| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08074406B2 |
Modular secondary containment system
A modular containment system for forming a defined perimeter around liquid storage tanks or the like. The containment system generally includes a plurality of wall panels, a corner joint removably connecting adjacent corner wall panels in angular disposition, wherein the corner joint includes an anchor pad for placement beneath and for being connected to the corner wall panels, and a support unit comprised of a gusset and anchor pad for connecting and supporting the wall panels along a straight line. The wall panels, corner joint, and support unit are each preferably comprised of an integral one-piece structure and a galvanized steel material. The wall panels, corner joint, and support unit are removably connected via interlocking wedges. A liner is generally secured along an interior of the wall panels via a retaining cap. Various braces and brackets are also used to removably connect the components of the containment barrier. |
| US08074402B2 |
Frictional drop resistance for sash counterbalanced by curl springs
Window sash counterbalances using curl springs and holders can increase resistance to sash drop without causing sash hop by using a high coefficient of friction bearing surfaces against which curled up coils of curl springs slide when uncurling or re-curling. The higher friction bearing material produces more frictional resistance to spring uncurling than to spring re-curling and thus resists drop without causing hop. This allows a wider range of sash weights to be counterbalanced by a fewer number of counterbalance forces, saves manufacturing cost. |
| US08074401B2 |
Mechanical arm system for opening a door
A mechanical arm system for opening a door includes an actuator assembly having an output shaft and an arm driven by the output shaft so as to move the door from a closed position toward an open position. The arm is free from contact with the door when the door moves from the open position to the closed position. The actuator assembly is mounted to a support member adjacent the door. The arm extends between the output shaft and the door. The arm may be moveable between a position in which the arm contacts the door in the open position and a retracted position in which the arm is free from contact with the door in the closed position. The arm may be moved to the retracted position before the door reaches the open position so as to abort the opening of the door. |
| US08074394B2 |
Riflescope with image stabilization
An image stabilization or vibration reduction facility for a riflescope and firearm has a transparent optical element that refracts incoming rays passing based on motion, to provide a stabilized image, which is transmitted to a user along an optical path of a rifle scope. A feedback transducer connected an output signal from the stabilization facility indicates a characteristic of the output signal. The transducer may be a second reticle that moves based on motion of the riflescope to indicate the degree of deflection by the stabilization facility, and may illuminate when the stabilization facility is in a neutral condition without deflection. The rifle may include a trigger block the prevents trigger operation until a neutral condition is detected. A rangefinder and wind indicator input may be provided, with the stabilization facility refracting the incoming image to compensate for bullet drop at the indicated distance, and for the effects of the indicated wind speed and direction; the riflescope may omit conventional bullet drop and windage adjustment elements. |
| US08074391B2 |
Recoil absorbing firearm
A firearm formed by a housing, in which an assembly of a carriage and a barrel with a muzzle brake, and a breech block are slidingly supported, wherein the breech block is equipped with a return spring that is supported on a rear support surface of the housing, has a counter weight slidingly disposed in a longitudinal space located between the housing and the carriage and has a support surface which leans against a rear end of the return spring, the said counter weight being seated in its front position on a front stop surface of the carriage. The breach block is seated in its rear position on a rear stop surface of the carriage, a front end of the return spring also leans against a front support surface of the housing in the front position of the breech block, whereby a transfer element protrudes into the path of the breech block, the transfer element being simultaneously supported on the carriage and on the counter weight, and in an outer position pushes the counter weight against a front stop surface of the carriage. |
| US08074390B2 |
Display box
A decorative display box having a picture frame lid fitting flush with its storage box base, hinges between the picture frame lid box base being of a type that is hidden when the lid is closed over the box base. A magnetic securing mechanism secures the lid in the closed position with the box base. The picture frame lid having a an inner peripheral picture slot with an edge slot opening thereinto for installing and removing the a picture stack from the frame. A door slide portion of the picture frame lid fits over picture slot adjacent one end of the picture frame and is secured in a closed position therewith by another magnetic securing mechanism. |
| US08074386B2 |
Integrated mirror and graphics display system
An integrated mirror and graphics display system includes a sheet of substantially transparent material, the sheet having a front and a back, the back having a silvered or reflective region and at least one primary non-silvered region. Also included is a sheet of translucent material, having printed on or embedded in it a graphic of interest to a system user, the translucent sheet secured or painted upon the back of the transparent sheet against the non-silvered region. The system further includes an illumination element defining an area smaller, equal to or greater than that of the non-silvered region and secured in optical communication with the translucent sheet. A secondary non-silvered region may be used to provide owner-specific personalized information. |
| US08074381B2 |
Bicycle shoe
A pedal connection arrangement includes a pedal having a spherical portion with an outer spherical surface. The pedal connection arrangement also includes a bicycle shoe that has a pedal gripping cavity that directly engages at least portions of the outer spherical surface of the pedal when the shoe is engaged with the pedal. The shoe is configured so that the pedal gripping cavity securely grips outer spherical surface of the pedal, yet remains free to swivel in various directions about the spherical portion of the pedal when the shoe is engaged with the pedal. The various directions include directions other than about the pedal longitudinal axis, thereby giving more flexibility for movement of the rider's foot while maintaining positive contact between the shoe and the pedal. |
| US08074380B2 |
Modular boot sole system
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a ski boot system with a modular binding interface. The system includes a shell encasing a user's foot and lower leg. A first and second block are interchangeably coupled to the shell below the base to effectuate alternative binding interfaces. The first and second blocks include a binding interface surface and a sole surface. The positioning and shape of the blocks with respect to the shell results in the binding interface surface extending distally from the toe region of the shell and the sole surface being the lowest surface on the boot system. The binding interface surfaces for each block are positioned at different sagittal heights with respect to the shell to facilitate the interconnection with alternative binding coupling systems. The sole surfaces for each block are positioned at substantially identical sagittal heights with respect to the shell to maintain optimum and consistent performance characteristics among different bindings. |
| US08074375B2 |
Boot
The invention relates to a boot (1) comprising a leg (2) in rubber combined with a textile lining (4), the lining (4) comprising a first textile layer (6) able to evacuate moisture (10) and a second textile layer (7) intended to be in contact with the foot (5) of a user, forming a layer to protect the foot against moisture. The first textile layer (6) is made by using a resilient fabric with a thickness greater than 3 mm, and the second textile layer (7) is bamboo viscose based. |
| US08074374B2 |
Shoe sole with ventilation
A shoe sole includes an insole having front vent holes; and an outsole comprising a heel comprising an open cavity, a first check valve extending from the cavity to the external, and a flexible protrusion on the heel bottom; a cover fitted on the cavity and comprising grooves and a second check valve communicating with the grooves and the cavity; front projections on the outsole top; and a channel on the arch top. Foot stepping will compress the protrusion to close the first check valve and open the second check valve such that air within the cavity is expelled to a sole of the foot via the second check valve, the grooves, the channel, and the vent holes. Foot lifting will return the protrusion to its original shape with the first check valve open and the second check valve closed so as to draw air into the cavity. |
| US08074372B2 |
Power drying system
A system configured to dry containers before a date coding process includes a blower assembly, an air manifold and a bracket assembly. The blower assembly includes a centrifugal air blower. The air manifold is connected to the blower assembly and includes a plurality of air nozzles. The air nozzles are configured to be positioned over a conveyor line, wherein the air nozzles are configured to expel air moved by the centrifugal air blower. The bracket assembly is configured to adjustably mount the air manifold over the conveyor line, wherein the bracket assembly allows the air manifold to be horizontally and/or vertically adjusted with respect to the conveyor line. |
| US08074371B2 |
Process and apparatus for removing volatile substances from highly viscous media
Evaporator apparatus (1) for the treatment of viscous media comprised of at least a feed chamber (2) having a perforated tray (3), a tube-bundle heat exchanger (4) connected thereto having perpendicularly arranged tubes (8) and a devolatilization chamber (5) connected thereto, a discharge unit (6) for the product and a vapor take-off (7) for removing volatile components, the tubes (8) of the heat exchanger (4) having a rectangular cross section over the greater part of their length. |
| US08074358B2 |
Method for the production of panel-type components
A method for the production of panel-type components having at least three layers of boards disposed parallel to the plane of the component, with the boards being connected to one another without glue by dowels extending substantially transversely to the plane of the component, includes disposing a plurality of layers of boards on top of each other in different orientations, providing a plurality of bores in these boards which penetrate the layers, and pressing dowels into the bores. An especially high strength is achieved by tensioning layers of the boards during drilling and insertion of the dowels, the tensioning including applying compressive forces. Also, the dowels are preferably compacted in a radial direction before insertion in the bores. |
| US08074353B2 |
Methods of providing semiconductor components within sockets
The invention includes methods of utilizing removable mechanical precising mechanisms and/or optical-based precising mechanisms to align chips within sockets. The sockets can be configured so that compression of the sockets opens a clamping mechanism. A chip can be placed within a socket with a manipulator and aligned during compression of the socket. Subsequently, the compression of the socket can be released while the manipulator remains in contact with the chip to hold the chip in place until the clamping mechanism is retaining the chip in the socket. The chip can then be released from the manipulator. The invention also includes systems for utilizing removable nests to align various chip geometries within generic socket designs. |
| US08074349B2 |
Magnetic hold-down for foil substrate processing
A method for forming an electronic circuit disposes a plurality of magnets onto a flux plate to form a magnetic platen. A substrate package is formed using the magnetic platen and, stacked against the magnetic platen, a non-magnetic carrier and a substrate layer, with a bonding material sandwiched between the carrier and the substrate layer, and with the carrier layer disposed nearest the magnetic platen. A fused wafer stack is formed by heating the substrate package to adhere the substrate layer to the carrier. The fused wafer stack is removed from the magnetic platen and the circuit fabricated on the substrate layer. |
| US08074346B2 |
Method of fabricating a radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical system (MEMS) asymmetrical switch
The methods described herein provide for a radio frequency micro-electromechanical systems switch having two or more resonant frequencies. The switch can be configured as a capacitive shunt switch having a deflectable member coupled between two electrodes over a transmission line. A first insulator can be located between one of the electrodes and the deflectable member to form a capacitive element. The deflectable member can be deflectable between an up-state and a down-state, the down-state capacitively coupling the deflectable member with the transmission line. The degree by which the deflectable member overlaps the first insulator can be adjusted to adjust the capacitance of the capacitive element and the resulting resonant frequency. |
| US08074339B1 |
Methods of manufacturing a lattice having a distressed appearance
Methods of manufacturing a composite lattice structure made of cellulosic, inorganic, and/or polymer materials are disclosed. The unique lattice is weather-resistant and low-maintenance and may be used for ornamental gardening trellises, overhead outdoor patio or deck coverings, window lattices, privacy fences, garden fences, ornamental skirting or façades such as around the bottom of an elevated deck or porch, and other suitable functions. |
| US08074338B2 |
Vascular access devices including a tear-resistant septum
Methods of manufacturing septa for use with vascular access devices include forming a septum body and forming a slit within the septum body. |
| US08074335B2 |
Cell production method and cell production facility
A cell manufacturing method in which a main operator, who carries out main operations that includes a plurality of steps in which parts are attached to a workpiece, is moved with the workpiece so as to transit a plurality of stations at which auxiliary steps related to the main operation are carried out. A main car on which a workpiece is mounted and on which a main operator rides and a subsidiary car on which a subsidiary operator rides, the subsidiary operator preparing at least a portion of parts and/or jigs that are necessary for the main operation. The main car automatically travels on a predetermined travel path that transits a plurality of stations, and the subsidiary car travels together with the main car so as to enable transferring parts and/or jigs between the main car and the subsidiary car. |
| US08074332B2 |
Method for removing oilfield mineral scale from pipes and tubing
A method for removing mineral scale from tubing is disclosed. The method may include the steps of making a first longitudinal cut along a length of the tubing, making a second longitudinal cut along a length of tubing, and removing a plurality of sections of tubing, wherein the sections of tubing are defined by the first and second longitudinal cuts. |
| US08074328B2 |
Urn with interchangeable decorative panels
An urn with one or more removable and replaceable panels which allow for placement of an image, such as by laser engraving, to be done on the removable panel. The panel may be custom engraved and added to a partially complete urn. An urn with an extended base. |
| US08074322B2 |
Hinge assembly and electronic device using the same
A hinge assembly includes a pivot shaft defining a latching recess, a second leaf non-rotatably connected to the pivot shaft, a first leaf rotatably connected to the pivot shaft, and a clasping member fixed on the first leaf. The clasping member includes a receiving portion sleeved on the pivot shaft, and an elastic portion adjacent to the receiving portion. A part of the elastic portion engages in the latching recess of the pivot shaft, and the part of the elastic portion is separated from the receiving portion. |
| US08074321B2 |
Dual-tank vacuum cleaner
The disclosed vacuum cleaner has a smaller, separable vacuum unit that is releasably attached to a larger, base unit tank assembly. It provides a combination vacuum cleaner that has small- and large-capacity configurations suited for vacuum applications having different volumes, locations, or other features. The vacuum cleaner includes a single vacuum source sized for use with the larger tank structure, yet coupled to and removable integrally with the smaller vacuum unit. The smaller vacuum unit can be quickly and easily attached to and removed from the larger tank assembly to facilitate use of the vacuum cleaner in the desired configuration. |
| US08074318B2 |
Arrangement for coupling brush elements in a brush body
Arrangement for fixing brush elements (9, 10) to a rotatable brush frame formed of shaft (3) and flanges fixed to it and in which assembly the direction of bristles (9) is fitted essentially in the direction of the radius of the rotatable brush unit. Brash elements (9, 10) are locked on shaft (3) by means of oblong elements, as tubes (1) in shaft (3) direction, which tubes are from their both ends fixed to flanges in order to remain in place by means of parts in the flanges, which parts are from the end of tubes (1) fitted to the inside of the tubes. |
| US08074317B2 |
Cleaning towel
A towel specifically designed for cleaning vehicles and other surfaces without the use of soap or other cleaning agents is formed of a combination of microfiber material and chamois material and comprises a first relatively thicker portion formed primarily of an underlying layer of material and an outer layer of microfiber material that is folded over and attached to both faces of the underlying layer of material; and a second relatively thinner portion formed primarily of chamois material. |
| US08074316B2 |
Single use fiber optic connector end face cleaning device
A wet to dry, single use fiber optic connector end face cleaning device. The device is comprised a of a first swab, the first swab having a cleaning head and a first grasping end, the cleaning head having a presaturated fabric attached thereto, and a second swab, the second swab having a drying head and a second grasping end, the drying head having a drying fabric attached thereto. In use, the cleaning head of the first swab is positioned adjacent to the drying head of the second swab, the cleaning head and the drying head at different elevations. Also disclosed is a method for using the fiber optic connector end face cleaning device. |
| US08074308B2 |
Chair stabilizer for refractive surgery
Devices, systems, and methods for supporting and/or stabilizing a patient can help to position a patient relative to a therapeutic laser beam, for example, inhibiting motion or deflection during a refractive procedure on the eyes, and the like. A stabilizing structural member can support a chair or other patient support near shoulders of the patient, and the member may remain stationary while the chair is driven in a horizontal plane by a linkage. Often, a nominal patient center of gravity is located between the support member and a portion of the patient support which is supported by the linkage to reduce cantilever effects. The member may be rigidly attached to a vertical motion stage which moves the chair at an angle, for example at an angle normal to the horizontal plane. |
| US08074304B1 |
Aqua therapy and recreation spa with interchangeable exercise equipment
A combination unit for hydrotherapy and exercise having a rubber dampening pad containing pre-drilled holes for the interchanging of exercise devices such as treadmills, bicycles, and elliptical machines. The unit has stairs for rear entrance and a clear splash guard for safe use indoors. The unit has a seat with shoulder and back jets located behind the seat, stability bars and a control panel. The control panel provides temperature control, aquatic jet flow, exercise equipment control and controls for MP3 players and the like. The unit has a water motor for driving certain exercise equipment. |
| US08074302B1 |
Toilet seat quick release system
A toilet seat and lid quick release hinge system utilizing a toilet seat and lid hinge hold-down screw with a release lever at the bottom. The hold-down screw has a head flange with diametrically opposed, outwardly extending projections. These projections engage a slot in the hinge mount of a toilet seat and lid hinge assembly, thereby releaseably holding the seat and lid hinge assembly to the toilet bowl. |
| US08074300B1 |
Article of clothing
An article of clothing, comprising a coat assembly having a front side, a backside, and first and second sleeves. The front side and the backside define a shoulder area where they meet above the first and second sleeves. A hood assembly has a crown. Extending from the crown is a flap that terminates at an end. Also extending from the crown at a predetermined angle is a visor. The visor extends from the crown a first predetermined distance. The hood assembly comprises a first zipper tape. The first zipper tape comprises first zipper teeth. A shield assembly comprises a shield. The shield has a second zipper tape. The second zipper tape comprises second zipper teeth. The second zipper teeth have means to engage the first zipper teeth. |
| US08074297B2 |
Headwear garment
A headwear garment is used for retaining a wearer's hair. The headwear garment has a head covering and a hair retaining sleeve. The head covering is open on one side for allowing a wearer to wear the head covering. The head covering has inner and outer surfaces with a channel formed through the inner and outer surfaces. The hair retaining sleeve has an opening formed in one end. The sleeve is affixed to the head covering and positioned to align the opening in the sleeve with the channel through the inner and outer surfaces of the head covering. When the head covering is worn by a wearer, the wearer's hair is able to be passed through the channel and into the sleeve through the opening. |
| US08079092B2 |
Electro-mechanical system for non-duplication of software
A system consisting of a memory storage unit in which the licensed softwares are stored. The function of this device is to recognize the requested data and thereby allow the software from the memory storage unit according to the instructions set to this device. It is an effective means for protecting the software in the device from duplication. |
| US08079084B1 |
Virus co-processor instructions and methods for using such
Various embodiments of the present invention provide elements that may be utilized for improved virus processing. As one example, a computer readable medium is disclosed that includes a virus signature compiled for execution on a virus co-processor. The virus signature includes at least one primitive instruction and at least one CPR instruction stored at contiguous locations in the computer readable medium. The CPR instruction is one of an instruction set that includes, but is not limited to: a compare string instruction, compare buffer instruction; perform checksum instruction; a seek instruction; and a test instruction. The primitive instruction may be, but is not limited to, an add instruction, a branch instruction, a jump instruction, a load instruction, a move instruction, a logic AND instruction, a logic OR instruction, and/or a logic XOR instruction. |
| US08079082B2 |
Verification of software application authenticity
Various techniques are provided for verifying the authenticity of software applications. Such techniques are particularly useful for verifying the authenticity of software applications used in online transactions involving users, payment service providers, and/or merchants. In one example, a set of application identifiers associated with a plurality of authenticated software applications are maintained and a verification request is received comprising an application identifier associated with an unverified software application. A token is generated in response to the verification request if the application identifier is in the set of application identifiers. The generated token is passed to the unverified software application. A user token is received and processed to determine whether the unverified software application is one of the authenticated software applications. A verification request is sent based on the processing. Additional methods and systems are also provided. |
| US08079078B2 |
Encryption apparatus, program for use therewith, and method for use therewith
An encryption apparatus capable of effectively preventing encryption data from being illegally generated is provided. Based on apparatus identification data of an integrated circuit (IC), which is input from a computer, a secure application module (SAM) selects an encryption method from among a plurality of different encryption methods. Based on the code of the IC, the SAM selects plaintext data to be encrypted from among the plurality of different pieces of plaintext data. The SAM outputs encryption data such that the selected plaintext data is encrypted by the selected encryption method. |
| US08079077B2 |
System and method for distributed multi-processing security gateway
A system and method for a distributed multi-processing security gateway establishes a host side session, selects a proxy network address for a server, uses the proxy network address to establish a server side session, receives a data packet, assigns a central processing unit core from a plurality of central processing unit cores in a multi-core processor of the security gateway to process the data packet, processes the data packet according to security policies, and sends the processed data packet. The proxy network address is selected such that a same central processing unit core is assigned to process data packets from the server side session and the host side session. By assigning central processing unit cores in this manner, higher capable security gateways are provided. |
| US08079072B2 |
Null-packet transmission from inside a firewall to open a communication window for an outside transmitter
A high-bandwidth direct communication path between two clients is used for voice or video calls over the Internet. An opening or a window in a firewall is made for the direct path by sending a null packet out from inside the firewall. The null packet can be a UDP packet directed to a UDP port of the other client. Initially, each client makes a TCP connection to port 80 of an external manager. Each client registers its UDP port number with the external manager. A call request from one client to the external manager results in a message from the external manager to the other client. The other client then creates the window in its firewall by transmitting the null UDP packet. Then the external manager is notified and tells the calling client to begin sending UDP packets directly to the other client through the firewall window. |
| US08079063B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling home network devices using rich site summary service
A method of controlling at least one home network device, in which a home network periodically connects to a rich site summary (RSS) server, fetches a control command for the at least one home network device, and controls the at least one home network device on the basis of the fetched control command. |
| US08079062B2 |
Method and system using presence information to manage network access
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, a method using presence information to manage network access includes maintaining presence information for an end user. When a remote access request is received from the end user at a remote endpoint, the presence information for the end user is updated to identify the presence of the end user at one or more network endpoints associated with a private network. An access point to the private network is then automatically configured to allow any communications addressed to an IP address associated with the one or more network endpoints to pass through the access point. |
| US08079059B1 |
Method and system for providing terminal view access of a client device in a secure network
Methods, computer products, and systems are described for providing terminal view access of a client device in a secure enterprise network. One method includes receiving a request from a first client device within the secure enterprise network and/or a second client device for providing terminal view access of the first and/or second client device to the second and/or first client device respectively. A security check on the request is performed to enforce a security policy of the secure enterprise network. When the security policy is satisfied, a secure data transport channel is established between the first client device and the second client device. Terminal view data corresponding to a desktop associated with the first and/or second client device is received from the first and/or second client device respectively via the data transport channel and is provided to the second and/or first client device respectively via the data transport channel. |
| US08079057B2 |
Broadcast receiving apparatus and method of controlling the apparatus
A broadcast receiving apparatus determines whether a broadcast signal that is being played back and that includes print information is a broadcast signal that is being broadcasted or a broadcast signal that is played back by a recording apparatus. The broadcast receiving apparatus also determines whether the print information included in the broadcast signal that is being played back includes acquisition instructing information instructing acquisition of a print content item transmitted from an external server. If it is determined that the print information included in the broadcast signal that is being played back includes the acquisition instructing information and the broadcast signal that is being played back is played back by the recording apparatus, the broadcast receiving apparatus notifies a user that a print content item which the print information included in the broadcast signal that is being played back intended to acquire during broadcasting cannot possibly be acquired. |
| US08079055B2 |
User managed internet links from TV
A method of obtaining metadata associated with an element of television programming involves instructing an access device to generate and communicate a signal to a control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains metadata suitable for rendering on a display device in a visual representation; receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame; processing the video frame using OCR to extract enough information to identify an element of television programming content from the video frame; processing the video frame to extract sufficient information to identify an element of television programming content from the video frame; and retrieving metadata associated with the identified element of television programming content from a television programming content source of metadata. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08079050B2 |
System and method for performing initial setup of a device via remote control
A method for configuring a device using a remote control, includes transmitting a signal from the remote control to a configuration proxy requesting configuration status of the device; waiting for a predetermined period of time for a response from the configuration proxy to the remote control; obtaining help information based on the response received at the remote control from the configuration proxy; and displaying the help information on a display. |
| US08079049B2 |
System and method for inserting sync bytes into transport packets
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for inserting sync bytes into a video transport stream. More specifically, there is provided a method comprising determining a parsing procedure supported by a first set top box, appending a first transport packet to comply with the parsing procedure of the first set top box, and transmitting the first transport packet to the first set top box. |
| US08079045B2 |
Personal video recorder and method for inserting a stored advertisement into a displayed broadcast stream
The present invention may be regarded as personal video recorder and a method of displaying a targeted advertisement on a display in conjunction with displaying of a broadcast stream on the display. The method defines a viewer profile of a viewer of the display based on signals received by a controller indicating usage of a viewer control interface by the viewer, for example based on viewer reactions to a broadcast stream or to an advertisement. A targeted advertisement is selected from stored advertisements based on the viewer profile of the viewer of the display. The targeted advertisement is displayed on the display. The viewer profile is updated based on subsequent signals received by the controller indicating usage of the viewer control interface. The signals indicate viewer reactions, for example, a viewer reaction to a broadcast stream or a viewer reaction to an advertisement or a viewer purchase. |
| US08079042B2 |
Dynamic IPTV group profile creation and management
An IPTV group profile is dynamically generated based on individual IPTV user profiles, whenever a user joins or leaves a shared IPTV session at an IPTV Terminal Function (ITF). The IPTV group profile may be implemented as a modification to the IPTV user profile of each user. In one embodiment, a “group” branch includes the additional access privileges and/or restrictions from the IPTV user profiles of other group members. The modified IPTV user profiles of users in the group are placed on a network entity such as an XDM Server (XDMS), to which the ITF subscribes via XCAP. As users join or leave a shared IPTV session at an ITF, the IPTV-AS updates the IPTV user profiles on the XDMS, which notifies the ITF of the changes. Each user's IPTV user profile at the ITF thus reflects group access privileges, preferences and restrictions for the duration of the shared IPTV session. |
| US08079039B2 |
Isolating, managing and communicating with user interface elements
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that allow a user interface in a managed runtime environment to display content from two or more different partitioned process spaces. A software application having a user interface operates a managed runtime environment. A window handle allows a user interface of the application to display content from different partitioned process spaces at a same time. Information from the partitioned process spaces can be integrated within the user interface while preserving a level of isolation between the partitioned process spaces. This is accomplished by providing a first portion of a content container for the user interface with a host control that contains the window handle and resides in a first partitioned process space of a main window. A second portion of the content container is provided with a source control that provides the window handle and resides in a second partitioned process space. |
| US08079035B2 |
Data structure and management techniques for local user-level thread data
Data structure creation, organization and management techniques for data local to user-level threads are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes generating, for a user-level thread (“shred”) to run on a thread unit that is not managed by an operating system (“OS”), a storage area for local data and maintaining state in the storage area across a context switch from the thread unit that is not managed by the OS to a second thread unit that is managed by the OS. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08079032B2 |
Method and system for rendering harmless a locked pestware executable object
A method and system for rendering harmless a locked pestware executable object is described. In one illustrative embodiment, a locked pestware executable object is detected on a storage device of a computer, the locked pestware executable object being inaccessible via the computer's operating system; the locked pestware executable object is accessed through direct drive access; and data in the locked pestware executable object is modified in a manner that renders it harmless to the computer. |
| US08079031B2 |
Method, apparatus, and a system for dynamically configuring a prefetcher based on a thread specific latency metric
A discussion of a dynamic configuration for a prefetcher is proposed. For example, a thread specific latency metric is calculated and provides dynamic feedback to the software on a per thread basis via the configuration and status registers. Likewise, the software can optionally use the information from the registers to dynamically configure the prefetching behavior and allows the software to be able to both query the performance and configure the prefetcher. |
| US08079024B2 |
Method and system for platform-independent file system interaction
Embodiments disclosed can provide a simple, singular programmatic interface for application developers to access and manipulate ASCII and non-ASCII file specifications in a cross-platform development environment regardless of operating system encoding capabilities or of the nature of the original file specification encoding. An application development environment is configured on a computer system such that a magic class file string object is instantiated when a bit string of a first encoding is received. The bit string represents a file specification of a file containing application code written by an application developer. The magic class file string object automatically determines what target operating system is being called by a function call in the application code, automatically transcodes the bit string from the first encoding into a second encoding of the target operating system, and automatically makes a correct file system API call specific to the target operating system. |
| US08079014B2 |
Software development apparatus and method
A software development apparatus capable of mitigating troublesomeness involved in the development of software to be executed by a multi-core processor. A processor core identifier identifies one of processor cores with which software development information (project information, program development support information, debugging information, etc.) for developing software is associated. In accordance with the identification result, a display processor displays the association between the software development information and the corresponding processor core in a visually distinguishable manner. |
| US08079010B2 |
Wiring information generating apparatus, method and program
A wiring information generating apparatus includes an input unit that inputs a wiring layer number indicating a wiring layer, a via layer number indicating a next via layer to connect the wiring layer, and spacing information based on wiring rules. A storage unit stores a terminal figure table providing terminal figures, a logic element device wire protected area table, and a wire protected area table. A wire protected area creation unit adds an area of a terminal figure and a logic element device wire protected area obtained by searching the terminal figure table and the logic element device wire protected area table based on the input wiring layer number and/or via layer number and acquires wire layer-via layer spacing information. A wiring information generating unit generates wiring information in the wiring layer based on connection information and arrangement information of the semiconductor logic circuit, and wire protected area information. |
| US08079008B2 |
High-speed low-leakage-power standard cell library
A high-speed, low leakage-power Standard Cell Library is provided. The high-speed, low-leakage-power Standard Cell Library provides the extra drive-strength of a taller X-Track library (e.g., 14-Track library) and low leakage-power comparable to that of a smaller, N-Track library (e.g., 10-Track library). The high-speed, low leakage-power Standard Cell Library includes a set of cells each having a device area designed to provide maximum drive strength for the cell. The high-speed, low leakage-power Standard Cell Library further includes a second set of cells having varying device areas that provide reduced leakage power characteristics comparable to cells in the smaller, N-Track library. The modified reduced leakage-power cells are formed by adding padding to the cell to achieve a desired leakage-power characteristic of the cell. |
| US08079005B2 |
Method and system for performing pattern classification of patterns in integrated circuit designs
Disclosed is an approach for performing pattern classification for electronic designs. One advantage of this approach is that it can use fast pattern matching techniques to classify both patterns and markers based on geometric similarity. In this way, the large number of markers and hotspots that typically are identified within an electronic design can be subsumed and compressed into a much smaller set of pattern families. This significantly reduced the number of patterns that must be individually analyzed, which considerably reduces the quantity of system resources and time needed to analyze and verify a circuit design. |
| US08079003B2 |
Verification support apparatus, verification support method, and computer product
In a verification support apparatus, an implementation description of a verification target is acquired and based on the implementation description, a combination of input gates is identified. A pair of output cones including gates to which input signals from the input gates reach, and a common output cone including gates common to the pair of output cones, are detected. Based on the common output cone, a degree of relation between the input gates is calculated and according to the calculation, the strength of relation is determined for the combination of input gates. The strength of relation for a combination of the input gates is set, the combination being based on a specification of the verification target and corresponding to the combination identified from the implementation description. Whether the strength of relation set and that determined for the identified combination coincide is judged and a result of the judgment is output. |
| US08079001B2 |
Verification of requirements specification, design specification, and computer-readable storage medium apparatus, and method thereof
Conditions necessary to be satisfied for execution of each use case from a use case description indicative of a requirements specification of the design object are acquired. Then a state satisfying the conditions, from among a set of states represented in a finite state machine model indicative of a design specification of the design object are detected. A presence or absence of an undetected state in the set of states in accordance with the detection is determined and output. |
| US08078990B2 |
Secure device sharing
A device and method for placing the device in a locked state having an associated set of permitted tasks so as to permit the device owner to share the device with others but maintain security over aspects of the device. A task change request is evaluated to determine whether the requested task is permitted and, if so, the requested task is allowed; if not, then an authorization process is invoked to prompt the user to input authorization data. Upon verification of the authorization data, the device may be unlocked and the requested change implemented. The permitted tasks may designate specific applications, specific operations or functions within applications or at the operating system level, one or more currently open windows, and other levels of granularity. |
| US08078988B2 |
Information display system, apparatus and method of displaying electronic information according to schedule information
A technology for displaying managed image information is disclosed. A schedule information item is acquired, a document is acquired as an image information item in an electronic format, the image information item and the schedule information item are registered in a data storing unit in association with each other, the schedule information item and the image information item stored in the data storing unit are acquired, and the image information item is displayed according to the schedule information item. |
| US08078986B1 |
Method and system for a browser module
In general, the invention relates to a method for capturing information from a web site. The method includes accessing the web site using a browser with a browser module, where the web site comprises a number of web pages having information in a first format, and obtaining a profile corresponding to the web site, where the profile defines a manner to capture information in a first format from the web site. The method further includes capturing information, by the browser module, from at least one of the number of web pages based on the profile and sending the information captured by the browser module to a destination application, where the destination application is external to the browser and where the destination application is configured to use the information in a second format. |
| US08078985B2 |
Scrolling of ordered series with item highlighting indicating relevance
A graphical user interface displays an ordered series of items. Each of the items has an index value indicating a position of the item within the series. The graphical user interface includes a scroll bar to scroll through the first ordered series. Items with index values that are outside of a first threshold range around a reference index value corresponding to a position of a slider of the scroll bar are displayed to have an appearance that is different from items having index values inside the first threshold range. |
| US08078984B2 |
Virtual keyboard text replication
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for replicating text at a virtual keyboard. Characters submitted to, displayed at, or accumulated for submission to an application data field are echoed at a keyboard data field that is in relatively close proximity to virtual keys used to enter the characters. Thus, a user does not have to alter their field of view to the application data field to determine what was submitted to the application data field, what was entered at the application data field, or what is to be submitted to the application data field. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention permit a user to much more easily see what they typed using a virtual keyboard. The need to alter a visual field of focus between an application data field and a virtual keyboard is significantly reduced, if not eliminated. |
| US08078982B2 |
Automatic creation of data relationships
The disclosed implementations allow automatic and transparent creation of data relationships in a database application or other application in response to user generated trigger events. Related data records can be stored and displayed in layouts, screens, forms and user interfaces provided by the database application or other application. Additional or extended information corresponding to the related data can be stored and displayed. |
| US08078979B2 |
Web page editor with element selection mechanism
A web page editor displays a web page including at least two elements that are at least partially overlapping. The web page editor includes an element selection mechanism displaying a list of overlapping elements of the web page at a selected point on the web page. The element selection mechanism allows a user to unambiguously select between the elements of the web page at the selected location from the displayed list. |
| US08078978B2 |
Method and system for predicting text
An electronic messager with a predictive text editor, including a storage unit for storing a data structure associating, for each one of a plurality of a user's contacts, usage data for the user's history of usage of words in communications with the user contact, a data manager coupled with the storage unit for generating the data structure in the storage unit, and for updating the data structure as additional communications with each user contact are performed and additional usage data is obtained therefrom, and a text predictor coupled with the storage unit, for receiving as input a character string and a designated user contact, and for generating as output an ordered list of predicted words, based on usage data in the data structure associated with the designated user contact. A method is also described and claimed. |
| US08078977B2 |
Method and system for intelligent processing of electronic information
A method and system for intelligent electronic information processing. The method and system include selecting one or more portions of a set of electronic information including any unwanted portions that have been reviewed and are to be eliminated from display. The selected portions are recording thereby eliminating any unwanted previously reviewed portions of the set of electronic information from display with any additional sets of electronic information. The method and system may be used to review search engine results, electronic auction results, syndicated news items and to purchase tickets for transportation and events and for reserving lodging. |
| US08078976B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating adaptable pull down menus
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for a first pull down menu associated with a user interface. In response to receiving a request from the user to toggle the user interface between a user interface containing an original pull down menu and a user interface containing a modified pull down menu, the user interface is presented with the first pull down menu wherein the first pull down menu is the modified pull down menu. A user request associated with a feature presented in the first pull down menu is monitored. Values associated with requests received from a user are stored in a set of usage information. The first pull down menu is modified using the set of usage information to form a second pull down menu. The user interface containing the second pull down menu is presented to the user. |
