| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07913484B2 |
Catalytic burner apparatus for stirling engine
The invention provides a method for transferring heat by conduction to the internal heat acceptor of an external combustion engine. Fuel and air are introduced and mixed to form an air/fuel mixture. The air/fuel mixture is directed into a catalytic reactor that is positioned substantially adjacent to the heater head. Heat is transferred via conduction from the catalytic reactor to the heater head and the catalytic reaction products are exhausted. |
| US07913483B2 |
Embedded type system positioning spinning method
On each draft element of a ring spinning frame, two pieces of short-staple roving from the roving bobbin enter into the draft mechanism to be drafted though a guide funnel in parallel, two pieces of filament are fed from the back of the front roller, and combine with two pieces of roving at front jaw respectively. The drafted two pieces of roving and filament are output from the front jaw and enter into the twisting triangle area to be twisted, and then are wound onto a yarn bobbin to produce yarn. Based on the relative position of the two pieces of roving and two pieces of filament, different yarns can be produced. Furthermore, multi-component yarn, such as core structure, wrapped structure, strand-like structure, can be produced on a ring spinning frame. The structure of yarn can be precisely determined. Special fiber yarn can be produced on traditional spinning frame. |
| US07913481B2 |
Adjustable cutterbar travel range for a flexible cutterbar header
A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain. |
| US07913480B2 |
Row unit for an agricultural harvester
A row unit for an agricultural harvester includes left and right row unit arms that are fixed together with the shaped support. The shaped support is bent to extend across the top of the row unit arms and down the outside vertical surfaces of the row unit arms. The shaped support is welded to the outside vertical surfaces of the row unit arms. |
| US07913474B2 |
Apparatus for inflating tube film for manufacturing packaging material, and a method for inflating tube film with such apparatus
An apparatus for inflating film for manufacturing packaging material in situ, wherein the apparatus comprises an inflating unit, a film conveying provision, a sealing unit and a film receiving means for receiving a film roll, wherein the apparatus is a compact apparatus with a relatively small footprint and wherein the inflating unit, film conveying provision and the sealing unit are provided in a central unit on the apparatus and are operatively positioned with respect to a center of the film to be inflated and sealed viewed in a direction at right angles to a film conveying direction, wherein the film to be inflated is operatively engaged only in or near the center thereof by the central unit, for inflating the film from or from near the center, then sealing the film tight and conveying it, as well as a method for manufacturing packaging material. |
| US07913473B2 |
Method for placing and mechanically connecting panels
The invention relates to a method for laying and mechanically connecting panels in rows parallel to one another. The method includes forming a super panel comprising a first plurality of panels in a first panel row, to be newly laid, the super panel being formed by connecting together second pairs of locking elements in adjacent panels of the first panel row. The method also includes connecting the super panel to a second plurality of panels in an already laid second panel row by working in sections, beginning at an end of the super panel, by utilizing a torsional flexibility of the super panel to engage the first pair of locking elements. During the connecting, the first plurality of panels do not move relative to each other along the second pair of edges. |
| US07913471B2 |
Locking system and flooring board
A locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards. For horizontal mechanical joining there is a projecting portion with a locking element which cooperates with a locking groove in an adjacent board. A tongue-and-groove joint for vertical mechanical joining has cooperating upper abutment surfaces and cooperating lower abutment surfaces which are essentially parallel with the principal plane of the floorboards and of which the lower abutment surfaces are positioned essentially outside the outer vertical plane, i.e. displaced relative to the upper abutment surfaces. The tongue is movable at an angle into the groove and the locking element is insertable into the locking groove by mutual angular movement of the boards about the joint edges. |
| US07913467B2 |
Structural reinforcements
The present invention is predicated upon the provision of systems and methods for reinforcement of a structural member. More particularly, the present invention is predicated upon unique carrier configurations and application of reinforcing material thereto. In one configuration, the application of reinforcing material is achieved without the use of fasteners, adhesives, or both, for placement, locating and restrictive movement of the reinforcing material onto the carrier. |
| US07913452B1 |
Plant pot arrangement
A plant stand positioning plant pots in a cascading arrangement. The plant stand includes a pole, a first brace, and a second brace. The pole has a lumen and a plurality of perforations there through. The first brace and the second brace each have an aperture to allow the braces to be slid over the pole and the braces are then received inside of the base plant pot. Multiple plant pots can then be stacked over the pole in an alternating arrangement. Water is delivered to the plants in the pots by flowing through the lumen and out the perforations in the pole. |
| US07913446B1 |
Fishing tackle and lure holder
A fishing tackle and lure holder is provided wherein the holder comprises a cylindrical sleeve having upper and lower open ends. A base is detachably secured to the lower end of the sleeve. The diameter of the base is greater than the diameter of the sleeve such that the base extends outwardly from the sleeve to provide a stable support for the sleeve. An array of hook apertures are formed into the upper portion of the sleeve. Specifically, at least two sets of hook apertures are formed or cut into the upper portion of the sleeve. Each hook aperture is designed to receive and hold a hook associated with a fishing tackle or a lure. This will permit a series of fishing tackle and lures to be suspended in an organized fashion around the sleeve of the holder. |
| US07913439B2 |
Accessory mount
An accessory mount for a rifle for mounting a scope at an offset angle and a flashlight without obscuring the open sight of the rifle. |
| US07913437B2 |
Room occupancy indicator
A tamper-resistant indicator is disclosed. The indicator includes a front panel configured to be located on an outside surface of a door. The indicator also includes a back panel configured to be located on an inside surface of the door. The indicator also includes a turning indicator, including a springy living hinge, wherein said turning indicator has a front part disposed on the front panel and a back part disposed on the back panel, and the two parts communicate with each other via a rotatable axis or shaft member configured to pass through an opening bored through the door, and wherein the axis or shaft member is coupled between the front and back parts of the indicator, such that rotation of the back part of the indicator rotates the axis or shaft member, which in turn rotates the front part of the indicator. |
| US07913436B2 |
Omnibearing display system of integrated display screens
An omni-directional display technology allows for obtaining better display effect and more rational dynamical structure through adopting the assembly of two or more rotating and symmetrical configurable structure of display which is fitted with a blankoff device, comprising: one chassis (12), one rotating display part consisting of a display (1) which is fitted with a blankoff device (3) in front of the display plane, and one vertical rotary driving device (11) fitted on the chassis. This driving device is connected to the rotating display part, comprised of two or more displays which are equipped with blankoff devices and distributed around the vertical axial line, which will, when driven by the vertical rotary driving device, rotate around a vertical axial line (L) and thus realize omni-directional display. This display system is featured by high display brightness, low rotating speed, fine integrity, rational dynamical structure, safe and reliable running, and other advantages. |
| US07913433B2 |
Measures for keeping a degree of contamination of a steam generator including its contents below a predetermined maximum
A steam ironing device includes a steam iron, a steam generator for generating steam and supplying steam to the steam iron, and a supply device for supplying water to the steam generator. During operation of the steam ironing device, scale is formed in the steam generator, and the water in the steam generator gradually gets contaminated with ions. In order to clean the steam generator and replace the water with fresh water, the steam generator is regularly subjected to an auto-rinsing process. A moment at which this process needs to take place is a moment at which an amount of scale and/or a concentration of ions have exceeded a predetermined maximum. The amount of scale and/or the concentration of ions are indirectly monitored by keeping account of a total quantity of water that has been supplied to the steam generator since a set starting point. |
| US07913425B2 |
Convertible traction shoes
A convertible shoe having a shoe body and a shoe sole. An air channel formed in said shoe sole including pressurized air inlet and air exhaust. An elongated pocket or multiple individual pockets in the bottom of the shoe sole and along said air channel. A flexible wall portion between said air channel and pocket that expands into the pocket(s) upon pressurization of said air channel. A protrusion affixed to said flexible wall portion and which extends out of said pocket and into engagement with a support surface when said air channel is pressurized. |
| US07913424B1 |
Footwear
A shoe structure having an exterior upper, an interior upper, an insole and an outsole. The interior upper has an upper opening with a peripheral edge at the upper end of the interior upper and a lower opening with a peripheral edge at the lower sole-side end of the interior upper, with the interior upper also having a rear or heel area, two side areas and a front area with a seam running between the upper and lower openings. The seam runs from the upper opening on the one side over the front area to the lower opening on the other side. |
| US07913412B2 |
Contour measuring probe
A contour measuring probe includes an air guide, a sliding member and a probe tip. The air guide defines a guide hole. The sliding member is slidably received in the guide hole. The probe tip is fixed on an end of the sliding member. A cross-section of the sliding member is non-circular, and the guide hole is a non-circular hole, such that the sliding member slides only along an axis of the air guide. |
| US07913410B2 |
Device for measuring overall length of a firearm
A measuring device for measuring the overall length of a firearm is constructed with a rectangular base with a back plate affixed perpendicular to the base. One end of the base is fixed with a plate attached perpendicular to the base. The other side of the device has a movable plate that rides back and forth on a rail. Underneath the rail is a ruler which is used to read the overall length of the firearm. The design of the fixture will allow for repeatable measuring of firearms. Also, the sliding plate ensures the furthest point of the firearm is that being measured regardless of the angle at which the barrel is cut. |
| US07913403B1 |
Reciprocating pruning saw
An apparatus for the cutting of tree limbs includes an extensible drive shaft that is detachably-attachable at one end to a portable electric drill and is secured to a housing at an opposite end thereof. The housing converts the rotary motion that is supplied by the drill into reciprocating motion of a saw blade and it disposes the saw blade at an angle with respect to the drive shaft that is slightly less than 90 degrees. An extensible two-part cylindrical outer sleeve covers the drive shaft and is detachably-attached at one end thereof to the drill and at an opposite end to the housing. A hook is provided in the housing and is used to grab and urge severed limbs where desired. An optional clamping mechanism is attached to the housing and is used initially to urge the blade and the limb toward each other during cutting and then to retain the limb proximate the housing after it has been cut for controlled placement and safe release of the limb. |
| US07913402B2 |
Coating for cutting implements
A cutting implement having a cutting blade and a coating is provided. The coating has titanium chromium nitride and provides the blade with a satin silver appearance. In some embodiments, the titanium chromium nitride coating has a thickness in a range between about 0.3 microns and 0.5 microns, a surface roughness in a range of about 15 to 25×10−6 inch/inch, and a hardness in a range of about 5.7 to 9.1 gigapascals. |
| US07913400B2 |
Compact bolt cutter with improved mechanical advantage
(FIG. 1) shows an improved bolt cutting tool comprising left and right cutting jaws (10) that are closed by handles (12A and 12B). As handles (12A and 12B) are separated, jaw (10) opens to allow the material to be cut to enter. The cutting handles (12A and 12B) are closed, utilizing a partially threaded rod (14) and rotational handle (16) to draw them closed. (FIG. 2). |
| US07913397B2 |
Folding pocket utility knife
A folding pocket utility knife includes a front handle, and a rear handle pivotally mounted to the front handle via a pivot. The rear handle contains a cavity configured to contain at least a portion of the front handle within the cavity. A blade holder is mounted inside the front handle for holding a blade, and a bendable blade strap is attached to the blade holder and to the rear handle. The blade strap extends around an outer circumference of the pivot to move the blade holder from a closed position where the front handle is in the cavity and the blade is completely within the front handle, to an open position where the front handle is not in the cavity and the blade extends from a terminal end of the front handle. |
| US07913393B2 |
Safety razor with multi-pivot blade unit
A safety razor blade unit mounted for pivotal movement relative to a razor handle about a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to a blade mounted in the blade unit. The blade unit is biased to a rest position by a magnetic return force generated by a set of magnetic elements. The set of magnetic elements are so disposed that the return force increases as the pivotal displacement of the blade unit from the rest position increases. |
| US07913392B2 |
Automatic shaving apparatus system
A shaving apparatus system includes an electrically actuated and starting and shutting off device for improved shaving comfort. The system can include an electrical device, e.g. a battery, which actuates an operating device, e.g. vibrating, oscillating, heating and water-sprinkling system, etc. |
| US07913391B1 |
Nail clipper apparatus
A nail clipper apparatus formed of thick steel and having a broad textured contoured handle lever providing a slip-free surface which substantially conforms to a user's thumb and which is at angle an angle to an upper arm in a range of about 0 to 30 degrees thereby increasing gripping capacity, an aperture accommodating passage of a chain therethrough and also providing a nail file. The nail clipper may also provide a curved nail length determining gauge member as a depth stop feature provided in range of predefined increments thereby accommodating a desired nail length trimming position. |
| US07913388B2 |
Ink jet print head and manufacturing method thereof
A nozzle unit having a nozzle, a flow channel unit having a pressure chamber and a through hole to be communicated with the pressure chamber and an actuator for causing the pressure chamber to discharge ink are respectively formed. The nozzle unit and the actuator have substantially the same planar dimensions. In the nozzle unit, a spacer plate having a communicating hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction corresponding to the nozzle is preliminarily bonded with the first plate, which is to be the nozzle plate, and the nozzle is formed at the first plate material through the communicating hole with laser. The nozzle unit and the actuator which have been respectively formed are bonded with the flow channel unit at positions facing each other simultaneously. |
| US07913387B2 |
Method of fabricating a thermal spreader having thermal conduits
A thermal spreading device disposable between electronic circuitry and a heat sink includes a substrate having parallel first and second faces and conduits extending through the substrate between the faces. The substrate material has a first thermal conductivity value in a direction parallel to the faces and a second thermal conductivity value in a direction normal to the faces, with the second thermal conductivity value being less than the first thermal conductivity value. The conduit material has a thermal conductivity value associated with it, with the thermal conductivity value being greater than the second thermal conductivity value of the substrate. One method of fabricating the thermal spreading device includes disposing a molding material radially about the rods and hardening the material. Other methods include press fitting and shrink fitting the rods into a substrate material. |
| US07913380B2 |
Wafer table preparing electrical components and device for equipping substrates with the components
A wafer table for providing electrical components of a wafer includes a rotary disk to receive a wafer. The rotary disk is configured to be displaced parallel to a wafer plane in discrete steps such that the components arrive at a stationary pick-up position. A stationary auxiliary facility is assigned to the pick-up position, and a first rotary drive rotates the rotary disk. A carriage supports the rotary disk and is displaced in a stationary linear guide parallel to the wafer by means of a linear drive. The first rotary drive and the linear drive are positioned such that each of the components arrives at the pick-up position. |
| US07913374B2 |
Processing method for brake rotor-equipped wheel bearing devices
An outer member and an inner member constituting a wheel bearing device are assembled and the brake rotor is fixed to the hub ring of the inner member. In this state, the pad slide surfaces of the brake rotor are lathed with the reference provided by a wheel pilot end surface. Alternatively, the wheel pilot end surface of the hub ring by chucking the knuckle pilot of the outer member with the wheel bearing device put in its assembled state, and the pad slide surfaces of the brake rotor are lathed with the reference provided by the wheel pilot end surface. |
| US07913372B2 |
Insulated cooking vessel
A dual wall cooking vessel has an inner cooking portion or shell with a thermally conductive outer cladding that terminates prior to the interior of the rim of the cooking vessel. The construction provides uniform temperature during the cooking process, yet minimizes heat loss after cooking. |
| US07913370B2 |
Method and apparatus for assembling exterior automotive vehicle body components onto an automotive vehicle body
The present invention generally relates to a method and programmable apparatus for the assembly of body components to an automotive body that has undergone a progressive series of framing and welding steps so as to produce a structurally rigid body frame, termed a body-in-white. More specifically, this invention relates to creating a new net locating scheme (X, Y and Z Cartesian coordinate system) for a body-in-white to direct associated tooling to create net attachment features on a rigid body frame with respect to a new net locating scheme so that components may be attached to a automotive body at a net location eliminating the need for any slip plane attachment techniques. |
| US07913369B2 |
Ceramic center pin for compaction tooling and method for making same
A method and apparatus for the production of compacted powder elements. More specifically, the improvement of tooling for powder compaction equipment, and the processes for making such tooling. The improvement comprises the use of a ceramic tip or similar component in high wear areas of the tooling, particularly center pins. Moreover, the use of such ceramic components enables reworking and replacement of the worn tool components. |
| US07913367B2 |
Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric component
A piezoelectric component with a piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric substrate, at least one oscillating section formed on the piezoelectric substrate, and an element wiring section connected to the oscillating section. A side face side hollow section forming layer and a lid face side hollow section forming layer made of photosensitive resin surround the top face and side face of the oscillating section while forming a gap so as to provide a hollow section. |
| US07913366B2 |
Ultrasonic probe and manufacturing process thereof
A manufacturing method for an ultrasonic probe including the steps of forming a plurality of unit fixing plates. Laminating each unit fixing plates to one another to form a fixing base and inserting lead wires into grooves formed in the fixing base. Partially cutting away and smoothing both principal surfaces of the fixing base to expose lead wires. Fixing a piezoelectric plate to one principal surface of the fixing base and cutting out between the lead wires in a one dimension direction and a two dimension direction, to divide up said piezoelectric plate and the fixing base into a plurality of piezoelectric elements. |
| US07913365B2 |
Method of forming barbs on a suture and apparatus for performing same
A method of making a barbed suture by varying the blade geometry and/or the movement of the blade when cutting a suture is disclosed. The method can also be accomplished with a cutting device to create a plurality of barbs on the exterior of surgical suture. The barbs produced using the method with the cutting device can be the same or random configurations. |
| US07913364B2 |
Casket with combination shelf, drawer, and/or memorialization feature
A casket comprises a shell, a cap closable on the shell, and a dish assembly mounted to an underside of the cap. The dish assembly comprises a cap panel, and either a) an alcove structure formed in the cap panel and adapted to receive an ornament for display when the cap is open, a shelf mounted to the cap panel which projects forwardly and is adapted to support an ornament for display when the cap is open, and a drawer assembly mounted to the cap panel for display and storage of items of memorialization of a deceased, or b) an alcove structure and a shelf, or c) an alcove structure and a drawer assembly, or d) a shelf and a drawer assembly. |
| US07913363B2 |
Adjustable lever load binder
Apparatuses are disclosed where in a lever binder may include an adjuster that when manipulated adjusts the binding length of the lever binder. In various embodiments, a lever binder is disclosed including an automatic latching mechanism to help resist undesired movement of a lever from a binding position. |
| US07913362B2 |
Apparatus for the fibre-sorting or fibre-selection of a fibre bundle comprising textile fibres, especially for combing
In an apparatus for the fiber-sorting or fiber-selection of a fiber bundle comprising textile fibers, especially for combing, which is supplied by a supply device to a fiber-sorting device, especially a combing device, having clamping devices, which clamp the fiber bundle at a distance from its free end, for combing to remove non-clamped constituents, at least one take-off device with a sliver-forming element is present, downstream of which is a drafting system. To increase productivity and improve the combed sliver, the fiber-sorting device has at least two rotatably mounted rollers rotating rapidly without interruption, having the clamping devices and between the sliver-forming element and the drafting system the at least one fiber sliver is present in the form of a fiber structure having a width greater than its height, for example, following spreading by a web-spreader. |
| US07913360B2 |
Hinge
A hinge includes a bracket with a protruding portion, a shaft extending through the bracket, a positioning member mounted on the shaft, and a resilient member. The shaft includes a post and a blocking portion. A slope surface is formed from one end of the protruding portion. The positioning portion is formed on the positioning member facing to the protruding portion of the bracket. An inclined stopping surface is formed from one end of the positioning portion. The resilient member fits about the shaft between the blocking portion and the positioning member. When the shaft rotates with respect to the bracket beyond the limits of a desired angle, the protruding portion drives the inclined stopping surface of the positioning member to move the positioning member away from the bracket to compress the resilient members for obviating the hinge to be damaged. |
| US07913355B2 |
Bidirectional opening/closing door unit and refrigerator having the same
A bidirectional opening/closing door unit and a refrigerator having the same. The door unit is provided at a side of a body of the refrigerator to open or close the body. The body includes hinges protruding from left and right sides of the body to be coupled with the door unit. The door unit includes a door and an opening/closing device provided at a side of the door. The opening/closing device includes a pair of opening/closing structures detachable to the respective hinges, and an operative connector to be operatively connected to one of the opening/closing structures to limit operation of the other opening/closing structure. With this configuration, the operative connector can achieve smooth movements and maintain a high durability in spite of frequency opening/closing operations and long time use of the door. |
| US07913353B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a suctioning nozzle, a height adjusting unit, a manipulating part, a position sensing part, and a display part. The suctioning nozzle suctions air including dust. The height adjusting unit adjusts the height of the suctioning nozzle. The manipulating part manipulates the height adjusting unit. The position sensing part senses the height adjusted by the height adjusting unit. The display part externally displays the height sensed by the position sensing part. |
| US07913349B2 |
Two blade scraping device
A hand-held scraper device containing a stowable multi blade pivoting head. The pivoting head is comprised of at least two scraping elements which remain at a fixed angle relative to each other while still allowing a pivoting action of the head assembly independently from the handle. The angle of the scraping elements relative to each other is set such that as the two scraping elements are jointly presented against the work surface they will be maintained at an angular attitude conducive to a scraping action in both a push and pull direction. The pivoting head can be collapsed for more efficient stowage or as an alternate configuration for specific scraping applications. |
| US07913344B2 |
Electric inter-dental brush
Disclosed is an electric inter-dental brush device which is generally divided into a cleaning brush attached at a head assembly of the electric inter-dental brush device, a finger grip of a small size for holding a small-sized motor for driving the cleaning brush and a housing for holding a battery or AC adaptor for the small-sized motor and other components and parts of the electric inter-dental brush device. The finger grip and the housing are physically separated except through an electric cord connecting the small-sized motor and the battery or AC adaptor. |
| US07913341B1 |
Counterbalance mechanism for fold out ramp
A ramp assembly has a ramp portion configured for reciprocating movement between a stowed position, a deployed position, and a neutral position, and a counterbalance. The counterbalance includes a restraint slidably coupled to a driving element having a spring fitting. The drive element includes a first engagement surface for engaging a first bearing surface associated with the ramp portion and a second engagement surface for engaging a second bearing surface associated with the ramp portion. A compression spring is disposed between a portion of the restraint and the spring fitting so that the compression spring provides a force to bias the ramp portion toward the stowed position when the ramp portion is between the deployed position and the neutral position, and toward the deployed position when the ramp portion is between the stowed position and the neutral position. |
| US07913335B2 |
High/low bed
A bed is described having a support member for supporting an individual thereon; a base member configured to support the support member above a surface; a primary height adjusting mechanism operable to adjust the height of the support member with respect to the base member. The primary height adjusting mechanism includes an arrangement of a plurality of link arms drivably coupled to one or more actuators which raises the support frame member. During raising of the support frame member from its lowermost position to its fully raised position there is an initial lifting stage when the lifting force applied by the associated actuator to the arrangement of link arms acts at a shorter distance from a fulcrum of the arrangement of link arms to the support frame and therefore with a greater moment of force than during a later stage of lifting movement. A secondary height adjusting mechanism is operable to adjust the height of the base member with respect to the surface. |
| US07913334B2 |
Bed with a lateral barrier having a tilt feature
A bed includes at least one barrier element (19, 21) extending along a lateral side of a bed frame. At least one part of this barrier element is laterally tiltable, by being hinged (31, 41) in its lower part, along a horizontal axis substantially parallel to the lateral side of the bed for assisting the patient as he or she is standing up. |
| US07913329B2 |
Anal cleaning device
An anal cleaning device (1) includes a fluid flow directing member (2) connectable to a fluid source (14). The member (2) has a fluid outlet 10a for directing fluid from the source out of the member. A wall member (11) projects out from the flow directing member (2) near the fluid outlet (10a). The wall member (11) is positionable at a perineum of a user such that, when located thereat, the wall member (11) spaces the fluid outlet (10) a from the user's anus and tends to prevent fluid from reaching that side of the wall member (11) opposite to the fluid outlet (10) a side of the wall member (11). The flow directing member (2) is optionally a detachable cleaning head (10). The wall member (11) can be formed integrally with the head (10) to project orthogonally therefrom and intermediate a first head end (10b) connectable to a fluid source line (12) and a second opposite head end (10c) near which the fluid outlet (10a) is located. |
| US07913328B2 |
Toilet tank connector assembly
“Two piece” toilets have a toilet tank outlet valve that links the tank water with a bowl. A nut and gasket structure are provided to provide an essentially ball and socket type joint between the tank and bowl to permit correction for out of plumb conditions without significantly compromising seal integrity. The gasket has an outward lower curvature and is supported from the inside by the nut. Preferably the lower end of the nut is cut away or curved such that in some configurations the gasket can flex inwardly, while being otherwise supported by the nut. |
| US07913326B1 |
Patient laser goggles
A patient laser goggle having a pair of eye cup assemblies adjustably joined to a formed bridge wire having collinear ends. Each eye cup has a clamping mechanism to which each bridge wire end is held and a strap hook to receive the looped ends of an adjustable band. The collinear bridge wire ends are horizontally and tiltably held within the clamping mechanisms so that the patient laser goggle can be easily custom fit to the eyes of a patient. Once adjusted, the clamping mechanism allows rotation of the bridge wire with respect to the eye cup so that a medical practitioner can have easy and unobstructed access to areas of the patient's face. |
| US07913322B2 |
Garment with padding
A garment including an outer shell configured to be worn on at least part of a body of a wearer and a pad directly or indirectly coupled to a selected location of the outer shell to provide padding at the selected location. The pad includes an open cell foam padding material which resists melting, dripping or igniting when exposed to a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes. The padding material has a sealant located thereon to reduce the absorption of moisture therein. The pad further includes an abrasion resistant material coupled to the padding material by the sealant. |
| US07917966B2 |
Aligned nanostructures on a tip
Techniques for fabricating carbon nanotubes aligned on a tip are provided. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating carbon nanotubes aligned on a tip includes forming nanostructures on the tip, and aligning the nanostructures on the tip using a fluid flowing on the tip. |
| US07917964B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing information, method and apparatus for manufacturing information recording medium, information recording medium, and computer program
A method and apparatus for processing information, method and apparatus for manufacturing an information recording medium, an information recording medium, and a computer program are provided. An information processing apparatus for playing back a content recorded on an information recording medium and includes a data transform processor performing a substitution process on content member data recorded on the information recording medium. The data transform processor substitutes transform data as substitute data for the content member data in accordance with a fix-up table holding recording position information of the transform data. |
| US07917959B2 |
Media processing system supporting different media formats via server-based transcoding
Systems and methods that reformat media are described. In one embodiment, a system may include, for example, a server, a first communications device and a second communications device. The server, the first communications device and the second communications device may be operatively coupled to a network. The second communications device may receive, from the first communications device, a device profile relating to the first communications device and may send the device profile and media content to the server. The server may reformat the media content based on the device profile. |
| US07917956B2 |
Multi-network virus immunization
An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are described that determine a virus associated with a communications network, and distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of a higher transmission speed, a higher transmission reliability, a higher transmission security, and/or a physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network. |
| US07917954B1 |
Systems and methods for policy-based program configuration
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for adaptive polity-based configuration of programs. An example method comprises collecting from a computer system configuration and performance information, rating system performance based on the collected information and classifying the computer system based on its performance rating. The method further includes selecting based on the system classification an operational policy for a computer program. Each policy specifies different program settings and different limits of system resource utilization by the program for each class of computer systems. The method further includes monitoring system resource utilization during program execution to determine whether system resource utilization exceeds the limit specified in the selected operational policy. If the system resource utilization exceeds the specified limit, the method selects another policy specifying different program settings and a different limit of system resource utilization. |
| US07917953B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing the spread of files on a network
Methods and systems can reduce the spread of computer files or data on a network by obtaining and tracking times of arrival for chunks of data transmitted on the network. The times of arrival for a node can be transformed into time-series and periodograms computed from the time-series. Successive periodograms can be compared to determine changes in the strongest peaks of the periodograms. If a new peak is identified, a search for the occurrence of the peak in previous periodograms can be conducted. If no peak having a matching frequency is found, a search for the peak in the periodograms for neighboring nodes can be performed. If matching peaks are found, the associated data stream can be classified. Predictions of the timing and length of associated data packets can be used to randomly interrupt transmission of associated data packets resulting in reducing the spread of the classified data stream. |
| US07917945B2 |
Wireless perimeter security device and network using same
A Radio Frequency based security system for providing security for wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that allows the creation and maintenance of arbitrarily shaped secure wireless access areas with boundaries around said wireless Local Area Network and prevents access to the said wireless LAN from outside the perimeter of the secure area. The system includes a plurality of perimeter Radio Frequency Sentry Devices (RFSDs) that are employed to establish the boundaries of said secure area around said wireless LAN. The wireless LAN being secured may be an industry standard IEEE 802.11a, 801.11b or 802.11g based wireless LAN or any other wireless LAN that uses packet based communication protocols. The said RFSDs may be stand-alone devices or they may be connected to a wired or wireless Local Area Network. |
| US07917941B2 |
System and method for providing physical web security using IP addresses
A system and method for providing security for an Internet server. The system comprises: a logical security system for processing login and password data received from a client device during a server session in order to authenticate a user; and a physical security system for processing Internet protocol (IP) address information of the client device in order to authenticate the client device for the duration of the server session. |
| US07917938B2 |
Network policy management and effectiveness system
The Present Invention discloses a method and apparatus for maintaining policy compliance on a computer network. A system in accordance with the principles of the Present Invention performs the steps of electronically monitoring network user compliance with a network security policy stored in a database, electronically evaluating network security policy compliance based on network user compliance and electronically undertaking a network policy compliance action in response to network security policy non-compliance. The network policy compliance actions may include automatically implementing a different network security policy selected from network security policies stored in the database, generating policy effectiveness reports and providing a retraining module to network users. |
| US07917933B2 |
Systems and methods for relocating media
A system and method may be provided that allows users to store, retrieve, and manipulate on-demand media content and data stored on a remote server network in an on-demand media delivery system. More particularly, the system may allow a user to access his or her on-demand media account from user equipment in different locations as long as the current user equipment can communicate with a remote server that stores user-specific information. The system upon user selection may freeze the delivery of on-demand media at a particular point and allow the user to resume the media at a later time from some other network location in system. Users may upload personal images or files to an on-demand delivery server for later retrieval and display. Users may be permitted to assign access rights to the uploaded files. |
| US07917932B2 |
Personal video recorder functionality for placeshifting systems
PVR functionality is enabled on a media player of a placeshifting system, which allows a user to record media programs from locations that are physically remote from a source of the media programs. The media player may receive program schedule information and present the program schedule information to the user. Based on user input, the media player identifies a media program and associated schedule information. When the media program is scheduled to play, the media player requests a media broadcasting device to receive the media program; to digitize, transcode, and/or transrate the media program, if necessary; and to transmit the media program to the media player. The media program may be recorded in a local storage of the media broadcasting device or the media player. |
| US07917931B2 |
Apparatus and method for extending DOCSIS cable modem service over wireless links
An apparatus and method are presented to allow the extension of a DOCSIS cable modem service over a wireless link. According to the invention a wireless hub transceiver is connected to a distribution coax cable of a DOCSIS based system. The downstream data are transferred over a wireless link to a remote subscriber radio frequency (RF) unit connected to a cable modem that provides the downstream data to the subscriber. Similarly, upstream data are sent from the subscriber cable modem over the wireless link to the wireless hub transceiver where such data are inserted back to the distribution coax cable. |
| US07917921B2 |
Control of an interactive application
A method for controlling an interactive application comprises receiving a data stream comprising an interactive application and monitoring the data stream to identify a change in the stream. In response to the change, the method further comprises preventing the interactive application from accessing files, identifying those files present in the data stream, and enabling the interactive application to access only those files present in the data stream. |
| US07917920B1 |
System for providing alternative services
The present invention provides a system for providing alternative services in a television system. In one implementation, a subscriber is provided an alternative service upon attempting to access an unauthorized service, thereby providing a framework for efficient control of conditional access and enhanced services. In addition, in one implementation, user device limitations or variations are handled conveniently through the same multi-purpose system for providing alternative services. |
| US07917919B2 |
Disc clamping mechanism and disc drive device
A disc clamping mechanism includes a clamp board, a clamp base, a first supporting unit and a second supporting unit. The clamp board rotatably clamps a disc in cooperation with a turntable to be rotated in a housing. The clamp base rotatably supports the clamp board at a position opposite to the turntable, and is movable so as to move away from or come into contact with the turntable. The first supporting unit comes into contact with a first peripheral edge of the clamp board protruding from the clamp base when the clamp board moves away from the disc according to the movement of the clamp base, to exert pushing force in a direction of the turntable side and pushing force in a direction of the clamp base side against the first peripheral edge. The second supporting unit is provided at the clamp base, and securely supports the second peripheral edge of the clamp board situated at a position opposite to the first peripheral edge when the first peripheral edge is pushed by the first supporting unit. |
| US07917917B2 |
Tray ejecting mechanism and medium drive device that prevents an ejection switch from being pressed when an ejectable tray is open
A tray ejecting mechanism includes a stationary bezel mounted to a front surface of an ejectable tray, and a movable bezel movably attached to the stationary bezel while being biased in a front-surface direction. The stationary bezel includes a detection component positionally shiftable in accordance with an open/close position of the tray, and a switch component having a pressing portion for pressing an ejection switch on the tray and being positionally shiftable in conjunction with the detection component. When the tray is closed, the switch component is positioned such that, as the movable bezel is pushed inward, a pressing rib applies a pressing force to the pressing portion to press the ejection switch. When the tray is open, the ejection switch is prevented from being pressed by the pressing portion even if the movable bezel is pushed inward toward the stationary bezel. |
| US07917915B2 |
Model driven application framework
A system, apparatus, method and article for a modular electronic mail software architecture are described. The apparatus may include a processing sub-system having a processor and memory. The memory may store software components for execution by the processor. The software components may comprise an application program implemented using a model driven application framework and capable of operating with multiple operating systems. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07917913B2 |
Injecting proxy components using blueprints
A software component deployed in a distributed system includes a stub that enables the component to be used remotely. The stub can include its own proxy (or at least a sufficient description of it) that is automatically and dynamically injected to the remote environment. Thus, native proxies do not need to be included in the platform initially, and do not need to be downloaded, since marshalling methods are generated at runtime based on a blueprint in the code of the application. |
| US07917912B2 |
Filtering application messages in a high speed, low latency data communications environment
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for filtering application messages in a high speed, low latency data communications environment that include: receiving an application message in a transport engine of a message receiving device from a message transmitting device, the application message having a message contents label and a collision indicator, the message contents label representing contents of the application message, the collision indicator specifying whether the message contents label represents different contents in at least one other application message; determining, by the transport engine, whether contents of the application message satisfy a transport layer constraint in dependence upon the message contents label; providing, by the transport engine, the application message and the collision indicator to messaging middleware of the message receiving device if the contents of the application message satisfy the transport layer constraint; and administering the application message, by the messaging middleware, in dependence upon the collision indicator. |
| US07917886B2 |
Automatic system and method for providing PCB layout
