| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08132597B2 |
Energy weapon protection fabric
A fabric for protecting a wearer thereof from an energy weapon. The fabric is made of a plurality of coupled strands. Each strand is made from at least two fibers, an electrically non-conductive fiber and an electrically conductive fiber. The electrically non-conductive fiber at least partially encloses the electrically conductive fiber. |
| US08132595B2 |
Pump iron restraint system
A pump iron restraint system is disclosed in which a fastening system is coupled to successive pump iron joints and a wireline is threaded through the fastening system. The fastening system may comprise a pair of endless flat straps, each of which is coupled to one of the pump iron joints. The eyes of the endless flat straps are placed around the interior arch of the screw pin shackle. A wireline is placed through the spaced formed by the screw pin and the screw pin shackle. The wireline is secured at the well site so that the wireline is taut. |
| US08132592B2 |
Remote control for hose operation
A hose control system comprising a receiver and a transmitter by which one can remotely control both the flow of water through a hose and the winding or unwinding of the hose onto a reel. The system preferably has power saving advantages, for example, by the use of a power control unit that reduces the power consumed by the electronics of the devices, but does not unreasonably disrupt the use of the devices. The receiver may be used with different aspects or all of the hose control system. |
| US08132590B2 |
Valve assembly with at least one transverse channel in a valve housing
A valve assembly with at least one transverse channel in a substantially tubular valve housing, the assembly including a valve closing member that is positioned in the valve housing and that co-operates with a valve seat situated on a hollow cylindrical valve seat body that is fixed in the valve housing, the valve seat body being attached to one end of the valve housing. To simplify the production process, the transverse channel is formed by a longitudinal slot which extends in some sections of the valve housing from a starting point at the end of said housing in the longitudinal direction of the latter. |
| US08132588B1 |
Valve
A valve for use between a first fluid side and a second fluid side is disclosed herein. The valve comprises a pair of subassemblies, each one slidable between a closed position and an open position. Each subassembly comprises a first component comprising a first component main body, a first component first end and a first component second end opposite the first component first end. A first component first extension is formed on each first component first end, the first component first extension comprising a diameter that is less than the diameter of the first component main body. Hydraulic pressure causes one subassembly to slide to its closed position, and causes it to engage the second subassembly, sliding the second subassembly to its open position. |
| US08132586B2 |
Multiple flow rate detection system and method for consumer appliance
A supervisory system and method for monitoring multiple flow rate fluid distribution systems and for determining the presence of a failure therein are provided. The system monitors the flow of fluid through the distribution system with a single flow meter, determines the flow rate at which fluid is flowing, and accumulates at that rate a water flow control value. If the accumulated water flow value exceeds a predetermined threshold, further flow of fluid in the system will be disabled. To take account of the multiple flow rates capable through the distribution system, the accumulated water flow value will decremented at the immediately preceding increment rate. |
| US08132582B2 |
Umbrella with two belts
An umbrella having a telescopic shaft having one end carrying a handle and an opposite end carrying a canopy is held in a harness having upper and lower belts fittable on a user. The handle is secured to the lower belt. A strap around the upper belt carries a clip having a base plate and a counter plate flanking the strap, a pivot pin passing through the strap between the base plate and counter plate, and four fingers projecting from the base plate and releasably gripping the umbrella shaft. |
| US08132579B1 |
Dental floss device
A dental hygiene device for cleaning, flossing, brushing, massaging the space between the teeth, crowns, and under the gumline includes a combination of a first portion of flexible filament floss to convey flexibility and strength to the filament and a second portion having a thicker and oblong shape where in some preferred embodiments bristles depart from the center of said filament floss. The second portion gradually slopes from the thickness of floss up to its maximum radius approximately located in the center, then gradually down-sloping from the maximum radius in the center down to the radius of floss where the second portion is designed to provide a brushing, cleaning, gum massaging means coupled with the floss. When used said first portion allows insertion in the interdental space especially in more difficult places such as between molars or crown and it can be used as regular dental floss to massage the gums and clean said spaces. The second portion has the principal function of brushing and cleaning the interdental space and massaging the gums. The primary function of said second portion is to deliver the cleaning action in spaces that are other wise difficult to reach such as in between molars, crowns, bleeding gingivas, dental prostheses, and so on by the way of being pulled and pushed forth and back by the user. |
| US08132578B2 |
Sifter dish insert for cosmetic package
A sifter insert for the neck of a powder jar is secured above the product reservoir and below the cap of the jar. The insert has a central concave dish for supporting a quantity of powder product, and a channel around the perimeter of the dish. The insert is secured in the neck such that the dish is spaced below the bottom of the cap. Slots in the channel permit the flow of powder from the reservoir into the channel when the jar is inverted with the cap closed, and from the channel onto the dish when the inverted jar is righted. Powder in the dish is accessed by the user upon removal of the cap. The cap is then closed and the jar shaken to return excess powder from the dish to the reservoir through the slots in the channel. |
| US08132577B2 |
Adjustable auto-clasp barrette
An adjustable auto-clasp barrette includes a base, a hinged and clasped locking arm, and a resilient leaf spring positioned between the base and the locking arm. The locking arm and the leaf spring cooperate to engage the hair to secure the barrette in the user's hair. An adjustment coupling permits the positions of the leaf spring ends to be longitudinally adjusted relative to the base to increase or decrease how much the leaf spring deflects and bows outwardly. With the spring ends positioned farther apart the leaf spring is less bowed for holding thicker hair or a larger volume of finer hair. And with the spring ends positioned closer together the leaf spring is more bowed for holding finer hair or a smaller volume of thick hair. |
| US08132576B1 |
Hair coloring agent capsule
A capsule for containing a chemical coloring agent as it treats a lock of hair has a male side with a projection and a female side with a cavity, connected by a hinge that allows the projection and the cavity to be swung into sealing relationship with the hair trapped therebetween. A reinforcing pattern of interconnected elements form a region of one of the surfaces, the pattern forming an array of spaced-apart islands. The interconnected elements provide enhanced rigidity for the capsule and provide the capsule a better grip on the hair to maintain the capsule in place. The male side and/or female side may be provided with a trough positioned opposite the hinge to reduce overflow of the coloring agent, and can be provided with a well positioned near the hinge to allow the hair to more readily distribute itself when folded over. |
| US08132570B2 |
System for highlighting hair
The present invention relates to a system to highlight the hair. The system comprises a device (10) and a composition (50). Device (10) comprises a first portion movably joined to a second portion. Composition (50) comprises a percentage of hydrogen peroxide and a percentage of an alkalizer by weight of said composition (50). The weight percentages of hydrogen peroxide and of an alkalizer are defined by equation (I): X+1.5Y≧15 (I) wherein X is the percentage by weight of hydrogen peroxide by weight of the composition (50) and wherein Y is the percentage by weight of an alkalizer by weight of the composition (50). Said composition (50) comprises at least 2% of hydrogen peroxide by weight of said composition (50) and said alkalizer is an inorganic salt selected from the group consisting of sodium silicate, sodium metasilicate, potassium hydrogen carbonate, ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogen carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate and mixtures thereof. Said composition (50) allows to perform highlighting when applied with the device (10) as described herein. |
| US08132566B2 |
Vas deferens vasectomy capping device
A medical device is provided which forms a physical barrier between the two ends of a cut vas during a vasectomy procedure, comprising a biodegradable, polymeric cap that is applied over at least one prostatic end of the vas, the cap including a fastener for preventing premature dislodgement. |
| US08132563B2 |
Gas spring assembly for an air gun
An air gun including a trigger assembly, a gas spring assembly, and a latch assembly is disclosed. The trigger assembly is moveable between an uncocked position and a cocked position. The gas spring assembly includes a compression cylinder and a piston moveable between an uncompressed position and a compressed position. Movement of the piston from the uncompressed position into the compressed position couples the latch assembly to the trigger assembly and the piston of the gas spring assembly. The latch assembly includes a locking portion that mechanically interlocks with a recess disposed on an interior surface of the piston to couple the latch assembly and the piston together. Actuation of the trigger assembly de-couples the latch assembly from the trigger assembly, permitting longitudinal movement of the latch assembly, which de-couples the latch assembly from the piston of the gas spring assembly. |
| US08132560B2 |
Bidirectional adsorbent-canister purging
A method for combusting a vapor of a fuel accumulated in an adsorbent canister in a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine and a fuel tank coupled to the adsorbent canister. The method comprises, during a first operating condition including a higher availability of compressed air, metering the compressed air from a first air source, and flowing the metered, compressed air through the adsorbent canister along a first flow path. The method further comprises, during a second operating condition including a lower availability of compressed air, flowing air from a second air source through the adsorbent canister, and, during the first and second operating conditions, venting the fuel tank to an intake of the engine and flowing effluent enriched in the vapor from the adsorbent canister to the intake of the engine. |
| US08132559B2 |
Water/air separator
A filter assembly having: an air filter; an air filter compartment having the air filter disposed therein; and a cap covering the air filter compartment. The cap has ribs disposed along inner sidewalls of the cap. The ribs, outer sidewalls of the compartment, and inner sidewalls of the cap form a plurality of channels having inlets for receiving a mixture of air and water. The walls of the channels collect droplets of a water portion of the mixture entering the channels. The collected water portion is removed from the filter assembly by gravity. The air filter compartment receives the air portion of the mixture exiting outlets of the channels. The exiting air portion received by the compartment passes through the air filter and after passing through the air filter passes out of the filter assembly. |
| US08132557B2 |
Fuel system of a handheld work apparatus
The invention relates to a fuel system of a portable handheld work apparatus driven by an internal combustion engine. The fuel system includes a fuel tank (2), a fuel pump, a fuel line (4) leading from the fuel tank (2) to the fuel pump and a first suction head (5) which is disposed at an end (7) of the fuel line (4) at the fuel tank. At least a second suction head (6) is arranged within the fuel tank (2) and is connected in the fuel line (4) in series ahead of the first suction head (5). The second suction head (6) has an external suction surface which is formed by a porous covering (9). The porous covering (9) delimits a suction space. A guide is arranged in the suction space which guides the through-passing fuel flow at least approximately along the entire inner surface of the porous covering (9). |
| US08132555B2 |
Event based engine control system and method
A system for starting an engine is described. In one example, the engine is supplied two fuels via two injectors. The method may improve engine starting and reduce engine emissions. |
| US08132554B2 |
Fuel shutoff system
A fuel control system that has a fuel control device to control the flow of fuel to a carburetor of an internal combustion engine. The fuel control device includes a control member that is movable between a first position and a second position to control the flow of fuel into a carburetor. When a kill switch within the fuel control system is closed, induced current from a primary ignition coil within the internal combustion engine is fed through an electromagnetic coil, causing the fuel flow control device to interrupt the supply of fuel to the carburetor. Thus, when an operator desires to stop the internal combustion engine, the kill switch closes and the fuel control device interrupts the supply of fuel to the carburetor to prevent backfires. |
| US08132551B2 |
Switchable cam follower of a valve train assembly of an internal combustion engine
A switchable cam follower of a valve train assembly of an internal combustion engine is proposed, with an external lever that encloses an internal lever with its arms, of which components, that can deviate from each other flexibly, run on an axis that is attached to a valve side end, and the internal lever on an underside on the valve side end possesses a mechanism for a gas exchange valve as well as a complementary surface at the other end for storage on a head of a support element. A special characteristic is that guidance plates for the gas exchange valve come out from the underside of the external lever. That way, the switchable cam follower can be made narrower at least on the valve side. In addition, development of the mechanism for the gas exchange valve on the internal lever is simplified. |
| US08132542B2 |
Device and system for deterring oral habits
A device for application on an animal for deterring the animal from wound licking is provided. The device includes a flexible first layer of material and a deterrent composition in contact with the flexible first layer of material. A layer of adhesive is connected with the flexible first layer of material, and a second layer of material is connected with the layer of adhesive opposite the flexible first layer of material. A method for deterring an animal from licking a wound is also provided. |
| US08132539B2 |
Portable corral gate assembly
Apparatus and method for confining livestock with a portable corral gate assembly comprising a bottom frame, a top frame, a plurality of vertical members releaseably interconnecting the bottom frame to the top frame, a plurality of first side members each pivotally attached to a first vertical member and a second end attached to and extending outwardly from a first flexible member attached to the top frame and extending downwardly therefrom, and a plurality of second side members each pivotally attached to a second vertical member and a second end attached to and extending outwardly from a second flexible member attached to the top frame and extending downwardly therefrom. |
| US08132532B1 |
Apparatus and method for inhibiting the growth of algae in an aquarium
An aquarium curtain is selectively deployed and placed over transparent walls of an aquarium to block the entry of ambient light from outside the aquarium, thereby inhibiting the growth of algae in the aquarium. The aquarium curtain includes a sheet of substantially opaque flexibly foldable material and a frame having frame members movable relative to one-another between a collapsed configuration in which the aquarium curtain is compact for handling and storage, and an erect configuration, in which the aquarium curtain is fastened in place over the aquarium to block entry into the aquarium of ambient light from outside the aquarium. |
| US08132530B2 |
Milking device
The invention refers to a milking device for milking an animal during a milking operation. A milking member (5) includes at least one teatcup (6) to be attached to a teat of the animal. A long milk conduit (10) extends from the milking member for being connected to a milking machine. A support device (15) comprises a mounting device (16) mounted to a stationary structure (2), and a support arm (17a) in parallel to an arm axis and connected to the mounting device. The milking member is freely movable along the support arm. The milking member is attached to the support arm and displaceable on the support arm. The support arm includes a primary arm element (17a′) connected to the mounting device and a secondary arm element (17a″) holding the milking member. The primary arm element is telescopically introduceable into the secondary arm element, which is displaceable on the primary arm element. |
| US08132527B2 |
Apparatus for applying electrode mixture paste with homogeneous distribution of coating amount of electrode mixture paste
An electrode mixture paste (5) is applied on both sides of a strip of core material (1) as it runs along its lengthwise direction, and the coating thickness of the paste (5) is adjusted as the core material (1) coated with the paste (5) passes through a gap between a pair of scraper tools (16a, 16b). Tips (18) provided to the scraper tools (16a, 16b) scrape off the paste (5) to form a paste-coated portion of a predetermined width. The electrode mixture paste (5) scraped off with the tips (18) is returned through recesses (19) on the upstream side of the tips (18) in the running direction of the core material, so as to prevent the phenomenon where the coating thickness is increased at both side edges of the paste-coated portion. Thus, a method for applying electrode mixture paste is realized that can prevent the phenomenon where the coating thickness is increased at both side edges of the paste-coated portion and prevent process failures such as deformation of paste-coated sheet. |
| US08132524B2 |
Personal watercraft with reactive suspension and an integrated braking and steering system
A watercraft with several stability and handling design improvements. It has an enhanced reactive suspension system positioned in the vessel between a set of separating hull and body components. The watercraft also has improved braking, steering and stabilizing systems designed around multiple pivoting mechanisms on the vessel hull that work individually or in unison to achieve the desired braking or steering effect. The stabilizing system is operated by a computerized, gyroscopic hydraulic control to maintain stability and comfort of ride, minimizing the roll, pitch and yaw commonly experienced in the passenger compartment. |
| US08132523B2 |
Portable, single-person pontoon boat, kit and method
The portable, single-person pontoon boat includes a hull having a deck and at least one sidewall. The hull defines an open interior region. At least one laterally extending, elongated frame member having opposed first and second hollow ends is fixed to the bottom of the hull. First and second pontoon floats are further provided, along with at least one pair of spars. A distal end of each of the spars is releasably secured to a respective one of the first and second pontoon floats. A proximal end of each of the spars is slidably received within a respective one of the first and second ends of the at least one laterally extending, elongated frame member and releasably fastened thereto. |
| US08132512B2 |
Railroad tie plate apparatus and method
First and second conveyors are positioned along opposite sides of a frame positioned about centrally between the first and second conveyors, wherein the first and second conveyors are operably connected to a railroad engagement wheel positioned under the frame to coordinate movement of the first and second conveyors relative to the railroad engagement wheel. The conveyors can be integrated with a hi-rail truck adapted for use with the first and second conveyors and which contains an infeed conveyor for transporting tie plates from the hi-rail truck to the first and second conveyors. |
| US08132510B2 |
Remote setting for electronic systems in a projectile for chambered ammunition
A fuze setting circuit in an artillery or tank shell having a case with a press-fitted head assembly is provided with an electromechanical fuze-wiring link that is completed electrically by mechanical assembly of a tracer-carrying projectile on the shell casing, and by the rotational attachment of a programmable fuze onto the projectile. |
| US08132507B2 |
Energy-curable news ink containing soy oil
An energy curable ink composition comprising an acrylate-functional derivative of soybean oil and one or more further acrylate-functional materials is suitable for printing on a cold-set lithographic press and is cured by exposure to an actinic radiation source located on the press. |
| US08132505B2 |
Imprint apparatus and imprint method
The present invention provides an imprint apparatus transferring a surface structure of a stamper to material to be patterned by allowing the stamper come in contact with the material to be patterned. The imprint apparatus includes a holding means that holds the material to be patterned and the stamper with a distance therebetween, a pressure reduction means that reduces pressure of a chamber in which the material to be patterned and the stamper are placed, and an alignment means that aligns the stamper with the material to be patterned. |
| US08132499B2 |
Heated substance reservoir baffle
A heated water reservoir for use as a heated water dispenser, in conjunction with a beverage dispenser or for other uses. The heated water reservoir (5) includes a baffle (20) which communicates with an outlet port (7) positioned along the reservoir and an upper portion of the reservoir. In the reservoir a quantity of water is retained in a heated condition with an upper portion of the reservoir containing generally heated water of a higher temperature. An upper edge (35) of the baffle is positioned relative to the upper portion of the heated water reservoir such that passage of water from the reservoir into a cavity (22) defined, at least in part, by the baffle facilitates flow of water over the upper edge and into the outlet port. In this manner, water having a higher temperature is dispensed from the reservoir. |
| US08132496B2 |
Automatic firing pin block safety for a firearm
A firearm has a frame, a trigger, a trigger bar, a hammer-type firing mechanism including a hammer having a hammer pin connected to the trigger via the trigger bar and a firing pin, and an automatic firing pin block safety mechanism (“automatic safety”) including a flange that is spring biased into engagement with the firing pin and a pivot lock arm rotatably mounted to the hammer pin and releasable engageable with the flange. The flange blocks the firing pin from discharging a chambered round unless and until the trigger is positively actuated. The automatic safety reduces the risk of accidental discharge, thereby rendering the firearm safer. |
| US08132493B1 |
Hybrid tile metal matrix composite armor
A lightweight armor system may comprise multiple reinforcement materials layered within a single metal matrix casting. These reinforcement materials may comprise ceramics, metals, or other composites with microstructures that may be porous, dense, fibrous or particulate. Various geometries of flat plates, and combinations of reinforcement materials may be utilized. These reinforcement materials are infiltrated with liquid metal, the liquid metal solidifies within the material layers of open porosity forming a dense hermetic metal matrix composite armor in the desired product shape geometry. The metal infiltration process allows for metal to penetrate throughout the overall structure extending from one layer to the next, thereby binding the layers together and integrating the structure. |
| US08132492B1 |
Dispensing device for infrared special material
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a deployment device that is operative to deploy Special Material (SM) to protect the vehicle when an enemy infrared (IR) threat is present. The deployment device constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises at least one, and preferably a pair of canisters which are each filled or loaded with SM, then factory sealed to prevent oxidation or contamination. Each of the canisters included in the deployment device includes an input shaft which, when rotated, is operative to transmit the rotary motion to each of four threaded rods. The rods have two primary functions, which are to advance a piston thereby preloading the SM within the canister toward the open end thereof, and to turn rotary metering devices which are located at the open end of the canister. The advancing piston maintains consistent compression in the SM stack within the canister. Additionally, the rotary metering devices which are located in respective ones of the four corners of the canister at the aft end thereof control and thus meter how the SM is dispensed into the airstream behind the aircraft. In this regard, the rotary metering devices have external features that interleave with the stack of SM. As the rotary metering devices turn, the interleaving features continuously release and engage the SM stack, thus controlling the distinct amount of SM released. When stationary, the rotary metering devices positively retain the SM stack within the canister. |
| US08132490B2 |
Rotary trimmer
A rotary trimmer for cutting and/or trimming paper and related sheet material is disclosed. The rotary trimmer comprises a trimmer housing having: (i) a first end portion; (ii) a second end portion; and (iii) a cutting platform having: (a) a first platform; (b) a second platform; and (c) a base platform. The first and the second platforms are pivotably connected at least indirectly to (1) the base platform; and/or (2) the first and the second end portions. The rotary trimmer further includes a blade carriage guide disposed between the first and the second end portions and a blade carriage having one or more cutting blades, and slidably mounted to the blade carriage guide wherein the blade carriage can slide along the blade carriage guide to cut and/or trim a sheet or sheet-like material positioned on the cutting platform. A method of using a rotary trimmer is also disclosed. |
| US08132489B2 |
Clamping and cutting apparatus for conveyor belts
A clamping and cutting apparatus for a conveyor belt is provided. The apparatus includes upper and lower elongate members between which the belt is to be clamped. A clamping mechanism has a screw drive mechanism mounted to the upper member and an end linkage assembly which are operable to generate a more rapid clamping operation of the elongate members on the belt. The upper elongate member can be releasably latched to the lower elongate member for quick connection and removal therefrom. A cutting blade of the apparatus is preferably provided with upper and lower guides to increase the rigidity thereof for increasing cutting accuracy and allowing thicker belts to be cut therewith without increasing blade thickness. |
| US08132483B2 |
Positive handle stop for switches
The present invention relates generally to handle stops. More particularly, the invention encompasses a positive handle stop for a switch. The positive handle stop for a switch, such as, a safety switch, prevents the handle of a switch from returning to the shipping position once the switch is turned ON. The invention also includes a shipping position for the inventive handle so as to reduce the size of the packaging need to ship the switch apparatus. |
| US08132479B2 |
Screw device and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is a screw device capable of preventing occurrence of any elevation change at a joint between a ball return path of a circulation member and a loaded ball rolling groove of a nut.The circulation member 12 has end parts 14 and 15 each of which the periphery includes a rolling groove connecting part 22 positioned to the side of a loaded ball rolling groove 11a of a nut 11 and connected to the loaded ball rolling groove 11a of the nut 11 and a scooping part 23 positioned to the side of a ball rolling groove of a screw shaft 1 and scoops up balls 3 from a loaded ball rolling path. The rolling groove connecting part 22 of each of the end parts 14 and 15 is made of resin and formed integral with the nut 11. |
| US08132476B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling small quantities of fluids
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for handling small quantities of fluids useful, for example, in measuring the gas and/or liquid sorption and desorption properties of substances such as hydrogen sorption by solid or liquid hydrogen storage materials. In one embodiment, low-volume rotary valves are used to dose samples in a sample holder. In another embodiment, a rotary valve is used as a dosing/bypass valve to both condition and measure samples. The invention also relates to an actuator for a rotary valve that has a manual override feature. |
| US08132475B2 |
Method of and apparatus for measuring strip planarity
A tensioned metal strip over an apparatus for measuring tension that only has a roller rotatable about an axis transverse to the direction and having a substantially cylindrical outer surface engaged generally tangentially by the strip, a radially shiftable tension-measuring bar set in the roller, extending generally only angularly of the axis so as to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis, and having an outer surface generally flush with the roller surface. Sensors between the bar and the roller for measuring radial deflection of the bar. The apparatus, when used to determine planarity, further has a planarity-measuring bar also set in the roller, extending at an acute angle to and across a respective plane perpendicular to the axis, and having an outer surface generally flush with the roller outer surface. Other sensors between the planarity-measuring and the roller measure radial deflection of the planarity-measuring bar. |
| US08132473B2 |
Gobo wheel location drive
A gobo wheel with automatic detection system that automatically detects a rotational position of the gobo. The rotational position can be detected by a magnetic marking system. Each of the gobos can be randomly placed within the holder. The position of the gobos can be automatically determined during a start up routine for example, and then those positions can be stored and used for later determination of a position. |
| US08132471B2 |
Fail-safe pitot cover for a variety of pitot designs
A pitot cover is provided with fail-safe removable operation from a pitot tube by virtue of a number of different removal structures. Foremost among these is an elastomeric band which holds two halves of the pitot cover to the pitot tube. The band is separated by an adhesive strip, part of which lies on the pitot tube and melts at less than 230° F. or less. |
| US08132470B2 |
Fluid flow detector having a mobile body moving between a detection channel and a discharge channel
A fluid flow detector includes a detector main body defining a fluid flow channel having a fluid flow detection channel positioned adjacent an upstream hole and a discharge channel positioned adjacent a downstream hole. A mobile body is positioned within the fluid flow channel and dimensioned to be movable along the fluid flow channel. The diameter of the fluid flow detection channel is smaller than the diameter of the discharge channel, and the maximum diameter of the outer peripheral edge part of the face of the fluid flow channel orthogonal to the direction of movement of the mobile body is slightly smaller than the diameter of the fluid flow detection channel. The upstream hole and the downstream hole are formed with a size and shape such that fluid can flow through the upstream and downstream holes without being obstructed by the mobile body. |
| US08132466B2 |
Mechanical properties testing device and method
A mechanical property testing device and method for reliably measuring strain and fatigue characteristics of material specimens is described. An input electrical signal is applied to create an electric field around a first piezoelectric member. The resultant deformation of the first piezoelectric member transfers a force to the specimen being tested which transfers a force to a second piezoelectric member causing deformation. The deformation of the second piezoelectric member generates an output electrical field which is measured. The stress state of the specimen is calculated from fundamental material constants and the measured output electrical field. |
| US08132464B2 |
Differential pressure transmitter with complimentary dual absolute pressure sensors
A process variable transmitter for measuring a pressure of a process fluid includes a process coupling having a first port configured to couple to a first process pressure and a second port configured to couple to a second process pressure. A differential pressure sensor is coupled to the first and second ports and provides an output related to a differential pressure between the first pressure and the second pressure. First and second pressure sensors couple to the respective first and second ports and provide outputs related to the first and second pressures. Transmitter circuitry is configured to provide a transmitter output based upon the output from the differential pressure sensor and/or the first and/or second pressure sensors. Additional functionality is provided by the transmitter using the sensed first and/or second pressures. |
| US08132461B2 |
Ice thickness measuring system
An ice thickness measurement system for determining thicknesses of an ice sheet such as an ice rink that is positioned on a solid or granular substrate. The system determines the thickness of the ice sheet using an acoustic technique, is portable, and may include a display graphic or graphical user interface on the portable unit to direct operators of the unit where to conduct an array of measurements on the ice sheet. The system may also be compatible with a computer for downloading of data and uploading of graphical displays. |
| US08132451B2 |
Characterization tools for toner adhesion and adhesion distribution
A system, method and device for measuring toner performance by randomly applying a toner sample having toner particles to a substrate, and positioning the substrate such that a force may be applied to individual particles of the measuring toner. A rolling resistance or rotation of the individual particles of the measuring toner is measured. The measurements may be analyzed to determine adhesion and distribution properties of individual toner particles of the measuring toner sample. |
| US08132450B2 |
Malfunction diagnosis device for exhaust gas purification system and malfunction diagnosis method therefor
In a malfunction diagnosis device for an exhaust gas purification system including an exhaust gas purification catalyst disposed in the exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, and a reductant supply device that supplies reductant to exhaust gas that flows in an upstream side of the exhaust gas purification catalyst, the degree of degradation of the exhaust gas purification catalyst is diagnosed by comparing the timing at which the bed temperature of the exhaust gas purification catalyst starts to rise due to the heat of moisture adsorption reaction, against a normal value. |
| US08132449B2 |
Procedure for diagnosing an exhaust gas treatment device and device for implementing the procedure
Procedures for diagnosing an exhaust gas treatment device, which is dosing a reagent into the exhaust gas area of a combustion process, whereby the reagent is brought up to a dosing pressure and subsequently dosed, at which the diagnosis is undertaken with the aid of an evaluation of a pressure drop of the reagent, and a device for implementing the procedure are suggested. After turning off the pump a pressure drop that occurs afterwards is evaluated. The evaluation of the pressure drop considers a leakage loss of the pump. |
| US08132447B2 |
Universal testing machine
A testing machine includes a stand and a test device. The stand includes a base, box frame, a slide device driven to slide by a motor, and a control system controls the force applied on the test specimen. The test device is coupled at the slide device for performing various hardness tests consisting of Rockwell hardness test, Vickers hardness test, Brinell hardness test, micro-hardness test, and tension-compression test. The test device includes a force sensor and a data processing circuit converting an analog signal of the force sensor into digital data to interface with the control system. |
| US08132445B2 |
Rheometer
The invention relates to a rheometer having a rotatable shaft (1) on which a rotor plate (2) is fastened, and having a measuring instrument (10) for measuring torques exerted on the rotor plate (2) by a substance (6) to be studied during rotation of the shaft (1), a first measurement gap (5) for holding the substance (6) to be studied being formed between a first side (3) of the rotor plate (2) and a first shear face (4) and a second measurement gap (9) for holding the substance (6) to be studied being formed between a second side (7) of the rotor plate (2), opposite the first side, and a second shear face (8). The rheometer contains a magnet for generating a magnetic field in the first and second measurement gaps (5, 9). |
| US08132444B2 |
Protective heated screen for element
A protective heated screen for an element of a sensor surrounds a portion of the element and reduces and/or minimizes the propensity for liquid droplets to come in contact with the heated element. The screen can allow fluid flow therethrough to allow the sensor element to come in contact with the fluid stream. The screen can be in continuous heat-transferring contact with the sensor element such that both the sensor element and screen are at a temperature significantly greater than the ambient temperature. Liquid droplets contacting the heated screen may evaporate such that the liquid droplets do not come in contact with the sensor element. The screen can also break down the liquid droplets into smaller droplets such that the thermal stress created by the droplets contacting the heated element is reduced over that caused by a larger droplet. |
| US08132441B2 |
Method and device for fine blanking and forming a workpiece
A device and a method for fine blanking and forming a workpiece out of a flat strip includes. a cutting plate formed as a disc-shaped transfer part, with several cutting openings adapted to the effective elements which take up and clamp a cut out a blank to transport the blank from one machining stage to the next. The transfer part is turnable with regard to the effective elements of the upper part around a virtual axis parallel to the machining direction in the center of the transfer part, turnable perpendicular to it after a lift over the effective elements of the lower part, and the cutting openings in the transfer part are arranged on a common base circle, the radius of which coincides with the distance of the machining stage to the axis, and that the machining stages of the upper part are arranged on the base circle at fixed distances to each other, wherein the machining stages in the transfer part are allocated at least two machining elements diametrically opposed at the circumference, fixed in the pressure pad of the upper part, arranged parallel to the axis locking bolts and several arranged diametrically opposed at the circumference locking openings in the transfer part for adjusting, fixing and lining up the effective elements to each other. |
| US08132439B2 |
Bottle can member, bottle, and thread forming device
An effective thread number in the thread section which is disposed on the mouth section of the bottle is formed to be 2.2. That is, the thread section is formed such that the thread section 13 should serve effectively in the mouth section such that an interval between a start position and an end position should be 2.0 to 2.5. In the bottle can member 11 which has such a thread section, an outer diameter of the thread section which is formed on the mouth section is 28 to 38 mm. Also, the thickness of the mouth section is 0.25 to 0.4 mm. The thread section which has the effective thread number 2.0 to 2.5 is formed by eight-thread per inch pitch. By doing this, it is possible to put the cap desirably. |
| US08132438B2 |
Closing method and closing machine
A closing machine (1) for closing a rotating work piece (9) by pressing a heated die (4) against the work piece (9) comprises an air purge box (510) which opens onto the vicinity of the work piece (9), air supply means for supplying air to the air purge box (510), and a sensor (501, 502) provided in the interior of the air purge box (510) to detect a state of the work piece (9) or the die (4). |
| US08132437B1 |
Bicycle lock
A bicycle lock comprises a handlebar union connecting a handlebar with a bicycle frame and having an insert hole; a lock mechanism built in the handlebar union and manipulated to have a lock state or an unlock state; and a cable with one end thereof connected with the handlebar union and another end thereof having a bolt. The cable can be wound around a fixed object. The bolt can be inserted into the insert hole and manipulated to a lock state via the lock mechanism to make the bolt neither disengage from the insert hole nor separate from the handlebar union. |
| US08132435B2 |
Locking apparatus
A locking apparatus having a body, at least one arm and a tapered member; wherein relative movement between the arm and the tapered member extends the arm from the body. In use, the arm is arranged to press against a wall of a channel to hold the locking apparatus in place and prevent the opening of a roller shutter. |
| US08132432B2 |
Laundry machine
The present invention relates to laundry machines, and, more particularly, to a safe laundry machine which enables a user to open/close a door easily, and can prevent an accident caused by opening/closing of the door from taking place.The laundry machine includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted in the cabinet, a door having a latch for being opened/closed selectively to expose an inside of the drum to an outside of the laundry machine, and a door switch assembly provided for enabling opening/closing of the door, wherein the door switch assembly includes a switch unit for making selective connection to the latch, and an opening operation unit spaced from the switch unit for the user to enable to disconnect the connection between the latch and the switch unit. |
| US08132430B2 |
Glass fibers having improved strength
A glass fiber and a method of manufacturing a glass fiber for reinforcing a transparent composite matrix are disclosed. The glass fiber includes a first glass material having a first set of mechanical properties including a first modulus and a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and a second glass material having a second set of mechanical properties including a second modulus and a second CTE. The second glass material forms a substantially uniform coating on the first glass material. The second CTE is less than the first CTE. The glass fiber is formed by reducing the cross-section of a glass fiber preform of the first glass material coated with the second glass material by hot working. Because of the selected difference in the CTE's, the first glass material imparts a compressive force upon the second glass material, which improves the strength of the glass fiber. |
| US08132428B2 |
Glass sheet forming method
