteristic of the wafer that is spatially localized in at least one dimension and a characteristic of the wafer that is not spatially localized in two dimensions. |
| US07912653B1 |
Nanocrystal taggants
The compositions, methods and systems of the invention provide nanocrystal taggants for unobtrusive monitoring of objects. Objects can be tagged with nanocrystal taggant compositions for detection of informative invisible emissions on illumination with appropriate excitation wavelengths. Authentication schemes are also provided that takes advantage of the unique emission and absorption characteristics of nanocrystals to create a unique spectral code that is far more difficult to decode and replicate than those previously employed. |
| US07912650B2 |
Information processing system using nucleotide sequence-related information
A system for processing information for providing semantic information and/or information associated with the semantic information useful for each individual organism through effective utilization of differences in nucleotide sequence-related information among individual organisms is constructed. The method for processing information on a nucleotide sequence comprises: (a) receiving request information for an object and/or service; (b) obtaining positional information in accordance with the request information from a memory having positional information representing a position in a nucleotide sequence memorized therein; and (c) obtaining nucleotide sequence-related information corresponding to the positional information obtained in (b) above, and obtaining semantic information implied by the nucleotide sequence-related information and/or information associated with the semantic information. |
| US07912640B2 |
Mobile map display apparatus, map display system and map display method
A mobile map display apparatus provided with a geomagnetic sensor for detecting earth-magnetism, a display unit, and a control unit able to calculate a geographical bearing based on detection values of the geomagnetic sensor and having a first display processing for display in a direction linked with the calculated bearing when acquiring the map and making the display unit display the map and a second display processing for display fixed to a predetermined bearing. In displaying the map, the control unit makes the display unit perform the display by the second display processing when detecting a drop of precision of the geomagnetic sensor. |
| US07912638B2 |
Method of collecting information for a geographic database for use with a navigation system
A method for operating a navigation system computes a pedestrian route for travel by a pedestrian. A request to calculate the pedestrian route from an origin to a destination and a walking preference for the pedestrian route identifying a feature of the pedestrian route are obtained. A geographic database associated with the navigation system is accessed for data representing at least one pedestrian path. The data representing the pedestrian path includes lighting level attribute information for the pedestrian path. A valid solution pedestrian route from the origin to the destination comprising a series of connected pedestrian paths that support the walking preference is determined. |
| US07912637B2 |
Landmark-based routing
Driving directions can be helpful if in addition to spatial information, landmark information is provided. Landmarks assist in adding context to directions as well as allowing for a greater likelihood of success of an operator following directions. There can be employment of physical identification of landmarks as well as processing regarding the utility of a landmark in regards to driving directions. Driving directions can be highly useful if integrated landmarks relate to knowledge possessed by an operator of a vehicle. Landmark based driving direction can be integrated with advertisements that relate to the directions. |
| US07912634B2 |
Map interface with placeable marker
A map user interlace is described, including a first view transmitted from a server computer system to the client computer system, the first view including a map, and a location marker placed at the selected location on the map upon receiving a placement request indicating selection of a selected location for placement of a location marker. |
| US07912630B2 |
Method and system for performing programmatic actions based upon vehicle approximate locations
A system for communicating between networked applications and vehicles that includes a vehicle response server and a vehicle response agent. The vehicle response server can manage communications between at least one vehicle and at least one application remotely located from the vehicle, wherein the application can provide activation contexts to the vehicle. The vehicle response agent can be disposed in the vehicle. The vehicle response agent can receive the activation contexts and determine event occurrences based in part upon the activation contexts and in part upon a location of the vehicle relative to previously defined geographical boundaries specified by the vehicle response server. |
| US07912629B2 |
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for traffic data aggregation using virtual trip lines and a combination of location and time based measurement triggers in GPS-enabled mobile handsets
A device for determining the traffic conditions between measurement locations associated with a roadway is provided. The device includes a processor that is capable of determining when a specified measurement location is passed or traversed and measure data as well as start a time period. If a device is traveling towards another specified measurement location but does not reach the location before the time period expires, a new measurement update may be sent by the device to a server. The information in this update may be utilized by the server to determine that there is a slowdown or blockage in traffic and/or that there is a traffic jam between the measurement locations. The device is capable of receiving a traffic update(s) from the server which may specify traffic conditions between the measurement locations. The traffic conditions may indicate that there is a traffic slowdown/blockage between the measurement locations. |
| US07912624B2 |
Synchronization device for an engine
A synchronization device for an engine is provided that has a first active sensor and a second active sensor. The first active sensor is adapted to determine an angular position of a first shaft and the second active sensor is adapted to determine the angular position of a second shaft. The first active sensor and the second active sensor are adapted to provide information on the state of the angular position of the first shaft and the second shaft or the angular position of the first shaft and the phase position between the first shaft and the second shaft to the control device. In addition, the control device is adapted to provide a control signal for setting a given phase difference between the first and the second shaft. |
| US07912623B2 |
Engine control system designed to manage schedule of engine control tasks
An engine control system for managing a schedule of execution of engine control tasks is provided. The system works to schedule execution of the engine control tasks upon receipt of requests to initiate the engine control tasks. The system determines a sequence of execution of the engine control tasks and allocates execution times for which the engine control tasks are to be executed so as to provide chances of execution of the engine control task as evenly as possible. The system may determine required time-sharing ratios of the engine control tasks based on statuses of execution of the engine control tasks. |
| US07912616B2 |
Gear shifting control device for work machine
A work machine gear shifting control device is capable of readily identifying the cause of failure in learning the clutch hydraulic pressure for operating a transmission clutch. A transmission gear shifting control section 46 is provided for each of clutches 61-65, and performs a learning process in which each of a plurality of handling processes learns the clutch hydraulic pressure for each of the clutches 61-65 and determines the clutch hydraulic pressure characteristic values for operating the individual clutches. Further, the transmission gear shifting control section 46 performs a learning monitoring process in each of the plurality of handling processes to formulate an error judgment, which indicates whether learning has failed in each of the plurality of subprocesses, and displays the result of the judgment. |
| US07912614B2 |
Automatic transmission control apparatus
An automatic transmission control apparatus is provided with a control scheme that focuses on the rotational speed differences of the frictional engaging elements and the distribution of torque transferred by the frictional engaging elements. When the automatic transmission is upshifted while in a power-off state, the individual torque capacity of a frictional engaging element being released and the individual torque capacity of a frictional engaging element being connected are corrected by adding a prescribed torque capacity amount to each of the individual torque capacities during an inertia phase of the shift control in which a compensation is executed for inertia related to changing the gear ratio. In this way, frictional losses are induced in the frictional engaging elements so as to absorb the inertia torque and lower the input rotational speed more quickly. |
| US07912613B2 |
Riding type vehicle
A riding type vehicle includes an automatic transmission capable of executing a shift change by a clutch actuator and a shift actuator. A clutch is controlled by the clutch actuator and is a multiplate clutch. The multiplate clutch is provided with bias member configured to enlarge a partial clutch engagement region of the clutch. The multiplate clutch is configured such that during shift change, both of the clutch actuator and the shift actuator are controlled to operate in overlapping manner. |
| US07912611B2 |
Device for sensing the position of a spoiler on a motor vehicle
A device for sensing a position of a spoiler on a motor vehicle, where the spoiler is moved with a drive unit between a retracted setpoint base position and an extended setpoint operating position. At least one sensor is provided with which at least one of the setpoint positions of the spoiler can be sensed, and which generates first position signals on the basis of the sensed setpoint position. An adjustment position sensing device is provided which senses a current position of the spoiler, and which generates second position signals on the basis of the sensed current position. An evaluation unit evaluates the first position signals and the second position signals, and which actuates, on the basis of the evaluation result, an information device which provides the driver with information about the state of at least one of the position sensing devices and/or actuates the drive unit. |
| US07912609B2 |
Motor vehicle comprising a preventive protective system
A motor vehicle including a preventive protective system which includes safety devices actuated as a function of information obtained from a vehicle state sensor system and evaluated in a data evaluation and control device. In the associated process, the data evaluation and control device compares the recorded information with at least one triggering threshold value and actuates at least one safety device which is associated with this driving state when a criticality of the driving state is identified. Triggering of the associated safety device is actuated with respect to a force time gradient as a function of the identified criticality of the driving state. |
| US07912608B2 |
Arrangement for triggering a vehicle safety device
An arrangement for triggering a motor vehicle safety device. The arrangement incorporates a proximity sensor (1) which is configured to provide a proximity signal related to the distance to an object and/or the relative speed between the object and the sensor (1). The arrangement also includes an accelerometer (2) and a first processing unit (3) which is configured to perform an arming algorithm on signals received from the proximity sensor (1) and the accelerometer (2). A second processing unit (6) is provided to perform a crash algorithm on signals received from the proximity sensor (1) and the accelerometer (2). The arrangement incorporates a logic gate (4) to generate a triggering signal (5) in response to simultaneous output of signals from the first processing unit (3) and the second processing unit (6). |
| US07912605B2 |
Method and device for triggering a reversible occupant protection function in a motor vehicle
A method for triggering a reversible occupant safety function in a motor vehicle, in which the value of a triggering parameter is determined, the value of the triggering parameter is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and the occupant protection function is triggered when the predetermined threshold value is exceeded by the value of the triggering parameter. An aspect of the method is that the threshold value is influenced by a driving style parameter determined by analysis of the brake and/or gas pedal operating procedures and/or by an operating element operable by the driver. |
| US07912603B2 |
Method for controlling the damper force in vehicles having a ride level control system
The damper force in vehicles having a ride level control system is controlled by, when the leveling system is activated, a signal that is generated and transmitted to a damper force control device (5). When the level control system is activated, the damper force is adapted, and especially reduced for a rapid control. |
| US07912600B2 |
In-vehicle electronic control apparatus having monitoring control circuit
An in-vehicle electronic control apparatus, having a monitoring control circuit, according to the present invention is configured in such a way that serial interface circuits 27a and 37a are connected between a main control circuit unit 20A and a monitoring control circuit unit 30A, high-speed full-duplex block communication is performed by use of a communication permission signal ALT and a communication synchronization signal CLK, the same question information included in uplink communication information UPD is recurrently transmitted in a plurality times of communication and updated after being transmitted a predetermined times, and the main control circuit unit 20A returns answer information by use of downlink communication information DND, within a predetermined duration after the update of the question information; because the question update period is prolonged, the control load on the main control circuit unit 20A is reduced. |
| US07912594B2 |
Predicted path selection system and method for hazard coding in selectively constrained aircraft control systems
A surveillance system detects potential hazards and alerts the pilot to them. The alerts can be modified to indicate proximity to the predicted path of the aircraft. An autopilot receives instructions from a flight management system (FMS) regarding a planned path and is subject to constraints preempting the planned path. The surveillance system selects which of the planned and a constrained path will be followed for alerting and hazard coding purposes. Means are disclosed to determine when the constrained path will be followed by evaluating the current position of an aircraft, the planned path, and the constraint data. |
| US07912593B2 |
Merging and spacing speed target calculation
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer programs, and apparatus for adjusting a speed target of an aircraft. In particular, the adjustment of the speed target of the aircraft may allow that aircraft to maintain merging and spacing constraints with respect to a leading aircraft. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the speed target of an aircraft may be adjusted by obtaining a speed target, obtaining own ship track data for the aircraft, obtaining lead ship track data for a leading aircraft, and calculating a speed target adjustment based on the speed target, the own ship track data, the lead ship track data and merging and spacing constraints. |
| US07912591B2 |
Vehicle control system
A disclosed vehicle control system comprises a mobile terminal that transmits a current location of the mobile terminal; a receiving portion that is installed in a vehicle and receives the current location transmitted from the mobile terminal; a vehicle location detecting portion that detects a current location of the vehicle; a controlling portion that controls a vehicle apparatus installed in the vehicle in accordance with a positional relationship between the current position of the mobile terminal received by the receiving portion and the current location of the vehicle detected by the vehicle location detecting portion; and a memory portion that stores behavioral pattern information of a user of the vehicle. The controlling portion controls the vehicle apparatus in accordance with the behavioral pattern information stored in the memory portion and the positional relationship between the current location of the mobile terminal and the current location of the vehicle. |
| US07912589B2 |
Initializing an estimation of dynamic model parameters
The present disclosure relates to monitoring of electromechanical oscillations in electric power systems, and their identification by an adaptive algorithm based on a repeatedly measured and evaluated signal. In order for an estimation of parameters of a model of the power system to reasonably converge, proper initialization of the recursive calculation is required, including the definition of tuning parameters constraining the model and the calculation. Initialization for a second signal to be exploited can then be simplified by copying the set of tuning parameters tuned previously for a different signal. A conditioning gain multiplying the second signal establishes compatibility between the different signals, and a signal pre-filter in turn discards contributions beyond a frequency band comprising typical electromagnetic oscillations. |