| US08078966B2 |
Method and system for managing musical files
A computer system, including a display and a user-interface, for manipulating a plurality of music album elements and song elements is provided, a method for organizing a plurality of music album elements and song elements, at least some of the music album elements having a least one song element associated therewith, the method comprising displaying on the display a single music album elements axis illustrating a plurality of juxtaposed user-selectable music album elements, the music album elements axis being longitudinally scrollable, selecting a music album element from the displayed music album elements axis, retrieving song elements associated with the selected music album element and displaying the retrieved song elements along a song elements axis, the song elements axis being adapted to intersect the music album elements axis substantially at the selected music album element, the song element axis being adapted to be scrolled. A user graphical interface providing same and a system thereof are also provided. |
| US08078963B1 |
Efficient creation of documents
Some embodiments provide a method that efficiently designs a document. The method initially provides the user with a selection of templates, each with a default configuration for content. After the user selects a template, the method provides the user with a selection of page designs to add to the selected template. When the user selects one of the page designs, the method adds the page design to a document that it presents to the user based on the selected template. Some embodiments provide methods for modifying default content of template documents that have several default text fields. When a user selects a default text field, the method of some embodiments selects the entire default text field for immediate editing by the user. In some embodiments, the method highlights a text field selected by the user. Also, in some embodiments, the method deletes the entire default content of the text field when the user provides new content for the selected field. In some embodiments, the new content can be text, image, or other type of content. |
| US08078959B2 |
Image processing apparatus
There is described an image processing apparatus, which makes it possible to prevent a leakage of secrecy caused by the output operation of a report with image information, without loosing merits of the report with image information. The image processing apparatus includes: a report generating section to generate a report with image information, wherein the report shows a processing status of a job and the image information relates the job; a storage section to store the report with the image information; a reception section to accept an order for outputting the report with the image information stored in the storage section; an output section to output the report with the image information ordered at the reception section; and an inform section to inform that the report with the image information is generated, when the determining section determines that the report is the report with the image information. |
| US08078958B2 |
Scalable computing system for managing annotations
A scalable computing system for managing annotations is capable of handling requests for annotations to millions of documents a day. The computing system consists of multiple tiers of servers. A tier I server indicates whether there are annotations associated with a content source. A tier II server indexes the annotations. A tier III server stores the body of the annotation. |
| US08078957B2 |
Document synchronization over stateless protocols
Example systems, methods, and data structures are directed at synchronizing documents. One example data structure includes receiving a request from a first client to edit a document, and sending short-term check out metadata to the first client to begin an editing session. The data structure includes a plurality of cells and a plurality of data objects defining content of the document. Each data object is associated with one of the cells and has an object identifier that uniquely identifies the data object within the associated cell, and is configured to communicate with other cells and with objects within the associated cell. In addition, each of the cells is defined so that each other cell remains unaffected by changes to data objects of the cell. |
| US08078956B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for creating a second XML form based on a first XML form
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for creating a second form based on a first form where the first and second forms are defined in extended markup language (XML). In use, a first form is identified. Additionally, a second form is created based on the first form. Farther, the first form and the second form are defined in XML. |
| US08078955B1 |
Method and apparatus for defining table styles
A system that facilitates a grid-based approach to defining styles for a table. During operation, the system allows a user to define a new table style by specifying styles for cells in a two-dimensional grid of table cells, wherein a style for a given cell specifies one or more attributes for the given cell. The system then applies the new table style to a target table, wherein applying the new table style involves repeating or tiling a pattern of cell styles defined in the two-dimensional grid across the target table. |
| US08078945B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and data processing method
A digital broadcasting system for transmitting/receiving a digital broadcasting signal and a data processing method are disclosed. First program table information and second program table information, which has an identifier different from an identifier of the first program information, are multiplexed and transmitted. The first program table information describes main service data through fixed reception channel, while the second program information described mobile service data through mobile reception channel. Thus, a broadcast receiving system can receive and output the mobile service data by parsing the second program table information. |
| US08078942B2 |
Register error correction of speculative data in an out-of-order processor
In one embodiment, a processor comprises a first register file configured to store speculative register state, a second register file configured to store committed register state, a check circuit and a control unit. The first register file is protected by a first error protection scheme and the second register file is protected by a second error protection scheme. A check circuit is coupled to receive a value and corresponding one or more check bits read from the first register file to be committed to the second register file in response to the processor selecting a first instruction to be committed. The check circuit is configured to detect an error in the value responsive to the value and the check bits. Coupled to the check circuit, the control unit is configured to cause reexecution of the first instruction responsive to the error detected by the check circuit. |
| US08078941B2 |
Memory system, memory system controller, and a data processing method in a host apparatus
A memory system includes code data generating section which generates code data based on write data. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory stores the write data and the code data for the write data and outputs read data and the code data for the read data. An error correcting section is configured to correct an error bit included in the read data using the read data and the code data for the read data, and outputs the read data which includes the error bit in accordance with a setting. An interface section receives the write data from outside of the memory system, and outputs the read data to outside of the memory system. |
| US08078940B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells arrayed capable of storing information in accordance with variations in threshold voltage. A likelihood calculator has a plurality of likelihood calculation algorithms for deriving a likelihood value about a stored data bit from a threshold value read out of the memory cell. An error correction unit executes error correction through iterative processing using the likelihood value obtained at the likelihood calculator. A likelihood calculator controller changes among the likelihood calculation algorithms in the likelihood calculator based on a certain value of the number of iterations in the iterative processing obtained from the error correction unit. |
| US08078939B2 |
Interleaving redundancy apparatus and method
One embodiment of the invention relates to a network communication device. The network communication device includes a network interface configured to receive an initial data stream. The network communication device also includes an interleaving redundancy encoder that comprises a memory unit arranged in N columns and D rows. The interleaving redundancy encoder is configured to calculate at least one redundancy byte based on a series of spaced, non-consecutive bytes in the initial data stream. Other systems and methods are also disclosed. |
| US08078937B2 |
Memory-module controller, memory controller and corresponding memory arrangement, and also method for error correction
A memory arrangement comprises a first memory module and a second memory module. An item of information to be written to the memory arrangement is written with a first address both to the first memory module and to the second memory module. When reading, the item of information is read either from the first memory module by means of the first address or from the second memory module by means of a second address differing from the first address. Subsequently a check is made as to whether the item of information is defective. If this is the case, the item of information is read from the respective other memory module. |
| US08078935B2 |
Method and system for encoding and decoding information with modulation constraints and error control
A method and system for encoding a segment of user data words into a segment of code words so that both modulation constraints and a predetermined parity-check constraint are satisfied. Each segment of the user data is partitioned into several data words, and encoded separately by first and second types of component code, which are referred to as the normal constrained code and the parity-related constrained code, respectively. The parity-check constraint over the combined code word is achieved by concatenating the sequence of normal constrained code words with a specific parity-related constrained code word chosen from a candidate code word set. Both the component codes are finite-state constrained codes, which are designed to have rates close to the Shannon capacity. Furthermore, they are based on the same finite state machine (FSM), which enables them to be connected seamlessly, without violating the modulation constraints. Two preferred embodiments are provided to design a code in the non-return-to-zero inverted (NRZI) format and the non-return-to-zero (NRZ) format, respectively. Designing the codes in NRZ format may reduce the number of parity-check bits required for error detection and simplify error correction or post-processing. The parity-check constraint is defined by the parity-check polynomial or parity-check matrix of a systematic linear block code, which could detect any type of dominant error event as well as error event combinations of a given optical recording system. As a result, the information density of the system is improved. |
| US08078934B2 |
Communication method and apparatus
In a frame sync method, a receiver searches for the presence of an N-symbol long unique word pattern. For each possible frame sync detected, the receiver proceeds to demodulation and FEC processing. After each iteration of the FEC decoder, the detected unique word pattern is compared to the expected one and the frame sync is detected if the number of unique word errors has decreased. |
| US08078932B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding channel quality indicator and precoding control information bits
A method and apparatus for encoding channel quality indicator (CQI) and precoding control information (PCI) bits are disclosed. Each of the input bits, such as CQI bits and/or PCI bits, has a particular significance. The input bits are encoded with a linear block coding. The input bits are provided with an unequal error protection based on the significance of each input bit. The input bits may be duplicated based on the significance of each input bit and equal protection coding may be performed. A generator matrix for the encoding may be generated by elementary operation of conventional basis sequences to provide more protection to a most significant bit (MSB). |
| US08078930B2 |
Methods and apparatus for modifying a backup data stream including logical partitions of data blocks to be provided to a fixed position delta reduction backup application
In accordance with one embodiment, a backup data stream is modified to be provided to a fixed position delta reduction backup method. When a data stream is received, the data stream may be parsed into a plurality of logical components, where each of the logical components includes one or more data blocks. Missing data blocks may also be detected in the data stream, and therefore may be detected in each of the plurality of logical components. For instance, each of the logical components may be separated into a separate data stream for which missing data blocks may be detected. A temporary data block is then inserted where each missing data block is detected (e.g., in each of the plurality of logical components). In this manner, inefficiencies introduced into a fixed position delta reduction backup process as a result of new or deleted data in a system implementing a plurality of data blocks which may be stored in the form of logical components are eliminated. |
| US08078929B2 |
Optical line terminal and optical network terminal
There are provided an optical line terminal and an optical network terminal, which can process with the same forward error correction code even if an EFC frame size of G-PON descending signals is different between two types of 255 and 120. The optical network terminal includes a photoelectric converter, a PON transceiver, and a physical layer. The PON transceiver includes an error correction code encoder including a shortening compensation parameter table and a shortening compensation calculator for calculating compensated data by referring to the shortening compensation parameter table. Also the optical line terminal includes a photoelectric converter, a PON transceiver, and a physical layer. The optical line terminal includes an error correction code encoder including a shortening compensation parameter table and a shortening compensation calculator for calculating compensated data by referring to the shortening compensation parameter table. |
| US08078928B2 |
System and method for verifying the transmit path of an input/output component
A system and method for verifying the transmit path of an input/output device such as a network interface circuit. The device's operation with various different input sources (e.g., hosts, input buses) and output sources (e.g., output buses, networks) is modeled in a verification layer that employs multiple queues to simulate receipt of input data, submission to an output port and transmission from the device. Call backs are employed to signal completion of events related to receipt of data at the device and modeling of data processing within the verification layer. As call backs are resolved, corresponding tasks are executed to advance the processing of the data through the verification layer. A device-specific algorithm is executed in the verification layer to predict the ordering of output from the device, and that output is compared to the predicted output by a transmission checker. |
| US08078927B2 |
Wrapper leads gating TAP instruction and data registers
In a first embodiment a TAP 318 of IEEE standard 1149.1 is allowed to commandeer control from a WSP 202 of IEEE standard P1500 such that the P1500 architecture, normally controlled by the WSP, is rendered controllable by the TAP. In a second embodiment (1) the TAP and WSP based architectures are merged together such that the sharing of the previously described architectural elements are possible, and (2) the TAP and WSP test interfaces are merged into a single optimized test interface that is operable to perform all operations of each separate test interface. |
| US08078923B2 |
Semiconductor memory device with error correction
This disclosure concerns a memory including: a first memory region including memory groups including a plurality of memory cells, addresses being respectively allocated for the memory groups, the memory groups respectively being units of data erase operations; a second memory region temporarily storing therein data read from the first memory region or temporarily storing therein data to be written to the first memory region; a read counter storing therein a data read count for each memory group; an error-correcting circuit calculating an error bit count of the read data; and a controller performing a refresh operation, in which the read data stored in one of the memory groups is temporarily stored in the second memory region and is written back the read data to the same memory group, when the error bit count exceeds a first threshold or when the data read count exceeds a second threshold. |
| US08078922B2 |
Internal server error analysis
The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for internal server error analysis. One process includes operations for identifying an internal server error associated with a particular type of error and returned by a web container. A counter of the number of internal server errors returned by the web container is incremented. The internal server error is also associated with an internal categorization of the particular type of internal server error, and the occurrence of the internal server error is added to a categorization entry generated based on the internal categorization of the error. |
| US08078920B2 |
Information processing device and error processing method
An information processing device having two processing units capable of operating in synchronization with each other, includes: a common unit capable of outputting an identical signal to the two processing units; detection units that are respectively provided for the processing units and each detects errors occurred in corresponding processing unit respectively; a comparison unit that compares outputs from the two processing units; and a control unit that controls signals from the processing units to the common unit, based on a detection result of the detection units and a comparison result of the comparison unit, and determines, if errors of an identical type are simultaneously detected by the detection units, that the errors are due to an error of the common unit. |
| US08078916B2 |
Testing measurements
An arbiter facility is provided that operates to control the flow of processes that form a test script. The control of the processes that are performed are based on explicit rules or conditions. The rules implemented by the arbiter facility result in different processes within the test script being performed based on data processed by the arbiter facility. Moreover, the arbiter facility implement rules which explicitly express, within the test case, the value of individual operations. In the exemplary embodiment, the value of one or more individual operations are explicitly expressed by the rules that are imposed on the results returned to the arbiter facility by the various verification points within the test script. Accordingly and advantageously, analysis on the value of a verification point may be performed prior to implementing or executing a test script. This analysis may then be reflected in the rule implemented in the arbiter facility. |
| US08078912B2 |
Self-service terminal
A self-service terminal comprises a pc core; at least one module coupled to the pc core; a control application executing on the pc core for controlling the operation of the terminal; and a management application executing on the pc core. The management application is arranged to (i) monitor state of health of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (ii) detect a fault state at any of the pc core, the control application, and the at least one module, (iii) monitor the control application to ascertain if a filter criterion is satisfied, and (iv) transmit a fault signal from the terminal only if the filter criterion is not satisfied. |
| US08078910B1 |
Method and system for providing coordinated checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications
A method and system of checkpointing single process application groups and multi-process application groups. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include creating at least one full checkpoint for each application in an application group, and creating at least one incremental application checkpoint for each application in the application group. Further, each of the at least one incremental application checkpoint may be automatically merged against a corresponding full application checkpoint. Further, checkpointing may be synchronized across all applications in the application group. In the exemplary embodiment, each application may use both fork( ) and exec( ) in any combination. |
| US08078909B1 |
Detecting file system layout discrepancies
A template is received, the template comprising information describing an expected file system state. A discrepancy detection module compares an expected file system state from the template with an actual or requested state of the file system of a computer. If discrepancies between the expected state and the actual or requested file system state are detected, then an action is performed to respond to the discrepancy. |
| US08078906B2 |
Grid storage system and method of operating thereof
There is provided a storage system comprising a plurality of disk units adapted to store data at respective ranges of logical block addresses (LBAs), said addresses constituting an entire address space, and a storage control grid operatively connected to the plurality of disk units and comprising a plurality of data servers, each server comprising operatively coupled cache memory and non-volatile memory. The method of operating the storage system comprises: a) configuring a first server among said plurality of data servers to have a primary responsibility for handling requests directed to a certain range of LBAs; b) continuously obtaining by the first server, information indicative of configuration and/or changes thereof related to said certain data range, thus giving rise to configuration metadata; c) saving said configuration metadata and/or derivatives thereof at one or more disk units among said plurality of disk units in accordance with a predefined criterion; d) continuously saving in cache memory of the first server said configuration metadata obtained between said savings at disk units, thus giving rise to recent configuration changes metadata; e) destaging the recent configuration changes metadata to non-volatile memory of the first server if the first server fails. |
| US08078903B1 |
Automatic load-balancing and seamless failover of data flows in storage media encryption (SME)
Methods and apparatus for encrypting data are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, data path information identifying a data path is provided to one or more of a plurality of nodes in a cluster of nodes in a network, each of the nodes in the cluster being configured for encryption of data. One of the nodes is selected to be responsible for encryption of data in the data path. The selected one of the nodes is notified of its responsibility for encryption of data associated with the data path, wherein traffic associated with the data path is redirected to the selected one of the nodes. |
| US08078902B2 |
Fault surveillance and automatic fail-over processing in broker-based messaging systems and methods
An exemplary method includes attempting, by a message broker subsystem, to deliver one or more messages intended for a recipient software application to the recipient software application during a predetermined fault interval, determining, by the message broker subsystem, that the recipient software application is in a fault state after failing to deliver the one or more messages to the recipient software application during the predetermined fault interval, and automatically performing, by the message broker subsystem, a fail-over process on one or more other messages intended for the recipient software application in response to the determination that the recipient software application is in the fault state. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08078899B2 |
Asynchronous conversion circuitry apparatus, systems, and methods
Apparatus, systems, and methods operate to receive a sufficient number of asynchronous input tokens at the inputs of an asynchronous apparatus to conduct a specified processing operation, some of the tokens decoded to determine an operation type associated with the specified processing operation; to receive an indication that outputs of the asynchronous apparatus are ready to conduct the specified processing operation; to signal a synchronous circuit to process data included in the tokens according to the specified processing operation; and to convert synchronous outputs from the synchronous circuit into asynchronous output tokens to be provided to outputs of the asynchronous apparatus when the synchronous outputs result from the specified processing operation. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed. |
| US08078898B2 |
Synchronizing TAP controllers with sequence on TMS lead
A method comprises a system comprising a host device coupled to a first remote device actively operating according to a state diagram that the host device and all remote devices follow during operation of the system. The method further comprises powering up a second remote device while the host device and first remote device are actively operating according to the state diagram. The second remote device waits for a synchronization point sequence. Upon detecting the synchronization point sequence, the second remote device implements a predetermined feature set and synchronizes itself to the state diagram at a common point as the host device and first remote device. |
| US08078897B2 |
Power management in federated/distributed shared memory architecture
This invention is a power management scheme for a shared memory multiprocessor system which splits the control logic between the master-specific logic and memory bank logic. Power-down is initiated from a central power-down controller. This central power-down controller informs the master and target specific logic. Further memory accesses are blocked. All pending activities complete. The central controller then proceeds to power down the memory and informs the master and target specific logic upon completion. No requests for wakeup are initiated by master-specific logic from the time a power-down request is received until the completion of power-down. |
| US08078893B2 |
Power supply method for supplying power to external device by selecting power supply mode in memory associated with identification information
According to one embodiment, an information processor capable of supplying power to an external device includes a connector, a storage module, a receiver, a selector, and a power supply controller. The connector connects the external device to the information processor. The storage module stores identification information that identifies the external device and a power supply mode in association with each other. The power supply mode defines a condition of each element of the information processor to cause the external device to be chargeable. The receiver receives the identification information from the external device connected to the information processor. The selector selects the power supply mode stored in the storage module in association with the identification information. The power supply controller sets the element of the information processor according to the condition defined by the power supply mode. |
| US08078890B2 |
System and method for providing memory performance states in a computing system
A system and method is disclosed for providing memory performance states in a computing system. The operating system power management component of the computing system establishes a set of performance states, with each performance state being defined by a number of factors, including the core frequency of memory. The operating system power management component also defines the number of memory performance states that are supported by the computing system and the number of supported memory performance states that are available for use by the computing system. Whether a supported memory performance state is available is dependent upon a measure of the power being consumed by the computing system, the thermal output of the computing system, or both measures. |
| US08078888B2 |
Image forming apparatus and electric power consumption control system
There is described an image forming apparatus that appropriately selects a specific image forming apparatus to be shifted to the power saving mode, to avoid the power shutdown of the system. The apparatus includes; an electric power consumption notifying section to notify other image forming apparatuses of its own electric power consumption; a priority degree determining section to determine an implementation priority degree of a job; a job implementation electric-power calculating section to calculate an estimated value of the own electric power consumption when the image forming apparatus implements an implementation scheduled job; and an arbitration controlling section to transmit an instruction for reducing electric power consumption to the specific image forming apparatus that currently implements a job whose implementation priority degree is lower than that of the implementation scheduled job, when the total electric power consumption exceeds the upper limit electric power consumption established in advance. |
| US08078885B2 |
Identity authentication and secured access systems, components, and methods
Security tokens contain data that is each uniquely encrypted based on a unique biometric identifier of an authorized user of that token. Decoders receive the token and the user's biometric identifier, convert the biometric identifier to a biometric key, and apply the biometric key to decrypt the token. In this way, the decoders authenticate the users without performing a biometric identifier comparison. In some embodiments pieces or sets of the data are stored in designated data compartments, which are individually encrypted based on authority keys, and all of the encrypted data compartments are collectively encrypted based on the biometric key to create the token. The decoders store only the authority keys corresponding to the data compartments which they have authorization to open. In addition, in some embodiments the token and the biometric identifier are encrypted and sent to a remote authentication server for decryption of the token. |
| US08078879B2 |
Data certification method and apparatus
Apparatus for certifying electronic data supplied by a user receives data to be signed, supplied by the user from a source device, at a certifying apparatus including at least a signature server providing a signing function. An encrypted password is received at that server from the source device via a first communication path, the password being generated by an authentication system providing an authentication function separate from the signing function and the password being transmitted to the source device via a second communication path, the signature server and the authentication system have different communication paths with the source device. A version of the encrypted password is communicated between the signature server and the authentication system via a third communication path, different to the first and second paths, for authenticating the user. A result of the authenticating of the user is determined at the signature server by the communication between the authentication system and the signature server, that result being determined by verification of the version of the encrypted password, that verification being performed without the signature server verifying the actual plaintext password. The data to be signed is signed using elements of information secure to the signature server if the result of the authentication indicates that the user is authenticated. The signed data from the certifying apparatus is then passed to a recipient device so that the elements of secure information certify that the data supplier is the user. A method of certifying the data is also disclosed. |
| US08078878B2 |
Securing documents with electronic signatures
Methods, apparatus, including computer program products, and systems implement and use techniques relating to electronic signatures. In one implementation, a one-way hash is calculated for an electronic document and a digital watermark representing the one-way hash is embedded in a signature document. Based on a user input, the signature document having the embedded digital watermark is altered, and the electronic document is associated with the signature document. The electronic document and the signature document together comprise a signed electronic document. The user input can include biometric information, such as a handwritten signature or a voice recording. For additional security, the one-way hash can be encrypted before a representation of the hash is embedded in the signature document. |
| US08078877B2 |
Fast batch verification method and apparatus there-of
A fast batch verification method and apparatus are provided. In the method of batch-verifying a plurality of exponentiations, (a) a predetermined bit value t is set to an integer equal to or greater than 1; (b) a maximum Hamming weight k is set to an integer equal to or greater than 0 and less than or equal than the predetermined bit value t; (c) n verification exponents si are randomly selected from a set of verification exponents S (n is an integer greater than 1, i is an integer such that 1≦i≦n), where the set of verification exponents S include elements whose bit values are less than or equal to the predetermined bit value t and to which a Hamming weight less than or equal to the maximum Hamming weight k is allocated; (d) a value of verification result is computed by a predetermined verification formula; and (e) the verification of the signatures is determined to be passed when the value of verification result satisfies a pre-determined pass condition. Accordingly, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of computation and particularly, the computation amount of multiplication, without increasing a probability that a verification error would occur, thereby significantly improving the speed of verifying a plurality of signatures. |
| US08078876B2 |
Apparatus and method for direct anonymous attestation from bilinear maps
A method and apparatus for direct anonymous attestation from bilinear maps. In one embodiment, the method includes the creation of a public/private key pair for a trusted membership group defined by an issuer; and assigning a unique secret signature key to at least one member device of the trusted membership group defined by the issuer. In one embodiment, using the assigned signature key, a member may assign a message received as an authentication request to prove membership within a trusted membership group. In one embodiment, a group digital signature of the member is verified using a public key of the trusted membership group. Accordingly, a verifier of the digital signature is able to authenticate that the member is an actual member of the trusted membership group without requiring of the disclosure of a unique identification information of the member or a private member key to maintain anonymity of trusted member devices. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08078875B2 |
Verification of authenticity
An article identification method can comprise: determining a signature from an article based upon an intrinsic characteristic of the article; and comparing the determined signature to a stored signature. The method can also comprise splitting the determined signature into blocks of contiguous data, performing a comparison operation between each block and respective blocks of the stored signature, and comparing an attribute of a comparison result from each block comparison to an expected attribute of the block comparison to determine a compensation value for use in determining a comparison result. The method can also comprise determining a similarity result between the determined signature and the stored signature, using the compensation value to adjust the determined signature. Thus an article damaged by stretching or shrinking can be successfully identified. Also, a non-linear signature determination can be accommodated without losing identification accuracy. |
| US08078872B2 |
Method, system and device for determining a mobile IP key, notifying a mobile IP type
The present invention relates to a wireless communication technology field. A method for determining a mobile IP key of a mobile terminal is provided, which includes: receiving a mobile IP registration request message of a mobile terminal, in which the mobile IP registration request message includes a key material field; and reporting material information for determining a key according to the key material field. A method for determining a mobile IP key of a mobile terminal, a mobile IP agent device, a system for obtaining a mobile IP type, and a mobile terminal are also provided. With the technical solutions provided in the present invention, the mobile IP keys and/or the mobile IP type of the mobile terminal can be correctly determined, thus achieving a fast and correct access of the mobile terminal. |
| US08078871B2 |
Apparatus and system for remotely verifying integrity of memory for mobile platform, and method therefor
A verification apparatus for a mobile platform for remotely verifying the integrity of a device that is connected to a network and has a shared private key includes a verifying unit that determines whether the device shares a private key with the verification apparatus by checking whether the authentication code generated by the verification apparatus matches the authentication code generated by the device; a calculating unit that generates a local check code that verifies the integrity of the memory; an interface unit that transmits, to the device, the information that the verification apparatus uses to generate an authentication code and the integrity check parameter used to generate a remote check code, and receives the authentication code and the remote check code from the device; and a determining unit that verifies the integrity of the memory if the local check code matches the remote check code. |
| US08078868B2 |
Multi-party encryption systems and methods
A cryptographic communication system and method having a first plurality of stations, each of the first plurality of stations having at least one encryption key Kj, were j is a number greater than 2, a data packet D to be viewed by each of the first plurality of stations, means for encrypting the data packet by each of the first plurality of stations to form an encrypted data packet Ej for transmission to a central processor, and means for combining each of the encrypted data packets, wherein the means for encrypting is applied in parallel to allow each of the first plurality of stations to view the contents of the data packet D prior to encrypting the data packet D. |
| US08078863B2 |
Information processing apparatus and program
An information processing apparatus including: a first recording medium which stores a first program; a connection section which is capable of connecting to a second recording medium outside of the information processing apparatus; an instruction input section to input, while the information processing apparatus is in an activated state, an instruction for booting a second program stored in the second recording medium that is connected to the connection section on booting of the BIOS; and a controller which, performs a check when booting of a BIOS, if the second recording medium is connected and the instruction has been input while the information processing apparatus is in an activated state; in case when the second recording medium is connected and the instruction has been input is confirmed, the control section boots the second program; and in case when it is not confirmed, the control section boots the first program. |
| US08078862B2 |
Method for assigning physical data address range in multiprocessor system
A cache-as-RAM (CAR) system of a multi-processor system that includes a plurality of processors may be initialized. The CAR system may assign a physical data address range for each of the plurality of processors such that the physical data address ranges allocated to all of the plurality of processors overlap with each other. A boot code stream may be executed with the CAR appearing to the executing boot stream as a memory store for executing the boot code stream. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08078859B2 |
Method of configuring computers with expansion cards
A method of configuring a computer with an expansion card to process a basic input output system (BIOS) program thereof, includes performing an expansion card detecting program to detect and identify the expansion card by reading signals from an identifying finger of the expansion card, and loading a configuration program associated with the detected expansion card of the BIOS program. |
| US08078858B2 |
Manufacturing boot process with minimal component initialization
A test mode initialization system includes beginning a power-on self-test (POST) wherein the POST may be performed to determine whether a system under test is in a quick test mode, and in response to being in the quick test mode, initialize only a portion of all memory in the system under test and initialize only a portion of a plurality of central processor unit (CPU) cores. |
| US08078855B2 |
Method and system for booting and automatically updating software, and recovering from update error, and computer readable recording medium storing method
Provided are a booting method of updating software components installed in a system and recovering from an error that occurs in an update, a method and system for automatically updating the software and recovering from the error, and a computer readable recording medium storing the method. The master boot record and the backup boot record are used to stably update a kernel and effectively recover from an update error. The component configuration database is used to update a plurality of software components including a kernel in a transaction, and perfectly recover from an update error. |
| US08078851B2 |
Processor and method for recovering global history shift register and return address stack thereof by determining a removal range of a branch recovery table
A method for recovering global history shift register (GHSR) and return address stack (RAS) is provided, which is applicable to an instruction pipeline of a processor and includes the following steps. First, provide a branch recovery table (BRT) and a backup stack. Whenever a branch instruction enters a predetermined stage of the instruction pipeline, add a record in the BRT according to the branch instruction. Whenever a return address is popped from the RAS of the instruction pipeline, push the return address into the backup stack. When flushing the instruction pipeline, determine a removal range of the BRT according to the condition which triggers the pipeline flush. Recover the RAS according to the records in the removal range and the backup stack. Remove all records in the removal range. Recover the GHSR of the instruction pipeline according to the removed records. |
| US08078847B2 |
Detecting memory-hazard conflicts during vector processing
A method for performing parallel operations in a computer system when one or more memory hazards may be present, which may be implemented by a processor, is described. During operation, the processor receives instructions for detecting conflict between memory addresses in vectors when memory operations are performed in parallel using at least a portion of the vectors, and tracking positions in at least one of the vectors of any detected conflict between the memory addresses. Next, the processor executes the instructions for detecting the conflict between the memory addresses and tracking the positions. |
| US08078843B2 |
Facilitating processing in a computing environment using an extended drain instruction
An extended DRAIN instruction is used to stall processing within a computing environment. The instruction includes an indication of the one or more processing stages at which processing is to be stalled. It also includes a control that allows processing to be stalled for additional cycles, as desired. The enhanced DRAIN instruction enables its use to be more granular and to have minimal impact with respect to each individual use. |
| US08078839B2 |
Concurrent processing element system, and method
An electronic processing element is disclosed for use in a system having a plurality of processing elements. The electronic processing element includes an input instruction memory, an operation unit, and an output instruction memory. The input instruction memory is configured to store and retrieve a plurality of operation codes and, for each operation code, an associated output instruction memory address. The operation unit is configured to generate an output datum defined by at least a selected operation code and an associated input datum. The output instruction memory is configured to receive the output instruction memory address and to retrieve an address for an input instruction memory of a second processing element. Upon selection of an input instruction memory address and presentation of an associated input datum, the processing element generates an output datum in association with a corresponding input instruction memory address of the second processing element. |
| US08078828B1 |
Memory mapped register file
A method and apparatus for operating a memory mapped register file. The method includes: receiving a source index input having a length of T−1 bits, the source index input identifying one of a plurality of unbanked registers; receiving a processor mode input to identify one of P processor modes, where P is greater than two; generating an encoded address having a length of T bits based on the source index input and the processor mode input; and identifying one of the plurality of unbanked registers associated with one of the P processor modes using the encoded address. |
| US08078826B2 |
Effective memory clustering to minimize page fault and optimize memory utilization
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for effective memory clustering to minimize page faults and optimize memory utilization. More specifically, the method monitors data access requests to secondary storage and identifies data addresses in secondary storage having similar properties. Multi-dimensional clusters are created based on the monitoring to group the data addresses having similar properties. A memory page is created from a multi-dimensional cluster, wherein a cross-sectional partition is created (sliced) from the multi-dimensional cluster. The method receives a request for a data object in secondary storage and identifies a data address corresponding to the requested data object. The data address is mapped to the multi-dimensional cluster and/or the memory page; and, the memory page is transferred to a data cache in primary storage. |
| US08078825B2 |
Composite hash and list partitioning of database tables
A method for partitioning during an online node add. The method includes providing a data storage cluster with first and second nodes, and storing a table of data in the data storage cluster with a first partition storing a set of rows or data elements in the first node and a second partition storing a set of rows or data elements in the second node. The method includes adding a third node to the cluster and adding a third partition to the table using a partitioning mechanism to create a distribution mapping for data elements in the first, second, and third partitions. The distribution mapping provides substantially uniform distribution of the data elements over the first, second, and third partitions by the partitioning mechanism using modulo hash partitioning as a function of data elements or by combining hash and list partitioning such that data is retained on the original partitions. |
| US08078821B2 |
Semiconductor memory asynchronous pipeline
An asynchronously pipelined SDRAM has separate pipeline stages that are controlled by asynchronous signals. Rather than using a clock signal to synchronize data at each stage, an asynchronous signal is used to latch data at every stage. The asynchronous control signals are generated within the chip and are optimized to the different latency stages. Longer latency stages require larger delays elements, while shorter latency states require shorter delay elements. The data is synchronized to the clock at the end of the read data path before being read out of the chip. Because the data has been latched at each pipeline stage, it suffers from less skew than would be seen in a conventional wave pipeline architecture. Furthermore, since the stages are independent of the system clock, the read data path can be run at any CAS latency as long as the re-synchronizing output is built to support it. |
| US08078820B2 |
Managing message queues