An automatic system for providing printed circuit board (PCB) layout of a PCB includes an input device, a data processing device, and a storage device. The data processing device includes an invoking module, a calculating module, and a determining module. The invoking module is to read a name and a thickness of each layer of the PCB from the storage device. The calculating module is to calculate an actual length of a via stub of each layer according to the name and thickness of each layer, and calculate an ideal length of the via stub of the PCB according to input information from the input device, and a preset formula. The determining module is to compare the ideal length and the actual length of the via stub of each layer to determine whether the layer can be used as a high-speed signal layout layer or not. |
| US07917885B2 |
Methods for creating primitive constructed standard cells
A high-level logic description is developed based on a non-primitive-based standard cell library. The logic description is synthesized into a netlist that includes references to the non-primitive-based standard cell library. A logic function for each standard cell in the netlist is determined and mapped into a set of primitive logic cells to create a primitive constructed version of each referenced standard cell. The set of primitive logic cells is defined for integration within a base array. The primitive constructed version of each referenced standard cell is included within a primitive-based cell library. The primitive-based cell library is used to place and route the netlist for the logic design for integration within the base array. The logic design is then integrated within the base array. |
| US07917880B2 |
Method for reducing power consumption of integrated circuit
A method for reducing power consumption for an integrated circuit comprises the steps of (1) providing (i) a clock tree wherein the clock tree comprises a clock source, a plurality of clock sinks, and a plurality of internal nodes, (ii) the physical locations of the clock source, the clock sinks, and physical location of a gating-signal control logic circuit, (iii) the activity information of the sinks; (2) recursively determining a merging segment set containing merging segments for each internal node and computing switched capacitance of a subtree rooted at each internal node in a bottom up manner, wherein the merging segments have the same signal delay for the clock sinks in a subtree rooted at each internal node; and (3) recursively determining a location for each internal node selected from the merging segment set in a top down manner on a basis that the switched capacitance of a subtree rooted at each internal node is minimum. |
| US07917879B2 |
Semiconductor device with dynamic array section
A semiconductor chip is provided to include one or more distinct but functionally interfaced dynamic array sections. Each dynamic array section follows a dynamic array architecture that requires conductive features to be linearly defined along a virtual grate in each of a plurality of levels of the semiconductor chip. Each virtual grate is perpendicular to another virtual grate that is either a level above or a level below. Each virtual grate is defined by a framework of parallel lines spaced at a constant pitch. Some of the lines in the virtual grate are occupied by multiple conductive features. A substantially uniform gap can be maintained between proximate ends of adjacent conductive features that occupy a common line in the virtual grate. The substantially uniform gap between the proximate ends of adjacent conductive features can be maintained within each line in the virtual grate that is occupied by multiple conductive features. |
| US07917877B2 |
System and method for circuit schematic generation
The present invention provides a system and method for generating circuit schematic that includes extracting connectivity data of a plurality of devices from a netlist, categorizing the plurality of devices into groups, placing Schematic Analog Placement Constraints on all the instances by identifying instances among the groups that match with a circuit template (in-built as well as user-specified), creating a BFS instance tree of tree instances, creating a two terminal device clusters and creating instance attachments. Using the constraints during grid based placement and eventually generated schematic which look like analog schematic. |
| US07917875B1 |
Clock tree adjustable buffer
An adjustable buffer including a series of P-channel devices having current paths coupled between a first voltage supply and at least one output node, and a series of N-channel devices having current paths coupled between the output node and a second voltage supply. The control electrodes of the P- and N-channel devices are coupled to a selected one of an input node and a corresponding voltage supply collectively forming first and second sets of selectable connections. The first and second sets of selectable connections are made to adjust delay from the input node to the output node. The selectable connections may be defined in an integrated circuit mask or may be electronic switches. The P- and N-channel devices may be in a balanced configuration or an imbalanced configuration. The P- and N-channel devices may form an inverting buffer or a non-inverting buffer. |
| US07917874B2 |
Reversing the effects of sequential reparameterization on traces
A method, system and computer program product for reversing effects of reparameterization is disclosed. The method comprises receiving an original design, an abstracted design, and a first trace over the abstracted design. One or more conditional values are populated into the first trace over the abstracted design, and a k-step satisfiability check is cast to obtain a second trace. One or more calculated values are concatenated to an initial gate set in the second trace with one or more established values to a generated subset of the initial design in the abstracted trace to form a new trace, and one or more effects of a reparameterization are reversed by returning the new trace over the initial design. |
| US07917872B2 |
Simulation method and computer-readable storage medium
A simulation method to be implemented in a computer causes the computer to execute a procedure carrying out a weighting with respect to layout parameters of a circuit, which is an analyzing target, based on priority information of cells forming the circuit, and converting the weighted layout parameters into physical characteristics and storing the physical characteristics in a memory part, a procedure converting the physical characteristic read from the memory part into circuit parameters and storing the circuit parameters into the memory part, and analyzing the circuit based on a net list including the circuit parameters read from the memory part. |
| US07917869B2 |
Human-computer interface incorporating personal and application domains
The present invention provides a human-computer interface. The interface includes provision of an application domain, for example corresponding to a three-dimensional application. The user is allowed to navigate and interact with the application domain. The interface also includes a personal domain, offering the user controls and interaction distinct from the application domain. The separation into two domains allows the most suitable interface methods in each: for example, three-dimensional navigation in the application domain, and two- or three-dimensional controls in the personal domain. Transitions between the application domain and the personal domain are under control of the user, and the transition method is substantially independent of the navigation in the application domain. For example, the user can fly through a three-dimensional application domain, and always move to the personal domain by moving a cursor near one extreme of the display. |
| US07917865B2 |
Display processing apparatus, display processing method, and computer program product
According to one embodiment, an display processing apparatus includes an operation receiver, a relation calculator, a display information generator, a display controller, and a scrolling module. The operation receiver receives selection of a key content. The relation calculator calculates relation between the key content and each of second contents. The display information generator generates first display information of the key content and second display information of the second contents. The display controller displays list information in which pieces of the second display information are arranged to form concentric polygons around the first display information along directions of operation such that second display information of second content with higher relation is closer to the first display information. The scrolling module scrolls, in response to user operation, the list information. The display controller maintains the first display information in the display range. |
| US07917864B2 |
Automatically scaling the information and controls in navigation tabs per available window area
A method in a data processing system for providing a user of the data processing system with control of a software object organized into a plurality of information levels including initially displaying a first display window having a first size. The first display window includes a first level tab navigation frame to allow the user interactive access to a first information level of the plurality of information levels. The first display window additionally includes a first window-sizing interface to allow the user interactive access to a second display window having a second size which includes a second level tab navigation frame to allow the user interactive access to a second information level of the plurality of information levels and to subsequently display the second display window in response to the user interacting with the first window-sizing interface. |
| US07917863B2 |
System and method for graphically creating a sequence of motion control operations
A system and method for developing a sequence of motion control operations. Various embodiments of a motion control prototyping environment application are described. The motion control prototyping environment may be designed to enable a user to easily and efficiently develop/prototype a motion control sequence without requiring the user to perform programming, e.g., without needing to write or construct code in any programming language. For example, the environment may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling the user to develop/prototype the motion control sequence at a high level, by selecting from and configuring a sequence of motion control operations using the GUI. |
| US07917859B1 |
Dynamic user interface elements
A set of rules and a current context for a user is obtained. The set of rules and the current context are used to determine a rule weight for each of a set of user interface elements. One or more of the user interface elements is caused to be displayed. Which user interface elements are displayed is based at least in part on the rule weights. |
| US07917851B1 |
Viewing point for a composition with multiple layers
A position of a viewing point within a plurality of layers of a composition is received. Of the plurality of layers, at least a layer that is immediately adjacent to the viewing point is displayed. Those layers, if any, that are on the opposite side of the viewing point as the displayed layer(s) are not displayed. |
| US07917850B2 |
Document managing system and method thereof
For each of documents or folders containing the documents, setting data on a plurality of setting items in a print settings window for printing the document and display setting data on the print settings window are stored. When an instruction is provided to print a document, the print settings window for the document is displayed on the basis of the setting data and display modification data, and the display modification data for the print settings window is stored according change or addition of a setting item in the print settings window. |
| US07917849B2 |
Information processor and information processing program stored on a computer-readable recording medium
Data input processing is initiated when an ADD-IN button is pressed in a condition where a data cell of a spreadsheet application is selected. Whether an editor is already activated is determined and, if such is the case, a current mode of the currently activated editor is detected and, if it is activated in an edit mode and an activation mode set in activation setting processing is the edit mode, acquired data is added to the currently activated editor and put in a selected state and displayed on an edit screen. |
| US07917845B2 |
System and method for managing dynamic document references
Document fragments are managed by the use of fragment objects. Fragment objects contain a reference to a portion of a source document. Referencing documents contain a reference to a fragment object which delivers the content of the fragment of the source document to the referencing document. The source document can be directly updated through updating the fragment of the source document contained in the referencing document via the use of the fragment object. Source document deletion is controlled by storing the references to the source document by fragment objects so that no fragment object has a reference to a nonexistent source document. A process for organizing document fragments within a document management system wherein source documents comprise duplicates of the document fragments includes replacing a duplicate fragment with a reference to a single fragment object the fragment object including a reference to a fragment of a source document and an object class method for deletion of the fragment object including instructions to remove the reference to the fragment object from the metadata of the source document to which the fragment object refers. |
| US07917843B2 |
Method, system and computer readable medium for addressing handling from a computer program
A method, system and computer readable medium for providing for providing a function item, such as a key, button, icon, or menu, tied to a user operation in a computer, whereby a single click on the function item in a window or program on a computer screen, or one single selection in a menu in a program, initiates retrieval of name and addresses and/or other person or company related information, while the user works simultaneously in another program, e.g., a word processor. The click on the function item initiates a program connected to the button to search a database or file available on or through the computer, containing the person, company or address related data, in order to look up data corresponding to what the user types, or partly typed, e.g., name and/or address in the word processor, the correct data from the database, data related to the typed data, e.g., the name of the person, company, or the traditional or electronic address, or other person, or company, or address related data, and alternatively the persons, companies, or addresses, are displayed and possibly entered into the word processor, if such related data exists. |
| US07917838B2 |
Enhanced human computer user interface system for searching and browsing documents
A system and method for presenting document records to a user through a display interface, comprising means for processing data of the first type through a first applet and data of the second type through a second applet and separately extracting data of the two different types using the separate applets. The user interface provides means for selecting a data file from a plurality of data files, displaying the merged and formatted processed first and second data, and managing a plurality of data files with the host application. Each record on the list may be individually selected, comprising providing at least two distinct categorization inputs from the user, providing an indicia in the record list to indicate a respective record classification, and providing means for selectively processing the records according to a respective classification thereof. The data file employs a standard image format file with an embedded index pointer to segregate two data types. A first data type, preferably an image, is referenced by the index pointer and is located near the terminus of the file. A second data type, for example text, appears immediately after the file header which includes the index pointer, and preferably terminates with an end of file marker. Thus, the single file may be read by both a standard image file reader, and a standard text reader, without parsing or segregation. The two data types are preferably text and image data, and the data file is preferably a tagged image format file (TIFF) file with Group-4 image compression. |
| US07917836B1 |
Detection in the presence of media noise
A signal detector comprises a filter that equalizes data in an input signal to a primary target. A detector is matched to the primary target and generates a most likely path corresponding to the data in the input signal. A post-processor is matched to one of the primary target and a secondary target, determines at least one most likely error event in the most likely path, and generates revised paths based on the at least one most likely error event. A processor is matched to the secondary target, computes path metrics corresponding to each of the revised paths as a function of a non-linear noise model and selects one of the revised paths based on the path metrics. |
| US07917835B2 |
Memory system and method for use in trellis-based decoding
Systems and modules for use in trellis-based decoding of encoded sets of data bits. A memory system has multiple arrays for storing an index for each one of multiple states. With each array element being associated with a state through which a decoding path may pass through, the contents of each array element is an index which points to an immediately preceding state. This immediately preceding state is represented by another array element in another array. Each array is populated with array element entries as encoded data set are received by a separate decoder which generates the indices. For every given number of arrays in a group, a trace-back process traces back the path followed by an encoding procedure for encoding the encoded set. By tracing back this path through the various arrays, the original unencoded set of data bits can be found. |
| US07917834B2 |
Apparatus and method for computing LLR
Provided are an apparatus and method for efficiently computing a log likelihood ratio (LLR) using the maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm known as block combining. The method includes the steps of: calculating alpha values, beta values and gamma values of at least two time sections; calculating transition probabilities of respective states in the at least two time sections; performing a comparison operation for some of the transition probabilities to determine the highest value, selecting one of the other transition probabilities according to the determined high value, comparing the determined value with the selected value to select the higher value, and thereby obtaining the highest of the transition probabilities; and determining an operation to apply according to the highest transition probability and calculating an LLR. |
| US07917833B2 |
Communication apparatus, transmitter, receiver, and error correction optical communication system
A communication apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter further includes: an interleaver that rearranges positions of bits of an information frame; an FEC encoder that performs an error correction encoding to the information frame whose bit positions have been rearranged; and a selector that inserts FEC parity into predetermined positions of the information frame, to thereby generate a transmission signal, whereas the receiver includes: a selector that extracts an information frame part and an FEC parity part from a reception signal; an interleaver that rearranges positions of the bits of the information frame part using the same rule as that used at that transmitter side; an FEC decoder that corrects an error of bits rearranged based on the error correction parity part; and a de-interleaver that reproduces an information frame by returning positions of error-corrected bits to original bit positions. |
| US07917832B2 |
Apparatus for improving data access reliability of flash memory
An apparatus for improving the data access reliability of flash memory is provided, including an instruction register, an address register, a flash memory control circuit, a data register, an encoder, an error correction code (ECC) generator, a signal converter, a comparator, an arbitrator, and a decoder. The instruction register and the address register are connected to a flash memory respectively for storing the access instructions and the addresses. The flash memory control circuit is connected to both instruction register and address register for controlling the access to the flash memory. The data register is connected to flash memory control circuit for loading data to be written to the flash memory. The encoder encodes the written data, and the ECC generator generates an ECC, which is written to the flash memory through the signal converter. The comparator and the arbitrator provide the comparison with ECC and informing decoder f suspicious bit values when data is read from the flash memory. The decoder is for correctly decoding data and avoiding the suspicious bit values to be read. Thus, the object improving the data access reliability of flash memory is achieved. |
| US07917829B2 |
Low density parity check (LDPC) code
Low density parity check code (LDPC) base parity check matrices and the method for use thereof in communication systems. The method of expanding the base check parity matrix is described. Examples of expanded LDPC codes with different code lengths and expansion factors are also shown. |
| US07917828B2 |
Providing error correction coding for probed data
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving an error correction code for information from a first port of a first agent and receiving the information from a second port of the first agent by probing a first link under test that couples the first agent and a second agent. The code may be used to validate the information, e.g., in a probe receiver during test or debug operations. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07917827B2 |
Method of encoding and decoding using LDPC code and apparatus thereof
A method of encoding/decoding using an LDPC code and apparatus thereof are disclosed, by which a memory for storing a parity check matrix can be saved. The present invention includes generating a parity check matrix by expanding a base matrix including a permutation type defining a permutation matrix as at least one element, wherein the permutation matrix is generated from permutating a sequence of at least one of rows and columns of at least one base permutation matrix or rotating the at least one base permutation matrix and encoding or decoding the input data using the parity check matrix. |
| US07917826B2 |
Error correction apparatus and method for data stored in memory
An error correction device includes a main memory, a memory bus coupled to the main memory, and a correction module. The correction module is coupled to the system bus and directly connected to the memory bus. The correction module reads an error data from the main memory via the memory bus according to an error address, generates a correct data according to the error data and an error value, and directly writes the correct data into the main memory via the memory bus. Because the correction module reads and writes the correct data into the main memory without using the system bus managed by an arbitrator, a number of the change row operations can be reduced to increase system efficiency. |
| US07917824B2 |
Scan path adaptor with state machine, counter, and gate circuitry
Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits. The present disclosure describes a method of adapting conventional scan architectures into a low power scan architecture. The low power scan architecture maintains the test time of conventional scan architectures, while requiring significantly less operational power than conventional scan architectures. The low power scan architecture is advantageous to IC/die manufacturers since it allows a larger number of circuits (such as DSP or CPU core circuits) embedded in an IC/die to be tested in parallel without consuming too much power within the IC/die. Since the low power scan architecture reduces test power consumption, it is possible to simultaneously test more die on a wafer than previously possible using conventional scan architectures. This allows wafer test times to be reduced which reduces the manufacturing cost of each die on the wafer. |
| US07917819B2 |
JTAG test architecture for multi-chip pack
A test-communication path is provided between chips in a multi-chip package. Externally-accessible JTAG input and output pins are provided to a first chip in the multi-chip package, and this first chip is configured to allow signals received on these JTAG pins to be routed to other chips in the multi-chip package. Control signals provided to the first chip control the routing of the JTAG signals to each chip. |
| US07917816B1 |
System and method for determining display function of BIOS error information
A system is used to determine whether a display function of a basic input output system (BIOS) of a tested computer is normal. Operators can select an error information option set on an error information interface. A breakpoint address and an amending instruction can be obtained to interrupt the running of the BIOS, and parameters of a corresponding hardware of the tested computer are amended with preset values. Therefore, an error occurs in the BIOS of the tested computer. The tested computer is controlled to display the BIOS error information. Whether the display function of the BIOS of the tested computer is normal can be ascertained via comparing the displayed BIOS error information with standard BIOS error information. |
| US07917802B2 |
Write omission detector, write omission detecting method, and computer product
A device adaptor that controls a disk, wherein a storage area is divided into a plurality of blocks, detects a block that includes a read error. Next, the device adaptor detects a write omission in blocks that are within a predetermined range from the block that includes the read error. To be specific, the device adaptor reads data from the blocks that are in the vicinity of the block that includes the unrecovered read error in a suspect disk. Next, the device adaptor reads from a redundant disk, data of a block that corresponds to the block that includes the unrecovered read error (data of block “B” in an example shown in FIG. 1) and compares the read data to the data read from the suspect disk to detect the write omission. |
| US07917798B2 |
Superconducting digital phase rotator
An important component in digital circuits is a phase rotator, which permits precise time-shifting (or equivalently, phase rotation) of a clock signal within a clock period. A digital phase rotator can access multiple discrete values of phase under digital control. Such a device can have application in digital clock synchronization circuits, and can also be used for a digital phase modulator that encodes a digital signal. A digital phase rotator has been implemented in superconducting integrated circuit technology, using rapid single-flux-quantum logic (RSFQ). This circuit can exhibit positive or negative phase shifts of a multi-phase clock. Arbitrary precision can be obtained by cascading a plurality of phase rotator stages. Such a circuit forms a phase-modulator that is the core of a direct digital synthesizer that can operate at multi-gigahertz radio frequencies. |
| US07917795B2 |
Digital circuit to measure and/or correct duty cycles
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program are provided to measure and/or correct duty cycles. Duty cycles of various signals, specifically clocking signals, are important. However, measurement of very high frequency signals, off-chip, and in a laboratory environment can be very difficult and present numerous problems. To combat problems associated with making off-chip measurements and adjustments of signal duty cycles, comparisons are made between input signals and divided input signals that allow for easy measurement and adjustment of on-chip signals, including clocking signals. |
| US07917791B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic device includes a display having a memory function and a communications capability. Display functions are controlled based on a state of the operation of the device and/or based on a state of received data. Also disclosed is a method of selectively displaying advertising information based on a state of the device where the advertising can be maintained on the display without requiring any power consumption. |
| US07917786B2 |
Voltage regulating circuit for motherboard
An exemplary voltage regulating circuit for a motherboard includes a selecting switch and a first switch module, the selecting switch comprising a first input terminal arranged to receive a standby power provided by a power supply, a first control terminal arranged to receive a state signal from the motherboard via a first switch module controlled by a power good signal generated by the power supply, and an output terminal, wherein, when the motherboard is turned off, the state signal is at a high level and the first switch module is turned on by the power good signal for turning off the selecting switch to stop outputting the standby power. |
| US07917785B2 |
Method of optimizing performance of multi-core chips and corresponding circuit and computer program product
A method of optimizing performance of a multi-core chip having a plurality of cores includes the steps of determining a Vdd-frequency SCHMOO characteristic for each of the plurality of cores individually; saving data indicative of the Vdd-frequency SCHMOO characteristics for each of the plurality of cores; configuring the cores to obtain a configuration providing at least one of optimum power consumption and optimum performance, for a given workload, based on the saved data; and saving the configuration such that it may be updated and used on at least one of a periodic and a continual basis. |
| US07917779B2 |
Power control apparatus for motherboard
A power control apparatus for automatically turning on and off a motherboard, the power control apparatus includes a power supply supplying electric power to the motherboard periodically, a control circuit including a first switch element, a second switch element, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a first resistor, and a second resistor. When the power supply is powered up, the second capacitor is charged, the second switch element is turned on, a second terminal of the second switch element outputs a low level signal to power up the motherboard. When the motherboard is powered up, the first capacitor is charged, the first switch element is turned on, the second switch element is turned off, the second terminal of the second switch element outputs a high level signal. The motherboard is powered off when the power supply is powered off. |
| US07917777B2 |
System for circulating power usage information on a closed ring communication path with multi-node computer system
A method of regulating power for multi-node computer system components has a closed-ring path that links all the power governors and circulating in the ring is a system power number that represents the power consumption of the entire system. Meanwhile, all the governors keep counting its local power consumption. Each time the number passes a governor, the governor will add its local count onto this number, store this number for future usage, and reset its local count. When the new number returns back to the same power governor, the governor will subtract the new number with its stored number to calculate the overall system power usage within a number circulation period. The system power number overflow problem is also detected with a counter if the incoming number is smaller then the number previously stored. The counter whose counting capacity is greater than the maximum system power usage on all the nodes within a number circulation period. A single number transfer mode and multiple number transfer mode and heterogeneous multi-node components which could have different power usage configurations are employed. |
| US07917776B2 |
System-on-chip including deepstop mode to reduce total leakage current and method thereof
A system-on-chip may include a hard-macro block, a deepstop control logic circuit, and/or a multi-threshold complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (MTCMOS) logic circuit. The deepstop control logic circuit may be configured to transfer data to the hard-macro block from the multi-threshold complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (MTCMOS) logic circuit during a normal mode. The deepstop control logic circuit may be configured to latch the data output from the MTCMOS logic circuit upon an entry into a deepstop mode and interrupt a power supply to the hard-macro block during the deepstop mode. |
| US07917774B2 |
Electrocardiograph and blood pressure signals simulator
System, methods, and apparatuses produce simulated human physiological waveforms such as electrocardiograph (ECG) and blood pressure signals where the microcontroller and/or digital-to-analog converters may be switched to a lower power-consuming state by programmable instructions and switched on in response to a programmable sleep timer. |
| US07917773B2 |
Visibility-aware services
The present visibility-aware service reduces power-intensive activities when a window associated with the visibility-aware service is not visible. The window is not visible when the window is minimized or when the window is switched from a foreground position to a background position on a display. |
| US07917770B2 |
Configurable data masking for software testing
A data masking tool can support a wide variety of data sources and execution mechanisms. For example, any of a wide variety of data masking techniques can be achieved via a web interface, API, command line, SOA, or the like. Connectivity to mainframe environments can be achieved. Multiple data source types and data to and from different technology platform types can be supported. The tool can support interfacing with a metadata management tool. High quality randomness can be provided by a Mersenne Twister random number generator. The tool can be useful for performing data masking during software testing without having to write data masking code. |
| US07917766B2 |
Stegotext encoder and decoder
The invention comprises an encoder for encoding a stegotext and a decoder for decoding the encoded stegotext, the stegotext being generated by modulating the log power spectrogram of a covertext signal with at least one key, the or each key having been added or subtracted in the log domain to the covertext power spectrogram in accordance with the data of the watermark code with which the stegotext was generated, and the modulated power spectrogram having been returned into the original domain of the covertext. The decoder carries out Fast Fourier Transformation and rectangular polar conversion of the stegotext signal so as to transform the stegotext signal into the log power spectrogram domain; subtracts in the log power domain positive and negative multiples of the key or keys from blocks of the log power spectrogram and evaluates the probability of the results of such subtractions representing an unmodified block of covertext in accordance with a predetermined statistical model. |
| US07917765B2 |
Modular signature verification architecture
It is difficult to provide a mechanism that is able to verify electronic signatures of different types in a simple and cost-effective manner. This is achieved by using a signature verification engine with an interface enabling signature modules to be removably plugged in. Each signature module has information about a particular signature type and functionality for verifying signatures of that type. The signature verification engine receives requests to verify signatures. It identifies a suitable signature module and works with that module to verify the signature. An enterprise who acquires equipment incorporating the signature verification engine is able to plug in its own signature module giving versatility whilst retaining security. |
| US07917764B2 |
Signature generation device and signature verification device
A signature generation apparatus capable of preventing transcript attack on signature data is provided. The signature generation apparatus performing a digital signature operation with the use of a signature key: stores the signature key; performs the digital signature operation on signature target data with the use of the signature key to generate signature data; counts the cumulative count of digital signature operations having been performed by the signature generation unit with the use of the signature key; judges whether the cumulative count has reached a predetermined count; and inhibits the use of the signature key in the digital signature operation from then onward in a case where the judgment unit determines that the cumulative count has reached the predetermined count. |
| US07917762B2 |
Secure execution environment by preventing execution of unauthorized boot loaders
A device and method for providing a secure execution environment includes retrieving a boot loader, for example, from the memory of an electronic device or from a peripheral component. Next, a determination is made as to whether the boot loader is authorized to be executed on the corresponding electronic device. If the boot loader is authorized, then the boot loader code is executed. By only allowing execution of authorized boot loaders, security related breaches are substantially reduced or eliminated; thereby, enhancing device integrity. |
| US07917759B2 |
Identifying an application user as a source of database activity
Determining an application user as a source of database activity is disclosed. A communication is received. A thread that is configured to handle the communication is associated with an application user with which the communication is associated. The application user is associated with a database query generated by the thread. |
| US07917756B2 |
E-mail stamping with from-header validation
Effective aspects of stamping outbound e-mail are combined with a registration system for e-mail senders. A mail sender participates by registering From: line information with a trusted third-party repository known as a stamp authority. When the sender sends an e-mail message, a hash of the From: line is compared against the From: line information for the sender stored in the repository. If the result is a match, the e-mail is allowed to be sent, subject to any other restrictions imposed by the stamping process. If there is not a match, then the e-mail is prevented from being stamped. |
| US07917754B1 |
Method and apparatus for linking businesses to potential customers through a trusted source network
In accordance with one embodiment, a method and apparatus for linking businesses to customers through a trusted source network includes creating and providing an authenticated rating and review/referral database. The authenticated rating and review/referral database is then used as a central hub to distribute authenticated ratings and reviews to various interested parties in one or more trusted source networks and/or through one or more portals linked to existing trusted source networks. |
| US07917749B2 |
Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection
The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node. These techniques may be used to support an all-electronic information distribution, for example, utilizing the “electronic highway.” |
| US07917743B2 |
System and method for a remote information handling system boot
In an information handling system (IHS), providing an IHS boot includes forcing the IHS to power on or reboot, retrieving a virtual serial peripheral interface (SPI) boot image using a virtual SPI bus, booting the IHS to the virtual SPI boot image, turning off the virtual SPI boot image, and updating a real SPI boot image. |
| US07917742B2 |
CMOS clearing circuit
A CMOS clearing circuit mounted on a motherboard of a computer includes a south bridge chip and a switch member respectively mounted on the motherboard. The south bridge chip includes a reset terminal and an input terminal. The switch member is configured for controlling one of the reset terminal and the input terminal of the south bridge chip. If the switch member controls the reset terminal, the input terminal is disconnected from the switch member and the switch member is capable of controlling the reset terminal of the south bridge chip to be selectively connected to ground or a voltage source provided by the motherboard. If the switch member controls the input terminal, the reset terminal stays connected to the voltage source and the switch member is capable of controlling the input terminal of the south bridge chip to be selectively connected to ground or the voltage source. |
| US07917740B1 |
Virtualization assist for legacy x86 floating point exception handling
In one embodiment, a processor comprises an execution core configured to detect a freeze event responsive to an error indication, an ignore error indication, and an instruction in a guest. The instruction belongs to a predefined subset of instructions associated with the error indication and the ignore error indication. The execution core is configured to exit the guest in response to detecting the freeze event. In some embodiments, the error indication and the ignore indication may be stored in one or more registers in the processor. In some embodiments, the instruction is a floating point instruction, the error indication is a floating pointer error indication, and the ignore error indication is an ignore floating point error indication. In some embodiments, the error indication may correspond to an error signal output by the processor, and the ignore error indication may correspond to an ignore error signal input to the processor. |
| US07917739B2 |
Storage medium storing calculation processing visualization program, calculation processing visualization apparatus, and calculation processing visualization method
The execution status of pipeline processing is highly visualized by appropriately displaying processes forming loops in a simplified manner. A loop-information storage unit stores loop-defining information specifying the address of an instruction that causes a pipeline process forming a loop. An operation-information storage unit stores operation information that includes the address of an instruction input into a pipeline and information indicating the execution status of a pipeline process caused by the instruction. A loop determination unit determines whether each pipeline process indicated by the operation information forms a loop by referring to the loop-defining information. An output unit outputs visualization information indicating, in a visually comprehensible manner, the execution status of a pipeline process that has been determined to form a loop for a predetermined number of executions of the loop and the execution status of a pipeline process that has been determined to form no loop. |
| US07917733B2 |
Instruction code compression using instruction codes with reuse flags
An instruction code compression method and an instruction fetch circuit which are capable of reducing both the number of fetches and program codes. A reuse flag is provided in an upper bit group including operational codes, and a lower bit group including operands and having the same number of bits as the upper bit group. When 2N+1 (N is an integer of 1 or more) instruction codes having the same upper bit group continues in a series of instruction codes, respective reuse flags of the lower bit group of a 2n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more and N or less) instruction code and a (2n+1)-th instruction code in the series of instruction codes are set to “1”, and the lower bit groups of the 2n-th and (2n+1)-th instruction codes are integreted into one compressed instruction code. |
| US07917732B2 |
Microprocessor for executing byte compiled JAVA code
A microprocessor architecture for executing byte compiled Java programs directly in hardware. The microprocessor targets the lower end of the embedded systems domain and features two orthogonal programming models, a Java model and a RISC model. The entities share a common data path and operate independently, although not in parallel. The microprocessor includes a combined register file in which the Java module sees the elements in the register file as a circular operand stack and the RISC module sees the elements as a conventional register file. The integrated microprocessor architecture facilitates access to hardware-near instructions and provides powerful interrupt and instruction trapping capabilities. |
| US07917731B2 |
Method and apparatus for prefetching non-sequential instruction addresses
A processor performs a prefetch operation on non-sequential instruction addresses. If a first instruction address misses in an instruction cache and accesses a higher-order memory as part of a fetch operation, and a branch instruction associated with the first instruction address or an address following the first instruction address is detected and predicted taken, a prefetch operation is performed using a predicted branch target address, during the higher-order memory access. If the predicted branch target address hits in the instruction cache during the prefetch operation, associated instructions are not retrieved, to conserve power. If the predicted branch target address misses in the instruction cache during the prefetch operation, a higher-order memory access may be launched, using the predicted branch instruction address. In either case, the first instruction address is re-loaded into the fetch stage pipeline to await the return of instructions from its higher-order memory access. |
| US07917728B2 |
Integrated circuit and method for transaction retraction
An integrated circuit having a plurality of processing modules (I, T) is provided. At least one first processing module (I) issues at least one transaction towards at least one second processing module (T). Said integrated circuit further comprises at least one first transaction retraction unit (TRU1) for indicating an allowance to said at least one first of said processing modules (I) to retract said at least one transaction according to the sate of said second processing module (T). |
| US07917727B2 |
Data processing architectures for packet handling using a SIMD array
An input/output system transfers data packets to and from a SIMD array of processing elements (PEs) such that different sizes of data packets are transferred to respective ones of the PEs. The packets are transferred in batches to respective different addresses in the array under the control of the PEs. Transfer to or from the array may be carried out when either a batch or part of a batch is ready for transfer. The decision to transfer either full or part batches is made in dependence upon the speed of the PEs and the speed and intermittency of the data packets. |
| US07917714B2 |
Data processing system
A data processing system has a plurality of storage systems. In this system, data replication is performed at high speed and efficiency while maintaining data integrity. In addition, when failure has occurred in a configuration element, the time necessary to resume the data replication is reduced. In accordance with an instruction from first host computer, updating of replication-target data and creation of a journal are performed in a storage system A; and updating of replication data and creation of a journal are performed in a storage system B. A storage system C retrieves a journal from the storage system B in asynchronization with the updating, and performs updating of replication data. When failure has occurred in the storage system B, a journal-retrieving end is altered to the storage system, and the replication data is updated in accordance with the retrieved journal. |