| US07912588B2 |
Intelligent enviromental sensor for irrigation systems
The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element. |
| US07912587B2 |
Method of balancing a gas turbine engine rotor
A method of balancing an assembly of rotary parts of a gas turbine engine comprising measuring at least one of the concentricity and parallelism of each component and considering globally all possible component stacking positions to generate an optimized stacking position for each component of the assembly to minimize assembly unbalance. |
| US07912580B2 |
Products and processes for controlling access to vending machine products
An embodiment of the invention includes receiving a request to purchase a product from a vending machine. At least one question to be output is determined, and the determined question is output. An interface is provided which that permits at least one answer to the at least one question to be entered by a customer. At least one answer to the at least one question is received via the interface. Based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine is determined. A product is provided if the level of access permits providing of a product. |
| US07912572B2 |
Calibration assembly for an inspection system
A method of calibrating an inspection system is provided. The method includes contacting a test part with a run-out measurement device and rotating the test part and measuring a first run-out using the run-out measurement device. The method also includes moving the run-out measurement device to a new position and repeating the steps of contacting and rotating the test part to measure a second run-out at the new position. The method further includes using the first and second run-outs to adjust measurements of the inspection system. |
| US07912568B2 |
Tuning order configurator performance by dynamic integration of manufacturing and field feedback
A novel and non-obvious method, system and apparatus for tuning order configurator performance by dynamic integration of manufacturing and field feedback information. A method for dynamically tuning order configurator behavior by using product issue data can include collecting product issue data for a manufactured product, the product issue data including performance and attribute information of a part of the manufactured product, analyzing the collected product issue data to identify a problematic part, and, modifying the order configurator using the analyzed product issue data. |
| US07912564B2 |
Digital mixing system with double arrangement for fail safe
A digital mixing system has a console having a display and an operator for transmitting and receiving a control signal, an engine having input channels and output channels for mixing a plurality of audio signals fed from the input channels while exchanging the control signal with the console and feeding the mixed audio signals to the output channels, and peripheral input and output units connected to the input and output channels of the engine, respectively. The console and the engine are located remotely from each other, and a cable connecting therebetween is duplicated for the purpose of fail safe. The engine may be installed in pair. If a main engine fails, a sub engine backs up instantly to continue the mixing operation. The console may be also prepared in pair for the purpose of fail safe. |
| US07912559B2 |
Software architecture system and method for operating an appliance in multiple operating modes
In one embodiment, a system for controlling a plurality of devices having at least two operating modes comprises a first software operating layer configured to control the operation of at least one of the devices in a first operational mode and a second software operating layer configured to control the operation of at least one of the devices in a second operational mode. In another embodiment, a control system for controlling a plurality of devices connected by a communications network comprises a user interface configured to receive the selection of a cycle of operation; a first system element isolated from the network and configured to implement the selected cycle of operation to define a first control state; and a second system element exposed to the network and configured to implement the selected cycle of operation to define a second control state. |
| US07912557B1 |
Mechanism for, and method of, attaching a lead conductor cable to a lead electrode
A cardio electrotherapy lead is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the lead includes a tubular body, a conductor cable and an electrode. The conductor cable longitudinally extends through the tubular body and includes a distal end. The electrode is located on the tubular body and includes an attachment mechanism mechanically coupling the lead distal end to the electrode. |
| US07912556B2 |
Electrode array for even neural pressure
An electrode array attached to neural tissue, such as the retina, necessarily has graded pressure exerted on the tissue, with higher pressure near the attachment point. Greater pressure improves contact between the electrodes and neural tissue while too much pressure may damage neural tissue. Hence it is advantageous to obtain equal pressure across the array field. In the present invention multiple and selective attachment points are provided on an electrode array allowing a surgeon to select the attachment points providing the best electrode tissue contact. |
| US07912551B2 |
Telemetry noise reduction
A device includes a housing and electronics disposed in the housing. A telemetry antenna is disposed in the housing and is operably coupled to the electronics. A shielding coil is disposed between the housing and the telemetry antenna. The shielding coil has a first end and a second end. The second end is electrically terminated in circuitry of the electronics. |
| US07912550B2 |
Clothing attachment device for an external component of a medical device
A mechanism for attaching a component, such as a speech processor unit of a cochlear implant, to the clothing of a user of that component. The attaching mechanism is operable by an unlocking device, such as a magnet that can be held in the possession of a person other than the person wearing the clothing to which the component is mounted. The attachment device can comprise an elongate pin member that is adapted to pass through at least a portion of an item of clothing and be received in a chamber and held by frictional engagement therein. |
| US07912549B2 |
Housing for a medical implant
Housing for medical implant, such as cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, cardioverter, etc. Housing including hollow housing and terminal body attached to hollow housing, which has electrical terminal(s), situated in an externally accessible cavity of the terminal body, for connecting an electrode line, and terminal body including a base body made of electrically insulating plastic, connected to hollow housing and carries electrical supply lines and electrical contacts, which are electrically connected thereto, for the electrical terminal so that the contacts are connected via the electrical supply lines to electrical components in the interior of the hollow housing, electrical supply lines being welded to the electrical contacts and the electrical supply lines and electrical contacts, which are welded to one another, being embedded in the base body and thus fixed in their final position, and the base body being glued to the hollow housing using an adhesive between hollow housing and terminal body. |
| US07912546B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a replacement time of an electric battery
In a method and apparatus for determining the replacement time of an electric battery in an implantable medical device, the battery being a hybrid battery with a combination of at least two electrode materials, one of which having better properties for high current pulsing and the other of which being a high energy density material, an electrical pulse of a predetermined duration and predetermined amplitude is drawn from the battery. The pulse amplitude significantly exceeds a base current drawn from the battery. The difference between voltages measured across the battery terminals before the pulse is emitted and at an end of the pulse is determined. The battery replacement time is determined from the voltage difference according to a predetermined criterion. |
| US07912544B1 |
CRT responder model using EGM information
An exemplary method includes detecting a QRS complex using cutaneous electrodes, during the QRS complex, detecting an R-wave of a ventricle using an intracardiac electrode, determining if the R-wave occurred during a first, predetermined percentage of the QRS complex width and, based at least in part on the determining, deciding whether a patient is likely to respond to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Such a method may set the predetermined percentage to approximately 50%. An exemplary model includes a parameter for a percentage for the timing of an EGM R-wave with respect to the total width of an ECG QRS complex. Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc. are also disclosed. |
| US07912538B2 |
Controlled release transdermal drug delivery
Provided herein is a device for controlling the release of a substance at a site of interest in a biological membrane comprising a means of monitoring a physiological state at the site of interest; and a means of releasing a variable amount of the substance to the site of interest where the amount varies in response to the status of the monitored physiological state. Also provided are methods of using the device. |
| US07912530B2 |
Magnetic detection coil and apparatus for measurement of magnetic field
A magnetic detection coil is provided, which includes a plurality of differential coils. Each differential coil is made of one of superconductors and metallic materials. The differential coils having mutually different loop directions are arranged in parallel at a spatially predetermined distance apart and mutually electrically connected in series. Each differential coil is one of a first-order differential coil and a second-order differential coil. |
| US07912526B2 |
EMG electrode apparatus and positioning system
A system for detecting and analyzing electrical activity in the anatomy of an organism underlying an electrode array provides signals corresponding to electrical activity adjacent each electrode. Such signals are correlated to the underlying anatomy of the organism and representative outputs presented through various types of output devices. Such outputs may include variations in coloration or other qualities in correspondence with representations of underlying anatomical structures. The system includes electrode structures and methods for producing and attaching electrode arrays to the organism. The exemplary form of the invention is used in connection with the diagnosis of muscle activity in the lower lumbar regions of humans. Levels of muscle activity detected are analyzed by correlation with the muscular structures underlying the electrode array. Forms of the invention may be used in other applications. |
| US07912524B2 |
Portable terminal with sliding module using magnetic substances
A portable terminal having a sliding module includes a first housing; a second housing coupled to the first housing while facing the first housing; and a sliding module interposed between the first and second housings, for connecting the first housing to the second housing so that the first housing linearly moves on the second housing. The sliding module includes a sliding plate disposed on a surface of the first housing and facing the second housing; a first magnetic substance mounted in the first housing; and a second magnetic substance mounted in the second housing and facing the first magnetic substance. The first and second magnetic substances are arranged in longitudinal and transverse directions of the first housing, respectively, to move the first housing in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the first housing by driving force caused due to attractive and repulsive forces between the first and second magnetic substances. |
| US07912520B2 |
Mobile phone
A mobile phone having a body including a ground portion, a cover of a metallic material coupled to the body, the cover forming an exterior surface of the mobile phone, and a grounding unit electrically connecting the ground portion of the body to the cover, the grounding unit being disposed on one of facing surfaces of the body and the cover. Since the body and the metallic cover are electrically and stably connected with each other, a wireless communication characteristic of the mobile phone is prevented from being lowered. |
| US07912518B2 |
Power saving method for mobile terminal
Provided is a power saving method for a mobile terminal, of a WiBro communication system, particularly for a standby mode. A power saving method for a mobile terminal having a modem for communicating with a base station and a host for controlling the modem, includes starting, at the mobile terminal, a timer if a resource withdrawal is determined through a negotiation with the base station; turning off power to the modem; determining whether the timer has expired; and turning on the power to the modem. |
| US07912510B2 |
Terminal for multimedia ring back tone service and method for controlling terminal
Disclosed is a method for controlling a terminal for a multimedia Ring Back Tone (RBT) service, which allows RBT sound sources previously set in a sound source-providing server by a called subscriber to be reproduced to an originating terminal by means of a Home Location Register (HLR) and the sound source-providing server for storing the RBT sound sources when a calling subscriber telephones the called subscriber, the HLR storing profile information including whether the subscriber has joined the RBT service. The method includes the steps of: (a) receiving a codec setup message including information (multimedia codec information) regarding a multimedia codec from a switching center; (b) deactivating a decoding function of a voice codec; (c) activating a decoding function of the multimedia codec; (d) receiving the RBT sound sources; and (e) decoding the RBT sound sources through the multimedia codec and reproducing the decoded RBT sound sources. |
| US07912509B2 |
Method for automatically switching incoming call signal output mode from vibration to ringtone using vibration detection unit in mobile communication terminal
A method for automatically switching an incoming call signal output mode in a mobile communication terminal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of determining whether or not a present incoming call signal output mode is a vibration mode when receiving incoming call, driving a vibrator to output vibration if it is determined that the present incoming call signal output mode is set to the vibration mode, detecting an intensity of actual vibration of the terminal via a vibration detection sensor when the vibration is output, followed by calculating transfer energy using the intensity of the actual vibration on the terminal, and automatically switching the incoming call signal output mode from the vibration mode to a ringtone mode according to comparison of the calculated transfer energy with a reference value. With the method, a user can easily recognize the incoming call signal. |
| US07912502B2 |
Wireless operating system
A wireless operating system, which is used with a mobile telephone, for wirelessly operating an operated target, includes: an adapter including transmitting means for allowing operation information required for an operation of the operated target to be transmitted by short distance radio; a short distance wireless unit having receiving means for receiving the operation information and operating means for operating the operated target in accordance with the received operation information; and an operated target control unit. The adapter further includes: communication means capable of performing direct communication with the mobile telephone by being carried with the mobile telephone; and operation information generating means for generating operation information in accordance with portable communication terminal information acquired from the mobile telephone. Under the circumstances where a user carries the mobile telephone, it is possible to provide a wireless operating system in which various operated targets and the mobile telephone are wirelessly operated. |
| US07912501B2 |
Audio I/O headset plug and plug detection circuitry
A single prong, multiple signal conducting plug and plug detection circuitry is provided. The plug may be electrically coupled to a stereo headset including a microphone. The plug may include four signal conducting regions arranged in a predetermined order along the length of the prong. Detection circuitry may be operative to determine whether a microphone type of plug (e.g., a four region plug including a microphone region and two audio regions, or a three region plug including microphone region and only one audio region) or a non-microphone type of plug (e.g., stereo plug) is inserted into the jack of an electronic device (e.g., mobile phone). Detection circuitry may also detect user activated functions performed in response to user activation of one or more switches included with the headset. For example, the headset may include a single switch for performing a function with respect to a microphone (e.g., end-call function). |
| US07912496B2 |
Hybrid phone and method of acquiring channel in the hybrid phone