A method, and corresponding system and software, is described for writing data to a plurality of queues, each portion of the data being written to a corresponding one of the queues. The method includes, without requiring concurrent locking of more than one queue, determining if a space is available in each queue for writing a corresponding portion of the data, and if available, reserving the spaces in the queues. The method includes writing each portion of the data to a corresponding one of the queues. |
| US08078817B2 |
Method and system for secured drive level access for storage arrays
The present disclosure provides a methodology by which disk level access for storage drives of a storage array may be highly secured based on permission settings applied to the driver interface of the storage drives. Based on specific set of access rules, a security component applies security profiles to permit/deny access to an individual storage drive, sets the storage drive with a first security level, monitors for a triggering event, and sets the storage drive to a second (more restrictive) security access level in response to the triggering event. In addition, the security component generates an alert in response to the triggering event. Thus, disk level access permissions are applied at a driver interface layer and permissions are applied based on administrator-defined policies. The present disclosure provides for complete lock-down of data permissions, management and/or restriction of IO loads, and protection of “read-only” data integrity from overwrites. |
| US08078815B2 |
Power-saving-backup management method
A storage subsystem includes: a controller; a first logical storage area corresponding to a RAID group configured by a plurality of storage devices; and a second logical storage area corresponding to a plurality of the RAID groups each configured by the plurality of storage devices, and storing a copy of data stored in the first logical storage area. In the storage subsystem, the first and second logical storage areas form a copy group, and for starting copying from the first to second logical storage area, the controller performs a mode change, from a power saving mode to a ready mode, to the plurality of storage devices configuring the plurality of RAID groups corresponding to the second logical storage area. With such a storage subsystem, the time can be reduced for activating copy-destination storage devices to which a power saving function is applied, and the copy time is thus favorably reduced. |
| US08078813B2 |
Triangular asynchronous replication
Storing recovery data includes providing chunks of data to a remote destination, where each chunk of data represents data written before a first time and after a second time and where the second time for one of the particular chunks corresponds to a first time for a subsequent one of the particular chunks, providing synchronous data to a local destination, and providing an indicator to the local destination in connection with creation of a new chunk of data for storage at the remote destination. The local destination may maintain a plurality of maps, where each of the maps associates synchronous data being provided thereto with a specific chunk of data. In response to receiving an indicator in connection with creation of a new chunk of data, the local destination may point to a new map. There may be two maps or more than two maps. |
| US08078806B2 |
Microprocessor with improved data stream prefetching
A microprocessor coupled to a system memory by a bus includes an instruction decode unit that decodes an instruction that specifies a data stream in the system memory and a stream prefetch priority. The microprocessor also includes a load/store unit that generates load/store requests to transfer data between the system memory and the microprocessor. The microprocessor also includes a stream prefetch unit that generates a plurality of prefetch requests to prefetch the data stream from the system memory into the microprocessor. The prefetch requests specify the stream prefetch priority. The microprocessor also includes a bus interface unit (BIU) that generates transaction requests on the bus to transfer data between the system memory and the microprocessor in response to the load/store requests and the prefetch requests. The BIU prioritizes the bus transaction requests for the prefetch requests relative to the bus transaction requests for the load/store requests based on the stream prefetch priority. |
| US08078805B1 |
Method and system for communicating with a universal serial bus device
A caching filter driver which is adapted for communicating with a universal serial bus (USB) mass storage device, the caching filter driver is adapted to: (a) receive a first reading request for a first size data from a USB mass storage driver; (b) determine if requested data which is requested in the first reading request is included in a prefetched read data cache; (c) issue a second reading request for a second size data to the USB mass storage device; and store the second size data in the prefetched read data cache, if the requested data is not included in the prefetched read data cache; and to (d) provide the requested data from the prefetched read data cache; wherein the second size is larger than the first size and the second size data includes the first size data; wherein the caching filter driver resides below the USB mass storage driver. |
| US08078803B2 |
Apparatus and methods to reduce castouts in a multi-level cache hierarchy
Techniques and methods are used to control allocations to a higher level cache of cache lines displaced from a lower level cache. The allocations of the displaced cache lines are prevented for displaced cache lines that are determined to be redundant in the next level cache, whereby castouts are controlled. To such ends, a line is selected to be displaced in a lower level cache. Information associated with the selected line is identified which indicates that the selected line is present in a higher level cache. An allocation of the selected line in the higher level cache is prevented based on the identified information. |
| US08078798B2 |
Managing first level storage in a multi-host environment
A virtual tape server (VTS) and a method for managing shared first level storage, such as a disk cache, among multiple virtual tape servers are provided. Such a system and method manage first level storage to accommodate two or more host processing systems by maintaining adequate free space in the cache for each host and by preventing one host, such as a mainframe, from taking over free space from another host, such as a Linux system. |
| US08078797B2 |
Increasing the memory performance of flash memory devices by writing sectors simultaneously to multiple flash memory devices
A memory storage system of an embodiment includes a nonvolatile memory unit and memory control circuitry coupled to the memory unit. Storage locations of the memory unit are organized into one or more sub-blocks configured to store sectors of information from a host. The sectors of information can be identified by sector numbers of a predetermined order. The memory control circuitry is configured to write a sector of information to a location of a particular sub-block of a particular block. The memory control circuitry is further configured to write a sector of information to a location of a sub-block of the particular block that is other than the particular sub-block, regardless of the predetermined order of the sector numbers of the sectors of information. The memory control circuitry is further configured to write the sectors of information to the locations of the sub-blocks of the particular block substantially concurrently. |
| US08078793B1 |
Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for storing data on a non-volatile memory device
A non-volatile memory device stores configuration variables for use by a computer firmware. The variable is initially stored in the memory device in a manner that minimizes the number of bits used to store the variable that are in the updated state. When a request is received to change the initial value of the variable to an updated value, the value is changed in place by changing only the bits used to store the variable from an erased state to an updated state, by only setting the invert flag, by setting the invert flag and by changing one or more of the bits of the variable from the erased state to the updated state, or by storing the updated value of the variable in a new location in the memory device. |
| US08078791B1 |
Ordering refresh requests to memory
A device may generate a refresh signal that identifies a beginning of a refresh interval, determine the availability of banks of a memory device, and send refresh requests to the banks during the refresh interval based on the availability of the banks. |
| US08078790B1 |
Fast unaligned cache access system and method
A cache unit multiple memory towers, which can be independently addressed. Cache lines are divided among multiple towers. Furthermore, physical lines of the memory towers are shared by multiple cache lines. Because each tower can be addressed independently and the cache lines are split among the towers, unaligned cache access can be performed. Furthermore, power can be conserved because not all the memory towers of the cache unit needs to be activated during some memory access operations. |
| US08078783B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and recording medium including program
An information processing apparatus includes a card slot to which a card-type medium is inserted, a determination unit configured to determine an operation mode, from among a first, second and third operation modes, which attains the highest speed of data communication between the information processing apparatus and the cardtype medium on the basis of a first, second and third communication speeds and the interruption-preventing maximum data size, and a data communication unit configured to perform data communication between the information processing apparatus and the card-type medium in the operation mode which attains the highest speed of the data communication and which is selected from among the first to third operation modes by the determination unit. |
| US08078780B2 |
Communications method, in particular for hospital and nursing beds
The invention relates to a communications method of communicating states from an activation unit to a receiver via a communications bus, wherein the state may be activation/deactivation of an activation unit, and wherein the state is communicated to the receiver via a serial data stream timed by a clock signal, said data stream transmitting data packets which comprise an identification part and a data pare wherein: ● the identification part comprises a plurality of bits which identify which activation units the data packet concerns, and ● the data part comprises a plurality of bits which individually identify the state of an activation unit. The invention also relates to a system based on the communications method and comprising an activation unit and a receiver. In addition, the invention relates to an activation unit and a receiver. |
| US08078779B2 |
Data transmission method for use with wireless mouse
A data transmission method for use with a wireless mouse includes the following steps. Firstly, a mouse displacement data including a horizontal displacement and a vertical displacement is periodically transmitted from a wireless signal emitter to a wireless signal receiver in every wireless transmission time interval T1. Then, the horizontal displacement and the vertical displacement of the mouse displacement data are partitioned to acquire plural horizontal sub-displacements and plural vertical sub-displacements, respectively. Afterwards, one of the plural horizontal sub-displacements and one of the plural vertical sub-displacements are periodically transmitted from the wireless signal receiver to the computer system in every wired transmission time interval T2. By the data transmission method, the wired report rate is increased without largely increasing power consumption, and the moving trajectory of the wireless becomes smoother. |
| US08078775B2 |
Memory systems and methods for translating memory addresses to temporal addresses in support of varying data widths
Described are memory modules that support dynamic point-to-point extensibility using fixed-width memory die. The memory modules include data-width translators that allow the modules to vary the effective width of their external memory interfaces without varying the width of the internal memory interfaces extending between the translators and associated fixed-width dies. The data-width translators use a data-mask signal to selectively prevent memory accesses to subsets of physical addresses. This data masking divides the physical address locations into two or more temporal subsets of the physical address locations, effectively increasing the number of uniquely addressable locations in a given module. Reading temporal addresses in write order can introduce undesirable read latency. Some embodiments reorder read data to reduce this latency. |
| US08078771B2 |
Sending large command descriptor block (CDB) structures in serial attached SCSI (SAS) controller
A system for sending large Command Descriptor Block (CDB) structures in a serial attached SCSI (SAS) controller includes a CDB Transmit Block, a CDB Memory, a Context Memory, a Direct Memory Access (DMA) Queue, a Transmit DMA Engine, and a SAS Interface. The CDB Transmit Block receives one or more Message Frames. If the CDB is small (32 bytes or less), the CDB Transmit Block reads data from the Message Frame and transmits a SAS Command Frame over the SAS interface. If the CDB is large (33 bytes or more), the CDB Transmit Block places a large CDB entry into the DMA Queue. The Transmit DMA Engine receives the large CDB entry from the DMA queue, utilizes an address pointer from the Message Frame to the CDB Memory to fetch large CDB information into a DMA buffer, and transmits a SAS Command Frame over the SAS interface. |
| US08078770B1 |
Combining multiple SGPIO streams to provide device status indicators
Technologies are described herein for combining multiple SGPIO streams to provide a single mass storage device activity indicator. Device activity data indicating whether a mass storage device is active may be received on a first interface, such as an SGPIO interface. Device activity data indicating whether the mass storage device is active may also be received on a second interface, such as a second SGPIO interface. An activity signal may also be received from the mass storage device itself. An activity indicator is provided when either data received on the first interface, data received on the second interface, or the activity signal received from the mass storage device indicates that the mass storage device is active. Status data regarding the failure, rebuild status, and location of a mass storage device received on multiple interfaces may also be combined to drive a single indicator. |
| US08078769B2 |
Automatic QoS determination with I/O activity logic
Systems and methodologies for automatic quality of service (QoS) management for data network devices are provided herein. As described herein, active versus inactive interaction between a user and a network device can be identified, based on which an appropriate QoS level can be applied to the device. For example, a level of input/output (I/O) activity associated with a device can be inferred by monitoring mouse movement, touch input activity, display output activity, voice I/O activity, or the like, and a QoS configuration can be automatically selected for the device based on the inferred level of activity. As further provided herein, I/O activity monitoring and a corresponding QoS assignment can be related to an activity timer, such that a high-priority QoS setting is applied to devices for which I/O activity is identified within the timer and a low-priority QoS setting is applied to devices for which such activity is not identified. |
| US08078768B2 |
Universal Serial Bus (USB) remote wakeup
A universal serial bus (USB) device communicates with a USB host over a USB to remotely wake up the USB host over the USB when the USB host is in a low power (e.g. deep sleep) mode. The USB device performs an activity to wake up the USB host. The USB host performs a remote wake up process in response to detecting the activity by the USB device. The USB host performs a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process by the USB host. The USB device wakes up in response to the USB host performing the resume process. |
| US08078767B2 |
Display apparatus, control method thereof, and program
When a communication connection with a device is disconnected during execution of a display based on data transmitted from the connected device, it can be controlled to continue or end the display according to a class of the device. A display apparatus 1 includes a USB connector 102 used to connect an external device so as to be able to communicate with that device. The display apparatus 1 also includes a CPU 107 which controls to make a display based on data received from the external device with which a communication connection is established via the USB connector 102. The CPU 107 acquires class information indicating a class of the external device, the communication connection of which is established. When the communication connection with the external device is disconnected, if the acquired class information indicates a predetermined class, the CPU 107 controls to continue the display based on the received data, and if the class information does not indicate the predetermined class, the CPU 107 controls to end the display. |
| US08078764B2 |
Method for switching I/O path in a computer system having an I/O switch
The physical server includes a hypervisor for managing an association between the virtual server and the I/O device allocated to the virtual server. The I/O switch includes: a setting register for retaining a request to inhibit a transaction from being issued from the I/O device to the virtual server; a Tx inhibition control module for performing an inhibition of the transaction from the I/O device to the virtual server, and guaranteeing a completion of a transaction from the I/O device issued before the inhibition; a virtualization assist module for converting an address of the virtual server into an address within a memory of the physical server; and a switch management module for managing a configuration of the I/O switch. |
| US08078763B1 |
Dequeuing and congestion control systems and methods for single stream multicast
A system that processes single stream multicast data includes multiple queues, a dequeue engine, and/or a queue control engine. The queues temporarily store data. At least one of the queues stores single stream multicast data. A multicast count is associated with the single stream multicast data and corresponds to a number of destinations to which the single stream multicast data is to be sent. The dequeue engine dequeues data from the queues. If the data corresponds to the single stream multicast data, the dequeue engine examines the multicast count associated with the single stream multicast data and dequeues the single stream multicast data based on the multicast count. The queue control engine examines one of the queues to determine whether to drop data from the queue and marks the data based on a result of the determination. |
| US08078761B2 |
Methods and systems for routing messages through a communications network based on message content
A method and system for routing messages through a communications network based on the content of the message. The method of the present invention comprises providing a method for retrieving information through a telecommunications network comprising receiving, in a message data structure, a request message comprising a command; sending a query message to a content provider based on the command; receiving a query response message from the content provider comprising response information; and sending a request response message based on the response information. |
| US08078760B2 |
Digital asset format transformation
A method for providing a digital asset to a remote recipient via a network. An unmodified digital asset is received in a native format, transformed into a derived digital asset having a non-native format, and offered to a remote recipient via the network. The method further includes sending the derived digital asset to the remote recipient in response to a request of the remote recipient. |
| US08078755B1 |
Load balancing using IPv6 mobility features
Techniques are provided that allow client and server nodes to communicate without the continuing intervention of a load-balancing node that selected the server node. A load-balancing node intercepts a TCP SYN packet addressed to a virtual IP address. The load-balancing node selects a server node from among multiple server nodes, and sends the packet toward the server node. The server node sends an IPv6 packet toward the client node. The packet contains a Binding Update option that specifies the virtual IP address as a Home Address. This information causes the client node to replace destination addresses in outgoing IP packets so that packets that the client node would have sent toward the virtual IP address are sent toward the selected server node's IP address instead. Consequently, the IP packets are routed toward the selected server node instead of the load-balancing node. |
| US08078752B2 |
Method and program for managing the quantity of data transmitted by a transmission device over a telecommunication network
The invention relates to a method of managing the quantity of data transmitted by a transmission device over a telecommunication network, characterized in that the method comprises the steps, carried out by the transmission device, of: obtaining (E503), for at least a first and second data set that have to be transmitted over the telecommunication network, the quantity of data within each data set and the time constraint on each data set; determining (E504) the bitrate for transmission of the first data set in accordance with the time constraint on the first data set; determining (E504) the bitrate for transmission of the first and second data sets in accordance with the time constraint on the second data set; and selecting (E504) the maximum of the determined bitrates as a parameter for managing the quantity of data transmitted by the transmission device. |
| US08078744B2 |
Communication method and apparatus using hypertext transfer protocol
A communication method for implementing a real-time streaming using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) in a network is provided. Chunked encoding of HTTP is applied so that information can be exchanged between a server and a client while an HTTP request is being progressed. Therefore, bidirectional communication between the client and the server using HTTP is possible without modifying an existing HTTP protocol, and real-time transmission can be implemented. |
| US08078743B2 |
Pipelined processing of RDMA-type network transactions
A computer system such as a server pipelines RNIC interface (RI) management/control operations such as memory registration operations to hide from network applications the latency in performing RDMA work requests caused in part by delays in processing the memory registration operations and the time required to execute the registration operations themselves. A separate QP-like structure, called a control QP (CQP), interfaces with a control processor (CP) to form a control path pipeline, separate from the transaction pipeline, which is designated to handle all control path traffic associated with the processing of RI control operations. This includes memory registration operations (MR OPs), as well as the creation and destruction of traditional QPs for processing RDMA transactions. Once the MR OP has been queued in the control path pipeline of the adapter, a pending bit is set which is associated with the MR OP. Processing of an RDMA work request in the transaction pipeline that has engendered the enqueued MR OP is permitted to proceed as if the processing of the MR OP has already been completed. If the work request gets ahead of the MR OP, the associated pending bit being set will notify the adapter's work request transaction pipeline to stall (and possibly reschedule) completion of the work request until the processing of the MR OP for that memory region is complete. When the memory registration process for the memory region is complete, the associated pending bit is reset and the adapter transaction pipeline is permitted to continue processing the work request using the newly registered memory region. |
| US08078742B2 |
Network establishment and management protocol
The invention relates to a protocol for communications between networked devices. The devices are logically arranged as a hierarchy of device types including a controller device type (52) from which no other device type depends and a basic device type (54) from which a number of other device types depend. The devices implement a simple device description message of fixed length and format which includes the device type, and some devices further implement an extended device description message including additional information. |
| US08078740B2 |
Running internet applications with low rights
In various embodiments, applications that are configured to interact with the Internet in some way are executed in a restricted process with a reduced privilege level that can prohibit the application from accessing portions of an associated computing device. For example, in some embodiments, the restricted process can prohibit applications from read and write access to portions of a system's computer-readable media, such as the hard disk, that contains administrative data and settings information and user data and settings. In these embodiments, a special portion of the disk, termed a “containment zone”, is designated and used by applications in this restricted process. |
| US08078736B1 |
Virtual interface
A virtual interface is disclosed. A method may include allowing upper layer software to transparently access the capabilities of a network device via a virtual interface as if the network device were in a computing device in which the upper layer software is resident. A communication channel may be established with a computing device. A virtual interface to a network device in the computing device is created. Incoming data units directed to the network device are received via the communication channel, and are made available via the virtual interface. Outgoing data units directed to the virtual interface may be forwarded to the network device via the communication channel. The methods may be implemented on computing devices that include network cards, including computers and/or network testing systems. |
| US08078732B2 |
System and method for plug and play between host and client
A host client plug-and-play system and method capable of controlling a client at the same time that the client is connected to a host through wired/wireless communication means are provided. The host client plug-and-play method in a host client communication system where at least one client is controlled by at least one host, includes: (a) a step of performing device connection between the client and the host; (b) a step of performing communication compatible operation step between the client and the host; (c) a step where the host receives a device driver and control software for allowing the host to identify and control the client; (d) a step where the host installs the received device driver and control software; (e) a step of performing device identification and communication compatible operation between the host and the client by using the device deriver installed in the host; and (f) a step where the host controls the client by using the control software installed in the host. |
| US08078729B2 |
Media streaming with online caching and peer-to-peer forwarding
A system, method and apparatus are disclosed herein for media streaming. In one embodiment, the system comprises one or more media servers to serve media content and a plurality of peers communicably coupled to one or more other peers of the plurality of peers and at least one of the one or more media servers to receive segments of media content, where at least one of peers allocates a set of resources for serving the segments of media content including cache memory to store the segments and media files and uplink bandwidth to send the segments of media content to the one or more peers to which the one peer is communicably coupled. The system also includes a first control server to track media content demand and the allocated resources of the plurality of peers to determine which peer should cache which segment of the media file and to return peer location information specifying the one or more peer locations from which each peer is to receive each segment of each media content requested. The control server is operable to send the location information to each peer. In one embodiment, the one control server is also operable to calculate a utility of each caching option and enforce it by sending triggers to the peers to initiate the caching at those peers. |
| US08078728B1 |
Capacity pooling for application reservation and delivery
An application reservation and delivery system with capacity pooling including a logical resource pool, an application library, a resource manager, and a deployment manager. The logical resource pool includes computer resource assets which includes asset type, amount, and asset source in which each computer resource asset is decomposed to a specified level of granularity. The application library includes application configurations, each including at least one server configuration and computer resource asset requirements. The resource manager tracks availability of the computer resource assets, receives requests for specific application configurations for specified time periods, compares each requested application configuration with available computer resource assets at the specified time periods, and reserves resources for each requested application configuration during the specified time periods. The deployment manager deploys each requested application configuration using the reserved resources. |
| US08078722B2 |
Method and system for detecting characteristics of a wireless network
Characteristics about one or more wireless access devices in a wireless network, whether known or unknown entities, can be determined using a system and method according to the present invention. An observation is made of the activity over a Wireless Area Network (WLAN). Based on this activity, changes in state of wireless access devices within the WLAN can be observed and monitored. These changes in state could be indicative of normal operation of the WLAN, or they may indicate the presence of an unauthorized user. In the latter case, an alert can be sent so that appropriate action may be taken. Additionally, ad hoc networks can be detected that may be connected to a wireless access point. |
| US08078721B2 |
Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) initialization responsive to a loss of network layer connectivity
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-storage media, mechanisms, and means associated with loss of network layer connectivity triggering Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) initialization. According to one embodiment, a network device connected to a network initializes one or more network communication values of the network device using DHCP. The network device monitors Network Layer (Layer 3) connectivity with a remote network device; and in response to detecting a loss of said monitored Network Layer connectivity, DHCP initialization of the network device is performed. |
| US08078719B2 |
Method and apparatus for changing device during active connection
A method and apparatus are shown for changing a first device into a second device during a session. In the method according to the embodiments, information on the session is transmitted from the first device to the second device (102, 203, 206). Based on the received information, the second device is connected to the session (103, 208) and the first device is disconnected from the session (104, 204) such that the session is maintained. |
| US08078717B1 |
System and method for providing services for offline servers using the same network address
A system, method and computer program product for controlling virtual servers includes a plurality of virtual servers running on a host computer. An address and a unique identifier can be associated with each virtual server. A control procedure(s) is within each corresponding virtual server, and can be used to control that virtual server in response to control commands. A control interface is outside the virtual servers and can be used for control of the virtual servers in response to control commands. The virtual server can be a Virtual server. The control command can be executable by both the control procedure(s) and the control interface, or can be executable by the control interface if the control procedure(s) is unreachable, or can be executable by the control interface if the virtual server has failed, or can be executable even if the virtual server is inaccessible. The control interface can be accessible by using multiple addresses and identifiers. |
| US08078716B2 |
Distributed kernel operating system
An improved distributed operating system over a network of computer systems is described. Existing distributed operating systems have transmission performance limitations dictated by their inability to (1) reliably handle transient communication failures and rapid node reboots, (2) provide a transmission protocol that adapts to link reliability, and (3) allow transmissions to occur over an arbitrary combinations of communication links. The systems and methods described herein solve these problems by providing a reliable node-to-node session protocol that offers high performance message delivery and multi-interface management and support. This is done by transmitting all data between two nodes of the operating system over a single connection that may dynamically exploit multiple interfaces between the nodes. |
| US08078712B2 |
Systems and methods for network command delegation using auto-discovered pathways
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for network command delegation using auto-discovered pathways. A network management server can generate configuration or other commands to transmit to a set of supervisory hosts, which in turn relay the commands to an underlying set of hosts and/or targets. A network map can be maintained specifying pathway(s) to the supervisory hosts and/or underlying hosts and/or targets for delivery of the commands. The pathway(s) can be automatically generated using a discovery tool which probes connections to the supervisory host(s) and/or underlying hosts/targets, and records that information to a network map. The most efficient pathways on a total-hop, transit time or other basis can be identified. A systems administrator at the network management server can issue compact commands that are automatically disseminated to destination hosts/targets over large-scale and geographically diverse networks, without manually specifying pathways. Multiple layers of supervisory hosts can be used. |
| US08078708B1 |
Grid proxy architecture for network resources
A Grid Proxy Architecture for Network Resources (GPAN) is proposed to allow Grid applications to access resources shared in communication network domains. GPAN bridges Grid services serving user applications and network services controlling network devices through its proxy functions such as resource data and management proxies. Working with Grid resource index and broker services, GPAN employs distributed network service peers (NSP) in network domains to discover, negotiate and allocate network resources such as bandwidth for Grid applications. An elected master NSP is the unique Grid node that runs GPAN and represents the whole network to share network resources to Grids without Grid involvement of network devices. GPAN provides the Grid Proxy service (GPS) to interface with Grid services and applications, and the Grid Delegation service (GDS) to interface with network services to utilize network resources. Resource-based XML messaging is employed for the GPAN proxy communication. |
| US08078702B2 |
Method for detecting a node of a server device
A method for detecting a node of a server device includes the following steps. When a node performing a boot procedure at a server slot is detected, a serial number of the node and a slot ID of the server slot are obtained. Then, a step is performed to determine whether the serial number exists in a first data row of a comparison list, and whether the first data row is corresponding to the slot ID. When the first data row is not corresponding to the slot ID, a data address recorded in the first data row is moved to a second data row corresponding to the slot ID. When not existing in the first data row, the serial number is used to update a third data row corresponding to the slot ID, and the data pointed by a data address recorded in the third data row are deleted. |
| US08078698B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for producing persona-based hosts
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for producing a virtual host. The virtual host is generated. A demographic trait of a user, interacting with the virtual host, is acquired. The virtual host is endowed with the demographic trait, thereby enriching the virtual host to appeal the user. |
| US08078697B2 |
Network linking methods and apparatus
The presenting invention relates generally to indirect linking methods and apparatus. One claim recites a method including: a) using a programmed electronic processor, reading an index from color imagery steganographically modulated with the index; b) accessing a database with the index, the database comprising a plurality of records that link an index to a pointer which identifies a remote computer on a network; c) extracting a pointer from the database as a function of the index; and d) using the pointer to establish communication with the remote computer identified thereby. Of course, other combinations are provided and claimed as well. |
| US08078695B2 |
Media on demand using an intermediary device to output media from a remote computing device
Particular embodiments generally relate to providing media for display to a user. In one embodiment, the media may be stored on a remote computing device. An intermediary device may be used to display the media on an output device. Even though the media may be stored on the remote computing device, the user may believe that the media is stored on the intermediary device when displaying content using the intermediary device. Representations of the media units may be received at the intermediary device. The intermediary device automatically predicts which representations of the media may be most likely to be accessed by the user. When a request to access the media units is received, if the requested media unit is stored on the intermediary device, then it can be automatically displayed using the corresponding representation of the media unit. |
| US08078690B2 |
Storage system comprising function for migrating virtual communication port added to physical communication port
A switch unit, which is connected to one or more computers and one or more storage systems, comprises an update function for updating transfer management information (a routing table, for example). The storage system has a function for adding a virtual port to a physical port. The storage system migrates the virtual port addition destination from a first physical port to a second physical port and transmits a request of a predetermined type which includes identification information on the virtual port of the migration target to the switch unit. The transfer management information is updated by the update function of the switch unit so that the transfer destination which corresponds with the migration target virtual port is the switch port connected to the second physical port. |
| US08078686B2 |
High performance file fragment cache
A system, method, and computer program for caching a plurality of file fragments to improve file transfer performance, comprising the steps of exposing at least one file fragment of a computer file as a primary object to an application; caching said at least one file fragment at a plurality of points in a network system, wherein said at least one file fragment remains unchanged; and managing said at least one non-changing file fragment throughout said network system at a plurality of cache points and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions. |
| US08078683B2 |
Method and apparatus for authenticating electronic communication
One embodiment provides a method for authenticating an electronic communication. The method includes parsing a header of the electronic communication to identify actual domain name data included in the header at a server receiving the electronic communication from a communication client; parsing the header to obtain purported sender data included in the header of the electronic communication; comparing the actual domain name data and purported sender data; and generating in response to the comparison an authenticity indicator, to provide a recipient of the electronic communication with an indication of the likelihood that the electronic communication was sent from a purported sender of the electronic communication. |
| US08078681B2 |
System and method for provisioning an email account using mail exchange records
A system provisions an electronic mail (email) account of a user for allowing access to an electronic mailbox from a remote device to retrieve email. A communications module receives email address parameters of the user and transmits a domain name system (DNS) query to the Internet for returning mail exchange (MX) records corresponding to the email address parameters of the user. A configuration module processes any returned MX records as a starting point for determining configuration parameters for accessing the email account of the user to retrieve user email. |
| US08078678B2 |
Video messaging
Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system by receiving, at an instant messaging host, a video file from a sender and intended for a recipient; authenticating the video file; and sending the video file to the intended recipient. |
| US08078677B2 |
Method for making recommendations in a social networking system based on personal communication information and a social networking system incorporating same
A social networking system comprising a plurality of communication devices; a tracking system; and a social networking interface, where, when a first communication device from the plurality of communication devices communicates with the tracking system so as to authorize the tracking system to track communications made between the first communication device and other communication devices form the plurality of communication devices, and thereafter communicate prescribed details of the communications to the social networking interface, the social networking interface operable to generate a set of invite recommendations for the user associated with the first communication device based on the prescribed details. |
| US08078674B2 |
Server device operating in response to received request
A server device, methods and a computer program product operating in response to a request received from a client. A request storage device in system memory space with a request storage region stores a request received from a client in association with identification information. An identification information storage region contains a request that is waiting to be processed. An identification information storage unit retrieves at least one request waiting to be processed from the request storage region if the number of identification information pieces stored in the identification information storage region has declined to a reference number or below, and then stores retrieved request identification information in the identification information storage region Multiple request processors operate in parallel, each acquiring identification information from the identification information storage region, a request identified by the acquired identification information from the request storage region, and performing processing in response to the acquired request. |
| US08078668B2 |
Method and device for processing a message in a communication network
A method of processing a message in a communication network in which the message travels along a path which may be closed and which comprises a plurality of nodes. The message is constituted by a plurality of distinct information blocks of which certain may be destined for different nodes. The method is implemented in a node of the path and comprises the following steps: receiving the message; identifying in the message the information blocks destined for the node; processing the identified information blocks, with the creation as a consequence of at least one result data item; modifying the message by inclusion in it of the resulting item or items of data; and transmitting the message to the following node along the path. The invention also relates to a device adapted to implement the method. |
| US08078666B1 |
Distributed report processing system and methods
A distributed report processing system. The system includes a management server and a queue server in communication with the management server. The system also includes a plurality of report generators in communication with the management server and the queue server. |
| US08078665B2 |
Sharing media content based on a media server
A media server is hosted in a service provider's network so that media content can be stored from or rendered to a private network such as a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network. Media content may be stored directly by accessing the media server or by downloading the media content to the media server. A server platform may support a set of media servers, where each media server is connected to a corresponding DLNA network. A multicast group may be established among the set of media servers so that media content may be shared with members of the multicast group. Media content may be aggregated for media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, where the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group. |
| US08078656B1 |
Data decompression with extra precision
Methods and systems for decompressing data are described. The relative magnitudes of a first value and a second value are compared. The first value and the second value represent respective endpoints of a range of values. The first value and the second value each have N bits of precision. Either the first or second value is selected, based on the result of the comparison. The selected value is scaled to produce a third value having N+1 bits of precision. A specified bit value is appended as the least significant bit of the other (non-selected) value to produce a fourth value having N+1 bits of precision. |
| US08078653B1 |
Process for fast file system crawling to support incremental file system differencing
A network storage server implements a method to perform fast crawling of a hierarchical storage structure. The hierarchical storage structure contains data entities stored by a network storage server. The hierarchical storage structure can be recursively divided into a plurality of sections. A plurality of parallel-processing threads can be used to process the plurality of sections. Each thread selects and processes one of the plurality of sections at a time to generate a sorted list of metadata corresponding to the section of the hierarchical storage structure. The sorted lists generated by the plurality of threads are merged to a baseline list. The baseline list contains sorted metadata for entities managed by the hierarchical storage structure. The baseline list can then be outputted as a representation of the state of data stored by the network storage server. |
| US08078649B2 |
Method and system for centrally deploying and managing virtual software applications
A system and method for centrally deploying and managing virtual applications in an organization. The method comprises retrieving an existing schema of objects from a management directory of the organization; generating a virtual directory including at least the retrieved schema of objects and a virtual application; and enabling performance of a plurality of management and deployment operations on the virtual directory. |
| US08078648B2 |
Data structure for supporting a single access operation
A data structure is formatted that supports a single access operation while enabling data structure verification, data integrity verification, and data extensibility. The data format utilizes error identifier fields to enable the verification of data integrity and bracket pairs to verify data structure integrity and to support data structure extensibility. The data structure is utilized to perform a single access operation. In performing a single access operation, the data structure is read, the data format is verified, and the data integrity is verified. In addition, in instances where the data structure includes complex data, a new feature, or a prior program version, support for the complex data, new feature, or prior program version is provided. |
| US08078646B2 |
Representing and manipulating RDF data in a relational database management system
Techniques for generating hash values for instances of distinct data values. In the techniques, each distinct data value is mapped to hash value generation information which describes how to generate a unique hash value for instances of the distinct data value. The hash value generation information for a distinct data value is then used to generate the hash value for an instance of the distinct data value. The hash value generation information may indicate whether a collision has occurred in generating the hash values for instances of the distinct data values and if so, how the collision is to be resolved. The techniques are employed to normalize RDF triples by generating the UIDS employed in the normalization from the triples' lexical values. |
| US08078644B2 |
Media stream recording into a reception hint track of a multimedia container file