| US07917711B2 |
System, apparatus, and method for automatic copy function selection
The invention automatically selects a copy function according to a policy associated with data to be copied. The apparatus comprises an identification module configured to identify available copy functions in response to a data copy request that includes a predefined copy policy, a comparison module configured to compare each copy function of a storage device to attributes of the predefined copy policy, a selection module configured to automatically select a copy function that satisfies the predefined copy policy, and a relationship module configured to establish a copy relationship between the determined copy function and the data copy request. A policy generation module may be included and configured to read a set of required attributes from an application and to establish the predefined copy policy based on the set of required attributes from the application. |
| US07917709B2 |
Memory system for data storage and retrieval
According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method of data storage and retrieval for use in a solid state memory system, having a non-volatile memory, wherein data is written to the non-volatile memory in the form of at least one logical sector the method comprising: monitoring the logical sector data which is to be written to the non-volatile memory, detecting the presence of a pattern in the logical sector data, upon detecting a repetitive pattern recording the repetitive pattern of the logical sector in a sector address table in the non-volatile memory without making a record of the logical sector data in the nonvolatile memory. |
| US07917708B2 |
Assuring genuineness of data stored on a storage device
Techniques to assure genuineness of data stored on a storage device are provided. The storage device includes a storage controller that conducts I/O operations and management operations. A description of management operations and corresponding timestamps are recorded to an operation log stored in a memory. The memory additionally stores an attribute for each storage volume of the storage device. Write access to each of the storage volumes is dependent on the attribute. |
| US07917705B2 |
Scalable performance-based volume allocation in large storage controller collections
A scalable, performance-based, volume allocation technique that can be applied in large storage controller collections is disclosed. A global resource tree of multiple nodes representing interconnected components of a storage system is analyzed to yield gap values for each node (e.g., a bottom-up estimation). The gap value for each node is an estimate of the amount in GB of the new workload that can be allocated in the subtree of that node without exceeding the performance and space bounds at any of the nodes in that subtree. The gap values of the global resource tree are further analyzed to generate an ordered allocation list of the volumes of the storage system (e.g., a top-down selection). The volumes may be applied to a storage workload in the order of the allocation list and the gap values and list are updated. |
| US07917703B2 |
Network on chip that maintains cache coherency with invalidate commands
A network on chip (‘NOC’) comprising integrated processor (‘IP’) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controller, each IP block coupled to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, the NOC also including a port on a router of the network through which is received an invalidate command, the invalidate command including an identification of a cache line, the invalidate command representing an instruction to invalidate the cache line, the router configured to send the invalidate command to an IP block served by the router; the router further configured to send the invalidate command horizontally and vertically to neighboring routers if the port is a vertical port; and the router further configured to send the invalidate command only horizontally to neighboring routers if the port is a horizontal port. |
| US07917702B2 |
Data prefetch throttle
A system and method taught herein control data prefetching for a data cache by tracking prefetch hits and overall hits for the data cache. Data prefetching for the data cache is disabled based on the tracking of prefetch hits and data prefetching is enabled for the data cache based on the tracking of overall hits. For example, in one or more embodiments, a cache controller is configured to track a prefetch hit rate reflecting the percentage of hits on the data cache that involve prefetched data lines and disable data prefetching if the prefetch hit rate falls below a defined threshold. The cache controller also tracks an overall hit rate reflecting the overall percentage of data cache hits (versus misses) and enables data prefetching if the overall hit rate falls below a defined threshold. |
| US07917699B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling the exclusivity mode of a level-two cache
A method of controlling the exclusivity mode of a level-two cache includes generating level-two cache exclusivity control information at a processor in response to an exclusivity mode indicator, and utilizing the level-two cache exclusivity control information to configure the exclusivity mode of the level-two cache. |
| US07917696B2 |
Computer system and process for transferring multiple high bandwidth streams of data between multiple storage units and multiple applications in a scalable and reliable manner
Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. At least one additional copy of each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. This random distribution of multiple copies of segments of data improves both scalability and reliability. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request is processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all of the storage units. This combination of techniques results in a system which can transfer multiple, independent high-bandwidth streams of data in a scalable manner in both directions between multiple applications and multiple storage units. |
| US07917682B2 |
Multi-protocol controller that supports PCIe, SAS and enhanced Ethernet
SAS over Enhanced Ethernet (SOE) controllers that integrate SAS and Enhanced Ethernet to perform a conversion between SAS and Enhanced Ethernet are disclosed. A central intelligence block can be employed to perform the mapping between SAS and Enhanced Ethernet. The SOE controller can include one or more Enhanced Ethernet Interfaces, one or more SAS interfaces, and a PCIe interface. The SOE controller can direct the I/O requests presented on one interface to another interface after performing some basic operations on the I/O requests, including protocol conversion. The SOE controller can include an intelligence mechanism for identifying the appropriate output ports for routing the I/O requests and redirecting them accordingly. In the case of routing I/O requests over Enhanced Ethernet, the SOE controller can perform SAS protocol conversion to map outgoing I/O requests into Enhanced Ethernet frames suitable for transmission over the Enhanced Ethernet network. |
| US07917681B2 |
Switch and network bridge apparatus
A PCI Express switch which connects a plurality of peripheral devices to an arbitrary one of a plurality of CPUs through an Ethernet is constituted by a plurality of upstream and downstream PCI Express-network bridges, an Ethernet switch, and a system manager. Each of the upstream and downstream PCI Express-network bridges includes a PCI Express adapter which terminates a link of a PCI Express bus, a network adapter which terminates a link to the Ethernet switch, and a control unit which encapsulates a TLP in a frame, the destination of which is a MAC address of a bridge to which the destination is connected to transmit and receive the frame. Because the switch according to the present invention comprising a plurality of upstream PCI Express-network bridges and a plurality of downstream PCI Express-network bridges connected to the plurality of upstream PCI Express network bridges through a network is equivalent to a conventional PCI Express switch, it is needless to change a conventional PCI software. |
| US07917678B2 |
Method and apparatus for frame buffer management
Methods and apparatuses for dynamic virtual frame buffer management. At least one embodiment of the present invention dynamically enables or disables the use of a virtual frame buffer, which is not under control of graphics hardware of a data processing system, without restarting the graphical user interface system (e.g., the window system) of the data processing system. For example, in response to the addition or removing of a frame buffer that is under control of a graphics controller (e.g., due to the activation or deactivation of the graphics controller, or the hot plug-in or hot disconnection of the graphics controller), the virtual frame buffer is disabled or enabled respectively. |
| US07917677B2 |
Smart profiler
A method, system, and computer usable program product for a smart profiler are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An allowable number of interrupts for use by a profiler application is determined. A count number for a counter is determined. The counter is configured to count occurrences of an event in a data processing system up to the count number. An interrupt is raised when the counter has counted the occurrences of the event up to the count number. The interrupt is processed. The counting of occurrences of the event, raising the interrupt, and processing the interrupt are repeated for a predetermined time. A decision is made whether a total number of interrupts raised in the predetermined period differs from the allowable number. The count number of the counter is adjusted to cause the difference between the total number of interrupts in the predetermined period and the allowable number to decrease. |
| US07917674B2 |
KVM switch with PIP functions using remote desktop sharing technique
A keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) switch implements a picture-in-picture (PIP) function to allow desktop images from multiple computers to be displayed on the user console monitor. The KVM switch switches a first one of the multiple computers to the user console in a manner. The KVM switch further establishes a desktop sharing and remote control relationship between the first computer and each of the other computers, so that the first computer acts as a client which can see the desktop of the other computers (servers) and control them. The desktop images of the other computers are displayed on the console monitor as windows, which can be moved and re-sized. Audio data from the other computer are also transmitted to the user console. The PIP function is primarily implemented in software and no special video processing hardware is required in the KVM switch. |
| US07917673B2 |
Communication device and method having a shared local memory
A communication device and method is provided, comprising: a signal modulator/demodulator having a digital signal processor for effecting radio communications; and an application processor (AP) having a central processing unit for controlling a plurality of peripherals, and a memory shared by the modem and the AP. The shared memory is accessed by the AP and the modem via a common bus. The plurality of peripherals include at least one of an image capture module, a display, and a flash memory. |
| US07917662B2 |
Universal graphic adapter for interfacing with UGA hardware for support of ranges of output display capabilities
The subject invention relates to a Universal Graphics Adapter (UGA) that is a hardware-independent design that encapsulates and abstracts low-level graphics hardware in a standard manner through firmware. UGA is a firmware standard, intended to wrap existing or planned hardware, including VGA. UGA does not require the use of real-mode assembly language, direct hardware register, or frame buffer access to program, thus providing advantages over conventional systems. UGA supports basic drawing operations, continuous display modes, and power management. As a firmware-based standard, UGA facilitates updating a system to support both evolving and new hardware features. UGA includes the capability to determine ranges of output display capabilities for multiple devices and determine an overlap in capabilities of the multiple devices. |
| US07917661B2 |
Wireless home and office appliance management and integration
The present invention provides systems and methods for managing and controlling networked devices. A system comprises a host application executing on, for example, a personal computer, and one or more networked devices executing a client application. A networked device includes a consumer appliance equipped with network capability, a digital device such as MP3 players and DVRs, an electronically-controlled device such as a light circuit or other type of circuit, and the like. The host application automatically establishes communication with the networked device. The networked device configures a user interface for user control of the networked device. The host application provides a graphical layout of the networked device. |
| US07917657B2 |
Method and system for monitoring a telecommunications signal transmission link
A system including an event monitor for monitoring at least one transmission link. Each event monitor receives transmission link addresses from an address sequencer and transmits related event data to a centralized storage register. The address sequencer also transmits the addresses to the storage register. The event monitor compares new event data for each address with old event data stored by the event monitor. If a difference is detected, the event monitor sends a strobe signal to the storage register, which stores the event data reflecting the difference and the related address data. The strobe signal is also sent to a signaling device, which sends an interrupt signal to cause a microprocessor to read the event and address data from the storage register. Optionally, the signaling device does not send an interrupt signal until a threshold number of strobe signals have been received. |
| US07917656B2 |
Statistics monitoring for messaging service
A messaging service is described that incorporates messages into cached link lists. The messages are not yet acknowledged as having been received by one or more consumers to whom the messages were sent. A separate link list exists for each of a plurality of different message priority levels. Messages within a same link list are ordered in their link list in the same order in which they where received by the messaging service. At least one of the link lists contains an element that represents one or more messages that are persisted but are not cached in any of the cached link lists. |
| US07917654B2 |
Exchanging data via a virtual field device
A system for synchronizing data between a host client and a field device comprises a computer system with a virtual field device resident on the computer system. The virtual field device comprises a virtualized instantiation of a portion of a field device. A synchronization manager is also resident on the computer system. The synchronization manager is configured for managing synchronization operations involving the virtual field device. A field client transceiver is coupled with the synchronization manager. The field client transceiver is configured for facilitating data exchange between the virtual field device and the field device during a field client to virtual field device synchronization operation. A host client is also resident on the computer system. The host client is configured for exchanging data with the virtual field device during a host client to virtual field device synchronization operation. |
| US07917651B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for asynchronous complex inbound transactions from SAP applications using service oriented architecture
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing inbound transactions from an SAP application. A transaction ID module is included that receives a transaction identifier (“TID”) associated with an event from an SAP application by way of an ALE interface for an asynchronous transaction. A recording module is included to record an event record in an event tracking repository by way of an XA transaction, the event record comprising the TID and an associated transaction status. An intermediate document module is included to receive an intermediate document (“IDoc”) containing transaction data from a transaction associated with the event and the associated TID from the SAP application by way of the ALE interface using a Transaction Remote Function Call protocol. A conversion module is included to convert the IDoc to a service data object (“SDO”) and an SDO transmit module is included to transmit the SDO to an endpoint using the XA transaction. |
| US07917650B2 |
Load balancing techniques for inter-domain traffic engineering
A method for balancing traffic across paths connecting a network to the Internet using a fractional allocation strategy for distributing the traffic from a congested selected path. The strategy includes: (a) associating the paths j with a counter i; (b) calculating the total initial selected path overload; (c) calculating the selected path load, wherein the load is equal to the initial selected path overload less the sum of the low capacity boundary for i path(s); (d) calculating the portion of the traffic on the selected path to be distributed using a bi-sectional search strategy; (e) distributing a portion of the traffic on the selected path to the other paths; and (f) stopping if there are no more paths (i=j), otherwise increasing the numerical value of the counter by one (1) and go to step (c). |
| US07917643B2 |
Digital information library and delivery system
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a computer system that can transfer a digital information file to a removable media storage. The digital information file can include targeting information, which may include combined descrambling information and information identifying a mobile playback device. The mobile playback device can render the targeted digital information file if the information identifying the mobile playback device included in the targeting information corresponds to an identifier of the mobile playback device, so as to allow the mobile playback device to descramble the targeted digital information file using the descrambling information. |
| US07917639B2 |
Multimedia application interface
An improved application programming interface (API) as described can control media resources in numerous Internet multimedia applications. The API may be independent of the application itself and the media resources underneath. The API may be referred to as a multimedia subsystem (MSS) interface. |
| US07917633B1 |
Method and apparatus for reconnecting to a remote viewing session
Remote viewing software at a display may contain control logic to enable it to manage the connection associated with a session. The connection management process may preferentially elect to establish a socket connection and, if that is unavailable or unreliable, may use HTTP tunneling. The connection management process may also automatically reconnect the display to the session so that the display is not required to manually re-join an ongoing session. The connection management process also manages the termination of the session to ensure that both the server and the client process at the display end the session correctly. |
| US07917631B2 |
System for providing security in a network comprising computerized devices
A system useful within a network and adapted to provide communication security. In one embodiment, the network comprises an untrusted network, and the system includes network security apparatus adapted to create security associations between devices on the network, including mutual authentication. Traffic between the associated devices may be encrypted for e.g., data confidentiality and integrity protection. In one variant, the network security apparatus comprises a software entity disposed at least partly within the software stack of the devices. The associated devices may be for example fixed or portable, and may also act as a gateway to other networks (including the Internet). The portable devices may be untrusted (e.g., have an untrusted operating system). |
| US07917624B2 |
Wireless network having control plane segregation
A wireless network having control plane segregation is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary network architecture includes, but is not limited to, multiple access points coupled to a wired network, where each of the access points is capable of communicating with one or more mobile nodes over a wireless network. The exemplary network architecture further includes a controller coupled to the access points over the wired network, where the controller maintains network traffic information of the wireless network and communicates the network traffic information with the access points to enable the access points to cooperate with each other to provide network services to the one or more mobile nodes over the wireless network. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US07917623B2 |
Method of allocating data communication sessions based upon user information
A method and apparatus are provided for establishing communication sessions through the Internet. The method includes the steps of receiving a request from an Internet requester by a website for a communication session with an agent of the website, analyzing browser associated information relating to the request and selecting an agent for the communication session based upon a content of the analyzed browser associated information. |
| US07917619B2 |
Supporting multiple service discovery protocols on a device
Techniques for supporting multiple service discovery protocols (SDPs) on a network-enabled device (NED) are provided. The NED includes a plurality of SDP services, a plurality of SDP adapters, and a device service management system (DSMS). Each SDP service interfaces with one SDP adapter. Each SDP adapter interfaces with the DSMS. Each SDP adapter translates messages from its corresponding SDP service into a format the DSMS understands, and vice versa. The DSMS manages service metadata information about one or more services hosted (or provided) by the NED. In response to a request, from a client, for metadata of one or more services hosted by the NED, a SDP service requests the metadata from its corresponding SDP adapter. The SDP adapter requests the metadata from the DSMS, which responds to the SDP adapter with the metadata. The SDP adapter sends the metadata to the SDP service, which sends the metadata to the client. |
| US07917615B2 |
Apparatus and method for real-time monitoring and controlling of networked appliances using an intermediate server
A method and an apparatus for real-time monitoring and controlling of networked appliances over both a wide-area network (WAN) and a local-area network (LAN) using a Device State and Location Server (DSLS) as an intermediate server are disclosed. The DSLS is configured to either receive beacons from networked appliances periodically or poll networked appliances to update current activity status of each networked appliance. A unified user interface on a commanding device is configured to monitor the current activity status of each networked appliance by simply receiving updated data from the DSLS, thereby offloading a cumbersome task of tracking all networked appliances over the WAN and the LAN on its own. A color coding scheme and different icon shapes are used for ease of monitoring of the networked appliances. An orbital user interface software further helps to visualize location and current activity status of each networked appliance. |
| US07917614B2 |
Fault tolerance in a client side pre-boot execution
A mechanism for uninterrupted booting of a client computer coupled to a pre-boot execution server computer over a network is provided. The client computer has at least two or more network interface cards. A network bootstrap file is downloaded from the server computer to the client computer. The network bootstrap file is configured to monitor the booting process of the client computer. On detection that the network interface card has failed to transmit or receive packets, the network bootstrap file is configured to switch over to the next available network interface card on the client system thereby providing uninterrupted execution of the booting process. |
| US07917605B1 |
Automated registration and licensing tool
Methods and systems are disclosed for managing registrations of computers. The methods and systems provide a registration tool that may be used to automatically register the computers. For each computer to be registered, information uniquely identifying the computer is collected and sent to a remote registration server. The information is then used by the remote registration server to perform the registration on behalf of the computer. The registration may be with a software vendor, a third-party database, or with the remote registration server itself in some cases. The registration server thereafter returns a registration code or other information to the computer to complete the registration. Such an arrangement allows the registration process to be controlled from a central location. |
| US07917597B1 |
RDMA network configuration using performance analysis
An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and method for performing RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) network configuration. The apparatus and method measure a performance of each RDMA operation for different data message sizes and determine an RDMA operation to be applied for a particular packet size sent by an application, based on the measured performance. As an example, the RDMA operations are, e.g., RDMA send/receive, RDMA write, RDMA read, memory registration and memory un-registration, or memory bind and memory unbind. The measured performance can be, for example, the total time to perform an RDMA operation for different packet sizes. |
| US07917594B2 |
Method and system for notifying an invitee user when an inviting user accesses a social networking application
A system and method may include receiving an access from an inviting terminal requesting access to a social networking application, the access request may be associated with a user identifier, searching a contact database, based on the user identifier and on an application identifier of the social networking application, to identify contact information associated with an invitee terminal, and generating a notification message based on the contact information, the notification message may be useable to indicate to the invitee terminal that the inviting terminal has accessed the social networking application. |
| US07917592B1 |
Method for grouping exchange 2007 journal messages
During an initial scan of a journal inbox, journal reports are modified so that the Internet Message ID in the text body appears as a custom message ID value in a new custom message ID MAPI property created on the journal reports. Further, the message class value of the message class MAPI property on the journal reports is modified to a journal part. During a secondary scan of the journal inbox, related journal parts are grouped together based on the custom message ID value. Also, the message class value is modified to prevent the journal reports from being considered in subsequent initial or secondary scans. One of the journal reports of the group is selected as a master copy. A new custom related journal parts MAPI property is created on the master copy that includes a related journal parts value which is a list of identifiers that can be used to locate the other related journal parts of the group. |
| US07917589B2 |
Instant messages with privacy notices
In an embodiment, an instant message is received that includes data, a privacy indication, and an override indication. In an embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is non-private, then the data is presented. But, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, then a privacy notice is presented and the data is hidden until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received. The privacy notice may include a prompt for the acknowledgment. In an embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, the data is presented. In another embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device received input is less than a threshold amount of time, then the data is presented. |
| US07917587B2 |
Method and system for prioritizing communications based on interpersonal relationships
A method and system for calculating the importance of persons based on interpersonal relationships and prioritizing communications based on importance of participants in the communications is provided. A prioritization system identifies relationships between persons and identifies the importance of a person to other persons based on these relationships. After the prioritization system identifies the importance of persons, the prioritization system can prioritize communications based on the importance of the senders or recipients. |
| US07917582B2 |
Method and apparatus for autocorrelation of instant messages
A text chat messaging system in which messages are displayed in chronological order on a message-by-message basis according to chat participants includes a messaging server (102); and a plurality of network clients (104) defining said chat participants and configured to identify messages (204) in a chat session according to chat participants and arrange said chat session for display according to a conversation order of participation in said chat session. |
| US07917580B2 |
Method for monitoring activities of a first user on any of a plurality of platforms
There is provided a method for monitoring activities of a first user on any of a plurality of platforms, with the first user having access to a first computing device for use by the first user. The method may include two modes which allows a master user to monitor activities of the first user even when the master user is not connected to the world wide web (offline). |
| US07917579B2 |
Chat system, chat device, chat server control method, and information storage medium including chat stop limiting capability
Provided are a chat system, a chat device, a chat server control method, and an information storage medium for realizing sound communication between users. When a message transfer unit (11a) receives a message, the message is transferred to a game terminal of a transmission destination and a stop limit unit (11c) transmits an instruction such as a limit instruction limiting a chat function stop processing in the game terminal to the game terminal of the transmission source of the message. A stop limit time calculation unit (11d) calculates a period of a stop limit time for limiting the chat function stop processing in accordance with the number of characters in the received message and a timer unit (11b) specifies a stop limit time end time instant. When the stop limit time end time instant has been reached, the stop limit unit (11c) transmits a limit cancel instruction for canceling the limit of the chat function stop processing. |
| US07917573B2 |
Measuring and reporting processor capacity and processor usage in a computer system with processors of different speed and/or architecture
In a computer system that includes multiple processors, each processor in a computer system is assigned a processor class. Processor capacity and usage are monitored according to the class assigned to the processor. Capacity and usage are reported on a class-by-class basis so that the capacity and performance of different classes of processors are not erroneously compared or summed. The capacity and usage are monitored and reported in an abstract unit of measurement referred to as a “CPU time unit”. Processors of the same type that run at different clock speeds or that have different internal circuitry enabled are preferably assigned the same class, with one or more conversion factors being used to appropriately scale the performance of the processors to the common CPU time unit for this class. |
| US07917569B2 |
Device for implementing a sum of products expression
A device for implementing a sum-of-products expression includes a first set of 2-input Shift-and-Add (2SAD) blocks receiving a coefficient set/complex sum-of-products expression for generating a first set of partially optimized expression terms by applying recursive optimization therein, a second set of 1-input Shift-and-Add (1SAD) blocks receiving response from the 2SAD blocks for generating a second set of partially optimized expression terms by applying vertical optimization therein, a third set of 2SAD blocks receiving recursively and vertically optimized response from the first set of 2SAD block and the second set of 1SAD blocks for generating a third set of partially optimized expression terms by applying horizontal optimization therein, a fourth set of 2SAD blocks receiving response from the blocks for generating a fourth set of partially optimized expression terms by applying decomposition and factorization, and a fifth set of 2SAD blocks receiving response from the fourth set of 2SAD blocks, for generating the final output. |
| US07917567B1 |
Floating-point processing unit for successive floating-point operations
A floating-point processing unit for a succession of floating-point operations. An exponent adjustor is coupled to receive numerical inputs and configured to generate first adjusted values from the numerical inputs. The first adjusted values have equivalent exponents as between corresponding first adjusted values. A first operation specific floating-point processing unit (OFPU) is coupled to receive the first adjusted values and includes first arithmetic circuitry configured for a first floating-point operation on the first adjusted values to provide first numerical results. The first numerical results are not normalized prior to a second floating-point operation. |
| US07917565B2 |
High-speed radix-4 butterfly module and method of performing Viterbi decoding using the same
A high-speed radix-4 butterfly module and the method of performing Viterbi decoding using the same. The high-speed radix-4 butterfly module includes first to fourth add-compare-select (ACS) circuits. The first and the second ACS circuits receive first to fourth branch metric values and first to fourth previous-stage path metric values, and accordingly produces a first and a second path metric values. The third and the fourth ACS circuits receive fifth to eighth branch metric values and the first to the fourth previous-stage path metric values, and accordingly produces a third and a fourth path metric values. The radix-4 butterfly unit of the invention uses the symmetric relation to reduce an amount of branch computation required for each radix-4 butterfly unit to a half. Thus, the circuit complexity of the typical radix-4 butterfly module and the hardware cost of the Viterbi decoder are reduced. |
| US07917564B2 |
Device and method for processing a signal having a sequence of discrete values
When processing a signal having a sequence of discrete values, wherein there is a first frequency range, in which the signal has a high energy, and wherein there is a second frequency range, in which the signal has a low energy, the sequence of discrete values is first manipulated to obtain a sequence of manipulated values, so that at least one of the manipulated values is non-integer. Then the sequence of manipulated values is rounded to obtain a sequence of manipulated values. The rounding is formed to effect a spectral shaping of a generated rounding error so that a spectrally shaped rounding error has a higher energy in the first frequency range than in the second frequency range. By spectrally shaping the rounding error so that the rounding error does not have any energy either in the storage areas where there is no signal energy, an especially efficient coding is obtained particularly in connection with a lossless coding context. |
| US07917563B1 |
Read channel processor
Adapting a read channel processor is disclosed. Adapting includes determining a target output for input data from a variable target function, determining a filter output corresponding to the input data from a programmable filter having programmable filter coefficients, comparing the target output and the filter output, and recursively updating both the variable target function and the programmable filter coefficients to improve the comparison between the target output and the filter output. |
| US07917562B2 |
Method and system for estimating and applying a step size value for LMS echo cancellers
Disclosed is an improved method and apparatus for estimating and applying a step size value for a least mean squares echo canceller. A power estimate of an excitation signal is compared to a reference power level to determine a shift adjustment. The shift adjustment is added to a reference shift amount to determine a shift amount. The product of an excitation signal and an error signal is then calculated and the product is stored in a memory register comprising a plurality of bits. The bits stored in the memory register are shifted either left or right based upon the shift amount. The shift adjustment may be based in part upon the ratio of the excitation signal power estimate and the reference power level. |
| US07917557B2 |
Method and devices for creating a second playlist based on a first playlist
A playback system and method allows for dynamic remapping of location identifiers in a playlist. An original playlist is created based on select content material located at a first set of storage locations. When the playlist is transferred to a different environment, having access to a second set of storage locations containing unknown content material, the playback device at this different environment searches the second set of storage locations for content material that corresponds to the items/songs in the playlist. If a correspondence is determined for a song in the playlist, the location identifier of the playlist for this song is updated to reflect its location in the second set of storage locations. If a correspondence is not found, the location identifier of the playlist for this song is updated to reflect a “not found” indication. Thereafter, when directed to effect a playback of the material in the playlist, the playback device will render the songs that were found at the second set of storage locations, and skip those that are marked “not found”. By dynamically updating the location identifiers of a playlist based on the available content at a given system, the playlist becomes a means for communicating a user's preferred set of songs without actually transferring the songs. In a preferred embodiment, additional filtering criteria may be applied, in addition to the availability of the material within the current environment. |
| US07917555B2 |
Creating, storing and viewing process models
The location of a drawing of an activity, a property of an element in the drawing and the structural relationship of elements in the drawing are stored in a database. The database is accessed to form a user interface that provides a hierarchical representation of activities and the elements within activities. |
| US07917553B2 |
System and methods for enhanced metadata entry
A system and methods for facilitation of enhanced user interactions with metadata corresponding to one or more media files. A number of user interface methods are described and may be used alone or in combination with one another to present an enhanced metadata entry and modification interface to a user. A method of providing for automated step through of media files for metadata entry is described, as well as a method for quickly presenting the user with the most appropriate media sample from which an appropriate metadata entry or modification can be made by the user. |
| US07917552B2 |
Generating coherent global identifiers for efficient data identification
A method and system thereof for identifying records are described. Records on a node are distinguished from other records on the node by assigning each record a unique local identifier. When a record is moved from one node to another node, a unique global identifier is assigned to the record. A translation technique is employed to map the local identifier to the global identifier (and vice versa). |
| US07917545B2 |
Web-based data form
A web-based data form enables modifications made to values in the data form to be dynamically implemented in a data source. Form fields of the data form are associated with items in the data source using data binding information. Data from the data source is transformed into intermediate code using Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) code. Form controls of the data form are instantiated using the intermediate code. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is generated from the intermediate code including the form controls. |
| US07917544B2 |
Method and apparatus for retrieving data representing a postal address from a plurality of postal addresses
A method for retrieving a desired postal address from a plurality of postal addresses. The invention can feature receiving input data having input terms for finding the desired postal address from a first database of postal addresses where each postal address is formed of a plurality of postal address elements, searching a dictionary for entries in the dictionary corresponding to the input terms, determining that each entry in the dictionary that corresponds to the input terms corresponds to postal address elements of one or more postal addresses in the first database, and outputting data representing the desired postal address. The desired postal address is found in the first database if an address in that database has postal address elements that correspond with each of the entries of the dictionary that corresponds to one or more of the input terms. |
| US07917539B1 |
Zero copy write datapath
A technique enhances a write data path within a storage operating system executing on a storage system. As used herein, the write data path defines program logic used by a file system of the storage operating system to process write requests directed to data served by the file system. The technique enhances the write data path of the storage system by providing a “zero copy” write data path embodied as a function of the storage operating system that eliminates a copy operation for a write request received at the storage system. The eliminated operation is a data copy operation from a list of input buffers to buffers used by the file system. |
| US07917538B2 |
Method and apparatus for data item movement between disparate sources and hierarchical, object-oriented representation
Data moves between multiple, disparate data sources and the object-oriented computer programs that process the data. A data access server is interposed between the object-oriented programs and the data sources, and acts as an intermediary. The intermediary server receives requests for data access from object-oriented computer programs, correlates each request to one or more interactions with one or more data sources, performs each required interaction, consolidates the results of the interactions, and presents a singular response to the requesting computer program. The consolidated response from the intermediary server contains data items requested by the computer program, information regarding the hierarchical topology that relates the data items, and an indication of the possible object types that might embody the data items. The application program receives the consolidated response and builds an object hierarchy to embody the data items and to interface them to the rest of the application program. The class of an object used to embody data items is selected at execution time from a list of possible candidates. |
| US07917535B1 |
Task membership and task masks
Components are presented to users based on the components' assigned task memberships. The tasks represents the different activities performed by users within a digital production pipeline. Each stage of the digital production pipeline may be associated with a task. Additional user-defined tasks may be defined as needed to further distinguish components. Attributes of components are associated with one or more tasks when the component is authored. Task memberships may be inherited from parent components or overridden. A user interface includes a task selection menu to receive a selection of one or more tasks from the user. The task selection is used to filter components, so that the user interface presents only relevant information to users. Component attribute values and task associations can be expressed using layer data structures. Task restrictions of layers allow layers to only specify values of components that match the task associations of the layer. |
| US07917532B1 |
System for tracking data shared with external entities
System and method for keeping inventories of sensitive data that has been shared with external entities. The system and method may be used particularly for identifying a source of an unauthorized release of sensitive data. |
| US07917524B2 |
Systems and methods for providing a mockup data generator
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for mockup data for a mockup object. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include receiving, from a user, a name of the mockup object for which the mockup data should be created, wherein the object comprises one or more nodes. The method may also include receiving, from the user, a number of records to be created for each node of the object, determining whether to modify existing mockup data or create new mockup data for each node, receiving, from the user, a beginning range and an ending range for the mockup data, and generating, within the framework, the mockup data for each node of the object based on metadata stored within the framework and the beginning and ending range. |
| US07917519B2 |
Categorized document bases
A method of managing information comprises generating a categorized document base. Generating the document base comprises providing a pre-existing classification of things other than documents, providing a source collection of documents, and automatically assessing the documents using Information Retrieval techniques to assign at least some of the documents to one or more taxa of the classification. For each taxon in the classification one or more numerical scores are assigned, based at least in part on a composition, makeup or constitution of the documents assigned to the taxon of the categorized document base. |
| US07917516B2 |
Updating an inverted index
Systems and methods for processing an index are described. To insure that the most updated index is available without having to update the index after every change (which can consume enormous resources), a specially marked postings list is generated for a changed item. During retrieval, the specially marked postings list supplements the existing content of an inverted index referencing the changed item. In this manner, the retrieval result for items containing the term under which the changed item was originally indexed is updated in accordance with the specially marked postings list to insure the most accurate retrieval result. |
| US07917513B2 |
Duplicating database contents