Disclosed are a hybrid phone and a method of acquiring channels in the hybrid phone. The hybrid phone having a first communication mode supporting voice/low-rate data communications and a second communication mode supporting high-rate data communication includes a phone control unit having a communication processor controlling voice/data communications according to programs stored in a memory. The communication processor includes a channel acquisition processor attempting to acquire channels for the first and second communication modes. If the channel acquisition processor cannot acquire a channel for the second communication mode within a predetermined time, the channel acquisition processor stops attempting to acquire the channel for the second communication mode and reattempts to acquire channel for the first communication mode. If the channel acquisition processor acquires the channel for the first communication mode, the channel acquisition processor reattempts to acquire the channel for the second communication mode. |
| US07912493B2 |
Transmission power control method and system
A transmission power control technique allowing stable and reliable signal transmission in soft handover is disclosed. Each of the base stations involved in soft handover measures an amount of loss of the base station selection signal. When the amount of loss of the base station selection signal exceeds a threshold, the transmission power of the downlink signal is not set to the minimum level but to the normally controlled level. Further, a transmission power update timing of each base station is determined so that the downlink signal received at the mobile station changes in transmission power at a predetermined timing synchronized with that of other base stations. |
| US07912490B2 |
Method for channel quality prediction for wireless communication systems
A method of improved performance through channel quality prediction for communications systems employing link adaption techniques includes a receiver which makes selective measurements on downlink transmissions, and then stores one or more of the measurements or a channel quality indicator derived therefrom. The receiver then retrieves one or more of the past measurements (or the past channel quality estimates themselves), and combines it with current measurements (or the current channel quality estimate), to predict what the channel quality will be at some future time and derive a predictive channel quality indicator (CQI). This predictive CQI, derived from both current channel measurements and at least one past channel measurement, is then sent to the transmitter for use in updating transmission parameters. |
| US07912485B2 |
Method and system for signaling in broadcast communication system
A method and a system for providing signaling in cellular telephone system providing broadcast services to fully integrate broadcast services with the services provided by the cellular telephone systems. The signaling method coordinate interaction between an access network and the subscriber station to allowing the subscriber station to decode the broadcast service, to receive paging messages while receiving the broadcast service, to properly transition between operation states, and other functions known to one of ordinary skill in the art. |
| US07912484B2 |
System and method for zone-based personalized information providing
A system and method for providing zone-based personalized information to a user of mobile communication terminal located in a specific zone are presented. The system comprises a zone management system which acquires MIN information of a mobile communication terminal entering a specific zone, a zone information management server which receives the MIN information and zone identification information, requests location registration of the terminal to HLR and retrieves transmission information to be transferred to the terminal, and a SMS server which receives the transmission information and the MIN information from the zone information management server, gets location information of the terminal corresponding to the MIN information from the HLR, and transfers the transmission information and the MIN information to base station of the cell where the terminal is located. According to the system, distinct information according to the present location of the user can be provided for the user. |
| US07912482B2 |
Mobile communication system and method for capturing information of other mobile communication terminals
A mobile communication system and a method for capturing information of other mobile communication terminals located within a distance from the user's mobile communication terminal may include a first mobile communication terminal for transmitting capture signal, location information and identification information; the second mobile communication terminals for transmitting location information and identification information of the second mobile communication terminals; and a base station for transmitting the GPS driving signal to the second mobile communication terminals and capturing information of the second mobile communication terminals. |
| US07912479B2 |
Radio-channel connection controller and mobile communication network system
The network system of the present invention comprises a plurality of base transceiver stations, a plurality of antenna systems, and a radio-channel connection controller. The radio-channel connection controller comprises a connection switching unit switching the connection between the plurality of base transceiver stations and the plurality of antenna systems, and a switching control unit controlling the connection switching of the connection switching unit according to a loaded state of the network. |
| US07912476B2 |
Method of controlling base stations to suppress inter-cell interference
A method of controlling base stations that is capable of suppressing inter-cell interference and efficiently utilizing available resources. According to one aspect, information received on path loss from a terminal is used to determine a time region for the terminal based on the path loss information. Communication with the terminal is performed within the determined time region. According to another aspect, information received on path loss from a terminal is used to determine a frequency region for the terminal based on the path loss information. Communication with the terminal is performed within the determined frequency region. According to yet another aspect, information received on path loss from a terminal is used to determine a code region for the terminal based on the path loss information. Communication with the terminal is performed within the determined code region. |
| US07912474B2 |
Radio channel control method in a cellular system
When a cell load becomes higher than a call setup threshold value for a first channel (CS channel), a second channel (PS channel) is changed into a channel having a low transmission rate. Consequently, the cell load is reduced and no cell loss occurs in the first channel. Therefore, the call loss rate of a first communication service is lowered. Simultaneously, a handover threshold value is higher than the call setup threshold value for the first channel so that a failure rate of handover is lowered. |
| US07912470B2 |
Method of partitioning resources in a cognitive radio wireless communication system and system supporting the same
A method of partitioning resources in a CR wireless communication system and a system supporting the same are provided. A new BS receives radio resource status information from a prior BS using a particular frequency band, and requests resource partitioning to the prior BS using a new uplink subchannel defined for communications between BSs. Resource negotiation messages are exchanged over a channel defined between the two BSs so as to efficiently partition resources between the BSs. |
| US07912463B2 |
Method of using SNR to reduce factory test time
The application relates to wireless networks and more particularly to a method of reducing factory test time of receiver sensitivity in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless device. Under TIA/EIA/-98E, the radio frequency (RF) sensitivity of a CDMA wireless receiver is the minimum received power, measured at the mobile station antenna connector, at which the frame error rate (FER) does not exceed 0.5% with 95% confidence. In order to reduce the test time of FER test method, the relation between correlated energy (or Ec/Io) and FER is determined using simulated traffic and the correlated energy (or Ec/Io) measurement is then used as the test parameter on like models to achieve the same or superior test confidence with significantly reduced test time. |
| US07912458B2 |
Interaction analysis and prioritization of mobile content
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for receiving interaction information relating to a mobile communication facility, weighting content based at least in part on the interaction information, and ordering the content for presentation on a mobile communication facility based at least in part on the weighting. |
| US07912455B2 |
Data protection for applications on a mobile electronic device
A method and system for data protection for applications that includes registering applications with a storage cleaning mechanism so that the registered applications can receive notification of impending storage cleaning operations. Upon receiving notification of an impending cleaning operation, the registered applications can release or unreference storage so it can be cleaned of data. |
| US07912452B2 |
Authenticating a removable user identity module to an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS)
The present invention provides a method that may include accessing a first address and an identifier provided by a mobile unit, providing the identifier, receiving a second address associated with the identifier in response to providing the identifier, and authenticating the mobile unit based on the first and second addresses. |
| US07912449B2 |
Method and system for 60 GHz location determination and coordination of WLAN/WPAN/GPS multimode devices
Within a local region, information may be communicated between two or more wireless multimode communication devices (WMCD) comprising 60 GHz band and lower frequency band wireless interfaces. Spatial relationships between devices may vary. The 60 GHz interface may handle location determination operations and data transfers. The lower frequency band may support WPAN, WLAN and may handle coordination of communications and data transfers. The WMCDs may be coupled with a network. Antennas may be directional. Moreover, the spatial orientation of the antennas may be dynamically modified or swept across a specified angle. Furthermore, intelligent and/or adaptive antenna systems may be utilized. The WMCDs may utilize a position and/or time reference system to aid in location determination operations. |
| US07912433B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating channel quality information for wireless communication
A method and apparatus for generating channel quality information, such as may be used for transmit link adaptation, provide different operating modes, such as a first mode that may be used when propagation channel estimates are not reliable, and a second mode that may be used when the propagation channel estimates are reliable. In one or more embodiments, channel quality information is generated using receiver performance information that characterizes receiver performance in terms of a defined channel quality metric, e.g., supported data rates, for different values of receiver input signal quality over a range of propagation channel realizations. Channel quality information can be generated by selecting channel quality metrics according to receiver input signal quality and a desired probability of meeting a defined performance requirement over a range of propagation channel realizations, or by selecting channel quality metrics according to receiver input signal quality and particularized propagation channel realizations. |
| US07912430B2 |
Circuit arrangement for wirelessly exchanging data and RFID chip card device
A circuit arrangement for wirelessly exchanging data with a reader device, including an antenna for converting electromagnetic radiation into an antenna voltage, an analogue circuit for demodulating an information signal based on the antenna voltage, and a digital circuit for processing of the information signal and for receiving power from the analogue circuit. The circuit arrangement also includes a decoupling circuit, which is interconnected between the analogue circuit and the digital circuit and provides a decoupling of both circuits. |
| US07912427B2 |
Single-wire multiswitch and channelized RF cable test meter
Multiple embodiments of systems for testing the delivery of satellite and cable television signals are described. |
| US07912425B2 |
Method of transmitting and receiving information of allocating uplink region in broadband wireless access
A method of receiving the uplink region allocation information is disclosed. In a broadband wireless access system, in which a mobile terminal receives uplink region allocation information, the present invention includes the steps of receiving an uplink map message from which an uplink map information element (UL-MAP IE) for a ranging region or an uplink bandwidth request region is omitted from a base station and receiving information for a region for a ranging region or uplink bandwidth request using a message periodically transmitted for a control information transmission for an uplink channel. By transmitting uplink region allocation information via a periodically transmitted message, the uplink region allocation information can be efficiently transmitted. |
| US07912421B2 |
Radio device
A mobile device for receiving supplementary information transmitted with a radio station signal, said mobile device comprising: means for scanning a spectrum of frequencies; means for detecting a plurality of radio stations broadcast within said spectrum of frequencies; means for decoding, for each of a plurality of detected radio stations, at least one piece of supplementary information broadcast in conjunction with the plurality of radio stations; means for inputting a search criterion; means for generating a set of radio stations whose supplementary information matches said search criterion; and means for selecting one of the set of radio stations whose supplementary information matches said search criterion. |
| US07912420B2 |
Change-over switch of external units of fixed aerials for satellite signal receivers
For individual reception of signals of television, radio and other services provided for by means of geostationary telecommunication satellites there is designed a change-over switch of external units of fixed aerials with a system of individual switches controlled by means of standard pulses generated by a satellite receiver. The change-over switch is provided with a command decoding unit (7), having an input (71) being connected to an output terminal (4) for connection to a satellite receiver and outputs (72) being connected to control inputs of individual switches, while the command decoding unit (7) is provided with a circuitry for a transfer of mechanical positioning equipment standard control commands to pulses controlling individual switches (2). |
| US07912418B2 |
Image-forming device
An image-forming device includes: an image-forming unit; a sheet discharge unit; a sheet support unit; and a reading unit. The image-forming unit forms images on a recording sheet. The sheet discharge unit discharges, in a sheet discharging direction, a recording sheet formed with an image by the image-forming unit. The sheet support unit is disposed above the image-forming unit, and supports sheet discharged from the sheet discharge unit. The reading unit is disposed above the sheet support unit, with an underside surface of the reading unit opposing a top surface of the sheet support unit. The sheet discharge unit is configured to discharge the sheet diagonally upwardly so that sheet discharged by the sheet discharge unit contacts the underside surface of the reading unit. |
| US07912414B2 |
Microwave and electromagnetic printing agent heating device
A heating device for heating at least one printing agent on a printing material which is moved along a transport path through said heating device includes a microwave applicator. A microwave absorber element is located in an outer perimeter of the microwave applicator. The microwave absorber element is an irradiation device that absorbs microwave radiation and emits electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic radiation can be applied to the printing agent or the printing material. |
| US07912412B2 |
Transfer-fixing device, image forming apparatus including the transfer-fixing device, and transfer-fixing method
A transfer-fixing device transfers and fixes a toner image onto a transfer-fixing surface of a recording medium, and includes a transfer-fixing member, a pressing member, a heating member, and a temperature equalization member. The transfer-fixing member carries the toner image. The pressing member pressingly contacts the transfer-fixing member to form a nip between the pressing member and the transfer-fixing member through which the recording medium passes. The heating member heats the transfer-fixing surface of the recording medium conveyed toward the nip so that the recording medium reaches the nip before a temperature of a back surface opposite the transfer-fixing surface of the recording medium increases. The temperature equalization member equalizes temperature distribution on a surface of the transfer-fixing member in a width direction of the transfer-fixing member perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording medium, after the surface of the transfer-fixing member passes the nip. |
| US07912410B2 |
Developing device, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus including a toner carrier and a voltage supply