A method for forming glass sheets is performed by a system (10) that includes a forming station (14) having lower and upper molds (28, 30) between which glass sheets G are cyclically received from a furnace (12) on a vacuum transfer platen (34), formed between the lower and upper molds (28, 30), and transferred to a delivery mold (42) for delivery such as to a quench station (16). The vacuum transfer platen (34) and the delivery mold (42) are moved at different elevations into the forming station (14) in respective underlapping and overlapping relationships to each other so each glass sheet forming cycle can begin within the forming station before the prior forming cycle is completed in a time overlapping manner that reduces the cycle time. |
| US08132426B2 |
Method of making heat treated coated article using diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and protective film
There is provided a method of making a heat treated (HT) coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, or any other suitable applications where transparent coated articles are desired. For example, certain embodiments of this invention relate to a method of making a coated article including a step of heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least a layer of or including diamond-like carbon (DLC) and an overlying protective film thereon. In certain example embodiments, the protective film may be of or include both (a) an oxygen blocking or barrier layer, and (b) a release layer. Following and/or during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, or the like) the protective film may be removed. Other embodiments of this invention relate to the pre-HT coated article, or the post-HT coated article. |
| US08132421B2 |
Turbo chiller, heat source system, and methods for controlling them
There is provided a turbo chiller that can be operated at high efficiency within an adequate chilling capacity range even when the cooling water temperature changes during the operation. The adequate chilling capacity range is obtained by using a flow coefficient and a pressure coefficient at a specific operating point of a turbo compressor as well as a predetermined coefficient to determine an arithmetic expression representing the relationship between a head and a chilling capacity, using a chilling capacity that can lead to a substantially highest coefficient of performance at a single head to obtain the predetermined coefficient as an optimum coefficient, computing an adequate operation coefficient range having a predetermined range and including the optimum coefficient, and substituting the adequate operation coefficient range and a head at the time of operation into the arithmetic expression. |
| US08132417B2 |
Cooling of a gas turbine engine downstream of combustion chamber
A gas turbine system includes a combustion chamber (2), a turbine (3), a radially inward and/or radially outward axial gap (4; 16, 17) between the combustion chamber (2) and the turbine (3), at which gap inner and/or outer combustion chamber walls (7, 8) and inner and/or outer turbine walls (11, 12) end, and a cooling gas supply (5), which via the gap (4; 16, 17) introduces a cooling gas into the turbine gas path (13) and/or into the combustion chamber gas path (9). An end section (21, 22, 23, 24) of the respective turbine wall (11, 12) and/or of the respective chamber wall (7, 8) adjoining the gap (4; 16, 17) is radially inwardly and/or radially outwardly, alternatingly formed. |
| US08132414B2 |
Steam turbine and hydrophilic coating material used therefor
A steam turbine includes a bucket implanted in a turbine rotor and a nozzle disposed on an upstream side of the bucket and supported by a turbine casing, in which a plurality of stages, each including the bucket and the nozzle, are arranged axially in the turbine so as to define a steam path. A hydrophilic coating portion is disposed in the entire area or an area of at least one portion of a circumferential surface of the turbine rotor, surfaces of the nozzles, surfaces of the buckets, and an inner circumferential surface of the turbine casing. |
| US08132413B2 |
Method of transforming heat energy to mechanical energy in a low-pressure expansion device
A method of converting heat energy generated in an evaporator to mechanical energy by expanding an evaporated working fluid includes evaporating the working fluid in the evaporator and expanding the evaporated working fluid in an expansion device. The expansion is in a low-pressure expansion device which is formed as a roots blower in which the working fluid is expanded and heat energy is converted to mechanical energy. |
| US08132405B2 |
Exhaust emission purifying apparatus for engine
An exhaust emission purifying apparatus for an engine, which is provided with: an electric pump sucking and supplying a liquid reducing agent by pumping out of a reducing agent tank; a flow control valve controlling flow rate of the liquid reducing agent; and an injection nozzle injection-supplying the liquid reducing agent with the controlled flow rate, to an exhaust emission upstream of NOx reduction catalytic converter. At the engine starting, a highly pressurized air is urged to reversely flow to a reducing agent supply system upstream of the flow control valve. Then it is determined whether or not the reducing agent supply system brings about clogging based on a pressure change produced by the reverse flow. When a number of frequency at which it is consecutively determined as occurrence of clogging reaches a predetermined number or more, it is determined that the clogging is serious, which is unable to be readily mended. |
| US08132402B2 |
Exhaust purification device of internal combustion engine
In an internal combustion engine, an NOx selective reduction catalyst is arranged in the engine exhaust passage, and a urea aqueous solution feed valve is arranged in the engine exhaust passage upstream of the NOx selective reduction catalyst. Based on the detections results of an NOx purification rate detecting means for detecting the NOx purification rate by the NOx selective reduction catalyst, a urea aqueous solution feed amount detecting means for detecting the amount of feed of the urea aqueous solution, and a urea aqueous solution concentration detecting means for detecting the concentration of the urea aqueous solution, abnormalities in the NOx selective reduction catalyst, urea aqueous solution feed system, and urea aqueous solution are judged. |
| US08132401B2 |
Exhaust purification device of internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine wherein an SOx trap catalyst (12), an NOx storage catalyst (14), and a fuel addition valve (15) are arranged in an engine exhaust passage. When making the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NOx storage catalyst (14) the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or rich so as to make the NOx storage catalyst (14) release NOx, additional fuel is supplied into the combustion chamber (2) and fuel is added from the fuel addition valve (15). At this time, the amount of additional fuel to the combustion chamber (2) is controlled so that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas exhausted from the combustion chamber (2) becomes the smallest in the range where the SOx trap catalyst (12) does not release SOx. |
| US08132396B2 |
Shutter mechanism for a lawnmower
A lawnmower capable of being switched between a bagging mode and a mulching mode is disclosed. The lawnmower includes a shutter mechanism provided on an internal peripheral surface of a housing which opens downward for storing a cutting blade. The shutter mechanism is switched, by the operation of the shutter mechanism, between a bagging mode for delivering cut grass from the housing to a cut grass storage container and a mulching mode for discharging the cut grass out below the housing. The shutter mechanism has a kicker on a shutter body positioned in the interior of the housing. The kicker guides the cut grass to the bottom of the housing during the mulching mode. |
| US08132394B2 |
Bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus and bag manufacturing and packaging method
A bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus manufactures a bag by sealing a packaging material formed in a tubular shape and at the same time fills the bag with articles to be packaged. The bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus includes a conveyance mechanism, a squeezing mechanism and a conveyance adjusting unit. The conveyance mechanism is configured and arranged to convey the packaging material in a conveying direction. The squeezing mechanism includes a squeezing unit configured and arranged to sandwich the packaging material and to perform a squeezing motion so as to move the articles to be packaged to the downstream side in the conveying direction. The conveyance adjusting unit configured and arranged to move the packaging material towards the upstream side in the conveying direction during the squeezing motion of the squeezing unit. |
| US08132393B2 |
Radial compression system for rolls of material and associated method
Apparatus and methods for compressing at least one roll of compressible material having an outer diameter and a circumference and an inner core having an inner diameter at least one roll of compressible material are provided. For example, a method according to one embodiment includes positioning a chuck about the circumference of the at least one roll, wherein the chuck is configured to engage the at least one roll at a plurality of evenly spaced locations about the circumference of the at least one roll. The method further includes radially compressing the at least one roll at a plurality of evenly spaced locations about the circumference of the at least one roll with the chuck such that the outer diameter of the at least one roll is substantially uniformly reduced without collapsing the inner core. |
| US08132392B2 |
Ice bagging apparatus
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an ice-bagging apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus comprises an ice maker for making ice and hopper for receiving the ice from the ice maker. The apparatus further includes a drawer system, operatively associated with the hopper, for measuring the ice and delivering of the ice. The drawer system includes top door and drawer. A bag delivery mechanism for placing the ice in a bag is also included, with the bag delivery mechanism including a bag supply mechanism, a blower engaged to open the mouth of the bag to receive the product, and a sealer that seals the open mouth of the bag once the bag is filled with the ice. A control device is included that manages and monitors the drawer and bag delivery mechanism and allows transmission of the collected data to the Internet. |
| US08132391B2 |
Thin mirror with truss backing and mounting arrangement therefor
A thin-sheet panel assembly. In one embodiment, a substantially rigid thin-sheet panel assembly having a non-rigid thin-sheet component includes the thin-sheet component which has selected plan area and shape, a backer having a plan shape and area substantially similar to the thin-sheet component, and plural riser elements of selected height and configuration each extending from the backer to distal ends connected to a reverse surface of the thin-sheet component, the riser elements being configured and disposed in an array which causes the assembly to have substantial rigidity in a selected direction in the thin-sheet component, and the thin-sheet panel assembly further includes a bar coupled to the backer and extending between at least one pair of adjacent riser elements of the plural riser elements. |
| US08132389B2 |
Device and method for securing a bolt in concrete
A method of securing a bolt to a concrete structure without the necessity of turning the bolt during the installation process. A first set of hardware is provided for use during the forming and casting phases of creating the concrete structure. The first set of hardware is used to embed a bolt retainer in the finished cast concrete with a passage leading from the bolt retainer to the exterior of the cast concrete. A bolt is then placed in this passage and a portion of the bolt is driven through the bolt retainer to secure it. |
| US08132385B2 |
Benchtop panels
Benchtop panels are formed with spaced apart longitudinal edge webs and intermediate webs and spaced apart transverse edge webs and intermediate webs forming a grid with parallel top and bottom surfaces. At least one pair of longitudinal and transverse intermediate webs are closely spaced to allow subdividing the panel into plural panels by severing portions of a panel at a point between the closely spaced webs. Longitudinal bottom surface flanges provide for ease of mounting panels on a frame or table at spaced apart frame members. A connector with spaced apart legs and a connecting tab may be inserted in openings formed in gussets of adjacent panels to secure panels to each other. |
| US08132383B1 |
Clip for attaching to column or beam
A metal clip is provided for facilitating the attachment of metal strips and wallboard to columns and beams. The metal clip includes a base section and a spring retainer extending from the base section. A portion of a column or beam, such as flange, can be inserted between the spring retainer and the base section and the spring retainer will exert sufficient force on the column or beam to hold the metal clip in place. A pair of foldout clips is formed on exterior surfaces of the metal clip for receiving and holding angle strips. Wallboard can be secured exteriorly of the metal clips and angle strips by screws that extend through the wallboard, through the angle strips and into the respective metal clips. |
| US08132382B2 |
Insulation containing heat expandable spherical additives, calcium acetate, cupric carbonate, or a combination thereof
Thermal insulation is provided which includes randomly distributed inorganic fibers and about 5-500 wt. % unexpanded hollow microspheres comprising a polymeric shell having disposed therein a blowing agent or gas, said unexpanded hollow microspheres increasing in size when heated. Also provided is an insulated attic, including a plurality of rafters, an attic floor and a thermal insulation comprising randomly distributed glass fibers in at least about 5 wt. % hollow expanded microspheres having a diameter of 20-140 microns, which have been expanded from about 6-40 microns. The hollow expanded microspheres reduce the thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation by at least about 5%, and have shown improvement up to 19.4% decreased thermal conductivity during tests at loadings from 30% to 257%. Additionally, calcium acetate and cupric carbonate additions to glass fiber insulation products showed improvement by at least about a 1% decrease in thermal conductivity. |
| US08132381B2 |
Flangeless insulation product for compression fitting into insulation cavities
A system provides insulation products for a plurality of insulation wall cavities in buildings, where a substantial portion of the insulation wall cavities have a known nominal width. The system includes providing flangeless insulation products having a blanket of fibrous insulation material and having a facing material with a width substantially equal to the width of the insulation blanket, with the width of the insulation blanket and the width of the facing material being greater than the nominal width of the plurality of insulation cavities. The increased width of the facing material improves the seal of the facing material when the insulation product is placed within insulation wall cavities of the known nominal width in comparison to the seal provided by flanged insulation products applied with inset stapling to the same insulation wall cavities. |
| US08132380B2 |
Compliant trim for concrete slabs
A compliant trim for use between concrete slabs is disclosed, intended for the replacement of wood commonly used for formwork to divide concrete slabs. The compliant trim is easily inserted into the space cleared of wood, will not migrate deeper into the space, and is therefore independent of the depth of the cleared space beyond a minimum needed for installation. Additionally, the compliant trim lies flush or below the surface of slabs which have edge radii, making it relatively unaffected by foot traffic, vehicles, and the like. The trim may be extruded, may be manufactured from recycled materials, and remains compliant to allow for joint expansion and contraction. |
| US08132377B2 |
Floor coverings with wooden floors on a substrate, method for the covering of a substrate and use of studded plates
It is disclosed a floor covering on a substrate with wooden floors, a method for covering a substrate with a wooden floor, and the use of a studded plate for covering of a substrate with a wooden floor, wherein: a substrate is covered with a bonding adhesive, the substrate and bonding adhesive is covered with studded plates, the studded plates covered with an adhesive on which a wooden floor is fixed. |
| US08132374B2 |
External wall panel unit for saving energy and external wall structure system using the same
In regards to the invention titled “External Wall Panel Unit for Saving Energy and External Wall Structure System Using the Same,” there are an external wall panel unit and an external wall structure system for saving energy.The external wall panel unit is attached to an external wall structure (1) of a building to form an external wall of the building, and includes: an external frame (10); a frame rainwater tube (20); a frame duct (30); and a window (40).The external wall structure system using the external wall panel units is installed in such a way that a plurality of the external wall panel units are arranged and mounted vertically and horizontally. |
| US08132372B2 |
System and method for constructing a modular enclosure
A modular enclosure may include a number of components, such as floor panels, wall panels and roof panels, which may be interconnected to form a structure such as a shed. For example, the shed may include wall panels with connecting portions that are sized and configured to allow adjacent wall panels to be interconnected. The wall panels may also include outwardly extending projections that allow the wall panels to be connected to the floor panels. In addition, the wall panels may include receiving portions that may receive portions of the roof panels, such as an outwardly extending lip. Advantageously, a truss may extend through the receiving portions in the wall panels and the truss may include a channel that is sized and configured to allow any water that enters the shed through a roof panel seam to be removed from the shed. |
| US08132369B2 |
Integrated tilt/sash lock assembly
An integrated tilt/sash lock assembly for a sash window is disclosed. The sash window assembly has an upper sash window and a lower sash window slideable within a master frame, the integrated assembly has a keeper adapted to be connected to the upper sash window. A rotor assembly is adapted to be supported by the lower sash window, the rotor assembly having a rotor connected to a spool. A latch bolt is adapted to be supported by the lower sash window and is adapted to engage the master frame. A connector has a first end connected to the spool and a second end connected to the latch bolt. An actuator is connected to the rotor assembly. The actuator has a locked position wherein the rotor engages the keeper. The actuator is moveable to an unlocked position wherein the rotor assembly is disengaged from the keeper, and is further moveable to a tiltable position wherein the connector retracts the latch bolt from the master frame. |
| US08132367B2 |
Container for growing plants
A container for receiving and growing plants is disclosed. The container includes a latticework having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending from the bottom wall defining a cavity with an open end, a covering for the bottom wall and the sidewall for receiving plant growth medium for supporting roots of plants, and a plurality of spaced apart flexible cords securing the covering to the latticework. |
| US08132364B2 |
Highly buoyant and semi-rigid floating islands
A buoyant walkway or island and its method of manufacture. In a preferred embodiment, the buoyant walkway comprising: an internal frame comprising semi-rigid members that are attached to one another, said internal semi-rigid frame having openings; an internal block disposed in each of said openings, said internal blocks being spaced apart from one another by gaps and forming a top surface and a bottom surface; cured thermoplastic foam disposed in said gaps that attach said internal blocks to said semi-rigid internal frame and to one another; a permeable top layer that is attached to said top surface; and a bottom layer that is attached to said bottom surface. |
| US08132361B1 |
Apparatus for staking trees
A system and apparatus for supporting newly planted trees or other upright for use with a plurality of stakes that have been positioned adjacent and around the tree to be supported. In one aspect of the invention, the individual stakes are rigidly secured together by elements which are vertically movable along the stakes and releasably secured to the stakes at desired vertical positions. In another aspect of the invention, flexible tie members interconnect the tree trunk with a vertical stake. The connection between the tie member and its associated stake is such that the connection may be releasably locked to the stake at different vertical positions along the stake. |
| US08132351B2 |
Adjustable shooting rests and shooting rest assemblies
Adjustable shooting rests and shooting rest assemblies are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a shooting rest includes a rest assembly for supporting a forestock of a firearm. The rest assembly includes a base member and first and second upright members extending from the base member. A position of each of the first and second upright members is independently adjustable with reference to the base member. The shooting rest also includes a support assembly coupled to the rest assembly to move the rest assembly in a first direction and in a second direction. The first and second directions are in a plane generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the firearm. The shooting rest further includes a base coupled to the support assembly. |
| US08132346B1 |
Iron retaining system and support device thereof
A system for retaining a clothes iron includes a base plate having vertically offset front and rear portions configured to support a nose sole plate portion and a heal portion of the clothes iron, respectively, and lateral side portions configured to support opposing lateral side sole plate portions of the clothes iron, and a pair of holding arms configured to move from a first position below the base plate to a second position above the base plate and to contact side body portions of the clothes iron. |
| US08132339B2 |
Cloth treating apparatus
Disclosed is a cloth treating apparatus, which supplies hot air to a accommodating space receiving clothes to dry the clothes. The cloth treating apparatus includes a cabinet including a accommodating space to receive clothes, and an electric component chamber, in which a moisture supply device to spray steam to the accommodating space and a air supply device to supply hot air are installed; and a condensed water treating unit to treat condensed water, generated by condensing the steam sprayed to the accommodating space or the hot air supplied from the air supply device. Therefore, the cloth treating apparatus treats the condensed water generated in the accommodating space, and thus prevents the generation of substances harmful to the human body, such as mold, in the accommodating space. |
| US08132337B1 |
Method and apparatus for drying wood particles/sawdust and other particulate matter
A compact low-maintenance moving air modular cabinet wood particles/sawdust dryer having a serpentine path for heated air to move injected wood particles/sawdust through the cabinet, drying it as it goes, together with a system for providing controllable heated airflow and a regulated supply of wood particles/sawdust to be dried. |
| US08132327B2 |
Method for manufacturing a jewelry item enabling a jeweled bearing to be held and immobilized
A manufacturing device enabling jeweled bearings to be maintained, locked and immobilized on fishing line thread. |
| US08132326B2 |
Method and apparatus for forming a finned heat exchanger tube that includes an internal fin structure that is a spring formed from a spiral wire wound around a mandrel
A method and equipment for making a needle-fin tube having needle-like external fin parts, and internal fin structure formed by a spiraled spring wire which expands to clamp again the tube in the needle-fin tubes. The wire used to form the internal fin is wound along and around a bar which is moved and rotated along a straight line. The bar is moved inside the needle-fin tube from its one end to the other and the wire is released from the bar to attach to the internal surface of the needle-fin tube under spring force. |
| US08132321B2 |
Method for making embedded circuit structure
An embedded structure of circuit board is provided. The embedded structure includes a substrate, a first patterned conductive layer disposed on the substrate and selectively exposing the substrate, a first dielectric layer covering the first patterned conductive layer and the substrate, a pad opening disposed in the first dielectric layer, and a via disposed in the pad opening and exposing the first patterned conductive layer, wherein the outer surface of the first dielectric layer has a substantially even surface. |
| US08132320B2 |
Circuit board process
A circuit board process is provided. In the circuit board process, a first substrate and a second substrate are stacked to form a cavity for accommodating chips. The top of the cavity is covered by a third metal layer that serves as a mask. The first substrate has a base, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and at least a first conductive structure, and the first metal layer is patterned to form a first circuit layer having a number of first pads. The second substrate, at least an insulation layer and a third metal layer are laminated to the first substrate with a common opening in-between, and the third metal layer covers the common opening. A third circuit layer having a number of third pads is formed on the second substrate. The first pads and the third pads are not on a same plane for wire bonding. |
| US08132318B2 |
Metal substrate having electronic devices formed thereon
A method of forming an electronic device on a metal substrate deposits a first seed layer of a first metal on at least one master surface with a roughness less than 400 nm. A supporting metal layer is bonded to the first seed layer to form the metal substrate 10. The metal substrate is removed from the master surface, and at least one electronic device is formed on the seed layer of the metal substrate. |
| US08132317B2 |
Apparatus for manufacture of electronic assemblies
A electronic apparatus manufacturing cell defining an electronic apparatus manufacturing cell envelope having a first side and having a second side opposite the first side. According to one aspect, the electronic apparatus manufacturing cell comprises an infeed conveyor, a pass conveyor and a reject conveyor. The infeed conveyor extends from a point outside of the electronic apparatus manufacturing cell envelope on the first side to a point inside of the envelope. The pass conveyor extends from a point inside the electronic apparatus manufacturing cell envelope to a point outside of the electronic apparatus manufacturing cell envelope on the second side. The reject conveyor extends from a point inside the electronic apparatus manufacturing cell envelope to a point outside of the electronic apparatus manufacturing cell envelope on the first side. |
| US08132316B1 |
Handheld microprocessor controlled pneumatic tappet setting system
A tappet clearance setting apparatus includes a screwdriver, a pneumatic portion, and a controller. The screwdriver engages the tappet screw and the pneumatic portion provides a monitored and air flow through an engine cylinder. The controller directs the screwdriver to tighten the tappet until the air flow through the cylinder is indicative of a valve opening. The controller then directs the screwdriver to reverse directions until the sensed air flow indicates that the valve has closed, which further indicates that the tappet screw is in a reference position. From the reference position, the controller directs the screwdriver to loosen the tappet a predetermined amount to establish the desired tappet clearance. |
| US08132314B2 |
Method and system for packaging and mounting surface acoustic wave sensor elements to a flex plate
A method and system for packaging and mounting a sensor to a flex plate for use in sensing, for example, torque. In some instances, a SAW sense die can be adhesively bonded to a metal disc that includes at least one locating feature formed in the metal disc. An insulator having lead pins can be adhesively bonded to the metal disc, and may surrounds at least part of a periphery of the sense die in a particular orientation. In some instances, a cap may be bonded over the insulator. The metal disc, along with the SAW sense die, can be aligned to the flex plate by, for example, matching the at least one locating feature formed in the metal disc with at least one corresponding locating feature of a cutout in the flex plate. The aligned metal disc and the flex plate can be bonded together by, for example, laser welding. |
| US08132309B1 |
Apparatus for joining boards
A clamping apparatus is provided that includes a first clamp component having a center portion, and a first set of flexible fingers and second set of flexible fingers disposed on opposing sides of the center portion. The first and second sets of flexible fingers extend angularly in a direction towards the center portion such that the first set of flexible fingers extend in a generally opposing directions from the second set of flexible fingers. The clamping apparatus includes a second clamp component having a center portion, and a first set of flexible fingers and second set of flexible fingers disposed on opposing sides of the center portion. The first and second sets of flexible fingers extend angularly in a direction towards the center portion such that the first set of flexible fingers extend in a generally opposing direction from that of the second set of flexible fingers. |
| US08132308B2 |
Fastener extraction tool
The hand tool is used to extract a fastener from a material by preferably gripping the fastener from a horizontal orientation. The hand tool has a head with two pivotally joined halves including at least one pair of gripping jaws. The tool head preferably includes tips that may be used to dig beneath a fastener head that is flush with or set below a surface. The tool includes a pair of handles operable to close the gripping jaws. The handles are preferably offset above the plane of the tool head such that they operate as a lever in cooperation with a fulcrum on the bottom of the tool head to extract the fastener. |
| US08132307B2 |
Airbag covering having a weakened leather layer
A process for producing an airbag covering having a leather layer, particularly for use in a motor vehicle, with a partial weakening for the initiation of a tear and/or the propagation thereof along a previously defined path is disclosed. In one embodiment, a skived region is introduced into the leather layer and at least one incision is introduced into the previously created skived region. |
| US08132306B2 |
Device for machining components, in particular of a vehicle body
A device for machining components, in particular of a vehicle body has a transport and positioning unit for the component and several machining stations, which are arranged around said unit and to which the component held by a component holder of the transport and positioning unit can be fed in a position ready for machining. To transport the component from one machining station to the other machining stations while taking up the smallest possible surface area, the transport and positioning unit includes a rotor and a pivoting arm that is mounted eccentrically on said rotor, driven in opposition to the latter and supports the component holder. The drives of the rotor and the pivoting arm are synchronized in such a way that the component holder is displaced along a closed curved path comprising spaces between the neighboring apexes of said path. |
| US08132305B2 |
Equipment and method for cutting package
A package cutting apparatus includes at least two spindles installed at a sawing robot and cutting a frame including a plurality of packages into packages using cutting bits; a frame loading jig loading the frame so that the frame is cut; and a frame-and-unit picker installed at an orthogonal robot to load and unload the frame on and from the frame loading jig, wherein a state of the cutting bit installed at the spindle is checked. |
| US08132302B2 |
Cord organizer
The present invention is an organizer device having a primary back strap 10, the primary back strap 10 having a first end, a second end and a middle portion. The first end having a first buckle portion 32 and a means for suspending the back strap 20, the second end having a second buckle portion 28, the middle portion having at least one attachment location with an appended buckle portion 38 interposed between the first and second ends; and wherein the second end is provided to receive the first end of a second primary back strap. The device further has at least one removable cinch strap device 40 having a first end and a second end, the first end having two buckle portions 38, 39, a first buckle portion 39 for removable attachment to the attachment location with an appended buckle 38 on the primary back strap 10 and a second buckle portion 39 to attach to the buckle portion at the second end of the cinch strap 40 to form a loop for holding a coil of cable 100, a power tool box or other material. |
| US08132301B2 |
Worm thread clamp
Worm thread clamp and method of forming worm thread clamp. The worm thread clamp includes a tension strap having end sections arranged to overlap in a circumferential direction to form a radially inner end section and a radially outer end section, a housing connected to the radially inner end section, and a tension screw arranged in the housing to engage thread elements on the radially outer end section. The radially inner end section is arranged to project from the housing in the circumferential direction and includes a bridge, and a weakening area is enclosed in the bridge. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. |
| US08132298B2 |
Fastener for cord
The present utility model relates to a fastener for cord comprising a cord lock mounted on a cord of an article for locking the cord, characterized in that said cord lock has a engaging portion which is provided with a hollow central zone having an inner diameter, said fastener for cord further has a base fixed on said article, a convex portion is arranged on said base for engaging with said central zone in a manner of snap-fastening, the inner diameter of said central zone is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the convex portion on said base so as to make the central zone engaged, in a manner of snap-fastening, with said base. The present utility model is available for fastening an article (such as a fixer or bottom on a cord) so as to avoid inconveniency brought to users by the article. |
| US08132292B2 |
Hinge mechanism for a wireless communication device
The present application is directed to a hinge for a clamshell-type wireless communication device or other electronic device. In one embodiment, the communication device includes a base portion and a flip portion. A hinge mechanism movably couples the flip portion to the base portion so that the flip portion may pivot between a closed position and an open position. The hinge mechanism comprises first and second hinge parts, an indexing pin, and a spring. The indexing pin is rotatable relative to the first hinge part about a pivot axis. Additionally, the indexing pin is movable axially along the pivot axis. The second hinge part is non-rotatably engaged with the indexing pin and is rotatable about the pivot axis relative to the first hinge part between closed and open positions. The spring applies both an axial force and a rotational force to the indexing pin. The axial force biases the indexing pin into contact with the first hinge part, and the rotational force rotates the indexing pin to move the second hinge part from the closed to the open position. |
| US08132291B2 |
Hinge device
A hinge device includes a bearing seat, a spherical joint, a plurality of positioning pins, and a retaining ring. The bearing seat has a containing recess. The spherical joint is rotatably disposed in the containing recess, and the surface of the spherical joint has a plurality of positioning holes. The positioning pins are disposed at the bearing seat and capable of sliding toward or away from the spherical joint. The positioning pins correspond to parts of the positioning holes respectively when the spherical joint rotates to a specific position relative to the bearing seat. The retaining ring is disposed at an opening of the containing recess of the bearing seat and surrounds the positioning pins, the retaining ring is against the positioning pins to allow the positioning pins to be fastened in the corresponding positioning holes when the spherical joint rotates to the specific position relative to the bearing seat. |
| US08132287B2 |
Cleaning device with cleaning means and a frame body
The present invention relates to a cleaning device comprising cleaning means and a frame body. The frame body is provided with a plurality of connecting holes, wherein each connecting hole is constituted by a larger diameter hole and a smaller diameter hole, such that a twisted cleaning means with flexibility is folded to stuff through the connecting holes from the smaller diameter hole to the larger diameter hole. The folded twisted cleaning means with flexibility then is pulled back so as to bind the twisted cleaning means with flexibility in the frame body. |
| US08132285B2 |
Brushes with retractable removable heads
One embodiment of an applicator comprises a brush head with a ferrule, and a brush handle. The ferrule has the head at one end and the handle at the other end. Magnetic elements, at least one of which is a magnet, are attached to the brush handle and ferrule where the two parts connect. The brush head can be removed from the handle, assembled with the handle, and switched easily whenever needed. The ferrule can be kept firmly on the handle by the action of the magnet inside. The head can be retracted by sliding a sleeve mounted on the handle forward over the sides of the head. The head, when removed from the handle, can be washed without the risk of water penetrating the sleeve mechanism. The head can also be replaced or interchanged, which can greatly enlarge the versatility of the brush and also avoids waste of material. |
| US08132277B2 |
Emergency response treatment bed system
An emergency response treatment bed system. The emergency response beds may include a frame having a pair of opposing tubular stainless steel side supports and a pair of opposing tubular stainless steel end supports. The side supports and end supports are affixed each to the other by corner fixtures. A plurality of collapsible support legs are affixed to the frame. The support legs have an upper end and a lower end, and are adapted to support the frame above a selected substrate. A support deck is coupled to the frame. The support deck is adapted to support a patient body, and is provided with a liquid impervious, molded thermoplastic contaminant resistant cleanable surface. The support deck also has, above at least some of the support legs, a cutout portion defined by edgewalls, to provide access through the support deck to the support legs, so that multiple beds may be stacked one above the other, using support inserts between vertically adjacent support legs. |
| US08132276B2 |
Patient support apparatus
A simplify mobile patient support apparatus which is suitable for an examination of a patient by a magnetic resonance tomography system is proposed. A first and second actuation facility and a control facility are used. Depending on the operating state of the patient support apparatus whether is docked with or undocked from the magnetic resonance tomography system, actuation of the first and second actuation facilities results either in the coupling or uncoupling of the patient support apparatus to/from the magnetic resonance tomography system or the raising or lowering of a patient support plate of the patient support apparatus. Essential components for docking or undocking or for the vertical adjustment of the patient support plate are integrated in a hydraulic unit. |
| US08132274B1 |
Adjustable pool cover support
A pool cover supporting unit includes a plurality of spokes connected to a central hub. The hub rests floats in the pool and the spokes can be lengthened as needed to accommodate pools of various shapes, such as an oval pool. The unit is easily collapsed for storage and easily assembled for use. |
| US08132273B2 |
Toilet fill valve including leak prevention mechanism
A toilet fill valve having a mechanism for preventing leakage from a tank of the toilet between flush cycles. The mechanism includes links that are normally locked to prevent the fill valve from opening. The links are operatively connected to a handle of the toilet such that the links are unlocked and allow the fill valve to open only when the handle of the toilet is purposely operated to initiate a flush cycle. Otherwise, the links do not allow the fill valve to open even if water leaks from the tank and causes a float of the fill valve to be lowered. |
| US08132271B2 |
Swimming goggles
Swimming goggles are provided which include a hard combined frame, a soft left frame and a soft right frame receiving lenses therein, and hard buckles. The hard combined frame includes a first assembling frame, a second assembling frame, and a connecting member connecting the first assembling frame with the second assembling frame. The soft left frame and the soft right frame are respectively assembled on the first assembling frame and the second assembling frame. The hard buckles are respectively assembled on the first assembling frame and the second assembling frame for accommodating a head strap. The connecting member has first portions with bendable flexibility for fitting to users' nose profiles. The first assembling frame and the second assembling frame have second portions with bendable flexibility on parts of side edges thereof for fitting to users' face profiles. |
| US08136168B2 |
System and method for design-for-manufacturability data encryption
An encryption and decryption interface for integrated circuit (IC) design with design-for-manufacturing (DFM). The interface includes a decryption module embedded in an IC design tool; an encrypted DFM data provided to an IC designer authorized for utilizing the encrypted DFM data; and a private key provided to the IC designer for decrypting the encrypted DFM data in the IC design tool. |
| US08136167B1 |
Systems and methods for providing image feedback
A computer-implemented method may include receiving, over a network, an image from an image capture device, determining an image adjustment to the image, and communicating, over the network, the image adjustment to the image capture device. |
| US08136166B2 |
Installation of black box for trusted component for digital rights management (DRM) on computing device
To install a black box on a computing device, an administrator has access to the computing device and queries same for machine properties thereof. The administrator sends the machine properties of the computing device to a black box server as part of a request for a new black box for the computing device. The black box server in response constructs the new black box based in part on the machine properties so as to tie the new black box to the computing device, and delivers the new black box to the administrator. The administrator thereafter installs the new black box on the computing device. The administrator may include an activation provider running on the computing device and an activation manager in communication with the activation provider. The administrator may also deactivate the black box if it determines that the black box is no longer trustworthy. |
| US08136165B2 |
Securing a data transmission channel