The invention provides data processing, data control and information methods and systems for efficiently duplicating contents of a database in the data control system. An example of a data processing system includes: a cache unit acquiring, from a data control system which categorizes a plurality of data elements into a plurality of clusters and stores the plurality of clusters; a group-of-clusters update information acquisition unit for acquiring from the data control system group-of-clusters update information with respect to a group of clusters consisting of two or more clusters; a group-of-clusters update information computation unit for computing group-of-clusters update information with respect to the group of clusters based on two or more pieces of cluster update information; and an update judging unit for judging that a cached data element belonging to the group of clusters is the most updated one. |
| US07917508B1 |
Image repository for human interaction proofs
A method of populating an image repository is disclosed. The method includes identifying a keyword from a dictionary and querying an image source using the keyword, thereby yielding a set of images associated with the keyword. The method also includes performing a second query on the image source using a combination of the keyword and one or more additional terms, thereby yielding a plurality of images associated with the combination. Then the plurality of images associated with the combination is subtracted from the set of images associated with the keyword, thereby yielding a difference set of images which are added to the image repository if the difference set of images satisfies predefined criteria. |
| US07917498B2 |
Method and system for dynamic join reordering
A database engine and a system running a database engine utilize a dynamic join reordering feature to change the order of two or more join operations while a query is executing. The database engine starts execution of the query with an initial join order setting but monitors the execution of the query to determine whether the initial join order or some other join order would provide better runtime performance. If another join order would provide better performance, then the database engine can change the join order during query execution and complete the query using the new join order. |
| US07917494B2 |
System and method for a log-based data storage
Embodiments of the invention provide a high-performance content management system with a log-based data storage. To speed data operations, updates and deletes are appended to log-based data files. Seek operations are not needed as old data is not overwritten or removed at the time of write operations. Instead, the log-based data files are periodically optimized by processes that compact data entries and remove data files containing old data. In addition, an associated index with entries accessible in constant time is used to facilitate the process of locating data entries within the data files. Embodiments of the log-based data storage are implemented in a standard file format for ease of development and maintenance and can be compressed to further improve performance. In one embodiment, the log-based data storage corresponds to a node-based logical data tree that can be adapted to house a variety of data, including data from relational databases. |
| US07917492B2 |
Method and subsystem for information acquisition and aggregation to facilitate ontology and language-model generation within a content-search-service system
Various embodiments of the present invention include information-aggregation-and-classification components of content-search-service systems which acquire information from information sources, aggregate and normalize the acquired information, and classify the acquired information prior to storing the normalized and classified information for use by language-model-builder components and ontology-builder components of the content-search-service systems. Additional embodiments of the present invention include the ontology-builder components, which builds ontologies from the normalized and classified information for specific dates, date/times, date ranges, or date/time ranges and for specific categories. |
| US07917489B2 |
Implicit name searching
Techniques and tools described herein provide mechanisms for displaying information that is contextually related to a search query. Using these techniques and tools, a user can lookup and discover a person or other entity from contextually related information. For example, if the user submits a search query on the title of a song (e.g., “Janie's got a gun”), then, in addition to a variety of documents related to the title of the song, the user may be presented with information about a related entity such as “Aerosmith” (e.g., the band that sings the song). In this way, the techniques and tools provide mechanisms that identify information that is not directly related to the search query, but that is information the user may find useful or interesting based on context of the search query. |
| US07917488B2 |
Cross-lingual search re-ranking
Cross-lingual search re-ranking is performed during a cross-lingual search in which a search query of a first language is used to retrieve two sets of documents, a first set in the first language, and a second set in a second language. The two sets of documents are each first ranked by the search engine separately. Cross-lingual search re-ranking then aims to provide a uniform re-ranking of both sets of documents combined. Cross-lingual search re-ranking uses a unified ranking function to compute the ranking order of each document of the first set and the second set of documents. The unified ranking function is constructed using generative probabilities based on multiple features, and can be learned by optimizing weight parameters using a training corpus. Ranking SVM algorithms may be used for the optimization. |
| US07917480B2 |
Document compression system and method for use with tokenspace repository
The disclosed embodiments enable multi-stage query scoring, including “snippet” generation, through incremental document reconstruction facilitated by a multi-tiered mapping scheme. The mapping scheme includes a first mapping between unique tokens contained in a set of documents and unique global token identifiers (e.g., 32-bit integers) contained in a global-lexicon (i.e., dictionary). The mapping scheme also includes a second mapping between the global token identifiers and a set of fixed-length local token identifiers (e.g., 8-bit integers) contained in one or more mini-lexicons (i.e., sub-dictionaries). Each mini-lexicon is associated with a range of token positions in the tokenized documents. The first and second mappings are used to encode/decode documents into local token identifiers having fixed widths which can be compactly stored in the tokenspace repository. The use of fixed-length local token identifiers allows for fast and efficient decoding of tokenized documents. |
| US07917471B2 |
Method for obtaining information objects in a communication system
The invention relates to a method for obtaining content objects in a communication system. In the method is obtained at least one search criterion at a first node. At least one entity entry is determined from an entity contact information list. An identity of a second network node is determined from the entity entry. An address is determined for the second network node using the identity. A search is submitted to the second network node. The search criteria are matched to a number of metadata objects to obtain result metadata objects, from which is provided at least a content object identifier to the first network node. The first network node obtaining a content object using said content object identifier from a third network node to the first network node. |
| US07917469B2 |
Fast primary cluster recovery
A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster. Upon repair or replacement of the first cluster (a “restore”), the repaired or replaced first cluster resumes authority for servicing the clients of the first cluster. This restore operation preferably occurs in two stages: a “fast recovery” stage that involves preferably “bulk” transfer of the first cluster metadata, following by a “fail back” stage that involves the transfer of the fixed content data. Upon receipt of the metadata from the second cluster, the repaired or replaced first cluster resumes authority for the clients irrespective of whether the fail back stage has completed or even begun. |
| US07917467B2 |
Processing of data sets in a computer network
A system and method for the resource-saving collaborative handling of data sets in a computer network is described. The method comprises the steps of providing a data set having an initial collaborative workflow, determining if the data set satisfies a set of one or more first start conditions to trigger a random function query, providing the data set to a random function if the random function query is triggered, stochastically determining, by the random function, whether or not to assign a modified collaborative workflow to the data set, and replacing the initial workflow with the modified workflow for the data set if the random function determines to assign the modified workflow. |
| US07917466B2 |
Automatically processing digital assets of a digital camera
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, a digital camera system and a computer-readable medium for processing digital image assets of a digital camera. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of automatically matching an asset scheme of the digital camera to a best available asset normalizer of a predetermined set of asset normalizers and processing assets of the digital camera into a standard structure in accordance with the best available asset normalizer. |
| US07917462B1 |
Materializing subsets of a multi-dimensional table
A multi-dimensional table having plural dimensions is stored in a database system, where plural grouping combinations of the plural dimensions define corresponding subsets of the multi-dimensional table. An aggregate measure for each of at least some of the plural subsets is computed, where the aggregate measure for a particular subset represents a relationship of the particular subset to one or more parents of the particular subset. Less than all of the at least some subsets are selected to materialize based on the aggregate measures. |
| US07917457B2 |
Knowledge extraction and abstraction
The present disclosure includes a system and method for learning (or discovering and extracting) business knowledge from a collection of source code. The collection of source code is abstracted to generate an abstracted data stream, which is then transformed to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. The transformed data in XML format can be further converted to target formats or processed to satisfy different needs such as software system documentation, migration, impact analysis and security analysis. The disclosure also includes an implementation and operation for a pattern abstraction engine configured to receive an input data stream and format it for abstraction into a standard format using a pattern matching mechanism. The disclosure also includes an implementation and operation for a contextual pattern decoder engine configured to extract knowledge attributes and contextual taxonomy from classified blocks of an input data stream. |
| US07917456B2 |
Profile configuration for a data processing apparatus
Data processing apparatus is disclosed comprising: a sensor module configured to sense a first profile comprised of one or more attributes of an environment of said data processing apparatus; and a classification module configured to assign a prediction factor to each of said one or more attributes of said first profile and to store each said attribute and assigned prediction factor as a stored profile. |
| US07917454B2 |
System and method for instant online postage metering
A system and method for instantly printing PC postage before establishing a postage meter account. The method includes the steps of a meter vendor obtaining a first meter license from the Post for a first meter; loaning the use of a first meter licensed in the customer's zip code to a customer; requesting a second meter license for the customer; initializing the first meter for use by the customer; and transferring the first meter to the Customer's meter license when the second meter license is received. Alternatively, when the second meter license is received a second meter is assigned to the customer and the first meter is reassigned to the meter vendor. |
| US07917453B2 |
Mail franking system with a secure external printing mode
To print a postal imprint by an external imprint label dispenser connected via a communications link to a postage meter, during an initialization step for initializing the communications link, the postage meter authenticates the imprint label dispenser by exchanging an authentication code and the postage meter securely transmits to the dispenser a predetermined image data set that is signed with a secret key generated during the initialization step on the basis of the authentication code. Then, for each printing cycle, the postage meter computes postal data relating to the mail item that is to be franked, securely transmits the resulting computed data as signed with the secret key to the dispenser, converts the postal data into additional image data, and prints a postal imprint incorporating the additional image data and the predetermined image data on a continuous label tape delivered by the dispenser. |
| US07917451B2 |
Methods, apparatus, and program products to optimize semiconductor product yield prediction for performance and leakage screens
An apparatus, method, and program product are provided to predict yield loss associated with performance screens or leakage screens. A leakage model is correlated to an on-chip measurement. Current limited yields are determined from the leakage model. A database is formed relating performance sigma cut-points to the circuit limited yields. A product is quoted based on the circuit limited yield for one of the performance sigma cut-points taken from the database. The quote is tied to the product design and testing. |
| US07917450B1 |
Information technology integration cost estimator
A method is provided for estimating information technology integration costs. Capital data, staffing data, and integration goal data associated with a target enterprise are recorded. Capital data includes at least one of infrastructure data, computer data, network element data, and retail store data. Staffing data includes information technology staff data, employee data, and contractor data. Recorded data includes the capital data, the staffing data, and the integration goal data. A back office cost, a retail cost, an infrastructure cost, and a computer cost are estimated based on the recorded data associated with the target enterprise. The back office cost, the retail cost, the infrastructure cost and the computer cost are combined to produce an information technology integration cost. The information technology integration cost is output by an output device. |
| US07917449B2 |
Method and system career management assessment matching
A method for system for career matching assessment matching. One or more electronic questionnaires that are designed to reflect models of working environments, problem solving, communication and inter-personal skills are presented via a communications network. Each candidate and/or employer fills in a separate questionnaire. The particular pattern of their answers provides a profile for both the job seeker and the employer. A matching process then assesses the amount of overlap between the profiles of different candidates and employers. Greater candidate-employer overlap yields superior job performance, higher levels of job satisfaction and longer retention. |
| US07917447B1 |
Method and system for providing a community of interest service
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating communications among persons sharing a common interest. Customers of a telecommunications provider are notified about the service via a notification included in a billing statement. A customer uses the information to access a web site capable of registering the customer and connecting the customer to other persons sharing a common interest. The service assigns aliases to respective participants so that the true identity of each person is not made available to others in the group. |
| US07917444B1 |
Secure single-use transaction numbers
Methods for producing and applications for single-use transaction numbers. The transaction numbers are single-use in that the numbers are only valid for a single transaction. The transaction numbers can be generated just prior to being used, minimizing the amount of time during which they can be lost or stolen. The transaction numbers can be generated using encryption technology such as dynamic password technology. The encryption technology makes it very difficult if not impossible to predict what the next transaction number generated will be. The transaction numbers are unique to the user and can be validated or authenticated by an issuing institution that maintains an ability to generate the same transaction numbers issued to the user. |
| US07917443B2 |
Authentication and tracking system
A subset of unique codes are generated from a set of codes. The subset of codes are stored in a database on a secure server and each of the codes is marked on a corresponding instantiation of the product. The marked instantiations are distributed. During their distribution, the marked instantiations are verified for authenticity and for routing. This verification is performed by reading or scanning the codes on the instantiations, and transmitting that information to the secure server for comparison against the codes and other information located in the database contained therein. |
| US07917441B2 |
Metadata driven methods and systems to process financial data
Metadata driven methods and systems utilized to process financial data include a method to generate a plurality of first acquirer dependent software components based on a first acquirer settlement metadata file that corresponds to a first acquirer. The first acquirer dependent software components are used to generate an acquirer settlement file based on financial data. The acquirer settlement file is communicated to the first acquirer that is included in an automatic clearing house system that processes the financial data. In addition, the metadata driven methods and systems utilized to process financial data include a method to generate a plurality of first acquirer dependent software components based on a first acquirer return metadata file that corresponds to a first acquirer. The first acquirer dependent software components are used to process an acquirer return file that is received from the first acquirer and includes financial data. The first acquirer is included in an automatic clearing house system. |
| US07917436B2 |
Internet billing method
An Internet billing method comprises establishing an agreement between an Internet access provider and a customer, and an agreement between the Internet access provider and a vendor, wherein the Internet access provider agrees with the customer and the vendor to bill the customer and remit to the vendor for products and services purchased over the Internet by the customer from the vendor. The provider creates access to the Internet for the customer. When the customer orders a product or service over the Internet from a vendor, transactional information transmitted between the customer and the vendor is also transmitted to the provider. The provider then bills the transaction amount to the customer and remits a portion of the transaction amount to the vendor, keeping the differential as a fee for providing the service. As a result of this method, there is no need for any customer account numbers or vendor account numbers to be transmitted over the Internet, thereby maintaining the security of that information. |
| US07917435B2 |
Apparatus and method for facilitating account restructuring in an electronic bill payment system
A system can have a plurality of participating entities including a plurality of receivers and a plurality of originators. A data file indicative of an account restructuring of a given one of the receivers can be obtained. The data file specifies at least one old account number associated with the receiver and at least one new account number associated with the receiver. The data is placed in a conversion data structure in a format to facilitate account number conversion. Remittance data, including the old or new account number of the receiver, is obtained from a given one of the participating entities, and is routed in accordance with the old or new account number in the remittance data, and the data structure. |
| US07917432B2 |
Dual card
A dual card, which facilitates payment for goods or services from either a credit account or a stored value account, operates on both an open network and a closed network. The dual card is a payment card that integrates the ability to provide credit privileges and stored value privileges to a cardholder of the dual card. The features, benefits, and advantages of a stored value card are integrated with the credit card aspects of the dual card. The benefits, features, and advantages of a credit card are integrated with a stored value card. |
| US07917430B2 |
Bankruptcy evaluation service and system
A method for assigning a value to a debt is disclosed. The method includes entering, into a digital computer, bankruptcy data associated with a bankruptcy proceeding after a debtor has filed for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy data may include priority claim data associated with priority claims, non-precedence claim data associated with non-precedence claims, and bankruptcy plan data. After the bankruptcy data are obtained, the digital computer determines a present value associated with at least one non-precedence claim in the non-precedence claims. |
| US07917429B2 |
Hedging exchange traded mutual fund or other portfolio basket products
A system for pricing and/or determining a basket of financial instruments for hedging investment risk in actively managed traded funds is described. The system uses a trusted computer system and includes a computer storage medium storing a computer program product. The product determines a basket of hedging instruments by applying statistical or economic based factor analysis to estimate the NAV or provide a hedging basket to rack actual NAV of an actively managed traded fund. |
| US07917426B1 |
System and method for processing and displaying quantity information during user-configurable time periods
A system and method for displaying quantity related information determined for a plurality of time periods are described. According to one method, a trader may define one or more time periods for which a trading application may determine traded quantities, traded buys, traded sells, or other quantity related information at a plurality of price levels during the defined time periods. The trading application may then graphically display the quantities for each time period in relation to the static axis of prices. The method further includes periodically updating the displayed traded quantity to reflect the quantity during the defined time period, where the quantity is updated based on subsequent market updates that are received from the exchange for the tradable object. |
| US07917425B2 |
Method for directing and executing certified trading interests
Preferred embodiments of the subject invention comprise: (a) electronically receiving securities order-related data regarding a set of securities market participants; (b) electronically storing the received order-related data regarding the set of securities market participants; (c) electronically receiving a securities order-related query (or order parameters) from a first securities market participant; (d) based on the order-related query (or order parameters) received from the first securities market participant and on the securities order-related data regarding the set of securities market participants, computing a dissemination list of securities market participants based on ranking likely contras by probability of execution; and (e) transmitting that dissemination list to an entity who has been granted the privilege of receiving such lists in exchange for being contractually bound to respect confidentiality of the dissemination list and to use the list only for the purpose of sending securities-related information to members of the list. |
| US07917424B2 |
Systems and methods for providing financial instruments including contrary positions
A market for trading hedged instruments is provided. The market includes at least one hedged instrument having a value based at least on a first position on a first tradable instrument and a second position on a second tradable instrument. The second position is contrary to the first position. |
| US07917422B2 |
Open end mutual fund securitization process
A computer implemented system is provided for exchanging shares in an exchange traded product. A display is provided for displaying data representing shares of an exchange traded product comprising a leveraged portfolio of securities satisfying capitalization and performance criteria, the securities within the portfolio being weighted and having an expected future performance return greater than securities comprising a benchmark. The leveraged exchange traded product is configured for trading shares of the leveraged exchange traded product at a real time determined price related to the underlying price of each of the selected securities comprising the leveraged exchange traded product and related to the respective weightings of the selected securities. The exchange traded product can be open ended. An exchange computer is also provided for processing the exchange of the shares at a price related to the price of the securities within the leveraged portfolio, the exchange computer being configured to transmit data indicative of trades which occur intra-day over a communication network to an exchange clearing computer. |
| US07917421B2 |
Financial activity based on tropical weather events
A financial activity network includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information using a map with user selectable portions, for identifying the predicted qualifying strike. |
| US07917420B2 |
Graphical user interface for financial activity concerning tropical weather events
A graphical user interface for a financial activity network that includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of all event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. The graphical user interface provides the user with the ability to select options and view data from a screen display, with recalculations of data being displayed on an ongoing basis, reflecting the user's current selections. |
| US07917418B2 |
Efficient data dissemination for financial instruments
An efficient data dissemination method and system for disseminating financial information is disclosed. The system and method designate instruments listed on a reporting market center that have not traded within a pre-defined time period as “dark.” The information for instruments designated as “dark” is suppressed and not reported to the market, through data consolidators, until the instrument trades again or is manually overridden. |
| US07917415B1 |
User interface for retirement administration and distribution system
An embodiment of the present invention is a retirement administration and distribution system. A user interface (UI) module is coupled to at least one of a client administering module, a communication interface, an account manager, an employment and payroll interface, a self-service Website, and a business rule processing module to interact with an operator through a set of UI functions in a session related to accounts and retirement benefits of a plurality of customers. At least one of the UI functions includes a UI action and a UI display. An employment and payroll database is coupled to the employment and payroll interface to store employment and payroll information of the customers used by the UI module. |
| US07917410B2 |
Real-time accounting using wireless traffic control
A method for real time accrual basis accounting may involve detecting a purchase made via a computer network and obtaining a guarantee for the payment via the network based on the determined method of payment. The guarantee may be an escrow account or an insurance policy that guarantees payment. The premium may be charged back to the client. At least a portion of the proceeds of from the sale may be recorded as income in a general ledger database in real time. Network-enabled assets may provide automated depreciation updates to further automate the accounting process. |
| US07917407B1 |
Computer-implemented system and method for defining architecture of a computer system
A method of determining a computer system is provided. The method comprises categorizing the criticality level of each application based on a business impact assessment. The method includes identifying computer system configurations for an application based on a decision tree and on the criticality level of the application. The method also includes providing a computer system selected based on the computer system configurations. |
| US07917405B2 |
Method of direct-to-consumer reverse logistics
A method of reverse logistics using an auction to sell products directly to consumers from a store instead of using a third party reclamation company. One or more methods of auctioning one or more typically unsalable items directly to purchasers from a retail store including the steps of providing a communications multi-network having at least one logic engine, at least one star communication network through which non-location data is transferred to said logic engine, and at least one mesh communication network through which location data is transferred to said logic engine. The method further includes the steps of locating products for purchase that are eligible to be auctioned, the scanning of product codes of each auctionable product, tracking the scanning device in the store, transmitting auctionable product data through the star communication network, sorting auctionable products into at least one bundled lot for sale, producing a unique identifier for each bundled lot, initiating a direct-to-consumer auction for the sale of each bundled lot, and auctioning each bundled lot to a best bidder in the auction. |
| US07917402B2 |
Methods for viral marketing with visual communications
A method for developing a direct person-to-person multilevel direct affiliate marketing network using electronic communications makes a first person an affiliate member of an affiliate marketing program via an online registration process. An electronic communication is generated that has a unique hyperlink that, when selected, links to a source associated with the affiliate marketing program and identifies the first person so that a commission can be allocated to the first person based upon purchases made at the source as a result of access to the source via the link. The first person can forward the electronic communication to others who can use the link to access the source and purchase products or services and/or become an affiliate member. A person that becomes a new affiliate member as a result of accessing the source via the link is placed in a developing network organization of the first person. The process repeats by generating a unique hyperlink for the second person, thereby allowing the new affiliate member to forward electronic communications having his or her unique identifying link to others. |
| US07917398B2 |
Method and system for illustrating where a ticket is located in an event venue
A system and method of illustrating where at least one ticket is located in an event venue, comprising: accepting event criteria for at least one ticket and at least one event; accepting price criteria for the at least one ticket and the at least one event; displaying an interactive graphics-based event venue map illustrating a location of all sections at a venue with at least one ticket meeting the event criteria and price criteria; accepting section selection criteria, at least one section being selected from the interactive graphics-based event venue map; displaying ticket information in a web browsing language corresponding to the section selection criteria, the displayed ticket information in the web browsing language being able to be utilized to drill down to a specific ticket, causing a location of the specific ticket to be displayed in the interactive graphics-based event venue map; and enabling a capability to utilize the interactive graphics-based event venue map to choose a section of interest, causing corresponding ticket information to be displayed in the web browsing language. |
| US07917397B1 |
Merging private images for gifting
An e-commerce method involving on-line viewing of commercial article through a linking node for virtual merging on another structure. The method includes providing a host site accessible to an on-line viewer (shopper) and web-linkable to a retailer having an apparel site. These articles can be apparel from retail stores for viewing over the web, and the on-line viewer is linked to the host site. The shopper provides a personal-body structure, such as a photograph of a person captured in system memory, which is stored at the shopper's PC. Alternatively, the personal-body structure can be stored at the host site. Using the host site, the shopper is linked to the retailer's apparel site and images of articles are passed from that site to the host site. The images of articles are merged with the personal-body structure for view by the shopper. |
| US07917395B2 |
Wireless network access prepayment systems and methods
A method of providing network access includes entering network access information into a merchant device at a merchant location. The information relates to a request from a customer to obtain network access. The method also includes causing the information to be transmitted to a host computer system from the merchant device, receiving a payment from the customer, receiving activation confirmation from the host computer system at the merchant device, and providing a presentation instrument to the customer. The presentation instrument may be used by the customer to obtain network access. The method further includes using the presentation instrument to settle a transaction with the customer for merchandise. |
| US07917392B2 |
System for separating mobile search traffic from web search traffic using keyword separation
A system is described for separating mobile search traffic from web search traffic. The system may include a processor, a memory and an interface. The memory may store a keyword, mobile data related to the keyword, web data related to the keyword, and a search request. The interface may communicate with a user. The processor may be operatively connected to the interface and the memory and may store the mobile data and web data in the memory. The processor may receive a search request from a user via the interface and may determine if the search request is mobile traffic or web traffic. The processor may then retrieve and serve the mobile data to the user if the search request is mobile traffic, or may retrieve and serve the web data to the user if the search request is web traffic. |
| US07917385B2 |
Forecasting demand and availability of resources of a military installation
Methods and computer systems for forecasting demand and availability of resources of a geographic region are provided. Physical, operational, traffic and construction data for a geographic region for a specified time period is utilized to compare the operational needs for at least one resource for a geographic region to the available resources to forecast demands and availability of the at least one resource for the geographic region over the specified time period and determine whether the demand for the at least one resource exceeds the availability of the at least one resource. The forecasted demand and availability of the at least one resource for the geographic region for the specified time period is stored and presented. |
| US07917379B1 |
Large-scale supply chain planning system and method
A system and method for performing large scale supply chain planning is disclosed, which includes at least one database with a plurality of partitions. A large scale, supply chain planning problem is decomposed into a plurality of independent and isolated sub-problems. The data for each sub-problem is maintained in a separate database partition. The sub-problems are preferably solved by separate planning processes operating in parallel in a distributed database processing environment. |
| US07917377B2 |
Patient data mining for automated compliance
A technique is provided for automatically generating performance measurement information. At least some of the obtained performance measurement information may be derived from unstructured data sources, such as free text physician notes, medical images, and waveforms. The performance measurement may be sent to a health care accreditation organization. The health care accreditation organization can use the performance measurement to evaluate a health care provider for its quality of patient care. Alternatively, performance measurement information can be provided directly to consumers. |
| US07917371B2 |
Virtual world property disposition after real-world occurrence
A method and system provides transactions and arrangements in virtual world environments. A user can participate in transactions to acquire virtual property and related virtual rights. In some implementations, real-world and virtual parties can be involved in possible transfers of various types of virtual property and virtual property rights. |
| US07917369B2 |
Quality improvement techniques in an audio encoder
An audio encoder implements multi-channel coding decision, band truncation, multi-channel rematrixing, and header reduction techniques to improve quality and coding efficiency. In the multi-channel coding decision technique, the audio encoder dynamically selects between joint and independent coding of a multi-channel audio signal via an open-loop decision based upon (a) energy separation between the coding channels, and (b) the disparity between excitation patterns of the separate input channels. In the band truncation technique, the audio encoder performs open-loop band truncation at a cut-off frequency based on a target perceptual quality measure. In multi-channel rematrixing technique, the audio encoder suppresses certain coefficients of a difference channel by scaling according to a scale factor, which is based on current average levels of perceptual quality, current rate control buffer fullness, coding mode, and the amount of channel separation in the source. In the header reduction technique, the audio encoder selectively modifies the quantization step size of zeroed quantization bands so as to encode in fewer frame header bits. |
| US07917363B2 |
System for predicting speech recognition accuracy and development for a dialog system
A system for developing dialog systems estimates the speech recognition accuracy achievable when using a dialog system, and the number of example input phrases required to achieve a desired speech recognition accuracy. The maximum achievable speech recognition accuracy is also predicted. The development system thereby allows a developer of a dialog system to determine how and whether to continue development of the dialog system. The development system includes a grammatical inference engine for generating a grammar for the dialog system on the basis of example input phrases, and an in-grammar speech recognition accuracy estimator for generating the estimate of speech recognition accuracy on the basis of probabilities of confusing phonemes of input phrases with phonemes of the grammar. |
| US07917361B2 |
Spoken language identification system and methods for training and operating same
A method for training a spoken language identification system to identify an unknown language as one of a plurality of known candidate languages includes the process of creating a sound inventory comprising a plurality of sound tokens, the collective plurality of sound tokens provided from a subset of the known candidate languages. The method further includes providing a plurality of training samples, each training sample composed within one of the known candidate languages. Further included is the process of generating one or more training vectors from each training database, wherein each training vector is defined as a function of said plurality of sound tokens provided from said subset of the known candidate languages. The method further includes associating each training vector with the candidate language of the corresponding training sample. |
| US07917360B2 |
Echo avoidance in audio time stretching
A transient echo can be avoided during time stretching of a digital audio signal by detecting a transient in a frame of a digital audio signal, identifying another occurrence of the transient in a subsequent frame of the digital audio signal, rotating the transient occurring in the subsequent frame to align the transient occurring in the subsequent frame with the transient detected in the frame, and aggregating the frame with the subsequent frame. Further, another occurrence of the transient can be identified in another subsequent frame of the digital audio signal and it can be determined that the transient occurring in that subsequent frame cannot be aligned with the transient detected in the frame. The copy of the transient occurring in the another subsequent frame can then be blended across that frame, such as by performing phase accumulation on one or more frequency components. |
| US07917359B2 |
Noise suppressor for removing irregular noise
A noise suppressor detects a peak position in the frequency spectrum of an input speech signal, and masks frequency components in the spectrum as a function of the peak position. The masking process attenuates or removes frequency components near the peak position if their magnitudes are significantly lower than the magnitude of the spectrum at the peak position. This noise suppressor effectively removes irregular noise from the spectrum while leaving enough of the spectrum to reproduce the speech signal clearly. |
| US07917356B2 |
Operating method for voice activity detection/silence suppression system
A VAD/SS system is connected to a channel of a transmission pipe. The channel provides a pathway for the transmission of energy. A method for operating a VAD/SS system includes detecting the energy on the channel, and activating or suppressing activation of the VAD/SS system depending upon the nature of the energy detected on the channel. |
| US07917351B2 |
Language converter with enhanced search capability
A weighted search program is disclosed. The weighted search program may be integrated into a translation program, or the weighted search program may be used independently with an available search engine. When integrated with the translation program, setting and weighting may be combined in a single search. In one embodiment, the weighting would be used in conjunction with a Pin Yin translation program so that a user could set some terms, and allocate a search weight to the remaining terms. The invention may be applied independently in Internet searching so that a user can apply weights to multiple elements of a search term. |
| US07917349B2 |
Combined hardware and software instrument simulator for use as a teaching aid
An improved simulator for an analytical instrument that provides the student with an experience similar to that of operating the actual instrument. In one preferred embodiment, the invention combines real functionality and simulated functionality where at least one function of the analytical instrument is real. In another preferred embodiment, the invention combines a functional first instrument along with a simulation of a second instrument, the simulation including both hardware with limited functionality and software that simulates the output of a functional instrument to create a teaching aid for use in classrooms and teaching laboratories. |
| US07917348B2 |
Method of switching external models in an automated system-on-chip integrated circuit design verification system
A system and method for verifying an integrated circuit design is provided. The system comprising: an I/O controller connected to one or more I/O cores, the I/O cores part of the integrated circuit design; an external memory mapped test device having a switch for selectively connecting one or more of the I/O cores to corresponding I/O driver models; a bus for transferring signals between the I/O controller and the switch; and a test operating system for controlling the switch. |
| US07917344B2 |
Enterprise multi-program process development and integration process
Tools and methods allow an enterprise to define a set of processes and create scenarios which link and integrate combinations of processes. In addition, both processes and scenarios can be categorized, enabling re-use of existing definitions and easing subsequent scenario building. Processes and scenarios both allow variations which are stipulated to have a certain applicability in terms of organizations within the enterprise and time-frame. The variations can be evolved and improved over time via versions. Subsequently designed process scenarios can be tested and released for use in an organization and used to drive work planning, initiation and status reporting. |
| US07917342B2 |
Computer aided design system and computer aided design program using a geometric surface model
A computer aided design system and a computer aided design program which can greatly increase the utility of a computer aided design model, and can improve the efficiency of design and production processes, by adopting a curved surface theory which ensures the continuity of a free-form line or surface. A computer executes: a point sequence information extraction process for extracting a plurality of point sequences on a curved surface; a dividing process for generating a curved surface from the point sequences and dividing the curved surface into a predetermined number of mesh points; a first fundamental form computing process for computing coefficients of the first fundamental form; a second fundamental form computing process for computing coefficients of the second fundamental form; and a storage process for storing the point sequence information, the coefficients of the first fundamental form and the coefficients of the second fundamental form. |
| US07917341B2 |
Elevator system including multiple cars in a hoistway destination entry control and parking positions
An elevator system includes multiple cars within a hoistway. Parking positions are provided outside the range of passenger service levels. A destination entry strategy is used by a controller for directing movement of the elevator cars. The inventive combination of multiple cars in a hoistway, parking positions outside of the normal passenger service level range and destination entry car movement control allows for reducing car travel speed, reducing car size or both while still meeting desired handling capacity needs or even exceeding the desired handling capacity associated with another elevator system that requires larger cars, higher speeds and more building space. |
| US07917339B2 |
Heat trace system design
Heat trace system design is disclosed. In some embodiments, pipe system data including data associated with pipe system components is received, and in response to receiving a selection of a pipe system component, data associated with a set of one or more pipe system components including the selected pipe system component is automatically extracted from the received pipe system data. One or more heat trace system components for the set of pipe system components are determined based at least in part on the extracted data. |
| US07917337B2 |
Adaptive self-linearization with separation filter
Signal processing includes receiving an unknown signal having a distorted component and an undistorted component, the distorted component and the undistorted component having a nonlinear relationship; and separating from the unknown signal a reference component and a target component. |