A developing device for a toner powder cloud development system, which can achieve high image quality and can be made compact. The developing device has a two-component development unit, a toner carrier, and an alternating current power source. The toner carrier, which is arranged opposing a latent image carrier, has a plurality of electrodes disposed in a line in a prescribed direction on the surface thereof, and mutually insulated. The alternating current power source supplies a voltage such that an electric field across the plurality of electrodes is temporally switched. The inter-electrode electric field causes the toner being carried on the surface of the toner carrier to carry out hopping, thereby forming a toner powder cloud and carrying out development. The movement speed of the latent image carrier and the linear velocity of the toner carrier are set at approximately equivalent speeds. |
| US07912408B2 |
Image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and development device
An image forming apparatus includes a development device for supplying a developer containing toner and carrier to an electrostatic latent image carrying member for carrying thereon an electrostatic latent image, or a process cartridge for integrally storing the development device and the electrostatic latent image carrying member. The development device includes a conveyance path for charging and conveying the developer, and a developer carrying member for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image with the use of the developer conveyed through the conveyance path. The conveyance path includes a first conveyance member for receiving replenished toner and generating conveyance force for conveying the replenished toner and the developer in one direction, and a second conveyance member for generating conveyance force for conveying a portion of the developer conveyed by the first conveyance member in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction of the first conveyance member. |
| US07912406B2 |
Tandem photosensitive-member unit having grip part
An image-forming device includes a main body and a tandem photosensitive-member unit. The tandem photosensitive-member unit includes a unit frame, a plurality of photosensitive members, a front-side grip part, and a rear-side grip. The unit frame is configured to be slidably installed to and removed from the main body in a predetermined direction. The unit frame has a leading side and a trailing side with respect to the predetermined direction. The plurality of photosensitive members is provided corresponding to a plurality of colors and is supported by the unit frame. The front-side grip part is provided at the leading side of the unit frame. The rear-side grip part is provided at the trailing side of the unit frame. |
| US07912405B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, each provided with an image bearing member, detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus; an opening, provided in a side surface of the main assembly, for permitting insertion of the plurality of image forming units into the opening; a guide portion for guiding the plurality of image forming units toward the opening; and a projected portion, provided on the guide portion, for positioning a part of an associated image forming unit outside the opening by contacting the associated image forming unit when the associated image forming unit is inserted into the opening with an attitude different from the attitude of the associated image forming unit at the time when the associated image forming unit is disposed in the main assembly. |
| US07912403B2 |
Image forming apparatus with frame and pressing member
An image forming apparatus includes a main frame having a first driving force transmitting part, and a first electrode to supply power, a developing cartridge mounted to the main frame, and having a second driving force transmitting part engaged to the first driving force transmitting part to receive a driving force, and a second electrode electrically connected with the first electrode, and a pressing member disposed to the main frame to regulate a widthwise direction movement of the developing cartridge mounted to the main frame to guide an engagement between the first and second driving force transmitting parts, and an electrical connection between the first and second electrodes. |
| US07912401B2 |
Cleaning device and image forming apparatus including the same
A cleaning device cleans an image bearing member bearing a toner image to be transferred at a transfer position onto a sheet. The device includes a cleaning member provided on a downstream side with respect to the transfer position in a movement direction in which the image bearing member moves and configured to collect residual toner from the image bearing member, a cleaning assist member provided on an upstream or downstream side in the movement direction with respect to the cleaning member and configured to be pressed against the image bearing member to rub off the toner from the image bearing member, a cleaning mechanism configured to move the cleaning assist member away from the image bearing member at a predetermined timing to remove the toner adhered to the cleaning assist member, and a housing that houses the cleaning member, the cleaning assist member, and the cleaning mechanism. |
| US07912399B2 |
Apparatus for charging a photoconductor and cleaning a scorotron grid
An apparatus (100) useful in printing for charging a photoconductor and for cleaning a scorotron grid is disclosed. The apparatus can include a scorotron frame (110) and a scorotron charge member (120) coupled to the scorotron frame, where the scorotron charge member can be configured to generate an electric field. The apparatus can include a scorotron charging grid (130) coupled to the scorotron frame, the scorotron charging grid having a length axis, a width axis, and a height axis, and the scorotron charging grid including a scorotron charging grid surface having a plurality of openings. The apparatus can include a scorotron charging grid cleaner (140) coupled to the scorotron charging grid, where the scorotron charging grid cleaner can be configured to travel along the scorotron charging grid length axis and clean the scorotron charging grid. The scorotron charging grid cleaner can include a scorotron charging grid cleaner center and scorotron charging grid cleaner ends at opposite ends from the scorotron charging grid cleaner center along the width axis. The scorotron charging grid cleaner can extend further in a direction of the height axis at the scorotron charging grid cleaner center than at the scorotron charging grid cleaner ends. |
| US07912394B2 |
Image processing apparatus capable of carrying out image processing such that charged amount does not exceed upper limit
In a printing apparatus, a charged amount to be charged when printing is carried out under a predetermined condition is calculated in advance. If the charged amount is lower than an upper limit of the charged amount set by a user, printing is performed. Meanwhile, if the charged amount exceeds the upper limit, image processing for suppressing the charged amount or processing for changing a parameter is performed. Then, when the charged amount becomes lower than the upper limit, printing is performed. |
| US07912393B2 |
Image-forming device with a density measuring unit
An image-forming device includes an image-forming unit, a test image memory, a test image forming unit, a density measuring unit, an abnormality determining unit, a test image re-forming unit, and a density re-measuring unit. The image-forming unit forms an image on a recording medium based on inputted image data. The test image memory stores image data of test image used for calibrating density of image to be formed by the image-forming unit. The test image forming unit controls the image-forming unit to form the test image by reading image data for test image stored in the test image memory and outputting the image data to the image-forming unit. The density measuring unit measuring the density of the test image that the image-forming unit forms on the recording medium. The abnormality determining unit compares the density of test image measured by the density measuring unit with prescribed values pre-stored in association with the test images to determine whether the measured density is abnormal. The test image re-forming unit controls the image-forming unit to re-form test image determined to be abnormal by the abnormality determining unit on the recording medium by outputting image data for the test image determined to be abnormal to the image-forming unit. The density re-measuring unit measures the density of the test image that the image-forming unit re-forms on the recording medium. |
| US07912392B2 |
Image forming apparatus with glossy image printing mode
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming part, a fixer including a heating member and a pressure member, a reverse transport part to forward a recording medium transported from the fixer to the image forming part, a toner image sensor to detect presence of a toner image on the recording medium, and a controller. When a glossy image formation mode is selected and no toner image is detected on the recording medium, the image forming part does not form a toner image on the recording medium, the fixer performs a first heating and pressing process and transports the recording medium to the reverse transport part, the reverse transport part transports the recording medium to the image forming part, the image forming part forms a toner image on the recording medium transported from the reverse transport part, and the fixer performs a second heating and pressing process and fixes the toner image thereon. |
| US07912388B2 |
Printing apparatus, print control apparatus, and print control method
An apparatus operable to perform printing and connected to a control apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store paper information including paper identification information and paper attribute information, an identification unit configured to identify alternate paper information corresponding to paper information from the paper information stored in the storage unit based on paper attribute information included in the paper information corresponding to identification information transmitted from the control apparatus, and a transmission unit configured to transmit identification information included in the alternate paper information identified by the identification unit as alternate identification information to the control apparatus. |
| US07912387B2 |
Screen configuration for use in a toner concentration field measurement tool
A kit used in TC measurement in the field includes a sandwich of 3 screens used for filtration of carrier beads from toner particles within a container. An upper 400 mesh screen has die-cut holes around its edges to allow removal of any beads trapped between the upper screen and a middle 500 mesh screen. A bottom screen of coarse 20 mesh material is used for strength to support the other screens. When a vacuum source connected to a bottom portion of the container is turned ON, the carrier beads approach the screens in the center of the container. The recirculating airflow carries the carrier beads away from the upper screen at the edges. Thus, with the upper screen being die-cut with openings around its edges, these openings allow the trapped beads to return to the inner chamber of the container for removal during cleaning. |
| US07912386B2 |
Systems and methods for determining a charge-to-mass ratio, and a concentration, of one component of a mixture
Systems and methods are provided for using a sensor to determine a charge-to-mass ratio, and a concentration, of a mixture including a first component and a second component. A base resonance frequency of the sensor in an unloaded state is measured. A surface of a vibrating element of the sensor is loaded with the mixture. A first resonance frequency, of the loaded sensor is measured and a mass of the mixture is calculated. A first component is attracted to, and a second component is removed from, the vibrating element of the sensor. A second resonance frequency, and a first charge, of the sensor are measured. The first component is removed and a second charge is measured. A mass and charge of the first component are calculated. Charge to mass ratio, and the concentration, of the first component are then derived from the calculated values. |
| US07912382B2 |
Optical-electrical transmitting device
An optical-electrical transmitting device for transmitting a signal includes an electrical signal transmitting circuit which divides a transmission signal into a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal, a switching device which is electrically connected to receive and converts the first signal into an identification signal for determining the transmission signal to be one of a fast signal and a slow signal, and a selector which is electrically connected to receive the second transmission signal and the identification signal and outputs the second transmission signal to an optical waveguide when the transmission signal is determined to be the fast signal and an electrical wiring when the transmission signal is determined to be the slow signal, the optical waveguide optically connecting the electrical signal transmitting circuit to an electrical signal receiving circuit, the electrical wiring electrically connecting the electrical signal transmitting circuit to the electrical signal receiving circuit. |
| US07912381B2 |
Transmission network having an optical receiver that utilizes dual power pins and a single status pin to lower power consumption, lower manufacturing cost, and increase transmission efficiency
A communication network is provided for interconnecting a network of digital systems, such as multimedia devices. Each node of the communication network may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter of each node can be an optical receiver and transmitter. The optical receiver is preferably powered by two power supply pins, each providing different supply amounts. An activity detector within the receiver can be powered from a first supply amount, and the signal path of the optical receiver can be supplied from a second supply amount greater than the first supply amount. The first supply amount is provided at all times, and the second supply amount is only provided if activity is detected. A voltage regulator which provides the first supply amount can be beneficially embodied on the same integrated circuit as a network interface to reduce the manufacturing cost of the network. By powering the activity detector separate from the signal path, power down and power up (normal) operating states are envisioned for reducing power consumption and increasing longevity of the optical receiver and transmitter. |
| US07912371B2 |
Optical transmission device, optical transmission method, and computer product
An optical transmission device includes an input interface unit, a cross-connecting unit, and an output interface unit, and a bandwidth switching control unit, and switches bandwidths allocated to paths in a transmission channel that connects to an adjoining optical transmission device synchronously with the adjoining optical transmission device. When the bandwidths are not continuous in the transmission channel, the bandwidth switching control unit controls the input interface unit, the cross-connecting unit and the output interface unit to rearrange the non-continuous bandwidths into continuous ones. |
| US07912370B2 |
Optical power measurement apparatus and optical power measurement method
An apparatus provides measurement of power of an optical signal transmitted in a wavelength multiplexing scheme, based on the optical spectrum and the information on the optical signal. A method provides measuring the power of an optical signal transmitted in a wavelength multiplexing scheme based on the optical spectrum of the optical signal and information acquired on the optical signal. |
| US07912368B2 |
Eyepiece lens system, finder optical system, and electronic viewfinder of imaging apparatus and imaging apparatus
An eyepiece lens system for an electronic viewfinder, usable to be disposed on an optical axis between a reflective LCD of the viewfinder and a last optical surface of the viewfinder, the eyepiece lens system comprising: a first lens having a positive refractive index; a second lens having a negative refractive index; and a third lens having a positive refractive index, wherein the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are disposed in this order from a side of the LCD to a side of the last optical surface, satisfying the conditions: 18 mm |
| US07912362B2 |
Optical image stabilizing apparatus for micro-camera module
The present invention relates to an optical image stabilizing apparatus for a micro-camera module capable of effectively stabilizing an image of the camera module and implementing miniaturization of the camera module by supplying an “L”-shaped biaxial guide structure to prevent a tilt in a Y axial direction while moving an automatic focusing unit of the camera module in a horizontal X axial direction and to prevent a tilt in an X axial direction while moving the automatic focusing unit of the camera module in a horizontal Y axial direction. |
| US07912361B2 |
Image stabilizing apparatus for camera module