A method of establishing a secure communication channel between end nodes of an IP communication network via one or more intermediate nodes using the Secure Shell, SSH, protocol, the method comprising defining an SSH configuration file containing a plurality of sections, each section defining parameter values for a corresponding hop of the tunnel and an identification of the section defining parameter values for any subsequent hop. At that end node, a first instance of an SSH client is established, with the name of the configuration file being an initialization value for the first instance, and using the parameter values contained in a first section of the configuration file to establish a first SSH connection to the next node in the sequence. Following establishment of said first SSH connection, one or more further instances of the SSH client are established, with an identification of said configuration file and an identification of a corresponding section of the configuration file being an initialization value for an SSH instance, the or each further instance using the parameter values contained in the corresponding named section of the configuration file to establish an SSH connection to a subsequent node in the sequence over the already established SSH connection(s). |
| US08136161B2 |
3-prong security/reliability/real-time distributed architecture of information handling system
The present invention is directed to a distributed architecture of an information handling system, including a buried nucleus inaccessible for inspection without heroic means while the buried nucleus is in operation, and a trusted authority for generating a secure protocol. The secure protocol controls the operation of the buried nucleus. |
| US08136157B2 |
Program providing device, storage medium, and vehicle-mounted information system
A program providing device include an emulation means for emulating a hardware environment and a software environment of a vehicle-mounted information system, a program receiving means for receiving a program which is developed for the vehicle-mounted information system, a constraints holding means 21 for holding, as constraints, resource states and environment conditions of the vehicle-mounted information system, a program execution restricting means 22 for restricting the operation of the program on the basis of the constraints held by the constraint holding means, and a program execution means 112 for executing the program received from the program receiving means by using resources provided by the emulation means according to the restrictions provided by the program execution restricting means. |
| US08136155B2 |
Security system with methodology for interprocess communication control
A security system with methodology for interprocess communication control is described. In one embodiment, a method for controlling interprocess communication is provided that includes steps of: defining rules indicating which system services a given application can invoke; trapping an attempt by a particular application to invoke a particular system service; identifying the particular application that is attempting to invoke the particular system service; and based on identity of the particular application and on the rules indicating which system services a given application can invoke, blocking the attempt when the rules indicate that the particular application cannot invoke the particular system service. |
| US08136152B2 |
Method and system for securely scanning network traffic
A method and system for implementing secure network communications between a first device and a second device, at least one of the devices communicating with the other device via a firewall device, are provided. The method and system may include obtaining an encryption parameter that is shared by the first device, second device and firewall device. A data packet sent by the first device may then be copied within the firewall device, so that decryption of the copy of the data packet within a portion of the firewall device may take place. In particular, the portion of the firewall device in which decryption takes place is defined such that contents of the portion are inaccessible to an operator of the firewall device. Thus, scanning of the decrypted copy of the data packet for compliance with a predetermined criterion may take place within the firewall device, without an operator of the firewall device having access to the contents of the data packet to be transmitted. Thereafter, the original data packet can be forwarded to its originally intended recipient. |
| US08136149B2 |
Security system with methodology providing verified secured individual end points
A security system with methodology providing verified secured individual end points is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method of the present invention is described for controlling access to a particular application, the method comprises steps of: defining firewall rules specifying filtering conditions for incoming network traffic, the firewall rules including an application attribute that allows individual rules to be associated with specific applications, the firewall rules also including extended attributes that allow specification of additional conditions that a given end point is required to meet; intercepting incoming network traffic destined for a particular application for which a particular application-specific firewall rule has been created; examining the extended attributes for the particular application-specific firewall rule, for determining what additional conditions the given end point must comply with in order to communicate with the particular application; if the given end point complies with the additional conditions, allowing the end point to communicate with the particular application; and otherwise blocking the end point to prevent communication with the particular application. |
| US08136146B2 |
Secure audit log access for federation compliance
A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for allowing limited access to a federation partner's audit logs in a secure, controlled manner, for the purposes of compliance demonstration. A request for audit data is received by a partner in the federated environment. The partner validates the request and requests a local report using local parameters against a local audit log store. The partner then builds a response based on the local report. |
| US08136145B2 |
Network authentication for accessing social networking system information by a third party application
Exemplary systems and methods for network authentication are provided. Exemplary systems include an application program interface configured for receiving a request for an authentication code, a code generator in communication with the application program interface, the code generator configured to generate the authentication code, and the application program interface further configured to receive the generated authentication code and allow an application to communicate digital data with a web-based social network. Further systems include the generated authentication code being received from a network device without an Internet browser and the received generated authentication code allowing an application to communicate digital data with a web-based social network for an extended period of time. Exemplary methods include receiving a request for an authentication code, generating the authentication code, receiving the generated authentication code, and allowing an application to communicate digital data with a web-based social network. |
| US08136143B2 |
Generalized policy server
A scalable access filter that is used together with others like it in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Each access filter use a local copy of an access control database to determine whether an access request made by a user. Changes made by administrators in the local copies are propagated to all of the other local copies. Each user belongs to one or more user groups and each information resource belongs to one or more information sets. Access is permitted or denied according to of access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets. Access is further permitted only if the trust levels of a mode of identification of the user and of the path in the network by which the access is made are sufficient for the sensitivity level of the information resource. If necessary, the access filter automatically encrypts the request with an encryption method whose trust level is sufficient. |
| US08136142B2 |
Centralized content management system for managing distribution of packages to video service providers
A centralized Content Management System (“CCMS”) facilitates management of packages comprising assets comprising meta-data and associated content of video programs for distribution to various types of service providers and equipment locations therein. The CCMS can receive meta-data and associated content, normalize the meta-data according to various formats based on various rules depending on where the meta-data and contents are to be distributed, and the distribute the content. The CCMS has various capabilities for managing packages, including adapting the meta-data and content for different types of equipment or individual locations based on rules for that service provider, thus providing an automated system reducing error and time in distributing video assets to a number of locations. |
| US08136139B1 |
Receiving over-the-air licenses to high-quality media content
A method, system, and medium are provided for enabling playback of licensed media content. The depicted embodiments provide a method to enable users to play a high-quality media file on a computing device. More specifically, the method provides a method to authenticate a high-fidelity license on a computing device to enable playback of an associated high-quality media file. Illustrative examples of high-quality media files include any media file that may contain a video and/or audio component. |
| US08136136B2 |
Recording multi-stream interactive television
Detailed herein is a technology which, among other things, allows recording and playback of multi-stream interactive television. In one approach to this technology, the service configuration for an interactive television feature is determined. Data describing this service configuration is then obtained, and a recording device is then configured to record a portion of the interactive television feature. A number of data streams associated with that portion of the interactive television feature are recorded. The recorded portion of the interactive television feature can then be displayed. |
| US08136133B2 |
Methods and systems for broadcasting modified live media
Methods and systems are presented for broadcasting a modified live media feed of an event. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving a live media feed at a broadcast computer from one or more recording devices, wherein the live media feed includes real time occurrences of a live event. The live media feed is broadcast after a predetermined delay, and the method includes identifying, during monitoring of the live event, a portion of the live event that is suitable for application of a modification effect. The process also includes the broadcast computer applying the modification effect to a portion of the live media feed corresponding to the identified portion of the live event, and then broadcasting the modified live media feed. |
| US08136126B2 |
Overriding potential competing optimization algorithms within layers of device drivers
A method, system, and computer program product for managing data optimization routines in device drivers in a data transmission path. In a data transmission path, data optimization routines associated with device drivers are identified. When data is received in the data transmission path, a determination is made whether a data optimization routine associated with a device driver in the path comprises a same optimization or a competing optimization as a data optimization routine associated with one or more other device drivers in the path. If the data optimization routine for the device driver comprises a same or competing optimization routine as the data optimization routine associated with the other device drivers, one of the device drivers is selected to perform its associated data optimization routine on the data. A notification is sent to the other device drivers in the path to skip their associated data optimization routines on the data. |
| US08136125B2 |
Prioritization for online contact status updates
Communicating information about a contact, such as presence status, may be regulated in accordance with priority values associated with contacts. Various parameters about contacts with respect to a particular environment may be collected and utilized to assign priority values to the contacts. Flow of information about the contacts is regulated based on the assigned priority values. Information about contacts with higher priority values may be communicated more frequently to client devices from one or more servers than those contacts with lower priority values. In addition, information about contacts associated with priority values that satisfy one or more criteria may be prefetched from a server to a client device. |
| US08136119B2 |
Method, apparatus and media for managing information model jobs
Methods, apparatus and media for managing jobs of an object-oriented information model. Managing includes maintaining and updating job status information resuming interrupted jobs following a reboot of the host system, issuing job references to clients, and manipulating job data for example, listing, retrieving, and/or deleting job data. Each job of an object-oriented model may be represented in a cache by a data section comprising data describing the corresponding job. Data includes a unique identifier, job state information, action after reboot information, and whether the job requires that the system undergo a reboot. |
| US08136118B2 |
Maintaining application operations within a suboptimal grid environment
A system for maintaining application operations within a suboptimal grid environment includes a grid management system. The grid management system submits an application from among multiple applications to at least one resource node of a grid environment, wherein separate jobs each request at least one of the multiple applications. The grid management system monitors a performance status of the at least one resource node running the application according to a profile for the application. The grid management system compares the performance status with an operational requirement specified in the profile for when the application is operating at the at least one resource node. The grid management system, responsive to the performance status not meeting the operational requirement, adjusts the use by the application of resource nodes in the grid environment according to the profile, such that the application continues to operate when suboptimal conditions arise in the grid environment. |
| US08136115B2 |
Backfill scheduling of applications based on data of the applications
Backfill scheduling techniques are used to schedule execution of applications, either on a local computing unit or a remote unit. In determining whether a particular application is to be scheduled to execute on a local unit or a remote unit, the data associated with that application is considered. As examples, an amount of data to be moved, availability of communication channels, and/or availability of remote data storage resources are considered. |
| US08136114B1 |
Business process management system having dynamic task assignment
Disclosed herein is a system and method for the dynamic assignment of tasks within an enterprise through determining a group of one or more candidate resources based on defined attributes of a task. The group of one or more candidate resources is then analyzed to intelligently assign the task to one of the resources based on one or more of presence, location, schedule, workload, and performance history for each candidate resource. |
| US08136112B2 |
Thread synchronization via selective modification of stored states of pending optimistically balanced lock releases having previous lock owner and validity flag
Thread synchronization methods and apparatus for managed run-time environments are disclosed. An example method to maintain state information for optimistically balanced synchronization of a lock of an object in a managed runtime environment disclosed herein comprises storing state information comprising a state of each pending optimistically balanced release operation corresponding to each pending optimistically balanced synchronization to be performed on the lock of the object, each pending optimistically balanced synchronization comprising respective paired acquisition and release operations between which an unknown number of unpaired locking operations are to occur, and modifying a first stored state of a first pending optimistically balanced release operation when a subsequent unpaired locking operation is performed on the lock, but not modifying any stored state of any pending optimistically balanced release, including the first stored state of a first pending optimistically balanced release operation, when a subsequent optimistically balanced synchronization is performed on the lock. |
| US08136109B1 |
Delivery of data and formatting information to allow client-side manipulation
Delivering data and formatting information includes delivering object definition files from a server to a client; generating definitions and object instantiations at a client using JavaScript or another simple browser-interpreted language, for objects relating to data modeling and presentation; and presenting data using those objects at the client, using a web browser without a separate runtime environment or application plug-in, but maintaining substantial state at the web browser regarding the data itself and the format for its presentation. Definition files are modified to provide object properties consistent with a full object-oriented language, including for example hierarchical inheritance of object properties. Code ballooning generates definitions and individual instantiations, with the effect that a very large amount of DHTML, or another markup or presentation definition language for use with the application, can be generated from relatively small aggregate size of definition files communicated from the server to the client. |
| US08136106B2 |
Learning and cache management in software defined contexts
A system includes a processor, a memory, a cache, program software, and a marker management engine. The software includes at least one marker. Each marker is a computer instruction and marks distinct computer code sections in the software. The engine (a) determines whether one of the at least one marker is executed during the execution of the program software, (b) monitors data accesses by the at least one processor to the at least one cache and the main memory, (c) stores at least one of the monitored data accesses in a pre-defined location in the main memory, and (d) optimizes only the computer code section indicated by the determined marker of the program software executed by the at least one processor based on the stored data accesses. |
| US08136104B2 |
Systems and methods for determining compute kernels for an application in a parallel-processing computer system
A runtime system implemented in accordance with the present invention provides an application platform for parallel-processing computer systems. Such a runtime system enables users to leverage the computational power of parallel-processing computer systems to accelerate/optimize numeric and array-intensive computations in their application programs. This enables greatly increased performance of high-performance computing (HPC) applications. |
| US08136103B2 |
Combining static and dynamic compilation to remove delinquent loads
A method for combined static and dynamic compilation of program code to remove delinquent loads can include statically compiling source code into executable code with instrumented sections each being suspected of including a delinquent load, and also into a separate intermediate language representation with annotated portions each corresponding to one of the instrumented sections. The method also can include executing the instrumented sections repeatedly and monitoring cache misses for each execution. Finally, the method can include dynamically recompiling selected ones of the instrumented sections using corresponding ones of the annotated portions of the separate intermediate language representation only after a threshold number of executions of the selected ones of the instrumented sections, each recompilation include a pre-fetch directive at a pre-fetch distances tuned to avoid the delinquent load. |
| US08136101B2 |
Threshold search failure analysis
A value range for a code development option, which results in an error when applied to a given code, can be automatically searched to intelligently identify a threshold for the error within the value range. Instead of completely abandoning the optimizations offered by a code development option with a value range, the code development option as applied to a given code can be limited to a subrange of the value range, thus imbuing the given code with at least the optimizations offered by the code development option with the subrange. A failure analysis tool searches, for example according to binary search, a value range. Subranges are applied to the given code and results examined to influence successive selections of subranges. Eventually, a threshold, if any, is discovered that separates a subrange that does not result in error from a subrange that results in error. |
| US08136097B2 |
Thread debugging device, thread debugging method and information storage medium
A thread debugging device which can provide reliable debugging is provided when at least one thread is debugged among a plurality of threads which are executed in association with each other. According to the thread debugging device, a target computer (20) executes at least some processing of at least one target thread to be debugged among the plurality of threads, and further executes non-target threads, which are threads other than the at least one target thread among the plurality of threads, during execution of the at least one target thread while restricting access by the non-target threads to at least some hardware resources of the computer (20). |
| US08136094B2 |
Relationship management for data modeling in an integrated development environment
A system and method of relationship management for data modeling in an integrated development environment is provided. A method of incorporating a program code file includes generating a relational schema of symbols in the program code file based on a framework for models in the integrated development environment, the schema comprising at least two related tables; determining a relationship between the at least two tables in the relational schema; adding definitions from the program code file for symbols in the relational schema to a definition set retaining definitions of symbols; and producing proxy definitions for use with the definition set for each symbol in the program code file without a definition in the definition set. |
| US08136093B2 |
System for adding code commentary to source code during software debugging
A mechanism is provided for linking with source code, code commentary relating to the source code's execution. An advantage is achieved by storing the code commentary received from a user during software debugging about a program's execution directly alongside the source code. |
| US08136092B2 |
Multi-attribute dynamic link library packaging
A system for packaging a dynamically linked computer program function includes a compiler configured to compile a source file iteratively to create a plurality of corresponding object files, the source file associated with a specific computer program function having an established an attribute, with each attribute exhibiting a plurality of at least one of variations, characteristics and parameters, wherein each iteration of the compiling the source file results in the plurality of object files having the specific computer program function but with each object file having distinct attributes from one another; and a linker configured to link the plurality of resulting object files to create a single executable file, such that the single executable file comprises different versions of the specific computer program function; and wherein the single executable file is configured to facilitate choice of a selected version of the specific computer function. |
| US08136086B2 |
Control method for apparatus capable of using macros describing operation sequence
A multi function peripheral (MFP) is provided with a scanner and a printer for operating a copy function, and a macro control unit and macro function unit for operating a macro function in order to reliably operating the macro function even for an event generated asynchronously with a user operation. The macro control unit manages pairs of user operations and events generated by the user operations. The macro function executes a record process of generating a macro file constituted of a plurality of scripts from user operations and a reproduce process of reproducing the user processes. A script corresponding to an event of waiting for execution completion of a copy job is recorded in the macro file at a row next to the row at which a copy start script is written. |
| US08136076B2 |
Method and system for mounting circuit design on reconfigurable device
There is provided a system for generating configuration data for implementing a circuit design in a segmented reconfigurable device. A placement and routing design aiding system (30) includes a database (31) for storing hardware information (89) including data of PEs included in each segment and data of a first-level and second-level routing matrix and an apparatus (33) for mapping the circuit design onto the PEs. The mapping apparatus (33) generates mappings of the circuit design onto the PEs by carrying out an iterative algorithm that minimizes a cost function based on the hardware information (89). The cost function includes an item that minimizes usage of the second-level routing matrix (22) that connects between the segments. |
| US08136070B2 |
Shallow trench isolation dummy pattern and layout method using the same
A dummy cell pattern for shallow trench isolation (STI). Active and shallow trench isolation areas are bounded by a circumference. An active area pattern completely overlaps the active area and a first polysilicon pattern in the shallow trench isolation area is outside the active area pattern. Layout methods using the same are also disclosed. |
| US08136066B2 |
Apparatus and computer program product for semiconductor yield estimation
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product that performs yield estimates using critical area analysis on integrated circuits having redundant and non-redundant elements. The non-redundant elements are ignored or removed from the critical area analysis performed for undesired opens. |
| US08136062B2 |
Hierarchy reassembler for 1×N VLSI design
Embodiments that reassemble hierarchical representations in a closed-loop 1×N system are disclosed. Some embodiments comprise creating a flat netlist from a hierarchical representation of a 1×N building block, creating attributes for the flat netlist, and altering one or more elements of the flat netlist, such as by an operation of a logic design tool, a synthesis tool, a physical design tool, or a timing analysis tool. The embodiments further comprise generating a second hierarchical representation of the 1×N building block that reflects the altered element. Further embodiments comprise an apparatus having a 1×N compiler and a reassembler. The 1×N compiler may create attributes for a flat netlist of elements of a hierarchical representation of a 1×N building block. The reassembler may use the attributes to create a second hierarchical representation of the 1×N building block that reflects alteration of elements to the flat netlist. |
| US08136057B2 |
Semiconductor device manufacturing method, data generating apparatus, data generating method and recording medium readable by computer recorded with data generating program
A semiconductor manufacturing method comprising, a data generating process including, acquiring a simulation light pattern that simulates a shape of a light exposure pattern formed on a substrate on the basis of design data of a semiconductor device, acquiring a simulation electron beam exposure pattern that simulates a shape of an electron beam exposure pattern formed by an electron beam exposure on the substrate on the basis of the design data, extracting difference information representing a shape difference portion between the simulation light pattern and the simulation electron beam exposure pattern, acquiring changed design data for modifying shape by changing the design data in accordance with the difference information, conducting the electron beam exposure on the substrate by use of the changed design data for modifying the shape. |
| US08136056B2 |
Method and system for incorporation of patterns and design rule checking
Methods and systems for representing the limitations of a lithographic process using a pattern library instead of, or in addition to, using design rules. The pattern library includes “known good” patterns, which chip fabricators know from experience are successful, and “known bad” patterns, which chip fabricators know to be unsuccessful. The pattern library can be used to contain exceptions to specified design rules, or to replace the design rules completely. In some implementations, the pattern library contains statistical information that is used to contribute to an overall figure of merit for the design. In other implementations, a routing tool may generate a plurality of possible IC layouts, and select one IC layout based on information contained in the pattern library. |
| US08136051B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatically updating a primary display area
Receiving commands from a remote controller and automatically activating display areas for cursor navigation. Content display areas within a display frame respectively correspond to a variety of content items and include a primary display area wherein cursor navigation is activated and secondary display areas wherein cursor navigation is prevented. Remote controller navigational commands, for example, then allow cursor based navigation for the content item currently displayed in the primary display area. A content selection command such as a number key input of the remote controller allows immediate and automatic updating of the primary display area to include a desired content item that is associated to the command (e.g., the particular number). |
| US08136049B2 |
Image processing apparatus
The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which improves processing efficiency by allowing display of a message according to a usage status of a user and also has good operability. The image processing apparatus includes a setting section 9a for setting a display form of a message 13c. The user sets a display form, that is, display or nondisplay, display time, a color of a display pane, a shape of the display and a display position of the message 13c, to be more precise, from a setting screen capable of setting each kind of message 13c. In the case where “Nondisplay” is selected in selecting display or nondisplay of the message 13c, no setting thereafter is performed. In the case where “Display” is selected, the setting is performed as to all the items, such as the display time, color of the display pane, shape of the display and display position. |
| US08136046B2 |
Information display system for an appliance incorporating electronic interface screen
A display system for an appliance incorporates an electronic interface screen, such as an LCD touch screen, through which a wide range of information concerning operational, diagnostic and other data concerning the appliance can be displayed. The screen is divided into a number of panels for displaying different sets of information. Selecting one of the panels results in the panel becoming enlarged so as to fill the entire LCD screen while, at the same time, displaying an additional layer of detailed information. |
| US08136044B2 |
Method, network server and computer program for determining advertisement information relating to map information
The invention relates to a solution in which advertisement icons displayed together with map information relate to the displayed map information. In one embodiment of the invention, some or all of the advertisement icons are from service providers situated within the geographical area displayed by the map information. |
| US08136041B2 |
Systems and methods for playing a musical composition in an audible and visual manner
Disclosed are systems and methods for playing a musical composition in an audible and visual manner. In one aspect, a visual representation of a phonograph playing an analog record is transmitted to a viewer/listener along with the actual analog audio generated by same. Such transmission may occur via television networks, the Internet, or other similar networks. In another aspect, such visual representations are played with digitally recorded audio in a time-correlated manner. In yet another aspect, such visual representations are recorded with digital audio in a soft format such as a digital file, MP3 file, or the like for use with portable audio and visual devices, for streaming via the Internet, for use in gaming, and/or for use as software. Such visual representations may also be displayed at live events such that the timing of the video play and the performance of the live or recorded audio is correlated. |
| US08136039B2 |
Appliance with animation framework
An appliance includes one or more control boards having control software to control a cycle of operation, access to memory, a graphical user interface in communication with the control boards for allowing a user to observe and interact with the appliance regarding the cycle of operation, and a software framework in communication with the graphical user interface and the memory access. The software framework has animation definitions and access to builder content containing instance information with which it can create at least one instance of a user interface control and can associate one or more animation definitions with memory information associated with at least two locations in the memory. With this structure, the software framework dynamically renders animation in the graphical user interface at runtime using the animation definitions, and the rendering of the graphical user interface is dynamically affected by association of the animation definitions and the memory information. |
| US08136038B2 |
Offering menu items to a user
The invention relates to an electronic device 1 offering a plurality of menu items to a user. In order to enable a user friendly selection of the menu items, the electronic device 1 comprises a screen 60, user input means 70, storing means 50 adapted to store parameters for a virtual model of a user and processing means 31. The processing means 31 are adapted to generate a visual representation of a virtual user model 61 on the screen 60 based on the stored parameters for the virtual model of a user, to cause a movement of a visually represented virtual user model 61 depending on a user input, to detect a movement of a visually represented virtual user model 61 that is associated to a particular menu item, which menu item is offered for any of a plurality of applications, and to call a function that is assigned to the particular menu item. |
| US08136031B2 |
Comparing the content of tables containing merged or split cells
A system, method and computer program product for comparison of content within tables, separate from the form and structure of those tables; including identifying tables in a first and second document, creating respective text arrays of content of the tables from the first and second documents, comparing the content of the respective text arrays to determine differences between the content of the tables, and displaying the determined differences between the content of the tables, regardless of form or structure of the tables. |
| US08136029B2 |
Method and system for characterising a web site by sampling
A method of characterising a web site by sampling, the method comprising, the repeated steps of: accessing a URL; receiving a web page; analysing the URL and received webpage and recording characteristics thereof; identifying links within the received web page; grouping links within the received web-page based on proximity; and selecting one of the selected links for subsequent access based on the grouping. The method can be applied in a web application assessment tool. |
| US08136022B2 |
Detector for multi-level modulated signal and detection method using the same, and iterative receiver for multi-level modulated signal and iteratively receiving method using the same
Provided are a detector for a multi-level modulated signal and a detection method using the same, and an iterative receiver for a multi-level modulated signal and an iteratively receiving method using the same. The detector includes: a channel estimator estimating a channel response of each of a plurality of bits included in at least one received signal based on multi-level modulation; a hard decision unit, for each bit, selecting at least one of a plurality of bits remaining by excluding the bit and performing a hard decision based on a pre-probability of the selected bit; and a reliability calculator calculating reliability of each of all the bits in the received signal based on the received signal from which the hard-decided bit component is cancelled and the estimated channel response. Accordingly, the computation amount according to detection can be reduced without the degradation of performance. |
| US08136018B2 |
Network communication protocol for large scale distribution of streaming content
Forward error correction may be implemented in a network having first, second and third nodes. The second node receives streaming media message packets and one or more check packets from an upstream first node. The second node transmits the message packets and check packets to a downstream third node. The second node uses the check packets to decode missing message packets and transmits the decoded missing packets to the third node before the missing message packets are to be presented by the third node. The third node may receive message packets and a first set of check packets from the second node and a second set of check packets from the first node. The third node may use check packets from both sets to decode missing message packets. |
| US08136016B1 |
Split sector recovery method
Reproduction of encoded data which includes a split-mark. FIR data corresponding to split-mark and FIR data affected by the split-mark due to inter-symbol-interference are identified. FIR data corresponding to the split-mark is removed from the received FIR data. Recovered data is created by removing incorrect inter-symbol-interference from the FIR data due to the split-mark, and adding correct inter-symbol-interference from codeword bits. The recovered data is stitched together with data unaffected by split-mark data. |
| US08136013B2 |
Burst error correction based on fire code
According to an example embodiment, an apparatus may include logic. The apparatus may be configured to: determine, based on an error location polynomial, an error location syndrome corresponding to an actual location of a burst error in a data block; select a burst error pattern that is less than or equal to M bits, and having no more than Y consecutive zeros within the burst error, where M is greater than the order of the error location polynomial; determine an error pattern syndrome based on the selected burst error pattern and the error location polynomial; and determine an actual location of the burst error in the data block based on the error location syndrome and the error pattern syndrome. |
| US08136011B2 |
Broadcast receiver and method of processing data
A broadcast receiver and a method of processing data are disclosed. The broadcast receiver includes a signal receiving unit, a RS frame decoder, a decoding unit, a text-to-speech (TTS) module, a voice output unit, and a control unit. The signal receiving unit receives broadcast signal multiplexed mobile broadcast service data including text information and main broadcast service data. The RS frame decoder performs decoding on the RS frame, thereby correcting errors occurred in the corresponding mobile broadcast service data. The decoding unit decodes the text information included in the error-corrected mobile broadcast service data. The text-to-speech (TTS) module converts the text information to a voice signal. The voice output unit outputs the converted voice signal. The control unit controls the voice output unit. |
| US08136004B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and method used in mobile communication system
A radio communication apparatus including a retransmission control function, includes: determination means configured to determine whether a result of error detection performed in a communication partner side for a first packet after transmitting the first packet to the communication partner is positive acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement; request means configured to request a following second packet from an upper layer when the result of error detection is determined to be positive acknowledgement; and means configured to transmit dummy data to the communication partner as a following second packet when the first packet is the last packet. When the determination determining that the result of error detection is positive acknowledgement is incorrect, a system frame number used when transmitting the dummy data is reported from the communication partner, so that the first packet is retransmitted. |
| US08135994B2 |
Methods, media, and systems for detecting an anomalous sequence of function calls
Methods, media, and systems for detecting an anomalous sequence of function calls are provided. The methods can include compressing a sequence of function calls made by the execution of a program using a compression model; and determining the presence of an anomalous sequence of function calls in the sequence of function calls based on the extent to which the sequence of function calls is compressed. The methods can further include executing at least one known program; observing at least one sequence of function calls made by the execution of the at least one known program; assigning each type of function call in the at least one sequence of function calls made by the at least one known program a unique identifier; and creating at least part of the compression model by recording at least one sequence of unique identifiers. |
| US08135993B1 |
Updating a firmware image using a firmware debugger application
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media provide for updating a firmware image during a debugging sequence using a firmware debugger application without re-flashing each updated firmware image on a non-volatile memory device. Embodiments include a debugger application operating on a host computer system and a debugger driver located within a firmware image undergoing the debugging sequence on a target computer system. The debugger application and debugger driver may communicate and transfer data between one another. Upon detecting an error in a firmware image, the debugger driver notifies the debugger application. The debugger application sends an updated firmware image to the debugger driver on the target computer system. The debugger driver loads the updated firmware image and passes control to an entry point of the updated firmware image for continued debugging from the new entry point. |
| US08135989B2 |
Systems and methods for interrogating diagnostic target using remotely loaded image
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for interrogating one or more diagnostic targets using a remotely loaded image. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management engine communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management engine can access a selected diagnostic target to temporarily deactivate the installed native operating system on that target, insert a substitute operating environment, and remotely interrogate the target to perform hardware, software, security, or other diagnostics or installs. The network management engine can connect to the diagnostic target, extract security keys from the native operating environment, remotely load the substitute environment, and then perform diagnostic or provisioning activities while the native environment is deactivate and the diagnostic target is effectively off-network. Installations, diagnostics, or other activities that require the diagnostic target to be isolated from other machines can therefore be safely conducted. |
| US08135984B2 |
System and method for reconstructing RAID system