| US07917335B2 |
Method and system of monitoring prognostics
A neural network learns the operating modes of a system being monitored under normal operating conditions. Anomalies can be automatically detected and learned. A control command can be issued or an alert can be issued in response thereto. |
| US07917332B2 |
Sensor control
A system and method of controlling a sensor to sense one target from a plurality of targets includes predicting states of the targets. A set of probability distributions is generated. Each probability distribution in the set represents a setting or settings of at least one control parameter of the sensor. An expected information gain value for each control parameter in the set is calculated. The information gain value represents an expected quality of a measurement of one of the targets taken by the sensor if controlled according to the control parameter, based on the predicted state of the target. Updating the set of probability distributions takes place to identify the sensor control parameters that maximise the expected information gain value. The sensor is then controlled in accordance with the maximising control parameters. |
| US07917323B2 |
Adjusting method and device of sensitivity of signal interpretation
A method of adjusting sensitivity of signal interpretation includes the steps of: continuously receiving an input signal; setting a sampling parameter; sampling the input signal according to the sampling parameter to obtain a plurality of sampling signals; judging whether the sampling signals are the same or not; generating a first control signal according to the sampling signals if the sampling signals are the same; and generating a second control signal according to the input signal if the sampling signals are not the same. A device of adjusting the sensitivity of signal interpretation is also disclosed. |
| US07917318B2 |
Structure for a duty cycle measurement circuit
A design structure for a circuit for measuring the absolute duty cycle of a signal anywhere on an integrated circuit device is provided. The circuit has a plurality of substantially identical pulse shaper elements, each of which expand the pulse of an input signal whose duty cycle is to be measured by a same amount. The outputs of the pulse shaper elements may be coupled to substantially identical divider circuits whose outputs are coupled to a multiplexer that selects two inputs for output to a set of master/slave configured flip-flops, one input serving as a clock and the other as data to the flip-flops. The flip-flops sample the divider outputs selected by the multiplexer to detect if the dividers have failed or not. The outputs of the flip-flops are provided to an XOR gate which outputs a duty cycle signal indicative of the duty cycle of the input signal. |
| US07917300B2 |
Method and program for predicting gene network
A gene network is predicted which can prevent a decrease in the amount of basic data. A gene network is predicted by retrieving indirect causal relationships the presence of which cannot be explained on the basis of direct causal relationships and/or indirect causal relationships the presence of which can be explained on the basis of the direct causal relationships and supplementing a network comprising the direct causal relationships with the retrieved indirect causal relationships. |
| US07917299B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing similarity searching on a data stream with respect to a query string
An apparatus and method for performing similarity searching on a data stream with respect to a query string are disclosed, where the data stream comprises a plurality of data substrings, and where the query string comprises a plurality of query substrings. A programmable logic device is used to filter the data stream to find a plurality of possible matches between the data substrings and a plurality of the query substrings, wherein the data substrings and the query substrings comprise a plurality of characters. From these possible matches, a determination can be made as to a similarity between the query string and at least a portion of the data stream. |
| US07917296B1 |
Protein switches incorporating cytochrome c, cytochrome c3 and bovine serum albumen (BSA) monolayers and method for producing same
A biomolecular electronic switch includes a first electrical contact, a second electrical contact, a programmable monolayer of either cytochrome c or cytochrome c3 or bovine serum hormone sandwiched between the first and second electrical contacts and a substrate. These switches have high current-carrying capacities and are very fast. It appears that these protein materials can be either metals or semiconductors. Because of the high conductivity and tiny size, these globular proteins can be used to develop cost-effective, miniaturized FEDs, molecular diodes and rectifiers for nanocomputer chips. |
| US07917285B2 |
Device, system and method for remotely entering, storing and sharing addresses for a positional information device
Devices, systems and methods for remotely entering, storing and sharing location addresses for a positional information device, e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) device, are provided. The present disclosure allows a user to easily and safely enter an address into a GPS device by giving that address to a remote communications link and to have that link automatically program the user's GPS device for usage. The device, system and method of the present disclosure further allows the user to use this stored address(es) on multiple GPS devices without having to manually enter the address(es). |
| US07917283B2 |
Engine control unit systems and methods for a boat propulsion system
A predicted boat speed value generator, in accordance with one or more embodiments, receives an engine rotation signal, an intake pressure value, and other detection signals including shift position, and provides a predicted boat speed value. A control signal generator determines the fuel injection amount, the amount of air, and the ignition timing based on the predicted boat speed to provide respective control signals. The predicted boat speed value generator includes a predicted boat speed mapped value extraction process to search through the predicted boat speed value map during the constant speed operation and acceleration, based on the rotational speed and the intake pressure, to extract the predicted boat speed mapped value “d” for output. A predicted decelerating boat speed value output process establishes the initial predicted boat speed value to provide the attenuated predicted boat speed value in every cycle. |
| US07917281B2 |
Apparatus for controlling quantity of fuel to be actually sprayed from injector in multiple injection mode
In an apparatus, a shift quantity calculating unit tentatively shifts a reference fuel spray characteristic to an obtained actual fuel spray characteristic in a phase direction and in a magnitude offset direction while monitoring a distance between the reference fuel spray characteristic and the obtained actual fuel spray characteristic therebetween. The shift quantity calculating unit calculates a shift quantity between the reference fuel spray characteristic and the obtained actual fuel spray characteristic in the phase direction when the monitored distance is minimized. A phase correcting unit shifts the reference fuel spray characteristic by the calculated shift quantity in the phase direction to thereby correct the reference fuel spray characteristic. |
| US07917278B2 |
System and method for lean blowout protection in turbine engines
A lean blowout protection system and method is provided that facilitates improved lean blowout protection while providing effective control of turbine engine speed. The lean blowout protection system and method selectively and gradually biases the lean blowout (LBO) schedule based on current engine data. This facilitates improved lean blowout protection while providing effective control of turbine engine speed and temperature. |
| US07917269B2 |
Vehicle vertical acceleration control system
A vehicle control system is provided that improves the riding comfort by decelerating before a level change, even when the speed of the vehicle is high, through deceleration control when a characteristic value, that represents the relationship between the speed and the vertical acceleration of a vehicle, exceeds a comfort demarcation line that indicates a critical value of comfort in passing over the level change. The vehicle control system includes a memory that stores level change information for level changes in a road; a vehicle speed detector; and a vehicle speed controller that calculates the characteristic value based on the detected vehicle speed and the level change information, and executes acceleration control when the calculated characteristic value exceeds the critical value of comfort. |
| US07917265B2 |
System for automated excavation control based on productivity
A control system for a mobile excavation machine is disclosed. The control system may have a ground engaging work tool, a sensor, and a controller. The sensor may be configured to sense a parameter indicative of a current travel speed of the mobile excavation machine and generate a speed signal in response thereto. The controller may be in communication with the ground engaging work tool and the sensor, and configured to receive the signal. The controller may also be configured to determine an amount of material currently being moved by the work tool and calculate a current productivity value associated with removal of the material based on the speed signal and the determined amount of material currently being moved. The controller may be further configured to control the ground engaging work tool to vary the amount of material currently being moved in response to the current productivity value. |
| US07917264B2 |
Seat apparatus for vehicle
A seat apparatus for a vehicle having a side support portion that is controlled depending on a road condition, includes a distance calculating means for calculating a distance of a straight portion between a first curve, on which a vehicle is supposed to be driven, and a second curve, on which the vehicle is supposed to be driven after the first curve, based on an electronic map data, a first controlling level calculating means for calculating a first controlling level at which the side support portion is controlled when the vehicle is driven on the first curve, a second controlling level calculating means for calculating a second controlling level at which the side support portion is controlled when the vehicle is driven on the straight portion, and a driving means for operating the side support portion based on the first controlling level and the second controlling level. |
| US07917260B2 |
Apparatus and method for remotely testing multiple communication channel inputs to a vehicle computer
An embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus for remotely testing a plurality of communication channel inputs to an automobile computer. The apparatus may include a microprocessor electrically connected to a persistent memory. The memory may have stored therein communication channel test messages corresponding to each of two or more communication channel inputs to an automobile computer. At least one of the communication channels is a wireless communication channel. The microprocessor may be configured to output a test message over a selected communication channel to the automobile computer. |
| US07917259B2 |
Distributed vehicle service method and system
A method and system for conducting a vehicle service comprises the steps of receiving signals representative of vehicle parameters, accessing data and/or software necessary for performing the vehicle service from at least one remote computer over a data transmission network, and performing signal processing related to the vehicle service based on the signals representative of the vehicle parameters and the accessed data and/or software. Since the data and/or software necessary for conducting the vehicle diagnostic analysis is distributed in different systems that are connected via a data communication network, an automotive service system can minimize the size of software stored locally and can access most of the information and/or algorithm required for conducting the vehicle diagnostic analysis from a remote system. |
| US07917248B2 |
Dynamic marking system
A method for configuring a marking device includes, at a control system, establishing communication with the marking device; receiving, from the marking device, information about capabilities of the marking device; presenting the received information about capabilities of the marking device to a user; receiving, from the user, instructions to set machine settings for the marking device; and causing the marking device to be configured according to the instructions received from the user. |
| US07917246B2 |
Lockable medicament dispensing apparatus with authentication mechanism
Methods and apparatus for an electronically lockable dispensing apparatus with a patient authentication mechanism are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a medicament dispensing apparatus includes an electronic lock adapted to protect medicaments from theft or unauthorized dispensing. The medicament dispensing apparatus is adapted to unlock the electronic lock upon authenticating a patient. In one embodiment, a set of biometric data may be analyzed for the purpose of authenticating the patient. The biometric data may include, for example, fingerprint patterns, voice samples, retinal scans, and/or facial characteristics of a person requesting medicaments. |
| US07917237B2 |
Receiving apparatus, sending apparatus and transmission system
A sending apparatus includes a compressed music data outputting unit that outputs one of compressed music data including compressed basic music data in a first mode and compressed music data including the basic music data as well as high frequency information for extending high frequency of the basic music data in a second mode, and a formatter that transmits a compressed music data outputted by the compressed music data outputting unit first and then music information including a value indicating which mode is used for the compressed music data. |
| US07917235B2 |
Apparatus for remotely controlling computers and other electronic appliances/devices using a combination of voice commands and finger movements
An apparatus for remotely operating a computer using a combination of voice commands and finger movements. The apparatus includes a microphone and a plurality of control elements in the form of touch-sensitive touchpads and/or motion-sensitive elements that are used to operate the computer and to move an on-screen cursor. At least one touchpad is used to selectively switch between a command-mode of operation in which the computer interprets spoken words as commands for operating the computer and any software applications being used, and a text-mode of operation in which the computer interprets spoken words literally as text to be inserted into a software application. The apparatus is ergonomically designed to enable it to be easily worn and to enable a user to operate a computer from a standing, sitting or reclining position. The apparatus can be used to operate a computer for traditional computing purposes such as word processing or browsing the Internet, or for other purposes such as operating electronic devices such as a television and/or other household appliances. The apparatus eliminates the need for a keyboard and a mouse to operate a computer. In addition, the apparatus can be used as a telephone. |
| US07917230B2 |
Neurostimulating lead having a stent-like anchor
A neuron stimulating lead having a stent-like anchor is described. A distal portion of the lead is mounted to an exterior of the lead anchor. The stent-like lead anchor is formed from a superelastic material and is adapted to transition from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration upon deployment in a vessel. In the expanded configuration, the lead anchor presses the distal portion of the lead against at least one vessel wall of a vessel in which the lead is deployed securing and stabilizing the distal portion of the lead within the vessel. |
| US07917229B2 |
Lead assembly including a polymer interconnect and methods related thereto
A lead assembly includes a ring component having mechanical coupling features, and at least one polymer component mechanically coupled with the mechanical coupling features of the ring component. Elongate tubing is disposed over the polymer component and is secured with the polymer component. |
| US07917228B2 |
Medical lead adaptor assembly
An adaptor, including a housing and a flexible circuit, facilitates electrical connection between a connector of an implantable medical lead and an external medical device. The adaptor housing includes an inner surface forming a longitudinally extending connector receptacle and a first portion of the flexible circuit is adapted to be positioned within the connector receptacle, substantially conforming to the inner surface, such that at least one contact portion of the flexible circuit is directed inward and positioned in a location corresponding with at least one ring contact of the lead connector when the lead connector is engaged within the receptacle. A second portion of the flexible circuit is adapted to reside outside the housing such that at least one contact pad, coupled to the at least one contact portion via a conductive pathway, is accessible for coupling to at least one contact element of the external medical device. |
| US07917227B2 |
Optimizing characteristics of an electric field to increase the field's effect on proliferating cells
AC electric fields at particular frequencies and field strengths have been shown to be effective for destroying rapidly proliferating cells such as cancer cells. The effectiveness of such fields is improved when the field is sequentially switched between two or more different directions. The effectiveness of such fields can be improved even further by choosing the rate at which the field is switched between the various directions. |
| US07917226B2 |
Antenna arrangements for implantable therapy device
Embodiments of an implantable medical device includes a loop antenna wound about an inner housing. The loop antenna may form a partial winding, a complete winding, or multiple windings about the inner housing. One or more additional antennae may be capacitively coupled to the loop antenna external to the inner housing to increase efficiency and decrease Return Loss Response of the implantable device. The additional antenna may be balanced or unbalanced antennae. |
| US07917223B2 |
Self powered osteogenesis and osseointegration promotion and maintenance device for endosseous implants
Osteogenesis and osseointegration promotion and maintenance devices for osseous implants include an implant member having a first electrode, an inlaid second electrode positioned on the member so that it is electrically isolated from and substantially flush with the member surface, and an electrical stimulation mechanism preferably located at the member and operative to provide electrical stimulation signals to endosseous tissue surrounding the implant through the first and second electrodes. The first electrode may be the member itself or a second inlaid electrode. The implant is thus electrically functionalized for osteogenesis and osseointgration acceleration. The device is applicable to both non-dental and dental implants. In all embodiments, the use of inlaid electrode(s) enables the general appearance, external surface and mechanical integrity of the implant to be left essentially unchanged. |
| US07917211B2 |
Inotropic orthorhythmic cardiac stimulator
Programmable and implantable automatic heart stimulation device (OIST) for controlling the heart, accompanied by a marked increase in the contractility of the myocardial cells on each beat produced by an optimized post-extrasystolic potentiation effect. The OIST does not cause lasting fatigue of the myocardium, markedly increases the coronary rate instantaneously and durably, causes dilatation of the walls to regress and opposes thromboses and arrhythmia. The OIST creates a genetic involution of the pathological process either by the mere effect of the mechanosensitivity of specific genetic expressions or by the addition of partial autologous cell dedifferentiation, obtained by original genetic manipulation which induces physiological an anatomical regeneration. This method also allows physiological auto-contractile living arterial stents, in particular coronary stents to be created, as well as the grafting of dedifferentiated myocardial cells. |
| US07917210B2 |
Method and apparatus for cardiac protection pacing
A pacing system delivers cardiac protection pacing to protect the heart from injuries associated with ischemic events. The pacing system detects an ischemic event and, in response, initiates one or more cardiac protection pacing sequences each including alternative pacing and non-pacing periods. In one embodiment, the pacing system initiates cardiac protection pacing sequences including at least one postconditioning sequence to protect the heart from a detected ischemic event and a plurality prophylactic preconditioning sequences to protect the heart from probable future ischemic events. |
| US07917208B2 |
Medical device for controlled drug delivery and cardiac monitoring and/or stimulation
Medical device and methods are provided for controlled drug delivery in a cardiac patient. The device includes an implantable drug delivery module comprising reservoirs containing a drug and a control means for selectively releasing an effective amount of drug from each reservoir; one or more electrodes or sensors for cardiac monitoring, stimulation, or both; and a microcontroller for controlling operational interaction of the drug delivery module and the cardiac electrode. The electrodes may comprise ECG monitoring, cardioversion, or cardiac pacing electrodes. A medical device also is provided for controlled delivery of drug to a patient having congestive heart failure, which includes an implantable drug delivery module comprising a natriuretic peptide and a release mechanism for selectively releasing a pharmaceutically effective amount of the natriuretic peptide into the patient; and a microcontroller for controlling the release mechanism, for example, in response to one or more monitored patient parameters. |
| US07917195B2 |
Systems, methods and computer program products for heart monitoring
The present invention provides systems, methods and computer program products for monitoring a heart. According to one embodiment, the system includes an implantable registering unit. The registering unit comprises a first controller structured to register an electrical signal from the heart. The system includes a second controller in operable communication with the first controller. The second controller comprises a data repository structured to receive data corresponding to the registered electrical signal and being structured to store the data. The data repository stores data corresponding to a baseline electrical signal of the heart. The second controller is structured to receive the data from the first controller corresponding to the registered electrical signal and to compare the registered electrical signal to the baseline electrical signal to determine whether the heart is functioning properly. |
| US07917194B1 |
Method and apparatus for detecting pulmonary edema
Conditions resulting from acute decompensation such as pulmonary edema may be indicated based on analysis of respiration signals. In some embodiments a respiration signal is derived from an intracardiac electrogram (“IEGM”) signal. In some embodiments one or more non-rate-based parameters are derived from a detected respiration signal to identify a pulmonary edema condition. In some embodiments a warning may be generated or therapy administered to a patient in response to an indication of pulmonary edema. |
| US07917193B2 |
Determining inserted catheter end location and orientation
Catheterization device and method of using are provided for uniquely illuminating the distal end of the device in order to visualize the end-point location and orientation and to track the movement of the catheterization device within passageways in the body. Use of the present invention by tracking in real time with an imaging device sensitive to visible to near infrared light. The invention allows the insertion and tracking of substantially any catheterization type device, for substantially any procedure requiring vascular access, such as in the placement of a PICC line, for heart catheterization or angioplasty, or for urinary track catheterization, or other bodily access procedure. The invention permits a technician to determine placement, orientation and movement of the device noninvasive equipment, without subjecting the patient to the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, radio frequency energy or significant thermal energy. |
| US07917188B2 |
Method for using CEST contrast agents in MRI
A method for mapping a physico-chemical parameter using a chemical exchange saturation transfer contrast agent in Magnetic Resonance Imaging is used with agents having only one exchangeable entity pool, e.g. proton pool, by applying two different RF frequencies for pre-saturation of the contrast agent. |
| US07917183B2 |
Method of controlling idle mode in broadband wireless access system
A method of controlling an idle mode in a broadband wireless access system is disclosed, in which paging information is allocated to a mobile subscriber station to enter an idle mode via a base station belonging to at least two paging groups and in which the idle mode is efficiently controlled by improving a method of changing paging information of a mobile subscriber station in idle mode. The present invention includes the steps of receiving a message requesting a transition to the idle mode from a mobile subscriber station, transmitting paging information for the entire paging groups of the base station to the mobile subscriber station, and transmitting a paging message to the mobile subscriber station according to the paging information of each of the paging groups to which the base station belongs. |
| US07917180B2 |
Button with an included display
A mobile device is provided that includes a main display screen and at least one button that includes a secondary display screen. The disclosure also provides a method for providing information on a mobile device. The method includes providing a keypad on the mobile device including a display screen on at least one of the buttons on the keypad. The method also includes displaying the information on the display screen on the button. |
| US07917178B2 |
Wireless communications device with voice-to-text conversion
A wireless communications device includes a receiver that transmits and receives speech signals to and from a remote party via a wireless communications network. The received speech signals include information representative of one or more audible sounds associated with the remote party. The audible sounds may be, for example, words uttered by the remote party, or a predetermined audio message associated with the remote party. A speech processing unit in the user's device converts the received speech signals into corresponding text based on an operating mode of the wireless communications device. The converted text is then displayed to the user on a display. Alternatively, the remote party's wireless communication device or a network entity may convert speech to text for transmission to the user based on an indicated operating mode of the wireless communications device associated with the user. |
| US07917177B2 |
Communication system and method with gain control for signals from distributed antennas
An apparatus for gain control in a communication system is disclosed. The apparatus includes means for receiving at least one aggregate communications signal, the at least one aggregate communications signal comprising a summation of distributed communications signals, means for detecting at least a sample of a signal level of the at least one aggregate communications signal, and means for attenuating the signal level of the at least one aggregate communications signal based on the signal level sample. |
| US07917171B2 |
Printing a receipt using a mobile device
A system for printing a receipt on a print medium, the system comprising: a mobile telecommunications device which comprises: a printer module to print the receipt on the print medium; and, a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium. |
| US07917168B2 |
Mobile phone incorporating integrated printer
A mobile phone including a phone body defining front and rear faces, the front face having a keypad and display and the rear face having a removable cover, the phone body further defining a recess between the front and rear faces within which recess a supply of print media is received; a camera fitted to the body and configured to capture an image; a print media stock container adapted to fit within the recess and accessible with the cover removed; and a printer assembly fitted within the body, proximate to a base end of the body. The printer assembly includes an ink ejection printhead configured to print the captured image upon print media, and a feed means provided between the print media stock container and the base end of the body. The feed means is configured to feed print media from the stock container and past the printhead during printing. |
| US07917166B2 |
System and method for controlling power in a communication system
A method for controlling power in a communication system. A base station allocates Channel Quality Information Channels to at least one mobile station, transmits the allocated Channel Quality Information Channel information, and transmits power control information to the mobile station to which the Channel Quality Information Channel is allocated. And a mobile station for receives Channel Quality Information Channel allocation information, receives power control information, and detects the power control information allocated to the mobile station by using the Channel Quality Information Channel allocation information. |
| US07917165B2 |
Power control method for base station
The present invention discloses a power control method for a base station, including: adjusting, by the base station, a transmit power of a code-channel occupied by a terminal according to a power control command from the terminal; determining a permitted minimum code-channel power according to an adjusted transmit power of the code-channel occupied by the terminal; correcting the transmit power of the code-channel occupied by the terminal according to the minimum code-channel power; and transmitting signals to the terminal according to a corrected transmit power of the code-channel occupied by each terminal. By the present invention, the signal power difference between different users is controlled, the stability of the wireless link is improved, and the quality of system communication is guaranteed. |
| US07917164B2 |
Reverse link power control
In one embodiment, a reverse link transmission power for a user equipment is determined based on a first path loss and a second path loss. The first path loss is path loss between a serving station and the user equipment, and the serving station serves the communication needs of the user equipment. The second path loss is path loss between a neighboring station and the user equipment, and the neighboring station neighbors the serving station. |
| US07917163B2 |
Intra-frequency searching in the presence of frequency gaps
Techniques for intra-frequency searching in the presence of frequency gaps are disclosed. In one embodiment, a search is scheduled and frequency switches are suppressed during the scheduled search. In another embodiment, a search is scheduled in between anticipated frequency gaps. In yet another embodiment, a timer is deployed, the expiration of which indicates a search is to be scheduled. In yet another embodiment, a timer is deployed, the expiration of which indicates a search is to be scheduled and frequency switches are suppressed during the scheduled search. Various other embodiments are also presented. Benefits include allowing prescribed levels of intra-frequency and inter-frequency search to be performed which allows for improved base station selection and therefore improved performance and system capacity. |
| US07917162B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for managing message thereof
A mobile terminal and method of managing a reply message are discussed. According to an embodiment, the terminal includes a storage unit that stores information regarding a multimedia message with an image file attached thereto, when the multimedia message is transmitted; and a controller that controls the storage unit such that when a return message to the transmitted multimedia message is received, the return message is registered in the storage unit as a reply associated with the image file, and when the image file is reproduced, the associated reply is reproduced together with the image file. |
| US07917155B2 |
Location of cooperative tags with personal electronic device
The present disclosure relates to location and communication systems that can be utilized for locating people, pets and other objects with a software defined radio set. A personal electronic device (PED) such as a cellular telephone, personal data assistant (PDA) or other device that include a software defined radio set can be configured for operation as a locator device. The PED transmits a signal A transponder or micro-transponder (MT) that is tagged to an object is arranged to reply to a transmission received from the PED. The PED based locator is arranged to calculate a distance between the PED and the MT using the time-of-flight (TOF) between the transmission and the receipt of a reply. The absolute geographic position of the PED can be determined using satellite navigation information, while the position of the MT relative to the PED can be determined from the TOF information. |
| US07917152B2 |
Enhanced fast handover procedures
A method for performing a change of a connection of a mobile entity from a first network access entity to a second network access entity, wherein a global address of the first network access entity is not known to the mobile entity is provided. According to one embodiment, the method includes the step of sending a message including information for identifying the first network access entity from the mobile entity to the second network access entity which enables the second network entity to direct traffic to the first network entity. According to another embodiment, the invention also provides a method for the reverse direction. Namely, the invention provides a method for sending IP signaling from the mobile entity or from the first network access entity towards the second network access entity, whose global IP address is not known by the mobile entity or first network access entity. |
| US07917149B2 |
System and method for reusing wireless resources in a wireless network
A method for reusing wireless resources in a wireless network, includes determining the probability of a first communication with a first relay station experiencing interference from a second relay station. The method also includes, upon determining that the probability of experiencing interference from the second relay station is greater than an interference threshold: allocating a first wireless resource to the first relay station and the second relay station; designating the first wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the first relay station; designating the first wireless resource as a secondary wireless resource for the second relay station; allocating a second wireless resource to the second relay station; and designating the second wireless resource as a primary wireless resource for the second relay station. |
| US07917141B2 |
Method for tuning a system to a plurality of service signals
A method for tuning a system to a plurality of service signals. The method uses a first and a second tuning process. The first tuning process is adapted and performed to search and find carrier signals of potential service signals and to determine frequencies of potential services corresponding to the service signals. The second tuning processing is adapted and used to register to the system the services corresponding to the service signals based on the determined frequencies. |
| US07917138B2 |
SUPL initialization message in a location information system and method and system for processing SUPL by using the same
A terminal and method and system for processing SUPL are discussed. According to one embodiment, the invention provides a method of processing a SUPL request for a terminal that has performed roaming, the method comprising: receiving a SUPL INIT message from a home SLP entity, the SUPL INIT message including an indicator that indicates whether a home SLP entity uses a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode; checking the indicator to determine whether a first message or a second message should be transmitted to the home SLP entity; and transmitting the first message or the second message to the home SLP entity according to a result of the checking step. |
| US07917136B2 |
Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating formation of a call connection in a radio communication system with a service center identified by a short dialing code
Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating call connection with a selected service center from a mobile node. A mobile node is provided with short dialing codes used in a network with which the mobile node is registered by SMS messages sent thereto, such as pursuant to registration procedures. Values of the short dialing codes downloaded to the mobile node are stored at a storage location, such as at a SIM card, indexed together with corresponding codes normally used by a user of the mobile nodes, such as the codes used in the home network of the mobile node. When a user places a call to a service center, the stored values are retrieved, and transposed, if needed, to ensure better that the call to the selected service center is successfully completed. |
| US07917133B2 |
Method and apparatus for after-market vending of feature-provisioning software to third party mobile wireless communication devices
After market vending of feature-provisioning software to qualified third party mobile wireless communication devices is facilitated by providing a joint software vending machine website capable of authenticating the device and wireless service provider and downloading and activating only software appropriate to that particular user device and wireless network service provider. The exemplary system provides device/user qualification and/or authentication as well as device provisioning for mobile wireless communication devices that may be manufactured by different vendors for different purposes and serviced by different wireless network service providers via a wireless infrastructure which includes a communication data relay service provider. |
| US07917126B2 |
System and method of exchanging identification information for mobile stations
A system is provided for allowing mobile stations to exchange identification information using a predetermined communication path for the purpose of obtaining identification information to use in establishing a different communication path for communicating. |
| US07917123B2 |
Method and arrangement for realizing a prepaid subscription and a prepayment terminal and a cellular network terminal utilizing the method
The object of the invention is a method and arrangement including equipment, with which it is possible to add right of use into a SIM card located in a cellular terminal of a cellular network. According to the invention the addition is made with the aid of a prepayment terminal according to the invention, and the possessor of the terminal pays in a desired manner the provided addition of right of use to the legal person, who acts as the intermediary. The cellular network operator bills the legal person, who provided the addition, by an amount corresponding to the added right of use. |
| US07917121B2 |
Method of executing handover in broadband wireless access system
The primitives between an upper management layer and the MAC layer within a mobile station and a base station are defined in order to specify and clarify the operations within the protocol stack layers in a broadband wireless access system to allow a mobile station to execute handover. Media Independent Handover (MIH) procedures can be achieved because the NCMS and MIH layer can communicate through use of these primitives. |
| US07917116B2 |
Method and system for antenna selection diversity with prediction
Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for antenna selection diversity with prediction. An antenna diversity system may use information that it has stored on the antenna selection process in previous frames to predict the starting receiving antenna and the starting transmission antenna for the next frame. The prediction may be based on which antennas were selected in previous frames or may be based metrics associated with performance of the antennas. Prediction may be based on a majority polling scheme of previously selected antennas in a determined number of previous frames. Prediction may also be based on a weighted sum of at least one selection metric for all antennas in a determined number of previous frames. Antenna prediction provides a significant performance improvement by reducing the processing and operational overhead in cases where a transmit or a receive antenna dominates. |
| US07917112B2 |
Method and system for dynamically tuning and calibrating an antenna using antenna hopping
Methods and systems for dynamically tuning and calibrating an antenna using antenna hopping are disclosed. In this regard, in a wireless device comprising an antenna that is configurable into a plurality of configurations, determining a subset of the configurations, where each configuration of the subset enables received signal strength above a threshold for a wireless channel, may be determined. During a time interval in which the wireless device is receiving signals on the wireless channel, the antenna may be configured to sequentially utilize each configuration of the subset. During the time interval, a plurality of samples of the wireless channel may be generated, where each of the samples corresponds to a different one of the configurations of the subset. The plurality of samples may be aggregated. The aggregated samples may be processed to recover information communicated on the wireless channel. |
| US07917105B2 |
RF power amplifier controller circuit with compensation for output impedance mismatch
A power amplifier controller circuit controls a power amplifier based upon an amplitude correction signal indicating the amplitude difference between the amplitude of the input signal and an attenuated amplitude of the output signal. The power amplifier controller circuit comprises an amplitude control loop and a phase control loop. The amplitude control loop adjusts the supply voltage to the power amplifier based upon the amplitude correction signal. The amplitude control loop may also compensate for impedance mismatch with the load by increasing the power delivered from the power amplifier to the load, or decrease the output power of the power amplifier upon detection of excessive power dissipation in the power amplifier. The phase control loop adjusts the phase of the input signal based upon a phase error signal indicating a phase difference between phases of the input signal and the output signal to reduce phase distortion generated by the power amplifier. |
| US07917103B2 |
WLAN and wired mobile communication and location finding system
Wired and mobile cascaded communication systems and processors used in wired and wireless local area network (WLAN) and mobile systems with touch screen generated communication and control signal and position finding signals. Systems with distinct modulators for wired, WLAN and mobile systems operated in separate network and systems. The WLAN includes use of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) signal, the mobile communication system includes use of time division multiple access (TDMA) signal and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) signal. Cascaded communication system includes receiving, processing and transmitting a Bluetooth signal. Communication system and WLAN has non-linearly amplified amplifier and linearly amplified amplifier for signal amplification and transmission and non-quadrature modulator and a quadrature modulator. Quadrature modulator is used for modulation of TDMA or CDMA filtered cross-correlated in-phase and quadrature-phase baseband signals. Position finding with processor for processing and providing processed location finding signals received from multiple GPS satellites and processed location finding signals received from land based cellular transmitters. |
| US07917100B2 |
Method and system for a double search user group selection scheme with range in TDD multiuser MIMO downlink transmission
Certain aspects of a method and system for processing signals in a communication system may include maximizing system capacity for a time division duplex (TDD) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system, based on reducing a search range within which to find a group of signals having maximum channel gain. At least one of: a first signal for a first user and a second signal for a second user may be selected, which are both within the reduced search range, and which provides a maximum system capacity. The first signal for the first user may be selected from the reduced search range corresponding to a channel gain that is greater than a channel gain corresponding to a remaining portion of the reduced search range. The reduced search range may be generated by sorting a plurality of signals based on a channel gain corresponding to each of the plurality of signals. |
| US07917097B2 |
Methods and apparatus for controlling a mobile device by using a pivoting input switch
A mobile device that performs at least one computing application and at least one phone application. This mobile device includes a user-controllable pivoting input switch. This switch has a number of operational modes. Several of these operational modes direct the operation of the computing application. In additional, several operational modes direct the operation of the phone application. |
| US07917096B2 |
Antenna interface circuits including multiple impedance matching networks that are respectively associated with multiple frequency bands and electronic devices incorporating the same
An electronic device includes an antenna, a radio frequency circuit, and an impedance matching circuit that is connected between the antenna and the radio frequency circuit. The impedance matching circuit includes a plurality of impedance matching networks that are respectively associated with frequency bands used by the radio frequency circuit. |
| US07917094B2 |
Method and apparatus for overhead reduction of signaling messages
A method and apparatus to reduce the overhead of frequently sent signaling messages is provided. Various methods are presented which facilitate conveying information that is unchanged from information in the earlier part of the message, or in a previous signaling message, without sending the previous information in its entirety. |
| US07917090B2 |
Portable terminal device and on-vehicle device