The present invention relates to an image stabilizing apparatus for a camera module capable of effectively stabilizing an image of the camera module, implementing miniaturization and slimness, and reducing a manufacture cost of the camera module by supplying a two-axial correction structure to perform correction in an X axial direction or an Y axial direction of an automatic focusing unit through a ball holder having upper balls and lower balls.To achieve the object, the present invention provides an image stabilizing apparatus for a camera module including; an automatic focusing unit with slide grooves having lengths in an X axial direction or in an Y axial direction perpendicular to an optical axis on a bottom surface; a driving unit for moving the automatic focusing unit in the X axial direction or the Y axial direction; a ball holder installed on the bottom surface of the automatic focusing unit and provided with upper balls slidably coupled to the slide grooves on a top surface and lower balls on a bottom surface; and a lower guide which is installed on the bottom surface of the ball holder and includes slide grooves on a top surface, wherein the slide grooves are slidably coupled with the lower balls of the ball holder and have lengths in the Y axial direction or the X axial direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the slide grooves of the automatic focusing unit. |
| US07912360B2 |
Tank system with a main tank and a melting device having a melt tank
A tank system can provide a predetermined cold start volume (VKS) of an operating liquid required by a liquid consumer after a cold start. The tank system can provide a urea solution to an SCR catalytic converter. The tank system includes a main tank with a filling opening through which the interior of the main tank can be filled with operating liquid. To melt a predetermined volume of the frozen liquid in a fast, efficient and complete manner, a melting device is provided. The melting device includes a melt tank which encloses a melting space and which comprises an inlet opening through which the melting space can be filled with the operating liquid from the interior of the main tank. The melting device includes a cold start heater for melting frozen liquid in the melting space. The melting space is at least as large as the cold start volume (VKS) and is smaller than the interior of the main tank. |
| US07912358B2 |
Alternate energy source usage for in situ heat treatment processes
Systems, methods, and heaters for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. At least one system for providing power to one or more subsurface heaters is described herein. The system may include an intermittent power source; a transformer coupled to the intermittent power source, and a tap controller coupled to the transformer. The transformer may be configured to transform power from the intermittent power source to power with appropriate operating parameters for the heaters. The tap controller may be configured to monitor and control the transformer so that a constant voltage is provided to the heaters from the transformer regardless of the load of the heaters and the power output provided by the intermittent power source. |
| US07912357B2 |
Method of and apparatus for storing a program
A method and apparatus for creating a program table that has information associated with playing a TV program and storing the program table with program data. Program packets related to the TV program are extracted from an encoded MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) and stored. A TS demultiplexer extracts the program packets related to a program desired to be stored from TS packets under control of a TS demultiplexer control unit which also extracts location information of an I-picture. A program table having information related to playing the TV program and the location information of the I-picture is generated and the program table is stored together with the TV program so that subsequent play and trick play of the stored TV program are more easily performed by referring to the program table. |
| US07912355B2 |
Information storage medium and information recording/playback system
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data. |
| US07912354B2 |
Information storage medium and information recording/playback system
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data. |
| US07912352B2 |
Playback apparatus, program and playback method
When playing an AV Clip recorded on a BD-ROM, a judgment is made, for each elementary stream, which of a plurality of predetermined conditions the elementary stream satisfies. The plurality of predetermined conditions include (a) a condition that a playback apparatus has a capability of playing the elementary stream, (b) a language attribute of the elementary stream matches a language setting of the playback apparatus, and (c) a channel attribute of the elementary stream is surround sound and the playback apparatus has a surround output capability. The playback apparatus assigns a priority to each elementary stream based on which conditions the elementary stream satisfies, selects an elementary stream having a highest priority, and plays the selected elementary stream. |
| US07912347B2 |
Information storage medium and information recording/playback system
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data. |
| US07912344B2 |
Information storage medium and information recording/playback system
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data. |
| US07912341B2 |
Information storage medium and information recording/playback system
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data. |
| US07912334B2 |
Harsh environment temperature sensing system and method
A gasification distributed temperature sensing system is disclosed. The sensing system includes a gasification vessel and a harsh environment fiber sensing cable package disposed within the gasification vessel, the sensing cable package includes a thermally conductive enclosure and at least one sensor cable including a distributed array of high-temperature fiber Bragg grating sensors, wherein the sensors are disposed and hermetically sealed within the thermally conductive enclosure. |
| US07912328B2 |
Optical waveguide EMI shield
A circuit board assembly is configured to attenuate and prevent electro-magnetic fields from interfering with operation below a desired cutoff frequency, of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) susceptible circuit board electronics disposed within a shielded enclosure, while allowing signals to be transmitted between the EMI susceptible circuit board electronics at frequencies below the desired cutoff frequency, and circuits or devices external to the shielded enclosure. |
| US07912325B2 |
Optical control element
There is provided an optical control element in which non-guided light is prevented from entering into an optical waveguide and which is excellent in optical properties, such as optical modulation properties. A media processor, such as a CD publisher, having a function as a media library.An optical control element includes: a substrate formed of a material having an electro-optical effect; and an optical waveguide formed on a top or bottom surface of the substrate. The optical waveguide has a modulation region b (s) and non-modulation regions a and c along the propagating direction of a light wave propagating through the optical waveguide. In the case when the modulation region is configured to include a single optical waveguide, propagation constants β0 to β3 of optical waveguides in the modulation region and the non-modulation region adjacent to each other are set to different values in the modulation region and the non-modulation region. In the case when the modulation region is configured to include a plurality of optical waveguides, a propagation constant of at least one of the optical waveguides in the modulation region is set to a value different from that in the non-modulation region. |
| US07912318B2 |
Data transform apparatus and control method thereof
This invention provides a lossless 4-point Hadamard transform circuit which can minimize the number of times of addition/subtraction calculations, and reduce the number of times of round processing required to convert data including a fractional part into an integer. To this end, a DC coefficient generating unit summates four input data, and shifts the summation result 1 bit to the right to halve the summation result and to round the halved result by truncating a fractional part of the result. This 1-bit shift right result is output as a DC coefficient. An intermediate data generating unit generates, as intermediate value, a difference value between one input data of the four input data and the DC coefficient obtained by the DC coefficient generating unit. An AC coefficient generating unit generates three AC coefficients by adding the intermediate data generated by the intermediate data generating unit to other three input data. |
| US07912310B2 |
System and method for scaling multiple channel and interlaced images with different offsets between channels
A system and method that scale a first image to a second image. The scaling factor between the first image and the second image may be used to determine the number of pixels from the first image to be used to produce a pixel of the second image. The number of pixels from the first image may be utilized to pre-compute coefficients of a filter to be applied to the pixels from the first image. The location of the pixels from the first image relative to the pixels of the second image may be utilized to compute the filter coefficients. The coefficients may be computed using a Sinc function. The predetermined coefficients may be organized according to the order in which the pixels from the first image are to be processed to produce the second image. |
| US07912295B1 |
Method for auto-cropping a scanned image
The present invention provides a method for dynamically refine the threshold values of R (Red), G (Green), B (Blue) colors for determining a borderline pixel in response to the values of a background image, thereby to precisely determine the borderlines of the Area of Interest (AOI). The method of the invention first searches the borderline pixels of a scanned image according to the standard differences of the R, G, B values of the pixels. Then, approximate the R, G, B threshold values of the borderline pixels by repeatedly averaging the current R, G, B values of the borderline pixels and the previous R, G, B threshold values until the difference is less than a predetermined value. The approximated R, G, B threshold values are set for the new R, G, B threshold values for determining the attribute of a pixel for subsequent prescanned images. Accordingly, the AOI can be automatically selected by reading the image circumscribed by the borderline pixels. |
| US07912293B2 |
Image processing system and image judgment method and program
An image processing system and image judgment method able to suitably judge whether or not an image includes an image of a predetermined subject to be captured as the image and a program run in the image processing system are provided. Edges of a captured image are enhanced, and an evaluation value Ev concerning intensities of edges and/or amounts of edges included in the captured image is acquired based on values of pixels included in this edge enhanced image. It is judged whether or not the captured image includes an image of a predetermined subject FG based on this acquired evaluation value Ev. It becomes possible to accurately judge if the captured image includes an image of the predetermined subject FG. Further, it is also possible to judge if the image of that subject FG is suitable for a predetermined purpose (for example a template use image of biometric authentication) in accordance with the evaluation value Ev. |
| US07912292B2 |
System and method for filtering and automatic detection of candidate anatomical structures in medical images
A system and method for determining the presence or absence of candidate objects in a digital image by computing a gradient field of the digital image and then applying predetermined filters to the gradient field to obtain a response image which can be further processed to detect the objects. The application of these filters to the digital image can be performed by convolution and the filters can be adapted based on the shape of the object to be searched. |
| US07912291B2 |
Features for retrieval and similarity matching of documents from the JPEG 2000-compressed domain
A method and apparatus for image processing is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises accessing header data from a multi-resolution codestream of compressed data of a first document image, deriving one or more retrieval attributes from the header information, and performing image analysis between the first document image and a second document image based on the one or more retrieval attributes. |
| US07912288B2 |
Object detection and recognition system
During a training phase we learn parts of images which assist in the object detection and recognition task. A part is a densely represented area of an image of an object to which we assign a unique label. Parts contiguously cover an image of an object to give a part label map for that object. The parts do not necessarily correspond to semantic object parts. During the training phase a classifier is learnt which can be used to estimate belief distributions over parts for each image element of a test image. A conditional random field is used to force a global part labeling which is substantially layout-consistent and a part label map is inferred from this. By recognizing parts we enable object detection and recognition even for partially occluded objects, for multiple-objects of different classes in the same scene, for unstructured and structured objects and allowing for object deformation. |
| US07912286B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method of image processing capable of effective labeling
A method of labeling of image data includes reading the image data sequentially with units of two successive pixels and providing one label to a target unit of two successive pixels in the image data when a preliminary label is to be assigned to at least one of the two successive pixels of the target unit. And an image processing apparatus includes a memory configured to store image data, a processor configured to process the image data with units of two successive pixels and to provide one label to a target unit of two successive pixels when a preliminary label is to be assigned to at least one of the two successive pixels of the target unit and a memory controller arranged between the memory and the processor and configured to control reading and writing the image data. |
| US07912285B2 |
Foreground/background segmentation in digital images with differential exposure calculations
A digital segmentation method and apparatus determines foreground and/or background within at least one portion of a captured image. The determining includes comparing a captured image to a pre-captured or post captured reference image of nominally the same scene. One of the images is taken with flash and the other without. The system can be implemented as part of a digital camera acquisition chain having effective computation complexity. |
| US07912280B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image processing program
There is provided an image processing apparatus for applying an adjusting process to an image including multicolor image signals. An image area including a pixel to be processed is extracted, and one representative signal value is generated from signal values corresponding to a plurality of colors of pixels included in the image area (S2501). A feature amount associated with the image area is calculated based on the representative signal value (S2503, S2505, S2511), and a substitute candidate pixel common to the plurality of colors is selected from the image area based on the calculated feature amount (S2512). Signal values of the pixel to be processed are substituted by new pixel values, which are calculated from the signal values of the pixel to be processed and signal values of the substitute candidate pixel. |
| US07912277B2 |
Data processing apparatus and data processing method
A data processing apparatus processes input data and outputs the processed data. The data processing apparatus includes a data processing section and a real-time learning section. The data processing section processes the input data by a predetermined processing method and outputs the processed data. The real-time learning section controls such that the processing method is learned in real time and the data processing section processes the input data by the learned processing method, so that the output data is improved as time elapses. |
| US07912275B2 |
Method of evaluating a photo mask and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
A method of evaluating a photo mask, includes measuring each dimension of a plurality of pattern portions of a mask pattern formed on a photo mask, obtaining an inter-pattern distance between the pattern portion and a pattern different from the pattern portion with respect to each of the pattern portions, obtaining a dimensional difference between the measured dimension of the pattern portion and a target dimension of the pattern portion with respect to each of the pattern portions, grouping the dimensional difference obtained for each pattern portion into a plurality of groups in accordance with the inter-pattern distance obtained for each pattern portion, obtaining an evaluation value based on the dimensional difference in each group with respect to each of the groups, and evaluating the photo mask based on the evaluation value. |
| US07912274B2 |
Method and device for measuring dynamic parameters of particles
The present invention relates to a method and device for measuring dynamic parameters of particles comprises applying time correlation analysis on fluctuation of the particles with respect to a detection area of a digital picture. |
| US07912273B2 |
Radiography test system and method