A system and method for storing received real-time media streams into a multimedia container file. Media content is recorded into a file according to a file format that provides instructions for constructing the media packets. At least one received media packet is represented in the file using the instructions for constructing media packets. The at least one received media packet in the file is also associated with an indication that it may contain errors. |
| US08078638B2 |
Operations of multi-level nested data structure
Multiple sets of data are obtained from different sources. Each data set is represented using a different format having a different syntax and organized in a multi-level nested data structure. Each data set is reformatted into a standardized table format using a depth-first recursive algorithm without relying on the syntax schema of the original format of the data set. Various operations are performed on the tables corresponding to the data sets, including but not limited to joining multiple tables, grouping selected rows of a table, ranking rows of a table, adding or deleting fields from selected rows of a table, etc. Optionally, inferred namespace and text normalization are utilized for selected table operations. One or more templates are provided for converting the data set of a table to a format that may be presented to a user. |
| US08078637B1 |
Memory efficient peim-to-peim interface database
An efficient PEIM-to-PEIM interface (“PPI”) database for storing data identifying one or more PPIs. The PPI database includes a linked list having one or more linked arrays of elements. The elements in each array store data identifying a PPI. Each array in the linked list of arrays may also include an element reserved for storing data identifying the last element in the array. Each array in the linked list of arrays may also include an element reserved for storing a pointer to a next array in the linked list of arrays. When the last array in the linked list of arrays becomes full, a new array is created, and a pointer to the new array is stored in the last array. |
| US08078636B2 |
Database heap management system with variable page size and fixed instruction set address resolution
A heap management system for a database uses “sets” of pages to store database information. As memory for each successive set of pages is allocated, more memory is allocated for storing rows in each page of the set. Similarly, the maximum number of rows of information storable in each page of each set is greater for each successive set of pages. The number of computer instructions needed to resolve (or calculate) the memory address for a particular row is fixed. Given a target row number, (and the number of rows in the first page, and the width of the column or column group), only a fixed number of computer instructions need to be executed to resolve the starting memory address for the target row. In addition, information of the same type (i.e., one or more columns of a table) may be stored in different pages, and these pages may be located in discontiguous memory segments. This allows space for new rows to be allocated, without requiring all pre-existing rows to be moved to a different memory segment. |
| US08078631B2 |
Research rapidity and efficiency improvement by analysis of research artifact similarity
A method, computer-readable medium and system for comparing query-related objects are provided. In one embodiment, a first plurality of query-related objects for a first user is compared to a second plurality of query-related objects for a second user to determine a degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects. A notification of the degree of similarity is issued. |
| US08078630B2 |
Systems and methods of displaying document chunks in response to a search request
A computer displays a portion of a document to a user. Upon receiving a user-specified text string that includes multiple search keywords, the computer identifies a chunk within the document that satisfies the search keywords and displays the identified chunk to the user, wherein terms in the identified chunk that match the search keywords are either ordered differently from the search keywords in the user-specified text string or separated from one another by at least one term not matching any of the search keywords. |
| US08078629B2 |
Detecting spam documents in a phrase based information retrieval system
An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents. Phrases are identified that predict the presence of other phrases in documents. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases. A spam document is identified based on the number of related phrases included in a document. |
| US08078624B2 |
Content searching for portals having secure content
Searching content of a portal. The portal includes at least one portal page having a plurality of portal content elements at least one of which is a secure portal content element wherein each of the portal content elements is a portion of a portal page. Each secure portal content element is associated with a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier is a uniform resource locator and is different than a uniform resource locator for the portal page. Each secure portal content element is indexed by a keyword. Search parameters and credentials are received from a user, and a preliminary result set satisfying the search parameters is generated. For each secure portal content element in the preliminary result set, the credentials and the unique identifier are used to determine whether the user is permitted to access that secure portal content element. The preliminary result set is used to generate a final result set. A result identification is presented to the user, identifying the secure portal content elements that are included in the final result set and which the user is permitted to access, with such secure portal content elements being distinguished from any secure portal content elements to which the user is denied access. |
| US08078623B2 |
Systems and methods for summarizing photos based on photo information and user preference
Systems and methods for generating a summary of photos from a plurality of received photos are described. The received photos are classified according to predefined attributes. Two or more of the categories are selected, and a ratio value is received from a user relating to the two or more of the categories. Photos are selected from among the photos in the two or more categories based on the specified ratio and based on sorting the received photos according to time information. The selected photos comprising the summary of photos are displayed. |
| US08078622B2 |
Remote volume access and migration via a clustered server namespace
A system and method that provides users of network data storage systems with the ability to gain the advantages of a clustered storage server system, in which volumes stored on multiple server nodes are linked into a virtual global hierarchical namespace, without first having to migrate their data to the clustered storage server system. The system employs an extended virtual global hierarchical namespace that allows client systems to access, via the extended global namespace, volumes stored on the clustered storage server system and on one or more storage servers that are remote from and do not constitute a part of the clustered system. The extended global namespace can also be employed to perform migration of volume data among the multiple nodes of the clustered storage server system and the remote storage servers. |
| US08078619B2 |
Automated grouping of messages provided to an application using string similarity analysis
Messages which are provided to an application are monitored. Similarities between the messages are determined based on a distance algorithm, in one approach, and messages which are similar are assigned to a common group. For example, the messages may be HTTP messages which include a URL, HTTP header parameters and/or HTTP post parameters. The messages are parsed to derive a string which is used in the distance calculations. Additionally, application runtime data such as response times is obtained and aggregated for the group. Further, a representative message can be determined for each group for comparison to subsequent messages. Results can be reported which include a group identifier, representative message, count and aggregated runtime data. |
| US08078616B2 |
Method of quantitative analysis of corporate communication performance
A method for the analysis, benchmarking, and finally improvement of communications pertaining to the field of public relations is described. The methodology is based on a massively quantitative approach suitable for numerical processing. Furthermore, it takes into account data outside the realm of communications and the press, such as a company's commercial and financial market performance to normalise the quantitative results and facilitate comparisons between competitors. Taking into account proprietary data such as the communication budget of a client the performance of the communications effort can be benchmarked objectively. Finally, the method offers the resulting key performance indicators to a wide audience within the client company in a “cock-pit” style manner. |
| US08078610B2 |
Optimization technique for dealing with data skew on foreign key joins
A method for determining when a database system query optimizer should employ join skew avoidance steps. The method includes dynamically calculating the worst-case anticipated frequency distribution for a particular relation along a particular set of join column(s) at query execution time. The calculated frequency distribution value is compared to a skew threshold, the skew threshold representing the number of rows on the same distinct value that would lead to avoidable processing inefficiencies. It is then determined that the database system query optimizer should employ join skew avoidance steps if the calculated frequency distribution value exceeds the skew threshold. |
| US08078609B2 |
Method for distributed RDSMS
A method and potential embodiment for processing streaming data records is described which provides facilities for defining and naming multiple input and output data streams using relational processing definitions and abstractions similar to those found in relational database management systems (RDBMS) and embodied as a set of communicating stream processing nodes. The result is a Distributed Data Stream Management System (DDSMS) which is also a kind of Relational Data Stream Management System (RDSMS). The former comprises a set of Relational Data Stream Management System (RDSMS) nodes, whereas the latter might contain only a single RDSMS node. A unique combination of the method, means, capabilities, interfaces to and potential embodiments of its constituent elements, work together to provide a seamless and complete DDSMS, and in the optimization strategies and capabilities enabled therein, and in the method, means and embodiments of its stream processing nodes. |
| US08078607B2 |
Generating website profiles based on queries from webistes and user activities on the search results
In a method of profiling a website, an information server receives multiple search queries from a website submitted by different users. Different search results responsive to the search queries are provided to the requesting users. The information server monitors activities of the users on the search results and generates a profile for the website using the search queries and the user activities. When the information server receives a same search query from two different websites, it identifies a plurality of information items associated with the search query. The information server uses profiles of the two websites to customize the information items into two different orders and serves the information items to the two websites in the two different orders. |
| US08078602B2 |
Search engine for a computer network
In one embodiment, client-side programs are employed to observe the navigation of consumers to various websites. Addresses of web pages viewed by consumers may be used to fetch the web pages. A fetched web page may be parsed for one or more keywords. The relevance of the web page to a keyword may be ranked according to consumer preferences, which may relate to consumer interaction with the web page. Web pages and their ranking information may be stored in an index. The index may be consulted to find links to web pages relevant to a keyword employed in a search request. |
| US08078600B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, program, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus that can alleviate the stress of a user by clearly showing the acquisition status of contents data that is held by a peripheral device in a situation in which a plurality of devices are connected by a network. Contents data including metadata and image data that are held in the peripheral devices is acquired. A list of at least one of device data that represent the peripheral devices, the metadata, and the image data is displayed on the display unit in accordance with a stage of acquisition of the contents data by the contents data acquiring unit. |
| US08078598B2 |
Efficient SQL access to point data and relational data
Some embodiments include reception of a structured query language query, determination of at least one point data query and at least one relational data query based on the structured query language query, transmission of the at least one point data query to at least one point data server, transmission of the at least one relational data query to at least one relational data server, reception of point data and relational data in response to the point data query and the relational data query, and joining of the received point data and the received relational data into a result rowset. |
| US08078597B2 |
System and method for providing extensible controls in a communities framework
A communities framework is disclosed which contains resources in a repository. The repository contains data stored in nodes wherein each node has data associated with a collaboration resource and each resource has a set of properties or attributes. A server can provide a content object for wrapping the node wherein the content object defines the type of resource contained by the data in the node. An extensible control is provided that performs operations on the node thereby providing an interface to manipulating the node's data. The extensible controls can allow developers to easily create new resources. A generic control can further wrap the extensible control and be adapted to provide an abstracted interface to the content object. An extensible portlet can implement the extensible controls in order to provide users with the ability to add new properties and edit existing properties of the resource. |
| US08078595B2 |
Secure normal forms
Techniques for implementing secure normal forms are provided. In one embodiment, in response to a request for data from a client, a database server is operable to enforce a column-level security policy that is defined for a particular column of some, but not necessarily all, rows of a table stored in a database. After retrieving a set of rows from the table and before returning a result set of rows to the client, the database server modifies the retrieved set of rows into the result set of rows by applying the security policy to each row of the retrieved set of rows, where applying the security policy to a row comprises: determining whether the security policy is satisfied for the particular column of that row; replacing, in the result set of rows, a data value in the particular column of that row with a security-NULL value when the security policy is not satisfied; and including the data value in the particular column of that row into the result set of rows when the security policy is satisfied. After generating the result set of rows, the database server returns the result set of rows to the client. |
| US08078592B2 |
System and method for database integrity checking
A method is disclosed for checking the integrity of a database through a test of database integrity information provided in the database and integrity information provided external to the database. The integrity information may be provided in a configuration file. |
| US08078589B2 |
Software merging utility
A method and system merging a file across multiple versions of the file is provided. A file check-in request is identified. A merge candidate associated with the file is automatically identified. A view associated with the identified merge candidate is automatically identified. The file is merged with the merge candidate in the view, resulting in a merge result. |
| US08078588B2 |
Recoverable execution
Systems and methods for providing a one-step API that executes a series of atomic transactions in a database system. In one implementation, each atomic transaction is associated with a forward block of code that effects changes, an undo block of code that reverses the changes made by the forward block, and a state block of code that mimics successful execution of the forward block by setting internal states. In the event of a failure, the forward blocks, undo blocks, and state blocks can be used to roll forward or roll back changes as a whole. In one implementation, a one-step API for replicating data in a database is provided. |
| US08078587B2 |
Configuring a data protection system
A computer-implemented system configured to describe the relationship between a first Namespace and a second Namespace is provided. The system includes a containment relationship identifying a direct relationship between a first object of the first Namespace and a second object of the first Namespace. Moreover, the system includes a junction relationship linking the second object of the first Namespace to a first object of the second Namespace. In one embodiment, the system is configured to facilitate the recovery of information based on the descriptions of the Namespaces that is maintained. |
| US08078584B2 |
Document retrieving system, document retrieving apparatus, method, program and storage medium therefor
Each of two or more document management server stores a document and index data corresponding to the document. Of the index data stored in the two or more document management servers, index data corresponding to a document that satisfies a first retrieval condition is collected for storage. When a user requests retrieval based on a second retrieval condition, it is determined whether the first retrieval condition and the second retrieval condition are the same, and when the first and second conditions are the same, the document retrieval according to the user's instruction is performed by referring to the collected index data. |
| US08078580B2 |
Hybrid data archival method and system thereof
The present invention relates to a method and a system for obtaining both online and offline backups from one application with a single toggle operation. By performing the method of the present invention it would be possible to take hybrid backup of the data automatically according to a predetermined schedule. Also, the hybrid data backup method enables the easily retrieve the data. |
| US08078576B2 |
Network management information (NMI) distribution
A device associated with a network provides a query for specific network management information (NMI) to a registry, and receives, based on the query, metadata associated with the specific network management information (NMI). The device also provides a request for the specific network management information (NMI) to a plurality of producer devices identified from the metadata associated with the specific network management information (NMI), and receives one or more portions of the specific network management information (NMI) from each of the plurality of producer devices. The device further combines the one or more portions of the specific network management information (NMI) to create the specific network management information (NMI). |
| US08078568B2 |
Properties of data elements
Methods and computer program products relating to properties of data elements. A computer-implemented method for identifying a property of a data element includes receiving a request for at least one sought property of a data element. The data element is configured for use in semantically identifying information portions in electronic communications. The sought property is to be valid in a context defined by at least one context value indicated by the request. The method includes identifying the at least one sought property by evaluating at least one logical rule that defines at least one property of the data element as being valid for a specified context. The method includes generating an output in response to the request that indicates the at least one sought property. |
| US08078565B2 |
Organically ranked knowledge categorization in a knowledge management system
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to expert modeling in a KM system and provide method, system and computer program product for organically ranked knowledge and categorization for a KM system. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for organically ranked knowledge and categorization in a KM system can be provided. The method can include bookmarking answer content for a first end user of the knowledge management system, suggesting a set of categories previously associated with the answer content by other end users of the knowledge management system, and categorizing the bookmarked answer content with a category selected from the set of categories. |
| US08078562B2 |
Decomposing configuration problems
An artifact is configured whose constituting components and features are selectable via parameters in an interrelated set of parameters. A range of consistent configurations for the artifact is defined by a set of constraints restricting which variable values that are simultaneously selectable. A proposed storage means stores a problem description in the form of a part-of hierarchy and a list of step definitions. The part-of hierarchy includes at least two different parts and each step definition includes a pointer to a respective part in the part-of hierarchy. A processing means solves constraint satisfaction problems in response to input data designating parameter settings, and an application module creates and executes step instances, which are based on the list of step definitions. The step instances are executed sequentially, and the execution of each step instance involves: creating a CSP based on the part to which the pointer of the corresponding step definition points and any descendents to this part, presenting a range of variables wherein each variable has at least one selectable value assignable via a user-committed setting in the input data, solving the CSP of the step instance based on the user-committed settings and any variable values resulting from any preceding step instances in said sequence, and presenting the set of resulting variable values. The application module repeatedly prompts a user to enter input data to represent user-committed settings until all the step instances in said sequence have been executed. |
| US08078558B2 |
Method for optimizing inequality and equality constrained resources allocation problems in industrial applications
In industrial applications, the invention relates to various algorithms for determining optimal resources or assets allocations under various equality and inequality constraints. In particular, constrained quadratic or conic optimization problems of unique importance for portfolio asset allocation are seamlessly solved in analytic and efficient ways. In addition, by providing exact or analytic optimum expressions, robustness can be readily ascertained. |
| US08078553B2 |
Automatic translation of contracts to policies in policy-based networks
A system, method, and information processing system manage a network. At least one contract including one or more components is received at a network that uses a component based architecture. A first operation (422) in the set of operations associated with the contract (114) is mapped to a policy rule event (424) associated with at least one policy rule (116). A second operation (426) in the set of operations associated with the contract (114) is mapped to at least one policy rule condition (428) associated with the policy rule (116). A third operation (430) in the set of operations associated with the contract (116) is mapped to a policy rule action (432) associated with the policy rule (116). A fourth operation (440) in the set of operations associated with the contract (116) is mapped to a policy rule condition (442) associated with the other policy rule (420). |
| US08078552B2 |
Autonomous adaptive system and method for improving semiconductor manufacturing quality
An autonomous biologically based learning tool system and a method that the tool system employs for learning and analysis are provided. The autonomous biologically based learning tool system includes (a) one or more tool systems that perform a set of specific tasks or processes and generate assets and data related to the assets that characterize the various processes and associated tool performance; (b) an interaction manager that receives and formats the data, and (c) an autonomous learning system based on biological principles of learning. The autonomous learning system comprises a memory platform and a processing platform that communicate through a network. The network receives data from the tool system and from an external actor through the interaction manager. Both the memory platform and the processing platform include functional components and memories that can be defined recursively. Similarly, the one or more tools can be deployed recursively, in a bottom-up manner in which an individual autonomous tools is assembled in conjunction with other (disparate or alike) autonomous tools to form an autonomous group tool, which in turn can be assembled with other group tools to form a conglomerated autonomous tool system. Knowledge generated and accumulated in the autonomous learning system(s) associated with individual, group and conglomerated tools can be cast into semantic networks that can be employed for learning and driving tool goals based on context. |
| US08078549B2 |
Systems and methods for a label with postage API
A label and a method for providing a label to a user is described. The label may be a mailing label to be placed on letters or parcels. The label includes information such as postage, delivery address, return address, and a barcode for tracking delivery information. A user may request both a label and postage in what, to the user, appears to be a single computerized connection on a single internet web-page. A postage indicia is provided through a postage provider with whom the user has a deposit or credit. The label itself may be generated through a label-generating application hosted or generated by an entity separate from the postage provider. |
| US08078544B2 |
System and method for facilitating transactions between two or more parties
The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties. Electronic documents are received from a party and are posted to the secured account such that each party can retrieve and modify the electronic documents. Upon agreement, the electronically signed documents are provided to the parties. The present invention also provides a method for facilitating a proposed transaction between an originating party and a potential buying party using various levels of unrestricted and restricted descriptions of the proposed transaction tied to conditions of release. The requested restricted description is provided to the potential buying party whenever the potential buying party agrees to the one or more conditions of release for the requested restricted description. |
| US08078542B2 |
System and method for managing transfer of rights using shared state variables
A method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. |
| US08078541B2 |
Electronic musical apparatus for recording and reproducing music content
In an electronic musical apparatus, a media ID (MD1, MD2, MD3, MD4, MD5) is associated with each recording media of a memory card 8, hard disk device 10, flash memory ROM 11, CD-ROM 12 and internet 15. Each media ID is encrypted to be recorded on a different position in a ROM 2. Upon reading a music content, the media ID of the corresponding recording media is decoded to decode the music content based upon the media ID and the secret key, and then, the resultant is temporarily stored in a RAM 3. Upon writing a music content, it is encrypted based upon the media ID corresponding to a recording media and the secret key, and the content in the RAM 3 is deleted. This makes cryptanalysis hard to thereby enhance a protection level of a music content in an electronic musical apparatus. |
| US08078538B1 |
Systems and methods for remotely authenticating credit card transactions
A system for remotely authenticating credit card transactions of a consumer comprises at least one subsystem that alerts the consumer via a communication device of the consumer when a credit card transaction that meets certain criteria is being attempted on the consumer's credit card account. Also, a system for remotely authenticating credit card transactions of a consumer may comprise at least one subsystem that receives an authorization request from a merchant for completing the credit card transaction and at least one subsystem that disallows the transaction to complete if a response is received from the consumer rejecting the transaction. The communication device may be a cell phone, computer, PDA, land line telephone, or any other communication device. |
| US08078532B2 |
Smart card loading transactions using wireless telecommunications networks
A smart card transaction allows a consumer to load value onto a smart card and to make purchases using a smart card with a mobile telephone handset over the telecommunications network. For loading, the system includes: a mobile telephone handset including a card reader; a gateway computer; a funds issuer computer; and an authentication computer. The mobile telephone handset receives a request from a user to load a value onto the smart card. The handset generates a funds request message which includes the value and sends the funds request message to a funds issuer computer. The funds issuer computer debits an account associated with the user. Next, the handset generates a load request message with a cryptographic signature and sends the load request message to an authentication computer which authenticates the smart card. The handset receives a response message which includes a cryptographic signature and an approval to load. Finally, the handset validates the second cryptographic signature and loads the value onto the smart card. For payment, the system includes a merchant server and a payment server. First, the handset sends an order request message to the merchant server computer, and in return receives a purchase instruction message. The handset processes the purchase instruction message locally, and then sends a draw request message to a payment server computer. The payment server computer sends a debit message which includes a cryptographic signature and an approval to debit the smart card. Finally, the handset validates the cryptographic signature and debits the smart card. |
| US08078529B1 |
Evaluating customers' ability to manage revolving credit
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods and computer program products for evaluating customers' ability to manage revolving credit. To do so, for example, embodiments of the present invention review aggregated transaction data taken from a large number of revolving-credit accounts, and detect credit-usage patterns at an account level. The detected credit-usage patterns are then applied in risk models to evaluate individual customers' ability to manage revolving credit. |
| US08078527B2 |
Methods and systems for actively optimizing a credit score and managing/reducing debt
The invention provides various systems and methods for actively optimizing a credit score and reducing debt. The method includes receiving a credit report including credit accounts, balances, interest rates, and rate types for the credit accounts. The method further receives bank account and payroll information, as well as fixed and variable expense information. The method then generates a financial report based on the received information. Based on the financial report, the method calculates a payment amount, and determines available unassigned income. An allocation of the available income for debt reduction and credit score optimization is received, and the method dynamically allocates the funds to pay the credit accounts, the fixed expenses, and variable expenses such that the customer's debt is reduced and the customer's credit score is improved. |
| US08078524B2 |
Method and apparatus for explaining credit scores
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for explaining credit scores, for example in connection with a credit score explanation service, in which consumers can identify the sources of information used to establish their credit score, supply their credit report and credit score information in connection with their application for credit-related products and services, such as loans, and determine the effect on their credit score and cost for credit-related products and services based upon various hypothetical changes in their credit behavior. |
| US08078522B1 |
System and method for exchanging institutional research and trade order execution services
An embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for creating an electronic marketplace, utilizing an electronic non-currency unit of exchange, that provides for and facilitates the cost effective exchange of institutional research and trade order execution services between asset management firms and executing brokers in such manner as to substantially lower trading costs and improve investment performance on a recurring basis for the shareholders and beneficiaries investing in mutual funds and other investment portfolios. |
| US08078519B2 |
System and method for changing order priority levels in an electronic trading environment
A system and method for fee-based order priority level modification in an electronic trading environment are described. When an order reaches an exchange, a priority level of the order may be changed to a higher priority level, and the priority level of the order initially at the higher priority level may be changed to a lower priority level of the received order. In one embodiment, a trader who is gaining a higher priority level will be preferably charged a fee for having his order moved to the higher priority level, and at least a portion of that fee may be paid to a trader who is giving up his high priority level. |
| US08078518B2 |
ATM exception balancing system
An ATM exception balancing system is disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide a method of resolving image ATM transaction exceptions and enabling reconcilement of ATM transactions. An exception record can be created and stored for each batch of image ATM transactions wherein the credit and the debit for the batch of image ATM transactions do not match, and the exception record can be displayed to an analyst. Input can be received from the analyst indicating a resolution of an exception. Possible resolutions can include a general ledger entry, a customer adjustment, and/or an ICA/WIP entry. The system can optionally provide for reporting and performance analysis. Image ATM cash transactions, image ATM check transactions, or both, can be included. |
| US08078514B2 |
Double-blind financial services information marketplace
An information marketplace is provided in which information items are received from various sources. Each item and the item providers carry descriptors that identify various attributes of the information being provided and by whom it is being provided. Requests for information are received from information consumers that are also tagged with attributes describing the consumer and the information being requested. A subset of the information available in the marketplace is provided to the consumer based on a degree of match among the characteristics describing the information, the attributes associated with the provider of the information, and the attributes associated with the consumer without identifying the actionable investment opportunity to the information consumer or identifying the information consumer to the information provider. |
| US08078513B1 |
Normalized distributed exchange system
A real-time normalized, distributed exchange and barter system that allows multiple members to exchange multiple goods and services with other members of the system over a distributed network such as the Internet. The system may develop a plurality of permutations of trading cycles that allow for indirect exchanges between its members, with the option of using cash as an exchange element. The system may also develop permutations of trading cycles for sub-classes and sub-categories of the goods, services and exchange elements within the system, and choose an optimized set of trading cycles among the many trading-cycle permutations that cover the exchange system, based on criteria defined by the system's sponsor. The system may determine all possible cyclic permutations of exchanges between its members and select the cyclic permutation that best meets the defined criteria, also the system would be able to make suggestions or impersonate a user in order to close any open chains. |
| US08078511B2 |
Method and system for foreign exchange price procurement and automated hedging
In the present invention, a hedging engine processor and method monitors business transactions to provide foreign currency exchange hedging instructions and to provide foreign currency price information for goods of commerce. The hedging engine receives business transaction information that relate to purchases or sales of goods by a customer, receives hedging rules, that define rules to exchange a first type of currency to a second type of currency, and receives pricing rules, that define rules to update public foreign currency prices of the goods. The engine also generates public price information to provide foreign currency prices of the goods, based on the pricing rules, and generates hedging instruction information to provide instructions on whether to exchange from the first type of currency to the second type of currency, based on the hedging rules. |
| US08078507B1 |
Method for mobile electronic commerce
A method and a system for real time mobile electronic commerce transactions, utilizing smart wireless RF tags, a mobile communication device, and a central server. The method describes utilization of a ubiquitous mobile communication device such as cell phone, PDA, laptop computer and other stationary and mobile devices for enabling execution of electronic commerce transactions in conjunction with items, products and services that are identified by either embedded or attached smart wireless RF tags. The system describes the means for the individual mobile device user and or the store to conduct transactions seamlessly with a mobile device, a central server, a multi-channel multiplexing transmitter/receiver and smart wireless RF tags. The system provides information about prices and transactions involving products and services in real time over a wireless link and enables the user and the vendor to track transactions in real time for customer utility such as price comparison, real time execution of transactions utilizing the mobile device as a point of sale terminal; and further enables the vendor to manage inventory, supply chains, automated checkout, payment, loss prevention and security. The system further teaches a method for mobile commerce transaction in one or more languages utilizing smart wireless RF tagged items. Additionally, a method and system for enhancing the information contained within the smart wireless RF tags is described. |
| US08078505B2 |
Method and system for automatically updating a seller application utilized in a network-based transaction facility
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically updating a seller application upon connecting to a network-based transaction facility. The method includes receiving a request, by a seller application, to connect to the network-based transaction facility. The method also includes determining whether a category update exists for a category data structure maintained by the seller application. The method further includes downloading the category update to the seller application for each updating of a category data structure maintained by the seller application utilizing the downloaded category update. |
| US08078497B1 |
Distinguishing search results associated with an electronic commerce system
A search engine communicates with a broker to identify search result content associated with merchants that support purchases through an electronic commerce system provided by the broker. The results of a search can include some content associated with merchants that support purchases through the broker, some content associated with merchants that do not support purchases through the broker, and some content not associated with any merchant. The search engine visually distinguishes content in the search results associated with merchants that support purchases through the broker by displaying a badge, such as a graphical icon, with the content. The search engine can use different types of badges to indicate different characteristics of the merchants. |
| US08078495B2 |
Point-of-sale display system
A computer-implemented method for data display is provided, which includes receiving a request for a product from a customer in a first line at a retail location having multiple adjacent customer lines. An advertisement is selected responsively to the requested product, and is displayed on a customer-facing electronic display positioned at a second line, which is in proximity to the first line. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08078492B2 |
Providing consumers with incentives for healthy eating habits
A method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives are provided. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the individual health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual. |
| US08078490B2 |
Method and apparatus for corporate voting
A proxy voting system enables an investor with a large number of investments to efficiently manage and vote proxies. A shareholder enters preferences regarding how to vote his or her proxies into a computer system, which then screens the received proxies, automatically enters the shareholder's preferences onto the proxy card and returns the completed proxy card to the appropriate election authority at the proper time. The system includes a central controller, a user interface for each investor, a proxy server and a manual entry subsystem, which provides an interface for those corporations that are not equipped to handle electronic formatted proxies. |
| US08078483B1 |
Systems and methods for queuing access to network resources
One embodiment of the present invention provides apparatus and methods for queuing access by large numbers of Internet or other network-based users to networked systems and resources with limited capacity. In one example embodiment, a queuing system provides user access to network resources, such as that of a ticketing system. A ticket queue queues a request received from a client system. A request processing module causes the client system to repeatedly transmit messages to the system during a first period, and in response to determining that the client system has ceased transmitting messages during the first period, the request is remove from the queue and/or cause the request goes unfulfilled. |
| US08078482B2 |
Method for underwriting multinational insurance business in accordance with national and international laws
A method for providing insurance, which includes steps of issuing a first insurance policy covering risk disposed in one or more different countries, determining if one or more of the countries prohibit insurance issued by foreign insurers, and subsequently issuing one or more additional insurance policies, if such insurance is prohibited. The additional insurance policies may be issued in each country, or for groups of countries. |
| US08078479B2 |
Methods and systems for prescribing sample prescriptions
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing sample prescriptions electronically and creating a complete data set of information regarding the life-cycle of the sample prescription. In one embodiment, a sample prescription system comprises a management module that stores files corresponding to sample prescriptions. Each corresponding file is linked to a unique sample code. The sample code and linked file together comprise an electronic history of the sample's life-cycle, which is built dynamically over time into a comprehensive code containing all information relevant to a prescribed sample and it's path to consumption. |
| US08078476B2 |
Cross-platform calendar notifications
Systems, methods, and machine-readable media to provide notification of calendar events across multiple platforms of potentially diverse types. In one embodiment, a method of cross-platform calendar notification can comprise detecting an occurrence of a previously set calendar event. Profile information for a user associated with the calendar event can be read and one or more end devices to which to provide notification of the occurrence of the calendar event can be determined based on the profile information. A notification message can be generated indicating occurrence of the calendar event. The notification message can be sent to each of the one or more end devices. |
| US08078470B2 |
System for indicating emotional attitudes through intonation analysis and methods thereof
The present invention discloses means and method for indicating emotional attitudes of a speaker, either human or animal, according to voice intonation. The invention also discloses a method for advertising, marketing, educating, or lie detecting by indicating emotional attitudes of a speaker and a method of providing remote service by a group comprising at least one observer to at least one speaker. The invention also discloses a system for indicating emotional attitudes of a speaker comprising a glossary of intonations relating intonations to emotions attitudes. |
| US08078465B2 |
System and method for detection and analysis of speech
Certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for monitoring and analyzing the language environment and the development of a key child. A key child's language environment and language development can be monitored without placing artificial limitations on the key child's activities or requiring a third party observer. The language environment can be analyzed to identify words, vocalizations, or other noises directed to or spoken by the key child, independent of content. The analysis can include the number of responses between the child and another, such as an adult and the number of words spoken by the child and/or another, independent of content of the speech. One or more metrics can be determined based on the analysis and provided to assist in improving the language environment and/or tracking language development of the key child. |
| US08078462B2 |
Apparatus for creating speaker model, and computer program product
A transformation-parameter calculating unit calculates a first model parameter indicating a parameter of a speaker model for causing a first likelihood for a clean feature to maximum, and calculates a transformation parameter for causing the first likelihood to maximum. The transformation parameter transforms, for each of the speakers, a distribution of the clean feature corresponding to the identification information of the speaker to a distribution represented by the speaker model of the first model parameter. A model-parameter calculating unit transforms a noisy feature corresponding to identification information for each of speakers by using the transformation parameter, and calculates a second model parameter indicating a parameter of the speaker model for causing a second likelihood for the transformed noisy feature to maximum. |
| US08078461B2 |
Robust noise estimation
An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution. |
| US08078460B2 |
Method and apparatus for noise suppression
In a noise suppression apparatus for suppressing noise contained in a speech signal, the speech signal is converted to a first vector of spectral speech components and a second vector of spectral speech components identical to the first vector. A vector of noise suppression coefficients is determined based on the first vector spectral speech components. A vector of estimated noise components is determined based on the first vector spectral speech components, and a speech section correction factor and a nonspeech section correction factor are calculated from the estimated noise components and the first-vector spectral speech components to produce a combined correction factor. The noise suppression coefficients are weighted by the combined correction factor to produce a vector of post-suppression coefficients. The second vector spectral speech components are weighted by the post-suppression coefficients to produce a vector of enhanced speech components. |
| US08078451B2 |
Interface and methods for collecting aligned editorial corrections into a database
A method for providing aligned editorial corrections to a database is discussed. The method includes receiving a first text in a language and organizing the first text into one or more sentences. The method further includes editing a copy of the first text to create a second text. The second text is in the language of the first text. The method further includes aligning the sentences of the first text with corresponding sentences of the second text storing the aligned sentences on a computer readable medium. A system for providing a data structure having aligned editorial corrections is also discussed. The system includes an alignment component for receiving a first text and organizing the first text into sentences. The system also includes a user interface configured to provide a second text, wherein the second text is an edited version of the first text in the language of the first text. |
| US08078447B2 |
Charge-based miller coefficient computation