A method for reconstructing a RAID system is disclosed. Plural disks are corresponded to plural pieces of unique recognition data, where each disk corresponds to one of the recognition data. A disk profile is generated according to the recognition data using a RAID system, wherein the disk profile comprises a logic section combined with the disks and the logic section respectively corresponds to the recognition data of different disks based on stored data in different disks. The disks are mounted to a computer device providing the RAID system. The mounted disks are mapped to correct disk mount addresses according to the disk profile to reconstruct the stored data of the disks in the computer device. |
| US08135983B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method of the information processing apparatus, and recording medium
An information processing apparatus connecting a plurality of hard disks rebuilds data stored in one hard disk of the plurality of hard disks to another hard disk of the plurality of hard disks. The information processing apparatus is controlled in such a manner that when the information processing started, the rebuild is not resumed immediately after the information processing apparatus is started, and the rebuild is resumed after a predetermined time has elapsed. |
| US08135982B2 |
Parallel multiplex storage systems
A method for controlling a system includes receiving an indication that an operation has failed in a secondary storage device, suspending data operations sent to the secondary data storage device from a primary storage device, determining a failure policy set by a user, and initiating a first policy responsive to determining that the first policy is active, the first policy including sending a status query to the secondary storage device, determining whether a response has been received from the secondary storage device, determining whether the response indicates a failure of the secondary storage device responsive to determining that the response has been received from the secondary storage device, and continuing processing tasks on the server and data operations on the primary storage device responsive to determining that the response indicates a failure of the secondary storage device. |
| US08135981B1 |
Method, apparatus and system to automate detection of anomalies for storage and replication within a high availability disaster recovery environment
A method, apparatus and system for improving failover within a high-availability computer system are provided. The method includes obtaining one or more parameters associated with at least one resource of any of the first cluster, second cluster and high-availability computer system. The method also includes detecting, as a function of the parameters, one or more anomalies of any of the first cluster, second cluster and high-availability computer system, wherein the at least one anomaly is a type that impacts the failover. These anomalies may include anomalies within the first and/or second clusters (“intra-cluster anomalies”) and/or anomalies among the first and second clusters (“inter-cluster anomalies”). The method further includes generating an alert in response to detecting one or more of the anomalies. |
| US08135979B2 |
Collecting network-level packets into a data structure in response to an abnormal condition
A sniffer device determines whether an abnormal condition is present in a network communication. In response to determining that the abnormal condition is present, the sniffer device collects network-level packets into a data structure. The data structure containing the collected network-level packets can be analyzed for determining whether the abnormal condition caused an issue with a communicating entity. |
| US08135978B2 |
Performing a perform timing facility function instruction for sychronizing TOD clocks
A system, method and computer program product for performing a Perform Timing Facility (PTFF) instruction for steering a Time of Day (TOD) clock of the computer system for synchronizing the TOD clock with TOD clocks of other computer systems. The computer system comprises a memory; and, a processor in communications with the computer memory. The processor is capable of performing a PTFF instruction comprising: obtaining a function code specified in a first general register, the function code for identifying any one of a query function or a control function to be performed; obtaining, from a second general register, a memory address of a parameter block; responsive to the function code specifying a query function, storing timing information of the computer system in the parameter block according to the specified query function; responsive to the function code specifying a control function, using timing information obtained from the parameter block to perform the specified control function; and setting a condition code value indicating an outcome of the specified function. |
| US08135977B2 |
Process for digital, bidirectional data transmission
The invention relates to a process for digital, bidirectional data transmission between a processing unit and a position encoder, as based on the transmission of frames of a predetermined bit length, such that each frame is provided with at least an initial bit length for the transmission of data from the processing unit to the position encoder and at least a second bit length for the transmission of data from the position encoder to the processing unit; and such that the frame is provided with a time slot in which data is neither transmitted from the processing unit to the position encoder nor from the position encoder to the processing unit. In the time slot a triggering signal (external sync signal) is transmitted from the processing unit to the position encoder and this triggers the acquisition of position data. In the first bit length, a clock signal for synchronizing the processing unit and the position encoder is transmitted from the processing unit to the position encoder, and after the acquisition of position data triggered by the external sync signal, the acquired position data is transmitted from the position encoder to the processing unit. Between the transmission of two successive external sync signals at least one additional position-data request signal (internal sync signal) is transmitted from the processing unit to the position encoder, and this signal triggers another acquisition of position data, which is followed by the transmission of the acquired position data from the position encoder to the processing unit. |
| US08135975B2 |
Software programmable timing architecture
A first output count is compared with first and second stored count values for generating an output event at a first node if the first Output count corresponds to the first or second stored count values. |
| US08135974B2 |
Power on control device and method
A power on control device and method are used at an adaptor providing a constant voltage. The power on control device includes a first voltage converting circuit, a second voltage converting circuit, a third voltage converting circuit, and a comparison module. The first voltage converting circuit receives the constant voltage and generates a reference voltage. The second voltage converting circuit receives the constant voltage and generates operating voltages. The third voltage converting circuit receives the operating voltages and generates preparatory voltages corresponding to the operating voltages according to the operating voltages. The comparison module outputs a power good signal when all the preparatory voltages are larger than the reference voltage. |
| US08135973B2 |
System and method for dynamically managing groups of power supplies for a computer system
A system and method for dynamically managing groups of power supplies for a computer system has a plurality of first circuits, each of the first circuits responsive to an electrical condition of each of the plurality of power sources. A second circuit is coupled to the plurality of first circuits, and is responsive to the plurality of first circuits. The second circuit identifies a state associated with any one of the plurality of power supplies. A third circuit is coupled and responsive to the second circuit. The third circuit communicates the states of the plurality of power supplies to a user. |
| US08135969B2 |
Storage apparatus and disk device control method
In a storage apparatus, an MPU acquires a value of power capable of being used to transition a HDD from a power-saving state to an access-enabled state, receives an access command via a host I/F, determines whether or not it is possible to respond to the access command using one or more HDD in the access-enabled state from among the HDD configuring a LU, and when it is determined that it is possible to respond, selects, from HDD in the power-saving state in the access command-targeted LU, one or more HDD, which are capable of transitioning to the access-enabled state using power in a range of usable power values, and which can make a response possible, as a target to be preferentially transitioned to the access-enabled state. |
| US08135965B2 |
Apparatus and method for distributed standby power provision
An apparatus and method for providing standby power to a node of a distributed system of devices. The apparatus includes: a current manager operable to manage supply of current to a device at the node; a normal current supplier operable to supply normal operating current to the device; and a super capacitor at the node operable to supply standby operating current to the device under control of the current manager when the normal current supplier fails to supply the normal operating current to the device. The apparatus preferably further comprises a switching regulator, operable in electrical communication with the super capacitor and the device, to regulate the standby operating current to the device. |
| US08135964B2 |
Apparatus, system, method, and computer program product for executing a program utilizing a processor to generate keys for decrypting content
An apparatus, system, method, and computer program product are provided for executing a program provided a second party utilizing a processor to generate keys for decrypting content of a third party. In operation, content and a program to confidentially generate keys for decrypting the content of the third party are received at a processor. Additionally, the second party's program is executed utilizing the processor-derived keys to decrypts the third party's content. |
| US08135963B2 |
Program conversion device and program execution device
A program conversion device generates a program by obfuscating an original program, and generates and encrypts conversion parameters for inverse conversion of the obfuscated program. The program conversion device distributes the obfuscated program together with the encrypted conversion parameters. To execute the obfuscated program, a device having a high security level decrypts the encrypted parameters by using a decryption key stored in advance, applies inverse conversion to the obfuscated program by using the decrypted conversion parameters, and executes the program resulting from the inverse conversion. A device having a low security level executes the obfuscated program without any inverse conversion. |
| US08135961B2 |
Method and computing device for interfacing with a memory device in operations
A method for interacting with a memory device is provided. In this method, a cryptographic communication application is registered to be associated with a protocol type in a web browser. A message encapsulated in the protocol type from the web browser is received and thereafter transmitted to the memory device. Here, the message is associated with a cryptographic operation. |
| US08135959B2 |
External key to provide protection to devices
An external key device including a test access port connector adapted to mate with a test access port, a test equipment connector adapted to communicatively couple to test equipment, and an external encryption chip adapted to communicate signals through the test access port to an internal encryption chip. The internal encryption chip at least one of decrypts at least one test data input from the external encryption chip based on a password shared by the external encryption chip and the internal encryption chip and encrypts at least one test data output from a protected device. The external encryption chip at least one of decrypts at least one test data output from the protected device based on the shared password and encrypts at least one test data input generated by the test equipment. |
| US08135956B2 |
Systems and methods for lightweight authentication
Techniques are provided for the lightweight authentication of a user to an application, a computer or other device. An interaction element such as a stylus, a pen or marker is uniquely identified. The interactive element is associated with a user. The interaction element provides a means for interacting with the application. The proximity of the identification element within the interaction element during data entry operations to the authentication sensor signals the controlled application that the user has been authenticated. |
| US08135954B2 |
Distributed digital signature generation
A server, e.g., a client (105, 107, 109), receives a request for a digital signature to be applied to digital information, obtains a representation of the information, determines a designation of key pair(s) to be applied thereto; and transmits a request for the digital signature to a front end server (103a, 103b). The front end server determines one or more of whether the client is authentic and authorized, the user identifier is authentic, and the user identifier is permitted to make the request. If so, the front end server transmits a request to generate a digital signature to a back end server (101). The back end server determines one or more of whether the front end server is authentic and the designated key pair correspond to the requesting front end server. If so, the back end server generates the digital signature based on the information and the key pair(s). |
| US08135953B2 |
System and method for providing variable security level in a wireless communication system
A system and method for providing variable security levels in a wireless communication network. The present invention optimizes the often conflicting demands of highly secure wireless communications and high speed wireless communications. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, various security sensors are scanned to determine the likely presence of an intruder within a predetermined trust zone. If an intruder is likely present, the security level is changed to the highest setting, and consequently a lower data rate, while the intruder is identified. If the identified intruder is in fact a trusted node, the security level is returned to a lower setting. If the identified intruder is not a trusted node, the security level is maintained at an elevated state while the intruder is within the trust zone. |
| US08135951B2 |
Automated key management system and method
A system and method for automatic key and certificate management is disclosed. In particular, a key store in a base computer contains both new and previously viewed cryptographic keys. In one embodiment, for each new key, if a corresponding certificate matches an existing certificate, the new certificate may be automatically downloaded to a mobile communications device without prompting a user. |
| US08135946B2 |
Method for programming an operating device for lighting means
The invention relates to a method for programming an operating device for lighting, wherein the operating device comprises firmware and an interface for receiving external control commands for operating the lighting. This method includes at least partially programming the firmware of the operating device or the interface by transmitting additional information to the interface. This can conveniently be accomplished while the operating device is in operation. Typical lighting of the invention is the type that includes an electronic ballast for gas discharge lamps. |
| US08135942B2 |
System and method for double-issue instructions using a dependency matrix and a side issue queue
A method receives a complex instruction comprising a first portion and a second portion. The method sets a single issue queue slot and allocates an execution unit for the complex instruction, and identifies dependencies in the first and second portions. The method sets a dependency matrix slot and a consumers table slot for the first and section portion. In the event the first portion dependencies have been satisfied, the method issues the first portion and then issues the second portion from the single issue queue slot. In the event the second portion dependencies have not been satisfied, the method places the second portion into a side issue queue. The method issues the second portion when the side issue queue indicates that the second portion is eligible for issue. |
| US08135941B2 |
Vector morphing mechanism for multiple processor cores
One embodiment of the invention provides a processor. The processor generally includes a first and second processor core, each having a plurality of pipelined execution units for executing an issue group of multiple instructions and scheduling logic configured to issue a first issue group of instructions to the first processor core for execution and a second issue group of instructions to the second processor core for execution when the processor is in a first mode of operation and configured to issue one or more vector instructions for concurrent execution on the first and second processor cores when the processor is in a second mode of operation. |
| US08135939B2 |
Robust index storage for non-volatile memory
A non-volatile memory data address translation scheme is described that utilizes a hierarchal address translation system that is stored in the non-volatile memory itself. Embodiments of the present invention utilize a hierarchal address data and translation system wherein the address translation data entries are stored in one or more data structures/tables in the hierarchy, one or more of which can be updated in-place multiple times without having to overwrite data. This hierarchal address translation data structure and multiple update of data entries in the individual tables/data structures allow the hierarchal address translation data structure to be efficiently stored in a non-volatile memory array without markedly inducing write fatigue or adversely affecting the lifetime of the part. The hierarchal address translation of embodiments of the present invention also allow for an address translation layer that does not have to be resident in system RAM for operation. |
| US08135938B2 |
Real time paged computing device and method of operation
A component of a computing device, such as the kernel of an operating system, is arranged to identify real time processes running on the device and transparently lock the memory owned by such processes to avoid them being paged out. The kernel is also able to inspect all inter-process communications originated by the real time threads running in such processes, in order to ascertain what other processes they invoke, and, if they have the potential to block a real time operation, the kernel is arranged to lock the areas of memory these processes reference. This procedure operates recursively, and ensures that page faults which might affect the operation of any real time process do not occur. |
| US08135934B2 |
Dynamically allocating limited system memory for DMA among multiple adapters
A method, apparatus, and computer program product dynamically allocate limited system memory for direct memory access (DMA) among a plurality of input/output (I/O) adapters in a system partition. Initially a minimum entitlement of I/O entitled memory capacity is allocated to each of the respective multiple I/O adapters. The minimum entitlement enables operation of an I/O adapter driver. Additional entitlement of I/O entitled memory capacity is selectively allocated based upon I/O demands of each I/O adapter. |
| US08135923B2 |
Method for protocol enhancement of PCI express using a continue bit
In a method for enabling a root device to access a plurality of memory locations in an address space in an endpoint device, a first access is sent to the endpoint device by transmitting a first header and a first address. The header includes a continue bit that is set at a first state that indicates that the first access is accessing a selected first memory location that the address is being sent. A first memory location is accessed when the continue bit is in the first state. A second access, which accesses accessing a second memory location that is contiguous to an immediately previously accessed memory location, is sent to the endpoint device by transmitting a header that includes a continue bit set to a second state and not sending an address. The second memory location corresponds to the first address plus a predetermined address offset. |
| US08135922B2 |
Apparatus and method to validate the configuration of an information storage and retrieval system
A method is disclosed to validate the configuration of an information storage and retrieval system. The method provides a source information storage and retrieval system, a target information storage and retrieval system, and a master controller capable of communicating with the source information storage and retrieval system and with the target information storage and retrieval system. The method sequentially determines if each of the physical objects and logical objects disposed in the source information storage and retrieval system is also found in the target information storage and retrieval system. |
| US08135917B2 |
Method and apparatus for filtering snoop requests using stream registers
A method and apparatus for supporting cache coherency in a multiprocessor computing environment having multiple processing units, each processing unit having a local cache memory associated therewith. A snoop filter device is associated with each processing unit and includes at least one snoop filter primitive implementing filtering method based on usage of stream registers sets and associated stream register comparison logic. From the plurality of stream registers sets, at least one stream register set is active, and at least one stream register set is labeled historic at any point in time. In addition, the snoop filter block is operatively coupled with cache wrap detection logic whereby the content of the active stream register set is switched into a historic stream register set upon the cache wrap condition detection, and the content of at least one active stream register set is reset. Each filter primitive implements stream register comparison logic that determines whether a received snoop request is to be forwarded to the processor or discarded. |
| US08135913B1 |
Mixed multi-level cell and single level cell storage device
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for programming a flash memory having a plurality of memory blocks, wherein each memory block of the plurality of memory blocks is either a single-level cell (SLC) memory block or a multi-level cell (MLC) memory block, the method comprising assigning a weighting factor to each memory block of the plurality of memory blocks based on whether the memory block is an SLC memory block or an MLC memory block, tracking a number of write—erase cycles for each memory block, and selecting one or more memory blocks for writing data based at least in part on the weighting factor and the tracked number of write—erase cycles of each memory block of the plurality of memory blocks. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08135908B2 |
Storage system, data transfer method, and program
The storage system including a first disk array apparatus for providing first volumes for storing data sent from a host system; a second disk array apparatus for providing second volumes for storing back-up data of the first volumes; and a console terminal for operating the first disk array apparatus. The console terminal is equipped with a setting unit for setting a priority for each first volume in accordance with an external command. The first disk array apparatus is equipped with: a storage unit for storing the priorities set by the priority setting unit; and a transfer unit for reading the priorities from the storage unit upon receiving the data and transferring the data stored in the first volumes to the second volumes of the second disk array apparatus in order of descending priority of the first volumes that store the data. |
| US08135906B2 |
Online storage capacity expansion of a raid storage system
The methods and structure herein provide for expanding the storage capacity of a RAID storage system while maintaining the same level of RAID storage management. A RAID storage controller may be coupled between a host computer and a RAID storage volume. The RAID storage controller manages the disk drives of the storage volume to present a single logical volume of storage to the host computer. When a storage expansion is desired, the RAID storage controller may communicatively couple to at least one expansion disk drive and begin transfer of data from the original RAID storage volume to the expansion disk drive(s). During this data transfer, read and write operations are continued to the original RAID storage volume. Additionally, the RAID storage controller duplicates write operations to the expansion disk drive(s) such that general storage operations required by the host computer are continued. |
| US08135898B2 |
Memory management in a nested virtualization environment
A method for managing memory in a nested virtualization environment is provided. The method comprises implementing a first virtual machine (VM) for a first software such that a first guest memory is allocated to the first software; maintaining a first data structure to translate one or more memory addresses in the first guest memory to corresponding memory addresses in a physical memory; maintaining a second data structure to translate one or more memory addresses in the second guest memory to corresponding memory addresses in the physical memory. The first software implements a second VM for a second software such that a second guest memory is allocated to the second software and maintains a third data structure to translate one or more memory addresses in the second guest memory to corresponding memory addresses in the first guest memory. |
| US08135897B2 |
Memory architecture
A memory architecture is presented. The memory architecture comprises a first memory and a second memory. The first memory has at least a bank with a first width addressable by a single address. The second memory has a plurality of banks of a second width, said banks being addressable by components of an address vector. The second width is at most half of the first width. The first memory and the second memory are coupled selectively and said first memory and second memory are addressable by an address space. The invention further provides a method for transposing a matrix using the memory architecture comprising following steps. In the first step the matrix elements are moved from the first memory to the second memory. In the second step a set of elements arranged along a warped diagonal of the matrix is loaded into a register. In the fourth step the set of elements stored in the register are rotated until the element originating from the first row of the matrix is in a first location of the register. In the fifth step the rotated set of elements are stored in the second memory to obtain a transposed warped diagonal. The second to fifth steps are repeated with the subsequent warp diagonals until matrix transposition is complete. |
| US08135896B2 |
Serial peripheral interface and method for data transmission
A serial peripheral interface of an integrated circuit including multiple pins and a clock pin is provided. The pins are coupled to the integrated circuit for transmitting an instruction, an address or a read out data. The clock pin is coupled to the integrated circuit for inputting multiple timing pulses. The plurality of pins transmit the instruction, the address or the read out data at rising edges, falling edges or both edges of the timing pulses. |
| US08135885B1 |
Data packer for packing and aligning write data
A data packer of an input/output hub of a computer system packs and formats write data that is supplied to it before the write data is written into a memory unit of the computer system. More particularly, the data packer accumulates write data received from lower bandwidth clients for delivery to a high bandwidth memory interface. Also, the data packer aligns the write data, so that when the write data is read out from the write data packer, no further alignment is needed. |
| US08135877B2 |
Electronic device capable of protecting USB ports and method thereof
A method of protecting an electronic device's USB ports is provided. The method includes: determining whether an external device is connected to a USB port of the electronic device; determining which driver is for driving the external device connected to the USB port according to a primary ID of the external device; determining whether the external device is currently being driven by the driver; displaying an icon corresponding to the external device if the external device is not currently being driven by the driver; and running the driver to drive the external device when the icon is clicked. A related electronic device is also provided. |
| US08135872B2 |
USB controller and a testing method of the USB controller
A USB controller and a testing method of the USB controller are disclosed. The USB controller includesa sequence control unit for outputting a transmitting enable signal and a receiving enable signal, and for controlling a sequence of transmission and reception of data based on the transmitting enable signal and the receiving enable signal;a driver unit for transmitting data;a receiver unit for receiving data;a register for setting up a test mode wherein a loop-back test of the USB controller is performed; anda switching unit for providing one of the transmitting enable signal to the receiver unit and the receiving enable signal to the driver unit, if the test mode is set up in the register;wherein the loop-back test is performed if the test mode is set up in the register. |
| US08135863B2 |
Event notification network
Data collected by sensors (10, 30) is transmitted to data collection points (31, 61) over a network using an epidemic protocol in which data received by a relay (3) is forwarded to a randomly-selected group of further relays (4, 5, 6) unless the same data has been previously received by the relay (3) or the data is time-expired. Data received by a relay (3) from different sources (1, 2, 30) in the same time-frame is aggregated using a Bloom filter process so that in each time frame only a single Bloom filter message is transmitted by each relay. |
| US08135860B1 |
Content interpolating web proxy server
A content interpolating web proxy server is configured in a computer network for processing retrieved web content so as to place it in a format suitable for presentation on a particular client device such as, e.g., a computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless telephone or voice browser-equipped device. The server processes a client request generated by a client device to determine a particular client type associated with the client device, retrieves web content identified in the client request, retrieves one or more augmentation files associated with the web content and the particular client type, and alters the retrieved web content in accordance with the one or more augmentation files. The altered web content is then delivered to the client device. The one or more augmentation files may be co-located with the web content at a site remote from the proxy server, such that the content owner need not own, maintain or otherwise control the proxy server. |
| US08135859B1 |
System and method for providing infrastructure services without a designated network manager
Infrastructure services such as addressing, directory services, performance monitoring, and diagnostic capabilities are shared among nodes of an ad-hoc mesh network without a designated network manager. A first mesh node creates parameters corresponding to the services to be provided. As each new mesh node joins the network, parameters are update, synchronized among the mesh nodes, and stored in a virtual database shared by the mesh nodes. For some of the services such as performance monitoring, a designated representative may be elected by a group of mesh nodes once a predetermined number of connected mesh nodes is exceeded. The representative nodes may share performance monitoring information among themselves and act as redundant back-up servers. |
| US08135858B2 |
Isolation switch for fibre channel fabrics in storage area networks
An isolation switch blade Fibre Channel switch presents F_ports to form a first Fibre Channel fabric and N_ports to a second Fibre Channel fabric to appear as node devices. The isolation switch blade may be used to connect a plurality of blade servers to a Fibre Channel fabric. Fabric events engendered by the insertion or removal of hot-pluggable devices are handled by the isolation switch blade and “event storms” on the Fibre Channel fabric are avoided. The isolation switch blade presents the blade servers to the FC fabric as a virtualized N_port. |
| US08135853B1 |
Streaming data engine
In one or more embodiments, a method, computer-readable media, system and or modules are capable of generating an address for a multimedia data block included in a stream of multimedia data. The address can be maintained in one or more local registers. The one or more local registers can be linked to one or more processor registers associated with a processor to synchronize communication of the stream of multimedia data with the processor. |
| US08135850B2 |
Systems and methods for load balancing real time streaming
The present application relates to systems and methods for managing of Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) sessions by an intermediary located between a client and a server. An intermediary located between a client and a server receives a response from the server to a request of the client to setup a media stream. The response may include a first session identifier established by the server. The intermediary may encode a port of the server and an internet protocol address of the server into the first session identifier to form a second session identifier. The intermediary may modify the response to identify the second session identifier as the session identifier provided by the server. The intermediary may transmit the modified response to the client responsive to the request of the client to setup the media stream. |
| US08135849B2 |
Server for authenticating clients using file system permissions
A computer system comprises a server that serves a plurality of clients and performs client authentication and authorization during client login to the server using file system permissions specified for domain sockets. The server creates a domain socket file for individual users during initialization which sets permissions enabling user access to the domain socket file, monitors file descriptors for received connection requests from client processes, and either opens a requesting client process with permission-enabled user access or denies access to an unauthorized client process. |
| US08135847B2 |
Methods, systems, and software for providing service integration framework
A preferred embodiment of the subject invention comprises a system for implementing computer network services and applications, comprising a front-end component comprising one or more applications; a back-end component comprising one or more services; and an abstraction layer component operable to communicate with the front-end and back-end components. In another preferred embodiment, the subject invention comprises a system for linking applications and services, comprising: a vendor connectivity component; a business integration component; a security component; a utility component; and a back end connectivity component. |
| US08135843B2 |
Methods and systems for providing access to an application
The invention enables the publishing of a graphical user interface application on the web in a manner so that they can be discovered by manual or automatic searches. The invention includes the step of receiving a service access point (SAP) from a web service directory. The SAP is associated with a first application and identifies a web server. The invention also includes the step of retrieving address information associated with the first application from the web server identified by the SAP and launching a second application. The second application establishes a communication channel with an application server identified by the retrieved address information. The application server subsequently executes the first application and returns information to the second application. |
| US08135841B2 |
Method and system for maintaining a grid computing environment having hierarchical relations
A method includes, in a grid computing environment, maintaining systems having grid managers having hierarchical relations, the relations of each grid manager stored in each of the systems. Each of these hierarchical relations are classified as superior or inferior. |
| US08135836B2 |
Tie resolution in application load level balancing
In a network such as a cellular telephone communications network, a control server balancing processing loads among several resource servers resolves a tie between resource servers using the resource servers' prior, current and future load state data and call gap percentages in each of the prior, current and future load states. Such tie resolution also takes into account the trend of resource demands placed on the network; whether it is monotonically increasing, monotonically decreasing or indeterminate. The goal of such resolution is to maximize the throughput of the network while eliminating random selection of resource servers to service requests. |
| US08135835B2 |
Hardware and processing request brokerage
Methods, brokerage systems and program products for enabling a mobile electronic device communicate with another electronic device for accomplishing a requested task without interrupting a user of the other electronic device. A task is requested at the mobile device and a transmission signal locates other electronic devices within a receivable range of the transmission signal. A number of scenarios of various combinations of located other devices is built, whereby each scenario is capable of accomplishing the requested task. One of these scenarios is selected, information relating to the task is sent to the electronic devices within such scenario, and then the requested task is performed by such selected electronic devices. Upon completion of the task, deliverables may be transmitted from the selected electronic device to a predetermined destination. Owners of the selected electronic devices may be rewarded for usage of their devices. |
| US08135830B2 |
System and method for network vulnerability detection and reporting
A system and method provide comprehensive and highly automated testing of vulnerabilities to intrusion on a target network, including identification of operating system, identification of target network topology and target computers, identification of open target ports, assessment of vulnerabilities on target ports, active assessment of vulnerabilities based on information acquired from target computers, quantitative assessment of target network security and vulnerability, and hierarchical graphical representation of the target network, target computers, and vulnerabilities in a test report. The system and method employ minimally obtrusive techniques to avoid interference with or damage to the target network during or after testing. |
| US08135829B2 |
Utilizing a single agent on a non-origin node for measuring the roundtrip response time of web pages with embedded HTML frames
A computer-based system and article of manufacture utilizing a single response time monitor, located on a non-origin node of a public or private network, for measuring the total roundtrip response time of a set of requests resulting from an original request having embedded HTML frames. The response time monitor builds a relationship tree for the original request and its embedded HTML frames. For each request from the set of requests resulting from the original request, including requests for the embedded HTML frames, the method uses the response time monitor to detect a start time and end time of each component of the request's roundtrip response time in order to calculate each component's duration. Later, the response time monitor calculates the total roundtrip response time by adding together the duration of all components of the original request and all its additional requests that have the same network address and port number. |
| US08135827B2 |
Distributed capture and aggregation of dynamic application usage information
A web-based hosted solution through which application developers create, manage and monitor application usage analytics in an online manner. Preferably, an application under test is one of: application software, a script-enabled web application, or a rich Internet application (RIA). During the development process, a usage monitoring API is integrated into the application and the application is deployed. As users interact with the application, a log file is generated, typically in one of two ways. If the application is able to write to a local file system (in the user's machine), usage information is gathered in a log file local to the deployed application and then dispatched to an upload server for processing in a batch manner. If the application is not able to write to the user machine's local file system, the usage information is sent to a remote logging server, preferably on a just-in-time basis, and then the log file is generated on the logging server. In either case, preferably the usage information that is tracked comprises “features,” “faults” and “failures” of the application, independent of platform, location, and number of deployed application instances. |
| US08135821B2 |
Validation of module interoperability
A method for validating that a networked system of modules conforms to at least one interoperability rule pertinent to interoperability of at least two of the modules includes the steps of obtaining the at least one interoperability rule, the at least one rule being encoded in computer-operable format; obtaining configuration information pertinent to at least one of the modules, the configuration information being encoded in computer-operable format; and comparing the at least one interoperability rule to the configuration information to validate whether the system conforms to the at least one interoperability rule |
| US08135820B2 |
Request routing based on class
A system and method for management and processing of resource requests is provided. A content delivery network service provider receives a DNS query from a client computing device. The DNS query corresponds to a requested resource from the client computing device. The content delivery network service provider associates the client computing device with a cluster of other client computing devices. Based on routing information for the cluster, the content delivery network service provider routes the DNS query. The process can further include monitoring performance data associated with the delivery of the requested resource and updating the routing information for the cluster based on the performance data for use in processing subsequent requests from client computing devices in the cluster. |
| US08135819B2 |
Methods and systems for network management using periodic status messages in automated teller machines
Methods of managing a network comprising a plurality of agents. The methods may comprise the step of storing a plurality of agent data files corresponding to the plurality of agents. The methods may also comprise the step of receiving periodic status messages from at least a portion of the plurality of agents. Upon receiving a status message from a first agent, the methods may comprise the step of updating an agent data file corresponding to the first agent. Also, the methods may comprise the steps of periodically identifying agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and sending a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time. |
| US08135818B2 |
Automatic virtual machine migration in mixed SBC/CBC environment
Techniques for automatic virtual machine migration in a mixed SBC/CBC environment are described herein. According to one embodiment, a connection is established between a client and a virtual machine (VM) hosted by a remote node in response to a request for accessing the VM. A control server determines whether the client has sufficient processing resources to host the VM. The control server causes the VM to be migrated from the remote node to the client if the client has sufficient processing resources to host the VM. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US08135817B2 |