A system and method for monitoring degradation of a device having a metal layer and a composite layer, such as a vehicle-mounted boom arm. The system can include a collar mounted on an outer surface of the device, a radiography device movably coupled to the collar, and a monitor. The radiography device can include a source of radiography signals positioned to direct radiography signals through at least a portion of the device and a detector to detect radiography signals that have passed through the device. The monitor can be connected to the detector to display an image of the device generated from the detected radiography signals. Anomalies in the device image can represent degradation in the device. |
| US07912272B2 |
Fake document including fake currency detector using integrated transmission and reflective spectral response
A currency genuineness detection system using plurality of opto-electronic sensors with both transmission and reflective (including fluorescence) properties of security documents is developed. Both detection sensing strategies utilize integrated response of the wide optical band sensed under UV visible along with optional near infra red light illumination. A security document is examined under static condition. A window signal signature is thus possible from photodetectors responses for various kinds of documents of different denominations, kinds and country of origin. A programmable technique for checking the genuineness of a security document is possible by feeding a unique code of the currency under examination. |
| US07912270B2 |
Method and system for creating and using an impact atlas
A method and system for processing a cardiac image dataset acquired from an imaging system is provided. A location of a first potential blockage point within a first cardiac vessel is located. A functional impact of the first potential blockage point on the cardiac tissue is predicted, and a representation of the functional impact is provided. |
| US07912267B2 |
Virtual-slide specimen image acquisition apparatus
The present invention is a virtual-slide specimen image acquisition apparatus that captures images by dividing a specimen into a plurality of sections, having a conveying device in which a plurality of specimens can be arranged and that conveys the plurality of the arranged specimens in a first direction by a distance corresponding to the length of a side along the first direction in one of the divided sections and at first time intervals and an image capturing device that has an image capturing portion for capturing images of the specimens magnified at a predetermined magnification and that scans the specimens conveyed to a predetermined position in a second direction, by a predetermined length at second time intervals, such that the image capturing portion captures images of all of the sections that are positioned identically in the first direction and that are positioned differently in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. |
| US07912266B2 |
System and method for robust segmentation of tubular structures in 2D and 3D images
A method for segmenting tubular structures in medical images includes providing at least a start point and an end point in a digital image volume, minimizing an action surface U0(p) which, at each image point p, corresponds to a minimal energy integrated along a path that starts at start point p0 and ends at p, sliding back on the minimal action surface from an end point to the start point to find a minimal path connecting the terminal points, initializing a level set function with points on the minimal path, and evolving the level set function to find a surface of a structure about the minimal path, wherein the level set function is constrained to be close to a signed distance function and wherein the level set function is prevented from growing wider than a predetermined diameter R, wherein the surface about the minimal path defines a tubular structure. |
| US07912262B2 |
Image processing system and method for registration of two-dimensional with three-dimensional volume data during interventional procedures
Prior to an intervention, a 3D rotational scan is acquired (at block 10) in respect of a body volume and reconstructed. In addition, three-dimensional image data in respect of the body volume is acquired (at block 12) using another modality, such as computerised tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR), reconstructed, and prepared for visualisation. During the actual intervention, live two-dimensional fluoroscopic images are acquired (at block 14), using the imaging system employed to acquire the 3D rotational scan, and processed for visualisation. The 2D image data is registered (at block 16) to the 3D rotational image data acquired and reconstructed in respect of the body volume of interest, and then a 3D-3D registration process is employed (at block 18) to register the 3D image data acquired in respect of the same body volume using, for example, CT or MR imaging systems to the 3D rotational image data, and a display module (20) is used to align the 2D fluoroscopic image and the 3D MR/CT image as a fused or composite image and display the image. |
| US07912260B2 |
Multi-component vessel segmentation
A method and Computer Program Product for segmenting a three-dimensional digital representation of an anatomical structure, in which a temporary replacement of intensity values is performed in a specified volume with a substitute intensity value corresponding to healthy anatomical structure. The segmentation of an outer boundary of the blood vessel is performed, before the original intensity values are restored. After restoration of the original intensity values, a thorough segmentation of the specified volume and any lesions contained therein is performed. |
| US07912259B2 |
Image registration method and apparatus for medical imaging based on multiple masks
An image registration method for use in medical imaging includes the steps of: providing a sequence of images each one including a digital representation of a body-part under analysis, selecting a reference image within the sequence, the remaining images of the sequence defining moving images, and re-aligning at least one portion of a moving image with respect to the reference image. The step of re-aligning may include: defining a delimitation mask identifying a region on the reference image with which the at least one portion of the moving image has to be re-aligned, and a feature mask identifying a further region on the reference image within which the re-alignment is calculated, determining an optimized transformation for compensating a displacement of the moving image with respect to the reference image by optimizing a similarity measure, and transforming the at least one portion of the moving image according to the optimized transformation. |
| US07912255B2 |
Fingerprint processing system providing inpainting for voids in fingerprint data and related methods
A fingerprint processing system may include a fingerprint database for storing fingerprint data having at least one void therein. At least one processor may cooperate with the fingerprint database for inpainting data into the at least one void in the fingerprint data based upon propagating fingerprint contour data from outside the at least one void into the at least one void. |
| US07912249B2 |
Tomographic imaging
A method of displaying tomographic information. The method comprises defining a compact region within an imaged target and generating an image showing a part of the target encircling the compact region, wherein the compact region represents a bore to be drilled and the generated image shows a perspective view of the wall of the bore from an open end of the bore. |
| US07912246B1 |
Method and system for determining the age category of people based on facial images
The present invention is a system and method for performing age classification or age estimation based on the facial images of people, using multi-category decomposition architecture of classifiers. In the multi-category decomposition architecture, which is a hybrid multi-classifier architecture specialized to age classification, the task of learning the concept of age against significant within-class variations, is handled by decomposing the set of facial images into auxiliary demographics classes, and the age classification is performed by an array of classifiers where each classifier, called an auxiliary class machine, is specialized to the given auxiliary class. The facial image data is annotated to assign the gender and ethnicity labels as well as the age labels. Each auxiliary class machine is trained to output both the given auxiliary class membership likelihood and the age group likelihoods. Faces are detected from the input image and individually tracked. Age sensitive feature vectors are extracted from the tracked faces and are fed to all of the auxiliary class machines to compute the desired likelihood outputs. The outputs from all of the auxiliary class machines are combined in a manner to make a final decision on the age of the given face. |
| US07912244B2 |
Video fingerprinting using watermarks
Video fingerprinting using watermarks is described herein. A watermark encoder embeds a watermark into an input video to produce a watermarked video. The watermark encoder can choose particular regions of the video that are sufficiently complex for watermarking. Spatial and temporal complexity analyses can be performed on a per-pixel basis to locate suitable regions of the video. The watermarks can be embedded using a unique codeword associated with a given user. A watermark decoder can receive the watermarked video. In some instances, the watermarked video may have been attacked in some way after being output by the watermark encoder. In these instances, the watermark decoder can extract the watermark from the watermarked video. In turn, the watermark decoder can extract the codeword from the watermark, and compare the extracted codeword to a plurality of known codewords associated with respective users. |
| US07912243B2 |
Decoding device, decoding method and decoding program
A decoding device has data extracting units extracting data from an image, data occurrence frequency calculating units calculating an occurrence frequency of data on a digit-by-digit basis, weighting units setting a weight corresponding to the occurrence frequency for every reference code so that the data with a smaller occurrence frequency in the extracted data becomes a majority in a decision by a weighted majority, first decision-by-majority units deciding the detection result of the data on the basis of the decision by the weighted majority, and judging units judging whether the image is falsified or non-falsified in accordance with whether the detection code decided by the first decision-by-majority units, is correct or erroneous. |
| US07912241B1 |
Field serviceable planar loudspeaker
A push-pull magnetic-planar acoustic transducer provides easy field replacement of a diaphragm. Push-pull magnetic-planar acoustic transducers are known for the relative vulnerability of their diaphragms to damage. Replacement of the transducers in the field as been problematic because of the high repulsive force between the front and back panels and the need to obtain even tension across the diaphragm. The push-pull transducer assembly incorporates an edge hinge on which the panels can be pivoted to bring the panels into facing positions and a plurality of set screws to be fitted around the perimeter of the panels allowing essentially flat closure of the panels on one another to a working spacing engaging the diaphragm. |
| US07912239B2 |
Flat speaker
A flat speaker comprising a vibrating plate including a spiral voice coil, a lead portion extracted from the vice coil and reinforced by the reinforcing member, and an electric supply line; an edge portion supporting the vibrating plate; and a yoke, supporting the edge portion, on which the permanent magnet arranged to face the voice coil. The flat speaker 1 of the invention includes a vibrating membrane 2 of an insulating base film 3 with a spiral or meandering voice coil 4 formed on one or both faces thereof, a permanent magnet 5 arranged on corresponding location facing the voice coil 4; and a yoke 6 on which the permanent magnet 5 is arranged. The vibrating membrane 2 is avoided from hitting the permanent magnet by providing a perforated sheet on the back face of the yoke to control acoustic resistance. |
| US07912237B2 |
Microphone device with an orientation sensor and corresponding method for operating the microphone device
A directional microphone for a hearing device should be easy for the user to operate. To this end it is equipped with an orientation sensor, such that it can be controlled as a function of orientation. It is for example possible in this manner to switch it to directional operation, when it is aligned horizontally. When it is aligned vertically, the directional microphone is for example switched automatically to omni-directional operation. |
| US07912235B2 |
Capacitive microphone and method for making the same
A capacitive microphone and method for making the same are provided. A backplate with a plurality of holes is formed on a substrate with at least one cavity, and a diaphragm is formed above the backplate. There is an air gap between the backplate and the diaphragm. The air gap and the cavity communicate with each other by each hole. The diaphragm and the backplate are separated by a first distance and a second distance which is smaller than the first distance, such that the difference is formed on the diaphragm. The second distance area is fastened through surface stiction produced by mist or other fluids. |
| US07912234B1 |
Acoustic projector for propagating a low dispersion sound field
A broadband sound generator and transmitter provides minimal attenuation of sound over the distance between the generators and a point at a selected distance. The transmission component includes a parabolic dish and a positionable framework for the sound generators. The sound generators are positioned in front of the dish and oriented to direct sound into the dish for reflection toward a target. Drive signal conditioning circuitry apportion components of the drive signal to the several sound generators and adjust the signal in terms of delay and phase to accommodate changes in position of the generators relative to the dish. |
| US07912233B2 |
Speaker system for musical instruments
A speaker system for a musical instrument that detects the displacement of a voice coil of a speaker and provides feedback processing. The speaker system has a preamp that alters the frequency characteristics of the an electrical signal that has been input to an input terminal, and a power amplifier that amplifies the electrical signal. A speaker is driven by the power amplifier and a feedback unit detects the displacement of the speaker and provides a feedback signal to the power amplifier. The power amplifier amplifies the electrical signal in conformance with the output of the preamp and the feedback signal. |
| US07912220B2 |
Packetization of non-MPEG stream data in systems using advanced multi-stream POD interface
Aspects of the present invention may be found in one or more systems and/or methods to encapsulate or packetize non-MPEG and MPEG data. The encapsulation or packetization allows both the non-MPEG and MPEG data to be utilized by a set-top-box that conforms or complies with the OpenCable™ Advanced Multi-Stream POD Interface Specification and/or the OpenCable™ Multi-Stream CableCARD Interface Specification. In one embodiment, a method of processing video data, by a set-top-box that is communicatively coupled to a POD card, comprises receiving video data from a provider, first packetizing the video data using a first header to generate a first packet, wherein the first header comprises a first indicator. In one embodiment, a system for providing MPEG and non-MPEG video to a subscriber comprises a circuitry and a POD card capable of receiving, processing, and facilitating the display of non-MPEG and MPEG data. |
| US07912216B2 |
Elliptic curve cryptosystem optimization using two phase key generation
A computer-implemented method of generating an elliptic curve cryptosystem (ECC) signature includes the steps of: generating a first random key (k1) having n bits, where n is a natural number; calculating a first ECC point (V) from k1 and a base point; and storing k1 and V securely in a computer-readable medium. To digitally sign electronic data, the method further includes the steps of generating a second random key (k2), where k2 has fewer than n bits; calculating a second ECC point (Q) from V and k2; and digitally signing electronic data using Q. |
| US07912211B1 |
Portable speakerphone device and subsystem
Disclosed herein are portable teleconferencing products that implement a doubletalk detector in a low frequency range or in a frequency range commensurate with the frequencies through which sound may be efficiently transferred between a speaker and a microphone through an enclosure. Also disclosed herein are teleconferencing systems that implement a secondary doubletalk detector, a non-presumptive doubletalk detector, a confirmatory doubletalk detector, and/or a false doubletalk detector, whereby echo cancellation coefficients may be better adapted after echo path changing events through the use of accelerated coefficient adaptation or half-duplex operation until adaptation is restored. Further disclosed herein are teleconferencing products that include more than one port for communicating with distant parties or a single party and a local source of audio material, whereby one distant party is prevented from being transmitted to it private audio from another party or another audio signal while permitting a local participant to hear the private audio. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims. |
| US07912209B1 |
Managing statistical information in a contact center