A method of estimating a Miller coefficient for an aggressor network and a victim network coupled by a coupling capacitor includes synthesizing a reduced order system from the aggressor network and the victim network, estimating an active area across the coupling capacitor for an aggressor induced noise signal based on the reduced order system, calculating an estimate of the Miller coefficient based on the active area of the aggressor induced noise signal, and outputting the calculated estimate of the Miller coefficient. |
| US08078445B2 |
Load characterization in servo drive systems
Systems and methods that characterizes a load as a function of position/movement of mechanical components—as induced by such load in the servo-drive system. By running a plurality of motion profiles, corresponding torque/forces that generate such motions can be calculated and readily represented (e.g., as a table) in form of a position dependent load. In addition, a parsing component can decompose or break up a load (which generates a desired motion) to its subparts or constituent values for further simulation analysis. |
| US08078444B2 |
Method for performing oilfield production operations
A method is disclosed for optimal lift resource allocation, which includes optimally allocating lift resource under a total lift resource constraint or a total production constraint, the allocating step including distributing lift resource among all lifted wells in a network so as to maximize a liquid/oil rate at a sink. |
| US08078443B2 |
Method and system for generating configuration constraints for computer models
A bill of material and a design layout are aligned to generate a configuration for a virtual vehicle. The bill of material includes a part number and usage associated with a part. The design layout includes a CAD model of the part. CAD models in vehicle position are generated from the design layout. Logical positions are identified based on the usage and the CAD models in vehicle position are associated with the logical positions. Feature conditions are applied to the CAD models in vehicle position representing content and position configuration. |
| US08078430B2 |
System and method for providing notes in measurement devices
A measurement device. The measurement device comprises a note control component, adapted to obtain and record a note that is input with respect to a measuring event of the measurement device; and a Central Processing Unit (CPU), adapted to link the note with the measuring event. |
| US08078427B2 |
Calibration curve fit method and apparatus
A data analysis method includes automatically generating a set of curve fits for a data set from a mass spectrometer. The set of curve fits includes a plurality of suggested curve fits, each associated with a curve fit equation type. For each suggested curve fit, a fit metric is generated that indicates how well the curve fit matches the data set. Thereafter, a user interface is displayed that includes a table of user selectable suggested curve fits for display. A default suggested curve fit having a highest fit metric is displayed. A user override selection may be received for displaying at least one of the suggested curve fits in the table. The set of suggested curve fits under consideration can be filtered to conform with user requirements. |
| US08078421B1 |
Multi-cell disk drive test system providing a power recovery mode
A multi-cell disk drive test system that provides a power recovery mode is disclosed. The multi-cell disk drive test system includes a test platform having a plurality of cells configured to receive and to provide communication with disk drives loaded therein, respectively, and test logic. The test logic is coupled to a cell and is configured to operate a test application to: execute a series of test modules to test a disk drive loaded in the cell; switch from a normal mode to a power recovery mode responsive to a power recovery flag relating to a power failure; and in the power recovery mode, read a test sequence index identifying a last completed test module before the power failure and execute a subsequent series of test modules following the last completed test module for the disk drive. |
| US08078417B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling charging and discharging power storage device
At time t1 an ignition-off command (IGOFF(1)) is received. In response, a CPU refers to an estimated battery temperature map to obtain an estimated battery temperature (#Tb(1)) corresponding to an outside air temperature (Tout) obtained at time t1. At time t2, an ignition-on command (IGON(1)) is received. In response, the CPU obtains an actual battery temperature (Tb(1)) obtained at time t2 and from the estimated battery temperature (#Tb(1)) and the actual battery temperature (Tb(1)) calculates a modified, estimated battery temperature (#Tb_NEW(1)) for the first received ignition-on command (IGON(1)). Furthermore the CPU updates a value corresponding to the outside air temperature (Tout) obtained at time t1 in the estimated battery temperature map to be the corrected, estimated battery temperature (#Tb_NEW(1)). |
| US08078416B2 |
Remaining electrical charge/remaining capacity estimating method, battery state sensor and battery power source system
A method for estimating a remaining electrical charge or a remaining capacity of a battery that supplies power to a load, the method including: using, at a controller of a battery system, an approximate exponential decay function including a plurality of exponential function terms of time and a plurality of coefficients; stopping, at the battery system, a charge or discharge operation of the battery for a predetermined time; measuring, at a sensor of the battery system, a voltage of the battery at a plurality of instances during the predetermined time; obtaining, at the controller of the battery system, a relationship between the voltage of the battery and time; determining, at the controller of the battery system, the coefficients based on the obtained relationship between the voltage of the battery and the time. |
| US08078413B2 |
System to determine connector leaks during testing
A system for evaluating the leak tightness of a connector, or multiple connectors. The system uses an administrative server having a library of pressure and temperature information on various connectors, as well as the ability to report pressure and temperature data to a network as uncorrected and corrected responses. The system uses a data logger for recording pressure and temperature readings and also reporting corrected and uncorrected responses using one or more equations to shorten the test time by at least 50 percent or to about 5 minutes or less. The system uses a test pump for applying pressure to a connector to generate a corrected pressure which indicates leaks when the corrected pressure changes. |
| US08078411B2 |
Method and apparatus for chromatographic data processing
A chromatographic analyzer is provided for facilitating curve fitting by means of the linear least-square method for a chromatogram that contains a plurality of overlapping peaks. A chromatographic data processor executes fitting processing to each peak in an arbitrary time region having the plurality of peaks of the chromatogram starting from the front or back side of the time region or from the back side of the time region, and the processed peaks are subtracted from the chromatogram in the time region so that the plurality of peaks in the chromatogram can be separated from one another. |
| US08078407B1 |
System and method for identifying disease-influencing genes
The present invention describes a system and method of using individuals' behavioral and physiologic information to identify disease-influencing genes. |
| US08078406B2 |
Processing seismic data in common group-center gathers
A method for processing seismic data. The method includes plotting a travel-time curve and one or more actual times that each seismic receiver receives one or more seismograms on a graph. The travel-time curve represents an approximate time that each seismic receiver in a seismic survey area receives the seismograms. The method may further include determining a residual static shift for each seismogram and using the residual static shift to estimate a time shift correction. The residual static shift represents a difference between an actual time in which a seismic receiver received a seismogram and a time on the travel-time curve that corresponds to the actual time. The time shift correction corrects a timing error in the time indicated by the travel-time curve. |
| US08078404B2 |
Tracing injected fluids
Method for recognizing one or more properties of a geological formation by the injection of a fluid into at least one borehole within the formation. The injection fluid either has a different resistivity to the formation and/or formation fluids or has the capacity to change the resistivity of the formation and/or formation fluids. Resistivity mapping is undertaken to determine the distribution of the injected fluid and to therefore understand the permeability structure and fluid distribution of the formation. In addition the injected fluid or mixture of injected and formation fluids can be ignited. By making consecutive resistivity mapping of the formation at selected time intervals during injection, the flow path of injected fluid can be determined by using the collected time lapse resistivity data. |
| US08078403B2 |
Determining permeability using formation testing data
A method, system and computer program product for determining permeability of an earth formation of a reservoir are disclosed. A method may include: providing formation testing data of the earth formation; defining layering of the earth formation; determining a geological model for each layer; modeling pressure transient in the earth formation by representing pressure transient within a layer using an analytical solution and representing pressure transient between two layers using a numerical solution, the analytical solution selected based on at least one of the respective geological model and data regarding a drilled well of the reservoir, and a parameter of the analytical solution and a parameter of the numerical solution being determined based on the formation testing data; and determining the permeability of the earth formation based on the pressure transient model. |
| US08078402B2 |
Method of ranking geomarkers and compositional allocation of wellbore effluents
A method of method of determining relative contributions of two or more producing subterranean sources to a total flow is described using the steps of selecting a subset from a set of identifiable components in the total flow and using the subset to determine the relative contributions of two or more producing subterranean sources, wherein the subset is selected based on the sensitivity of the determination step to errors in the measurement of concentrations of said identifiable components. |
| US08078398B2 |
Methods and apparatus for geo-collaboration
Methods and computer readable medium for collaborating on geographical maps between two or more computers are disclosed. In particular, sharing a geographical location on a map between two or more computers and co-navigating a map between two or more computers are disclosed. With respect to sharing a geographical location, the geographical location is retrieved to the first computer. The geographical location is added to the map being rendered at the first computer and is sent to a second computer. A map including the geographical location is rendered at the second computer. With respect to co-navigating, a map is displayed from a map perspective at the first computer. The map perspective is sent to the second computer. A map from the same map perspective being displayed at the first computer is rendered at the second computer. |
| US08078392B2 |
Unburned fuel amount-estimating device in engine and temperature-estimating device of exhaust emission purifier
There is provided with an ECU for estimating an unburned fuel amount (HC) emitted from an engine after fuel combustion or a temperature of a DPF based upon a required engine operating condition as a control target value. An exhaust gas temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of an exhaust gas emitted directly from the engine is provided. A program for compensating for an estimation error in regard to an estimation value of the unburned fuel amount estimated from the required engine operating condition, that is, an operating condition difference amount between the required engine operating condition and an actual engine operating condition, based upon an engine exhaust gas temperature detected from the exhaust gas temperature sensor is provided. |
| US08078390B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting vehicle-related information in and out of a vehicle
A method for transmitting vehicle-related information in and out of a vehicle and an apparatus for carrying out the method are disclosed. The method includes the steps of (i) receiving location information via reception means for position finding, (ii) evaluating vehicle-related information and location information via means for coordinating an interaction between the communication means, the reception means and means for wireless radio networking, (iii) transmitting vehicle-related information and the location information to mobile terminals carried in the vehicle by wireless radio networking comprising one bi-directional communication link, and (iv) indicating the vehicle-related information and location information audibly, visually, haptically, or any combination thereof, within a reproduction unit in the mobile terminals. |
| US08078389B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a normal combustion characteristic for an internal combustion engine from an accelerometer signal
The method comprises operating a calibration engine, and collecting combustion characteristic data and reference accelerometer signals, which are correlated with each other and stored in a calibration table. The calibration table can be used by an engine to determine a real-time normal combustion characteristic when the engine is operating by collecting a real-time accelerometer sensor signal and cross correlating with the correlated data stored in the calibration table. Accordingly, the apparatus comprises a calibration engine comprising a calibration sensor, a reference accelerometer sensor and a data storage device for storing the collected calibration data that is correlated with the collected reference accelerometer signals, and an engine equipped with an accelerometer sensor, a calibration table and an electronic engine controller programmed to receive real-time accelerometer signals and cross correlate them with reference accelerometer signals to determine a real-time normal combustion characteristic. |
| US08078384B2 |
Engine control using spark restrike/multi-strike
Systems and methods for controlling an internal combustion engine include determining presence of charge dilution and selecting a spark restrike mode to provide multiple spark events during a single combustion cycle. Charge dilution may be determined based on commanded air/fuel ratio and exhaust gas recirculation, for example. Multiple spark events may be controlled using time-based restrike or current-based restrike in response to one or more operating parameters or conditions. |
| US08078381B2 |
Vehicle speed control apparatus in accordance with curvature of vehicle trajectory
In order to fit a driver's driving feeling, a vehicle speed control system includes a unit that calculates the instantaneous curvature and a unit that controls vehicle speed. The system reduces the vehicle speed when the instantaneous curvature tends to increase, and enhances it when the instantaneous curvature tends to decrease. |
| US08078380B2 |
Control device for vehicle automatic running
An electronic throttle control system has a throttle valve to be operated by an electric motor, and an electronic control unit for calculating a target opening degree of the throttle valve depending on a first preset vehicle speed desired by a vehicle driver, so that a vehicle is controlled to automatically run at the preset vehicle speed. When an external module, for example, an ACC module, is added to the electronic throttle control system, and a second preset vehicle speed is inputted from the external module to the electronic control unit the electronic, the electronic control unit selects one of the first and second preset vehicle speeds, which is lower than the other. Then, the target opening degree of the throttle valve is calculated based on the selected preset vehicle speed. |
| US08078379B2 |
Traffic light prediction system
A traffic system that helps a driver to save fuel by avoiding red light or by minimized fuel supply before stopping a red light. It predicts the colors of a traffic light and automatically control the speed of the vehicle. The system comprising three kinds of moving sections representing three future colors: green, yellow, and red. The moving sections are moving towards the traffic light. There is a microprocessor in each vehicle to receive messages from the traffic light in front and to calculate an optimal speed to the cruise control in the vehicle. |
| US08078378B2 |
Hill start assist system
A hill start assist system for a tractor includes a pressure reduction valve receiving air from an air supply source, a solenoid valve having a supply port connected to a delivery port of the pressure reduction valve, a double check valve receiving air from a foot brake valve and from the solenoid valve, a tractor protection valve receiving air from the solenoid valve and from front and rear brake circuits of the tractor and an inversion valve having a control line connected to the solenoid, a supply port connected to the delivery line of the tractor protection valve, an exhaust port connected to the foot brake valve and a delivery line connected to a stop light switch. |
| US08078371B2 |
Method and apparatus to monitor output of an electro-mechanical transmission
Controlling a hybrid powertrain includes monitoring an operator torque request, determining maximum and minimum allowable transmission output torques based upon the operator torque request, determining a commanded transmission output torque, and comparing the commanded transmission output torque and each of the maximum and minimum allowable transmission output torques. |
| US08078365B2 |
Control system for a wheelchair having movable parts
The invention relates to a control system for controlling a wheelchair having movable parts. The control system comprises a controller and a number of actuators for effectuating movements of the movable parts. The controller comprises a mathematical model of the kinematics of the movable parts and their respective at least one actuator, means for receiving an input signal from one or more of the actuators, and means for setting, based on the mathematical model, limiting positions of the actuators in response to the determined input signal. The invention also relates to a corresponding wheelchair and method of controlling a wheelchair. |
| US08078364B2 |
Vehicle seat apparatus
A vehicle seat apparatus includes: a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between the frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of the outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the outward direction of the vehicle and the inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the inward direction of the vehicle; a traveling route information obtainment unit that obtains information on a traveling route along which the vehicle travels; and a control unit that controls the operation of the swiveling drive unit based on the information obtained by the traveling route information obtainment unit. |
| US08078363B2 |
On-vehicle electronic device control system
An on-vehicle electronic device control system includes a base-device-layer on which base-inputting-devices and base-driven-devices are disposed and plural control layers on which plural control units are disposed. Each of the control units has a lower-to-higher-layer-data-input-portion for inputting data from a lower layer and a higher-to-lower-layer-data-output-portion for outputting control-command-data to a lower layer. At least one of the control units disposed on one of the control layers has a higher-to-lower-data-input-portion for inputting data from a higher layer. At least one of the control units disposed on one of the control layers has a lower-to-higher-data output-portion for outputting data to a higher layer and one of the control units that has the higher-to-lower-data-input-portion functions as a coordinative-control-command-unit that determines output data based on both data inputted thereto from a higher layer and input data from a lower layer and also functions as an autonomous-control-command-unit that determines the output data based only on the input data from the lower layer if the input data from the higher layer are stopped. |
| US08078362B2 |
Electrostatic seat occupant detection system
An electrostatic seat occupant detecting system of a vehicle has a vehicle body and a seat. The electrostatic seat occupant detecting system includes an antenna unit that includes a main electrode and a sub-electrode disposed near the main electrode, an AC power source, a switch unit for switching supply of AC voltage to the antenna unit to form one of a first electric field between the vehicle body and the main electrode thereby providing a seat-occupant detecting mode and a second electric field between the main electrode and the sub-electrode thereby providing a wet condition detecting mode, and a seat-occupant detecting ECU. The above seat-occupant detecting ECU includes an admittance calculating section that calculates a first admittance of the first electric field and a second admittance of the second electric field, a conductance susceptance separating section that separates conductance of the first and second admittance from the susceptance of the first and second admittances, a water content estimating section that estimates an amount of water content of the seat based on the conductance and the susceptance of the second admittance, and a judging section that judges whether a seat occupant is present or not based on one of the conductance and susceptance of the first admittance and the estimated amount of the water content of the seat. |
| US08078361B2 |
Method and device for assisting a motor vehicle server in the vehicle stabilization
Disclosed is a method for assisting an operator of a vehicle in adjusting a nominal steering angle at steerable wheels of the vehicle for the vehicle stabilization. An additional steering torque is applied to the steering line of the vehicle, which is determined dependent on a difference between a nominal steering angle and an instantaneous steering angle. The method is characterized in that a value of a load moment acting on the steering line of the vehicle is estimated, and that the additional steering torque is established dependent on the estimated value for the load moment. |
| US08078360B2 |
Control apparatus of a variable damping force damper
A control apparatus of a variable damping force damper comprises first and second low-pass filters for cutting off high frequency components of a target current of the damper, where the first and second low-pass filters have different response characteristics. The control apparatus further comprises a low-pass filter selection unit for selecting one of the first and second low-pass filters based on at least one of the dynamic state of the vehicle body and the road surface condition. |
| US08078355B2 |
Failure-diagnosis information collection system
A failure-diagnosis information collection system facilitates failure diagnosis in a vehicle. Electronic control units (ECUs) constituting an onboard network perform abnormality detection processing for a detected abnormality. When a duration during which an abnormality recognizing condition for a detected abnormality is established reaches an abnormality recognition time, abnormality information and a principal time stamp associated with the time point are stored. When the abnormality recognizing condition is established for the first time, a first preliminary time stamp that is time-instant information associated with the time point is stored. When the duration during which the abnormality recognizing condition is established reaches half of the abnormality recognition time, a second preliminary time stamp that is time-instant information associated with the time point is stored. Consequently, an abnormality that is a major factor having triggered other multiple abnormalities can be readily identified based on the first and second preliminary time stamps. |
| US08078354B2 |
Global product management of a vehicle and a fleet of vehicles
A system and method for global product management includes an onboard microserver located on a vehicle, a plurality of subsystem microservers, and a ground mirror database configured to be located remote of the vehicle. The onboard microserver includes a computer processor, memory storage, and a web-based server enabling local and remote communications to and from the onboard microserver using standard internet protocols. The plurality of subsystem microservers are configured to communicate with the onboard microserver and each other. The ground mirror database includes a replica of data contained on the onboard microserver and the subsystem microservers, and the database and the onboard microserver are configured for two-way communications and data transfers. The ground mirror database operates as a gatekeeper for all information sent to and from the onboard microserver by monitoring, authorizing and controlling a dissemination of data to and from the onboard microserver. |
| US08078350B2 |
Autonomous flight method
The method relates to autonomous flights performed by aircraft without the assistance of an aircrew and without said flights having been scheduled during mission preparation. It comprises negotiation with an air traffic control authority, of the modifications made to the flight plan so as to integrate these autonomous flights into the existing air traffic with minimum disturbance. |
| US08078349B1 |
Transitioning a mixed-mode vehicle to autonomous mode
Disclosed are methods and devices for transitioning a mixed-mode autonomous vehicle from a human driven mode to an autonomously driven mode. Transitioning may include stopping a vehicle on a predefined landing strip and detecting a reference indicator. Based on the reference indicator, the vehicle may be able to know its exact position. Additionally, the vehicle may use the reference indictor to obtain an autonomous vehicle instruction via a URL. After the vehicle knows its precise location and has an autonomous vehicle instruction, it can operate in autonomous mode. |
| US08078347B2 |
Control device for watercraft propulsion system
A control device for a watercraft propulsion system can reduce wear of a shift mechanism, can achieve an automated extremely slow speed navigation and easy watercraft navigation, and can negate differences between watercraft navigation skills of watercraft operators. A remote control operation section includes a remote controller shift lever. A watercraft propulsion section includes a shift change unit and a shift actuator arranged to drive the shift change unit, a main control section arranged to control an operation of the shift actuator based upon an operational amount of the remote controller shift lever, an auxiliary control section arranged to control a watercraft to move at an extremely slow speed, and a changeover section arranged to select one of the main control section and an auxiliary control section. The auxiliary control section includes a data table for moving a watercraft hull at an extremely slow speed, and the auxiliary control section outputs an execution instruction of extremely slow speed navigation to the shift actuator by selecting one of extremely slow speed navigation instructing data from the data table. |
| US08078342B2 |
Method for active power management and allocation of functionality
Methods for active power management, i.e., the power management method may be activated in response to changes in the supply and demand of power in a system, are disclosed. The power management method may use dynamically collected data reporting levels of electrical power utilized by systems while matching them to the available power. One embodiment of the present invention may be applied in smaller or medium sized systems. Another embodiment of the present invention may be implemented making use of additional aircraft resources, such as an integrated modular avionics (IMA) line replaceable unit (LRU) in larger sized systems. Both of these embodiments may make use of data collected from systems utilizing or generating electrical via the bus power control unit (BPCU) LRU, the data processing taking place either locally in the BPCU (small or medium sized systems) or in the IMA (larger systems). |
| US08078341B2 |
Method of applying an HTMB guidance directive
A method of applying a “Heading Then Merge Behind” (HTMB) guidance directive sent by an air traffic control center to an aircraft comprising a flight management system, the flight management system making it possible to automatically follow the trajectory of an active flight plan. The method includes reception and validation of the directive by the flight management system, confirmation by the pilot of the aircraft of the application of the directive, creation by the flight management system of a flight plan incorporating the directive, activation by the pilot of the flight plan incorporating the directive, so that the directive is executed automatically by the flight management system while following the trajectory of the flight plan incorporating the directive. |
| US08078340B2 |
Active user interface haptic feedback and linking control system using either force or position data
A system and method are provided for supplying haptic feedback to, and for electronically linking, pilot and co-pilot user interfaces. The user interface haptic feedback and linking are implemented using either force or position data. If the force or position data become unavailable, then position or force data, respectively, are used to implement the user interface haptic feedback and linking. |
| US08078337B2 |
Control of an adjustable bed through a network
An adjustable bed is controlled through a network. When controlled through a telephone network, a phone provides communication with a control box for the adjustable bed, and optionally a second system associated with the bed and controlled through the control box. When controlled through an internetwork such as the Internet, functions of the adjustable bed and optionally functions of a second system associated with the adjustable bed can be controlled. The network can be wired, wireless, near field, or wide band. |
| US08078336B2 |
Two-way communication between a bed facility controller and a remote control for the bed facility
A remote control communicates via two-way communication with a controller for a bed facility to allow a user of the remote control to control a function of the bed facility. Adjustable features of an adjustable bed can be controlled through the two-way communication. Inflation or other features of an air mattress can be controlled through the two-way communication. Two-way communication is supported by either a wired connection or a wireless connection such as Bluetooth, USB, ultra wideband, and the like. The two-way communication also supports the remote control controlling a second system that is associated with the adjustable bed. |
| US08078332B2 |
Methods for managing high or low voltage conditions from selected areas of a power system of a utility company
Methods are provided for managing high or low voltage conditions from selected areas of a power system of a utility company. Rubber-banding or lassoing is used to select geographic areas. Potential low or high voltage situations are identified in the selected geographic areas. Geographic displays are overlayed with superimposed VAR reserves to create overlayed geographic displays for the selected geographic areas. The overlayed geographic displays are used to identify potential low or high voltage instances in the selected geographic areas. |
| US08078331B2 |
Power supply control system and method of controlling power supply
A power supply control system includes a plurality of electronic control units, a monitoring device, a power source line coupled with each of the electronic control units for supplying an operating voltage to each of the electronic control units, and a power source switch disposed on the power source line. The monitoring device calculates a deactivating threshold value based on an assigned threshold value of each of the electronic control units set in accordance with an operating state of each of the electronic control units. The monitoring device deactivates the power source switch so as to stop the supply of the operating voltage to all of the electronic control units when an electric current value of the power source line is greater than the deactivating threshold value. |
| US08078328B2 |
System, program product, and related methods for performing automated real-time reservoir pressure estimation enabling optimized injection and production strategies
Systems, program product, and methods for providing real-time reservoir management of one or more reservoirs across one or more fields are provided. A system can include multiple monitoring wells and at least one injection well in communication with a central facility including a reservoir management computer or server positioned to provide real-time reservoir management of the one or more reservoirs. The computer can include, stored in memory, reservoir management program code, which when executed, can cause the computer to perform the operations of calibrating an injection well model for each of one or more injection wells positioned in a reservoir responsive to real-time injection rate and wellhead pressure data associated therewith, calculating static reservoir pressure for each of the injection wells responsive to the respective calibrated injection well model and responsive to respective surface injection rate and wellhead pressure data, and generating real-time automated isobaric pressure maps. |
| US08078325B2 |
Usage monitoring HVAC control method
Systems and methods are described for a usage monitoring HVAC control method. A method, includes: receiving a request for an additional period of heating ventilation and air conditioning system services from a requesting system user, the requesting system user composing a plurality of system users; maintaining a data structure in an on board memory of a programmable thermostat, the data structure including a list of time entries, each time entry associated with one of the plurality of system users; and updating the data structure by adding a duration in units of time to the time associated with the requesting system user. |
| US08078322B2 |
Method and arrangement for the online regulation of a batch process in a bioreactor
The invention relates to the online regulation of a batch process in a bioreactor. According to the invention, spectra of the actual charge in the bioreactor are recorded at successive points during the running batch process. A measuring vector is produced, for each spectrum, in the low-dimensional main constituent region by the main constituent analysis of the high-dimensional spectra. The deviation is calculated between the measuring vector and a corresponding vector of a nominal trajectory consisting of measuring vectors of a reference charge, which are determined in an earlier batch process, and at least one adjustment operation for the batch process is determined and carried out according to said deviation. The direction of the adjustment operation is maintained when the deviation determined from one point to the next decreases, and modified when the deviation determined from one point to the next remains the same or increases. |
| US08078321B2 |
Behavior control system
A behavior control system is capable of causing an agent carry out a task by smooth motions. The behavior control system makes it possible to reproduce a typical shape characteristic of a reference trajectory, i.e., the characteristic of a motion of an instructor carrying out a task, by using a first model defined on the basis of a plurality of reference trajectories representing the position of a first state variable in a time-series manner. Further, a learning trajectory representing the position of a second state variable in a time-series manner is generated on the basis of a second model, which represents an agent's motion in which the position of the second state variable corresponding to the first state variable and one or a plurality of time differential values (a displacing velocity and acceleration) thereof continuously change, in addition to the first model. |
| US08078318B2 |
Appliance control apparatus and method
An appliance control apparatus acquires, at intervals of predetermined time, a state data including values of operation states of respective appliances, stores the state data as one record in a memory, to store time-series records, classifies the records in the memory into a plurality of living situation groups by clustering the records, and calculates, for each living situation group, a barycenter of each operation state, determines, for a target state data, one of the living situation groups to which the target state data belongs, determines one of the operation states whose value in the target state data is larger than corresponding barycenter in the one of the living situation groups, and determines the barycenter as a recommended value, and controls the one of operation state to the recommended value when obtaining an acceptance instruction for the recommended value. |
| US08078314B2 |
System and method for directly connecting an advanced facer canceler system to a delivery bar code sorter
Systems and methods that allow for orienting and delivering mail between a postage verifier and a mail sorter. A postage verifier includes an optical character reader for decoding addresses on mail pieces that do not have bar codes. A reverter orients mail from the postage verifier into a position required for processing by the mail sorter. A combination of mail carrying modules carry the mail from the reverter to the mail sorter. The mail sorter prints bar code information on mail lacking bar codes, when the data is available, and sorts the mail based on the bar code information. |
| US08078313B2 |
Methods and systems for sorting unaddressed items
Systems and methods for sorting a plurality of unaddressed items may comprise receiving delivery point address data. Furthermore, systems and methods for sorting a plurality of unaddressed items may comprise sorting the plurality of unaddressed items based on the delivery point address data. The plurality of unaddressed items may be sorted in an order in which they are to be delivered within a delivery zone specified by the delivery point address data. |
| US08078311B2 |
Substrate processing apparatus and substrate transfer method adopted in substrate processing apparatus
In a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, wafer transfer timing with which wafers are to be transferred to individual processing chambers from a cassette container is determined in correspondence to each processing chamber, based upon the lengths of time required to process a single wafer in the processing chambers. Then, wafers are transferred from the cassette container in conformance to the transfer timing thus determined. By setting the wafer transfer timing with which wafers are transferred from the cassette container in coordination with the lengths of processing time at the individual processing chambers, the operation rates in the processing chambers are improved and ultimately, the throughput of the apparatus is improved. |
| US08078306B2 |
Polishing apparatus and polishing method
An apparatus polishes an object material such as a film on a substrate. This apparatus includes a polishing table for holding a polishing pad having a polishing surface, a motor configured to drive the polishing table, a holding mechanism configured to hold a substrate having an object material to be polished and to press the substrate against the polishing surface, a dresser configured to dress the polishing surface, and a monitoring unit configured to monitor a removal amount of the object material. The monitoring unit is operable to calculate the removal amount of the object material using a model equation containing a variable representing an integrated value of a torque current of the motor when polishing the object material and a variable representing a cumulative operating time of the dresser. |
| US08078304B2 |
Dual-mode robot systems and methods for electronic device manufacturing
Electronic device manufacturing systems and methods are provided. In some aspects, a system having a dual-mode robot is provided which is disposed within a system component (e.g., a factory interface or transfer chamber) and adapted to operate in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the robot may transfer a substrate between components of the system (e.g., between a carrier and a process chamber or chamber to chamber) and in the second mode, the robot may execute a process motion profile (e.g., metrology). |
| US08078302B2 |
Low latency real-time audio streaming
Systems and methods for audio streaming in a computing device are described. In one aspect an interface to an adapter driver is provided. The adapter driver is associated with an audio device. The adapter driver and a wave real-time (WaveRT) port driver associated with the computing device use the interface to configure direct access by a client of the computing device and by the audio device to a cyclic buffer. The direct access is for rendering and/or capturing an audio stream. The direct access is independent of any copying by a port driver on the computer system of the audio stream to any buffer. |
| US08078301B2 |
Methods and apparatus for embedding codes in compressed audio data streams
Methods and apparatus for embedding codes in compressed audio data streams are disclosed. An example method to embed a code in a compressed audio data stream disclosed herein comprises obtaining a plurality of transform coefficients comprising the compressed audio data stream, wherein the plurality of transform coefficients is represented by a respective plurality of mantissas and a respective plurality of scale factors, and modifying a mantissa in the plurality of mantissas and a corresponding scale factor in the plurality of scale factors to embed the code in the compressed audio data stream. |
| US08078298B2 |
System for node structure discovery in an audio-related system
A system for determination of the functionality of an audio-related device that is operable in an audio system includes a performance equipment manager. The performance equipment manager may receive from an audio-related device an audio node structure representative of the corresponding audio-related device. The received audio node structure may be reviewed to determine if all the components included in the audio node structure are predefined within the performance equipment manager. For those components that are known, no discovery is necessary and actual values of changeable parameters in the audio-related device may be obtained. For unknown components of the audio node structure, the performance equipment manager may undertake discovery to identify additional portions of the audio node structure, and/or attributes related to the unknown components, in order to obtain actual values of changeable parameters related to the unknown components. |
| US08078294B2 |
Conditional download of data from embedded historians
Systems and methods that provide for event driven downloading, via defining storage thresholds in an embedded historian (e.g. micro historian). Upon reaching predetermined thresholds (e.g., low/high water marks), stored data in the embedded historians can automatically down load to a central plant historian. An automatic download engine is provided that down loads historian data based on satisfaction of such conditions defined for the download. The download engine can further include a detector component, which detects whether a predetermined condition (e.g., associated with the storage capacity of the micro-historians have been met. Moreover, a notification component can notify the embedded historians that the data have been permanently persisted in the central historian. |
| US08078293B2 |
System and method for routing selection using statistical data
A system, method, and medium, the method including receiving parameter information associated with a mailer, associating the parameter information with a mailing, receiving statistical information, the statistical information including historical performance data of at least one carrier, determining a delivery sequence for the mailing based on the received mailer parameter information and the statistical information, and outputting the determined delivery sequence for the mailing. |
| US08078292B2 |
Basepoint estimator
A method of estimating a basepoint includes receiving a plurality of goals, wherein each goal has a desired value, and receiving a plurality of sensor feedback signals from a controlled system. A plurality of predicted output values of the controlled system are received from a mathematical model. A desired change for a plurality of basepoint values is estimated in response to the goals, the feedback, and the predicted output values. An actual change in basepoint values is calculated in response to a plurality of limits and the desired change for the plurality of basepoint values according to a plurality of goal weights while holding limits. The actual change in basepoint values is combined with last pass values of the plurality of basepoint values to produce an updated basepoint estimate. |
| US08078291B2 |
Methods and systems for the design and implementation of optimal multivariable model predictive controllers for fast-sampling constrained dynamic systems
Methods and systems for the design and implementation of optimal multivariable MPC controllers for fast-sampling constrained dynamic systems utilizing a primal-dual feasibility approach and/or a graph approach. The primal-dual feasibility approach can compute and store matrices defining constraints of quadratic programming problems in an off-line part in order to calculate vectors of Lagrange multipliers and an optimizer. Then primal-dual feasibility can be checked in an on-line part using the Lagrange multipliers and the optimizer can provide a unique optimal solution for the constrained dynamic system. The graph approach can compute and store the matrices and the vectors, and also prepare and store a structure of directed graph in off-line part. An optimizer for a given parameter vector can be determined in on-line part using the directed graph, the matrices and the vectors. |
| US08078278B2 |
Body attachable unit in wireless communication with implantable devices
Medical systems and devices are provided. A medical system includes implantable devices and an external device configured for wirelessly interacting with the implantable devices. The external device may be attachable to a patient and be configured for wirelessly communicating with a first implantable device, e.g., using acoustic energy, and wirelessly interacting with a second implantable device, e.g., using non-acoustic energy. The first implantable device may be a diagnostic device, in which case, the external device may wirelessly receive physiological information from the diagnostic device, and the second implantable device may be a therapeutic device, in which case, the external device may wirelessly interact with the therapeutic device to provide or optimize therapy to a patient. |
| US08078277B2 |
Identification and remediation of oversensed cardiac events using far-field electrograms
In general, the disclosure is directed to techniques for identification and remediation of oversensed cardiac events using far-field electrograms (FFEGMs). Identification of oversensed cardiac events can be used in an ICD to prevent ventricular fibrillation (VF) detection, and thereby avoid delivery of an unnecessary defibrillation shock. Alternatively, or additionally, identification of oversensed cardiac events can be used in an ICD to support delivery of bradycardia pacing during an oversensing condition. In some cases, bradycardia pacing delivered in response to detection of oversensed cardiac events may include pacing pulses from multiple vectors to provide redundancy in the event the oversensing may be due to a lead-related condition. |
| US08078275B2 |
Regulation of neurotrophins
Disclosed are methods for regulating neurotrophin levels within a human body. The invention utilizes an implantable signal generator to deliver stimulation to neural tissue elements. Alternatively, an implantable pump may be utilized to delivery one or more drugs. The implanted device delivers treatment therapy to the neural tissue to thereby alter the level of neurotrophic factors such as BDNF expressed by the influenced neural tissue. A sensor may be used to detect various symptoms of a nervous system disorder. A microprocessor algorithm may then analyze the output from the sensor to regulate the treatment therapy delivered to the body. The invention describes a novel method to regulate the intrinsic levels of neurotrophins and may be used to treat patients with neurological and cognitive disorders. |
| US08078272B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting or validating signals in the presence of noise
Detecting or validating signals such as cardiac beats can be performed in the presence of myopotential or other noise. An amplitude peak, which can be a candidate for a detected beat, can be used in a normalized or other weighted average, along with a preceding and subsequent sample. The weighted average is compared to a noise threshold. Based on the result, the amplitude peak is either deemed an actual beat (e.g., depolarization or repolarization), or noise. The described systems, devices, and methods can improve the accuracy of detecting an actual beat in the presence of noise, during normal sinus rhythm or during an arrhythmia such as ventricular fibrillation. This, in turn, improves the accuracy with which therapy is delivered or withheld by an implantable device. |
| US08078271B2 |