Method and system for communicating with a device attached to a computer using electronic mail messages
A method, system, and computer program product for communicating with machines connected to a network. Information sent to or from the machines is transmitted using electronic mail. The electronic mail may be transmitted over the Internet, but also may remain within a local or wide area network. When receiving electronic mail, the electronic mail message may be sent to a user who reads information regarding the purpose of the electronic mail message in the body of the message. When the user is satisfied that it is safe to perform the functions requested by the email, the user may execute a file which is attached to the incoming email message in order to perform the appropriate diagnostic or control operations. Alternatively, the incoming email message may contain a code or is sent to an address which causes automatic execution of the desired functions. In this embodiment, it may not be necessary for the user to manually perform any action in order to allow the appropriate processing to begin. Email messages may also be transmitted from the computer which is attached to the device which is being monitored or controlled and include information regarding the status or capabilities of the attached device. |
| US08135815B2 |
Method and apparatus for network wide policy-based analysis of configurations of devices
A method for a computer system includes determining network devices within a network topology, wherein the network devices includes a first application server hosting a first application, receiving a policy for the network comprising requirements of a first application server including a description of a set of required network traffic, receiving a plurality of configuration files associated with the plurality of network devices, determining a network configuration model in response to the plurality of configuration files, computing network traffic on all network paths to and from the first application server to determine a plurality of computed paths, determining if the network traffic includes at least the set of required network traffic associated with the first server, and generating a report indicating whether the network traffic includes at least the set of required network traffic. |
| US08135809B2 |
Presence capabilities and preferences
Architecture for gathering and presentation to a remote user (watcher) of presence, preferences, and capabilities information of a local user (publisher). An extensible presence document is employed, as transmitted by the publisher, that contains specific information about the capabilities of the publisher endpoint and preferences that are for the publisher overall. The document is aggregated, and the aggregated capabilities are transmitted to watchers. The watchers render this information in a user experience. |
| US08135807B2 |
Packet generator for a communication network
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for distributing data packets on an aircraft data network having a plurality of end systems. The systems and methods include retrieving a configuration module, retrieving a payload description module, selecting a network interface component, selecting a port rate for the network interface component, selecting a payload module, generating payload data, generating a data packet from the generated payload data, and transmitting the generated data packet to at least one of the plurality of end systems via the network interface component and the aircraft data network. |
| US08135806B2 |
Virtual system configuration
A method, system and apparatus for decoupling devices in a network for use by a system-wide application. The invention includes accumulating configuration information for the network, wherein the network includes a plurality of units, and each of the units includes a processor and at least one switch device. The invention further includes analyzing the configuration information and determining a logical configuration for the network based on the analyzed configuration information. The invention further includes virtually attaching a remote switch device to the network. |
| US08135804B2 |
Method for scheduling and rescheduling vehicle service appointments
The present invention provides a computer based method for enabling or disabling an appointment feature which allows the scheduling of a vehicle service appointment from a vehicle. An embodiment of the method comprises monitoring for the ability to communicate with a remote appointment server to schedule a vehicle service appointment. In response to determining that it is possible to communicate with the appointment server to schedule a vehicle service appointment, the appointment feature is enabled. In response to determining that it is not possible to communicate with the appointment server to schedule a vehicle service appointment, the appointment feature is disabled. |
| US08135793B2 |
Download progress management gaming system
A modified form of the UDP multicast protocol is disclosed to implement a one-way download progress notification system between a server and one or more clients. The UDP multicast download progress notification system enables UDP messages to be sent only to registered clients, not broadcasted to all clients. This architecture minimizes network traffic and enhances system security, since only registered clients receive the UDP message. The configuration of the UDP multicast download progress notification system does not require the configuration of network devices in order to support a UDP multicast. Furthermore, any number of the clients may be on a different network domain than the DCM engine. |
| US08135792B2 |
Dynamic attributing of messages for message escalation
The invention relates to a system for generating and displaying messages and/or alarms particularly in an automation system of a plant and/or process. The invention further relates to a corresponding method. Using the system and method, messages and/or alarms can easily be displayed differently depending on the state of a production plant or process. |
| US08135791B2 |
Interactive voice enabled email notification and alert system and method
An interactive, voice-enabled email message notification and alert system 10 and method are disclosed. The system 10 relates to computer and communication systems and more particularly to delivery of electronic mail and other forms of electronic messages over the public switched and wireless telephone networks. |
| US08135790B1 |
Privacy control system for electronic communication
A privacy control system provides a centralized process for managing unsubscribe requests to unsolicited communications. The system receives reports of unsolicited communications, determines and follows the corresponding unsubscribe processes, and tracks the success of unsubscribe requests. The system can unsubscribe an individual or group of individuals through the centralized process, recording and monitoring the success of the request, independent of the email client used by the individuals. |
| US08135789B2 |
Analyzing content of multimedia files
A method for analyzing content of multimedia files is presented. The method comprises processing messages from mail servers, determining a type of the message, executing a convert module and obtaining text content of the message when said type is audio, extracting text from the text content or the message, creating a text version of components from the text, dividing the text version into different files, and analyzing the different files. Further, the messages can be captured, sent to a pending folder, retrieved from the pending folder. Creating the text version and dividing the text version can be performed by a mail engine. Natural language processing can be performed on the files. The text can be examined for compliance and, if appropriate, marked with quarantine violations. |
| US08135787B2 |
Instant messaging monitoring and alerts
Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture embodied as computer program products for facilitating the avoiding of sending a message to an unintended recipient. In some embodiments of the invention, in an instant messaging (IM) environment, the relatedness of a first entry in a first IM session to previous entries in the first IM session is determined. In response to the entry not meeting a first pre-determined relatedness threshold, an alert is issued. In one embodiment, the relatedness of the first entry to previous entries in a second IM session is determined, in response to the entry meeting a second pre-determined relatedness threshold, an alert is issued. In one implementation, relatedness is determined based on a matching of keywords between the first entry and the previous entries. In another implementation, relatedness is determined based on a matching of topics associated with one or more IM sessions, which topics can be associated with keywords. |
| US08135782B2 |
Electronic apparatus, presence communication system, and computer-readable recording medium
An electronic apparatus comprises a plurality of communication units including a first communication unit which communicates via a first communication network and a second communication unit which communicates via a second communication network. The electronic apparatus acquires presence information indicating a communication state of a communication apparatus from a presence server managing a communication state of a communication apparatus on a communication network, via at least one communication network. The electronic apparatus acquires presence information of an alternative communication apparatus being as a communication apparatus which communicates via the second communication network in place of the second communication unit included in itself. The electronic apparatus determines as to whether the alternate communication apparatus is in an online state, based on the acquired presence information. The electronic apparatus suppresses electric power to be consumed by the second communication unit, when the alternate communication apparatus is in an online state. |
| US08135766B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for resistance to side channel attacks on random number generators
A random number generator (RNG) resistant to side channel attacks includes an activation pseudo random number generator (APRNG) having an activation output connected to an activation seed input to provide a next seed to the activation seed input. A second random number generator includes a second seed input, which receives the next seed and a random data output, which outputs random data in accordance with the next seed. An input seed memory is connected to the activation seed input and a feedback connection from the activation output so that the next seed is stored in the input seed memory to be used by the APRNG as the activation seed input at a next startup cycle. |
| US08135764B2 |
Configuration management server, name recognition method and name recognition program
An absolute path name and a command line of a process associated with a process operating on a business server are found from process information acquired from the business server. A standard process decision unit judges an OS standard process. An interpreter decision unit judges an interpreter name from the command line. A shared directory decision unit judges an executive file name located directly under a shared directory. A subdirectory decision unit judges a parent-child relation of an executive file directory from the absolute path name of the executable file. As a result, an application name recognition unit recognizes a name of an application. |
| US08135757B2 |
Generating references to reusable code in a schema
Provided are a method, system, and computer program product to generate references to reusable code in a schema. A program is coded in a first programming language having data structures, wherein at least one of the data structures includes a reference to reusable code. A model file is generated providing a source name identifying the reusable code, elements and attributes in a second programming language for the reference to the reusable code in the program. A generator is invoked with a reference to the model file. The invoked generator processes the data structure coded in the first programming language to generate a data structure schema in the computer readable medium in a second programming language describing elements and attributes of the data structure coded in the first programming language. A determination is made of instances of the source name indicated in the model file in the data structure. For the determined instances of the source name in the data structure, a reference in the data structure schema to the reusable code identified by the source name is generated, wherein the reference generated in the data structure schema includes the element and attribute information indicated in the model file. |
| US08135756B2 |
Method and system for managing digital goods
A system and method for transferring digital goods facilitates bulk upload of file images to a central repository. The software gets a File ID and a path to each file image to be uploaded from a list, typically an XML file, of input attributes. After successful verification, the file image is uploaded to the central repository and linked with a corresponding metadata object. Each metadata object contains attributes that describe the corresponding file image. Although file attributes may be defined when the metadata object is created, the software determines file image attributes as the file image is being uploaded and records them in the metadata object. File images are either uploaded from a server, typically an FTP server, having been placed there by the goods vendor; or the file images can be uploaded directly from a computer operated by the vendor. |
| US08135754B2 |
Methods for playing back previously published content
Previously published content is played back by identifying a previous time in which the previously published content was previously published and automatically adding an indication of the previous time in which the content was previously published, while playing back the previously published content. The indication may include a timestamp of the previous time, ambience and/or historical context of the previous time, an electronic program guide for the previous time, a current events guide for the previous time and/or archived content for the previous time that is related to the user of the content. Related systems, methods, computer program products and content playback devices are described. |
| US08135749B2 |
Human relationships registering system and device for registering human relationships, program for registering human relationships, and medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by computer
To provide a human relationships registering system, a method and a server for registering human relationships, a program for registering human relationships, and a medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by a computer, all of which are used to establish wide and close relationships with members having a variety of occupations or engaged in various technical fields and to obtain expert knowledge or information. The human relationships registering system comprises first data processing units 2 and 3 including sections for receiving personal data of a new member, and a second data processing unit including a section for storing the received personal data. The second data processing unit stores the personal data of the new member in correlation to an existing member when the existing member confirms the new member. |
| US08135747B2 |
Software and metadata structures for distributed and interactive database architecture for parallel and asynchronous data processing of complex data and for real-time query processing
The various embodiments of the invention provide software and metadata structures for a data processing system and method, for applications such as marketing campaign management, speech recognition and signal processing. An exemplary system embodiment includes a first data repository adapted to store a plurality of entity and attribute data; a second data repository adapted to store a plurality of entity linkage data; a metadata data repository adapted to store a plurality of metadata modules, with a first metadata module having a plurality of selectable parameters, received through a control interface, and having a plurality of metadata linkages to a first subset of metadata modules; and a multidimensional data structure. The control interface may modify the plurality of selectable parameters in response to received control information. A plurality of processing nodes are adapted to use the plurality of selectable parameters to assemble a first plurality of data from the first and second data repositories and from input data, to reduce the first plurality of data to form a second plurality of data, and to aggregate and dimension the second plurality of data for storage in the multidimensional data structure. |
| US08135746B2 |
Management of symbolic links
Disclosed is a method of creating a symbolic link in a source file system to a target file in a target file system, the method including querying the target file system for an identifier of the target file; incrementing a reference counter of the target file, the reference counter indicating how many symbolic links the target file is a target of; and creating the symbolic link in the source file system, the symbolic link including the identifier received from the target file system in response to the query. |
| US08135745B2 |
Storage management
A user may select a profile to serve as an active profile on a device, and content objects associated with the active profile may be stored on the device responsive to the selection. Content objects that are not associated with the active profile may be transferred to one or more additional devices based on a prioritization scheme. Content object download operations may take advantage of the prioritization scheme to determine a storage device for a downloaded content object. |
| US08135742B2 |
Proxy service providing apparatus, service providing method, and network system
A proxy service providing apparatus includes a service search unit adapted to, upon receiving, from a connection device connectable to a network, a request of a service provided by each device connected to the network, search for a providable service to the connection device in accordance with a relationship with the connection device, and a providing unit adapted to replicate and provide the providable service to the connection device based on a search result of said service search unit. |
| US08135740B2 |
Deriving a hierarchical event based database having action triggers based on inferred probabilities
Inferring a probability of a first inference absent from a database at which a query regarding the inference is received. The query is used as a frame of reference for the search. The database returns a probability of the correctness of the first inference based on the query and on the data. An action trigger is executed responsive to at least one of a) the probability of the first inference exceeding a first pre-selected value, b) a significance of the inference exceeding a second pre-selected value, c) a rate of change in the probability of the first inference exceeding a third pre-selected value, d) an amount of change in the probability of the first inference exceeding a fourth pre-selected value, and e) combinations thereof. At least one of the probability of the first inference and the action trigger is stored in the database. |
| US08135739B2 |
Online relevance engine
Information is automatically located which is relevant to source content that a user is viewing on a user interface without requiring the user to perform an additional search or navigate links of the source content. The source content can be, e.g., a web page or a document from a word processing or email application. The relevant information can include images, videos, web pages, maps or other location-based information, people-based information and special services which aggregate different types of information. Related content is located by analyzing textual content, user behavior and connectivity relative to the source. The related content is scored for similarity to the source. Content which is sufficiently similar but not too similar is selected. Similar related content is grouped to select representative results. The selected content is filtering in multiple stages based on attribute priorities to avoid unnecessary processing of content which is filtered out an early stage. |
| US08135736B2 |
Content providing system, content providing apparatus and method, content distribution server, and content receiving terminal
A content providing system includes a content distribution server and a content receiving terminal connected to each other through a communication channel. The content receiving terminal includes an operation input unit specifying one point on a line, a time information output unit outputting the specified point as time information, a request sender sending a content providing request including the output time information to the content distribution server, and a provider providing at least one content item to a user. The content distribution server includes a content storage unit in which a plurality of content items are stored in association with at least the corresponding time information, a search unit searching the content storage unit for at least one content item according to a search condition based on the time information, and a content distributor distributing at least one content item to the content receiving terminal. |
| US08135726B1 |
Methods and systems for inventory management
The present invention relates to inventory management solutions, and in particular, to methods and systems for inventorying items over wireless and data networks, using digital imaging, positioning, and data terminals. The user experience in performing inventory management is simplified and enhanced over existing methods. |
| US08135725B2 |
System and method for providing tag-based relevance recommendations of bookmarks in a bookmark and tag database
A method comprises identifying a first user having stored in a database a set of first bookmarks associated with a topic of interest; determining a level of relatedness of a second user to the first user by comparing a first number of overlapping bookmarks that were stored in the database by the second user and that overlap the set of first bookmarks; determining a level of value of the second user to the first user by comparing a second number of related nonoverlapping bookmarks that were stored in the database by the second user, that relate to the topic of interest, and that do not overlap the set of first bookmarks; and presenting at least a portion of the related nonoverlapping bookmarks to the first user. |
| US08135715B2 |
Method and apparatus for discovering and classifying polysemous word instances in web documents
A method and apparatus for discovering polysemous words and classifying polysemous words found in web documents. All document corpi in any natural language have words that have multiple usage contexts or words that have multiple meanings. Semantic analysis is not feasible for classifying all word occurrences in all documents on the web, which contain trillions of words in total. In addition, semantic analysis typically cannot distinguish multiple usages of a given meaning of a given word. In one embodiment of this invention, polysemous words in natural languages can be discovered by analyzing the co-occurrence of other words with the polysemous word in web documents. In one embodiment, the multiple meanings and usages of a polysemous word can be determined by analyzing the co-occurrences of other words with the polysemous word. In one embodiment, overcorrelation tables and three-word correlation tables are generated to analyze the words found in web documents. |
| US08135714B2 |
Public electronic document dating list
Systems and methods are disclosed which enable the establishment of file dates and the absence of tampering, even for documents held in secrecy and those stored in uncontrolled environments, but which does not require trusting a timestamping authority or document archival service. A trusted timestamping authority (TTSA) may be used, but even if the TTSA loses credibility or a challenger refuses to acknowledge the validity of a timestamp, a date for an electronic document may still be established. Systems and methods are disclosed which enable detection of file duplication in large collections of documents, which can improve searching for documents within the large collection. |
| US08135711B2 |
Method and apparatus for sociological data analysis
A method to enable improved analysis and use of sociological data, the method comprising identifying causal relationships between a plurality of documents, identifying a plurality of characteristics of a communication, including a modality used, actors involved, proximate events of relevance, and enabling a user to query based on available characteristics. |
| US08135709B2 |
Relevance ranked faceted metadata search method
One embodiment of the invention may include a method for searching electronic information to produce search results based on a taxonomy item, a user-controllable threshold, and a user-controllable weighting factor. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08135708B2 |
Relevance ranked faceted metadata search engine
One embodiment of the invention may include a method for searching data files using different search engines, each of which produces different search results. The different search results may then be combined to produce additional search results that represent the relevance of the data files. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08135706B2 |
Operationalizing search engine optimization
A method for managing reference to an entity on a network includes determining shares of voice for an entity and other entities across a plurality of channels with respect to a plurality of search terms. The method also includes correlating shares of voice for the entity and the other entities with respect the search terms to determine a relative change in share of voice for the entity with respect to the other entities. Thereafter, shares of voice for the entity across the plurality of channels may be correlated to determine relative changes in share of voice for the entity within each of the channels. The relative change in share of voice for the entity with respect to the other entities and the relative changes in share of voice for the entity within each of the channels may then be displayed. |
| US08135702B2 |
Eliminating unnecessary statistics collections for query optimization
A method and system for eliminating unnecessary statistics collections for query optimization in a database stored on a computer. Statistics are unnecessary when a re-generated query execution plan that does not use the statistics is equivalent to an original query execution plan that uses the statistics. To determine this, an original query execution plan is created for each query in a specified workload using the statistics in the database. A search is performed of the statistics in order to enumerate one or more candidate sets of statistics to be eliminated. One or more of the candidate sets of statistics are removed from consideration prior to creating the re-generated query execution plan for each query in the specified workload. The re-generated query execution plan, which was created with one or more of the candidate sets of statistics removed from consideration, is compared with the original query execution plan, which was created using the statistics, in order to determine whether the re-generated query execution plan and the original query execution plan are equivalent. The one or more of the candidate sets of statistics removed from consideration are identified as unnecessary when the re-generated query execution plan and the original query execution plan are equivalent. |
| US08135700B2 |
Content providing system, content providing apparatus and method, content distribution server, and content receiving terminal
A content providing system includes a content distribution server and a content receiving terminal connected to each other through a communication channel. The content receiving terminal includes an operation input unit specifying one point on a line, a time information output unit outputting the specified point as time information, a request sender sending a content providing request including the output time information to the content distribution server, and a provider providing at least one content item to a user. The content distribution server includes a content storage unit in which a plurality of content items are stored in association with at least the corresponding time information, a search unit searching the content storage unit for at least one content item according to a search condition based on the time information, and a content distributor distributing at least one content item to the content receiving terminal. |
| US08135699B2 |
Summarization systems and methods
A server-side summarization system includes a function for acquiring material to be summarized, along with source information about the material, a converter for converting the acquired material to machine-readable form, if not in that form when acquired, a summarizer for creating a summary from the acquired material, and a storage function for storing a copy of the acquired material and the summary created as separate files, associated and cross-referenced using the source information. |
| US08135698B2 |
Techniques for representing relationships between queries
A method, system and article of manufacture for processing queries and, more particularly, for graphically representing relationships between different queries. One embodiment provides a method for graphically representing a relationship between a first and a second query. The method includes selecting, from the first and second queries, elements to be compared. On the basis of the selected elements, a degree of similarity between the first and second queries is calculated. The method further includes displaying a first query object representative of the first query and a second query object representative of the second query in a user interface. The first and second query objects are positionally arranged on the basis of the calculated degree of similarity. The positional arrangement reflects the relationship between the first and second queries. |
| US08135691B2 |
Determining database relationships through query monitoring
An apparatus and method monitor database queries and allow determining database relationships from the analysis of the database queries. The database relationships are inferred from the analysis of the database queries. The result sets of queries are analyzed to determine if any relationships between the columns specified in the queries may be inferred. In one embodiment, when a relationship between columns is discovered from analyzing query results, a system administrator is notified. In another embodiment, the relationship is stored so it may be retrieved and viewed at a later time by the system administrator. |
| US08135688B2 |
Partition/table allocation on demand
A method and apparatus for the on-demand allocation of segments and creation of metadata for previously-created data storage spaces and partitions are provided. A space is created in a database. As part of this creation process, no segment is allocated for the space. Rather, metadata describing the space sufficiently to allocate the segment in the future is created and maintained by the database. Data is received indicating a new item. Based on the metadata, it is determined that the new item pertains to the space. In response to the determination, a segment is allocated for the space. Additional metadata necessary for normal database operations in relation to the space and newly-allocated segment may also be created at this time. The new item can then be stored in the space. |
| US08135685B2 |
Information classification
Providing information classification in a computer system for use in an information management system. Information management provides services such as data protection, backup, retention, compliance, etc., by classifying the objects and/or environment of an entity according to its value to the entity. Initially a series of rules are identified relating to information management services. Using these rules, information is classified into categories by using a series of plugins that relate to specific characteristics of information within data. Often, classification includes the collection and/or generation of metadata. After the data is classified, service level objectives can be identified and mapped to service levels. After service levels are selected, the corresponding actions can be orchestrated such that the objects of the entity received the selected services in the service level. |
| US08135682B1 |
Process for administrating over changes to server-administrated client records in a stateless protocol
A system for administrating over changes to a record shared by a plurality of users authorized to do so is provided with a resource to officiate over an official version of the record and to communicate with the plurality of users over a medium for non-persistent communications. Typically, this medium is the Internet. In response to a request of a given user, the resource replies with a communication sending a copy of the official version. In consequence of a return by the given user of a request to effect given changes, the resource compares a saved original edition of the sent copy to the official version so if in case of a match the resource effects the given changes to the official version, or else not. |
| US08135680B2 |
Statistical record linkage calibration for reflexive, symmetric and transitive distance measures at the field and field value levels without the need for human interaction
Disclosed is a system for, and method of, calculating parameters used to determine whether records and entity representations should be linked. The system and method use a symmetric, transitive and reflexive function to allow for linking records and entity representations whose field values differ. The system and method apply iterative techniques such that parameters from each linking iteration are used in the next linking iteration. The system and method need no human interaction in order to calibrate and utilize record matching formulas used for the linking decisions. |
| US08135677B2 |
File management system and method
A proposal is made of a file management system and method capable of reliably deleting unnecessary data. In a file management console and method for reading or writing data of a file from or in a first volume, which is provided by a storage device, in response to a request sent from a host computer, one snapshot or multiple snapshots that relate to the first volume and can be updated are created. In response to an externally issued designated file deletion command, a designated file is deleted from all of the first volume and snapshots or part thereof specified in the deletion command. At this time, the data items of the designated file in the first volume and/or snapshots from which the designated file should be deleted are overwritten with invalid data. Moreover, pieces of management information on the designated file are changed to a reference-disabled state. |
| US08135674B2 |
Providing a simulated dynamic image of a file system
Embodiments described herein adapt static-image and clone technology to provide a simulated dynamic image to an application requesting a dynamic image. A storage system is configured to backup its file system by taking a first static image of the file system at a point in time. A clone of the first image may then be produced, the clone containing any subsequent changes to the file system and a reference pointer to the first image. A second static image of the clone is then produced. An application may request, from the storage system, an image of the file system. In response, the second static image may be presented to the application as a simulated dynamic image. |
| US08135673B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamic display of revision indicia
Systems and methods for dynamic display of revision indicia are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for dynamic display of revision indicia in an information product generated by a publishing system includes determining that at least one element of a structured content has been revised; adding a time-stamp metadata to each element of the structured content; and rendering the structured content for publication, wherein rendering includes comparing the time-stamp metadata of each element with a baseline date; and if the time-stamp metadata indicates that a particular element has been revised subsequent to the baseline date, displaying a revision indicia at least proximate to each element in the information product. |
| US08135671B2 |
Data replication among storage systems
A first storage system stores information relating to the updating of data stored in that system as a journal. More specifically, the journal is composed of a copy of data that was used for updating and update information such as a write command used during updating. Furthermore, the second storage system acquires the journal via a communication line between the first storage system and the second storage system. The second storage system holds a duplicate of the data held by the first storage system and updates the data corresponding to the data of the first storage system in the data update order of the first storage system by using the journal. |
| US08135662B2 |
Usage based indicators to assess the impact of scholarly works: architecture and method
Although recording of usage data is common in scholarly information services, its exploitation for the creation of value-added services remains limited due to concerns regarding, among others, user privacy, data validity, and the lack of accepted standards for the representation, sharing and aggregation of usage data. A technical, standards-based architecture for sharing usage information is presented. In this architecture, OpenURL-compliant linking servers aggregate usage information of a specific user community as it navigates the distributed information environment that it has access to. This usage information is made OAI-PMH harvestable so that usage information exposed by many linking servers can be aggregated to facilitate the creation of value-added services with a reach beyond that of a single community or a single information service. |
| US08135659B2 |
System configuration comparison to identify process variation
The present subject mater relates computer system configuration and, more particularly, to system configuration comparison to identify process variation. Various embodiments described herein include one or more of systems, methods, software, and data structures to retrieve configuration information from a first system and a second system, apply a set of rules to the configuration information to identify process variants implemented in each of the first and second systems, and output a representation of process variant implementation differences between the first and second systems. |
| US08135648B2 |
Authentication of lottery tickets, game machine credit vouchers, and other items
Credit vouchers from a wagering game machine can be authenticated. This may be accomplished by receiving credit information at a server, the credit information including information indicating a player's balance at the wagering game machine. A security key may be created for the credit voucher. A secured document token may be created by encrypting a document token including the credit information with the security key. This document token may sent to a server which supplies a credit response. A modified security key may be created by combining the credit response with the security key. The credit voucher may be provided, the credit vouchers including the credit information, the credit response and the modified security key. |
| US08135643B2 |
Intelligent collections models
Apparatuses, computer media, and methods for analyzing credit and tax form data and determining a collections treatment type to collect revenue. A collections model is constructed to determine a collections score that is based on raw credit data and tax form data and is indicative of a debtor's propensity to pay an owed amount. The collections model includes score bands, each score band being associated with a range of credit scores. A collections score is determined from a scoring expression that is associated with a score band and that typically includes a subset of available raw credit data and tax form data. A collections treatment type is determined from a collections score. Each treatment type corresponds to a treatment action that is directed to the debtor. A collections model is constructed from historical tax data, in which score bands and scoring expressions are constructed for the collections model. |
| US08135642B1 |
Resilient messaging system and method
A computer-implemented system for processing a customer application for a wireless telecommunications device is provided. The system includes a first credit component to obtain first credit information for a customer and a second credit component maintaining default credit information. The system includes a credit processor and a payment component. Where the first credit information is available the credit processor uses the first credit information otherwise it uses the default credit information to process the customer application. The payment component uses a first payment verification to verify a customer payment. When the first payment verification is not accessible, the payment component provides a payment identification and continues processing the customer application until the first payment verification is obtained. When the payment component is unable to obtain the first payment verification and the customer application is otherwise completed, the payment component validates the customer payment to complete the customer application. |
| US08135640B2 |
System and method for making a synthetic cash advance using a purchase payment exchange
System and method provide for making a synthetic cash advance to a credit cardholder via a purchase-payment exchange. A beneficiary selects an item to be purchased by a cardholder for the beneficiary, and in exchange for the cardholder's purchase, the beneficiary transfers funds to the cardholder in an amount that is less than the purchase price of the item. Using this invention, the beneficiary receives the selected item, has a payment made at a discount, and the cardholder receives cash at the card's purchase interest rate. Two or more cardholders may be allowed to bid to make the beneficiary's purchase or payment. The winning bid may be selected based on the cardholder bid having the largest discount from the purchase price. |
| US08135638B2 |
Summarizing risk ratings to facilitate an analysis of risks
A method and system for summarizing risk ratings to facilitate an analysis of risks. Items related by a common business function, risks associated with each item, sub-categories of risks, and categories of risks are weighted. For each item, each associated risk is evaluated by comparing responses on a questionnaire to predetermined acceptable answers. A first summarized risk rating based on weights of risks, a sub-category, a category, and an item is calculated. A second summarized risk rating based on weights of risks, the sub-category, and the item is calculated. A first summary report that includes a hyperlink and the first summarized risk rating is displayed. In response to selecting the hyperlink, a second summary report that includes the second summarized risk rating is automatically displayed. Actions are performed to mitigate risks in response to determining that the first and second summarized risk ratings exceed predetermined values. |
| US08135636B2 |
System for metering in an on-demand utility environment
A method for metering on-demand service (ODS) resource consumption by a user comprising a web services interface, a processing engine, and configuration data. A data gathering agent in the ODS stores the usage data in records, combines the records into packets, and transmits the packets to the web services interface. The web services interface passes the packets onto the processing engine, which stores the records in the packet into a database. The generalized format of the record is critical because it allows the metrics to be stored in the record table with the usage data. When a record contains an instruction to close a UOW, the processing engine applies the configuration data comprising composition rules and record selection rules to the database. The record selection rules select the desired records from the database. The composition rules aggregate, normalize, and compose the selected records to produce a metric. |