Statistics relating to the operation of physical, logical and software components of a contact center are generated by or on behalf of the components themselves rather than by a statistics engine based on event notifications from the components. In this way, the locally generated statistical information can be communicated as part of presence information for such components. By subscribing to a presence service for presence information for the components of interest, a statistics service can collect the locally produced statistics coming from each component. This provides a less centralised, more dynamic and adaptable way of managing statistical information in a contact center and provides in addition alternative methods of generating alarms and alerts. |
| US07912203B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing called party information to a coverage point during survivable processor operation
Called party information is provided during survivable processor mode operation of a branch included in a distributed private branch exchange communication system for support of features that require information identifying the called party. More particularly, a coverage path for use during survivable processor operation is enabled that establishes contact with an extension or coverage point over the public switched telephony network such that operation of system appears normal to a caller. Furthermore, for a given coverage point, the same coverage path can be used for a number of extensions, reducing administrative burden. |
| US07912199B2 |
Methods and systems for remote cell establishment
Methods and systems are described for remote establishment of a call from a first device to a second device. In said methods and systems the information is retrieved from the first device regarding the second device along with information associating the user with a device associated with the user. The call is then transferred to a switch associated with the user's device. The switch then forwards the call to the second device. |
| US07912196B2 |
Voice conference apparatus, method for confirming voice in voice conference system and program product
A voice conference apparatus includes: a communication unit that transmits and receives a first voice signal to and from another apparatus via a network; an output unit that reproduces the first voice signal received by the communication unit and outputs the reproduced first voice signal as a first voice; an input unit that collects the first voice and a second voice generated by a voice source, as a second voice signal; a separating unit that separates the second voice signal into a third voice signal originated from the first voice and a fourth voice signal originated from the second voice; and a selecting unit that selects one of the third voice signal and the fourth voice signal. The communication unit transmits the one of the third voice signal and the fourth voice signal selected by the selecting unit to the other apparatus. |
| US07912194B2 |
System and method for providing caller ID service in a multi-region cable network
A system and method for providing caller ID in a multi-region cable network. Caller identifying (CID) information of an incoming VoIP call is provided to a digital telephone subscriber through a video termination device (VTD) using a path that is different from the path by which the VoIP call packets are delivered to the digital telephone subscriber. The telephone number of a digital telephone subscriber is associated with the IP address and/or MAC address of the subscriber's VTD. The called number of the incoming VoIP call is used to select the VTD to which the CID information is delivered. A message is then sent through an out-of-band channel to the digital telephone subscriber's VTD comprising the CID information for display on video display equipment. Alternatively, the VTD is DOCSIS-compliant and a message is addressed to the VTD using the IP address of the VTD DOCSIS modem. |
| US07912189B2 |
Failover voice messaging
An improved approach to failover voice messaging services is provided. In one example, a method includes detecting a network communication interruption between a branch office and a main office, provisioning a mailbox of a failover voice messaging system of the branch office, and receiving an incoming call at the branch office. The method also includes routing the incoming call to the mailbox, storing a message associated with the incoming call in the mailbox, and detecting a restored network connection between the branch office and the main office. The method further includes synchronizing the message between the mailbox of the failover voice messaging system of the branch office and a corresponding mailbox of a voice messaging system of the main office in response to the restored network connection. Failover voice messaging systems supporting such features are also provided. |
| US07912187B1 |
Transcoding voice to/from text based on location of a communication device
A device, method, and system for routing communications to an output of a communications device, such as a mobile telephone, based on the format of an incoming communication and an output mode of the communications device is disclosed. An incoming speech communication can be delivered to a speaker output or forwarded to a format converter to create a text communication that can be delivered to a display output. An incoming text communication can be delivered to a display output or forwarded to a format converter to create a speech communication for delivery to a speaker output. The output mode of the communication device can be set according to device settings, application settings, or location of the device, or a combination thereof. The invention provides new delivery options for communications which can be more appropriate for a location or current use of the communication device than those previously available. |
| US07912186B2 |
Selectable state machine user interface system
A system that concurrently provides multiple user interface (UI) mechanisms that facilitate control of an application state machine (e.g., unified message system). More particularly, the invention can create two relatively distinct user experiences, one via dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) navigation and another through speech recognition navigation of a unified message system. In accordance therewith, one single underlying state machine can be used. Navigation and flow control (e.g., state transitions) in the state machine can be leveraged by multiple UI mechanisms that actively co-exist. The invention introduces speech recognition features together with other input mechanisms to drive the UI of an application state machine (e.g., unified messaging system). The speech recognition UI can be designed to provide a natural navigation through the application independent of a DTMF UI. |
| US07912177B2 |
X-ray radiographic method of recognition of materials and device for its realization
An efficient X-ray radiographic method for recognition of materials of inspected objects and a corresponding device with improved functional possibilities are proposed, ensuring direct determination of the effective atomic number Zeff of the material, its density and thickness, as well as chemical composition. In customs inspection this should ensure practically unambiguous identification of explosives and drugs, and in medical tomography—early diagnostics of cancer tumors, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and other dangerous and widespread diseases. The method includes X-raying of the inspected objects and recording of the transmitted radiation in several different spectral ranges with different effective energy by multi-element radiation receivers. For this purpose, quasimonochromatic X-ray radiation is used, and detection of radiation transmitted through the inspected object is made by spatially separated multi-element radiation receivers of selective sensitivity, upon each of which quasimonochromatic radiation of specified energy is directed. The background signal values in the absence of the inspected object are pre-recorded for each of said receiver elements under X-ray irradiation of specified energy, and signal values obtained in X-raying of a set of test objects are recorded. All the obtained signals are then normalized with respect to said background signals, and calibration constants are determined, after which the material is recognized by the obtained radiographic reflexes accounting for said calibration constants using special algorithms. |
| US07912175B2 |
X-ray CT apparatus and X-ray CT scanning method
The present invention is directed to realize an X-ray CT apparatus for properly performing contrast imaging. An X-ray CT apparatus includes an imaging unit and a control unit for controlling the imaging unit. The control unit includes: a first control unit for performing a monitoring scan to monitor arrival of a contrast agent at a region of interest in a start position of a main scan in an imaging range of the main scan that is set along the body axis of the subject or a first monitoring position that is set before the start position in a scan progress direction and, on arrival of the contrast agent, starting the main scan; and a second control unit for monitoring whether or not the contrast agent has reached a region of interest in a second monitoring position provided on the forward side of the start position of the main scan in the imaging range in the scan progress direction on arrival of the main scan at the second monitoring position, when the contrast agent has reached the second monitoring position, continuing the main scan and, when the contrast agent has not reached the second monitoring position yet, performing a monitoring scan for monitoring arrival of the contrast agent. |
| US07912172B2 |
Programmable divider apparatus and method for the same
A programmable divider apparatus comprises a first divider, a second divider, a feedback control unit, and a plurality of control signals. The first divider provides a frequency division operation of division by at least three integers, the second divider is cascaded to the first divider to provide a frequency division operation of division by two integers. The feedback control unit is coupled to between the first divider and the second divider to provide a feedback control signal to selectively supply an output of the second divider to an input of the first divider. The apparatus control signals and the feedback control signal are used to execute the first divider or the second divider. |
| US07912170B2 |
Protection systems for nuclear boiling water reactors
A protection system for a nuclear boiling water reactor may include a device configured to monitor reactor power; a device configured to monitor reactor pressure; a device configured to determine a power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint, based on the monitored reactor power; and a device configured to initiate a protection system action when the monitored reactor pressure is greater than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint. The power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to at least one value of percent power in an operating domain of the reactor may be less than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to 100% reactor power. |
| US07912169B2 |
Synchronization device and semiconductor device
An apparatus for performing a channel-to-channel delay correction and frame synchronization with low latency includes, on each of a plurality of channels, a clock-and-data recovery circuit, a frequency divider circuit, a circuit for detecting the phase difference between the phase of the frequency-divided clock signal and the phase of a clock signal, a serial-to-parallel converter circuit, a register array for holding the parallel output of the serial-to-parallel converter circuit, and a frame-head detector for detecting a frame head from the output of the register array and outputting a frame detection signal. A last-frame-head detector receives the frame detection signals from each of the channels and detects a channel on which the frame head was detected last. The frame head detected last, the phase of the internal clock signal, and the phase of a frequency-divided clock of a retiming clock of the channel are adjusted to substantially coincide. |
| US07912167B2 |
Clock and data recovery circuit
A clock and data recovery circuit includes a four-phase generation circuit that generates four-phase clock signals with phases thereof being equally spaced by 90 degrees, a first interpolator and a second interpolator, each of which receives two of the clocks with phases thereof separated to each other by 180 degrees, performs phase interpolation, and outputs a signal obtained by the interpolation and a signal with a phase reverse to a phase of the interpolated signal. A four-phase to eight-phase conversion circuit receives the four-phase clocks from the first and second interpolators, buffers the four-phase clock signals output from the first interpolator and the second interpolator and outputs the buffered four-phase clock signals without alteration, and generates four-phase clocks each obtained by interpolation of two of the clock signals with the mutually adjacent phases among the four-phase clock signals output from the first interpolator and the second interpolator. |
| US07912165B2 |
Digital receiver synchronization
A method is disclosed, including identifying a preamble in a frame, where the preamble has a preamble length 1. M data items received in succession are stored. The m data items once divided into n portions, where the data items in each portion have respectively been received at successive times and where m and n are natural numbers and the following applies to m and n: m>n, m>1, n>1. The n portions are respectively correlated to the expected values to form component correlation results. Delaying the component correlation results, with at least two component correlation results being delayed by different lengths. The method also includes combining the delayed component correlation results to form a total correlation value. The total correlation value is used to determine whether the m received data items contain the preamble of a frame. |
| US07912163B2 |
Wireless receiving device having low power consumption and excellent reception performance
The A/D converter changes sampling timing of a received signal in a synchronization acquisition mode and a synchronization tracking mode. The A/D converter generates an internal clock of a sampling frequency eight times a symbol rate under the control of the clock control unit in the synchronization acquisition mode. On the other hand, in the synchronization tracking mode, the A/D converter generates an internal clock with a symbol point and one each point before and after the symbol point as sampling timing under the control of the clock control unit. The A/D converter further corrects the sampling timing of the symbol point based on the squares of the maximum value of a correlation value between the received signal and a reference signal and the absolute values of correlation values before and after the maximum value. |
| US07912154B2 |
Baseband process method based on doubling sampling
A baseband processing method based on double sampling, including: subjecting a received signal to root raised cosine-filtering process; sampling said signal; conducting channel estimation for every user based on the sampled data; and conducting multi-user joint detection and demodulation for said data. Wherein, the step of sampling said signal includes the following steps: conducting double sampling for said signal, and the interval of the sampling being ½ chip; each chip selecting the average value of two sampling values as the sampling value of the chip; assembling the sampling value of every chip into a data stream. According to the present invention, in the case that the complexity of computation is not increased and only the memory space is doubled, the gain of the received signal in the system is improved effectively, especially when the synchronization of signals is bad, relatively large gain of the signals can be obtained, the system delay is reduced, and the real-time property of signal processing is improved. The method according to the present invention is suitable to the mobile communication system in a bad communication environment. |
| US07912153B2 |
System and method of performing digital multi-channel audio signal decoding
A system and method are disclosed for performing digital multi-channel decoding of a BTSC composite audio signal. Each subsequent stage of the digital multi-channel decoding process is performed at the lowest sampling rate that yields acceptable performance for that stage. Analog-to-digital conversion of the composite audio signal is performed first to generate a composite digital audio signal. After analog-to-digital conversion, all signal processing may be performed in the digital domain. The composite digital audio signal is digitally filtered to frequency compensate for variations caused by previous stages of processing, including IF demodulation. Digital channel demodulation and filtering are performed to isolate single channels of the composite digital audio signal such as SAP, L−R, and L+R channels. SAP and L−R channels are DBX decoded resulting in corresponding decoded signals using a unique combination of digital filters that are an efficient translation of a corresponding combination of analog filters. |
| US07912150B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving data in a CDMA mobile communication system
A method and apparatus for receiving data produced by mapping high-priority bits to a high-reliability bit position and low-priority bits to a low-reliability bit position in symbols, in a receiver in a mobile communication system. The apparatus includes a demodulator for demodulating the high-priority bits from the high-reliability bit position and the low-priority bits from the low-reliability bit position in the symbols; a position exchange for exchanging the position of the high-priority bits with the position of the low-priority bits in an original order if a transmitter has exchanged the bit positions; a controller for controlling the positions of the high-priority bits and the low-priority bits according to whether the transmitter has exchanged the bit positions; and a combiner for combining the high-priority bits and the low-priority bits with previously received same bits. |