System and method for distinguishing between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia using an implantable medical device
Techniques are described for detecting and distinguishing among ischemia, hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia based on intracardiac electrogram (IEGM) signals. In one technique, these conditions are detected and distinguished based on an analysis of: the interval between the QRS complex and the peak of a T-wave (QTmax), the interval between the QRS complex and the end of a T-wave (QTend), alone or in combination with a change in ST segment elevation. By exploiting QTmax and QTend in combination with ST segment elevation, changes in ST segment elevation caused by hypo/hyperglycemia can be properly distinguished from changes caused by cardiac ischemia. In another technique, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are predicted, detected and/or distinguished from one another based on an analysis of the amplitudes of P-waves, QRS-complexes and T-waves within the IEGM. Appropriate warning signals are delivered and therapy is automatically adjusted. |
| US08078269B2 |
Apparatus, method and system of measuring sleep state
A sleep state measuring apparatus includes an autonomic nerve index obtaining unit that obtains a user's autonomic nerve index; and a sleep periodicity index calculating unit that calculates a sleep periodicity index based on a temporal change of the autonomic nerve index and a change in a user's sleeping cycle, wherein the sleep periodicity index indicates whether the user is sleeping or not according to a user's ideal sleeping cycle as an index, or a dominance index calculating unit that calculates a parasympathetic nerve dominance index which shows dominance of a parasympathetic nerve index included in the autonomic nerve index with respect to a sympathetic nerve index included in the autonomic nerve index for a user during sleep. |
| US08078267B2 |
Imaging of macular pigment distributions
Macular pigments are measured by spectrally selective lipofuscin detection. Light from a light source that emits light at a selected range of wavelengths that overlap the absorption band of macular carotenoids is directed onto macular tissue of an eye for which macular pigment levels are to be measured. Emitted light is then collected from the macular tissue. The collected light is filtered so that the collected light includes lipofuscin emission from the macular tissue at an excitation wavelength that lies outside the macular pigment absorption range and outside the excitation range of interfering fluorophores. The collected light is quantified at each of a plurality of locations in the macular tissue and the macular pigment levels in the macular tissue are determined from the differing lipofuscin emission intensities in the macula and peripheral retina. |
| US08078264B2 |
Intra-operative molecular imaging
A system for imaging an abnormal cell and or diseased tissue after topical application of a near infrared protease-specific probe is disclosed. The system includes a protease-specific near infrared (NIRF) imaging probe, means for topically administering the protease-specific probe to a diseased tissue and an imaging device capable of detecting the interaction between the protease-specific NIRF imaging probe and the diseased tissue. A method and surgical procedure are also disclosed. |
| US08078258B2 |
Assessment of vascular compartment volume for PET modelling
A method is described for acquiring and analysing the data produced by Positron Emission Tomography (PET), which method provides for an accurate estimation of vascular compartment volume, VB. An MRI scan and the PET scan is performed simultaneously and the results of the former is used to derive a value for VB. The value so derived is then used in pharmacokinetic modelling along with the results of the functional scan. |
| US08078257B2 |
Complex amplitude modulation in blood flow and perfusion measurement for measuring a distribution of transit times on a voxel by voxel basis
Systems and methods for blood flow and perfusion measurement using complex amplitude modulation of MRI pulses are presented. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, inflowing arterial spins can be modulated using a complex modulation function having certain mathematical properties in the frequency domain, such as, for example, a pseudo-random sequence. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter the mathematical properties of such complex modulation functions can be used to measure individual transit times by deconvolving them from a series of acquired images. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter images can be acquired at the same rapid rate as arterial modulation, and transit time distribution in the imaged tissue can be determined as part of a single integrated acquisition. |
| US08078252B2 |
Intracranial neural interface system
In some preferred embodiments, without limitation, the present invention comprises an implantable, intracranial neural interface node which is an integrated and minimally invasive platform system and supports cross-modal neural interfaces to the cerebrum and other associated structures in the central nervous system. The neural interfaces comprise electrical and chemical interfaces for neural recording, electrical stimulation, chemical delivery, chemical sensing, chemical sampling, cell delivery, genetic material delivery and/or other functions of interest. |
| US08078251B2 |
Spring wing assembly for photoplethysmorgraphic sensor
A photoplethysmographic sensor designed for use on the presenting portion of a fetus during labor and delivery. The sensor has a non-deployed state in which the sensor presents a smaller footprint, or cross sectional area, for transvaginal insertion. Once the sensor is applied to the fetal tissue it is moved into the deployed state, which has a larger footprint or cross sectional area, than the sensor does in the non-deployed state. The deployed state optimizes the physical distance between the light emitter and the photodetector to maximize the photoplethysmographic measurement accuracy from the fetal tissue. |
| US08078245B2 |
Extended focal region measuring apparatus and method
A method and apparatus for measuring an apparent depth of a section of an animal body are disclosed. Light is focused concurrently to an extended focal region comprising a plurality or continuum of measurement locations. Light reflected by a refractive index interface coincident with one of the plurality of measurement locations is detected. Detected light signals are generated from light reflected from first and second interfaces respectively defining the section under investigation, so that the apparent positions of the interfaces may be derived. A confocal arrangement and an axicon element may be employed. Preferably, the section is the aqueous humor of an eye. From changes in its refractive index corresponding changes in glucose concentration in the aqueous humor and, in turn, in the bloodstream of a patient may be derived, offering a non-invasive monitoring means for diabetic patients. Other compounds and structures of the body may alternatively be investigated. |
| US08078244B2 |
Interferometric method and instrument for measurement and monitoring blood glucose through measurement of tissue refractive index
A method of measuring glucose concentration in tissue includes measuring scattering coefficients of the tissue at each of a plurality of temperatures and at a selected tissue depth using optical coherence tomography, and determining the glucose concentration in interstitial fluid of the tissue as a function of the measured scattering coefficients. |
| US08078236B2 |
Rotary cover mechanism for portable electronic devices
A rotary mechanism includes a base (10), a cover (30), a torsion spring (40) and a locking module (60). The cover is rotatably mounted to the base. Two ends of the torsion spring are fixed with the base and the cover respectively. The locking module limits the cover rotation relative to the base. When the cover overcomes the limitation of the locking module, the cover is automatically rotated relative to the base by the torsion spring. |
| US08078230B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a prioritized list of display devices for display of a media file
A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a prioritized list of display devices for display of a media file, the prioritized list being provided on a mobile computing device, the display devices being connected to the mobile computing device in a network. The method may include determining characteristics of the media file, discovering by the mobile computing device the display devices connected to the mobile computing device, discovering by the mobile computing device display characteristics of the display devices, creating the prioritized list of display devices by comparing the characteristics of the media file to the display characteristics of the display devices, and providing the prioritized list of the display devices on the mobile computing device for selection by a user. |
| US08078228B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying messages in an idle state of mobile terminal, driving an application for an idle state in a mobile terminal and providing idle state contents for a mobile terminal
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of an idle state of a mobile terminal. One embodiment relates to a method and apparatus that display message in an idle state of a mobile terminal. Another embodiment relates to a method and apparatus for driving an application for an idle state in a mobile terminal. A further embodiment relates to a method and apparatus for providing idle state contents to a mobile terminal. |
| US08078224B2 |
Male plug connector
A male plug connector for connecting to a corresponding receptacle connector of a media player. In one embodiment the connector comprises a housing designed to accommodate a plurality of contacts spaced apart in a single row of contact locations that are sequentially numbered from a first end to a second end. The contact locations include first, second and third ground contact locations designated for ground, the first ground contact location at the first end, the second ground contact location at the second end, and the third ground contact location between the first end and the second end; a first group of digital contact locations designated for one or more digital signals including USB contact locations interleaved with contact locations designated for non-USB digital signals, the first group of digital contact locations being disposed between the first ground contact location and the third ground contact location; and a second group of analog contact locations designated for one or more analog signals including at least one audio signal, the second group of analog contact locations being disposed between the third ground contact location and the second ground contact location. |
| US08078223B2 |
Mobile terminal having expansion module and method of controlling operation of the mobile terminal
A mobile terminal including a main body configured to provide a communication function, an expansion module configured to provide a number of additional functions to the main body, a connector including at least first, second and third pins and configured to electrically connect the main body and the expansion module together, and a controller configured to determine whether a signal having a first logic level is received via the first pin of the connector, to set up communication between the mobile terminal and the expansion module using only the first pin and a corresponding ground source and a 1-wire communication method on the first pin if the signal received on the first pin has the first logic level, to determine whether or not the expansion module is an authenticated expansion module through the 1-wire communication method on the first pin, and to allow the expansion module to provide the number of additional functions to the main body through serial communication using the second and third pins when the expansion module is determined to be successfully authenticated. |
| US08078219B2 |
System and method for setting a signal strength value for a mobile device
A mobile device for setting a signal strength value for the mobile device to receive needed radio signals. The mobile device includes a signal strength value configuring system and a radio signal receiving unit. The signal strength value configuring system is operable to set the signal strength value for the mobile device to receive needed radio signals, utilizing a number of radio station channels detected by the radio signal receiving unit of the mobile device. |
| US08078218B2 |
Midlet execution through terminal
A method for identifying receipt of a message at a mobile terminal comprising a first body and a second body positionable between open and closed states includes receiving a message via a wireless communication, determining an open state of the mobile terminal, and selectively providing a notification indicating the receiving of the message based upon the open state of the mobile terminal. |
| US08078217B2 |
Modular multi-sided radio architecture
A multi-sided radio (200) includes an audio centric side (210) including a speaker (208) operationally independent of functions on an opposing side, a data centric side (220) on the opposing side of the audio centric side, and a top controller side (250) having at least one control function (202 or 204). The audio centric side can include an option module (242) for placement as an insert enabling additional functions including camera functions, environmental sensors, WLAN transceivers, audio upgrades, and bar code readers as examples. The data centric side can include a keypad (214 and 216) and a display (218). The speaker can reside behind the display of the data centric side and has full porting out of the audio centric side. |
| US08078211B2 |
Reallocation of excess power for full channel-state information (CSI) multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) systems
Techniques to allocate the total transmit power to the transmission channels in a multi-channel communication system such that higher overall system spectral efficiency and/or other benefits may be achieved. The total transmit power may be initially allocated to the transmission channels based on a particular power allocation scheme (e.g., the water-filling scheme). The initial allocation may result in more power being allocated to some transmission channels than needed to achieve the required SNR (e.g., the SNR needed to achieve the maximum allowed data rate), which would then result in these transmission channels being operated in the saturation region. In such situations, the techniques reallocate the excess transmit power of transmission channels operated in the saturation region to other transmission channels operated below the saturation region. In this way, higher data rate may be achieved for the “poorer” transmission channels without sacrificing the performance of the “better” transmission channels. |
| US08078207B2 |
System and method of automatically maintaining a line-of-sight communication channel
One exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of automatically maintaining a line-of-sight communication channel. The method comprises determining information about each communication resource that is accessible in a region through which a mobile system is moving. The method further comprises determining information about the mobile system. The method further comprises performing a line-of-sight (LOS) analysis for each of the communication resources based at least in part on a respective location and a respective elevation for the respective communication resource and the current location of the mobile system and a current elevation for the mobile system. The method further comprises determining if a new communication link should be established with at least one of the communication resources based at least on the LOS analyses that were performed and establishing the new communication link if it is determined that the new communication link should be established. |
| US08078206B2 |
Mobile phone and method for managing short messages of the mobile phone
A mobile phone and method for managing short messages of the mobile phone are provided. The method sets a schedule for managing the short messages stored in a storage device, reads a timestamp of a short message when the short message is received, and assigns a first weight value or a second weight value to the short message. The method further generates a message folder according to the timestamp, and classifies the short message into the message folder. In addition, the method checks whether the short message has the first weight value or the second weight value, and backups the short message to the storage device if the short message has the first weight value, or deletes the short message from the message folder if the short message has the second weight value. |
| US08078205B2 |
Method and system for sharing and storing digital information in mobile devices
A method and system for sharing digital information, including biographical information is described. A method for sharing biographical information on mobile telecommunication device that includes providing an application for sharing bio-cards on a mobile telecommunication device, receiving inputs including biographical information, one or more selected bio-card layouts and one or more bio-card graphics, creating one or more bio-cards based on the received inputs, and retrieving potential bio-card recipients. The mobile telecommunication device includes a processor and a memory and bio-cards are digital representations of biographical information about a user that may be displayed on the mobile telecommunication device. The potential bio-card recipients include mobile telecommunication devices. The method further includes displaying the created one or more bio-cards, receiving a selection of one or more recipients to receive a bio-card; receiving a selection of a bio-card to send to the selected one or more recipients; and transmitting the selected bio-card to the one or more selected recipients. |
| US08078204B2 |
Unsuccessful call alert
A method for a mobile phone to provide an unsuccessful call alert, including monitoring an outgoing call from a caller to a callee to determine if the callee is available, if the callee is not available, then automatically activating a message editor, automatically displaying a pre-defined call alert message, including an identifier of the caller and contact information for the caller, enabling the caller to edit the pre-defined call alert message, and sending the call alert message to the callee. A system is also described and claimed. |
| US08078203B2 |
Intelligent messaging service
A method, information processing system, and wireless communication system, that provide wireless messaging services to wireless devices. A wireless messaging request is received from a user of at least one wireless device (104). The wireless messaging request is associated with at least one recipient device. The wireless messaging request is analyzed in response to receiving the request. The wireless messaging request is determined to include at least one of recipient filtering criteria (206) and delivery criteria (208) in response to the analyzing. A wireless message associated with the wireless messaging request is transmitted to the at least one wireless device based on the at least one of recipient filtering criteria (206) and delivery criteria (208). |
| US08078200B2 |
System and method for blocking the use of a service in a telecommunication system
A method and system for controlling the use of a short message service in a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device by which a subscriber is connected to the network, a mobile services switching center connected to the network, a gateway connected to the network, a short message service center connected to the gateway, and a database (DB) connected to or associated with the gateway. A short message sent by an originating subscriber is checked as to whether the short message is among those deemed non-allowed. Forwardable short messages are directed to the gateway, from which the database is queried to determine whether the originating subscriber is permitted the short message to the intended recipient or, alternatively, whether the message should been blocked based on predetermined criteria. |
| US08078196B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for providing information using an advertising message with a dynamic field
Methods, systems and computer program products for updating information for an identified location on a mobile device are provided. A broadcast advertising message is provided to a mobile device. The advertising message identifies a location and includes a dynamic field configured to provide updated information about the identified location. When the advertising message is activated by the mobile device, a current position of the mobile device is determined. The dynamic field of the advertising message is automatically populated based on the current position of the mobile device to provide updated information about the identified location. |
| US08078194B2 |
Position determination using received broadcast signals
A radio device that is capable of positioning itself within a broadcast radio system includes a receiver operable to receive a plurality of broadcast radio signals, each broadcast from a respective one of a plurality of broadcast radio signal sources. The radio device further includes processing circuitry operable to determine respective call station identification information for each of the broadcast radio signal sources from the broadcast radio signals, measure respective signal quality characteristics for each of the received broadcast radio signals, identify station position data associated with each of the broadcast radio signal sources from the respective call station identification information, and calculate a location of the radio device using the signal quality characteristics and station position data associated with at least three broadcast radio signal sources. |
| US08078190B2 |
Systems and methods for detection of transmission facilities
In embodiments, a method of detecting a transmitting device within an obstruction rich environment is disclosed. The method may involve detecting the transmitting device with a wireless transmission detection facility; communicating signal information relating to the detected transmitting device from the wireless transmission detection facility to a central unit; determining the location of the transmitting device; displaying information of the detection and location of the transmitting device through a user interface; and providing an action facility for causing actions related to the detected transmitting device. |
| US08078187B2 |
Communication relay method and device
A wireless communication system including a wireless relay station storing a priority table in which identifiers of the communications that are relayed with higher priority are registered, a wireless relay device relaying communications specified by the communication identifiers registered in the priority table with higher priority than other communications, a stream server receiving communication start requests from any of the wireless terminals and sends to the wireless relay station communication identifiers specifying the communications that are about to be started, and requests registration in the priority table, and a wireless relay station registering the communication identifiers whose registration has been requested in the priority table, such that a proportion S/U of a sum S of consumption bandwidths of the communications specified by communication identifiers registered in the priority table to the available bandwidth U of the wireless network does not exceed a predetermined upper limit. |
| US08078184B2 |
Method and apparatus having improved handling of state transitions
A method, in a wireless communications device, for transitioning between communication states, the wireless communications device compliant for use in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the method comprising: checking for radio bearer mapping information for the communication state being transitioned to prior to sending an update message, where the transition between communication states is not a transition from a paging state to a bidirectional communication state using shared channels; and transitioning to the state to be transitioned to using the checked radio bearer mapping information for that state and sending the update message. |
| US08078183B2 |
System for wireless channel assignment
A system for wireless channel assignment is disclosed, applying different assignment strategies to a plurality of nominated cells belonging to a Base Station Controller, particularly in A-interface link sharing. Channel assignment strategy information for the nominated cells is obtained, and communicated via communication messages. Channels are allocated for nominated cells according to the channel assignment strategy information communicated via the communication messages. Communication messages are structured to include channel assignment strategy information corresponding to each of the nominated cells. |
| US08078168B2 |
Scanning and decoding methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices
For each broadcast control channel of a plurality of broadcast control channels associated with a plurality of wireless networks, a mobile device decodes control information on the broadcast control channel and stores this control information in its memory. The control information includes a network identification which uniquely identifies a particular wireless communication network. Such decoding is performed in between or during repeated acts of measuring signal strength levels of an RF signal on the broadcast control channel, and prior to completion of an averaging function for calculating an averaged signal strength level of the signal strength levels on the broadcast control channel. Decoding may be performed only for those broadcast control channels identified to have the most optimal signal strengths. The mobile device performs a network selection technique for selecting one of the wireless networks based on the one or more stored network identifications that were decoded and stored prior to completion of the averaging functions, which may result in more expedient network selection. |
| US08078166B2 |
Device for controlling access of subscriber terminals of a CS domain to services of an IMS communication network
The invention concerns a device (D) dedicated to controlling access of a terminal (UE), connected to a CS domain of a mobile network comprising a MSC center (VMSC) running CS communications, to a IMS network services of which its user is a subscriber. Said device (D) comprises: i) a GMSC module managing setup of communications to a terminal (UE) connected to the CS domain, ii) a MGCF module converting messages from the CS domain in accordance with a ISUP protocol into messages in accordance with a SIP protocol addressed to a S-CSCF module and inversely, iii) an I-CSCF initiating registration of terminals connected to the CS domain, with a S-CSCF module, and iv) a P-CSCF emulator (P1) and a user agent (UA1) responsible a) for co-operating together on behalf of the terminal (UE) to instruct an I-CSCF module to initiate the registration of a terminal with a S-CSCF module of the IMS network of which its user is a subscriber, b) when the user attempts via the terminal (UE) to set up a call, for sending said call, via the MGCF module, to the S-CSCF module with which it is registered, and c) upon reception of a request for setting up communication to the terminal, from the S-CSCF module of the TMS network of which its user is a subscriber, for instructing the GMSC module, via the MGCF module, to manage said setting up on the CS domain side. |
| US08078165B2 |
Configuring preferred user zone lists for private access points for wireless networking
Information is received identifying a geographic location of an access point in a radio access network. Access information is assigned and communicated to the access point, and the access information and the geographic location information is communicated to an access terminal. The access terminal identifies the access point as a preferred access point, including its geographic location. The access terminal receives information identifying its own geographic location, and when the access terminal is near the access point, the access point is used to access the network. The access point receives information identifying its geographic location and communicates the geographic location information to a configuration server. The access point receives access information from the configuration server and provides access terminals access to the network using the access information. |
| US08078164B2 |
Mobile telephone VOIP/cellular seamless roaming switching controller
A nomadic server and a related system provides seamless roaming for a mobile communication device between different types of wireless networks, such as WiFi and cellular networks for voice, data and video communication. Use of the nomadic server enables a combination of WiFi and cellular networks for providing access to the cellular phones and make use of the VOIP networks for switching the calls wherever possible. The nomadic server is a telephone communication processing and switching server that will “hold” the present, in-progress telephone communications without dropping, while roaming without losing the present, in-progress communication. For example, a telephone communication can be seamlessly switching between VOIP and cellular telephone networks using the nomadic server. Nomadic server resources interface with the VOIP and cellular network switches to provide the hand-off between networks. This approach enables switching of telephone communications over a VOIP network wherever possible either through WiFi or through cellular networks. |
| US08078162B2 |
Airborne wireless communication systems, airborne communication methods, and communication methods
An airborne wireless communication system includes circuitry configured to access information describing a configuration of a terrestrial wireless communication base station that has become disabled. The terrestrial base station is configured to implement wireless communication between wireless devices located within a geographical area and a network when the terrestrial base station is not disabled. The circuitry is further configured, based on the information, to configure the airborne station to have the configuration of the terrestrial base station. An airborne communication method includes answering a 911 call from a terrestrial cellular wireless phone using an airborne wireless communication system. |
| US08078153B2 |
System and method for dynamic provisioning of contextual-based identities
Systems and methods for communicating according to contextual identity are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention provide identity management which may dynamically select appropriate identities or communication channels for communication between network users. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention may automatically select an appropriate identity from a plurality of identities for a user. Thus, users may be provided seamless access to different networks without having to subscribe to the same networks and without having to alter client devices or applications. |
| US08078150B2 |
System and method for sending local information from a wireless browser to a web server
A system and method for using a wireless browser to send local information from a wireless handset to a Web server. A service request received from a handset user includes the type of local information needed to carry out the request as well as the URL address of the server. The handset confirms that the input is not a telephone number to be dialed. If the input is a telephone number, the browser is terminated and the number is dialed. Otherwise, the browser acquires the local information needed to carry out the request from the handset. The local information is appended to the URL address, which is extracted from the user input, and the browser is instructed to navigate to the URL address to provide the local information to the server. |
| US08078149B2 |
Advertising information display method, and advertising information display system
An advertising information display method obtains the terminal location information, which is transmitted from a mobile telephone device, a terminal, retail store location information, which is transmitted from a plurality of retail stores, and advertising information, selects the neighborhood advertising information, which should be transmitted to the mobile telephone device, based on the terminal location information and a plurality of retail store location information, associates the terminal ID with the neighborhood advertising information, transmits the neighborhood advertising information to the mobile telephone device, and displays, on the display of the mobile telephone device, the neighborhood advertising information. |
| US08078147B2 |
Mobile terminal system, mobile terminal apparatus, and function locking method
A mobile terminal system is provided whereby, when a memory card or memory card with an IC function inserted in a mobile terminal apparatus is removed, a function of at least one of the apparatus itself and/or the memory card is locked easily by means of an intuitive operation by the user. This mobile terminal system (100) has a memory card (300) and a mobile terminal (200) in which the memory card (300) is inserted in a removable fashion. The mobile terminal (200) detects lengthy depression of a pressure section (202) pressed by the user by means of a long-depression detection section (204), and detects insertion of the memory card (300) inserted into a slot section (206) in a removable fashion by means of a card insertion/removal detection section (208). A locking execution section (218) locks or unlocks a function of at least one of the terminal (200) itself and/or the memory card (300). When the memory card (300) is removed from the slot section (206) during lengthy depression of the pressure section (202), the mobile terminal (200) locks or unlocks a function of at least one of the two using the locking execution section (218) via a terminal control section (220). |
| US08078143B2 |
Remotely controlling access to a wireless handset
A wireless handset configured to be remotely accessed is described. The wireless handset comprises a user interface, a handset memory, a processor, and a software module. The user interface resident on the wireless handset is configured to enable the wireless handset to be remotely controlled with a remote lock password. The handset memory stores the remote lock password. The processor is adapted to receive a remote lock message from another electronic device. The remote lock message comprises a received password and a target phone number. The software module matches the received password with the remote lock password and then proceeds to send at least one call to the target phone number. Additionally, a method for controlling usage of the wireless handset is also described. |
| US08078140B2 |
System and methods for managing the utilization of an electronic device
A system and method for the real-time management of a device, and more particularly to the allocation of electronic wallets that are associated with one or more devices and various controls that enable at least two entities to manage how the device is utilized for various activities and to pay for goods and services. Each device is associated with at least two electronic wallets, a user wallet and an administrator wallet. The administrator can establish rules that designate how and when the device can be used and which wallet will be used to pay for goods and services desired by the user, but in the event the user wallet is depleted or low on funds, the administrator wallet can serve as a backup funding source for specified types of goods and/or services. Additional wallets can also be associated with the device to authorize and pay for goods and services, under the control of the administrator wallet, such as a promotional wallet that could be designated for use with the device before a primary or administrative wallet was used, or a dynamic wallet that could be associated for use with multiple different devices as well as other wallets, but acts in conjunction with the user and administrator wallets. Additional rules can be established to perform many other functions, such as manage the movement of value between wallets and from other sources to the wallets. |
| US08078139B2 |
Wireless data communications network system for tracking container
A wireless data communications network system for establishing communication between a server and a plurality of containers that are loaded onto a cargo vessel. The system includes a data communications device configured to establish and manage a pre-configured wireless data communications network and to communicate with the server through a local area network, and a plurality of electronic tracking devices each having a wireless transceiver and routing capabilities and configured to be joined to a container and to connect to the wireless data communications network upon being activated. The data communications device is configured to intermittently perform a network scan to locate each tracking device connected to the network and reconfigure the network topology to include each connected tracking devices such that the data communications device maintains mutual communication with each connected tracking device using the routing capabilities of the tracking devices. |
| US08078137B2 |
Method and apparatus for emergency number awareness
A telecommunications device includes a laptop computer having a telephony soft client that may run, for example, in a browser window. The telephony soft client includes a utility to allow it to determine the laptop's local external IP address and from it, the local country. The telephony soft client then performs a lookup of the local country's emergency telephone number, either from a local table or from a specially maintained remote database. The local emergency telephone number can then be displayed, or programmed to a “quick dial” key. |
| US08078136B2 |
Physical presence digital authentication system
The interactive authentication system allows a consumer to interact with a base station, such as broadcast media (e.g., television and radio) or PC, to receive coupons, special sales offers, and other information with an electronic card. The electronic card can also be used to transmit a signal that can be received by the base station to perform a wide variety of tasks. These tasks can include launching an application, authenticating a user at a website, and completing a sales transaction at a website (e.g., by filling out a form automatically). The interaction between the base station and the electronic card is accomplished by using the conventional sound system in the base station so that a special reader hardware need not be installed to interact with the electronic card. The user is equipped with an electronic card that can receive and transmit data via sound waves. In the various embodiments, the sound waves can be audible or ultrasonic (which can be slightly audible to some groups of people). |
| US08078131B2 |
Method for mitigating interference
A method for mitigating interference is provided. First, a received signal having a training sequence is received from a transmitter. Then, a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) of the training sequence in the received signal is calculated, and whether a co-channel interference signal exists in the received signal is determined according to the SINR. The signal power corresponding to each time index in the received signal is calculated to detect a beginning time point and an ending time point of the co-channel interference signal. Finally, when the co-channel interference signal in the received signal is detected, the time when an interference cancellation filter is turned on is determined by the beginning time point and the ending time point. |
| US08078130B2 |
Systems and methods for interference cancellation
Systems and methods for interference cancellation in which a first signal having a first frequency may be cancelled with a second frequency having a second and different (e.g., lower) frequency by employing sampling to cancel the first signal with the separate signal at the sample instances. |
| US08078129B2 |
Systems and method for a highly integrated multi-mode tuner
A method and apparatus for a tuner for adjusting the receiver bandwidth based on adjacent channel interference and group delay distortion. |
| US08078127B2 |
Reception device, reception method and program
A reception device includes: an AGC circuit adapted to control the amplitude of a receive signal; a correction circuit adapted to correct the flutter component in the output signal of the AGC circuit; a synchronization circuit adapted to establish synchronization with the signal whose flutter component has been corrected by the correction circuit; and an equalization circuit adapted to perform an equalization process based on the signal with which synchronization has been established by the synchronization circuit and output the equalized signal, wherein the correction circuit includes a detection circuit, an IIR filter, a gain circuit, a flutter component correction circuit, and a gain control circuit. |
| US08078125B2 |
Method for demodulating a modulated signal, demodulator and receiver
A demodulator (6) for demodulating a modulated signal (3) comprises a Hubert transformer (7) for generating a Hubert transformed modulated signal (18) of the modulated signal (3). The Hubert transformed modulated signal (18) comprises modulated (5) and unmodulated signal sequences (4) and originates from an unmodulated signal. The demodulator (6) further comprises a comparing device (14) for comparing the Hubert transformed modulated signal (18) with a reference signal (15), which corresponds to the Hubert transformed unmodulated signal. The demodulator (6) is further configured to identify the modulated and unmodulated signal sequences (4, 5) based on the comparison. |
| US08078123B2 |
RF transmission error detection and correction module
A radio frequency (RF) transmission correction module includes an RF transmission error detection module and a correction module. The error detection module includes an RF envelope detector, a signal conversion module, and an error detection module. The RF envelope detector is operably coupled to produce an envelope signal from a transmit RF signal, wherein the envelope signal represents at least one of local oscillation leakage and in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) imbalance. The signal conversion module is operably coupled to convert the envelope signal into an error signal in accordance with baseband processing of the transmit RF signal. The error detection module is operably coupled to determine at least one of a local oscillation leakage value and an I and Q imbalance value from the error signal. The correction module is operably coupled to produce at least one of a local oscillation leakage correction signal and an I and Q imbalance correction signal based on the at least one of the local oscillation leakage value and the I and Q imbalance value, respectively. |
| US08078119B2 |
Multi mode radio frequency transceiver front end circuit with inter-stage power divider
A front end circuit for coupling an antenna to a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver and a second RF transceiver is contemplated. The RF transceivers have a signal input, a signal output, a receive enable line and a transmit enable line. In addition to an antenna port, the front end circuit has a first power amplifier and a first low noise amplifier both coupled to first RF transceiver, and a second power amplifier and a second low noise amplifier both coupled to the second RF transceiver. The front end circuit includes a matching network that couples the power amplifiers and the low noise amplifiers, the various outputs and inputs thereof being common. |
| US08078118B2 |
Method and apparatus for signal processing in a satellite positioning system using navigation message common information
A method and apparatus for processing satellite positioning system (SPS) signals which are weak in level. In one embodiment, a SPS receiver receives at least two signal samples representing, at least in part, common information, wherein the two signal samples are associated with one or more satellite messages. By combining the two signal samples, navigation information (e.g., time, position, velocity, etc.) may be determined based on the combination of the two signal samples. According to another embodiment, the two signal samples are differentially demodulated and summed together to form the combination. |
| US08078117B2 |
Asset apparency method and apparatus
A method and apparatus making an asset apparent. The method and apparatus may be configured to obtain an asset apparency request to locate an asset, wherein the asset apparency request includes an identification code corresponding to the asset, to generate an asset apparency message, wherein the asset apparency message includes an identification code corresponding to the user, the identification code corresponding to the asset, and one or more instructions to trigger the asset to perform one or more functionalities to make the asset apparent, and to transmit, to a central processing facility wherein the asset apparency message is processed by the central processing facility by: determining a unique identifying value for the asset from the identification codes corresponding to the user and the asset, and transmitting the one or more instructions to trigger the asset to perform one or more functionalities to make the asset apparent. |
| US08078113B2 |
Adaptive antenna control method and adaptive antenna transmission/reception characteristic control method
An adaptive antenna control method is used for a radio communication system built by a plurality of radio base stations and a plurality of terminal stations capable of communicating with the radio base stations. Each radio base station includes an adaptive antenna having a plurality of antenna elements, a distributor for generating signals to be input to the plurality of antenna elements by branching a signal of one system to be transmitted, and weighting circuits for respectively weighting transmission signals to the plurality of antenna elements. For reception by each terminal station, an interference wave power given by the transmission signal from each of the plurality of radio base stations is estimated. A weight in the adaptive antenna of each radio base station is determined to minimize a sum of square errors between reception signals and desired signals for all the radio base stations which simultaneously use the same communication channel. An adaptive antenna transmission/reception characteristic control method is also disclosed. |
| US08078107B2 |
Automatic network and device configuration for handheld devices based on bluetooth device proximity
A method, apparatus, and system for automatically configuring Bluetooth devices for communication to an outside network is described. A Bluetooth device is paired with a “trusted” Bluetooth device. When paired devices are found, the Bluetooth device automatically configures itself to use the lowest cost connection option from the available set of paired devices that are in proximity with the Bluetooth handheld device. If no device is found, the Bluetooth device may revert to a built-in access method. The network accessed can be the internet or an office network such as an 802.11 network. |
| US08078105B2 |
Scroll wheel on hinge
A scroll wheel hinge assembly for an electronic device is described. The scroll wheel hinge assembly may be used for an electronic device that pivotally connects a flip module with a base module having a keypad. The flip module has a front face with an internal display and a back face with an external display. The hinge assembly includes a cylindrical rotatable assembly, a flip-closed position, and a flip-open position. More particularly, the cylindrical rotatable assembly is configured to enable the flip module to rotate in relation to the base module about a rotatable axis associated with the cylindrical rotatable assembly. The cylindrical rotatable assembly also includes either a free-wheel or a touch sensitive component on the exterior of the cylindrical assembly. In the illustrative embodiment, the touch sensitive component is configured to perform a scroll function that includes a scroll-up operation and a scroll-down operation. |
| US08078102B2 |
Cable system with active RF device powered by RF energy converted to DC power, and associated method
A cable system comprises a main line carrying first RF signals for a plurality of subscribers, and a subscriber line coupled with the main line and carrying the first RF signals between the subscriber's facility and the main line and also carrying second RF signals that are different in frequency from the first RF signals. The system further comprises a rectifier/voltage multiplier connected to the subscriber line for converting AC energy in the second RF signals into DC current, and an active RF device powered by the DC current from the rectifier/voltage multiplier, the RF device being located along the subscriber line. The system can include a filter connected between the subscriber line and the rectifier/voltage multiplier for filtering the second RF signals. The rectifier/voltage multiplier can be located either inside or outside the subscriber's facility. |
| US08078101B2 |
Systems and methods for terrestrial reuse of cellular satellite frequency spectrum in a time-division duplex and/or frequency-division duplex mode