A portable terminal device that is communicable with other devices includes a start record table, an application relation table, a device application correspondence table, an acquiring unit, and a sending unit. Upon receiving a predetermined signal from a communication device, the acquiring unit acquires first application information for specifying an application corresponding to the communication device from the device application correspondence table, and acquires, with respect to a combination of applications of which first application information is started second, second application information for specifying the first application of the combination from the application relation table. When the latest record stored in the start record table is equivalent to the second application information, the sending unit sends information representing that a priority level is high as a response to the predetermined signal that is received from the communication device. |
| US07917087B2 |
Wireless communication system and image forming device
Tag attaching portions at cartridge parts which are loaded into different cartridge loading portions have common structures and configurations. A position of a wireless communication tag at the cartridge part is easily adjusted to a position suited for communication with a main body antenna. In a laser printer, accommodating chambers and accommodating portions are provided at plural regions of toner cartridges. The wireless communication tag is selectively inserted and fit into one of the accommodating chambers and accommodating portions, in accordance with a position of the cartridge loading portion in which the toner cartridge is loaded. In this way, in a state in which the toner cartridges are respectively loaded in the cartridge loading portions, the wireless communication tags are substantially parallel to and sufficiently close to the main body antennas of antenna units. |
| US07917085B2 |
System and method for blocking devices from a carrier network
There is disclosed a system and method for blocking a device from a carrier network. In an embodiment, the method comprises defining an unauthorized combination filter including one or more device parameters; attaching the unauthorized combination filter to a carrier; comparing the device parameter values in the unauthorized combination filter to device parameter values stored in the device; and if the device parameter values stored in the device match the device parameter values in the unauthorized combination filter, then blocking the device from accessing the carrier network. The device parameter values stored in the device may include one or more of a device type value, a device operating system version value, and a device application version value, and the method further comprises comparing these one or more values to corresponding device parameter values defined in the unauthorized combination filter. The unauthorized combination filter may be attached to a carrier by providing a carrier identifier. |
| US07917083B2 |
Method and apparatus for identifying a piece of content
A system and method for identifying a piece of content is disclosed. In one embodiment, an identifier for a piece of digital content can be generated using the title of the piece of digital content, the size of the piece of digital content, and a hash of other attributes of the piece of digital content such as title, album, and artist names. |
| US07917082B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating and managing clusters of mobile audio devices
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling access of a mobile audio device to a cluster of compatible devices. More particularly, the invention pertains to a method to establish communications between a portable audio player and one or more audio players within a cluster. By way of example, users can use identifiers and matching to decide whether to accept or reject a requesting audio player to join the cluster. Further, the identifiers may be stored on the audio players for future reference. Also, directional exchange of information can allow a user to visually select members of the cluster. In a further example, a mobile audio device is configured to communicate within a cluster of audio devices. In addition, the broadcasting responsibility can be transferred among members of the group. |
| US07917076B2 |
Toner conveying device and image forming apparatus
A toner conveying device includes a pipe body (conveying pipe) having an inside diameter thereof that is modified in a pipe-axis direction and a screw member coaxially located in the pipe body for feeding the toner. The screw member includes a screw shaft that rotates about an axis and a spiral fin that is spirally formed around an outer circumferential surface of the screw shaft. The distance between an outer circumferential surface of the spiral fin and an inner circumferential surface of the pipe body is constant in the longitudinal direction of the pipe body. |
| US07917073B2 |
Sliding member and fixing device, and image forming apparatus using the same
A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, and at least one fixed sliding member on which the fixing belt slides. The fixed sliding member contacts the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt. At least one of the fixing belt and the fixed sliding member includes a non-continuous diamond-like carbon layer on a sliding surface between the fixing belt and the fixed sliding member. The non-continuous diamond-like carbon layer is formed from a plurality of diamond-like carbon layer portions that are separated from one another by grooves. |
| US07917071B2 |
Transfer belt unit and image forming apparatus using the same
An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt unit which has an intermediate transfer belt for supporting toner images and primary transfer rollers for pressing the intermediate transfer belt against corresponding photoreceptor drums and moves the intermediate transfer belt along the surface of each photoreceptor drum to transfer the toner images to the intermediate transfer belt. The intermediate transfer belt is formed so as to be 30 μm to 50 μm in average thickness, each primary transfer roller is arranged at a position, along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, which is deviated downstream with respect to the moving direction from the position where the intermediate transfer belt is in contact with the photoreceptor and which is projected toward the photoreceptor drum side so as to press the intermediate transfer belt against photoreceptor with a nip pressure ranging from 10 gf/cm2 to 40 gf/cm2. |
| US07917063B2 |
Charging apparatus and image forming apparatus
A charging apparatus for charging a member to be charged by contacting magnetic particles to the member to be charged, includes a magnetic particle carrying member for magnetically carrying the magnetic particles, wherein the magnetic particle carrying member is provided at a longitudinal end portion of the magnetic particle carrying member with an insulative portion for electrically insulating from the magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrying member; and an electroconductive member disposed for contacting the magnetic particles carried on the insulative portion, wherein an absolute value of a potential of the electroconductive member is lower than an absolute value of a voltage applied to the magnetic particle carrying member. |
| US07917060B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a sensor blocking device
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member, an endless belt configured to transfer and carry the toner image thereon, a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image carried by the endless belt onto a recording sheet, a sensing unit configured to sense the toner image transferred onto the endless belt, a blocking unit mounted between the sensing unit and the endless belt and configured to block the sensing unit, a contact and separation unit configured to cause the transfer unit to reciprocally contact and separate from the endless belt. With this configuration, the blocking unit and the contact and separation unit are configured to be driven by an identical drive source. |
| US07917058B2 |
Image forming apparatus with cartridge loading device
An image forming apparatus that includes at least one process cartridge having a photosensitive element, a development unit, a toner storage unit, a driven shaft and a driven gear mounted thereon and which is detachably attachable to the apparatus from a top front side thereof, a drive shaft, a drive gear mounted on the drive shaft to couple with and drive the driven gear to transmit a driving force to the process cartridge, an upper cover opening and closing with respect to the apparatus, a front cover opening and closing with respect to the apparatus, and at least one block component to block coupling of the drive gear and the driven gear by contacting the driven shaft while interlocked with opening and closing of the upper cover. The process cartridge is detachably attachable to the apparatus from the front top side thereof by opening and closing the upper cover. |
| US07917056B2 |
Systems and methods for remanufacturing imaging components
Techniques for modifying an imaging cartridge includes providing the imaging cartridge including a body including a circuit holding structure sized to hold an electronic circuit and forming a modified circuit holding structure, with the modified circuit holding structure sized to hold a replacement electronic circuit. At least one dimension of the replacement electronic circuit may be greater than a corresponding dimension of the electronic circuit. |
| US07917050B2 |
Wiring structure for an electrical device and an image forming apparatus equipped with such a wiring structure
A wiring structure of an image forming apparatus includes a main body frame; a cylindrical motor disposed on the main body frame and having a cylindrical surface, an end surface, and a peripheral edge between the cylindrical surface and the end surface; a wire routed near the motor and along the main body frame; and a flexible sheet member attached along the cylindrical surface of the motor so as to cover at least a part of the peripheral edge and having a shape substantially capable of maintaining the wire in a routed state. |
| US07917049B2 |
Variable interference cleaning blade method
A control method for monitoring the cleaning performance of a single or multiple blade xerographic cleaning subsystem includes looking at the photoreceptor post-cleaner with a full width array sensor and adjusting the blade load on the photoreceptor to the minimum required to maintain effective cleaning. Blade load is adjusted using a stepper motor. Monitoring of cleaning failures can be done during non-print time, when a toner patch is developed to evaluate cleaning. Re-adjustment is needed periodically since environmental stresses can change, and the blade ages due to set and wear. Two toner patches at the ends of the blade with two stepper motors can be used to assure the same load from end to end. |
| US07917046B2 |
Development device and image forming apparatus provided therewith
The first direct-current bias power supply applying the first direct-current bias Vdc1 and the first alternating-current bias power supply applying the first alternating-current bias Vac1 are connected to a development roller. The second direct-current bias power supply applying the second direct-current bias Vdc2 and the second alternating-current bias power supply applying the second alternating-current bias Vac2 are connected to a magnetic roller. The peak-to-peak value Vpp of the first alternating-current bias Vac1 applied to the development roller remains the same, and the second alternating-current bias Vac2 that is in phase with the first alternating-current bias Vac1 and that has a peak-to-peak value of a predetermined value or above is applied to the magnetic roller. Thus, the potential difference between the peak voltage of the development bias on the opposite polarity side to the polarity of the toner and the peak voltage of a supply bias is set at a predetermined value or below. |
| US07917038B2 |
Multimode optical transmission device
An optical transmitting circuit (2) modulates multimode oscillation light using an information signal, subjects at least one oscillation-mode light beam of the multimode oscillation light to a predetermined operation, and outputting the result to an optical transmission channel. An optical receiving circuit (8) receives an optical signal transmitted through the optical transmission channel, subjects the received optical signal to an operation reverse to the predetermined operation to recover an optical signal as it was before being subjected to the predetermined operation, and converting the recovered optical signal into an electrical signal, thereby reproducing the information signal. |
| US07917036B2 |
Bi-directional optical module
An optical transceiver is provided which includes: a bi-directional optical subassembly; a printed circuit board which transmits and receives light for the bi-directional optical subassembly; and an outer casing which covers the bi-directional optical subassembly and the printed circuit board. The bi-directional optical subassembly includes: a laser diode; a photodiode; a stem on which to laser diode and the photo diode are mounted; a cap, which cooperates with the stern to seal the laser diode and the photodiode; and a crosstalk reducing structure for reducing optical and/or electric crosstalk. The crosstalk reducing structure may include a layer which is formed on an inner surface of the cap and is able to absorb an infrared ray. |
| US07917033B2 |
Wavelength-multiplexing optical transmission system and wavelength-multiplexing optical transmission method
A wavelength-multiplexing optical transmission apparatus includes an optical-wavelength-information storing unit that stores optical wavelength information on an optical wavelength of an optical signal to be output from a transponder, and an optical-wavelength-information transmitting unit that transmits the stored optical wavelength information to the transponder via a connection cable. The transponder includes an optical-wavelength control unit that controls an optical wavelength of an optical signal to be input to a wavelength multiplexing unit based on the optical wavelength information received from the optical-wavelength-information transmitting unit. |
| US07917032B2 |
Multi-bit-rate optical communication method, optical network unit, and optical line terminal
The present invention relates to a multi-bit-rate optical communication method, optical network units, and an optical line terminal that enable multi-bit-rate transmission of low bit-rate data and high bit-rate data while maintaining compatibility with existing systems and reducing upgrade costs of optical network units and labor required for the upgrade, wherein the optical line terminal transmits a first data area including frame synchronization information in a predetermined frame format at a first bit rate and a second data area at a second bit rate which is the first bit rate×Mdown (Mdown>1), and any of the optical network units performs reception processing at a rate once every Mdown-bit to detect the frame synchronization information in the first data area and, based on detection timing thereof, performs reception processing of the second data area by a bit. |
| US07917031B2 |
Method and device for stabilizing the state of polarization of a polarization multiplexed optical radiation
A device and method for stabilizing the polarization of polarization multiplexed optical radiation includes an identified channel which is provided with a pilot signal. The device and method are based on providing to the polarization multiplexed optical radiation a controllable polarization transformation; measuring the optical power of a polarized portion of the identified channel downstream the polarization transformation; controlling, responsively to the optical power, the controllable polarization transformation so that the identified channel downstream the polarization transformation has a predefined polarization azimuth; providing to the optical radiation downstream the polarization transformation a further controllable polarization transformation; measuring the optical power of a polarized portion of the identified channel downstream the further controllable polarization transformation; and controlling, responsively to the optical power, the further controllable polarization transformation so that the identified channel downstream the further controllable polarization transformation has a predefined state of polarization. |
| US07917028B2 |
Portable electronic device with replaceable camera module
A portable electronic device includes a camera module and a main body. The camera module includes a housing, a lens received in the housing, an image sensor received in the housing for capturing an image of an object, a first ferromagnetic or magnetic element fixed to the housing, a plurality of metallic connecting pins electrically connected to the image sensor and exposed at an opposite side of the image sensor to the lens. The main body includes a printed circuit board, and a second ferromagnetic or magnetic element. The camera module is detachably coupled to the main body in a manner that the first ferromagnetic or magnetic element is magnetically attached to the second ferromagnetic or magnetic element, and the metallic connecting pins are electrically coupled to the printed circuit board. |
| US07917027B2 |
Actuator body and throttle mechanism
An actuator body and a throttle mechanism that are small and have a simple structure are provided. The actuator body comprises a polymer actuator 11 that bends and deforms by an electric driving source, an intermediate 12 that transmits the bending force of the polymer actuator, and an elastic body 13 to which the bending force is applied through the intermediate, wherein the dimension of a hole portion that is formed in the elastic body 13 changes when the bending force of the polymer actuator 11 is applied onto the elastic body 13 through the intermediate 12. |
| US07917026B2 |
Shutter and camera module with same
A shutter includes a first light-pervious electrode, a second light-pervious electrode, a light-shielding layer sandwiched between the first and second light-pervious electrodes and a voltage supplying system. The light-shielding layer is comprised of an electrostrictive material. The light-shielding layer has a fixed end positioned adjacent to one edge of the first light-pervious electrode, and a free end facing toward the opposite edge. The free end is extendable towards the opposite edge of the first light-pervious electrode to block light from in response to a voltage applied to the light-shielding layer. The voltage supplying system is electrically connected with the first and second light-pervious electrodes for supplying a voltage between the first and second light-pervious electrodes. |
| US07917025B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus is provided that can switch between an optical viewfinder mode for identifying an object using an optical viewfinder and a live view mode for identifying an image of an object using a monitor. The apparatus includes an auto-focus unit able to be configured in the optical viewfinder mode; and a control unit configured to switch, in a case where a mode for performing exposure control in association with an auto-focus result obtained by the auto-focus unit is set, when the optical viewfinder mode is switched to the live view mode, to a mode for performing exposure control not in association with the auto-focus result. |
| US07917023B2 |
Lens driving apparatus with anti-shake mechanism
An exemplary lens driving apparatus includes a first retaining frame having first retaining portions, first coils of wire received in the first retaining portions, and a voice coil motor movably received in the first retaining frame. The voice coil motor includes a second retaining frame having second retaining portions, magnets received in the second retaining portions, and a core member having a second coil of wire wound around and being movably received in the second frame. The core member receives lens therein. The magnets generate magnetic fields which are capable of driving the core member to move along the lens optical axis when the second coil of wire is electrically powered; the magnets are applied reverse force of Ampere's force when the first coils of wire are electrically powered, such that the voice coil motor together with the lens is moved in a plane perpendicular to the lens optical axis. |
| US07917022B2 |
Shaking sensing and correction apparatus and method
A shaking sensing unit includes a sensor sensing a rotation about at least one axis, a high pass filter passing only a signal having a frequency not less than a cutoff frequency of the high pass filter, among electrical signals output from the sensor, and a low pass filter passing only a signal having a frequency not greater than a cutoff frequency of the low pass filter and higher than the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter, among the electrical signals output from the sensor. The cutoff frequency of the high pass filter and the cutoff frequency of the low pass filter are variably determined according to a shaking frequency. |
| US07917019B2 |
Systems and methods for temperature sensing in a deicer
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a deicer system for heating water within a fluid receptacle to prevent ice from forming including a main body configured to be positioned within the fluid receptacle, a heating element adapted to heat the water, a temperature sensor adapted to detect a temperature, and a control unit in communication with the heating element and the temperature sensor. The heating element is supported by the main body. The temperature sensor is thermally connected to the heating element. The control unit is adapted to determine a temperature of the water based at least in part on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The control unit is adapted to control the heating element based at least in part on the determined temperature of the water. |
| US07917018B2 |
Wearable chemical dispenser
Disclosed herein are wearable devices for dispensing insect repellents, fragrances, and/or other chemicals along the outside of the clothing of a human, to avoid the need to apply such chemicals directly to clothing or to human's skin. The devices have an on/off switch that automatically controls a shutter which enables and restricts air flow, while also controlling fan operation and covering of a use-up cue. The device also is designed to prevent fan operation when an impregnated slab is not present. Also disclosed are preferred refills for use with such devices. |
| US07917017B2 |
Motor drive apparatus and method
If a PWM duty instruction D1 determined by a duty calculation circuit exceeds an upper limit value, a duty signal processing circuit in a motor drive apparatus divides a switching current supply period in each of the phases into a first current supply period and a second current supply period. In the first current supply period, the duty is set to the upper limit value. In the second current supply period, the duty is set to 100%, and the length of the second current supply period is set depending upon the duty instruction. |
| US07917016B2 |
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. |
| US07917015B2 |
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. |
| US07917014B2 |
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. |
| US07917013B2 |
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. |
| US07917011B2 |
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. |
| US07917010B2 |
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. |
| US07917008B1 |
Interface for resolving recording conflicts with network devices
Communication and resolution of potential recording conflicts are disclosed. In one aspect, a request for recording a new program is received, and recording schedules are examined to determine whether another program had been previously scheduled for recording at the same time. If so, a display that illustrates and allows resolution of the conflict is automatically provided. In another aspect, a recording queue and an exception list provide efficient identification of conflicts and management of scheduled recordings. The recording queue lists each program to be recorded, and the exception list identifies conflicting pairs in the recording queue and indicates which item in each pair is respectively retained (preempting) and deferred (preempted). Canceling a preempting recording removes it from the recording queue and the conflict from the exception list to reinstate a preempted program. Channel guides that illustrate recording conflicts are also provided. |
| US07917007B2 |
Automatic track generation
A method of generating a dependent media item (911) is disclosed. The method comprises arranging a sequence of EDL elements (901-907) in an order, wherein at least an ordered sub-set of the EDL elements (901-907) are associated with track control attributes (912) for the dependent media item (911). The method further comprises producing a sequence of media items (904-908) in a source track (906) dependent upon at least some of the sequence EDL elements (901-907), and generating the dependent media item (911) dependent the track control attributes (912) and the order in which the sub-set of EDL elements is arranged. |
| US07917005B2 |
Information recording device, information recording method, information recording program and recording medium
A CDA processing section extracts an unused area of an information recording medium via a disc status management section and a drive control section. The CDA processing section divides the extracted unused areas by a division criteria value MAS, which allows continuous reproduction of a video and audio stream, and reserves areas having the size of the division criteria value MAS as CDAs. This enables continuous reproduction of AV data, and multiple data can be recorded simultaneously. |
| US07917003B2 |
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. |
| US07917002B2 |
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. |
| US07916997B2 |
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. |
| US07916995B2 |
Method and device for recording digital data
Various applications record or handle uncompressed video, where the amount of information needed for each frame or field is constant, based on the video frame rate and color resolution of each pixel. Since various video frame rates and audio sample rates are defined and can be combined independently, the amount of audio samples per video frame may vary. The disclosed method allows packing audio samples and video samples into constant size containers, e.g. MXF containers, so that there is an integer amount of audio samples within the time period needed for one video frame, independent from the used video raster. The method includes generating constant length KLV encoded video packets, generating variable length KLV encoded audio packets corresponding to the same time period as the video packets, generating variable length KLV encoded data packets, wherein the sum of the lengths of the audio packet and the data packet are constant, and generating from said packets a constant size content package. |
| US07916987B2 |
Beam homogenizer, laser irradiation apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
The present invention is to provide a beam homogenizer, a laser irradiation apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can suppress the loss of a laser beam and form a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution constantly on an irradiation surface without being affected by beam parameters of a laser beam. A deflector is provided at an entrance of an optical waveguide or a light pipe used for homogenizing a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator. A pair of reflection planes of the deflector is provided so as to have a tilt angle to an optical axis of the laser beam, whereby the entrance of the optical waveguide or the light pipe is expanded. Accordingly, the loss of the laser beam can be suppressed. Moreover, by providing an angle adjusting mechanism to the deflector, a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution can be formed at an exit of the optical waveguide. |
| US07916981B2 |
Optical modulator
An optical modulator, including: a substrate; an optical waveguide embedded in the substrate; a traveling wave electrode mounted on the substrate and having a traveling wave applied thereon so that a light wave is modulated by the traveling wave with an electro-optic effect. The traveling wave electrode includes a center electrode and ground electrodes; in which the optical waveguide has a plurality of interaction optical waveguides that form a Mach-Zehnder optical waveguide that modulates the light wave in a phase modulation manner when the traveling wave is applied to the traveling wave electrode, the interaction optical waveguides form a region where respective widths of the interaction optical waveguides are different from each other, and the center electrode and the ground electrodes are positioned such that interaction efficiencies between the high frequency electric signal and the light wave guided in the respective interaction optical waveguides are substantially equal to each other. |
| US07916971B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus
An image processing technique includes acquiring a main image of a scene and determining one or more facial regions in the main image. The facial regions are analysed to determine if any of the facial regions includes a defect. A sequence of relatively low resolution images nominally of the same scene is also acquired. One or more sets of low resolution facial regions in the sequence of low resolution images are determined and analysed for defects. Defect free facial regions of a set are combined to provide a high quality defect free facial region. At least a portion of any defective facial regions of the main image are corrected with image information from a corresponding high quality defect free facial region. |
| US07916970B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method of same, and program for same
An image processing apparatus is configured to carry out image processing on image data including pixel values of a plurality of pixels disposed on a plane defined in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The apparatus includes horizontal-direction image-processing means for carrying out image processing in the horizontal direction on a pixel value of a target pixel that is included in the image data; vertical-direction image-processing means for carrying out image processing in the vertical direction on the pixel value of the target pixel; diagonal-direction image-processing means carrying out image processing in a predetermined diagonal direction on the pixel value of the target; correction-value determination means for determining the correction value of the pixel value on the basis of processing results obtained by each means; and correction means correcting the pixel value of the target pixel. |
| US07916968B2 |
Adjusting apparatus for enhancing the contrast of image and method therefor
An adjusting apparatus for enhancing the contrast of an image and a method therefor are provided. The adjusting apparatus includes a mask processor, a brightness detecting unit, a brightness adjusting unit, a ratio calculating unit and a contrast enhancing unit. The mask processor retrieves a pixel matrix from an original image according to its mask dimension, and outputs a specific pixel corresponding to a specific position in the pixel matrix. Then, the brightness detecting unit, the brightness adjusting unit and the ratio calculating unit are coupled in series to process the image according to relations of each sub-pixel of the pixel matrix, so as to obtain an adjusting ratio. Thereby, the contrast enhancing unit multiplies the value of the adjusted specific pixel by the adjusting ratio to enhance the contrast of the image. |
| US07916965B2 |
Detection of artifacts resulting from image signal decompression
A method includes making a first determination as to whether a current pixel has a value which reflects a mosquito noise artifact, and determining whether to apply a filtering process at the current pixel based on a result of the first determination. In addition, or alternatively, a method includes making a second determination as to whether a current pixel has a value which reflects a ringing artifact, and determining whether to apply a filtering process at the current pixel based on a result of the second determination. |
| US07916964B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus and an image processing method for amplifying an image signal are provided without reducing an image size and without lowering a sense of resolution. An edge-direction detecting arithmetic section (2) detects an edge minimum direction from extracted Bayer data (BAY). An assigning arithmetic section (4) assigns a coefficient in which weighting is applied in the edge minimum direction of the extracted Bayer data (BAY) at a higher distribution ratio than other directions to a spatial filter kernel. In other words, the coefficient of the spatial filter kernel is changed in accordance with the edge minimum direction. A pixel adding arithmetic section (5) performs a sensitization process of extracted Bayer data (BAY). Therefore, it becomes possible to selectively perform a low-pass filtering process in the edge minimum direction. As a result, a sense of resolution can be prevented from being lost during the low-pass filtering process, and the sharpness of the outline of an image can be maintained. |
| US07916959B2 |
Image encoding method, image decoding method, image encoding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, image encoding program, and image decoding program
An image decoding method, apparatus and program for decoding coded picture data is disclosed. In the method, apparatus and program, the coded picture data is entropy-decoded to derive four transform coefficient strings each comprising entropy-decoded sixteen (16) transform coefficients. The four transform coefficient strings are combined into an 8x8 block of entropy-decoded sixty four (64) transform coefficients by de-interleaving the four strings in such a manner as to select a lower frequency transform coefficient alternately from the four strings and arrange it in the 8x8 block in an order of a low frequency to a high frequency. An inverse orthogonal transform is then performed on the 8x8 block of the entropy-decoded sixty four (64) transform coefficients. |
| US07916956B1 |
Methods and apparatus for encoding a shared drawing memory
A display encoding system is disclosed. The display encoding system includes at least one processor, an encoding circuit, the encoding circuit having a structure separate from the structure of the processor(s), a communication connection to a computer network, a drawing memory, a traffic manager, and a memory access circuit. The processor(s) are configured to execute drawing commands, access the drawing memory via the memory access circuit to store image representation(s) in the drawing memory. The encoding circuit is configured to access the drawing memory to encode at least a portion of the image representation(s) stored in the drawing memory based on the executed drawing commands. The traffic manager is configured to transmit the encoded image over the communication connection to at least one display device. |
| US07916954B2 |
Image encoding apparatus and control method thereof
A lossless encoding processing unit lossless-encodes respective tiles, and stores the encoded data in a memory. A determination unit determines, according to attribute information of each tile, whether the tile of interest is to be lossless- or lossy-encoded, and appends the determination result at the head of lossless-encoded data as a flag. The determination unit counts, in variable CH, the number of tiles determined to be lossy-encoded, during the lossless encoding processing. Every time the CH exceeds one of a plurality of different thresholds, a lossy encoding processing unit decodes lossless-encoded data appended with a lossy flag, applies processing for decreasing the resolution to the decoded data, lossless-encodes the data that has undergone the processing again, and stores the lossless-encoded data in the memory. Upon completion of the lossless encoding processing for one page, the lossy encoding processing unit lossy-encodes the lossless-encoded data appended with the lossy flag. |
| US07916951B2 |
System and method for detecting and classifying objects in images, such as insects and other arthropods
A color-based imaging system and method for the detection and classification of insects and other arthropods are described, including devices for counting arthropods and providing taxonomic capabilities useful for pest-management. Some embodiments include an image sensor (for example, a digital color camera, scanner or a video camera) with optional illumination that communicates with a computer system. Some embodiments include a color scanner connected to a computer. Sampled arthropods are put on a scanner to be counted and identified. The computer captures images from the scanner, adjusts scanner settings, and processes the acquired images to detect and identify the arthropods. Other embodiments include a trapping device and a digital camera connected by cable or wireless communications to the computer. Some devices include a processor to do the detection and identification in the field, or the field system can send the images to a centralized host computer for detection and identification. |
| US07916947B2 |
False alarm recognition in hyperspectral gas plume identification
According to one embodiment, a method for analyzing hyperspectral data includes collecting first hyperspectral data of a scene using a hyperspectral imager during a no-gas period and analyzing the first hyperspectral data using one or more gas plume detection logics. The gas plume detection logic is executed using a low detection threshold, and detects each occurrence of an observed hyperspectral signature. The method also includes generating a histogram for all occurrences of each observed hyperspectral signature which is detected using the gas plume detection logic, and determining a probability of false alarm (PFA) for all occurrences of each observed hyperspectral signature based on the histogram. Possibly at some other time, the method includes collecting second hyperspectral data, and analyzing the second hyperspectral data using the one or more gas plume detection logics and the PFA to determine if any gas is present. Other systems and methods are also included. |
| US07916946B2 |
Image processing apparatus for identifying and classifying an object in an image, method of controlling same, and computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for controlling same
Disclosed is an image processing apparatus in which a marked image is extracted more accurately and classification based upon the type of mark is made possible. The apparatus includes an extraction unit adapted to extract information representing a region position of an object and information representing a region position of a mark as an object list and mark list, respectively, from the document image that has been scanned by a scanning unit; and a search unit adapted to search for information representing the region position of a mark in the mark list for which the distance is the shortest with respect to information representing a region position of each object in the object list. |
| US07916944B2 |
System and method for feature level foreground segmentation
Foreground segmentation in real world dynamic scenes, including under various lighting and shadow conditions, is disclosed. It may be used with one or multiple cameras for various automated tasks, such as classification of moving object, tracking moving objects, and event detection in various indoor or outdoor environments. Pixel to pixel subtraction is performed on each frame, followed by a feature-level based foreground segmentation to properly validate the foreground pixels. In this step, for each pixel in the image, a neighborhood of pixels is selected, and the aggregate change in the neighborhood image is used to classify foreground and background pixels. Normalized cross correlation is then applied to the neighborhood of each pixel that was confirmed to be foreground pixel. |
| US07916942B1 |
Image determining apparatus, image enhancement apparatus, backlight image enhancement apparatus, and backlight image enhancement method
Image determining apparatuses, image enhancement apparatuses, backlight image enhancement apparatuses, and backlight image enhancement methods are provided. |
| US07916941B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for restoring color and enhancing electronic images
Methods and apparatuses for color image restoration and enhancement. In at least one embodiment, color signals for individual channels of an image (e.g., red, green, or blue) are adjusted based on a weighted set of averages (e.g., of the entire image, the center portion, the surrounding portion, or other portions). In one example, pixels with extreme values of color signals (e.g., pure black or white pixels) are ignored for the purposes of restoring color; and, the different averages are weighted according to the pixel location (e.g., the distance from the pixel to a center point). In one example, after color restoration for individual channels, the luminance of each pixel is adjusted back to their original levels; and the range of luminance of the image is further adjusted to provide improved brightness and contrast, where in determining the luminance the red, green and blue color channels are given an equal weight. |
| US07916939B2 |
High brightness wide gamut display
A device to produce a color image, the device including a color filtering arrangement to produce at least four colors, each color produced by a filter on a color filtering mechanism having a relative segment size, wherein the relative segment sizes of at least two of the primary colors differ. |
| US07916936B2 |
Image-processing method
An image-processing method includes: subjecting original image data indicative of an original image to a selective noise reduction by reducing noise from pixel data that meets a prescribed condition among all the pixel data in the original image data; and performing a first calibration to calibrate contrast of a backlight region of the selectively-noise-reduced original image data to generate an output image by determining a first pixel component and a second pixel component for each pixel data in the selectively-noise-reduced image data, by increasing contrast of the second pixel component, and by recreating pixel data based on the first pixel component and the calibrated second pixel component. |
| US07916934B2 |
Method and system for acquiring, encoding, decoding and displaying 3D light fields
A method and system acquire and display light fields. A continuous light field is reconstructed from input samples of an input light field of a 3D scene acquired by cameras according to an acquisition parameterization. The continuous light is reparameterized according to a display parameterization and then prefiltering and sampled to produce output samples having the display parameterization. The output samples are displayed as an output light field using a 3D display device. The reconstruction can be performed by interpolating the input samples having the different views. |
| US07916932B2 |
Method and system of structural light-based 3D depth imaging using signal separation coding and error correction thereof
A 3D depth imaging method and system are disclosed. The 3D depth imaging method involves radiating light at a measurement target object using a projection means and imaging the light using an image receiving means, and includes the steps of assigning a unique transmitting side address to a signal corresponding to each pixel of the projection means to encode the signal; projecting multiple light patterns at the projection means to transmit the signal; receiving the encoded signal at the image receiving means; separating the received signal to restore the address; and determining a pixel position of the object using the transmitting side address and the restored address. With the 3D depth imaging method and system, it is possible to exactly separate signals received by the image receiving means even when the signals are overlap and the geometrical structure of the object varies, and it is also possible to obtain a depth image that is robust against ambient environmental noise. |
| US07916931B2 |
Apparatus, method, and medium for dividing regions by using feature points and mobile robot using the same
An apparatus, method, and medium for dividing regions by using feature points and a mobile robot cleaner using the same are provided. A method includes forming a grid map by using a plurality of grid points that are obtained by detecting distances of a mobile robot from obstacles; extracting feature points from the grid map; extracting candidate pairs of feature points, which are in the range of a region division element, from the feature points; extracting a final pair of feature points, which satisfies the requirements of the region division element, from the candidate pairs of feature points; forming a critical line by connecting the final pair of feature points; and forming a final region in accordance with the size relationship between regions formed of a closed curve which connects the critical line and the grid map. |
| US07916926B2 |
Semiconductor inspection apparatus
An inspected image can be communicated without putting large load on a network. A remote console enables an operation screen and a moving image to be displayed and processed without color shifts. Information on the operation screen is not communicated as bitmap information, but event information such as a formation of a window and the moving of a mouse is communicated as information at a level of I parts of graphical user interface. Moreover, communication of the event information on the operation screen and communication of a moving image are separated. In addition, a method of compressing information on the operation screen and a method of compressing information on the moving image are separated. A necessary part of information on the moving image is selected and communicated depending on the state of the semiconductor inspection apparatus, an operation of an operator, and a pattern to be inspected. |
| US07916922B2 |
X-ray image orientation in radiography and fluoroscopy
In a method, apparatus, and computer program encoded with a data structure, for processing radiographic images and digital fluoroscopy radiographic (DFR) images acquired with the same imaging system using a single detector, three different types of image orientation are defined. These are a “system flip/rotation” that is dependent on the imaging system, a “pre-flip/rotation” orientation that is applied before the images are shown on a monitor, and a “post-flip/rotation” that is applied after an image is shown on the monitor. For this orientation change, the original image must be stored and subsequently manipulated. For pre-processing, DFR images are subjected only to the system flip/rotation, whereas radiographic images are subjected to the system flip/rotation as well as the pre-flip/rotation. For post-processing, both the DFR images and the radiographic images are subjected to the post-flip/rotation. |
| US07916921B2 |
Osteoporosis diagnosis support device
It can be enabled an accurate diagnosis of osteoporosis by a simple method utilizing panoramic radiographs without requiring special skill or experience of a technician engaged in diagnosis of osteoporosis. It comprises an object region image acquisition means for enhancing the contrast of a mandible bone on digitized panoramic radiographs and extracting a portion of a mandible including a mental foramen and a mandibular base as an object region image; a discrimination and selection means for discriminating between a background portion and the portion of a mandible from the object region image and acquiring, as a judgment region image, a portion from which the background portion is removed; a defined image acquisition means for defining forms of a cortical bone and a cancellous bone constituting the mandible of the judgment region image; a means for specifying the cortical bone portion on the image in which the form is defined; calculation means for determining the thickness of the cortical bone based on the outline constituting the mental foramen and the cortical bone specified by the respective means; and an output means for outputting the determined thickness of the cortical bone. |