| US07912149B2 |
Synchronization and segment type detection method for data transmission via an audio communication system
A system and method for asynchronous data communication over a cellular communications network that allows the transmission of different types of data frames over a voice channel using a vocoder. The data frames include a synchronization signal and data segment, with the synchronization signal being selected in accordance with an attribute of the data segment so that, upon receipt of the data frame, the synchronization signal can be used by the demodulating modem to determine not only where the data segment begins, but also to identify what type of data segment is in the received data frame. The synchronization signals used have low cross-correlation and an auto-correlation function that approximates a unit impulse function to provide reliable transmission through the vocoder. |
| US07912147B2 |
Compress-forward coding with N-PSK modulation for the half-duplex Gaussian relay channel
Systems and methods that implement compress-forward (CF) coding with N-PSK modulation for the relay channel are disclosed, where N is greater than or equal to two. In the CF scheme, Wyner-Ziv coding is applied at the relay to exploit the joint statistics between signals at the relay and the destination. Quantizer design and selection of channel code parameters are discussed. Low-density parity check (LDPC) codes are used for error protection at the source, and nested scalar quantization (NSQ) and irregular repeat accumulate (IRA) codes for Wyner Ziv coding (or more precisely, distributed joint source-channel coding) at the relay. The destination system decodes original message information using (a) a first signal received from the source in a first interval and (b) a second signal that represents a mixture of transmissions from the source and relay in the second interval. |
| US07912144B2 |
Integrated modulators and demodulators
A modulating means for modulating and/or demodulating data for transmission from a first device to a second device, wherein the modulating means is capable of modulating and/or demodulating data according to at least a first and a second modulation technique. |
| US07912141B2 |
Pre-coding method for MIMO system and apparatus using the method
A pre-coding method for a MIMO system and an apparatus using the same are described. In the method, a receiver determines a corresponding codebook from a multi-codebook including multiple codebooks according to a location of a resource block, selects a corresponding codeword index from the determined codebook and transmits the index to a transmitter; the transmitter determines the corresponding codebook from the multi-codebook including multiple codebooks according to the location of the resource block where transmission data is to be transmitted, selects a corresponding codeword from the determined codebook according to the codeword index and performs pre-coding for the transmission data with the selected codeword. The pre-coding is performed with the multi-codebook in the present invention, which increases a diversity of pre-coding matrixes, so dynamic fluctuation range of a equivalent channel is improved and thus the performance of multi-user scheduling is enhanced effectively. |
| US07912133B2 |
Method and device for transmitting uplink signal including data and control information via uplink channel
A method and device for transmitting a first and second uplink signal, each having data and control information is provided. The method includes channel encoding the control information of the second uplink signal based on a number of symbols of control information to produce. The channel encoding includes determining the number of symbols in accordance with a payload size of the data of the first uplink signal and a total number of transmissible symbols of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) of the first uplink signal. |
| US07912129B2 |
Uni-modal based fast half-pel and fast quarter-pel refinement for video encoding
A method of half-pixel interpolation and quarter-pixel interpolation are adapted for reducing the impact of aliasing within motion estimation. To estimate a motion vector with quarter-pixel accuracy more efficiently, the improved method is able to skip checking certain points using the uni-modal assumption. In an embodiment, a diamond based refinement is implemented. Within the diamond based refinement are half-pel refinement and quarter-pel refinements. Furthermore, within the half-pel refinement are methods for on-the-fly interpolation and pre-computed interpolation. Within quarter-pel refinement, the method depends on whether four neighbor half-pel points are checked or just one or two half-pel points. Moreover, within each of the different embodiments is the ability to focus on quality or speed wherein different methods are implemented to maximize the desired function. In another embodiment, a square based refinement is implemented. |
| US07912122B2 |
Picture coding method, picture decoding method, picture coding apparatus, picture decoding apparatus
The picture coding method according to the present invention is a picture coding method for coding a picture on a block-by-block basis through orthogonal transformation and quantization, and coding a quantization matrix that is used to derive quantization steps for frequencies of orthogonal transformation coefficients, the method comprising: calculating a difference value between each of frequency components included in the quantization matrix and a predetermined value corresponding to said each of the frequency components; and coding the difference value into a variable length code, wherein a code length of the variable length code is shorter as the difference value is smaller, or equal to a code length of a neighboring difference value of said difference value. |
| US07912121B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing video signal
An apparatus for processing a video signal with N frames is provided. The apparatus includes an encoding module and a selecting module. The encoding module performs a 1st through a Nth encoding procedure. The 1st through the Nth encoding procedure respectively encodes the 1st through the Nth frame among the N frames in a full-image-encoding mode, encodes other frames in an adaptive-image-encoding mode, and calculates the data amount of the N encoded frames in each encoding procedure, respectively. The selecting module selects the N encoded frames with the smallest data amount among the encoding procedures been performed. |
| US07912119B2 |
Per-survivor based adaptive equalizer
A method used in an adaptive survivor based channel equalizer, the method comprises selecting at a decision time a survivor in a Viterbi trellis and a corresponding equalizer, adaptively updating at the decision time the corresponding equalizer to define a new corresponding equalizer for use at a next decision time, retrieving the new corresponding equalizer as defined at an earlier decision time, and using the new corresponding equalizer as defined at an earlier decision time as an equalizer for other survivors in the Viterbi trellis at the next decision time. A corresponding adaptive survivor based channel equalizer includes a fixed pre-filter configured to provide a pre-filtered signal to a reduced state sequence estimator (RSSE) which is configured for providing recovered symbols. A coefficient adaptor is coupled to the RSSE and configured to essentially perform the method. |
| US07912115B2 |
Method and system for processing reference signals in OFDM systems using transmission time interval groupings
A method and system processes reference signals (115) for an uplink channel (103) between a transmitter, such as user equipment, and a receiver such as a base station, in a wireless communication network. A sequence of symbols to be transmitted is converted to a sequence of sub frames. The sequence of sub frames is grouped into groups of sub frames. Each sub frames includes at least two time-adjacent sub frames, and reference signals are inserted in a subset of the sub frames. |
| US07912113B2 |
Techniques for estimating received signal strength and carrier to interference and noise ratio in OFDM systems
A technique for determining a received signal strength indicator of a target base station at a subscriber station includes performing a discrete Fourier transform on a received signal to provide a transformed signal. In this case, the transformed signal occupies one or more segments of a channel and the one or more segments each include multiple subcarriers. A shift-n cross-correlation is calculated based on the transformed signal and a preamble sequence of the target base station to provide a coarse received signal strength indicator for the target base station. |
| US07912111B2 |
Dynamic switching of carrier tracking loops without loss of tracking information
A method of dynamic switching of a plurality of carrier loops in a radio receiver. The method comprises: (A) receiving a radio signal from a radio source by using a carrier tracking loop; (B) substantially continuously estimating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received radio signal from the radio source; (C) if the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received radio signal from the radio source is above an initial predetermined threshold, performing carrier tracking of the received carrier signal by an initial carrier tracking loop having an initial accumulation period; and (D) if the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received radio signal from the radio source falls below the initial predetermined threshold; switching from the initial carrier tracking loop having the initial accumulation period to a subsequent carrier tracking loop having a subsequent accumulation period. |
| US07912110B2 |
Base station apparatus, wireless communication system and frequency assignment method
A frequency band FC assigned to a first wireless communication system and the frequency bands F1, . . . , Fm assigned to a second wireless communication system are set up for a base station apparatus 100. The base station apparatus 100 periodically performs a frequency detection process A to detect whether or not the frequency bands F1, . . . , Fm are usable for the communication with a mobile station 201. When the base station apparatus 100 and the mobile station 201 are communicating, the base station apparatus determines whether or not the frequency band used for the communication should be changed from FC to F1, . . . , Fm in accordance with its communication status. If it is determined that the frequency band should be changed, the frequency band used for the communication is changed to the frequency band determined as usable through the frequency detection process A. |
| US07912109B1 |
Spread spectrum frequency synthesizer with first order accumulation for frequency profile generation
A frequency synthesizer is described illustrating a system and method for modulation. In particular, the frequency synthesizer includes a control circuit for producing a plurality of input signals that is scalable to a frequency profile. Each of the input signals includes a slope and a direction of the slope. An accumulator is coupled to the control circuit and receives the plurality of input signals. The accumulator sums the plurality of input signals to generate a standard curve. A frequency spreading control pattern generation modulator is coupled to the accumulator and modulates the standard curve to generate the desired frequency profile. |
| US07912108B2 |
Laser emitting material, method for making the same and use thereof
A solid-state laser emitting material for use in conjunction with a light source includes a polymer matrix functioning as host materials, containing laser dye of rhodamine 590 or rhodamine 610 as gain materials and nano-submicron particles as scatters therein. The lowest lasing threshold of the laser emitting material is approximately 5 mJ/cm2 for 585 nm emission and 2 mJ/cm2 for 630 nm emission. |
| US07912106B2 |
Enhanced surface-emitting photonic device
A surface-emitting photonic device including a structure disposed therein to enhance a performance thereof. The structure includes a two dimensionally periodic second order distributed feedback device (DFB) to emit diffraction limited outcoupled laser light having a predetermined wavelength along a propagation direction that is substantially normal to a plane of the DFB, and a first order distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) coplanar with, adjacent to and surrounding the DFB, a geometry of the DBR being selected such that a bandgap of the DBR is maximized and centered around the predetermined wavelength of the emitted light, a substrate, and either an optical gain layer, or a semi-conductor quantum well laser disposed within the substrate. |
| US07912096B2 |
Add/drop multiplexer and interface
An add/drop multiplexer where a first signal converter converts first-low-order-group signals received from DSn network, into high-order-group signals, which are transferred to SDH (SONET) network and to which second-low-order-group signals, slower in transmission speed than the first-low-order-group signals are added. A second signal converter converts high-order-group signals, received from SDH (SONET) network, into first-low-order-group signals. A selector selectively outputs first-low-order-group signals received from the DSn network, or first-low-order-group signals obtained by the second signal converter, as the input signals to the first signal converter. |
| US07912092B2 |
Systems and methods for transmitting a transmission time interval signal with staggered reference signals
A method for transmitting a transmission time interval signal in a cellular network is described. A multiplexed data signal is received. A demultiplexer is applied to the data signal. The data signal from the demultiplexer is encoded. A linear transform is applied to the data signal. A plurality of uplink transmission time interval signals, which include the data signal, are reformatted. The placement of one or more reference signals are staggered within each of the plurality of transmission time interval signals. Each of the plurality of uplink transmission time interval signals are transmitted. |
| US07912087B2 |
Capacity variable link apparatus and capacity variable link setting method
A capacity variable link apparatus including a main signal system and a control signal system is provided. The main signal system includes: an upper layer signal accommodation part; a lower layer path termination part; and a signal switching part for dividing the upper layer signal to lower layer signals in a lower layer path group having a capacity that is determined according to an amount of traffic of the upper layer signal. The control system includes: a traffic amount measuring part for measuring the amount of traffic of the upper layer and for determining whether the capacity of the lower layer path group is to be increased or decreased according to the amount; and a signal switching management part for controlling the signal switching part according to the result of the determination. |
| US07912083B2 |
Techniques for reducing a cell identification falsing rate in a wireless communication system
A technique of operating a wireless communication device includes selecting, from a primary sequence group that includes respective primary sequences, one of the respective primary sequences as a first portion of a cell identification (ID). In this case, the respective primary sequences are each associated with respective secondary sequence subgroups included in a secondary sequence group. Each of the respective secondary sequence subgroups include secondary sequences. One of the secondary sequences is selected (from one of the respective secondary sequence subgroups that is associated with the selected one of the respective primary sequences) for a second portion of the cell ID. At least some of the secondary sequences are only included in one of the respective secondary sequence subgroups. The first portion of the cell ID is encoded on a first downlink waveform that is to be transmitted and the second portion of the cell ID is encoded on a second downlink waveform that is to be transmitted. The first and second downlink waveforms are then transmitted. |
| US07912080B2 |
Cyclical time-based communication system, user in such a system and transmission method
The invention relates to a cyclical time-based communication system, for the transmission of useful data (DATA) between users of the system, which comprises a databus and users connected thereto. The data transmission occurs within cyclical repeating timeframes, each with at least two timeslots. Each timeslot is provided for the transmission of a message (Ni). A message (Ni) comprises at least part of the useful data (DATA) and each message (Ni) is provided with a code (ID). The bandwidth available for data transmission may be better utilized, if the code (ID) is placed within the message (Ni) as a part thereof, each message (Ni) is additionally provided with time information concerning the timeslot which may be extracted from the code and at least one of the timeslots within the timeframes may be used for transmission of various messages in various cycles. In a preferred embodiment the information relating to the current cycle comprises an ordinal number for the cycle. In the simplest case the number has two values 0 and 1. Even and odd cycles can thus be differentiated. The ordinal number may be increased to differentiate more cycles from each other. The transmission method is preferably based on the FlexRay protocol. |