A space-based component, such as a satellite, is configured to receive wireless communications from radiotelephones in a satellite footprint over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, and to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephones over a downlink radiotelephone frequency. An ancillary terrestrial network, that may include one or more ancillary terrestrial components, is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and receive wireless communications from, the radiotelephones over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency in a time-division duplex mode. An interference reducer is configured to reduce interference from the wireless communications that are received by the space-based component from the second radiotelephone and/or from the ancillary terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, using the wireless communications that are transmitted by the ancillary terrestrial to, and/or received by the ancillary terrestrial network from, the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency. |
| US08078094B1 |
Universal multi-purpose RF signal distribution system
The disclosed architecture provides a co-siting solution to the many different proprietary systems that are being sold today for cellular communications. The architecture is a universal multi-purpose signal distribution chassis for conditioning and distributing cellular communications signals by providing the interface to a wide variety of cellular communications equipment on the market. A receive interface receives signals, amplifies the signals, and splits (or distributes) the signals for communications to various pieces of equipment and technologies that can be employed in a base station tower system, for example. This is particularly useful in co-siting situations where many different types of technologies and equipment are hosted by one set of antennas. |
| US08078087B2 |
Toner carrying device and image forming apparatus
A toner carrying device includes a flexible sheet, and a sheet moving mechanism for allowing the flexible sheet to move back and forth by pulling the flexible sheet. In the flexible sheet, a toner passage hole for leaving a first opening section of a toner carrying pipe to open is provided. In a case where the toner passage hole is divided into first through three areas in such a manner that (i) the first area is provided on a side of one end of the flexible sheet in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the flexible sheet; (ii) the second area is provided on a side of the other end of the flexible sheet in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction; and (iii) the third area is provided between the first area and the second area, the third area extends broader in the moving direction than respective of the first and second areas. This allows the flexible sheet partially having the toner passage hole in its area to move smoothly. |
| US08078082B2 |
Modular printing system
A method and apparatus for a modular printing system having individual units comprising input modules, transporter modules, marking engine modules, fuser modules and exit modules each with its own support structure and cabinet. The modular units have common matching interface configurations for paper feed and electrical connections so as to permit numerous combinations and variations of printing systems capable of monochrome, color, duplex, hybrid and simplex printing by modular interconnection as opposed to built-up systems. |
| US08078080B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a heat source, a toner containing member containing toner, and an electric fan for generating air flow in an air flow path formed between the heat source and the toner containing member. In the image forming apparatus, a temperature of the heat source reaches a glass transition point of the toner. After the electric fan is changed from a driving state to a rest state, a phase transition member for absorbing heat is disposed in a heat transfer path, in which heat transfers, from the heat source to the toner containing member. |
| US08078079B2 |
Air duct and toner cartridge using same
A cartridge for containing toner material used in an image-forming device according to one example embodiment includes a developer roll, two J-seals that provide interfaces with the developer roll at the ends thereof, and an air duct that conducts airflow across the interfaces to cool the developer roll and seals. The air duct includes an elongated hollow body and a pair of nozzles in fluid communication with the hollow body. One of the nozzles is disposed at a distal end of the developer roll near one J-seal, and the other of the nozzles is disposed at a proximal end of the developer roll near the second J-seal. |
| US08078073B2 |
Temperature control of a fixing apparatus using an induction heating system
In a fixing apparatus of an embodiment of the invention, a heat roller forwardly and reversely rotated by a drive motor capable of forwardly and reversely rotating is heated by an induction heating coil also when it is reversely rotated. Further, the roller control temperature of the heat roller by a control system is adjusted according to a time of forward rotation of the heat roller and a time of reverse rotation, or a time when the heat roller and a press roller are separated from each other and a time when they are in contact with each other. Besides, after a specified time has passed since an instruction of reverse rotation or forward rotation by a drive signal, output of the induction heating coil is tuned on. |
| US08078071B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method of the image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has: a photosensitive drum onto which images are formed; and a primary transfer roller which sequentially forms the color images onto the photosensitive drum by using a plurality of developing devices having different color developers and transfers the color images formed on the drum onto a transfer member or a recording medium. Order of forming the images onto an image bearing member on a photosensitive member is switched based on a use amount of each of the plurality of developing devices. |
| US08078070B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method thereof
An image forming apparatus is provided that uses a table generated in advance to correct a gradation characteristic of an image to be formed when carrying out image forming using an image carrier. A patch is formed in an area where the image is not formed on the image carrier. A density of the patch formed on the image carrier is measured. The table is modified based on the density of the patch that has been measured. The patch is formed concurrently with image forming of the image on the image carrier. |
| US08078065B2 |
Polarization tracking and signal equalization for optical receivers configured for on-off keying or pulse amplitude modulation signaling
According to one embodiment, an optical receiver adapted to recover OOK or PAM data carried by a modulated optical carrier has an optical detector adapted to produce a sequence of vector pairs having first and second digital vectors indicative of complex values of first and second polarization components, respectively, of the modulated optical carrier at a corresponding sampling time. The optical receiver also has a digital processor that is connected to receive the sequence and is adapted to perform a rotation on each pair in a manner that tends to compensate for polarization rotation produced by transmitting the modulated optical carrier from an optical transmitter thereof to the optical receiver. The digital processor is further adapted to estimate values of the OOK or PAM data encoded onto each of the first and second polarization components based on the vectors produced by the rotation in a manner responsive to values of energy errors in the estimated values. |
| US08078064B2 |
Coherent optical receiver and adjustment method thereof
In a coherent optical receiver, a light intensity value of signal light providing an optimum reception state is determined when ideal signal light free from waveform distortion is used as the signal light in a state where local-oscillator light is turned on. A first amplitude value of an analog electrical signal corresponding to the signal light is stored in a storage section, wherein the first amplitude value is obtained at a time when the ideal signal light of the light intensity value determined is used as the signal light in a state where the local-oscillator light is turned off. Light intensity of the signal light is determined so as to make a second amplitude value equal to the first amplitude value, wherein the second amplitude value is an amplitude value of the analog electrical signal which is obtained at a time when actual signal light is used as the signal light in a state where the local-oscillator light is turned off. |
| US08078062B2 |
Carrier-suppressed optical pulse train generating device and method
The device is structured to have a first electric modulation signal generator, a second electric modulation signal generator, a two-mode beat light source and an optical intensity modulator. The first electric modulation signal generator generates and outputs a first electric modulation signal. The second electric modulation signal generator generates and outputs a second electric modulation signal of a same frequency as the first electric modulation signal and to which a phase difference of δ radians is provided (δ is a real number satisfying 0≦δ≦π). The two-mode beat light source is driven by the first electric modulation signal, and generates and outputs two-mode beat light. The two-mode beat light is inputted to the optical intensity modulator, and the optical intensity modulator generates and outputs a CS optical pulse train. Light transmittance of the optical intensity modulator is modulated by the second electric modulation signal. |
| US08078061B2 |
Wavelength division multiplexed-passive optical network capable of high-speed transmission of an optical signal by using modulation format having high spectral efficiency
The present invention discloses a wavelength-division multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) capable of high-bandwidth transmission for optical signals by using modulation format having high spectral efficiency. The WDM-PON according to the present invention provides a larger capacity and higher bandwidth transmission economically (at lower costs) by using a modulation format where spectral efficiency (a transmission bit number per a unit band width) is high, while using a low noise part of a light source. |
| US08078060B2 |
Optical synchronization system for femtosecond X-ray sources
Femtosecond pump/probe experiments using short X-Ray and optical pulses require precise synchronization between 100 meter-10 km separated lasers in a various experiments. For stabilization in the hundred femtosecond range a CW laser is amplitude modulated at 1-10 GHz, the signal retroreflected from the far end, and the relative phase used to correct the transit time with various implementations. For the sub-10 fsec range the laser frequency itself is upshifted 55 MHz with an acousto-optical modulator, retroreflected, upshifted again and phase compared at the sending end to a 110 MHz reference. Initial experiments indicate less than 1 fsec timing jitter. To lock lasers in the sub-10 fs range two single-frequency lasers separated by several teraHertz will be lock to a master modelocked fiber laser, transmit the two frequencies over fiber, and lock two comb lines of a slave laser to these frequencies, thus synchronizing the two modelocked laser envelopes. |
| US08078057B2 |
Centralized congestion avoidance in a passive optical network
In one aspect, a method for congestion avoidance in a passive optical network having an optical line terminal communicatively connected to a plurality of optical network termination devices is provided. A dynamic bandwidth allocation information is periodically requested from the optical network termination device and the optical line terminator receives the response to the request. An adjusted bandwidth allocation for the optical network termination device is determined by the optical line terminator. The optical line terminator determines a packet-drop command to be taken at the optical network termination device. The adjusted bandwidth allocation and the packet-drop command are sent to the optical network termination device. |
| US08078056B2 |
Multimedia distribution system using fiber optic lines
Generating oscillator signals with which selected signals may be mixed. Such oscillator signals may be generated by dividing a pilot tone, such as a 120 MHz pilot tone found on many cable TV systems. Oscillator signals for demodulating received selected signals may be similarly generated. |
| US08078042B2 |
Vibration-proof lens unit and image capturing apparatus
Goal: Providing a vibration-proof lens that can restrict an increase in thickness in the direction of the optical axis.Means: A vibration-proof lens unit comprising a lens holder that holds a vibration-proof lens; a support that supports the lens holder in a manner to be movable within a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the vibration-proof lens; an engaging section that engages the lens holder with the support such that the lens holder can move (i) in a rotational direction around an axis line parallel to the optical axis of the vibration-proof lens and (ii) in a direction of a rotational radius orthogonal to the axis line; a rotational driving unit that moves the lens holder in the rotational direction; and a linear driving unit that moves the lens holder in the direction of the rotational radius. |
| US08078039B2 |
Recording apparatus capable of recording moving image and still image
A recording apparatus for extracting a still image from a moving image signal that is currently being recorded, at a predetermined timing, wherein when an additional still image is newly extracted after extracting N pictures of still images, one of the N pictures of still images already extracted is deleted, and still image signals of N pictures to which the newly extracted one picture of still image is added in place of the deleted one picture of still image are generated. |
| US08078036B2 |
Custom content compilation using digital chapter marks
Digital marks are used to define segments that are sequenced in a custom content compilation that provides a virtual program. A system is configured to receive definitions of digital marks that locate segments within program content. The segments are scenes or other portions of programs that constitute less than the entirety of the program content. A series of digital marks are associated as being within a content compilation sequence. Playback of the virtual program entails sequential output of the segments corresponding to the digital marks. Alternative content includes user photos, video clips and audio clips. The virtual program may also be automatically built through access to user profile or related information. |
| US08078034B2 |
Method and apparatus for navigating through subtitles of an audio video data stream
In a method and an apparatus for navigating through subtitles of an Audio Video data stream an address information of one or more played back data units is stored together with the subtitle information of said played back data units during play back of said data units. One or more of said stored subtitle information can be displayed. Following the selection of one of said displayed subtitle information the stored address information of the data unit corresponding to the selected subtitle information is retrieved and the corresponding data unit is accessed using said retrieved address information. Playing back the accessed data unit conveniently allows to watch and listen to a scene including subtitles again, e.g. by a few clicks on the remote control. |
| US08078033B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes a recording unit that records a televised program being received by a receiving unit to a disk-shaped recording medium. The recording apparatus also includes a commercial message detecting unit that detects a switch from main program to commercial message and a switch from commercial message to main program when the recording unit is recording the program. The recording unit records the program to the recording medium with chapter breaks set at first time intervals when commercial messages inserted in the main program are being received by the receiving unit, and set at second time intervals when the main program is being received by the receiving unit. |
| US08078030B2 |
Cable management panel with sliding drawer
An optical fiber cable management panel is provided with slideable drawers and structure within the drawers for cable management and/or connection to other devices. Tray inserts drop into the drawers to provide the appropriate management and connection devices. A movable take-up mechanism manages the cable entering and exiting the drawers at side openings. Stackable pivoting storage trays on the tray insert include a detent arrangement for holding each tray in a pivoted access position. The tray inserts further include a front key, and a back tab mounting arrangement for mounting the tray inserts to the drawers, and side radius limiters including notches for extending over raised portions of the drawer. The take-up mechanism includes a U-shaped trough section and cable retention tabs. A control mechanism is provided for controlling movement of the take-up mechanism relative to the drawer. |
| US08078029B2 |
Cable management panel with sliding drawer and methods
An optical fiber cable management panel includes drawer assemblies, each including a drawer slidable within a chassis. The drawer assemblies are secured together by a bracket that includes an interlock arrangement with the chassis. Such an interlock arrangement includes a non-threaded stud engaging a hole. Radius limiters may be part of the drawer assembly and include a cable entry aperture have a closed perimeter and a flared cable guide surface around most of, and preferably all of, the closed perimeter to allow for the entry of cables from all directions. A control mechanism controls movement of the radius limiter relative to the drawer assembly. The control mechanism includes a rotating member that has an axis of rotation transverse to the slidable motion of the radius limiter and normal to the radius limiter. |
| US08078028B2 |
Optical patch panel device
Various embodiments of patch panel devices are enclosed. In some embodiments, signals received are in an electrical or optical form and converted to the other form. The converted signal is provided as an output signal. A version of the original input may also be provided as an input. A signal injector can inject a optical or electrical signal that is selectively injected into the output signals. Various embodiments also include sensor to detecting the connecting of an electrical or optical line. |
| US08078012B2 |
Pattern inspection apparatus and method
A pattern inspection apparatus includes a stage configured to mount a target workpiece to be inspected thereon, a sensor configured to include a plurality of light receiving elements arrayed in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction which moves relatively to the stage, and to capture optical images of the target workpiece by using the plurality of light receiving elements, an accumulation unit configured to accumulate each pixel data of the optical images overlappingly captured by the sensor at positions shifted each other in the second direction by a pixel unit, for each pixel, and a comparison unit configured to compare the each pixel data accumulated for each pixel with predetermined reference data. |
| US08078010B2 |
Method and device for video image processing, calculating the similarity between video frames, and acquiring a synthesized frame by synthesizing a plurality of contiguous sampled frames
To acquire a high-resolution frame from a plurality of frames sampled from a video image, it is necessary to obtain a high-resolution frame with reduced picture quality degradation regardless of motion of a subject included in the frame. Because of this, between a plurality of contiguous frames FrN and FrN+1, there is estimated a correspondent relationship. Based on the correspondent relationship, the frames FrN+1 and FrN are interposed to obtain first and second interpolated frames FrH1 and FrH2. Based on the correspondent relationship, the coordinates of the frame FrN+1 are transformed, and from a correlation value with the frame FrN, there is obtained a weighting coefficient α(x°, y°) that makes the weight of the first interpolated frame FrH1 greater as a correlation becomes greater. With the weighting coefficient, the first and second interpolated frames are weighted and added to acquire a synthesized frame FrG. |
| US08078005B2 |
Method for controlling the combining of original image data and coded image data
An information processing device is provided that combines original image data and coded image data in a mutually non-overlapping manner. The information processing device generates coded image data to be combined with original image data. Next, the information process device determines whether or not the object region within the original image data and the generated coded image data region are overlapping. If it is determined that an overlap occurs, the information processing device modifies the shape of the coded image data region in accordance with instructions from a user. Next, the information processing device combines and prints the changed coded image data and the original image data. |
| US08078004B2 |
Geometric registration of images by similarity transformation using two reference points
A method for registering a first image to a second image using a similarity transformation. The each image includes a plurality of pixels. The first image pixels are mapped to a set of first image coordinates and the second image pixels are mapped to a set of second image coordinates. The first image coordinates of two reference points in the first image are determined. The second image coordinates of these reference points in the second image are determined. A Cartesian translation of the set of second image coordinates is performed such that the second image coordinates of the first reference point match its first image coordinates. A similarity transformation of the translated set of second image coordinates is performed. This transformation scales and rotates the second image coordinates about the first reference point such that the second image coordinates of the second reference point match its first image coordinates. |
| US08077997B2 |
Method and apparatus for image processing
An image processing method and an image processing apparatus are provided. After receiving an image signal, the image and apparatus according to the invention first judge whether a target block in the image signal includes a non-chroma line. If the judging result is YES, a first edge detection procedure will be performed on the non-chroma line. If the judging result is NO, a second edge detection procedure will be performed on the target block. |
| US08077995B1 |
Infrared camera systems and methods using environmental information
Systems and methods provide infrared camera techniques that may improve image quality or infrared camera performance over a range of varying conditions. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a system is disclosed that transforms data provided by an infrared camera based upon environmental conditions at the time the data was obtained. As an example, the image quality provided by the infrared camera may be improved over a range of environmental conditions by the proper transformation of the data based upon the data and/or sensor information. |
| US08077994B2 |
Compression of MQDF classifier using flexible sub-vector grouping
Systems and methods to compress MQDF data are disclosed herein. A plurality of eigenvectors is identified. Each eigenvector in the plurality of eigenvectors can correspond to a pattern to be recognized. Each eigenvector in the plurality of eigenvectors can be split into sub-vectors. The sub-vectors can then be grouped into one or more groups according to a location of the sub-vectors within each of the eigenvectors. Each group can be associated with location data of the sub-vectors in the group. At least one group can be compressed according to a codebook. The codebook can be identifiable via the location data. |
| US08077992B2 |
Application based adaptive encoding
A system and method for encoding dynamic image information for an image generated by a computer application executing on a processor. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise determining a first set of information describing a reference image. A second set of information may be determined for describing an image, wherein the second set of information comprises information indicative of movement between the image and the reference image. For example, a set of primary movement directions may be determined based at least in part on the computer application generating the image. Such set of primary movement directions may be utilized for analyzing the image relative to the reference images. The difference between the image and the reference image may, for example, be analyzed using at least one of the set of primary movement directions. A movement direction may, for example, be utilized to describe the image. |
| US08077991B2 |
Spatially enhanced transform coding
A system and method for improving prediction error coding performance of various video compression algorithms. Various embodiments combine the energy compaction features of transform coding with localization properties of spatial coding. In various embodiments, the effects of pixel “outliers” are removed from the transform and are coded separately as a spatially coded pixel prediction, thereby improving the coding gain of the transform. |
| US08077988B2 |
Method and apparatus for compressed sensing
Method and apparatus for compressed sensing yields acceptable quality reconstructions of an object from reduced numbers of measurements. A component x of a signal or image is represented as a vector having m entries. Measurements y, comprising a vector with n entries, where n is less than m, are made. An approximate reconstruction of the m-vector x is made from y. Special measurement matrices allow measurements y=Ax+z, where y is the measured m-vector, x the desired n-vector and z an m-vector representing noise. “A” is an n by m matrix, i.e. an array with fewer rows than columns. “A” enables delivery of an approximate reconstruction, x#′ of x. An embodiment discloses approximate reconstruction of x from the reduced-dimensionality measurement y. Given y, and the matrix A, approximate reconstruction x# of x is possible. This embodiment is driven by the goal of promoting the approximate sparsity of x#. |
| US08077986B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method of controlling same and computer program
A multivalued original image is converted to a high-resolution image by interpolation processing and the resultant high-resolution image is subjected to binarization processing to obtain a high-resolution binarized image. This is followed by extraction of a plurality of text regions for every text color, as well as position information and text color information of each text region. First compressed data of the text regions is generated by applying compression processing to the high-resolution binarized images at the positions corresponding to the text regions extracted. Second compressed data is generated by filling text regions in the original image with a prescribed pixel value and applying compression processing to the image obtained by such filling. Compressed image data of the original image is then generated, this data including the first compressed data and the second compressed data as well as the position information and color information of each text region. |
| US08077985B2 |
Device, method, and program for compressing image data
An image data compression device for rapidly compressing the file to a desired capacity is provided. The image data compression device comprising a compression target capacity value storage device for storing compression target capacity value defined in advance; a compression processing information storage device for storing information in the compression processing; a primary compression device for performing a prescribed compression processing on the image data to generate primary compressed image data, and storing the primary compression information representing a compression property during the compression processing in the compression processing information storage device; and a secondary compression device for compressing the primary compressed image data based on the primary compression information stored in the compression processing information storage device and the compression target capacity value stored in the compression target capacity storage device. |
| US08077984B2 |
Method for computing similarity between text spans using factored word sequence kernels
A computer implemented method and an apparatus for comparing spans of text are disclosed. The method includes computing a similarity measure between a first sequence of symbols representing a first text span and a second sequence of symbols representing a second text span as a function of the occurrences of optionally noncontiguous subsequences of symbols shared by the two sequences of symbols. Each of the symbols comprises at least one consecutive word and is defined according to a set of linguistic factors. Pairs of symbols in the first and second sequences that form a shared subsequence of symbols are each matched according to at least one of the factors. |
| US08077983B2 |
Systems and methods for character correction in communication devices
A system and method for character error correction is provided, useful for a user of mobile appliances to produce written text with reduced errors. The system includes an interface, a word prediction engine, a statistical engine, an editing distance calculator, and a selector. A string of characters, known as the inputted word, may be entered into the mobile device via the interface. The word prediction engine may then generate word candidates similar to the inputted word using fuzzy logic and user preferences generated from past user behavior. The statistical engine may then generate variable error costs determined by the probability of erroneously inputting any given character. The editing distance calculator may then determine the editing distance between the inputted word and each of the word candidates by grid comparison using the variable error costs. The selector may choose one or more preferred candidates from the word candidates using the editing distances. |
| US08077980B2 |
Image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus enables image data to be handled easily after photography. A server apparatus patterns images and controls information in correspondence with user identifiers. A digital camera photographs a subject, obtains a pattern image and a piece of control information from the server apparatus, and judges whether a portion of the image data obtained by photography matches the obtained pattern image. If a matching portion exists, then the digital camera operates in accordance with an operation instruction included in the piece of control information. If the operation instruction is mosaic processing, then the digital camera performs mosaic processing to the matching portion. If the operation instruction is image replacement, then the digital camera replaces the matching portion with a predetermined image or performs CG processing on the matching portion. If the operation instruction is frame deletion, then the digital camera deletes the image data. |
| US08077976B2 |
Image search apparatus and image search method
Of the feature amounts of respective regions on an image, a region having a feature amount which is similar to that of a region of interest on a image is specified (S1307). Of the OCR results of the respective regions on the image, a region having an OCR result which matches that of the region of interest on the image is specified (S1308). Regions corresponding to respective regions on the image of the respective regions are specified based on the layout order of the specified regions (S1311). Of the regions obtained by combining neighboring regions on the image, a region corresponding to an inclusion region that includes each specified region is specified (S1314). |
| US08077972B2 |
Distributed document processing
A system for document processing including decomposing an image of a document into at least one data entry region sub-image, providing the data entry region sub-image to a data entry clerk available for processing the data entry region sub-image, receiving from the data entry clerk a data entry value associated with the data entry region sub-image, and validating the data entry value. |
| US08077967B2 |
Continuous color grading technique
The continuity of at least one image characteristic, such as color, is maintained through image creation, processing and distribution by correlating that characteristic to a frame of reference. During a first processing operation such as image capture, an initial image decision list is generated indicative of at least a one change in at least one characteristic of an image adjusted during that operation. At the completion of that operation, the image is transformed to emulate a film print that serves as the reference for subsequent operations. In this way, the initial image decision list can be modified list to further adjust of the at least one characteristic of the image using the emulated film print during a second image processing operation. |
| US08077965B2 |
Object recognition apparatus and object recognition method using epipolar geometry
An object recognition apparatus that processes images, as acquired by an imaging means (10) mounted on a moving object, in a first image plane and a second image plane of different points of view, and recognizes an object in the vicinity of the moving object. The object recognition apparatus comprises: a feature point detection means (42) that detects feature points in first and second image planes of an object image; a fundamental matrix determination means (43a) that determines, based on calculation of an epipole through the auto-epipolar property, a fundamental matrix that expresses a geometrically corresponding relationship based on translational camera movement, with not less than two pairs of feature points corresponding between the first and second image planes; and a three-dimensional position calculation means (43b) that calculates a three-dimensional position of an object based on the coordinates of the object in the first and second image planes and the determined fundamental matrix. |
| US08077964B2 |
Two dimensional/three dimensional digital information acquisition and display device
A two dimensional/three dimensional (2D/3D) digital acquisition and display device for enabling users to capture 3D information using a single device. In an embodiment, the device has a single movable lens with a sensor. In another embodiment, the device has a single lens with a beam splitter and multiple sensors. In another embodiment, the device has multiple lenses and multiple sensors. In yet another embodiment, the device is a standard digital camera with additional 3D software. In some embodiments, 3D information is generated from 2D information using a depth map generated from the 2D information. In some embodiments, 3D information is acquired directly using the hardware configuration of the camera. The 3D information is then able to be displayed on the device, sent to another device to be displayed or printed. |
| US08077963B2 |
Mobile robot with a head-based movement mapping scheme
A robotic system that includes a mobile robot and a remote input device. The input device may be a joystick that is used to move a camera and a mobile platform of the robot. The system may operate in a mode where the mobile platform moves in a camera reference coordinate system. The camera reference coordinate system is fixed to a viewing image provided by the camera so that movement of the robot corresponds to a direction viewed on a screen. This prevents disorientation during movement of the robot if the camera is panned across a viewing area. |
| US08077958B2 |
Computer-aided pathological diagnosis system
The present invention is a computer-aided pathological diagnosis method for the classification of cancer cells in a tissue specimen based on a digital cellular image of the tissue specimen. The method of the present invention includes the steps of, extracting the histological characteristic features of the cellular image using preprocessing algorithms having adaptive strategies to enhance the cellular image, declustering the extracted histological characteristic features of the cellular image to isolate the individual cells and the nuclei inside the cells, segmenting the declustered cellular image, labeling the segmented cellular image and classifying the cells in the labeled cellular image as cancer cells or non-cancer cells. |
| US08077957B2 |
X-ray image diagnostic system, image processing apparatus and image processing method
The present invention is an image processing apparatus that reconstructs one frame of image data using block-level image data, including a unit that receives the block-level image data to which position information has been added, a unit that determines whether or not there was an error in the transmission of the received position information, a first storage area used for storing the block-level image data corresponding to the position information for which a transmission error did not occur, a second storage area used for storing the block-level image data corresponding to the position information for which a transmission error occurred, a unit that infers correct position information for the block-level image data stored in the second storage area based on the first storage area and the second storage area, and a unit that reconstructs the one frame of image data using the inferred position information. |
| US08077956B2 |
Orientation detection for chest radiographic images
A method for identifying the orientation of a radiographic image of a patient generates a reduced-scale image having a smaller number of pixel elements than the original radiographic image and generates a reduced bit-depth image from the reduced-scale image. The method determines whether the image has portrait or landscape orientation by sectioning either the reduced-scale image or the reduced bit-depth image into at least two sections and calculating at least one value related to relative symmetry for each of the at least two sections. |
| US08077954B2 |
System and method for image processing
The present invention relates to a system and a method for processing an initial image of coronary arteries. In accordance with the proposed method, a healthy region and a stenosed region of said arteries are first demarcated in the initial image. A first intermediate image is obtained by generating a contour of said healthy region of said arteries by segmentation of said healthy region using a level set function. A second intermediate image obtained by performing edge detection on said stenosed region. The first and second intermediate images are then combined to obtain a composite image of a single connected component represented by a plane curve on said composite image. |
| US08077953B2 |
System and method for automatic detection of end of diastole and end of systole image frames in X-ray ventricular angiography
End-diastolic and end-systolic image frames are automatically selected on a real-time basis from a sequence of X-ray ventricular angiogram images by modeling the angiogram images by a dynamic graphical model and estimating a posterior probability density of the ventricular area in each angiogram image frame using Bayesian probability density propagation and adaptive background modeling. Then, a variation curve plot of expectation values of the posterior probability density of the ventricular area of each angiogram image frame is generated in which peaks and valleys in the variation curve correspond to end-diastolic and end-systolic angiogram image frames, respectively. |
| US08077950B2 |
Methods for determining meniscal size and shape and for devising treatment
The present invention relates to methods for determining meniscal size and shape for use in designing therapies for the treatment of various joint diseases. The invention uses an image of a joint that is processed for analysis. Analysis can include, for example, generating a thickness map, a cartilage curve, or a point cloud. This information is used to determine the extent of the cartilage defect or damage and to design an appropriate therapy, including, for example, an implant. Adjustments to the designed therapy are made to account for the materials used. |
| US08077947B2 |
Method for determining an optimal output of an ablation catheter for a myocardial ablation in a patient and associated medical apparatus
The invention relates to a method for determining an optimal output of an ablation catheter for a myocardial ablation in a patient with the following steps: creation of at least one at least three-dimensional image recording of an ablation region provided for the myocardial ablation using at least one image recording apparatus; at least partial segmentation of the recorded ablation region to obtain segmentation information using a computation apparatus; at least partial determination from the segmentation information of the location-dependent thickness of the myocardium in the ablation region by the computation apparatus; and determination of the optimal output of the ablation catheter, in particular by the computation apparatus or a separate computation apparatus of an ablation catheter system, as a function of the determined myocardium thickness. |
| US08077944B2 |
Method, device, and computer programme for evaluating images of a cavity
The invention relates to a device, a method and a computer program for evaluating images of the heart that have been captured by means of a medical imaging method. According to said method, at least two data records containing functional values, which describe the ventricular wall activity, are produced in a random format, are converted into a uniform format and the data records in the uniform format are compared with one another or calculated. |
| US08077939B2 |
Methods and systems for enhanced plaque visualization
Methods and apparatus for coding a visual representation of one or more plaque regions in a vessel are provided. The method includes segmenting the visual representation of the vessel to identify structures associated with the vessel, classifying at least one region in the vessel as a plaque region, displaying the at least one plaque region using a visual highlight selectively associated with the classification for the at least one plaque region, and shading the visual highlight based on a probability that the classification is correct. |
| US08077938B2 |
Diffusion tensor surface visualization
A computer implemented method for diffusion tensor visualization includes receiving diffusion weighted image slice data, segmenting a diffusion tensor field from the diffusion weighted image slice data to determine a three-dimensional triangular mesh, and determining a fractional anisotropy field and a principle diffusion direction field of the diffusion tensor field. The method includes determining a streamline through each surface point on a segmented surface of the diffusion tensor field according to the principle diffusion direction field, determining an oriented texture intensity for the surface points from corresponding streamlines, determining a surface color for the surface points by combining the oriented texture intensity, a color determined from the principle diffusion direction field, and a value of fractional anisotropy field at the surface points, and visualizing the surface points by rendering the surface points having the corresponding surface colors. |
| US08077936B2 |
Treatment planning software and corresponding user interface
A method and apparatus for treatment planning are described. |
| US08077935B2 |
Methods and apparatus for acquiring a swiped fingerprint image
A method for assisting a user of a fingerprint sensing system includes sensing a position of a user's finger relative to a swiped fingerprint image sensor, and providing to the user, in response to the sensed finger position, an indication of finger placement relative to the fingerprint image sensor. The indication of finger placement may include a display on a computer monitor of actual finger placement and desired finger placement. The fingerprint sensing system may include an image sensor to sense a fingerprint on a swiped finger, a finger position sensor to sense the position of the finger relative to the image sensor, and processing apparatus to provide the indication of finger placement to the user. |
| US08077934B2 |
Low power fingerprint capture system, apparatus, and method
The present invention provides a large format fingerprint capture apparatus, system and method that is low power, compact, and lightweight and has a platen area greater than 3.0 square inches. The present system is typically powered, controlled, and exchanges data over a single data/control/power connection to a host PC, e.g., a desk top computer, PDA, or laptop computer although the system can also be used in a wireless fashion with a power subsystem so no physical connections are required. In a preferred embodiment the large format fingerprint device is directly connected to a completely disconnected portable PC, such as a laptop having only a battery power source. The primary system components of the present invention combine to minimize power, size and weight and, thus, enhance portability and battery life. The system typically includes a light source, a prism, a camera (including the lens), and a case. Optional elements comprise holographic elements such as gratings and holographic optical elements (HOEs), a battery subsystem, magnetic stripe reader, barcode reader, platen heater, platen blower, and mirrors to divert the image beam. |
| US08077929B2 |
Ambient light rejection filter
A fingerprint reader is described. The fingerprint reader includes an illumination source that produces light and a camera. An optical window is also part of the reader. The window is positioned so that light from the illumination source passes through the optical window and then is reflected to the camera for imaging a person's fingerprint. A filter may be positioned on or proximate to the optical window. The filter prevents ambient light from reaching the camera. In some situations, the filter will be a dielectric mirror, a dielectric filter, a holographic mirror, a holographic filter, a dichroic mirror or a dichroic filter. |
| US08077925B2 |
Motion sensing method of sub-pixel level precision
The present invention discloses a method for motion sensing of sub-pixel level precision. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a reference image (reference frame) and a sample image (sample frame) of a surface; calculating the correlation between the reference frame and the sample frame to obtain a motion vector of a photoelectric mouse with respect to this surface; subjecting the reference frame and the sample frame to interpolation to obtain the interpolated reference frame and the interpolated sample frame; calculating the correlation between the interpolated reference frame and the interpolated sample frame in order to correct the aforesaid motion vector and to obtain the movement of the sub-pixel. The precision of displacement measurement can be improved effectively by this method under the condition that sensor's characteristics are not changed to improve the performance of the photoelectric mouse. |
| US08077923B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a first processing part selecting motion detection points for detecting a motion between images, and acquiring first motion vectors that are local motion vectors at the motion detection points, a second processing part acquiring first representative motions that are representative motions of translation, scaling and rotation based on the first motion vectors, a third processing part eliminating components of the first representative motions from the first motion vectors and acquiring second motion vectors, a fourth processing part acquiring local foreshortening motions at the motion detection points from the second motion vectors, and a fifth processing part acquiring a second representative motion that is a representative foreshortening motion from the local foreshortening motions. This process can obtain information representing geometric deformation between the images by simple processing. |
| US08077922B1 |
Optical flow sensor
An optical flow sensor for generating optical flow measurements based on a visual field is provided. The optical flow sensor comprises a binarized signal generator capable of generating binarized feature signals based on the visual field, a metafeature signal generator capable of generating metafeature signals based on the binarized feature signals, an apparatus for generating velocity reports based on the metafeature signals, and an apparatus for generating an optical flow measurement based on the velocity reports. |
| US08077921B2 |
Apparatus for determining the presence of fog using image obtained by vehicle-mounted imaging device
An apparatus that determines the presence of an element such as fog interfering with the visibility of a frontal view of an driver in an vehicle in an environmental atmosphere in ahead of the vehicle equipped with the apparatus in the daytime is provided. In this apparatus, the determination of whether the presence of the element is determined based on an image that captured by a vehicle-mounted camera and in which a picture of an obstacle located on a road over which the vehicle is traveling is masked. In the determination, a reliability of determining the presence of the element is considered by measuring the effect of masking the obstacle. |
| US08077919B2 |
Toro: tracking and observing robot
The present invention provides a method for tracking entities, such as people, in an environment over long time periods. A region-based model is generated to model beliefs about entity locations. Each region corresponds to a discrete area representing a location where an entity is likely to be found. Each region includes one or more positions which more precisely specify the location of an entity within the region so that the region defines a probability distribution of the entity residing at different positions within the region. A region-based particle filtering method is applied to entities within the regions so that the probability distribution of each region is updated to indicate the likelihood of the entity residing in a particular region as the entity moves. |