| US08135631B2 |
Systems, methods, and software arrangements for improving uniformity of assets within an entity
A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer arrangement, configures the computer arrangement to perform a new plurality of steps. Those steps include retrieving data from a database. The data is associated with a plurality of assets, and the data for each asset includes information associated with the plurality features of the asset. The computer arrangement also groups the plurality of assets into at least one cluster based on the data and determines an associated hypothetical standard metric. A hypothetical standard metric comprises at least one of a Z-score corresponding to a deviation to a norm of the grouping and a curved line fitting. The computer arrangement also determines a degree of difference between each of a plurality of assets in the hypothetical standard metric and removes at least one asset of the plurality of assets to decrease the degree of difference. |
| US08135628B2 |
Product design system and method
Computer-implemented product design creation system and method for quickly developing a product design having desirable component elements. Multiple candidate product designs are simultaneously displayed for review. Controls are provided allowing a reviewer to enter a preference level for individual component elements of each of the displayed designs. A new set of candidate designs is created based on the entered preference levels. The new candidate designs are displayed for further review and further preference level selection. |
| US08135627B2 |
Online marketplace for moving and relocation services
Methods and systems for operating an online marketplace for the sale of goods and services associated with self-help moving and relocating are described. A customer enters an online marketplace where vendors offer services and goods relating to moving and relocating, specifically in the “do-it-yourself” moving field. The venue for the online marketplace is an Internet web site or a site on a computer network and is operated by a host that determines which vendors will be listed on the site. Once in the marketplace, the customer can view informational content on numerous vendors providing services relating to moving and relocating. Based on the estimates provided by the marketplace as well as reviews, ratings, customer feedback, and background information on the vendors, the customer selects a vendor and “prepays for” the vendor's services on the marketplace. The customer is then provided a confirmation code. The code is given to the vendor upon completion of service or delivery of the good to the customer's satisfaction. The vendor accesses the online marketplace and enters the confirmation code to activate a payment for the service or good. |
| US08135626B2 |
Bid gateway architecture for an online advertisement bidding system
An online advertising system integrates third party agents to permit the third party agents to participate in auctions to bid on a per opportunity basis. An advertising exchange module receives requests for opportunities to serve online advertisements to users. In response, an advertising exchange module applies one or more business rules to determine third party agents that qualify to serve the online advertisement. A bid gateway module generates and transmits requests for bids to the third party agents. The bid gateway module then receives bids from the third party agents in response to the requests for bids. The advertising exchange module then selects an advertisement based on the bid. The online advertisement exchange system provides a unified marketplace to permit integrator networks to bid on both ads pursuant to guaranteed contracts and ads not subject to guaranteed contracts (e.g., non-guaranteed ads). The online advertisement system further includes traffic management to allow the third parties to regulate bid requests sent from the online advertisement system. In some embodiments, the online advertising system caches bids, to efficiently implement the per opportunity auction, and transmits information, such as targeting information, to the third party agents to aid in the third party agents' formulation of bids. |
| US08135625B2 |
Electronic data processing system for internet auctions
The invention relates to an electronic data processing system for conducting auctions over a data network. A component of the system consists of an auction server, which is connected to the data network and which has an auction database for managing auction data records containing product description data and bid data. A number of bidder terminals are connected to the data network and comprise appropriate means for retrieving data from the auction database and comprise means for transmitting bid data to the auction server. The aim of the invention is to enable the effective and economical use of conventional internet auction platforms by product manufacturers and retailers in order to sell goods. To this end, the invention provides that the electronic data processing system is supplemented by a retailer server, which is connected to the data network, and by an intermediary server that is also connected to the data network. The intermediary server has a program controller with which auction data records are automatically put into the auction database according to production description data that are extracted by the intermediary server from corresponding product portfolio data records of the retailer server. The intermediary server uses its program controller to automatically create order data records for the auction data records. |
| US08135623B2 |
Method for combining data signals and video signals for transmission to video display units
A method capable of combining data signals and video signals for transmission to a video display unit. The method comprises the steps of generating a data signal, transmitting the data signal to an apparatus, receiving the data signal at the apparatus, receiving a video/audio signal at the apparatus, combining the video/audio signal with the data signal to form a single combined signal, and displaying the combined signal on a video display unit. |
| US08135622B2 |
Order support system, device monitoring method, and program product
In a disclosed order support system, devices connected to a communication network are searched for and device information is acquired from each of the found devices. Specified information used for extracting devices to be monitor target candidates is obtained, which is specified according to a predetermined attribute in the device information. Based on the obtained information, devices to be monitor target candidates are extracted from among the found devices. A list of the extracted devices is displayed, and devices to be monitor targets are selected. Status information of a consumable element in each monitor target device is acquired and sent to an order-support apparatus. The order-support apparatus creates an e-mail including a URL of a website used for ordering the consumable element detected as being deficient according to the received status information, and sends the e-mail to an e-mail address associated with the device with the deficient consumable element. |
| US08135620B2 |
Network banner advertisement system and method
A network advertising system and method includes a network server, a computer user, an electronic banner advertisement (BA) file, multiple web page files, a BA program, and a monitor. The BA is displayed on the monitor in a window of a browser program from about the point in time that a new web page is requested to about the point in time that the web page file corresponding to the new web page is downloaded onto the user computer and ready for viewing. The BA offers an advertising venue that will serve up a very discernible advertisement, uncluttered by other content that captivates the viewer's interest, at a point of time that a web (Internet or other network) surfer is willing and amenable to review additional data and information. This is typically a down-time, interstitial period, during a browser session. However, by displaying the advertisement as described, most web surfers will pay attention to the BA and the message that it is providing. |
| US08135619B2 |
Increasing a number of relevant advertisements using a relaxed match
The number of ads potentially relevant to search query information may be increased by relaxing the notion of search query keyword matching. This may be done, for example, by expanding a set of ad request keywords to include both query keywords (or derivatives of a root thereof) and related keywords. The related keywords may be words with a relatively high co-occurrence with a query keyword in a group of previous search queries (e.g., search queries in a session). The scores of ads with keyword targeting criteria that matched words related to words in a search query, but not the words from the search query, may be discounted. That is, the scores of ads served pursuant to a relaxed notion of matching may be discounted relative to the scores of ads served pursuant to a stricter notion of matching. This may be done by using a score modification parameter, such as an ad performance multiplier (for cases in which an ad score is a function of ad performance information). The score modification parameter may be updated to reflect observed performance data, such as performance data associated with {word-to-related word} mappings. |
| US08135616B2 |
Browsing and quality of service features
Embodiments are configured to provide browsing and other functionality that can be used to provide viewable data based in part on a current viewable space of a browser interface, but the embodiments are not so limited. In an embodiment, components of a system can operate to communicate viewable data to a browser engine based in part on a configuration of the browser engine and/or a display architecture. In one embodiment, a computing device includes a browser application that can be used to provide data associated with viewable portions of a browser display, wherein the provided data can be used to monetize advertising revenue according to monetization and/or advertising requirements. |
| US08135615B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting click fraud
A method for detecting click fraud. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: directing a user to an item but delaying the internal ratings update of the item; collecting data to build a model of the user; building the model of the user in response to the collected data; determining the trustworthiness of the user in response to the model of the user; and updating internal ratings of the item in response to the trustworthiness of the user. In various embodiments, the click fraud can be the inflation of advertisement clicks, the inflation of popularity or the inflation of reputation. |
| US08135611B2 |
System and method for managing asset installation and evaluation
Efficient and effective centralized management of automated field force installation and evaluation of assets. Service representatives can each perform an asset installation and/or an asset evaluation with the aid of a handheld device. The handheld device can display worksheets comprising a sequence of instructions and prompts related to the installation/evaluation. In performing the asset installation/evaluation, the service representative can follow the instructions and enter responses to the prompts into the handheld device. The handheld device can communicate with a server to download the worksheets onto the handheld device and to upload from the handheld device data related to the installation/evaluation. Authorized users' network devices can interact with a reporting module of the server to generate reports based on the uploaded data. The reports can provide the authorized users with real-time or near real-time information about the service representatives' performance and about particular assets, including, e.g., information about particular asset installations/evaluations. |
| US08135608B2 |
Contact stream optimization considering FEC and CC constraints
Methods, systems, and software for conducting a marketing campaign are described. One or more scores associated with sending offers to proposed contacts are received; and an overall campaign score corresponding to a sum of the scores is optimized to generate optimal assignments of offers to customers. The optimal assignments are included in the marketing campaign. |
| US08135607B2 |
System and method of enhancing leads by determining contactability scores
A client transmits one or more lead records to a lead enhancement module that is configured to enhance the received lead records and return enhanced lead records to the client. In one embodiment, the client specifies which of a plurality of enhancements should be applied to lead records received from the particular client. In one embodiment, the lead enhancement module returns a contactability score for each lead record, indicated a likelihood that the individual identified in the lead may be contacted using the contact information provided in the lead record and/or additional contract information located by the lead enhancement module. In one embodiment, data items associated with the individual that are returned to the client are selected based on a vertical market of the client. In one embodiment, custom models that are defined on a per client basis are applied to lead records that are received from the particular client. |
| US08135603B1 |
Method for formulating a plan to secure access to limited deliverable resources
The method of applying constraints across a generally extensible and configurable resource delivery system as a basis for identifying or calculating the relative impacts of each constraint on resource delivery to various points and, through the use of constraint release mechanisms, developing prescriptive courses of action to optimize and increase the certainty of delivery of the resource, or in the reverse sense, restrict delivery of the resource. In an embodiment of the present invention, a method for characterizing the availability and potential use of water resources alongside associated impacts in order to identify and time the various policy decisions and investments needed to ensure access to water supplies over time given multiple stakeholders and uncertain, variable supplies and demands where such embodiment provides additional methods generally applicable across the full scope of embodiments of the invention. |
| US08135602B2 |
Techniques for delivering coordination data for a shared facility
Techniques for delivering data for coordinating multiple party use of a facility include producing conditions data by measuring without human intervention current condition of a facility that is used by multiple human parties. Availability data that indicates present or future availability for the facility is generated based at least in part on the conditions data. Coordination data based at least in part on the availability data is presented for the parties. These techniques allow rapid dynamic adaptation to changing status of a high-value facility while being less reliant on varied and subjective human motivations for reporting status changes. Undue exposure of sensitive information can be avoided by deriving less detailed views from high-resolution images of the facility and its users. Coordination data can be projected directly onto, and manual input can be derived from, a magnetic white board currently used for coordination at many facilities. |
| US08135600B2 |
System and method for increasing capacity in an insurance system
The invention relates, in various aspects to systems, methods, and computer readable media suited for implementing a commonly administered, quota share-based multi-insurer primary insurance system. |
| US08135599B2 |
Online method and system for fulfilling needs resulting from property and other similar losses
A method of fulfilling needs acquired as a result of property and other similar losses, the method involving the steps of directing a person or entity with a need resulting from a loss to a site on a global computer network, interviewing the person or entity at the site to obtain information about the person or entity and the need they have, and analyzing and processing the information to provide the person or entity automatic access at the site to at least one service that will go toward fulfilling the need of the person or entity. In addition to the method, a system for fulfilling needs acquired as a result of property and other similar losses, the system including a site on a global computer network for fulfilling needs of persons or entities acquired from property and other similar losses, the site having an interviewing component for obtaining information about the person or entity and the need they have, and a data analyzing and processing component for analyzing the information provided by the person or entity and providing the person or entity automatic access at the site to at least one service that will go toward fulfilling the need of the person or entity. |
| US08135598B2 |
Systems and methods for providing a deferred annuity with a target date retirement benefit
Systems and methods for guaranteeing a Target Value of an account on any given Target Value Date. The investment profile of the account may be automatically adjusted to be more or less conservative based on the evolution of the contract with respect to its accumulation value and guarantee. Within broadly defined groups of allocation choices the owner has complete freedom to distribute the account value to individual choices within those groups. The risk profile of the investments may be contracted to change as the Target Value Date approaches. |
| US08135596B2 |
Generating output data based on patient monitoring
Exemplary system and method embodiments may include real-time monitoring data regarding administration of a health-related procedure to a recipient patient which is posted to a patient data record that has restricted read/write access. In some instances the monitoring data is processed to determine compliance or non-compliance based on comparison of the health-related procedure with a predetermined benchmark standard. Exemplary aspects of the monitoring data transmitted and/or received via one or more communication links may include updated confirmation of a patient identifier and verification of an updated parameter regarding administration of the health-related procedure. |
| US08135586B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating noise by using harmonics of voice signal
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for estimating noise included in a sound signal during sound signal processing. The method includes estimating harmonics components in a frame of an input sound signal; using the estimated harmonics components, computing a Voice Presence Probability (VPP) on the frame of the input sound signal; determining a weight of an equation necessary to estimate a noise spectrum, depending on the computed VPP; and using the determined weight and the equation necessary to estimate a noise spectrum, estimating the noise spectrum, and updating the noise spectrum. |
| US08135584B2 |
Method and arrangements for coding audio signals
According to the invention, an excitation signal is generated as a result of sampled excitation values in order to excite an audio synthesis filter, the generated sampled excitation values being continuously stored in an adaptive codebook. A noise generator is provided which continuously generates random sampled values. A sequence of the stored sampled excitation values is selected from the adaptive codebook based on a fed audio fundamental frequency parameter by means of which a time gap between the sequence that is to be selected and the actual time reference is predefined. The excitation signal is generated by mixing the selected sequence with a random sequence encompassing actual random sampled valued of the noise generator. |
| US08135583B2 |
Encoder, decoder, encoding method, and decoding method
An encoder, decoder, encoding method, and decoding method enabling acquisition of high-quality decoded signal in scalable encoding of an original signal in first and second layers even if the second or upper layer section performs low bit-rate encoding. In the encoder, a spectrum residue shape codebook stores candidates of spectrum residue shape vectors, a spectrum residue gain codebook stores candidates of spectrum residue gains, and a spectrum residue shape vector and a spectrum residue gain are sequentially outputted from the candidates according to the instruction from a search section. A multiplier multiplies a candidate of the spectrum residue shape vector by a candidate of the spectrum residue gain and outputs the result to a filtering section. The filtering section performs filtering by using a pitch filter internal state set by a filter state setting section, a lag T outputted by a lag setting section, and a spectrum residue shape vector which has undergone gain adjustment. |
| US08135580B1 |
Multi-language relevance-based indexing and search
Indexing and querying in multiple languages is accomplished using an ordered chain of filters and/or other such components. When receiving information to be indexed or for a query, the information can be tokenized and typed based at least in part on the language of each token. The character types can be adjusted if appropriate for the languages, and the tokens can be further segmented using a dictionary for the respective language types. Once appropriate tokens are determined, relevant synonyms in each appropriate language can be determined and typed accordingly. If necessary the case of the tokens and synonyms can be adjusted and further segmented based on punctuation. The terms and synonyms then can be used as part of the index or as part of the search query to include other terms or phrases based on relevance to the original information. |
| US08135579B2 |
Method of analyzing conversational transcripts
Analyzing transcripts of conversation between at least two users by receiving input information from a first user via a voice call, creating conversational transcripts from the information received from the first user, selecting at least one defined situation from a list of defined situations, identifying the selected situation in the conversational transcripts, identifying a set of procedural sequences by comparing the at least one identified situation in the conversational transcripts with knowledge derived from a corpus of historical conversational transcripts; and providing the set of procedural sequences to the first user. |
| US08135575B1 |
Cross-lingual indexing and information retrieval
Systems and methods are disclosed for searching across multi-lingual information. A user makes a query in a first language, and a group of documents that were previously machine-translated into the first language are searched for information responsive to the query. Contextual information derived can be used to improve the accuracy of the machine translation. Responsive documents are returned to the user. Alternatively, a query provided in a user's language may be translated into one or more other languages. Documents written in these languages can then be searched for information responsive to the appropriate translated query. Responsive documents can be translated into the user's language prior to providing them to the user. |
| US08135574B2 |
Creating and displaying bodies of parallel segmented text
Computer program products and arrangements of creating and displaying bodies of parallel segmented text are discussed. The bodies of parallel text may be divided into matching segments. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to display in separate areas one or more segments of text from each body of text. The embodiment may involve emphasizing one segment of text from each body. The emphasized segments may match. The text from one of the bodies may include two or more segments. The embodiment may include receiving from a user a command to emphasize a different segment within the one body of text. The embodiment may involve presenting a second display of text in response to the command. The second display may include the different segment and matching segments in the other bodies of text. The different segment and the matching segments may be emphasized. |
| US08135572B2 |
Integrated debugger simulator
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that provide an integrated debugger simulator. A debugger is provided that allows a user to debug an application in a live mode. A simulator is provided to read recorded data from an earlier point in time in an execution of the application. An integrated debugger simulator is provided by multiplexing the debugger between the application in the live mode and the simulator that reads the recorded data. A simulation mode is provided to allow the user to interact with the recorded data using the debugger. In this simulation mode, the user is able to interact with the recorded data using commands and data views available in the debugger. The user can multiplex between the live mode and the simulation mode from within the debugger. |
| US08135566B2 |
Determining a node path through a node graph
Determining a node path through a node graph includes modifying the node graph in accordance with a predetermined platform performance, performing a path finding process through the node graph to obtain the node path, determining if the platform performance has changed, adjusting the node graph to compensate for a change in the platform performance, and re-performing the path finding process through the adjusted node graph to obtain the node path. |
| US08135563B2 |
Apparatus and method for evaluating the performance of systems having time-varying output characteristics
An apparatus for evaluating a system. The apparatus can include a storage element for receiving at least one time-varying output characteristic of the system, the time-varying output characteristic comprising a plurality of raw data points representing a plurality of measurements at a plurality of times; and a processing element communicatively coupled to the storage element. The processing element can be configured for partitioning the plurality of raw data points into a plurality of segments, calculating a plurality of estimated data points based on a plurality of mathematical expressions, and characterizing the system based on at least one figure of merit (FOM) computed from the plurality of estimated data points. In the apparatus, at least one of the plurality of mathematical expressions is associated with each of the plurality of segments. |
| US08135562B2 |
System, method and medium calibrating gyrosensors of mobile robots
Provided are a system, method and medium calibrating a gyrosensor of a mobile robot. The system includes a camera to obtain image data of a fixed environment, a rotation angle calculation unit to calculate a plurality of angular velocities of a mobile robot based on an analysis of the image data, a gyrosensor to output a plurality of pieces of raw data according to rotation inertia of the mobile robot and a scale factor calculation unit to calculate a scale factor that indicates the relationship between the pieces of raw data and the angular velocities. |
| US08135560B2 |
Sensor system for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus
A chamber monitoring system may include a parallel architecture in which a single sensor control system is coupled to a number of different processing chamber control board sensor lines. In an illustrative embodiment, a single rotation sensor such as a tachometer may reside in a central control unit remote from the processing chambers such that rotation data may be processed by a single system and thereafter routed according to a variety of different network communication protocols to the main system controller, a factory interface, or both. In this and other embodiments, pull-up networks in the central control unit and the chamber control boards are matched so as to reduce electrical signal anomalies such as crowbar effects. The central control unit may be programmed via a main system controller to operate according to user defined parameters, which in turn may enable the system to differentiate between certain operating states. |
| US08135557B2 |
Apparatus for testing semiconductor integrated circuit and method for testing semiconductor integrated circuit
An apparatus for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit includes an input part that inputs circuit description data that describes a circuit structure of the semiconductor integrated circuit, a clock domain of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and a first test vector to be used for testing a normal operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and a simulator that performs a simulation on the semiconductor integrated circuit with the use of a test vector. The simulator includes an asynchronous transfer point extraction unit that extracts an asynchronous transfer point in the semiconductor integrated circuit in accordance with the circuit description data and the clock domain that are input through the input part, a simulation unit that calculates a logic circuit output of the semiconductor integrated circuit by performing a simulation in accordance with the circuit description data and the first test vector that are input through the input part, and a second test vector generation unit that generates a second test vector by changing a signal of an asynchronous transfer point of the logic circuit output calculated by the simulation unit in accordance with the asynchronous transfer point extracted by the asynchronous transfer point extraction unit. |
| US08135553B2 |
Method for clock calibration
A method for clock calibration is provided. The method comprises receiving discontinuous reception period (DRX period) information from a base station, computing a calibration duration according to the discontinuous reception period and a clock error tolerance of a first clock, and when receiving paging information that informs of possible sent transmissions, calibrating the first clock with a second clock for a period of the calibration duration. |
| US08135552B2 |
Flow meter and method for detecting a cable fault in a cabling of the flow meter
A method for detecting a cable fault in a cabling of a flow meter is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The method includes testing one or more first pickoff wires and one or more second pickoff wires of the cabling for pickoff open wire faults. The method further includes testing the first pickoff wires and the second pickoff wires for pickoff connection orientation faults if no pickoff open wire faults are determined in the first pickoff wires and the second pickoff wires. The method further includes testing one or more driver wires of the cabling for driver open wire faults. The method further includes testing the driver wires for a driver connection orientation fault if no driver open wire faults are determined in the driver wires. |
| US08135550B2 |
System for monitoring and assessing electrical circuits and method of operation
A system for collecting data and monitoring the operation of electrical circuits, such as branch circuits at a substation is provided. The system collects data from a plurality of sensors coupled to a plurality of electrical equipment associated with a circuit. The data from the sensors is collected and used to determine the activation of the electrical equipment, such as a protective relay for example. The data is further transformed to allow assessment of the circuit's performance against desired parameters. |
| US08135546B2 |
Moment analysis of tertiary protein structures
Techniques for analyzing protein structures, such as a tertiary protein structure, are provided. A centroid of the residue centroids is calculated. The centroid of the residue centroids is used as a spatial origin of a global linear hydrophobic moment. The correlation between residue centroid magnitude and residue solvent accessibility is enhanced. The global linear hydrophobic moment is defined, wherein each of the residue centroids contributes a magnitude and direction to the global linear hydrophobic moment. A method for comparing at least two tertiary protein structures is also disclosed. |
| US08135544B2 |
Spatial profiling of proteins using hydrophobic moments
Generally, the present invention provides a number of procedures to spatially profile proteins by using hydrophobic moments. In all procedures, a hydrophobicity distribution of a protein is shifted and normalized. In one procedure, a shape or profile of a curve of a second-order moment of hydrophobicity is determined. A second procedure involves determining one or more ratios, such as the ratio of a distance at which the second order moment of hydrophobicity vanishes to the distance at which a zero-order moment of hydrophobicity vanishes. The distance at which a peak occurs in a profile of the zero- or second-order moment of hydrophobicity can also be used for comparison. For many of these procedures, a surface or profiling contour can be chosen and used to accumulate hydrophobicities and to determine the moments. These procedures can be combined to provide a good mathematical determination of whether a protein belongs to a particular class of proteins. |
| US08135542B2 |
Simultaneous inversion of induction data for dielectric permittivity and electric conductivity
A method of inverting induction logging data for evaluating the properties of underground formations surrounding a borehole, the data including induction voltage measurements obtained from a tool placed close to the formations of interest, the method includes: (a) defining a relationship relating the induction voltage to wave number, dielectric permittivity and conductivity; defining a cubic polynomial expansion of the relationship; and solving the cubic polynomial relationship using the voltage measurements to obtain values for conductivity that includes skin-effect correction, and apparent dielectric permittivity; and (b) using the obtained values for conductivity and apparent dielectric permittivity to derive a simulated value of induction voltage; determining the difference between the simulated value of the induction voltage and the measured induction voltage; and iteratively updating the values of conductivity and dielectric permittivity used for the derivation of the simulated value of induction voltage to minimize its difference with respect to the measured value. |
| US08135535B2 |
Modeling catalyst exotherm due to blowthrough
Modeling catalyst exotherm due to blowthrough is provided. The method of advantageously utilizes catalyst temperature based on an amount of blowthrough air and a combustion air-fuel ratio generating a catalyst exotherm. |
| US08135534B2 |
Hydraulic engine
An internal combustion engine and method of operating such an engine are disclosed. In some embodiments, the engine includes a piston provided within a cylinder, wherein a combustion chamber is defined within the cylinder at least in part by a face of the piston, and an intake valve within the cylinder capable of allowing access to the combustion chamber. The engine further includes a source of compressed air, where the source is external of the cylinder and is coupled to the cylinder by way of the intake valve, and where the piston does not ever operate so as to compress therewithin an amount of uncombusted fuel/air mixture, whereby the engine is capable of operating without a starter. In further embodiments, the piston is rigidly coupled to another, oppositely-orientated second piston, and the two pistons move in unison in response to combustion events to drive hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic motor. |
| US08135525B2 |
Torque converter with turbine mass absorber
A torque converter having a first damper stage, a second damper stage, a floating flange torsionally connecting the first and second damper stages, an inertia element, and a tuned torsion damper. The torsion damper connects the inertia element and the flange. In a preferred embodiment, the inertia element is a turbine. In one embodiment, the first damper stage is a radially outer damper stage and the second damper stage is a radially inner damper stage. In another embodiment, the torsion damper generates a friction torque when rotated. |
| US08135524B2 |
Vehicle driving force control device
A driving force control device includes an individual-wheel friction-circle limit-value calculating portion that calculates friction-circle limit-values of individual wheels, an individual-wheel requested-resultant-tire-force calculating portion that calculates requested resultant tire forces of the individual wheels, an individual-wheel resultant-tire-force calculating portion that calculates resultant tire forces of the individual wheels, an individual-wheel requested-excessive-tire-force calculating portion that calculates requested excessive tire forces of the individual wheels, an individual-wheel excessive-tire-force calculating portion that calculates excessive tire forces of the individual wheels, an excessive-tire-force calculating portion that calculates an excessive tire force, an over-torque calculating portion that calculates an over-torque, and a control-amount calculating portion that calculates a control amount that is output to an engine control unit. |
| US08135522B2 |
Control device for vehicular drive system
A vehicular drive system switchable between a continuously-variable and step-variable shifting states, and a control device for controlling the vehicular drive system so as to reduce a shifting shock of an automatic transmission included in the drive system, which takes place due to an overlap control involving a switching control of the drive system and a shifting control of the automatic transmission.Execution-timing control means 82 is provided to command switching control means 50 and step-variable shifting control means 54 to sequentially execute a switching control by the switching control means to switch transmission mechanism 10 between an electrically established continuously-variable shifting state and a step-variable shifting state, and a shifting control by the step-variable shifting control means to shift an automatic transmission portion 20, even when an overlap control involving the switching control and the shifting control is required, whereby the switching and shifting controls can be rapidly completed. Since the transmission mechanism 10 is not switched during the shifting control of the automatic transmission portion 20, the input speed of the automatic transmission portion 20 will not change due to the switching control, apart from a change of the input speed as a result of the shifting control, making it possible to prevent the complicated shifting control and reduce the consequent shifting shock. |
| US08135519B2 |
Method and apparatus to determine a preferred output torque for operating a hybrid transmission in a fixed gear operating range state
A hybrid transmission includes a torque machine and an energy storage device connected thereto. The hybrid transmission is operative to transfer power between an input member and an output member and the torque machines in a fixed gear operating range state. A method for controlling the hybrid transmission includes determining a preferred output torque, determining a relationship between power from the energy storage device and an output torque of the transmission, determining power constraints from the energy storage device, determining motor torque constraints for the torque machine, determining linear torque constraints to the output torque based upon the motor torque constraints for the torque machine, determining quadratic output torque constraints based upon the power constraints from the energy storage device and the relationship between the power from the energy storage device and the output torque of the transmission device, and determining an output torque to the output member responsive to the preferred output torque and achievable based upon the linear output torque constraints and the quadratic output torque constraints. |
| US08135518B2 |
Linkage control system with position estimator backup
A linkage control system for a machine having a linkage and a work implement is disclosed. The linkage control system has an operator input device configured to control the movement of the linkage, at least one actuator configured to respond to the operator input device to control the movement of the linkage, and at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of sensor data on at least one actuator. The linkage control system has a controller in communication with at least one actuator, at least one sensor, and the operator input device. The controller is configured to calculate the position of the linkage, to detect anomalous sensor data from at least one sensor, and to predict the position of the linkage and work implement based on a last known accurate position, a last known accurate sensor data, and the operator input device. |
| US08135517B2 |
Torque control method of a road vehicle
A control method of the torque of a road vehicle having a powertrain system provided with an engine and a driveline which transmits the torque generated by the engine to the road surface; the method contemplates the steps of: determining a target torque; modeling the powertrain system as a single physical component which presents a characteristic mechanical inertia and a characteristic torsional elasticity; determining a current load torque of the vehicle; determining a target torsion of the powertrain system according to the target torque and the current load torque; determining a current torsion of the powertrain system and a current torsion speed of the powertrain system; determining a requested torque on the basis of the energy balance according to the target torsion, the current torsion, the current torsion speed, and the current load torque; and using the requested torque on the basis of the energy balance to control the torque generation of the engine. |
| US08135514B2 |
Automotive systems and methods of operating vehicles
Automotive systems and methods for operating vehicles are provided. In an embodiment, when a speed sensor senses that the vehicle speed is above a first speed threshold and an ambient light sensor senses that an ambient light intensity is below a first intensity threshold, a controller provides a first command to a suspension system to lower a first end of a vehicle body to a second front trim height position relative to a horizontal plane, where the second front trim height position is below a first front trim height position, and to lower the second end of the body to a second rear trim height position relative to the horizontal plane, where the second rear trim height position is below a first rear trim height position. |
| US08135512B2 |
Auxiliary control system and method to a motor vehicle's built-in anti-theft system
The auxiliary control system contains at least a first interaction device and a second interaction device that are capable of mutually detecting the presence of each other by a wireless means. The first interaction device is carried by a driver of a motor vehicle having a built-in anti-theft system, and the second interaction device is tapped into a Main Body ECU in parallel with the original control interface of the built-in anti-theft system. As such, when the driver carrying the first interaction device enters into or moves out of an effective sensing range from the motor vehicle, the second interaction device would detect the presence or absence of the first interaction device. The second interaction device then issues appropriate deactivating or activating signals to the Main Body ECU which in turn disarms or arms the various anti-theft means of the motor vehicle. |
| US08135505B2 |
Determining locations of interest based on user visits
Techniques are described for determining locations of interest based on user visits. In some situations, the techniques include obtaining information about actual locations of users at various times, and automatically analyzing the information to determine particular locations in a geographic area that are of interest, such as for frequent destinations visited by users. After determining a particular location of interest, it may be represented by generating a corresponding location model to describe the geographic subarea or other location point(s) covered by the determined location of interest, and one or more points of interest (e.g., businesses, parks, schools, landmarks, etc.) may be identified that are located at or otherwise correspond to the determined location of interest. In addition, a determined location of interest may be further used in various ways, including to identify later user visits to that location (e.g., to a point of interest identified for the location). |