| US07916917B2 |
Method of segmenting anatomic entities in digital medical images
For each of a number of landmarks in an image an initial position of the landmark is defined. Next a neighborhood around the initial position, comprising a number of candidate locations of the landmark is sampled and a cost is associated with each of the candidate locations. A cost function expressing a weighted sum of overall gray level cost and overall shape cost for all candidate locations is optimized. A segmented anatomic entity is defined as a path through a selected combination of candidate locations for which combination the cost function is optimized. |
| US07916914B2 |
Method for processing findings entered in a mammogram
A method for processing findings entered in a mammogram. A digital mammogram is displayed via an evaluation device. Via an input device the findings are entered directly into the displayed mammogram and are automatically transferred from the mammogram into a findings input mask. To transfer the findings from the mammogram into the findings input mask, a contour line of an object area surrounding an object of the mammogram is determined. An object area of the mammogram is divided into two partial areas. Each partial area is imaged onto an allocated mask region of the findings input mask. The entered findings are allocated to one of the partial areas and are transferred into the findings input mask with reference to the allocated partial area. In this manner, a location of findings entered in a mammogram relative to the nipple can reliably be determined and transferred into a findings input mask. |
| US07916908B1 |
Fingerprint sensor and method of transmitting a sensor image to reduce data size and data rate
A fingerprint imager uses a non-rectangular image readout to reduce the bandwidth and data size of the read-out image. Narrow-width rows in the central portion of the image are used to align successive partial image frames of the fingerprint to reconstruct a full image of the fingerprint using full-width rows of the fingerprint frames. |
| US07916905B2 |
System and method for image facial area detection employing skin tones
The subject application is directed to a system and method for image facial detection employing skin tones. Image data comprised of a plurality of pixels encoded in at least a three dimensional component space is received and sub-sampled region data is generated from the received image data. A percentage of pixels having a low chroma value below a threshold value is then calculated and tested against a predetermined percentage threshold value. Each pixel is then classified in accordance with a skin tone model. Skin tone map data is then generated based on classification and a skin tone mask is output form the map data. |
| US07916903B2 |
Personal identification device, personal identification method, updating method for identification dictionary data, and updating program for identification dictionary data
A personal identification device compares personal identification dictionary data, which is generated from feature data extracted from an identification element for identifying a person and is stored in association with person-specifying information for specifying a person, against feature data extracted from an identification element extracted from a person to thereby identify a person having the captured identification element. The personal identification device includes a dictionary data update processing section that assigns a weighting factor, which is generated from capture time information newly acquired by a time acquiring section and capture time information of an identification element acquired previously and stored in a dictionary-data generating information storing section in association with person-specifying information, to feature data captured at each capture time to thereby generate or update identification dictionary data corresponding to person-specifying information acquired by a person-specifying section on the basis of the result of personal identification. |
| US07916899B2 |
Monitoring system and vehicle surrounding monitoring system
A parameter selection section selects one from a plurality of image synthesis parameters stored in a parameter storage section according to an output of a vehicle state detection section. An image synthesis section reads out camera images from frame memories according to the selected image synthesis parameter and generates a synthesized image showing a state of vehicle surroundings. A moving object detection section detects, in the thus generated synthetic image, a moving object region estimated as a region where a moving object is present. |
| US07916897B2 |
Face tracking for controlling imaging parameters
A method of tracking faces in an image stream with a digital image acquisition device includes receiving images from an image stream including faces, calculating corresponding integral images, and applying different subsets of face detection rectangles to the integral images to provide sets of candidate regions. The different subsets include candidate face regions of different sizes and/or locations within the images. The different candidate face regions from different images of the image stream are each tracked. |
| US07916895B2 |
Systems and methods for improved target tracking for tactical imaging
Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for target image acquisition using sensor data. The system includes at least one sensor adapted to detect an event and generate a signal based at least in part on the event. The system also includes an imager obtaining an image of a target and target area based on a target tracking and recognition algorithm. The imager is configured to trigger image acquisition based at least in part on the signal from the sensor. The imager adjusts the target tracking and recognition algorithm based at least in part on sensor data in the signal. In certain embodiments, the imager may also adjust an image acquisition threshold for obtaining an image based on the sensor data. |
| US07916892B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing mail to obtain image data of contents
A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. Mail is placed into an input bin having a conveyor that conveys the mail towards a feeder. the feeder serially feeds the envelopes by engaging the lead envelope in the stack of mail and displacing the lead envelope transverse the stack of mail. The mail is then cut on a side edge and the top edge to cut open each envelope. A transport conveys the cut envelopes to an extractor. The extractor opens the edge-severed mail and presents the contents of the envelopes to an operator who manually extracts the contents. The operator drops the extracted contents onto a conveyor that conveys the contents to an imaging station. The contents are automatically separated and imaged to obtain image data for the contents. The contents are then sorted into a plurality of output bins. |
| US07916879B2 |
Electrostatic acoustic transducer based on rolling contact micro actuator
An acoustic transducer is disclosed, which comprises a micro fabricated, sound generating, or receiving, diaphragm, a conductive leaf cantilever actuator, and a counter electrode. In the acoustic transducer, the electrostatic attraction force between the counter electrode and the leaf cantilever due to an imposed electrical potential is utilized to generate a deflection of the diaphragm attached to said cantilever. In operation, the cantilever collapses on to the counter electrode, causing a significant increase in actuator driving force due to the reduction, and partial elimination, of the air gap in the transducer. |
| US07916872B1 |
Integrated short range RDS FM transmitter
A low-power, software based modulator that is used to transfer text data from an auxiliary audio device to an FM radio receiver includes a processor that receives the text data to be transmitted to the FM receiver, processes the data as an RDS signal or converts the text data to speech and then combines the processed data signal with an FM audio signal that is sent to the FM receiver. In one embodiment, the auxiliary audio device is a CD or CD-MP3 player and the software-based modulator is implemented on the control processor or DSP of the device. The FM encoder that produces the FM encoded audio signal may be a separate analog encoder or may also be implemented in the control processor of the auxiliary audio device. |
| US07916870B2 |
Systems and methods for document control using public key encryption
Systems and methods for document control using public key encryption are provided. An interface program serves as a software interface between user applications used to create and access documents and a data storage system that stores the documents in an encrypted form. When a document is saved for the first time, information corresponding to the destruction of that document is obtained either from a user or in accordance with predefined criteria. The document is encrypted and stored with a pointer to an encryption key on a token/key server. When the document is subsequently accessed, the interface program will read the pointer and attempt to retrieve the key. If the key has expired in accordance with the destruction policy, the document is inaccessible. Otherwise, the document is decrypted using the key. Multiple documents may be saved according to the same destruction policy and even the same key, thereby greatly enhancing the ability to “destroy” documents regardless of their location with minimal process. |
| US07916869B2 |
System and method for automatic setup of a network device with secure network transmission of setup parameters using a standard remote control
A system and method allows a user to automatically configure a new device on a local area network (LAN) by pressing a sequence of buttons on a conventional remote control (RC) while pointing the infrared (IR) transmitter of the RC at the new device. The button-sequence includes an arbitrary button-sequence selected by the user, or a pre-established button-sequence stored in an existing network member device, such as the network controller, and displayed to the user. The button-sequence represents a cipher key for an encryption/decryption algorithm. The network member device uses the cipher key to encrypt a configuration message that includes a shared network security key and transmit it over the network. The encrypted configuration message is received by the new device and decrypted using the same cipher key. The decrypted network configuration parameters, including the shared network security key, enable the new device to automatically associate with the network and communicate in a secure manner using the shared network security key. |
| US07916865B2 |
Dynamically shifting control word
A method for generating a plurality of control words, each control word controlling access to an object. The method includes providing a control word packet (CWP), generating a first control word (CW) from the CWP, providing a second CW generation input and producing a second CW based, at least in part, on both of the following the first CW and the second CW generation input. Control word generating apparatus for generating a plurality of control words is also disclosed. |
| US07916858B1 |
Agent training sensitive call routing system
A call-management method and system for distributing calls to agents, wherein each agent has a profile, e.g., defining agent skills, efficiency, etc. The call center management system implements an algorithm for selecting an agent to receive a call to optimize caller utility, call center efficiency, and agent training. Therefore, the algorithm does not seek to necessarily route a call to the agent having the skill set most suited to the call; rather, the call may be routed to an agent who needs experience in the area of the call, and thus serves as a training exercise. Skilled agents may be made available to shadow the training agent when available. |
| US07916857B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for selectively processing or redirecting SCCP messages. According to one method, an SCCP message addressed to an STP and sent route-on-PC-SSN is received at the STP. It is determined whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP. In response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, the SCCP message is terminated, processed locally, and a response is sent to the message originator. In response to determining that the message cannot be processed locally at the STP, the SCCP message is redirected to a destination. |
| US07916855B2 |
System and method for storing and restoring communication dialog
Storing and restoring a communication session includes establishing a communication session by exchanging dialog. Dialog from the communication session is stored to a persistent storage. Endpoints participate in the communication session to assert functionality to a monitoring module. If a failure occurs during the communication session, an endpoint receives the stored dialog from the persistent storage. Furthermore, the endpoint restores the received dialog onto a protocol stack to continue the communication session without loss of dialog. |
| US07916854B2 |
Methods and apparatus for controlling processing entities, such as distributed signalling gateways
A method of controlling a local process that forms part of a first processing entity, where the first processing entity maintains a plurality of associations with a plurality of remote processes in a second processing entity, comprises receiving a failure message from a remote process indicating a fault affecting an association linking the local process with that remote process; queueing data messages destined for that remote process; controlling the transmission of an acknowledgement of the failure message so that data messages pending on the association are received at that remote process before the acknowledgment of the failure message; and initiating a traffic diversion to set up an alternate path between the first processing entity and the second processing entity for queued data messages. |
| US07916853B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing calendar based routings of communications
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing calendar based routing of communications. Methods include receiving a communication from a sending party to a receiving party, the communication including a communication type. A current calendar entry type for the receiving party is retrieved in response to receiving the communication. A destination for the communication is determined. The destination is responsive to the communication type and to the current calendar entry type. The communication is transmitted to the destination. |
| US07916852B2 |
Method and system for providing quick directions
A method and system for providing a telephone caller information assistance such as driving directions from a starting location to a destination location. To obtain information assistance, the caller places a telephone call to access the system. If the geographical location of the caller can be determined by an automatic location identification system it is displayed on an operator console where the caller's request is transferred to be handled by a live operator. The operator receives the caller's destination request and queries the system for the street route driving instructions to the requested destination. After obtaining the street route driving instructions, the call can be transferred to an audio box having an interactive user interface capable of replaying the desired information to the caller. In an illustrative embodiment, the interactive user interface is capable providing functions to stop, start, pause, and replay the information to the caller. |
| US07916846B1 |
System and method for identifying and treating calls
Described is a system and method for receiving information for a phone call corresponding to a subscriber, wherein the subscriber is subscribed to at least two services. The information is compared to subscriber information stored in a plurality of subscriber profiles, wherein each profile corresponds to one of the services. The phone call is then handled, when the information matches the subscriber information in one of the profiles, using the service corresponding to the profile. |
| US07916844B2 |
System and method to determine and deliver quotes for distance-sensitive communication links from multiple service providers
To facilitate real-time pricing, an embodiment of the invention retrieves multiple quotes from multiple databases associated with multiple service providers. Information regarding a customer's location, and the locations of multiple service providers are used to determine the cost of services associated with each of the multiple service providers in real-time. The retrieved quotes are compared, and quotes below a pre-determined price threshold are provided to a user in real-time (e.g., via the Internet). The user can select a desired quote from the quotes provided, and purchase or request more information regarding the desired quote online. |
| US07916843B2 |
Digital telephone data and control signal transmission system
Techniques are disclosed for using Ethernet Layer 1 as a means for transporting audio, control, and status signals between telephones and an aggregator device in a telephone system. Techniques are also disclosed for using the aggregator to determine whether a telephone supports only Ethernet Layer 1, and for using the aggregator to communicate with the telephone using an appropriate protocol based on the results of the determination. |
| US07916842B2 |
Systems and methods for providing voicemail services including caller identification
A method for providing voicemail services includes receiving a voicemail message from a calling party and intended for a called party. The method further includes identifying a name associated with the calling party and storing the name associated with the calling party with the voicemail message. |
| US07916840B2 |
Radiation diaphragm apparatus and radiotherapy apparatus having the diaphragm apparatus
A radiation diaphragm apparatus, which is adapted to form a radiation field, which is an exposed area of an object to be examined by radiation from a radiation source, comprises a plurality of diaphragm elements which are closely arranged in a first direction and movable along a second direction substantially normal to the first direction and each of which has a hole of a given shape formed to penetrate through it in the first direction, a shaft penetrating through the hole of each of the diaphragm elements, and a wear-resistant surface member coating the shaft. The shaft supports each of the diaphragm elements at a point of contact with the periphery of the hole. The diaphragm elements move along the second direction with support by the shaft. |
| US07916839B2 |
Collimator
The present invention is directed to a collimator that comprises grooves or channels in the submicrometer to micrometer range. The present invention is also related to uses of a collimator and collimator holder as described herein as well as apparatuses comprising the same. |
| US07916834B2 |
Small spot X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer
A hand-held, self-contained x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer produces a small x-ray spot on a sample to interrogate the elemental composition of a sample region of millimeter-size characteristic dimension. The analyzer includes a collimator for aiming an x-ray beam toward a desired location on the sample and for determining the size of the spot produced on the sample. The analyzer may include a digital camera oriented toward the portion of the sample that is, or would be, interrogated by the x-ray spot to facilitate aiming the analyzer. The analyzer may generate a reticule in a displayed image to indicate the portion of the sample that is, or would be, illuminated by the x-ray beam. The analyzer may automatically annotate the image of the sample with text or graphics that contain information about the analyzed sample. The image may be stored in the hand -held analyzer or provided for external storage or display. |
| US07916831B2 |
X-ray detector and X-ray CT apparatus
An X-ray detector includes a single-layered semiconductor substrate having an array of detection cells which directly convert photons of X-rays into electrical signals; a first data collecting device which collects data with respect to the array of detection cells in a photon counting mode; and a second data collecting device which collects data with respect to the array of detection cells in a current measuring mode. |
| US07916827B2 |
Method for evaluating projection datasets of an object undergoing examination
The invention relates to a method for evaluating projection datasets of an object undergoing examination. Each projection dataset is assigned a swiveling angle and a recording instant. Each data element of each projection dataset defines a projection line along which an X-ray beam has traveled from an X-ray source to an X-ray detector. The projection datasets form recording groups each of which corresponds with the projection datasets that were recorded during a single swiveling action. A computer determines reconstruction datasets using the projection datasets. Each reconstruction dataset contains at least one reconstruction data value assigned to a reconstruction line. Using a temporal interpolation, the computer determines the reconstruction datasets in such a way that they refer to a uniform reconstruction time. The computer determines a reconstruction of the object undergoing examination using the reconstruction datasets. |
| US07916823B1 |
Auto-referencing mixed-mode phase locked loop for audio playback applications
Audio streaming is made available throughout the signal processing path of a speech (or audio) processor of a cochlear implant system. Audio streaming allows one to “listen in” to what a cochlear implant patient may be hearing. As an audio signal stream is received and digitally processed, it may be sampled at any of a number of sample points. The signal at a selected sample point allows appropriate diagnostics to be performed. An auto-referencing mixed-mode phase locked loop processes an asynchronous stream of digital audio samples that arrive at a consistent, but unknown, average rate. Once received, the average sample rate is extracted, and a local clock is generated at the average frequency. The incoming audio streaming samples are then re-synchronized with the local clock in order to allow digitally phase locked playback of the audio stream. |
| US07916821B2 |
Method and apparatus for output data synchronization with system clock in DDR
A method and apparatus are provided for substantially reducing or eliminating the timing skew caused by delay elements in a delay locked loop. A method and apparatus are disclosed wherein a rising edge of a local timing signal is established and phase-locked to a rising edge of a system clock signal by delaying the system clock signal. A falling edge of the local timing signal is established and phase-locked to a falling edge of the system clock signal by further delaying only a portion of a signal representative of the delayed clock signal. By separately delaying different portions of the system clock signal and using the separately delayed portions to establish a local timing signal, a local timing signal may be established which is compensated for the varied effects of delay elements in a delay locked loop. |
| US07916819B2 |
Receiver system and method for automatic skew-tuning
A receiver system is provided. The receiver system includes a control unit for outputting a control signal and a selective signal, a PLL unit for generates PLL clock signals based on an initial clock signal, a phase select unit for selecting one of the PLL clock signals as a base clock signal according to the selective signal, a DLL unit for generating DLL clock signals based on the base clock signal, a sampling clock unit for generating left and right clock signals based on the DLL clock signals and a data latch unit for sampling bit data according to the left, DLL, and right clock signals to obtain left, middle and right data, which are feedback to the control unit for outputting the control signal and the selective signal to adjust the left, DLL and right clock signals or select the base clock signal for next bit data. |
| US07916818B2 |
Method and device for estimating the relative drift between two clocks, in particular for ranging applications in UWB-LDR technology
A method is for estimating drift between a first clock used in a digital transmission processing of a first Ultra Wide Band (UWB) pulse train signal and a second clock used in a digital reception processing of a second UWB pulse train signal resulting from a transmission of the first UWB pulse train signal. The method may include sampling the second UWB pulse train signal, and calculating trellis information representative of a trellis having reference paths respectively associated to different reference values of the drift and including sample transitions of a sampled third signal from the sampled second UWB pulse train signal. The method may further include processing the sampled third signal along the trellis for obtaining a path metric for each processed reference path, and selecting the processed reference path having a greatest path metric, the drift being the reference value associated to the selected processed reference path. |
| US07916817B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving the performance of pilot symbol assisted receivers in the presence of narrowband interference
A method for reducing interference from at least one narrowband interferer in a pilot symbol assisted receiver (10) includes the steps of; receiving a stream of received data, passing the stream of received data through an adaptive filter that reduces interference from any narrowband interferer, passing the filtered data through a correlator (7, 8) arranged to detect pilot symbols, when a pilot symbol is detected passing the stream of received data to a receiving apparatus without first passing the received data through the adaptive filter (3), and wherein the pilot symbol includes one or more repetitions of known data or pseudo noise. |
| US07916816B2 |
Hardware allocation in a multi-channel communication environment
Hardware allocation techniques are described for use in a multi-channel communication environment. The techniques may be used to reduce the number of gates needed for processing and/or to improve the efficiency and/or speed of a communication system. For example, resources that are under-utilized may be removed or allocated to another operation or user. In an exemplary implementation, a receiver includes a plurality of signal processing modules corresponding to respective channels and a hardware allocation module. The hardware allocation module allocates resources in the signal processing modules based on utilization of at least one of the resources. |
| US07916813B2 |
Receiver device
A frequency converter converts a high frequency signal transmitted in a frequency shift keying scheme into an intermediate frequency signal having a predetermined frequency, to output the intermediate frequency signal therefrom. An amplitude limiter limits an amplitude of an output signal from the frequency converter for output. An orthogonal demodulator includes: a first signal generator which generates a pair of first local oscillation signals of which frequencies are k multiple of the predetermined frequency and of which phases are orthogonal to each other, k being an odd integer equal to or greater than 3. I-side and Q-side mixers each mix an output signal from the amplitude limiter and each of the pair of first local oscillation signals to output a mixed signal therefrom. The orthogonal demodulator generates a demodulation signal based on output signals from the I-side and Q-side mixers. |
| US07916807B2 |
Method and system for choice of a steering matrix (Q) for sounding in antenna selection
Aspects of a method and system for choice of a steering matrix (Q) for sounding in antenna selection are presented. Aspects of the system may include a transmitting station that enables determination of values for a plurality of matrix elements, which are represented in a steering matrix (Q). The contents of the steering matrix may be determined based on the contents of a plurality of protocol data units (PDU). Each of the PDUs may comprise a sounding frame. One or more space-time signals may be generated based on the plurality of PDUs. One or more transmit chain signals may be generated by multiplying a vector representation, which comprises the one or more space-time signals, by the steering matrix. One or more transmit chain signals may be transmitted via transmitting antennas selected from a plurality of transmitting antennas. |
| US07916801B2 |
Time-domain equalization for discrete multi-tone systems
A multiple carrier communication system includes a primary impulse shortening filter that receives an output signal of an analog to digital converter and accepts coefficients. A secondary impulse shortening filter receives the output signal of the analog to digital converter, outputs an output signal, and passes coefficients to the primary impulse shortening filter. A reference signal generator outputs a reference signal. A comparator compares the output signal and the reference signal and outputs a resulting error signal. An adaptive processor computes coefficients for the secondary impulse shortening filter based on the error signal. |
| US07916800B2 |
Method for estimating frequency offset at a subscriber station receiver in a multi-carrier system
A method and system of estimating frequency offset of a subscriber station is disclosed. The method includes the subscriber station receiving a composite signal, wherein the composite signal includes multi-carrier signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations. The subscriber station selects a subset of the plurality of base stations. The subscriber station selects at least one pair of multi-carrier symbols of the composite signal, wherein each of the at least one pair of multi-carrier symbols includes a plurality of pilot sub-carriers. The subscriber station selects at least one group of the plurality of pilot sub-carriers within the at least one pair of multi-carrier symbols based on transmit pilot symbols of the pilot sub-carriers of the multi-carrier signals transmitted by the subset of the plurality of base stations. The frequency offset is estimated based on a conjugate product between a linear combination of received symbols of a first multi-carrier symbol of a pair of multi-carrier symbols with a linear combination of received symbols of a second multi-carrier symbol of the pair of multi-carrier symbols on each of the pilot sub-carriers of the at least one group of the plurality of pilot sub-carriers. |
| US07916799B2 |
Frequency offset correction for an ultrawideband communication system
A method and a receiver system for subcarrier-specific frequency offset correction including frequency offset estimation, updating and compensation. The method includes initial frequency offset estimation in time domain using packet preamble, frequency offset compensation during channel estimation symbols using the initial frequency offset estimate, and frequency offset update tracking during header and data part both being performed in the frequency domain. The initial frequency offset estimation includes using a sum over a number of time lagged autocorrelation results, corresponding to a number of the last consecutive symbols of the preamble part of the packet with the autocorrelations being the result of a sum over a window of cross-correlations between the incoming signal and the respective packet synchronization sequence. The receiver includes receiver blocks for initial frequency offset estimation, frequency offset compensation, frequency offset update tracking and obtaining a current frequency offset estimate. |
| US07916796B2 |
Region clustering based error concealment for video data
An error detection and correction circuit for a video decoder that reconstructs a lost macroblock including a clustering circuit, a classification circuit and an error concealment circuit. The clustering circuit clusters macroblocks adjacent to the lost macroblock into one or more defined clusters. The classification circuit assigns the lost macroblock or each sub-block of the lost macroblock to a defined cluster. The error concealment circuit reconstructs attributes of the lost macroblock or its sub-block based on selected attributes of a defined cluster to which the lost block is assigned. Clustering is based on entire adjacent macroblocks or sub-blocks thereof. The clustering circuit may perform clustering using any one or more of the attributes of the macroblocks including coding parameters, texture statistics, color components, frequency analysis, and image processing operators. The lost macroblock may be assigned as a whole or subdivided into lost sub-blocks that are individually assigned to clusters. |
| US07916794B2 |
System and process for broadcast and communication with very low bit-rate bi-level or sketch video
A system and process for broadcast and communication with bi-level or sketch video at extremely low bandwidths is described. Essentially, bi-level and sketch video presents the outlines of the objects in a scene being depicted. Bi-level and sketch video provides a clearer shape, smoother motion, shorter initial latency and cheaper computational cost than do conventional DCT-based video compression methods. This is accomplished by converting each color or gray-scale image frame to bi-level or sketch image frame using adaptive thresholding method, compressing bi-level or sketch image frames into bi-level or sketch video using adaptive context-based arithmetic coding method. Bi-level or sketch video is particularly suitable to such small devices as Pocket PCs and mobile phones that possess small display screen, low bandwidth connection, and light computational power. |
| US07916792B2 |
Apparatus and method for VLD buffer management
Disclosed is a management apparatus and method of 32-bit double VLD buffers capable of reading a bitstream for video decoding in a digital TV receiver in a predetermined bit data unit length. Particularly, the first VLD buffer is used for directly storing an input stream in bytes, and the second VLD buffer is used for reading and storing the bitstream from the first VLD buffer, reading the bitstream with the required bit length of the VLD by bit unit, and outputting it to the VLD. As a result, 32-bit data can be processed at once. In addition, the double VLD buffer structure also reduces the number of accesses to the VLD buffer and thus, the repetitive memory access procedure can be simplified for the VLD. |
| US07916791B2 |
Method and system for non-linear motion estimation
A method and system for extrapolating and interpolating a visual signal including determining a first motion vector between a first pixel position in a first image to a second pixel position in a second image, determining a second motion vector between the second pixel position in the second image and a third pixel position in a third image, determining a third motion vector between one of the first pixel position in the first image and the second pixel position in the second image, and the second pixel position in the second image and the third pixel position in the third image using a non-linear model, determining a position of the fourth pixel in a fourth image based upon the third motion vector. |
| US07916789B2 |
Apparatus, medium, and method generating motion-compensated layers
An apparatus, medium, and method generating a motion-compensating layer, with the apparatus including a spatial layer generator to generate an enhancement layer and a base layer, the enhancement layer including a plurality of temporally sequential video frames, and the base layer including at least one sub video frame obtained by sub sampling the plurality of video frames, and a temporal layer generator to generate at least one temporal layer corresponding to the base layer, and to generate at least one temporal layer corresponding to the enhancement layer by predicting a lower second frame using at least one of an upper second frame and an encoded first frame. The first frame may be a frame included in the at least one temporal layer corresponding to the base layer, and the second frame may be a frame included in the at least one temporal layer corresponding to the enhancement layer. |
| US07916786B2 |
Method of processing a current field macroblock
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a reference picture list including multiple reference pictures, obtaining motion vector information for the current field macroblock, and obtaining a field reference picture index associated with the current field macroblock. A frame reference picture index is determined based on the field reference picture index. The frame reference picture index is based on the field reference picture index divided by 2. The embodiment further includes selecting a frame reference picture based on the frame reference picture index and the reference picture list, selecting a field reference picture based on the selected frame reference picture and the field reference picture index, and decoding the current macroblock based on the motion vector information and the selected field reference picture. |
| US07916783B2 |
Bit-rate control method and device combined with rate-distortion optimization
In the invention, a rate distortion optimization (RDO) based rate control scheme is comprised of following two steps: first, does bit allocation for every frame in a GOP, and based on the allocated bits, a predicted quantization parameter is used to do the first rate distortion optimization mode selection for every macroblock in the current frame; second, the information of the current macroblock collected from the first rate distortion mode selection is used to calculate a final quantization parameter for rate control, and if the final quantization parameter is different from the predicted one, a second rate distortion mode selection will be executed again. A rate distortion optimization based rate control implementation includes following modules: a video coding encoder module (for example, H.264/JVT processing module), rate distortion optimization based macroblock mode selection and adaptive quantization module, virtual buffer, and global complexity estimation module. As RDO and rate control are considered together in the invention, the RDO based rate control scheme can achieve better coding performance while with accurate target bitrate control. |
| US07916782B2 |
Picture coding method, picture decoding method, picture coding apparatus, picture decoding apparatus, and program thereof
A picture coding method of the present invention codes a picture signal and a ratio of a number of luminance pixels and a number of chrominance pixels for the picture signal, and then one coding method out of at least two coding methods is selected depending on the ratio. Next, data related to a picture size is coded in accordance with the selected coding method. The data related to the picture size indicates a size of the picture corresponding to the picture signal or an output area, which is a pixel area to be outputted in decoding in a whole pixel area coded in the picture signal coding. |
| US07916779B1 |
Adaptive decision feedback equalizer for high data rate serial link receiver
An adaptive decision feedback equalizer includes a filter module, a compensation module, and a slicer module. The filter module generates a filtered signal by adaptively filtering an input serial data signal to reduce inter-symbol interference in the serial data signal. The compensation module generates a compensated signal by equalizing amplitudes of frequency components of the filtered signal in a compensation frequency range to reduce inter-symbol interference in the filtered signal. The slicer module determines logic states of serial data in the compensated signal and generates an output serial data signal including serial data having the determined logic states. |
| US07916775B2 |
Encoding uplink acknowledgments to downlink transmissions
A portable device, such as a mobile terminal or user equipment, for encoding uplink acknowledgments to downlink transmissions. The portable device includes a receiver configured to receive a plurality of data blocks, such that each of the data blocks include an associated cyclic redundancy check (CRC), and a processor configured to determine received status for each of the data blocks by checking the CRC of each of the data blocks. The portable device further includes a transmitter for transmitting a response sequence which indicates the received status of all of the data blocks. |
| US07916773B2 |
Scaling and truncating in a receiver for coded digital data symbols
A method and a receiver for receiving coded digital data symbols sent from a transmitter through a transmission channel of a communications network is adapted to calculate first symbol estimates (y) of sent data symbols from the received data symbols, each of the first symbol estimates (y) having a first bitwidth (a+b), provide a scaling factor (s) and using the scaling factor (s) to scale the first symbol estimates, truncate the scaled symbol estimates (ysc) to a second, lower bitwidth (c) and thereby providing second symbol estimates (yt). |
| US07916772B2 |
Method for searching pilot signals to synchronize a CDMA receiver with an associated transmitter
A method for synchronizing a CDMA receiver to a transmitter when an adaptive antenna is utilized to receive transmitted data, wherein a receiving antenna system is adapted between a 360° reception angle pattern (i.e., an omni-directional pattern) and a fixed reception angle (i.e., a directional pattern) by permitting the receiver to identify a pilot signal having the largest magnitude. The receiver minimizes interference from other pilot signals by steering antenna pattern nulls toward other transmitters. As a result, the time required for the receiver to acquire a valid pilot signal is significantly reduced. |
| US07916770B2 |
Method of generating spreading codes, CDMA transmission apparatus, and CDMA reception apparatus
ej(2nπ/N) calculating section 101 generates a bth chip C(a,b) of an ath spreading code based on C(a,b)=ej(2nπ/N) where e is a base of natural logarithm and N is a length of the spreading code (i.e. spreading code length). It is assumed in the above equation that n=a×b, a=0˜N−1, and b=0˜N−1. It is thereby possible to generate orthogonal spreading codes with arbitrary lengths. |
| US07916768B2 |
Small dimension high-efficiency high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
A Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is disclosed, comprising an optical cavity bounded by a top mirror and a bottom mirror, wherein the top mirror has multiple layers of alternating refractive index, of which the bottom three or more layers of the top mirror are deep oxidation layers having an increased oxidation length, a light emitting active region between the top mirror and the bottom mirror, and an aperture with tapered edges between the active region and the top mirror, wherein the aperture has a thickness, a taper length, an oxide aperture length, a taper angle, and an aperture opening diameter designed to reduce an optical mode's diameter without significantly increasing the optical mode's round trip scattering loss. |
| US07916762B2 |
Phased laser array with tailored spectral and coherence properties
Architectures for coherently combining an array of fiber-based lasers are provided. By matching their lengths to within a few integer multiples of a wavelength, the spatial and temporal properties of a single large laser are replicated, while extending the average or peak pulsed power limit. |
| US07916761B2 |
Methods and apparatus for adding latency and jitter to selected network packets
A method for adding latency and jitter to a number of selected packets transmitted between end systems within a network of end systems is described. The method includes receiving a packet identifier, the packet identifier indicating a selected packet to which latency and jitter is to be added, receiving a selected latency and jitter for the selected packet, receiving a packet, determining if the received packet is the selected packet, and forwarding the received packet to its destination if the received packet is not the selected packet. If the received packet is the selected packet, the method continues by reading a real time clock, computing a transmit time for the received packet based on the selected latency and jitter for the selected packet, and forwarding the received packet to its destination when the real time clock reaches the computed transmit time. |
| US07916758B2 |
Method and system for precise-clock synchronization, and device for precise-clock frequency/time synchronization
A precise-clock synchronization method and system and a precise-clock frequency/time synchronization device are provided. In the embodiments of the present invention, two time stamp engines are provided at a slave clock side. A relative time stamp engine provides a relative arrival time stamp. An absolute time stamp engine provides an absolute arrival time stamp. The frequency/time synchronization is calculated by using different time stamps obtained from different time stamp engines, so the frequency synchronization and time synchronization of the master clock and the slave clock may be separately accomplished, and one synchronization function may be enabled or disabled. Therefore, the frequency synchronization and time synchronization of the master clock and the slave clock do not interfere with each other, thus greatly reducing the occupied link bandwidth resources. |
| US07916754B2 |
Data stream recovery
A method and processor for recovering a plurality of individual data streams from a composite data stream The composite data stream having been formed by first bit reordering the individual data streams with respect to themselves, combining the individual data streams and second bit reordering the combined individual data streams to form the composite data stream. The processor is arranged to for a current bit position in the composite data stream perform the steps of: (a) applying an inverse of the second bit reordering; (b) identifying to which individual data stream the current bit belongs; (c) storing the current bit in a memory space allocated to the identified individual data stream wherein the current bit is positioned within the memory space according to the first bit reordering; and performing steps (a) to (c) for each bit position in the composite data stream. |
| US07916752B2 |
Radio transmission apparatus, radio receiving apparatus, radio communication apparatus, radio transmission method and radio receiving method
Instead of adding control information that should be passed on to two or more RLC entities or two or more PDCP entities on the counterpart side to data respectively in two or more RLC entities or two or more PDCP entities at the sending end, control information is added in MAC entity and then distributed to two or more RLC entities in MAC entity on the counterpart side. |
| US07916751B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient operation of an enhanced dedicated channel