| US08077918B2 |
Architectures and methods for creating and representing time-dependent imagery
The present invention pertains to geographical image processing of time-dependent imagery. Various assets acquired at different times are stored and processing according to acquisition date in order to generate one or more image tiles for a geographical region of interest. The different image tiles are sorted based on asset acquisition date. Multiple image tiles for the same region of interest may be available. In response to a user request for imagery as of a certain date, one or more image tiles associated with assets from prior to that date are used to generate a time-based geographical image for the user. |
| US08077915B2 |
Obtaining information by tracking a user
A device may obtain tracking information of a face or a head of a user, determine a position and orientation of the user, and determine a direction of focus of the user based on the tracking information, the position, and the orientation. In addition, the device may retrieve information associated with a location at which the user focused. |
| US08077913B2 |
Method and device for determining the actual position of a geodetic instrument
In order to determine the actual position (A) of a geodetic measuring instrument (1) inside a dead range (T) wherein signals originating from a positioning system are shadowed, two reference structures (5) are detected from at least two known positions and the distances associated with the reference structures (5) are measured. Image information linked to said distance measurements is captured. Said information contains data on the arrangement of the reference structures (5). The actual position (1) can be derived from subsequent capture of the reference structures (5) from a position inside the dead range (T). Image processing methods are used advantageously to identify and measure the reference structures (5). |
| US08077912B2 |
Signal hiding employing feature modification
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for signal hiding using feature modulation. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining data representing a media signal; analyzing the data to determine features of the media signal; using a programmed electronic processor, modifying determined features to hide a signal in the data; and modifying the data to include a characteristic to facilitate later detection of the signal. In some case the features may include statistical features of the media signal. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too. |
| US08077911B2 |
Methods, apparatus and programs for generating and utilizing content signatures
The presently claimed invention generally relates to deriving and/or utilizing content signatures (e.g., so-called “fingerprints”). One claim recites a method of generating a fingerprint associated with a content item including: pseudo-randomly selecting a segment of the content item; and utilizing a processor or electronic processing circuitry, fingerprinting the selected segment of content item as at least an identifier of the content item. Of course, other claims and combination are provided as well. |
| US08077909B2 |
Apparatus and method for testing infrared camera
An apparatus for testing infrared cameras includes: a cover plate which has a plurality of holes formed therethrough and arranged in line in a horizontal direction at a regular interval, the cover plate being adapted to emit an amount of infrared light; and an emission source which is disposed in parallel to and behind the cover plate as viewed from infrared cameras to be tested, the emission source being adapted to emit a different amount of infrared light when compared with the cover plate. |
| US08077908B2 |
Method for using an image analysis program to analyze a plurality of images having the same image blocks
The present invention relates to an image analysis method for analyzing an image. By inputting starting point coordinates and ending point coordinates of individual image blocks contained in the image, an image block arrangement table is created. The image is analyzed according to the image block arrangement table. |
| US08077905B2 |
Capturing physical feature data
Directional albedo of a particular article, such as an identity card, is measured and stored. When the article is later presented, it can be confirmed to be the same particular article by re-measuring the albedo function, and checking for correspondence against the earlier-stored data. The re-measuring can be performed through us of a handheld optical device, such as a camera-equipped cell phone. The albedo function can serve as random key data in a variety of cryptographic applications. The function can be changed during the life of the article. A variety of other features are also detailed. |
| US08077897B2 |
Phasing plug
A phasing plug for a compression driver includes a base portion and a hub portion. The base portion includes a first side, a second side, and a plurality of apertures extending between the first and second sides. The hub portion extends from the base portion along an axis. A plurality of channels formed on the second side of the base portion, each channel extending from the hub portion to a corresponding one of a plurality of apertures extending between the first and second sides, the apertures formed to define lines cutting diagonally across the annular section. |
| US08077895B2 |
Behind-the-ear hearing aid with audio shoe which can be pushed-on linearly, and appropriate mounting method
A behind-the-ear hearing aid is provided, with an elongated housing and an audio shoe, which is affixed to an end face of the housing in such a way that it can be removed, and a coupling device, with which the audio shoe is coupled to the housing by a sliding movement parallel to the end face of the housing. In addition, affixed to the audio shoe there is a securing device which includes a slider which can be moved crossways relative to the direction in which the audio shoe slides, which in a first position permits the sliding movement of the audio shoe and in a second position prevents the sliding movement. It is thus possible to mount the audio shoe on the hearing aid housing, and to make any necessary contacts, with a double linear movement which is easy to realize. |
| US08077892B2 |
Hearing assistance system including data logging capability and method of operating the same
There is provided a method of operating a system for providing hearing assistance to a user (101), comprising: capturing and processing audio signals by a transmission unit (102) and transmitting the audio signals from the transmission unit (102) via a wireless audio link to a receiver unit (103); processing the received audio signals in the receiver unit (103); stimulating the user's hearing, by stimulating means (38, 136) worn at or in the user's ear, according to the audio signals from the receiver unit (103); logging data by recording the values of at least one operation parameter of the transmission unit (102) and/or the receiver unit (103) as a function of time and/or by recording data derived from the values of at least one operation parameter of the transmission unit (102) and/or the receiver unit (103) as a function of time in the transmission unit (102); and reading the logged data from the transmission unit (102). |
| US08077891B2 |
Method and system for adjusting a hearing device
A method for wirelessly adjusting one or more hearing devices (1, . . . , 3) with a central unit (4) is presented, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a wireless network (6) wirelessly connecting the central unit (4) to hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), which are responsive to said wireless network (6), detecting said hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), identifying one or more of the detected hearing devices (1, . . . , 3, selecting one or more of the identified hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), establishing a wireless link from the central unit (4) to at least one of the identified hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), and adjusting the at least one identified hearing device (1, . . . , 3). Therewith, an audiologist is able to unambiguously assign one or two hearing devices (1, . . . , 3) in a fitting session, even if multiple hearing devices are within the range of the wireless network (6) or wireless transmitter, respectively. |
| US08077890B2 |
Preprogrammed hearing assistance device with program selection using a multipurpose control device
A user programmable hearing aid allows a user to select acoustical configuration programs that provide optimum performance for the user. The user may cycle through and evaluate various available programs by operating a single digital rocker switch on the hearing aid housing to switch from one program to the next. When a preferred program is active, the user can press and hold an up control or down control of the digital rocker switch for an extended time to select the currently active program. The user can then use the digital rocker switch to adjust the audio gain for the selected program. The hearing aid may also operate in a Configuration Mode wherein configuration settings may be changed by operating the up and down controls of the digital rocker switch. In the Configuration Mode, a clinician or patient may easily change configuration settings manually, with no need to connect the apparatus to a computer or other programming interface. |
| US08077887B2 |
Electrical connector and method for manufacturing a condenser microphone
There is provided an electrical connector especially suitable for a condenser microphone, which connector is, though being small in size, provided with an electromagnetic wave shielding unit that is capable of easily being installed in the connector and is equivalent to an EMI core. The electrical connector includes a cylindrical connector housing 10; a connector element 20; and a connection cable 30, and is configured so that the connector element 20 is supported on one end side of the connector housing 10, and the connection cable is drawn into the connector housing 10 through a cable insertion part 10b on the other end side of the connector housing 10 and thereby connected electrically to the connector element 20. In this electrical connector, a magnetic fluid 62, and a permanent magnet 61 for magnetically attracting the magnetic fluid 62 are housed in an excess space between the connector element 20 and the cable insertion part 10b in the connector housing 10. |
| US08077885B2 |
Microphone device
A microphone device includes an enclosure, a nontransparent supporter, a light source, an annular-shaped optical sensor, a lens and a vibrating membrane. The enclosure has a bottom portion and a sidewall extending from the bottom portion. An opening is defined in the enclosure and opposite to the bottom portion. A nontransparent supporter is enclosed in the enclosure and positioned on the bottom portion. A passage is defined in the supporter, and has a first aperture and a second aperture at two opposite ends. The first aperture is adjacent to the bottom portion. The light source is positioned on the bottom portion, received in the passage and adjacent to the first aperture. The optical sensor is positioned on the supporter. The lens is received in the optical sensor and positioned on the supporter and covers the second aperture. The vibrating membrane is supported on the sidewall. |
| US08077884B2 |
Actuation of floor systems using mechanical and electro-active polymer transducers
Transducers and resonators are embedded in body support structures in contact with a user to for the purpose of conveying musical sound energy to a user's body at selected frequencies and in selected patterns. Body support structures comprise beds, pillows, chairs, and other structures typically used to support people. The sound may be audio tones and/or music. The transducers and resonators may be incorporated into a foam component or in a coil spring component of the body support structure. Latex-type foams and beds made with springs are candidate body support structures for receiving transducer's and resonators. Electro-active polymers are also used as transducers. Floor systems are activated by both mechanical transducers and electro-active polymers. |
| US08077883B2 |
Intelligent solo-mute switching
An intelligent solo-mute switching system for an audio signal processing device having a plurality of channels. A plurality of multi-throw momentary switches are monitored by a switch interface to detect at least three switch events. A channel state controller responds to the at least three switch events detected by the switch interface in directing a channel gain matrix to govern the plurality of channels. |
| US08077882B2 |
Audio reproducing apparatus
An audio signal processing apparatus includes a harmonic overtone adder and an equalizer. The harmonic overtone adder includes a high-pass filter for extracting from an audio signal higher than a first predetermined frequency, a filter for extracting a frequency component lower than half a second predetermined frequency, an harmonic overtone generator for generating a frequency-doubled harmonic overtone component from an output from the filter, and a first combining unit for combining the frequency component output from the high-pass filter and the harmonic overtone component output from the harmonic overtone generator. The equalizer includes a level detector for detecting a level of an overtone component contained in an output from the first combining unit, a gain controller for controlling dynamically the level of the harmonic overtone component contained in the output from the first combining unit, and a second combining unit for combining the output from the first combining unit with the harmonic overtone component. |
| US08077879B2 |
Audio output apparatus and television broadcast receiver
When an abnormality occurs in a supply circuit and its output is decreased, a protect circuit detects the abnormality and outputs a protect signal to an audio circuit. The audio circuit upon detection of the protect signal stops outputting audio so that outputting of an audio noise due to a deficiency in the supplied voltage is prevented. Meanwhile, when no abnormality occurs in the supply circuit, a microcomputer controls the audio circuit by supplying it with such a signal as to allow it to output an audio, or to increase the audio volume, or with a mute signal. |
| US08077865B2 |
Electronic device, content reproduction control method, program, storage medium, and integrated circuit
To play back a content while managing the right of use of the content, such as a total time of playback of the content, an electronic device stores right information in a right temporary storage unit 59 and judges whether or not use of the content is permitted, in a process of decoding a frame. Also, the electronic device updates the right information stored in the right temporary storage unit 59. When the frame to be played back is the one at a predetermined position in order, the electronic device stores the right information stored in the right temporary storage unit 59 into a storage area 20. |
| US08077864B2 |
Apparatus for computing streamcipher TSC-4
Provided is an apparatus for computing a T-function based Stream Cipher (TSC)-4 stream cipher. The apparatus includes: two T-function units; and a nonlinear filter for receiving bits output from the two T-function units and generating an 8-bit output sequence per clock. Each of the T-function units includes: a first register for storing an internal state value of the lower N bits; an N-bit internal state updater for updating the internal state value of the lower N-bits stored in the first register; an intermediate result register for storing an intermediate result value output from the N-bit internal state updater; a second register for storing an internal state value of the upper M bits; and an M-bit internal state updater for updating the internal state value of the upper M bits stored in the second register using the value stored in the intermediate result register. |
| US08077863B2 |
Secret sharing apparatus, method, and program
A secret sharing apparatus according to the present invention is based on a (k,n)-threshold scheme with a threshold of at least 4 but is still operational with a threshold of at least 2. The secret sharing apparatus generates a generator matrix (G) of GF(2) in which any k of n column vectors are at a full rank, divides secret information into n−1 pieces to generate divided secret data (K(1), . . . , K(n−1)), generates random data (U(0,1), . . . , U(k−2,n−1)), calculates the product of matrixes of the divided secret data, the random data, and the generator matrix (G), assigns the j×(n−1)+ith column of the calculation result to sharing partial data (D(j,i)) to calculate sharing partial data (D(j,1)), generates header information (H(j)), and individually distributes n pieces of sharing information (D(0), . . . , D(n−1)) made up of the header information (H(j)) and sharing partial data (D(j,i)) to n storage apparatuses. |
| US08077859B1 |
Adaptive analog echo/NEXT cancellation
A physical layer (PHY) device including i) an input configured to receive a first transmit signal transmitted from a remote device, and ii) an output configured to transmit a second transmit signal from the PHY device to the remote device. The second transmit signal causes interference in a receive signal at the input of the PHY device. The PHY device further including a selection module configured to select a first control signal to cancel the interference in the receive signal when the receive signal does not include the first transmit signal and a second control signal to cancel the interference in the receive signal when the receive signal includes the first transmit signal. The interference includes (i) an echo due to the second transmit signal or (ii) crosstalk due to a third transmit signal output by a local PHY device proximate to the PHY device. |
| US08077858B2 |
Echo canceler and echo canceling method
An echo canceler uses an adaptive filter to remove an echo of an incoming far-end signal from an outgoing near-end signal in the presence of ambient noise, updating the filter coefficients while the far-end signal is active and the near-end signal is inactive. The near-end and far-end signals are also sampled to obtain data vectors, which are averaged to generate simulated near-end and far-end signals, from which substitute filter coefficients are calculated and updated while the far-end signal is silent, the substitute filter coefficients being used when the far-end signal becomes active again. The number of data vectors averaged is varied according to the ratio of echo power to ambient near-end noise power, or according to the echo attenuation ratio, thereby speeding up convergence of the filter coefficients. Data sampled while the near-end and far-end signals are both active are excluded from the updating process. |
| US08077857B1 |
Portable speakerphone device with selective mixing
Disclosed herein are portable teleconferencing products that implement a doubletalk detector in a low frequency range or in a frequency range commensurate with the frequencies through which sound may be efficiently transferred between a speaker and a microphone through an enclosure. Also disclosed herein are teleconferencing systems that implement a secondary doubletalk detector, a non-presumptive doubletalk detector, a confirmatory doubletalk detector, and/or a false doubletalk detector, whereby echo cancellation coefficients may be better adapted after echo path changing events through the use of accelerated coefficient adaptation or half-duplex operation until adaptation is restored. Further disclosed herein are teleconferencing products that include more than one port for communicating with distant parties or a single party and a local source of audio material, whereby one distant party is prevented from being transmitted to it private audio from another party or another audio signal while permitting a local participant to hear the private audio. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims. |
| US08077853B2 |
VoIP adapter, IP network device and method for performing advanced VoIP functions
A VoIP adapter for POTS a phone comprises: a POTS phone connector, an IP network interface, two sets of signaling senders, signaling receivers, media senders and media receivers for the POTS phone and the IP network respectively, and a controller for controlling the operations of above components. The VoIP adapter enables the user to carry out VoIP communications using a normal POTS phone and further enables use of advanced VoIP functions via the normal POTS phone, such as Call Hold, Call Transfer, Ad Hoc Conference, etc. |
| US08077852B1 |
Method and apparatus for controlling conference calls
A conference manager establishes and controls a conference and subconferences for a plurality of telecommunication terminals so as to reduce telecommunication costs by establishing the conference and dynamically placing telecommunication terminals geographically located with conference or isolated remote telecommunication terminals geographically located remote from the conference into the conference. The conference manager requests that other conference managers establish subconferences to conference together remote telecommunication terminals that are geographically located together. The conference manager requests that the other conference managers extend these subconferences to the conference. Further, the conference manager controls the other conference managers to interconnect the subconferences if the conference manager determines that communicating cost can be lowered by interconnecting two or more of the subconferences. Telecommunication costs include telecommunication transport costs and/or conference port costs. |
| US08077851B2 |
Personal-call and feature control system and method for controlling telephones, providing extended features for such telephones and routing of media-rich calls
A Personal-CFC system and method is described for controlling a multiplicity of telephones, for providing extended feature sets globally to all such telephones and for routing of media-rich calls between such telephones and multimedia equipment. The Personal-CFC is a software program that is easily embedded in various devices and it requires no hardware. For example, a mobile Personal-CFC system can be incorporated into a PDA or PC. The end user can use the Personal-CFC system to control other telephones, such as conference telephones, that do not belong to the end user. |
| US08077848B2 |
Method and system for 7-digit dialing in 10 digit mandatory dialing areas
Certain embodiments of the invention provides a method and system for 7-digit dialing in a 10-digit mandatory dialing area. Aspects of the invention may include collecting a dialed string of digits corresponding to a directory number for a dialed call and determining whether an area code should be pre-pended to the collected dialed string of digits. The area code may be transparently pre-pended to a 7-digit dialed directory number if it is determined that the call is for a local area in order to conform with mandatory 10-digit dialing. Otherwise, 10-digits may be collected and used to route the call. |
| US08077846B2 |
Combination universal telephone and remote control device
A universal combination cordless phone/remote control device for simultaneously answering incoming phone calls, messages, texts, etc., while operating a television and peripheral equipment includes a remote control side for controlling and operating the television and peripheral equipment and a cordless phone side for controlling various standard telephonic operations with both the remote control side and the cordless phone side including electrical charging contacts that engage charging contacts located on the upper surface of a portable lightweight charging cradle when the control device is placed upon the charging cradle for electrical charging. |
| US08077845B2 |
Remote control of a security system using telephone device
System and method for remotely controlling at least one local security system from a telephone device. The system includes a reception section for receiving a telephone call, a decoding section for decoding input from a caller and a controller for receiving the information and authenticating the caller based upon the detected information. The system also includes a voice server controlled by the controller for interfacing between the system and the caller. The voice server prompts the caller for information used to authenticate the caller, reports a status of each local security system and prompts the caller to select a particular local security system to control. Furthermore, the system includes a central database that contains subscriber information separated into subscriber records. The subscriber record includes at least one subscriber identifier authorized to control each local security system. The control instruction is transmitted to a selected local security system by a transmission section. |
| US08077844B2 |
Dial up telephone conferencing system controlled by an online computer network
In a telephone conferencing system, a digital communication network such as the Internet is used to establish and control the telephone connections between multiple conferees with the telephone network being the means of exchanging verbal information. Each conferee may have a computer connected to the digital network, and each has an independent telephone instrument connected to the public switched telephone network. An in-charge conferee utilizes his computer containing appropriate software to initiate the conference and to control the participation of the conferees. The in-charge conferee sends digital control signals to a switch interface controlling a telephone switch as a gateway to the telephone network using SS7 control signals. These SS7 control signals include the commands by which the conferee telephones are rung up, brought on line, or dropped from the conference. The switch provides telephone status information back over the digital network, and the in-charge conferee, as well as other conferees provided with appropriate software, display this status information on their PC monitors. |
| US08077840B2 |
Web integrated interactive voice response
One embodiment of a representative system for web integrated interactive voice response includes an interactive voice response system adapted to provide a plurality of voice menus to a user over a telephone and a graphical user interface system adapted to provide a plurality of menus in a graphical format to the user over a network connection. Information provided in the voice menus corresponds to information provided in the menus in the graphical format and is responsive to commands received by the graphical user interface system from the user. Other systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08077839B2 |
Handheld device for dialing of phone numbers extracted from a voicemail
A method for processing a telephone number embedded in a voicemail received by a user of the handheld device comprising a processor and a memory is provided. The method includes playing back the voicemail. The method further includes in response to receiving a first marker set by the user to indicate a start of a telephone number, initiating storage of an audio sample corresponding to the telephone number in the memory. The method further includes terminating storage of the audio sample corresponding to the telephone number in the memory either automatically or in response to receiving a second marker set by the user to indicate an end of the telephone number. The method further includes using the processor, processing the stored audio sample to extract digits corresponding to the telephone number and communicating the extracted digits to an application executing on the processor. |
| US08077837B1 |
Systems and methods for providing context-based voicemail
Voicemail systems and methods for managing voicemail systems are provided herein. The subject voicemail systems provide a plurality voicemail greeting, each of which are associated with a context tag. The context tag can be, for example, a location, a device parameter, an account parameter, a network parameter, or any other contextual information. Upon receipt of a change in a context tag, the voicemail system determines a new voicemail greeting associated with the new context tag and sets the new voicemail greeting to the active voicemail greeting. |
| US08077836B2 |
Transparent voice registration and verification method and system
Transparent voice registration of a party is provided in order to provide voice verification for communications with a service center. Verbal communication spoken by a party during interaction between the party and an agent of the service center is captured. A voice model associated with the captured communication is created and stored in order to provide voice verification during a subsequent call to the service center. When a requester contacts the service center, a comparison of the voice of the requester and a voice model of the person that the requester claims to be is performed, in order to verify the identity of the requester. Additionally, a voice model associated with a party is automatically updated after a subsequent communication between the party and the service center. |
| US08077835B2 |
Method and system of providing interactive speech recognition based on call routing
A speech recognition process and system are used for interactive telecommunication. A caller is prompted for input. Each of the phrases represents a destination for routing the call. The response utterance is matched by the system to one of the phrases and the call is routed to the corresponding destination. If the call thereafter has been redirected to a destination representing another of the phrases, speech recognition training data are generated for mapping the utterance to the redirected destination. |
| US08077833B2 |
Method for sending a previously recorded personalized message to a caller by a network voice mail system
An embodiment of a method for providing a personalized greeting to a caller includes receiving an incoming call addressed to a first communication device from a caller using a second communication device, and determining a received caller identifier associated with the second communication device. The method further includes determining if the received caller identifier matches a pre-assigned caller identifier from a pre-assigned caller list. If the received caller identifier matches a pre-assigned caller identifier the method further includes playing an outgoing audio message associated with the pre-assigned caller identifier, recording an audio message from the caller, converting the audio message into a text message, and sending the text message to a user associated with the first communication device. |
| US08077828B2 |
Radiation imaging device and radiation imaging method
When the same subject is to be imaged consecutively plural times, a radiation imaging device is controlled so as to change an imaging time interval between respective imagings according to a set imaging region of the subject. When a chest portion of a subject is to be imaged, a control section designates an image obtained at a second imaging as an image for diagnosis, image quality correction processing is not performed at a first imaging, and an imaging time interval is greatly reduced compared to when other regions are imaged, thereby reducing motion artifacts of an energy subtraction image. When regions other than a chest region are imaged, the control section designates an image obtained at a first imaging as an image for diagnosis, performs image quality correction processing at the first imaging, and an imaging time interval is increased compared to when the chest region is imaged. |
| US08077827B2 |
Method for thickness calibration and measuring thickness of material
A method for measuring the thickness of a first absorbing material in the presence of a second absorbing material is provided. The method comprises the steps as follow. The thickness (tS) of the first absorbing material is fixed and the thickness of the second absorbing material is varied to obtain a calibration standard. The intensity of the transmissive energy passing through the calibration standard is detected by acquiring multiple pairs of image data comprising a foreground value (logn(Ic+s)) and a background value (logn(Ic)). The thickness (tSi) of the first absorbing material is changed and the above steps are repeated to obtain sets of image data. A fitting constant Id is determined to describe each set of the intensity data as μ s α t S = log n ( I c + I d ) - log n ( I c + s + I d ) . A best fit of the proportional constant μ s α is determined to further calculate an unknown thickness of the first absorbing material (ts′) through the equation t s ′ = α μ s [ ln ( I c ′ + I d ) - ln ( I c + s ′ + I d ) ] . |
| US08077826B2 |
CT scanner with scatter radiation correction and method of using same
A CT scanner with scatter correction device and a method for scatter correction are provided. The method of correcting CT images from artifacts caused by scattered radiation comprises affixing to the non-rotating frame of the CT gantry a plurality of shields for shielding some of the CT detector elements from direct X ray radiation, while allowing scattered radiation to arrive at said shielded elements; measuring scatter signals from said shielded elements, indicative of scattered radiation intensity; and correcting for scatter by subtracting scatter intensity values estimated from said measured scatter signals from signals measured by unshielded detector elements. |
| US08077824B2 |
Support arrangement
A nuclear reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel 12 and a core barrel 14, contained within the reactor pressure vessel 12. The reactor 10 further includes a single vertical support 16, for transmitting vertical load from the core barrel to the reactor pressure vessel. Further, lateral support means is provided at an elevation which is above that of the support 16 to provide lateral support to the core barrel 14. This arrangement will result in reduced stress arising from the temperature fluctuations. |
| US08077822B2 |
System and method of controlling power consumption in a digital phase locked loop (DPLL)
An apparatus comprising a programmable frequency device adapted to generate a reference clock selected from a set of distinct frequency clocks, wherein the programmable frequency device is further adapted to maintain the same temporal relationship of the triggering edges of the reference clock when switching between the distinct frequency clocks. The apparatus further comprises a phase locked loop (PLL), such as a digital PLL (DPLL), that uses the selected reference clock to establish a predetermined phase relationship between an input signal and an output signal. By maintaining substantially the same temporal relationship of the reference clock when switching between distinct frequency clocks, the continual and effective operation of the phase locked loop (PLL) is not significantly disturbed while changing the reference clock. This may be used to control the power consumption of the apparatus. |
| US08077819B2 |
Search engine for a receive equalizer
A search engine selects initial coefficients for a receive equalizer. The search engine may be incorporated into a communication receiver that includes a decision feedback equalizer and clock and data recovery circuit. Here, the search engine may initialize various adaptation loops that may control the operation of, for example, a decision feedback equalizer, a clock and data recovery circuit and a continuous time filter. The receiver may include an analog-to-digital converter that is used to generate soft decision data for some of the adaptation loops. |
| US08077817B2 |
Arrangement for adaptive bit recovery
The present invention relates to an arrangement for adaptive bit recovery, and to an apparatus for reading from and/or writing to recording media using such arrangement. According to the invention, an arrangement for adaptive bit recovery including an adaptive equalizer and an adaptive partial response maximum likelihood detector further includes an overflow control block for the adaptive equalizer for monitoring one or more of the adaptation coefficients and/or a state violation checker for monitoring the allowed states and indicating state violations as well as and a noise detector for detecting larger deviations of the target values. |
| US08077815B1 |
System and method for processing multi-channel digital audio signals
A system and method for processing multi-channel audio signals is described herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a phase detector to determine, for a frequency band, a phase difference between first and second channel signals of the multi-channel digital audio signal. In one embodiment, the system also includes an attenuator to attenuate an amplitude of the frequency band if the phase difference exceeds a first predetermined threshold. |
| US08077812B2 |
Reduced-complexity multiple-input, multiple-output detection
A wireless receiver detects signals generated with a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) transmitter. The receiver applies maximum-likelihood detection (MLD) for soft-output signal detection, where an MLD exhaustive search across all candidate vectors is performed recursively by computing and accumulating the differences between, for example, the Euclidean metrics of consecutive candidate tests. Difference terms used for the accumulation are also calculated recursively. An ordering of candidates, such as by a triangular-waveform shaped ordering, is employed such that only one candidate variable is changed between any two consecutive candidate evaluations, leading to a reduced set of computations. |
| US08077808B2 |
Radio wave receiver and wave clock
Disclosed is a radio wave receiver including: a receiving unit to receive a radio wave including a time code in which a plurality of types of data pulse different in pulse width from one another are arranged with a predetermined period of time; a detection circuit to detect the time code in the radio wave received by the receiving unit to obtain a detected signal; a low-pass filter to pass low-frequency components in the detected signal detected by the detection circuit, a cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter being twice a transmit frequency of the data pulse or less; and a data distinction unit to distinguish the types of data pulse based on an output of the low-pass filter for at least one specific point of time during a transmit period of data pulse. |
| US08077807B1 |
Adaptive timing using clock recovery
Circuits and methods are provided for adjusting a frequency of a local clock signal in approximating a frequency of a host clock signal. A phase locked loop generates a local clock signal having a first phase and a first frequency. An offset adjustment circuit receives timing information relating the local clock signal to an incoming data signal and calculates a phase offset and a frequency offset indicative of adjustments to be made to the local clock signal. A first phase interpolator generates a receive clock signal from the local clock signal, the receive clock signal having a second phase and a second frequency responsive to the phase and frequency offsets. A second phase interpolator generates a transmit clock signal from the local clock signal having a third frequency responsive to the frequency offset. |
| US08077800B2 |
Transmitting apparatus with bit arrangement method
A transmitting apparatus, that includes a means for generating bit sequences to adjust an occupation rate occupied with predetermined bits included in a first data block, which is obtained by encoding first data in a first encoding process, to be equal or closer to an occupation rate occupied with predetermined bits included in a second data block, which is obtained by encoding second data in a second encoding process, in regard to first bit positions of the bit sequences generated using bits included in the first and second data blocks and a modulator for performing multi-level modulation for transmission based on the generated bit sequences. |
| US08077799B2 |
Apparatus and method to adjust a phase and frequency of a digital signal
An apparatus comprising at least two controllers each providing control information for controlling phase or frequency of a digital signal, a combiner for combining control information from the at least two controllers to combined control information and a phase rotator for adjusting, by using phase rotation, one or more of the phase and the frequency of the digital signal on the basis of the combined control information. |
| US08077798B2 |
DTV transmitting system and receiving system and method of processing broadcast signal
A DTV transmitting system includes a pre-processor, a block processor, and a trellis encoder. The pre-processor pre-processes enhanced data by expanding the enhanced data at an expansion rate of 1/H. The block processor includes a first converter, a symbol encoder, a symbol interleaver, and a second converter. The first converter converts the expanded data into symbols. The symbol encoder encodes each valid enhanced data bit in the symbols at an effective coding rate of 1/H. The symbol interleaver interleaves the encoded symbols, and the second converter converts the interleaved symbols into enhanced data bytes. The trellis encoder trellis-encodes the enhanced data outputted from the block processor. |
| US08077795B2 |
Apparatus and method for interference mitigation
An apparatus in a wideband radio transceiver for mitigating interference between a wideband radio operating in a wide frequency band and a narrowband radio operating in a narrow frequency band within the wide frequency band. The effects of transmissions by the wideband radio on the narrowband radio are reduced by creating by the wideband radio, a transmitter notch of decreased transmit power centered at a frequency in the wide frequency band that is fixed in relation to the wideband carrier frequency. The wideband carrier frequency is then adjusted so that the transmitter notch is aligned with the second radio's narrow frequency band. The effects of transmissions by the narrowband radio on the wideband radio are reduced by creating by the wideband radio, a fixed receiver notch of decreased receiver gain in the wideband receiver, and aligning the narrowband signal with the fixed receiver notch. |
| US08077792B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating transmission power in communication system with multiple antennas
In a method for allocating transmission power in a communication system including multiple antennas, a plurality of subcarriers are grouped by a plurality of groups, and each group includes at least one subcarrier. A transmission power weight and an antenna transmission vector are calculated for each group by using channel information, a transmission power for each group of each antenna is calculated by using the transmission power weight and the antenna transmission vector for each group, and transmission signals are transmitted through the multiple antennas after determining which signals need to be transmitted from the multiple antennas by using the transmission power. |
| US08077788B2 |
Soft demapping for MIMO decoding
A look-up table having distance information corresponding to a distance between a potential candidate symbol and a most proximate competing symbol for each bit of a plurality of potential candidate symbols is provided for a given modulation type. A MIMO decoder will obtain multiple candidate symbols that are provided in a maximum likelihood solution and that correspond to each of the antenna layers of a MIMO wireless communication system. A first candidate symbol is selected from the plurality of candidate symbols, wherein the first candidate symbol corresponds to a first potential candidate symbol of the candidate symbols provided in the look-up table. Distance information is obtained from the look-up table for each bit of the first potential candidate symbol. Likelihood indicium is determined for each bit of the first candidate symbol as a function of the distance information that was obtained for each bit. |
| US08077785B1 |
Generalized co-phasing for multiple transmitting and receiving antennas
A method for determining a phase of each of a plurality of transmitting antennas in a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) communication system includes: calculating, for first and second ones of the plurality of transmitting antennas, a value based on first and second groups of channel gains, the first group including channel gains between the first transmitting antenna and each of a plurality of receiving antennas, the second group including channel gains between the second transmitting antenna and each of the plurality of receiving antennas; and determining the phase of each of the plurality of transmitting antennas based on at least the value. |
| US08077783B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting transmission symbol using lattice-reduction matrix in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system
Provided are a method and apparatus for detecting a transmission symbol using a lattice-reduction matrix in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system. The transmission symbol detection method includes: restoring an original transmission symbol from a reception signal received through the plurality of antennas; and obtaining at least one noise component included in the reception signal from a constellation changed due to applying the lattice-reduction matrix, exchanging a position of the at least one noise component under a predetermined condition which depends on a state of the restored transmission symbol, and processing the at least one noise component whose position is changed, together with the restored transmission symbol, thereby providing a soft output. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a performance gain in channel decoding. |
| US08077782B2 |
Adaptive modulation control apparatus and wireless communication apparatus
[Object] To prevent communication performance capabilities from deteriorating even in the cases that the estimation error of the propagation path is significant, and that the variation speed of the propagation path characteristics is fast.[Overcoming Means] An adaptive modulation control apparatus which adaptively selects a modulation parameter from among a plurality of modulation parameters corresponding to an estimation result of a propagation path state and which has a frequency axis gradient calculating section (11) which receives propagation path estimation information indicative of an estimation result of a propagation path state, and calculates a gradient of a function of frequency corresponding to each frequency when the propagation path estimation information is set to be the function of frequency, a correcting section (12) that makes a correction to increase or decrease an upper limit or a lower limit of a numerical range of the propagation path state in one-to-one correspondence with each of the modulation parameters corresponding to the calculated gradient of the function of frequency, and a modulation parameter selecting section (13) that selects a modulation parameter corresponding to the corrected numerical range of the propagation path state including the propagation path estimation information. |
| US08077777B2 |
Method of controlling complexity for video compressor
A video compressor has a real-time compression with a constant frame rate. The complexity in the compression of each frame is controlled to be smaller than a maximum value according to power management or compression time requirement. Delay jitter is eliminated. The present invention can be applied to MPEG-like video coding systems, such as H.264, MPEG4 and H.263. |
| US08077767B2 |
Scaled signal processing elements for reduced filter tap noise
An adaptive transversal filter having tap weights Wj which are products of corresponding tap coefficients Cj and tap gains Mj is provided. A filter control loop controls all of the tap coefficients Cj such that an error signal derived from the filter output is minimized. One or more tap control loops controls a tap gain Mk such that the corresponding tap coefficient Ck satisfies a predetermined control condition. For example, |Ck| can be maximized subject to a constraint |Ck|≦Cmax, where Cmax is a predetermined maximum coefficient value. In this manner, the effect of quantization noise on the coefficients Cj can be reduced. Multiple tap control loops can be employed, one for each tap. Alternatively, a single tap control loop can be used to control multiple taps by time interleaving. |
| US08077765B1 |
Mixed minimum mean square error/zero-forcing FIR filter adaptation
A system and method of adapting a FIR filter with a mixed minimum-mean-square-error/zero-forcing adaptation is disclosed. A channel response module attempts to approximate a noiseless component of the channel response. The output of the channel response module is utilized to adapt a FIR filter module. In some embodiments, a combination of the output of the channel module and the noiseless channel output is utilized to adapt the FIR filter. In some embodiments, a second FIR filter module is utilized to process the noiseless channel output, which is then compared to the target response to generate an error signal, which may be used to adapt both the first and second FIR filter modules. |
| US08077761B2 |
Data transmission and reception module, and method of adjusting reception threshold value thereof
Disclosed is a method of adjusting a reception threshold value in data reception. The method comprises: generating a transmission signal on the basis of a clock regenerated from a reception signal, determining a worst phase at which a bit error rate becomes maximum by changing a phase of the transmission signal, and adjusting a reception threshold value in the state of the worst phase. The worst phase is determined by detecting the bit error rate by shifting the phase of the transmission signal by a predetermined interval while fixing the reception threshold value to a predetermined value. |