| US08135498B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting movement error in mobile robot
An apparatus and method for detecting movement errors due to the wheel slip or transient current generated while a mobile robot is traveling. The movement error detecting method includes: detecting movement of the wheels in a sensor part according to a movement command input to a drive motor, and outputting an actual output value from the sensor part; calculating an ideal output value for output from the sensor part as the wheels are moved according to the movement command; and comparing the actual output value with the ideal output value to determine and residual fault and detect movement errors. |
| US08135496B2 |
Travel control system and control method for traveling vehicles
A ground controller and traveling vehicles are connected to a communication system on the ground. Position instructions are given to the traveling vehicles in each position control cycle. The traveling vehicles generate a plurality of velocity instructions and torque instructions by themselves to carry out the position instructions. |
| US08135495B2 |
Systems and methods for processing packaged goods in the nature of cigarettes
A materials handling system for processing packaged tobacco products is disclosed. The system includes a picking area where individual packages of tobacco products are picked and placed onto a transport mechanism. The system also includes a picking support software component that manages activity in the picking area. The picking support software component provides picking instruction output indicative of a sequence in which the individual packages of tobacco products should be picked and placed onto the transport mechanism. In one embodiment, the sequence blends the individual components of multiple tobacco product orders together such that the tobacco product orders are not completely picked consecutively from one order to the next. |
| US08135494B2 |
Placement of data storage cartridges in single cartridge slots and in multi-cartridge deep slot cells of an automated data storage library
In an automated data storage library having a plurality of multi-cartridge deep slot cells, each configured to store a plurality of data storage cartridges arranged in sequential order of tiers from front to rear; having a plurality of single cartridge storage slots; and having accessor(s) configured to selectively extract, place and transport cartridges with respect to the cells; operating the accessor(s) to selectively extract, place and transport data storage cartridges with respect to the multi-cartridge deep slot cells and the storage slots, and with respect to other elements of the automated data storage library; and, if a data storage cartridge is recently used by and is to be demounted from a selected other element of the automated data storage library: first, extracting another data storage cartridge from the storage slots, vacating one of the storage slots; and second, extracting, transporting and placing the demounted data storage cartridge in the vacated storage slot. |
| US08135493B2 |
Sheet stacking apparatus, sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus
A recording material stacking apparatus equipped with a plurality of discharge ports and a plurality of stacking trays can be set to normal mode and large capacity stacking mode each having a different maximum loading capacity. A stacking tray on the upper side has a plurality of lower limit positions and uses a lower limit position located on the upper side when normal mode is selected. On the other hand, it uses a lower limit position located on the lower side when the large capacity stacking mode is selected. The lower limit position located below a stacking tray on the upper side when this large capacity stacking mode is selected exists at a position in which it blocks a lower discharge port of sheets. Selection of the large capacity stacking mode and normal mode is executed according to a result of computation from data input through an input portion. |
| US08135492B2 |
Method of making a surgical template used for a computer-guided dental implant surgery
A method of making a surgical template used for a computer-guided dental implant surgery includes the steps of: establishing implant planning data of a patient's jaw, producing a digital plaster model of the patient's jaw, allowing the digital plaster model to have the implant planning data, integrating the digital plaster model with the implant planning data to obtain a digital machining data, holding and machining a modeling block at a machining position according to the digital machining data to form a solid jaw model corresponding to the patient's jaw and having teeth, gums, and at least one implant-position indicating structure, mounting a positioning member at the implant-position indicating structure, and producing a negative template body from an assembly of the solid jaw model and the positioning member with a thermoplastic dental material by a molding process or a vacuum forming process. |
| US08135490B2 |
Systems and techniques for reducing group delay ripple in a dispersion compensating grating
A technique is described for reducing group delay ripple in a fiber dispersion compensation grating. The grating is mounted into a trimming setup that includes a trimming device and a scanning assembly for causing a region of the grating to be scanned along its length by the trimming device output. The grating is sensitive to the trimming device output, such that exposure to the trimming device output causes a change in the effective refractive index of the scanned region, the amount of change varying as a function of scanning velocity. A region of the grating to be trimmed is selected, and a scanning velocity profile is programmed into the scanning assembly that is calculated to modify the effective refractive index of the selected grating region along its length so as to smooth out group delay ripple in the selected grating region. |
| US08135485B2 |
Offset correction techniques for positioning substrates within a processing chamber
A method for aligning a substrate to a process center of a support mechanism is provided. The method includes determining substrate thickness after substrate processing at a plurality of orientations and at a plurality of radial distances from a geometric center of the substrate. The method also includes deriving a set of process rate values from substrate thickness and process duration. The method further includes creating for a process rate an off-centered plot, which represents a substantially concentric circle whose points are a circumference of the off-centered plot having substantially the first process rate. The method yet also includes applying a curve-fitting equation to the off-centered plot to determine a set of parameters. The method yet further includes teaching a set of robot arms the set of parameters, thereby enabling the set of robot arms to align another substrate that is supported by the support mechanism with the process center. |
| US08135475B2 |
Method and device for collagen growth stimulation
The invention provides an applicator for skin treatment having one or more RF electrodes. An article is located between the electrodes, such as a roller or flexible belt containing one or more protruding pins electrically isolated from the RF electrodes. The invention also provides a system for skin treatment comprising the applicator of the invention and a control unit. The invention further provides a method of treating skin disorders in which a section of the skin is heated while, essentially simultaneously, piercing one or more holes in the heated section of the skin. The method of the invention may be used, for example, in collagen remodeling. |
| US08135471B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspiratory muscle stimulation using implantable device
An inspiratory muscle stimulation system uses an implantable medical device to deliver stimulation to control diaphragmatic contractions for slower and deeper breathing, thereby conditioning and strengthening inspiratory muscles. In various embodiments, respiratory and/or cardiac performance are monitored for controlling parameters of the stimulation. |
| US08135469B2 |
Energy harvester for an implant device
This invention relates to the use of an electromagnetic generator and a pressure bladder located within a biological body in such a position to take advantage of the pressure fluctuations found within that body to produce electrical power. The invention uses these pressure fluctuations to displace the moving parts of a generator, to produce electricity in accordance with the Faraday principal, to power implanted devices. |
| US08135468B2 |
Systems and methods for estimating left atrial pressure (LAP) in patients with acute mitral valve regurgitation for use by an implantable medical device
Various techniques are provided for use with an implantable medical device for estimating cardiac pressure within a patient based on admittance (or related electrical values such as impedance or conductance) that takes into account the presence of acute MR within the patient. Briefly, the device detects an indication of acute MR, if occurring within the patient. The device also applies electrical fields to tissues of the patient and measures electrical parameters influenced by the electrical field, such as admittance, impedance or conductance. The device then estimates cardiac pressure within the patient based on the measured electrical parameter and the indication of acute MR. In one example, different linear correlation functions are used to convert admittance values to left atrial pressure (LAP) values depending upon the presence or absence of acute MR within the patient. |
| US08135467B2 |
Chronically-implantable active fixation medical electrical leads and related methods for non-fluoroscopic implantation
Bio-impedance may be used for navigation systems to chronically implant pacing and defibrillation leads in the heart using a non-fluoroscopic position sensing unit (PSU). Such a system requires that a conductive material, such as a retractable helical tip-electrode, be exposed during implantation. Since the tip is retracted during implantation, this disclosure provides a modified distal portion employing at least one aperture (or “window”) for fluid exposure of the helix-electrode and a deployable internal sleeve for covering the aperture(s) when the helix-electrode is extended. |
| US08135465B2 |
System providing ventricular pacing and biventricular coordination
A cardiac rhythm management system includes techniques for computing an indicated pacing interval, AV delay, or other timing interval. In one embodiment, a variable indicated pacing interval is computed based at least in part on an underlying intrinsic heart rate. The indicated pacing interval is used to time the delivery of biventricular coordination therapy even when ventricular heart rates are irregular, such as in the presence of atrial fibrillation. In another embodiment, a variable filter indicated AV interval is computed based at least in part on an underlying intrinsic AV interval. The indicated AV interval is used to time the delivery of atrial tracking biventricular coordination therapy when atrial heart rhythms are not arrhythmic. Other indicated timing intervals may be similarly determined. The indicated pacing interval, AV delay, or other timing interval can also be used in combination with a sensor indicated rate indicator. |
| US08135459B2 |
Unitary subcutaneous only implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and optional pacer
A unitary subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator which has a long thin housing in the shape of a patient's rib. The housing contains a source of electrical energy, a capacitor, and operational circuitry that senses the presence of potentially fatal heart rhythms. Provided on the housing are cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes located to deliver electrical cardioversion-defibrillation energy when the operational circuitry senses a potentially fatal heart rhythm. The unitary subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator does not have a transvenous, intracardiac, epicardial, or subcutaneous electrode. |
| US08135458B1 |
System and method for in vivo sensor recalibration
A method of in vivo sensor recalibration includes implanting a sensor at an implantation site in a living body; taking a sensor reading with the implanted sensor; taking a first electrical reading across biological material adjacent the implanted sensor; taking a second electrical reading across biological material adjacent the implanted sensor subsequent in time to the taking of the first electrical reading; comparing the first electrical reading with the second electrical reading; and recalibrating the sensor based on the comparison of the first electrical reading to the second electrical reading. |
| US08135457B2 |
Apparatus for measurement of living body
Disclosed is an apparatus for measurement of a living body, comprising: a personal data input unit; a basal metabolism input unit; a standard value storage unit; a comparison unit; and a display unit. According to the invention the personal data input unit enters at least an age of a person to be measured, the basal metabolism input unit enters a basal metabolism of the person to be measured, and the standard value storage unit stores standard values of basal metabolism according to the ages. Furthermore, the comparison unit compares the basal metabolism entered by the input unit with the standard values of basal metabolism according to the ages stored in said storage unit, and calculates a basal metabolic age indicating what age the basal metabolism of the person to be measured corresponds to. Then, the display unit displays the information about the calculated basal metabolic age. |
| US08135456B2 |
Device and method for detecting atrial fibrillation
Detection of atrial fibrillation involves detecting a plurality of ventricular events and obtaining a series of probabilities of AF, each corresponding to a probability of AF for a different beat window having a plurality of ventricular events. AF onset is detected when one or each of a plurality of consecutive AF probabilities satisfies an AF trigger threshold. AF termination is detected when one or each of a plurality of consecutive AF probabilities does not satisfy the AF trigger threshold. A probability of AF is obtained using one or more of a probability of AF that is based on the presence of irregularity of the ventricular events (PMC); a probability of AF that is based on variances of R-R intervals of the ventricular events (PVAR); and/or a combination of these probabilities (PCOMBINED). |
| US08135453B2 |
Method and apparatus for ear canal surface modeling using optical coherence tomography imaging
A method and apparatus for generating a three dimensional representation of an ear canal are disclosed whereby an ear canal of a patient is imaged using optical coherence tomography (OCT). In a first embodiment, cross-section images of an ear canal are taken by, for example, rotating an OCT imaging sensor about a predetermined axis at each of a plurality of positions. In accordance with another embodiment, a contour line is then identified in each of the cross section images and a flow algorithm is used to identify the boundary of the ear canal cross section. Once the boundaries of each cross section have been identified, all of the cross section images are combined to generate a three dimensional image of the ear canal. |
| US08135447B2 |
Optical biological information measuring apparatus, optical biological information measuring method, biological information decision apparatus, program and recording medium
An optical biological information measuring apparatus includes a measuring surface to be placed on the surface of a living body, a mark display section which displays a mark at a region to be measured on the surface of the living body, a light-emitting section which irradiates the living body with light of a predetermined wavelength and a light-receiving section which receives light irradiated onto the living body and returned from the living body, and measures information on the living body based on the received light. The optical biological information measuring apparatus is capable of measuring biological information with improved alignment accuracy. |
| US08135444B2 |
Communication device and method for setting device resources
A communication device including a memory configured to store a plurality of device resource profiles, wherein each device resource profile specifies device resources of the communication device and is associated with a respective communication connection state of a plurality of communication connection states; a determining circuit configured to determine a communication connection state of a communication connection of the communication device; and a control circuit configured to set device resources of the communication device in accordance with the device resource profile associated with the communication connection state of the communication connection. |
| US08135442B2 |
Apparatus and program for vehicular wireless communication
A communication apparatus for use in a vehicle includes a transmission repeater, a transmission terminator and a re-number unit. In a wireless communication between the communication apparatus and a communication unit in a facility such as a toll collection booth or the like, the transmission repeater transmits transmission data to the communication unit repeatedly until receiving an acknowledgement of reception completion of the transmission data from the communication unit, and the transmission terminator terminates repeated transmissions of the transmission data by the transmission repeater when a number of the repeated transmissions of the transmission data reaches a standard value. Further, the re-number unit changes the number of the repeated transmissions of the transmission data based on a content of the transmission data from the communication unit. |
| US08135437B2 |
Cellular phone
In a cellular phone a rotational position sensing part senses that a display casing has been rotated from a horizontally long state to a vertically long state, and a drive voltage is supplied to a TV broadcast receiving part by a drive voltage supplying part, and an incoming call processing part performs incoming call processing, such that a response part establishes a telephone conversion state in response to the incoming call, and a drive voltage control part stops the supply of the drive voltage by the drive voltage supplying part. When a call is made from an opposite side telephone set while a TV broadcast is watched, the call can be responded to only by rotating the display casing, and the supply of the drive voltage to the TV broadcast receiving part can be automatically stopped, so that power consumption can be efficiently reduced while reducing the burden of operations. |
| US08135436B2 |
Mobile radio communication devices and methods for controlling a mobile radio communication device
In an embodiment, a mobile radio communication device is provided. The mobile radio communication device may include a receiver configured to receive radio pilot information via a predefined physical radio channel according to a radio communication technology family, wherein the radio pilot information includes availability information about the availability of at least one radio communication technology of at least one other radio communication technology family. The mobile radio communication device may further include a radio communication protocol controller configured to provide at least one radio communication protocol of the at least one radio communication technology of the at least one other radio communication technology family based on the received pilot information. |
| US08135434B2 |
Integrating device functionality into a telecommunications service composition
Techniques for integrating device functionality into a composition of telecommunication service are provided. The techniques include using a service specification to generate a composition, wherein the composition comprises one or more telecommunication network blocks, one or more non-telecommunication blocks, and one or more place holders for device functionality, and integrating device functionality into the composition based on a target device. |
| US08135433B2 |
Reduction in interference between components
An apparatus is disclosed comprising a transducer, which transducer comprises at least one electrical connection point configured to enable an external electrical connection of the transducer. The transducer further comprises at least one decoupling coil configured to electrically decouple the transducer from the at least one electrical connection point at a frequency above an operating frequency of the transducer. Moreover, a method for assembling the described apparatus is disclosed. |
| US08135430B2 |
Method and system for WCDMA power amplifier closed loop power control
Methods and systems for WCDMA power amplifier closed loop power control are disclosed and may include determining a magnitude of an output RF signal generated by a power amplifier (PA), and configuring a gain of a PGA coupled to an input of the PA via closed-loop feedback to maintain a desired magnitude of the output RF signal. The closed-loop feedback architecture may include a slot-based and/or a real time-based control. A signal proportional to the output signal may be generated by an envelope detector. The signal generated by the envelope detector may be utilized to generate a root-mean-squared (RMS) value. The gain of the PGA may be configured by comparing the RMS value to a desired magnitude of the output signal over a time slot and/or utilizing a real time error signal generated by subtracting the signal proportional to the magnitude of the output signal from a desired magnitude. |
| US08135427B2 |
Power save system and method
According to an embodiment of the invention, a system and method to provide alignment of hibernation and active cycles is provided. When one device receives a beacon from one of its neighbors it can be implemented to check for the neighboring device's global cycle start countdown value and to compare it's global cycle start countdown value with its own. If the beacon from the neighboring device contains a global cycle start countdown value that is different from the device's own global cycle start countdown, the device can be implemented to check a predefined condition. For example, if a device's global cycle start time falls into the first half of a neighbor's global cycle, then the device changes its own global cycle start time to the global cycle start time of that neighbor. In another embodiment, if a device's global cycle start time falls into the first 256/K superframes of a neighbor's global cycle, then the device changes its own global cycle start time to the global cycle start time of that neighbor. In one embodiment, K can be the number of different global active cycle start times observed by the device. |
| US08135425B1 |
System and method for communicating data over a radio frequency voice channel
A system or method for communicating data over a voice channel between a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a silence detector, coupled to the transmitter, that identifies a pause in voice traffic that is to be transmitted over the voice channel and generates an interjection signal during the pause and (2) a data injector, coupled to the silence detector, that receives the interjection signal and responds by causing the transmitter to transmit data to the receiver over the voice channel. |
| US08135423B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication method
A communication apparatus is provided in which only a terminal having a specific positional relationship can perform communication through a relatively simple arrangement. When initial setting is performed or communication is started, a timing calculator calculates a time difference corresponding to the difference between a path from a first antenna to a terminal and a path from a second antenna to the terminal, based on a transmission signal from the first antenna and a reflection signal provided by having the transmission signal reflected from the second antenna or a communication partner, i.e. the terminal, and returned back to the first antenna. Based on the time difference thus calculated, the timing calculator outputs a signal for regulating the transmission timing of transmission data from the first antenna to a variable delay unit. The variable delay unit delays transmission timing of the transmission data depending on the timing regulation signal and outputs the delayed transmission data to a modulator/demodulator. |
| US08135422B2 |
Device and method for realizing short message notification service for missing calls
A missing-call short message notification device includes: a main control module for controlling and scheduling other modules; a relay signaling processing module for receiving information sent by the switching device and sending information to the switching device; a short message constructing module for constructing a missing-call short message; a short message sending module for sending the constructed message to the called user. A method for realizing short message notification service for missing calls includes: a called user sets a call forward number to be a missing-call short message notification number; a switching device detects that a call from a calling user to a called user is not put through, and sends information of the calling user to an MCND based on the call forward number; the MCND constructs a missing-call short message based on the information of the calling user and sends the constructed message to the called user. |
| US08135419B2 |
Method and apparatus of measurement mechanism and efficient paging and broadcasting scheme implementation in MBMS dedicated cell of LTE systems
A WTRU configured to receive a multicast, a unicast or mixed signal. A multimedia signal may be a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Signal (MBMS). The WTRU switches between an MBMS and a mixed signal and determines optimal time to switch between the MBMS and mixed signal. The WTRU switches between receiving the MBMS and mixed signal in an adaptive or semi-static pattern. A flat broadcast channel (BCH) structure in an MBMS dedicated cell is provided, eliminating need for a dedicated broadcast channel (D-BCH). An MBMS-dedicated cell uses a single paging channel for both paging-indicators and paging-record-blocks. A system information broadcast indicates flexible resource usage and paging-record-block limits. Tracking area (TA)/cell association is provided for an MBMS-dedicated cell and geographically co-located non-MBMS-dedicated cells. MBMS-dedicated cell system information is broadcast to regulate WTRU operation while receiving MBMS within said cell. Generic Access Profile (GAP) definitions is part of system information. |
| US08135417B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating geo-location of terminal wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for estimating a geo-location of a terminal in a wireless communication system are provided. In a method of operating a terminal for providing geo-location information in a cognitive ratio (CR) system, the method includes obtaining first ranging information and transmitting a first ranging code to a base station (BS) in a network entry process; receiving an allocated second ranging resource from the BS; and transmitting a second ranging code. |
| US08135414B2 |
Method and system for mobile trajectory based services
In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for mobility profiling includes collecting a plurality of locations of a mobile electronic device, determining at least one trajectory for the mobile electronic device from the plurality of locations, and storing the at least one trajectory in computer readable media. Each of the plurality of locations have a spatial and temporal component. Using the at least one trajectory, estimating a future location of the mobile electronic device, and communicating data to the mobile electronic device corresponding to the estimated future location such that the content of the communicated data is based on the future location. |
| US08135412B2 |
Wireless network self-adaptive load balancer
A load balancer is provided for balancing distribution of wireless clients among wireless access points. The load balancer includes a tracking implementation for tracking at least one telemetry parameter of each wireless client's wireless link with each respective wireless access point. A goal implementation is included for comparing one or more telemetry parameter against at least one predetermined goal to obtain a fitness measure. A control implementation is also provided for varying the operation of at least one of the respective wireless access points and wireless clients in response to the fitness measure, so as to balance the distribution of load among the respective wireless access points. |
| US08135409B2 |
Mobile communication method and exchange station
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes a step of causing a mobile station 300 standing by in a cell under a control of a radio base station 202 to send an exchange station 500 identification information of the mobile station and specific identification information, a step of, upon receipt of the specific identification information, causing the exchange station 500 to send a service control station 600 the received identification information of the mobile station 300 and identification information of a second radio base station, a step of causing the service control station 600 to determine whether or not the mobile station 300 has access authorization to the radio base station 200 based on the received identification information of the mobile station and the received identification information of the second radio base station, and a step of, when it is determined that the mobile station 300 has access authorization to the second radio base station, causing the exchange station 500 to instruct the second radio base station to change a radio communication parameter used by the second radio base station. |
| US08135407B2 |
Network evaluated hard hardover using predictions
The invention is directed towards determining whether a hard handover should be performed of a mobile station (48) in relation to a first group of cells (16, 18, 20, 24) including a number of active cells (16, 18, 20) and handled by a first cell handling device (10) to a second group of cells (32, 36, 38) handled by a second cell handling device (26), when the cell handling devices lack a direct communication link (lur). Either the first cell handling device or the mobile station obtains measurements of link quality between the mobile station and cells of the groups, determines a first and second total quality factor for the groups, performs an evaluation of a preferred group involving comparing the first total quality factor with the second quality factor and initiates a handover from the first group to the second group if the second group is preferred. |
| US08135405B2 |
Efficient search for wireless networks while minimizing page loss
Techniques to efficiently search for wireless networks while minimizing page loss are described. An available search time that excludes paging periods is determined. A search for cells in wireless networks is performed during the available search time. Pertinent information is obtained for cells acquired during the search. The pertinent information may be dependent on the type of search being performed. For a manual search to find detectable wireless networks, the pertinent information for each acquired cell may be network identifier information. For an automatic search to find higher priority wireless networks, the pertinent information for each acquired cell in a higher priority wireless network may be system information used to select that cell. The search may be suspended prior to a paging period. State information for the search may be saved prior to suspending the search. The search may be resumed using the saved state information at the end of the paging period. |
| US08135401B2 |
Mobile station and communication system selection method
The present invention provides a mobile station which can perform communication using a specific communication system such as HSDPA and HSUPA, with priority, and a communication system selection method thereof. The mobile station for performing communication using a specific communication system includes: a transmission/reception unit for receiving broadcast information from a plurality of communication base stations; an acquisition unit for acquiring a plurality of pieces of cell information on cells which the mobile station can camp on and on a communication systems which can be used in the cells; and a control unit for selecting one cell where the specific communication system can be used from the plurality of pieces of cell information acquired by the acquisition unit, and performing processing for the mobile station to camp on this cell. By using this mobile station, communication using a specific communication system such as HSDPA or HSUPA can be performed with priority. |
| US08135398B2 |
Method and apparatus for multimedia communications with different user terminals
Multimedia communications with cross-layer optimization in multimedia communications with different user terminals. Various optimization for the delivery of multimedia content across different channels are provided concurrently to a plurality of user terminals. |
| US08135395B2 |
Methods and apparatus for monitoring configurable performance levels in a wireless device
Apparatus and methods may include a performance module operable to monitor and generate performance statistics on a wireless device based on a received monitoring configuration. In some aspects, the wireless device may forward the performance statistics to another device upon meeting predetermined threshold parameters. The performance statistics may be utilized to generate a performance report viewable by an authorized user. |
| US08135393B2 |
System and method for transactional application lifecycle management for mobile devices
The present disclosure relates to networks and lifecycle transaction management of mobile devices. There is provided a system and method for managing the lifecycle of applications on mobile devices. The system has components for implementing a method comprising the steps of creating a transaction context comprising a transaction command, sending the transaction context in a transaction context message to a plurality of mobile devices, and evaluating an ending scenario based on transaction statuses of the plurality of mobile devices. |
| US08135392B2 |
Managing notification service connections and displaying icon badges
A method and apparatus to manage notification service connections. In one embodiment of the invention, a mobile device schedules a notification service connection message transmission interval for each of a plurality of notification service connections. The mobile device also associates a notification service connection message transmission window with each notification service connection message transmission interval. The mobile device synchronizes transmission of notification service connection messages based on overlapping notification service connection message transmission windows. Responsive to receiving a notification message on one of the notification service connections, an icon badge is displayed on the mobile device for the appropriate application. |
| US08135388B1 |
Managing communication network capacity
A system is provided for managing communication network capacity. The system includes a processor, a data store, an analysis component, and a message component. The data store stores information associated with communication metrics for customers. The analysis component, when executed by the processor, determines a mean and a standard deviation for the communication metrics based on the stored information. The analysis component also determines whether the stored information associated with communication metrics for one of the customers is a predefined number of the standard deviation from the mean for more than a predefined number of days. The message component, when executed by the processor, sends a message to the one of the customers in response to a determination that stored information associated with the communication metrics for the one of the customers is the predefined number of the standard deviation from the mean for more than the predefined number of days. |
| US08135382B1 |
Billing and OAM function integration in a mixed-switching environment
Methods, systems, and media are provided for interfacing components in a wireless telecommunications network. An interface allows for the efficient transfer of data that facilitates billing and operations functions. This data is transferred from proxy gateways to application servers to servers that provide billing functions and operations, administration, and management (OAM) functions. The interface enables the transmission by communicating a mobile switching center code, a proxy identifier, a traffic restriction flag, and a packet data unit type. By aggregating this information at the application server into a useful form for devices used in billing and operations, information technology (IT) overhead for billing and operations systems support is reduced. Also lowered is the congestion present on the network, as fewer links are necessary between servers and proxies. The proxy gateway is situated between a circuit-switched network providing access services and a packet-switched network providing connectivity services. The gateway also is coupled to an application server on the packet-switched network. |
| US08135380B1 |
Location enhancement for emergency service sessions of wireless communication devices
What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication device to handle an emergency service session. The method includes monitoring pilot signals from a plurality of wireless access nodes in a wireless communication network to determine an active set as a subset of the wireless access nodes. The method also includes, in response to a request for an emergency service, modifying the active set to identify at least one additional wireless access node from the plurality of wireless access nodes, resulting in a modified active set. The method also includes generating and transferring a request for the emergency service session, transferring the modified active set for delivery to the wireless communication network to assist with determining a location of the wireless communication device, and exchanging communications of the emergency service session with the wireless communication network. |
| US08135379B2 |
Auto-control of radiation power in a portable telecommunication system
A portable telecommunications system (PTS) allows mobility and rapid deployment with minimal on-site configuration. PTS systems exchange multicast packets including location and identification information. A protocol manager sets up these communications channels, manages exchanges between PTS systems, and passes the data to or from internal system nodes. The PTS system detects when another PTS system is operating in close physical proximity and automatically perform actions, such as adjustment of transmission power level, to maintain service to the user base. |
| US08135377B2 |
Attaching location data to a SMS message
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for attaching location data to a SMS message. A system includes a first wireless device configured with a wireless interface operable to communicate with a wireless interface in a first personal navigation device using a Bluetooth wireless protocol, the first personal navigation device configured to attach location data to a SMS message, a second wireless device configured with a wireless interface operable to communicate with a wireless interface in a second personal navigation device using the Bluetooth wireless protocol, the second personal navigation device configured to identify location data attached to the SMS message, and a wireless network enabling communication between the first wireless device and the second wireless device. |
| US08135374B2 |
Frequency converting circuit and receiver
A frequency converting circuit that outputs an output signal obtained by mixing a first input signal and a second input signal, has: a first input terminal to which the first input signal is input; a second input terminal to which the second input signal is input; an output terminal from which the output signal is output; a frequency converting element that has a first input part connected to the first input terminal and an output part connected to the output terminal, restricts the signal input to the first input part according to a signal input to a second input part and outputs the restricted signal to the output part; and a pulse controlling circuit that receives the second input signal via the second input terminal and outputs a pulse signal obtained by restricting the pulses of the second input signal to the second input part of the frequency converting element. |
| US08135373B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus
A wireless communication apparatus includes a local oscillator that generates a plurality of LO (Local Oschillation) signals corresponding to frequencies of a plurality of input RF (Radio Frequency) signals, an accumulator that accumulates the plurality of LO signals generated by the local oscillator to generate an accumulated signal, a mixer that mixes the plurality of RF signals and the accumulated signal generated by the accumulator and to generate a plurality of base band signals, and a first signal processing unit that executes a signal process with respect to the plurality of base band signals generated by the mixer. |
| US08135366B2 |
Wireless communication circuit and wireless communication system
A wireless communication circuit has a second control circuit which reduces the gain of the differential converter when the signal level of the RF signal is at least a specified level and the RF signal includes a disturbing wave of a predetermined level or higher. |
| US08135360B2 |
RFID-tag communication device
An RFID-tag communication device including (a) an antenna from which a transmission signal is transmitted toward an RFID tag and through which a reply signal transmitted from the RFID tag in response to the transmission signal is received, for radio communication with the RFID tag, (b) a first-cancel-signal output portion operable to generate a digital first cancel signal for suppressing a leakage signal from a received signal which is received through the antenna and which contains the leakage signal as well as the rely signal, the leakage signal being a part of the transmission signal which is transmitted from the antenna and which is returned to and received by the antenna, (c) a first-cancel-signal control portion operable to control an amplitude and/or a phase of the first cancel signal generated by the first-cancel-signal output portion, (d) a first-cancel-signal D/A converting portion operable to convert the first cancel signal generated by the first-cancel-signal output portion, into an analog signal, (e) a first signal combining portion operable to combine together the analog first cancel signal generated by the first-cancel-signal D/A converting portion, and the received signal, to obtain a first composite signal.teh |
| US08135358B1 |
Device, method, and system for extended frequency band communication
A communication device may include a manpack, and a radio removably attached to the manpack, the radio serving as a communications element of the manpack. |
| US08135357B1 |
Integrated transmitter/receiver switch with impedance matching network
A switchable inductor-capacitor-inductor (L-C-L) network, which includes an integrated T/R switch, can advantageously bridge a PA and an LNA of a wireless device. The first inductor can function as an RF choke that provides power to the PA. In one embodiment, the first inductor can be advantageously implemented using the bond wires already attached to the PA, thereby requiring no additional inductors to provide the integrated T/R switch and minimizing use of valuable silicon area. The second inductor can function as a source inductor for and cancel an input parasitic capacitance of the LNA. A set of capacitors can act as blocking capacitors to provide DC isolation between the LNA and the PA, thereby protecting the LNA from high voltages. The L-C-L network can also advantageously function as an impedance matching network for at least one of the PA and the LNA. |