A method and apparatus for efficient operation of an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) are disclosed. A physical layer processing includes computation of various control parameters followed by actual processing of the data to be transmitted. In accordance with the present invention, the computation of the control parameters is performed asynchronously from the associated data operation. A medium access control (MAC) layer provides information needed for computation of the control parameters to the physical layer as early as possible, while the data is being processed in parallel. The provided data includes a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) profile, a transport block size, power offset, or the like. By sending this data to the physical layer before MAC-e processing is complete, the latency constraint can be significantly relaxed. |
| US07916746B2 |
Media access control protocol with priority and contention-free intervals
An access contention scheme is described for use by a station in a network of stations. Access contention by a station having a frame to be transmitted includes detecting contention control information for a contention period and determining from the contention control information if the station is permitted to contend for access to a transmission medium to which the stations are connected during the contention period. When a contention control indicator is detected for a contention period, a station having a frame to transmit determines from the contention control indicator if it is permitted to contend for access to the transmission medium during the contention period. |
| US07916745B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatic repeat request in multi input multi output system
An apparatus and method for Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) in a Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) system. The method includes computing weights of erroneous packets and weights of transmitting antennas by using channel information; sorting the weights of the erroneous packets in descending order; sorting the weights of the transmitting antennas in ascending order; and assigning the transmitting antennas to the erroneous packets according to sorting results. |
| US07916744B2 |
Method and system for scanning for a downstream channel in a communication network
A predetermined current frequency is selected for a cable modem or embedded media terminal adapter to evaluate for presence of a CMTS signal. A determination is made whether the current frequency carries signal energy as opposed to just noise. If no signal energy is detected, the current frequency is changed by ½ of a channel width to a new frequency, which becomes the current frequency, and the determination is re-performed. If the determination of the current frequency indicates that signal energy is present, but not CMTS energy, then a new frequency indicates that selected that differs from the current frequency by 1 MHz. If the determination at the current frequency indicates that CMTS signal energy is present, but QAM lock cannot be achieved, then a new frequency is selected by changing from the current frequency by a full channel width. |
| US07916743B2 |
System and method for improved multicast performance
The present invention provides an improved architecture and method for the processing and transmission of multicast packets within a switching device. Briefly, as multicast packets arrive, a copy of the packet, or preferably a pointer for it, is placed in a multicast FIFO. As each pointer reaches the head of the FIFO, the destination output ports via which the packet is to be transmitted are determined, based on the packet's multicast group identifier (MGID). In the preferred embodiment, there is a dedicated multicast output queue associated with each output port. Copies of the packet, or preferably pointers to the packet, are then stored in those output queues associated with the specified destination output ports. In this way, a congested output port only affects the transmission of multicast packets via that congested port. |
| US07916739B2 |
Location privacy for internet protocol networks using cryptographically protected prefixes
Cryptographically Protected Prefixes (“CPPs”) are used to create IP addresses, preventing any correlation between a CPP IP address and a host's geographic location. An IP address is subdivided into address prefixes of multiple segments. Each segment is encrypted with a cryptographic key known only to a subset of routers in the access network domain (or Privacy Domain). Therefore, each router obtains the information it needs to forward a packet of information, but not any additional information. |
| US07916736B2 |
System and method for translucent bridging
A network bridge (160) is provided, comprising: a local interface (320) configured to transmit and receive local signals in a local network (305); a bridging interface (325) configured to transmit and receive bridging signals in a bridging network (310); a control circuit (330) configured to pass outgoing local data packets from the local network to the bridging network and to pass incoming bridging payloads from the bridging network to the local network; and an address translation circuit (340) configured to provide the control circuit with address translation data identifying a correspondence between local packet addresses and global packet addresses. The control circuit translates outgoing local addresses to outgoing global addresses (460), and the control circuit translates incoming global addresses to incoming local addresses (560), based on the address translation data. |
| US07916733B2 |
Data communication apparatus, data communication method, program, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus functioning as a data communication apparatus determines whether data communication with another information processing apparatus in the same local network is carried out using a global network address. If it is determined that the data communication is carried out using a global network address, the information processing device carries out control so that the data communication is carried out using a local network address. |
| US07916727B2 |
Low level storage protocols, systems and methods
Communication protocols, systems, and methods that facilitate communication between disaggregated elements, and also to devices adapted to function as such disaggregated elements, particularly across peer-to-peer (masterless) and include one or more unique features such as packet atomicity, blind ACKs, NAT bridging, locking, multicast spanning and mirroring, and authentication. |
| US07916724B2 |
Packet switching equipment and switching control method
A packet switching equipment and a switch control system employing the same performs operation of the switch core portion independent of content of decision of an arbiter portion and overall equipment can be constructed with simple control structure. The packet switching equipment includes input buffer portions temporarily storing packets arriving to the input ports and outputting packets with adding labels indicative of destination port numbers, a switch core portion for switching the packets on the basis of labels added to the input buffer portions, and an arbiter portion adjusting input buffer portions to provide output permissions for outputting to the output ports. A sorting network autonomously sorting and concentrating the packets on the basis of the labels added to the packets is employed in the switch core portion. |
| US07916723B2 |
Automatic network topology identification by nodes in the network
An automatic network topology identification technique is described herein. Each node in the network periodically or constantly transmits its unique address to its neighboring node. Once a node receives a different message from its neighbor, the node identifies a topology change in the network. In one embodiment, a current topology is associated with a session number. When a change in the topology is detected, the detecting node increments the session number and broadcasts the change in topology. The other nodes, detecting the changed session number, now know that there has been a change in the network. In response, the nodes in the network modify routing tables and other information stored at the node related to the topology. In one embodiment, the technique is used to reassign shortened addresses to each device on the network to support a dual-addressing mode of the network. The dual addressing mode substitutes reduced-length addresses (referred to as short addresses) for standard addresses (referred to as long addresses) for traffic whose source or destination is internal to a given virtual network topology. The required length of short addresses used for a given virtual topology is dependent on the number of devices reachable within the topology. |
| US07916716B1 |
System and method for providing local services within a consolidated network architecture
A system and method for a next generation network service infrastructure to support VoIP services is disclosed. The services are partitioned between locally based services and nationally based services. Locally based services are handled in call processing systems in regional/local service centers based at the edge of the system. Nationally based services are handled by national service centers. |
| US07916715B2 |
Hybrid protocol to support communications with multiple networks
Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to wireless communications. The systems and techniques involve monitoring a first network in accordance with a first air interface, and receiving a message from a second network through the first air interface, the second network being associated with a second air interface different from the first air interface. Various registration and related techniques are also discussed for maintaining connectivity with both networks as the wireless communications device moves through different geographic coverage regions. |
| US07916714B2 |
Method of performing cell search in wireless communication system
A method of performing cell search includes receiving a primary synchronization signal (PSS) comprising a primary synchronization code (PSC), and receiving a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) comprising a first secondary synchronization code (SSC) and a second SSC. The first SSC and the second SSC are respectively scrambled by using a first scrambling code and a second scrambling code, and the first scrambling code and the second scrambling code are associated with the PSC. Detection performance on synchronization signals can be improved, and cell search can be performed more reliably. |
| US07916712B2 |
Communication system, mobile terminal and access router
A new technique is disclosed, by which a mobile terminal executing handover between subnets can quickly transmit packet to outside immediately after the handover. According to this technique, MN (mobile node) 10 executing the handover requests an external transmission address relating to a subnet connected after the handover (a link local address of an access router or of a default router belonging to the subnet after the handover) when transmitting an FNA message to NAR31 connected immediately after the handover. In response to the request, NAR acquires the external transmission address and transmits the external transmission address to MN by sending an RA message to MN. MN sets up the external transmission address acquired before the handover to the packet to be transmitted after the handover. |
| US07916706B2 |
Hierarchical data collection network supporting packetized voice communications among wireless terminals and telephones
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc. |
| US07916702B2 |
Dynamic network management apparatus and dynamic network management method
A technology is disclosed for certainly performing dynamic routing and error checking processes in the mobile network. According to this technology, the home agent sets up a Binding Acknowledgement message with a smaller Lifetime value when receiving a Binding Update message from a mobile router. During this smaller Lifetime, the mobile router can send a Routing Update message to the home agent. Thus, the home agent, for example, can check consistency of prefix information specified in the Biding Update with route installed by the Routing Update message. The present invention can be applied to both two distinct modes (explicit mode and implicit mode) that prefix information is specified in the Binding Update or not. |
| US07916701B1 |
Virtual addressing to support wireless access to data networks
In a telephony communication system, a mobile device requests access to packet-based networks using network access requests that identify access point names associated with these networks. The mobile devices and gateways providing access to the networks support the use of virtual access point names within network access requests. These virtual access point names need not correspond to any existing networks. Rather, network access requests incorporating virtual access point names indicate actually requested access point names within other fields of the network access requests. |
| US07916700B2 |
Dynamic service information for the access network
A method and an apparatus for providing an access network element in a communication network system with information are disclosed, the information enabling the access network element to perform service based processing on data belonging to an application session. |
| US07916697B2 |
Handover of a mobile station
The invention relates to a method for supporting a handover of a mobile station 1 from a first radio access unit 3, 8 of a wireless communication network 2 to a second radio access unit 4, 9 of a wireless communication network 2. In order to improve a context transfer in the case of a handover of the mobile station 1, the mobile station 1 transmits information about its activity state to the second radio access unit 4, 9 when it is to be handed over to the second radio access unit 4, 9. The invention relates equally to such a mobile station, to such a second radio access unit, to a wireless communication system comprising such a mobile station and such a second radio access unit, and to a software code causing the transfer of information at the mobile station. |
| US07916696B2 |
Traffic handover control device and method of multi-mode mobile communication terminal
Provided is a handover control device and method of a multi-mode mobile communication terminal. The device includes a first processing module; a second processing module connected in its inter-chip path with the first processing module; and an application processor for controlling the first processing module to transmit an IMSI (international mobile subscriber identity) to the second processing module when a traffic handover event from a first mode to a second mode occurs. |
| US07916694B2 |
Method and system reducing peak to average power ratio (PAPR) in a communication network
A method and system of transmitting a plurality of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple (OFDM) symbols in a block transmission system of a communication network is provided. The block transmission system is a frequency reuse system. The method includes encoding the plurality of OFDM symbols. The method further includes, modulating at least one of a phase and a magnitude of the plurality of OFDM symbols. Thereafter, a plurality of modulated OFDM symbols is converted from a digital form to an analog form. The plurality of modulated OFDM symbols corresponds to the plurality of OFDM symbols. |
| US07916689B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving information using random access procedure in mobile communication system
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving additional information through a random access procedure by mapping at least one additional information element to random access codes to be used in a random access procedure between a UE and an ENB in a mobile communication system. According to the method, a random access code selected based on additional information to be transmitted and a triggering cause of the random access procedure is transmitted from the UE to the ENB. Each random access code is differently mapped to at least one additional information element according to a class of a cause for which a corresponding random access procedure is triggered, and the additional information elements are mapped to different ranges of random access codes according to the classes of the cause. |
| US07916686B2 |
Method and communication network components for managing media signal quality
A media signal quality manager for controlling one or more parameters of a network node through which passes a media signal. The audio signal quality manager has an input for receiving information conveying a characteristic of the media signal and a processor that generates performance control information in response to the characteristic of the media signal. The performance control information can be conveyed to the network node for allowing the network node to adjust at least one parameter of the media signal that can influence the quality of the media signal as perceived by a user. |
| US07916682B2 |
Wireless switch network architecture implementing layer 3 mobility domains
Techniques and technologies are provided in which wireless switches, each supporting their own subnet, are configured as part of a mobility domain. Each wireless switch in the mobility domain can discover other wireless switches in the mobility domain upon joining the network, and establish a peering session with each of the other switches within the mobility domain. This can involve establishing a data tunnel, which operates according to GRE-over-IP, and a control connection between each pair of the wireless switches in the mobility domain. Each data tunnel carries complete Layer-2 (L2) packets between the first wireless switch and the second wireless switch. Each L2 packet comprises L2 header information (e.g., a VLAN identifier), and is made available at the destination wireless switch of the data tunnel. Each control connection comprises a peering session over Internet Protocol (IP) which operates according to the transmission control protocol (TCP). Each control connection is configured to transfer wireless client device mobility related control plane information between the first wireless switch and the second wireless switch. This architecture can allow a wireless client device to retain its layer 3 (L3) address when the wireless client device roams between wireless switches (e.g., the first wireless switch and the second wireless switch) which are part of the first mobility domain. As such, the wireless client device can maintains network layer connectivity when it roams within the first mobility domain. |
| US07916681B2 |
Method and apparatus for communication channel error rate estimation
A wireless communication device or system generates transmit power control feedback for a received power control channel by determining a command error rate (CER), or by identifying a target signal quality for the power control channel according to a defined signal-quality-to-CER mapping function. Generally, the power control channel does not include error-coded data to use for CER estimation. However, in one embodiment, the channel does include known reference bits that are evaluated for CER estimation, with the estimated CER used to set the signal quality target for inner loop power control. In other embodiments, a computed reception error probability is used to identify a CER estimate according to a defined probability-to-CER mapping function. By way of non-limiting example, these embodiments may be used to provide power control feedback for power control commands transmitted on a Fractional Dedicated Physical Channel in WCDMA systems. |
| US07916680B2 |
Adaptive data rate control for narrowcast networks
A system to provide narrowcast communications uses adaptive data rate control to individual subscribers such that the effects of precipitation or other link conditions, which are not common to all subscribers, is mitigated. The invention takes advantage of the fact that the narrowcast data consist of packets which are individually addressed to specific subscribers, or groups of subscribers. The narrowcast data is communicated on a plurality of channels, each of potentially differing data rates. The subscribers are assigned a particular channel, based upon their link quality, to receive packets addressed to them. The lower data rate channel will be less affected by adverse link conditions and are hence assigned to subscribers most likely to incur adverse link conditions. |
| US07916678B2 |
System and method of providing advertisements to vehicles
A system and method of providing advertisements to vehicles is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller adapted to communicate with a wireless access point and a database where the wireless access point is deployed in proximity to a target location and where the database stores format information associated with a type of media file supported by a media system of a vehicle, determine a location of a communication device that can communicate with a data network independently of the media system as the communication device travels in the vehicle, determine whether the communication device is within a target region, determine the type of media file supported by the vehicle media system using the database, transmit media content in the desired format via the wireless access point to the communication device for presentation on the media system when the communication device enters the target region, and cease transmission of the media content when the communication device leaves the target region. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US07916677B2 |
Power control techniques for wireless devices
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to wireless systems, and also relating to power control techniques for wireless devices. One disclosed embodiment comprises a wireless receiver that includes a processing circuit. In one example embodiment, at least a portion of the processing circuit may process only a portion of an ID packet. The portion of the ID packet that is received and processed may be less than a full ID packet, which may provide power savings. |
| US07916675B2 |
Method and system for providing interim discontinuous reception/transmission
A method, terminal device, network element, system and computer program product for controlling discontinuous reception or transmission at a terminal device of a communication network are disclosed. A regular discontinuous reception or transmission cycle of a regular discontinuous reception or transmission scheme is set by using a first control layer, and in addition thereto a shorter temporary discontinuous reception or transmission cycle of an interim discontinuous reception or transmission scheme can be set by using a second control layer. This arrangement provides long discontinuous reception or transmission cycles for power consumption improvements while at the same time ensuring that the network can easily and flexibly shorten these cycles for increased data throughput, if needed. |
| US07916673B2 |
Communication apparatus and method for controlling communication channel used
A sender communication device includes a communication unit for sending a communication signal to a receiver communication device, and a communication controller for controlling setting of communication channels used for the communication unit as well as for setting, when sending the communication signal, a sending period of the communication signal substantially not shorter than a receive confirmation period of all communication channels in the receiver communication device. A receiver communication device includes a communication unit for receiving the communication signal sent from the sender communication device while switching over plural communication channels, and a communication controller for controlling switching of the communication channels and for setting a communication signal receive-waiting opportunity, in which a first communication channel is used, substantially higher than a receive-waiting opportunity, in which a second communication channel is used. It is thus possible to avoid radiowave interference while saving electric power and lowering delay. |
| US07916672B2 |
RF processor having internal calibration mode
The present invention pertains to a method of calibrating reception properties of a radio frequency (RF) processor. The application describes two embodiments of the invention representing calibration of the properties using an auxiliary transmitter to generate a calibration signal internal to the RF processor. |
| US07916671B1 |
Echo cancellation for duplex radios
In a Frequency Duplex Division (FDD) radio, the transmit and receive signals are separated by frequency. In a wireless application, the power of the transmitted signal is typically much larger than the power of the received signal. A duplexer is used to separate the transmit and receive signals. Despite the operation of the duplexer, a residual transmit signal, or echo, can be present at the receiver input as a result of finite attenuation in the duplexer and other sources of transmit to receive crosstalk. With a relatively linear low-noise amplifier (LNA) and output limited mixer linearity, the echo can be cancelled in analog baseband directly at the mixer output using an out-of-channel signal indicator as the error signal for an echo control loop. |
| US07916669B2 |
Method and system for STP-aware subscriber management
A method and system for STP-aware subscriber management is disclosed for managing redundant access ports. The STP-aware system includes Access Loop Pairs which provide continuity of subscriber management information in the event of an access port failure. The STP-aware subscriber management system is particularly useful for overcoming the requirements for extra ports within Link Access Group configured access networks known in the art. |
| US07916668B2 |
Spanning tree protocol with burst avoidance
An apparatus and method for controlling bridge protocol data unit bursts is disclosed. The invention in the preferred embodiment is a switching device with a port enabled with a link management protocol and a burst control state machine. The burst control state machine is adapted to receive BPDUs and, under certain conditions, delay responding with its own BPDU falsely advertising itself as the new root bridge. The delay is preferably long enough to enable another bridge to identity the true root bridge. The delay, e.g., a burst control delay, is preferably equal to or less than a Hello time timer value generally defined to be 2 seconds in a Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol standard, for example. |
| US07916665B2 |
Method and device for building of a network coding scheme for data transmission, corresponding computer program product and storage means
A method provides for building a network coding scheme for the transmission of data between multiple source nodes and multiple destination nodes in a communications network having multiple nodes. The method includes the steps of: for each destination node, determining a first set of source nodes from which there exist disjointed paths, in the communications network, to reach the destination node; determining a second set of source nodes which is the intersection of the first determined sets for the destination nodes; and determining a sub-network for implementing the network coding. The sub-network includes source nodes which belong only to the second set of source nodes, the multiple destination nodes, and nodes included in the disjointed paths connecting the source nodes of the second set of source nodes and the destination nodes. The method also includes the step of building a network coding scheme based on the determined sub-network. |
| US07916662B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining data center resource availability using multiple time domain segments
A method, an apparatus, and computer instructions are provided for determining data center resource availability using multiple time domain segments. A reservation class is provided that includes a start time, duration and the number of units required. A scheduled resource class is provided with an availability and an available method. The availability method creates a set of segments for a list of reservations and iterates each segment to determine whether there are enough resources for the required units. The availability method then combines all adjacent reservations and removes reservations that are too short for the duration. The available method provides a way for user to determine if resources are available at and for a given time. A composite resource class is also provided for more than one scheduled resource with an availability and available method. |
| US07916659B2 |
System and method for distributed cross-leyer congestion control for real-time video over wireless LAN
A method for controlling congestion for real-time video transmission in a wireless network includes receiving a packet loss rate of a video camera in a wireless network, receiving an estimated maximum throughput of the video camera from the camera to a server, decrementing a bit transmission rate when the packet loss rate is greater than a first predetermined threshold, incrementing the bit transmission rate when the packet loss rate is less than a second predetermined threshold for a predetermined time period, and transmitting the bit transmission rate to a video encoder that is part of an application layer of a network communication protocol for the wireless network. |
| US07916658B2 |
Method for congestion detection in packet transmission networks
A method for measuring degree of packet congestion on a channel of a packet communication network. The method includes: during a training mode, generating an mathematical relationship between the degree of packet congestion on the channel and a plurality of measurable features of the network over a plurality of network conditions; and, during a subsequent normal operating mode, periodically measuring the plurality of measurable features and applying the generated mathematical relationship to such periodically measured plurality of measurable features to determine actual degree of congestion on the channel; and comparing the actual degree of congestion on the channel with a predetermined channel congestion threshold level. The degree of packet congestion on the channel is saturation level. The measurable features include: time delay between transmission starts and terminations of the previously transmitted packet; the fraction of time the channel is busy; and, average number of packet transmission retries. |
| US07916656B2 |
Providing a symmetric key for efficient session identification
A method and system for identifying sessions in a computer network is disclosed. The session is between a first computer system and a second computer system. The session consists of an exchange of a plurality of packets between the computer systems. Each of the packets includes source information and destination information relating to the first computer system and the second computer system. The method and system include providing a symmetric key and identifying the session using the symmetric key. The symmetric key is provided utilizing a manipulation of the source information and the destination information. The symmetric key is associated with the plurality of packets traveling between the first computer system and the second computer system. |
| US07916655B2 |
Traffic modeling for packet data communications system dimensioning
A packet-based communications network is dimensioned based on a maximum number of users able to receive a predetermined target throughput of data over a predetermined number of channels. For each of an incremental number of users, at least one blocking probability is calculated, based on a traffic distribution model, and a service delay is calculated, based on the blocking probability. An iterative throughput, corresponding to each of the incremental number of users, is determined based on the corresponding blocking probability and service delay. Each iterative throughput is compared to the target throughput. The maximum number of users is identified as the number of users having a corresponding iterative throughput that is closest to and less than target throughput. |
| US07916653B2 |
Measurement of round-trip delay over a network
In one embodiment, a first audio waveform is produced at a first side of a network connection and then encoded and sent by a first endpoint device to a second endpoint device at a second side of the network connection. A second audio waveform is then detected after being played out by the first endpoint device, the second audio waveform having been produced at the second side of the network connection in response to the second endpoint device playing out the first audio waveform. A round-trip delay is then calculating based on a time period measured from output of the first audio waveform to detection of the second audio waveform. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. |
| US07916649B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring and analysis of communication over a wireless network
In the method for monitoring communication in a wireless communication network, a network explorer may be passively attached to the wireless communication network. The network explorer may store data associated with received communication over the wireless communication network and performs an analysis on the stored data. In the apparatus of the network explorer may passively monitor communication over a wireless communication network, store data associated with the communication, and perform an analysis on the stored data. |
| US07916643B2 |
Limiting extreme loads at session servers
A method, system and computer program product for limiting extreme loads and reducing fluctuations in load at session servers. An admission rate controller of a SIP router calculates the “deflator ratio” equal to the average number of in-dialog messages received over a first fixed interval of time divided by the average number of out-of-dialog messages received over a second fixed interval of time. Further, the admission rate controller calculates the “dampening ratio” equal to the maximum number of messages allowed over a period of time divided by the number of messages admitted over a previous time interval. When an overload condition has been detected, the admission rate controller calculates the maximum number of out-of-dialog messages to be sent to its associated SIP server based on the deflator and dampening ratios. In this manner, a smoother transition from the overload condition to the non-overload condition may occur. |
| US07916640B1 |
Buffer overflow prevention for network devices
An apparatus includes ports to transmit and receive packets, each packet being associated with one of a plurality of sessions, and a packet buffer to store the packets. A classifier identifies packets that include data representing a transmit window size for one of the sessions. A processor determines whether to reduce the transmit window size for the one of the sessions by comparing a size of the packet buffer to a sum of (i) the transmit window size for the one of the sessions and (ii) transmit window sizes for others of the sessions. The processor modifies the data representing the transmit window size for the one of the sessions to reduce the transmit window size for the one of the sessions before one or more of the ports transmits the packets comprising the data representing the transmit window size for the one of the sessions. |
| US07916635B2 |
Transparent network traffic inspection
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing parties with levels of transparency into filtering functionality of network traffic inspection implementations. Embodiments include receiving a filter change request from a subscriber over a network that defines a modification to a set of filter criteria for filtering network traffic, the filter criteria being stored in association with the subscriber in a filter criteria data store; updating the set of filter criteria in the filter criteria data store as a function of the filter change request; receiving a content dataset relating to the network traffic; identifying the content dataset as being associated with the subscriber; retrieving the set of filter criteria associated with the subscriber from the data store; and filtering the network traffic as a function of the set of filter criteria. Embodiments further provide layers of access for different entities to the filtered traffic. |
| US07916634B2 |
Method and apparatus for normalizing service level agreements in a network
This disclosure provides a method and apparatus for normalizing service level agreements across entire networks. By utilizing a new parameter called the virtual call count, a wholesale network provider can monitor a variety of related network status indications and provide to their customers increased insight into the nature of the service level rejections that they experience. Existing service level agreement processors can be equipped with the additional functionality of calculating the virtual call count to form an apparatus for normalizing service level agreements. |
| US07916633B2 |
Variable response message length for master-slave communications
A method for sending a variable length response message in a master-slave communication system begins by issuing a command from a master device to a slave device. A response message is generated by the slave device. The length of the response message is determined by the slave device and is communicated from the slave device to the master device. The master device requests the rest of the response message from the slave device, and the slave device then sends the rest of the response message to the master device. |
| US07916632B1 |
Systems and methods for handling packet fragmentation
A packet header processing engine receives a header of a packet. The received header includes a size of the packet. A maximum transfer unit size of a destination interface of the packet may be determined. The packet header processing engine determines whether the size of the packet exceeds the maximum transfer unit size of the destination interface. If the size of the packet does not exceed the maximum transfer unit size of the destination interface, the packet header processing engine generates a new header from the received header. If the size of the packet exceeds the maximum transfer unit size of the destination interface, the packet header processing engine generates a fragment header from the received header. The packet header processing engine may recycle the fragment header for further processing in addition to forming a first fragment packet from the fragment header. |
| US07916630B2 |
Monitoring condition of network with distributed components
In a system having distributed components arranged in a logical ring structure, each component monitors only their respective neighboring component in the structure and the condition of the neighboring component is determined. If a component determines a condition of its neighboring component that corresponds to a predefinable condition, the component informs the other components of the system of the predefined condition of the neighboring component. |
| US07916629B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for processing and managing subscriber data in telecommunication network
In order to overcome the defects of the centralized subscriber data management in the telecommunication network, a highly effective distributed data management system for the communication network is achieved in the present invention through improving and applying the distributed Hash table (DHT) technology to subscriber data management in the communication network, which overcomes the deficiencies of the conventional centralized data management. A method for processing subscriber data in a communication network based on a DHT is provided, which includes the following steps. A first node in a DHT overlay network receives subscriber data to be stored. The subscriber data to be stored is regarded as backup data divided into L/K portions. L is greater than or equal to a ratio of a node working bandwidth of a second node to a node recovering bandwidth for data recovery of the second node in the DHT overlay network. K is a total number of backup data and is an integer greater than zero. The subscriber data to be stored is regarded as master data, and the master data and K×L/K divided backup data are, respectively, stored in 1+K×L/K DHT nodes. |
| US07916619B2 |
Optically-readable disk with copy protection device
An optically-readable disk includes a device that disrupts readability of the disk when the disk is spun at an angular velocity substantially greater than required to play the disk in its intended playing device, or for when a defined integral of velocity and time is exceeded. The device may include a fluid container that disperses a data-disruptive fluid. The device may include a membrane or layer that is disrupted when the disk is rotated above a defined angular velocity, or when a defined integral of velocity and time is exceeded. |
| US07916618B2 |
Optical pickup and information device
An optical pickup for irradiating an information recording medium, such as a DVD, with a laser beam when an information signal is recorded or reproduced, and information equipment provided with the optical pickup. |
| US07916616B2 |
Optical storage media with embedded security device
An optical disk with an embedded security device, or wafer, is presented. The security device includes security features that enable the identification of genuine optical disks versus counterfeit optical disks. Methods for creating optical disks embedded with security devices are also presented. A security device is placed on the center pin of an open mold before the optical disk is formed. Alternatively, an optical disk having a cavity formed on a surface to receive a security device is created. A special mold with a raised platform creates the cavity on the optical disk. As a further alternative, two optical platters, each having a complementary cavity to accommodate a security device are created using a special mold having a raised platform. The security device is inserted into the complementary cavities and the optical platters and security device are bonded together. |
| US07916615B2 |
Method and system for rotational control of data storage devices
Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms. |
| US07916614B2 |
Recording member cutting device and recording member cutting processing apparatus
A recording member cutting device for cutting a continuous recording material along a side of a plurality of cutting areas defined in the continuous recording material includes a nick cutting mechanism, and an area cutting mechanism. The nick cutting mechanism includes a first cutting unit configured to form a hole-shaped nick for each cutting area. Each nick is located outside the plurality of the cutting areas, on a downstream side of the corresponding cutting area in the conveying direction and on a line extending along one side of the corresponding cutting area. The one side is along the conveying direction. The area cutting mechanism includes a second cutting unit configured to insert into the nick. The second cutting unit cuts, when the nick has been formed, the continuous recording material along the one side from a position of the nick. |
| US07916612B2 |
Optical pickup apparatus and focal-point adjusting method
An optical pickup apparatus includes an astigmatic element, an angle adjusting element for contradicting propagation directions of luminous fluxes within four different luminous flux regions out of a reflected light, a polarization adjusting element. Two of the luminous flux regions are placed in a direction in which aligned are a set of opposite angles made by the two mutually crossing straight lines respectively parallel to a first convergence direction and a second convergence direction vertical to the first convergence direction by the astigmatic element, and the remaining two luminous flux regions are placed in a direction in which an alternate set of opposite angles are aligned. The polarization adjusting element differentiates polarization directions of luminous fluxes which are selected out of the luminous fluxes within the four luminous flux regions and which are adjacent in a peripheral direction in which the optical axis of reflected light serves as an axis. |
| US07916610B2 |
Information recording apparatus, information reproducing apparatus, information recording method, information reproducing method, and optical information recording medium
An information recording apparatus for recording information on a multi-layered optical information recording medium having a recording material, which changes quality according to light intensity of an irradiated light, and having an altered layer in which the recording material is already altered and a non-altered layer in which the recording material is not yet altered alternately existing in plurals is provided. The information recording apparatus includes a light source for emitting a recording light having coherency; a light path branching unit for branching a light path of the light into a first light path and a second light path; focal position control units for controlling focal positions of the light in the first and the second light path; and objective lenses for collecting the lights in the first and the second light path on the recording medium. |
| US07916605B2 |
Joint DC minimization and bit detection
The present techniques provide systems and methods for decoding a data signal with a control bit to improve bit estimation. The techniques in one embodiment involve using decoding algorithms to estimate the a posteriori state probabilities and the a posteriori transition probabilities of the data encoding, and estimating bit state probabilities. The techniques further involve using a control bit in the bit stream and comparing the estimation of the control bit state in the segment of the bit stream with a test control bit determined based on an average of bit states from the encoded segment of the bit stream. If the estimation of the control bit and the test control bit are not equal, the state of the bit estimate with the lowest confidence probability will be changed. |
| US07916603B2 |
Phase-change optical information recording medium and method for recording and recording apparatus using the same
Provided by the present invention is a method for recording on a phase-change optical information recording medium including irradiating “m” number of heating pulse with power Pw and “m” number of cooling pulse with power Pc when recording a mark of n˜Tw time length, and changing a preset value of at least any one of “m”th heating pulse THm and “m”th cooling pulse TCm when “n” is voluntary during test recording and information recording when setting an optimum write power, wherein “m” is a natural number, “n” is a natural number, Tw is a channel bit length and Pw is larger than Pc, and n=2m+1 is true when “n” is an odd number and n=2m is true when “n” is an even number. |
| US07916601B2 |
Optical recording/reproducing write strategy method, medium, and apparatus
A write strategy method, medium, and apparatus. The method includes writing a signal to a storage medium by using a predetermined power and an initial write strategy, calculating variation characteristics of a data signal which separately correspond to variations of write strategy parameters, if the written signal does not satisfy initial quality standards, and calculating correlations among periods of the data signal and correlations among the write strategy parameters by using the variation characteristics of the data signal, and determining the write strategy parameters based on the correlations among the periods of the data signal and the correlations among the write strategy parameters. |