| US08135347B2 |
Electronic apparatus and communication state notification method
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a communication module, a content information acquisition module, and a communication state notification module. The communication module executes close proximity wireless transfer. The content information acquisition module acquires content information about at least one content item to be transmitted between the communication module and an external device by negotiation. The communication state notification module executes either a first communication state notification processing of outputting a start tone indicative of start of transmission of the at least one content item and an end tone indicative of end of transmission of the at least one content item or a second communication state notification processing of suppressing output of the start tone and outputting the end tone, based on the acquired content information, when the at least one content item is transmitted between the communication module and the external device. |
| US08135341B2 |
Radio channel control method and receiving apparatus
A radio channel control method for controlling, in a radio communication system having a transmitter and a receiver, a radio channel from the transmitter toward the receiver. The method includes receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter by the receiver, measuring reception quality of the signal, generating information which indicates increment or decrement of the reception quality, and controlling a modulation or coding for the radio channel based on the information. |
| US08135340B2 |
Method and system for a configurable finite impulse response filter using a transmission line as a delay line
Methods and systems for a configurable finite impulse response (FIR) filter using a transmission line as a delay line are disclosed and may include selectively coupling one or more taps of a multi-tap transmission line to configure delays for one or more finite impulse response (FIR) filters to enable transmission and/or reception of signals. The delays may be configured based on a location of the one or more selectively coupled taps on the multi-tap transmission line. The FIR filters, which may include one or more stages, may be impedance matched to the selectively coupled taps. The multi-tap transmission line may be integrated on the chip, or a package to which the chip is coupled. The multi-tap transmission line may include a microstrip structure or a coplanar waveguide structure, and may include ferromagnetic material. The distortion of signals in the chip may be compensated utilizing the FIR filters. |
| US08135337B2 |
Scheduling in a wireless multi-hop relay network
A wireless relaying network having a number of network nodes including a designated originating node, at least one relaying node, and at least two receiving nodes. The designated originating node transmits a pilot signal, and the relaying node(s) receives and forwards the pilot signal to the receiving nodes, each of which measures channel quality based on the received pilot signal. At least part of the receiving nodes feed information on the measured channel quality all the way back to the designated originating node, and the originating node then schedules data for transmission to at least one selected node of the receiving nodes based on the received channel quality information. Subsequently, the designated originating node transmits data to the selected receiving node(s) via the same relaying node(s) that forwarded the pilot signal. In this way, multi-user diversity scheduling is introduced to relaying networks that provides significant data rate enhancements. |
| US08135322B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes a heat member, a belt member, a belt support member, a first rotation member, a second rotation member, and a separation contact mechanism. The belt member is heated by the heat member. The belt support member operably supports the belt member. The first rotation member tightly stretches the belt member with the belt support member. The second rotation member is disposed opposite to the first rotation member through the belt member. The separation contact mechanism makes the heat member to contact the belt member when the first rotation member rotates, and makes the heat member separate from the belt member when the first rotation member halts. |
| US08135318B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and secondary transfer unit
An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer section configured to transfer a reversed image based on a read original image onto an image carrier as a toner image, a secondary transfer roller configured to come into contact with the image carrier and transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, a secondary transfer roller housing section configured to house the secondary transfer roller, a lubricant coating brush configured to come into contact with the secondary transfer roller and coat lubricant on the secondary transfer roller, a lubricant coating brush housing section configured to house the lubricant coating brush and be movable along a groove formed on the secondary transfer roller housing section, a solid lubricant configured to be housed in the lubricant coating brush housing section and supply lubricant to the lubricant coating brush, and a lubricant holding member configured to elastically hold the solid lubricant. |
| US08135316B2 |
Development roller, development device, process cartridge and image forming device
An image forming device comprises a process cartridge. The process cartridge comprises a development roller. The development roller comprises a magnet roller and a developing sleeve 132. The magnet roller is fixed. The depressions 139 each having an oval shape are formed on the external surface of the developing sleeve 132. Both ends of the depressions 139 which are adjacent with each other along the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve 132 are overlapped with each other and both ends of the depressions 139 which are adjacent with each other along the circumferential direction of the developing sleeve 132 are spaced with each other. |
| US08135314B2 |
Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus, method of developing latent image
A developing device includes a first screw that supplies a developer to a developing roller while agitating/conveying the developer in a first direction, and a screw that collects residual developer from the developing roller, agitates/conveys the residual developer in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and delivers the residual developer to the first screw. Between two points that a magnetic flux density in a normal direction of a magnetic field formed in a developer separating magnetic pole in the developing roller become substantially zero, a point at a downstream side in a rotating direction of the developing roller is formed at an upstream side to a developing roller rotating direction, than a line joining the center of the developing roller and the center of the second screw. |
| US08135313B2 |
Powder transport screw, and development device, process unit and image-forming apparatus comprising this powder transport screw
A toner transport screw that is capable of maintaining a smooth and stable transport function. The toner transport screw, in which a helical blade is disposed on the circumference of a rotating shaft, has at least one spiral direction reversal part formed by connecting the respective ends of a first blade part and a second blade part, the directions of spiral of the first blade part and the second blade part being in opposite directions. A passage, which allows the toner to pass through the blades in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft, is formed in the spiral direction reversal part. |
| US08135309B2 |
Compact, long life charging device
A coronode charging device includes a support member, a filament, an adjustment mechanism and a voltage source. The lament is disposed along the support member in a configuration that creates a plurality of active regions and a plurality of inactive regions of the filament. The active regions are simultaneously positionable adjacent the photoreceptor. The inactive regions may be farther from the photoreceptor than the active regions. The adjustment mechanism moves the filament such that portions of the filament that correspond to the active regions are moved to positions that correspond to the inactive regions, and some portions of the filament that were in the inactive regions are moved to positions that correspond to the active regions. This operations extends the life of the coronode charging device. |
| US08135305B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus detachably mounts a cartridge and forms an image on a recording material. The apparatus includes a cartridge positioning portion, a movable member movable between a first position for positioning the cartridge to the positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of the apparatus, and a retracted position, for permitting cartridge main-assembly mounting in a cartridge longitudinal direction. The movable member has an urging member urging the cartridge to the positioning portion when the movable member takes the first position. Also provided is a guiding member movable relative to the movable member to take a guide position guiding the cartridge when the movable member takes the retracted position and a position retracted from the guide position away from the cartridge when the movable member takes the first position. |
| US08135303B2 |
Image forming apparatus for preventing contamination of a backside of a recording medium
In an image forming apparatus, when backside contamination of a recording material occurs, a control portion carries out control so that a plurality of restoring toner bands having a length L1 longer than a circumference L3 of a secondary transfer roller is formed at an interval L2 at positions in which the restoring toner bands can overlap with control images with respect to a longitudinal direction of the secondary transfer roller and then is transferred onto the secondary transfer roller through an intermediary transfer belt. The restoring toner bands transferred onto the secondary transfer roller stagnate on a fur brush rubbing against the secondary transfer roller to remove an electric discharge product deposited on the secondary transfer roller. The toner stagnating on the fur brush is inverted in charge polarity and then is re-transferred onto the intermediary transfer belt through the secondary transfer roller. The toner stagnates on a belt cleaning device to remove the electric discharge product also from the intermediary transfer belt. |
| US08135289B2 |
Image formation apparatus, image formation system and component
An image formation apparatus includes a receiving unit that is removably receiving a component, a determination unit that determines the acceptability of the component received in the receiving unit, and a control unit that, if the determination unit does not confirm the acceptability of the component, provides a notification and stops at least a portion of the image forming function at a predetermined time, after providing the notification. |
| US08135288B2 |
System and method for a photonic system
A photonic system and method are provided. The system includes an optical source configured to generate a carrier signal; and a modulator configured to modulate the carrier signal with a radio frequency, (“RF”) input signal to generate a modulated signal. The system also includes an optical filter configured to filter the modulated signal to generate a vestigial sideband modulated signal; and an optical detector configured to demodulate the vestigial sideband signal to generate an RF output signal. The system further includes a wavelength controller module configured to set an operating parameter of the optical source. |
| US08135285B2 |
Optical transmission system and method
An optical transmission system for performing frequency synchronization even with a client signal with low frequency accuracy, and for transmitting thereof by accommodating/multiplexing without causing a bit slip. A new overhead is added to the entire client signal, and the signal including the new overhead being stuffed is transmitted in conjunction with a plurality of stuffing bits as an optical signal wherein a data storing bit for a negative stuffing, a stuffing information notification bit, and a stuff bits inserting bit for a positive stuffing in the payload are defined in plurality as stuffing bits for adjusting clock frequencies of the client signal in this new overhead. |
| US08135283B2 |
Clock recovery with channel coefficients
In a coherent optical receiver of an optical communications network, a method of recovering a clock signal from a high speed optical signal received through an optical link. A set of compensation vectors are adaptively computed for compensating Inter-symbol Interference (ISI) due to at least polarization impairments of the optical signal. A channel delay is estimated based on the computed compensation vectors. The estimated channel delay is subtracted from the computed compensation vectors to generate corresponding modified compensation vectors. Finally, the modified compensation vectors are used to derive a recovered clock signal. |
| US08135282B2 |
Fiberoptic transceiver module with integral status indicators
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to an optical transceiver module having a status indicator assembly, wherein the status indicator assembly is configured to visually display the operational status of the transceiver transmitter and receiver components. The operational status is accessible while the transceiver operates in conjunction with an external host and may be ascertained in real time without interrupting normal transceiver operation or suspending the transmission of data over optical fibers. |
| US08135279B2 |
OFDM direct detection using a balanced receiver
A receiver for demodulating optical OFDM signals may detect an optical OFDM signal that includes a carrier and data subcarriers by optically splitting the carrier from the subcarriers using a frequency selective filter and then recombining the carrier and the subcarriers using an optical coupler and balanced detector. |
| US08135278B2 |
Bidirectional wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network
Provided is a bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) which includes a central office (CO) that transmits and receives multiplexed optical signals, a remote node (RN) that communicates with the CO, receives a multiplexed optical signal to demultiplex, and receives a demultiplexed optical signal to multiplex, an optical network unit (ONU) that transmits and receives demultiplexed optical signals to and from the RN, operational and protective backbone optical fibers that connect the CO to the RN, and operational and protective distribution optical fibers that connect the RN to the ONU. The ONU transmits and receives optical signals through the operational distribution optical fiber and the operational backbone optical fiber, and, where a failure occurs in the operational distribution optical fiber or the operational backbone optical fiber, the ONU transmits and receives optical signals through the protective distribution optical fiber and the protective backbone optical fiber. |
| US08135277B2 |
Delayed optical router/switch
A system, method, and apparatus for delayed optical router based on slow light and nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes are presented, in which three laser pulses interact with a three-level nonlinear optical medium composing two closely spaced ground states and an excited state. The delayed optical routing mechanism is based on a slow light phenomenon, in which a group velocity of an incoming input signal pulse is slowed down due to quantum coherence induced refractive index change. The two-photon coherence induced on the ground states via electromagnetically induced transparency is optically recovered via nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes. The nondegenerate four-wave mixing generation is enhanced owing to absorption cancellation. In this case, the individual pulse switching/routing time is limited by the coherence decay time that is much faster than population decay time, where the population decay-time is a limiting factor of conventional switching devices. In the present invention of the delayed optical router the overall switching/routing time, however, is controlled to be delayed by using the slow light. Even though the overall switching/routing time can be delayed, the switching bandwidth of the present invention is not degraded at all because the input and output signal's group velocity across the delayed optical router is still same. Therefore, the present invention of the delayed optical router gives an advantage of wide-bandwidth optical data traffic control using a narrow-bandwidth processing unit such as an electronic device. Another advantage is signal amplifications owing to the dark-resonance enhanced nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes. |
| US08135275B2 |
Measuring chromatic dispersion in an optical wavelength channel of an optical fiber link
Two intensity modulated test signals are generated with precise frequency offset from a single laser source, and multiplexed into a combined test signal. The two modulated signals are demultiplexed at a receiver using a fixed periodic optical filter with complementary output ports. Group velocity dispersion/chromatic dispersion is measured over a large dynamic range, using pseudo-random intensity modulation and digital demodulation techniques. |
| US08135272B2 |
Sub mirror and image pick-up apparatus having the same
An image pick-up apparatus which is capable of increasing an AF area is provided. The image pick-up apparatus includes a photographing lens to focus light received from a subject, a main mirror that passes a portion of light passing through the photographing lens and that reflects the remaining portion of the light, an auto focus module to detect the state of focus the photographing lens and a sub-mirror having a plurality of reflective areas that reflect respectively divided portions of the light passing through the main mirror and that guide the divided light portions to the auto focus module. |
| US08135269B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An optical device includes a shooting optical system including an AF lens, an AF lens driving apparatus for driving the AF lens, a detection unit for detecting a defocus amount corresponding to a difference between an image pickup position of an object and an imaging position of the object which is formed by the shooting optical system, and a control unit for drive-controlling the AF lens driving apparatus to reduce the defocus amount. The control unit detects a shooting magnification of the shooting optical system and changes a method of controlling the AF lens driving apparatus to reduce the defocus amount based on the shooting magnification. |
| US08135268B2 |
Lens control apparatus, optical apparatus and lens control method
The optical apparatus includes a focus signal generator generating a focus signal from a photoelectrical conversion signal of an optical image formed by an optical system including a first lens unit for zooming and a second lens unit for focusing, a memory storing data indicating a relationship between positions of the first and second lens units, the data being generated for each predetermined in-focus distance. The controller moves the second lens unit in infinite and close directions. The controller changes a movement amount of a center position of the movement of the second lens unit in the infinite and close directions according to at least one selected from information on an operation of the optical system, information on a state of the optical system, and information on a photoelectric conversion operation of the optical image. |
| US08135264B2 |
Multimedia visual progress indication system
A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period. |
| US08135261B1 |
Insertion and usage of metadata in digital video
Some embodiments provide a method of capturing digital video. According to this method, the digital video is received at a first rate. The received digital video includes metadata. The method uses the metadata to store the digital video at a second rate that is different from the first rate. In some embodiments, the first rate is an encoded rate, while the second rate is the digital video's native shooting rate (i.e., the rate that a camera originally shot the digital video). The digital video's native shooting rate can be any arbitrary rate up to, but not including, the encoded rate. Examples of the second native rate include (1) 24 fps for an encoded 25 or 30 fps video stream, (2) 30 fps for an encoded 60 fps video stream, (3) 42 fps for an encoded 60 fps video stream, etc. Some embodiments provide a method of outputting digital video from a computer. From a storage structure of the computer, this method retrieves a video clip. In this video clip, the method embeds a metadata structure and records a set of metadata in this structure. The method then outputs the video clip with the embedded metadata. |
| US08135260B1 |
Video generation system
Described is a video generation system that allows a user to be filmed and merged into a premade video sequence. The system is configured to receive a video having a plurality of characters, each character having a corresponding audio track. A user can remove one of characters and corresponding audio track from the video, leaving remaining characters and remaining audio track. The video with the remaining characters and remaining audio track is then played on a display. Using a sensor and microphone, a user video image and corresponding user audio track is received. The user video image and user audio track is recorded as it is received while the video with remaining characters and corresponding audio track is played on the display. Thus, once merged, the user video image and user audio track can be played along with the video with the remaining characters and the remaining audio track. |
| US08135257B2 |
Structures for managing and mounting cable assemblies
Furcation management structures and fiber optic shelf assemblies including one or more furcation management structures are disclosed. The furcation management structures are disposed in a chassis of a fiber optic shelf assembly and define a mounting surface for mounting at least one furcation body of a fiber optic cable assembly thereto. The furcation management structure may allow the fiber optic shelf assemblies to provide a greater density of fiber optic cable assemblies to support high density fiber optic equipment. Moreover, the furcation management structures provides the craft with an organized mounting structure that is relatively quick and easy to remove, rearrange, and/or reconfigure. |
| US08135248B2 |
Opto-electric hybrid board and manufacturing method thereof
An opto-electric hybrid board which includes an optical waveguide portion 2, an electric circuit board 1, and optical elements mounted on this electric circuit board 1. In the optical waveguide portion 2, a linear core 22 for an optical path and protruding alignment marks 24 for positioning of the optical elements and each having a surface formed with a recessed portion 24a for identification are formed on a surface of a translucent under cladding layer 21. The above-mentioned core 22 is covered with an over cladding layer 23. The above-mentioned alignment marks 24 are covered with a translucent resin film 25 so that the recessed portion 24a of each of the above-mentioned alignment marks 24 is formed as a hollow portion A filled with air. |
| US08135247B2 |
Packaged sensors and harsh environment systems with packaged sensors
A fiber sensor package is disclosed. The fiber sensor package includes an interconnection between a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber within a tubing such that the first and second optical fibers are at least partially disposed within that tubing. A bonding material is disposed across an edge of the interconnection around at least a part of the circumferential surfaces of the first and second fibers, holds rigid the interconnection of the first and second optical fibers. The methods of preparing the package, and the examples of systems benefiting from the fiber sensor package of this invention are also described. |
| US08135245B2 |
Fiber optic sensing system
A fiber optic sensing system comprises a housing disposed in a flow path, and a fiber optic sensor. The fiber optic sensor comprises an optical fiber secured in the housing, a Bragg grating, a light source for transmitting light to the optical fiber, and a detector for detecting light filtered by the Bragg grating of the optical fiber and monitoring wavelength changes of the detected light. The fiber is substantially perpendicular to the flow path. The housing defines an opening at an upstream side to allow flow through the flow path to exert a pressure on the optical fiber and cause a deformation of the Bragg grating. |
| US08135240B2 |
Image searching device, method and recording medium
An image searching device including a database, a user interface, a search unit, and an output unit. The search unit includes a data management unit configured to manage data on a model to be searched and acquired from the database and create an image to be displayed on a screen of the user interface; a determination unit configured to determine and extract parts each having a boundary included in a closed region as candidate parts; a part selection unit configured to display single images of the candidate parts on the screen of the user interface to enable selection of a target part; and an image switching unit configured to create data on a part emphasis frame and switch the screen displayed on the user interface from the single images of the candidate parts to a full image in which the target part is highlighted with the part emphasis frame. |
| US08135236B2 |
System and method for re-locating an object in a sample on a slide with a microscope imaging device
A method of re-locating an object in a sample is provided for a previously-scanned slide having determined objects each with corresponding stored coordinates and a stored image, the objects being mapped relative to each other. The slide is positioned on a microscope stage, stored images of the objects are visually displayed, and a target object is selected. The slide is moved to an estimated coordinate position, corresponding to the coordinates of the target object, and a field-of-view image of the sample is captured for comparison to the stored image of the target. If the target is in the image, an offset between actual coordinates of the located target and the stored coordinates of the corresponding object is determined. The slide is then moved, via the stage, from the estimated coordinate position, according to the offset, to center the target in the image. Associated systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08135233B2 |
Method and apparatus for the restoration of degraded multi-channel images
An imager and method for operating the imager. The imager comprises a pixel array for producing an image signal and an image processor configured to restore images degraded by inter-channel degradations and intra-channel degradations in all channels of the image simultaneously by diagonalizing an image degradation matrix and componentizing the diagonalized image degradation matrix and multi-channel image. |
| US08135232B2 |
Image evaluation apparatus, image evaluation method, computer readable medium and computer data signal
An image evaluation apparatus includes a pixel extraction unit, an intra-pair difference calculation unit, an inter-pair difference calculation unit and an evaluation unit. The pixel extraction unit extracts, from an input image, a pixel region including a pair of block-boundary pixels in a boundary position of coding blocks and a pair of non-block-boundary pixels in a position other than the boundary position. The intra-pair difference calculation unit calculates a difference between the extracted pair of block-boundary pixels as a first difference, and a difference between the extracted pair of non-block-boundary pixels as a second difference. The inter-pair difference calculation unit calculates a difference between the first difference and the second difference as an amount of block distortion of the extracted pixel region. The evaluation unit evaluates an amount of block distortion of the input image based on the calculated amount of block distortion of the extracted pixel region. |
| US08135225B2 |
Method for coding RGB color space signal
A method for coding an RGB color space signal is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a base plane is encoded using an independent mode, and an enhanced plane is encoded by referring to the base plane without converting the RGB color space signal into YCbCr color space signal to reduce a redundancy between RGB planes and improve a compression ratio of an image. |
| US08135223B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method of image processing
An image processing apparatus that generates a code stream that encodes image data and includes a dividing unit that divides the image data into at least one rectangular area, a conversion unit that converts data of the rectangular area into conversion data, an ordering unit that adds the priority order to the conversion data, an encoding unit that rearranges the conversion data based on the priority order and encodes the conversion data into the code stream, and a coupling unit that adds a marker in the header part of the conversion data that identifies the priority order of the conversion data in the code stream. |
| US08135220B2 |
Face recognition system and method based on adaptive learning
A face recognition system based on adaptive learning includes a specific person detection and tracking unit for detecting and tracking a specific person from a moving image. A facial feature extraction unit extracts a plurality of facial feature vectors from the detected and tracked specific person. A face recognition unit searches for a given registration model by comparing the extracted facial feature vectors with facial feature vectors of the registration models previously stored in a user registration model database. A learning target selection unit selects a facial feature vector to be added to a record of the given registration model from among the extracted facial feature vectors. A registration model learning unit adds and updates the selected facial feature vector to the record of the given registration model. |
| US08135217B2 |
Method for optimized camera position finding for system with optical character recognition
The present invention relates to a method for aligning a camera sensor to significant data which is text or barcode data to be recognized comprising the steps of:—capturing an image of the significant data by means of the camera sensor; —detecting a predominant alignment line of the significant data and detecting an angle thereof in relation to a horizontal line of the captured image; —determining image sections within the edge and line enhanced image which contain most likely significant data lines; —selecting a representative image section out of the determined image sections which is aligned with the predominant alignment line; —capturing a following image of the significant data; tracking the representative image section and determining the predominant alignment line out of the representative image section to achieve a fast calculation and audio or tactile feedback of the alignment quality to the user. |
| US08135216B2 |
Systems and methods for unsupervised local boundary or region refinement of figure masks using over and under segmentation of regions
An initial figure mask estimation of an image is generated using a figure ground segmentation system, thereby initially assigning each pixel in the image with a first attribute value or a second attribute value. A JigCut region segmentation of the image is generated. The figure mask estimation is processed with the JigCut region segmentation by (i) classifying the pixels of the image in each respective JigCut region in the JigCut region segmentation with the first attribute value when a predetermined number or a predetermined percentage of the pixels within the respective JigCut region have been initially assigned the first attribute value by the initial figure mask estimation and (ii) classifying the pixels of the image in each respective JigCut region in the JigCut region segmentation with the second attribute value otherwise. |
| US08135215B2 |
Correction of color balance of face images
On the basis of image data representing the area of a face image contained in an image represented by applied image data, a color correction value calculating circuit calculates a color correction value and a color image probability calculating circuit calculates the probability that the area of the face image is a color image. A color correction value adjusting circuit then adjusts the color correction value based upon the probability that the area of the face image is a color image. The adjusted color correction value is used in correction processing in an image correcting circuit. |
| US08135214B2 |
Image processing device and method for correcting a color of a specific area in an image
An image processing device corrects a color of a specific area in a target image into an appropriate color. A representative brightness value represents the specific area in a first color space that has a brightness index value. Representative color component values represent the specific area in a second color space that has no brightness index value and a plurality of color component values. The color of the specific area is corrected based on the representative brightness and color component values. The brightness of the specific area is corrected by modifying the brightness index value in the first color space and the color component values in the second color space. First and second brightness correction degrees are set on the basis of the representative brightness value. |
| US08135209B2 |
Articulated object position and posture estimation device, method and program
An object is to provide an articulated object position and posture estimation device with reduced calculation cost of model fitting for estimating position and posture and with improved estimation speed. A posture model storage section 2 stores data concerning to a posture model with low-dimensional parameters under movement restraint. The low-dimensional parameters are obtained by performing a principal component analysis on time-series postures of an articulated object frame model corresponding to a predetermined limited movement of an articulated object such as human body. A human body position and posture estimation device 101 generates a image of each posture of the articulated object frame model within postures which can be taken by the posture model in a human body model image generating section 4, performs a matching with an estimation target articulated object image in a position and posture estimation section 10, and thus, estimates a posture. |
| US08135208B1 |
Calibrated vision based robotic system utilizing upward and downward looking cameras
A method and apparatus of calibrating a vision based robotic system is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first camera, a second camera, a calibration block having an alignment mark, and a robotic tool having an alignment fiducial. The method includes using the first camera and the calibration block to determine a first camera center position, using the second camera and the calibration block to determine a second camera center position, using the second camera and the robotic tool to determine a robotic tool center position, and calculating a first camera to tool offset value. |
| US08135199B2 |
Method and apparatus of using probabilistic atlas for feature removal/positioning
Methods and apparatuses process images. The method according to one embodiment accesses digital image data representing an image including an object; accesses reference data including a shape model relating to shape variation of objects from a baseline object, the objects and the baseline object being from a class of the object; and removes from the image an element not related to the object, by representing a shape of the object using the shape model. |
| US08135197B2 |
Automatic adaptive soft tissue thresholding for two-pass CT cone-beam artifact reduction
Since the soft tissue levels in an image usually comprise a variety of values between air and bone boundaries, it may not be obvious a priori what threshold value applies. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an examination apparatus is provided which is adapted for determining the optimal weight for subtraction of a soft tissue correction image without performing a multitude of forward and backward projections. This may be provided determining a roughness function based on a plurality of subtractions of the soft tissue streak image, each subtraction corresponding to a different weighting of the streak image. |
| US08135195B2 |
Systems and methods for synchronized image viewing with an image atlas
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for synchronizing a view of a patient image with an atlas image. Certain embodiments provide a method for synchronizing a patient image with an atlas image. The method includes retrieving an image atlas including at least one atlas image, registering an atlas image to a patient image and synchronizing a view of the atlas image to a view of the patient image. In certain embodiments, the method further includes registering a plurality of atlas images to a plurality of patient images. In certain embodiments, the step of synchronizing further includes synchronizing at least one of orientation, zoom level, window level and pan of the atlas image to the patient image. |
| US08135194B2 |
Oral implant template
A method for producing an artifact-corrected image of negative jaw impression in a recipient jaw comprising, forming a negative impression of said recipient jaw, producing a first digital image of said negative jaw impression, producing a second digital image, including said artifacts of said negative jaw impression in said recipient jaw and using said first digital image to produce an artifact-corrected computer representation of said negative impression in said recipient jaw. |
| US08135193B2 |
Displaying anatomical tree structures
A visualization system including a first component (204) that processes volumetric image data indicative of a curved tubular tree structure having a plurality of branches so that the plurality of branches can be concurrently presented within a display window, wherein the volumetric image data is generated from x-ray projections acquired by a medical imaging system, and a second component (208) that concurrently presents the processed data to display the plurality of branches in a first display window and a region of interest identified on one of the branches in a second display window to present the region of interest in a spatial orientation different then that of the plurality of branches. |
| US08135191B2 |
Method and device for automatically detecting collimation edges
A method for automatically detecting a collimation edge or region includes reading an image captured by an X-ray imaging system, detecting intersection points between a foreground and a background and between a foreground and a tissue on the X-ray image, and performing a Hough transform or Radon transform on the detected intersection points to form collimation edge lines interconnecting the foreground and the background, and the foreground and the tissue, respectively. |
| US08135173B2 |
Eye-tracking method and eye-tracking system for implementing the same
An eye-tracking method includes: acquiring an image of an eye of a user captured by an image-capturing module while the user is gazing at a gazing location on a screen module and a pair of light sources emit light toward the eye of the user; determining an angle and an area based on positions of a pupil and two reflected light spots on the eye of the user, wherein the angle and the area correspond to the gazing location; determining coordinates on the screen module based on the angle and the area, wherein the coordinates correspond to the gazing location; and performing an operation associated with the coordinates. An eye-tracking system for implementing the eye-tracking method is also disclosed. A correcting method and a correcting module for the eye-tracking system are further disclosed. |
| US08135172B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method thereof
An image processing apparatus estimates an estimated object region including an object on an input image on the basis of a stored object data, obtains a similarity distribution of the estimated object region and peripheral regions thereof by at least one classifier, and obtains an object region coordinate and a template image on the basis of the similarity distribution. |
| US08135169B2 |
Method for multi-media recognition, data conversion, creation of metatags, storage and search retrieval
This invention relates to an apparatus for capturing data a first capture device interfacing with a primary data source to capture data therefrom for storage into a primary data set. A second capture device is provided interfacing with a secondary data source to capture data therefrom for storage into a secondary data set. An associating device is then operable to associate the converted data set with the primary data set. A data converter converts the data stored in the second data set to a different and converted form as a converted data set. |
| US08135168B2 |
System for embedding data
A method and system for embedding data in video frames is described, the method comprising receiving marking information, representing the marking information as a 2-coordinate vector, denoted ω, where the 2-coordinates are denoted, respectively, α, β, such that ω=(α, β), providing a video frame to be marked, the video frame including a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels being represented as p, where p=(x, y), x and y including coordinates of pixel p, the plurality of pixels being represented as a triad of color elements, denoted, respectively, as R, G, and B, and marking the video frame by transforming each pixel among the plurality of pixels as follows R′(p)=R(p)+R>, G′(p)=G(p)+G>, and B′(p)=B(p)+B>, where R> represents a dot product operation on p and ωR, G> represents a dot product operation on p and ωG, and B> represents a dot product operation on p and ωB. |
| US08135163B2 |
Balanced armature with acoustic low pass filter
A balanced armature apparatus is disclosed that includes dual transducers for generating sound waves in response to electric audio signals. The dual transducers include a motor assembly coupled to a diaphragm. A housing defines an interior chamber and the motor assembly and the diaphragm are positioned within the interior chamber. A pair of acoustic output ports is located in a respective end of the housing. A low pass acoustic filter is in communication with one of the acoustic output ports that is operable to attenuate a predetermined range of frequencies from an audio signal produced by one of the diaphragms. |
| US08135162B2 |
Multiple magnet loudspeaker
A loudspeaker provides increased magnetic flux from multiple magnets to drive voice coils to generate sound. The loudspeaker is formed as a smaller profile and reduced weight package. The loudspeaker includes a dual pole, first and second magnets, first and second front plates, and first and second gaps. The polarities of the first and second magnets are aligned in the same direction. The first and second magnets may be disk or ring-shaped and may be coupled to a flange of the dual pole. The first and second gaps may be formed between the inner diameters of the first and second magnets and the dual pole. The magnetic flux produced by the first and second magnets may be combined, directed, and concentrated within the first and second gaps by the dual pole and the front plates. At least portions of a first and a second voice coil may be positioned within the first and second gaps, respectively, and diaphragms may be coupled to the first and second voice coils. |
| US08135160B2 |
Speaker device and mobile phone
A speaker device includes: a magnetic circuit which includes two magnetic gaps; a diaphragm which is arranged at a position passing through at least the two magnetic gaps and includes a recessed part extending in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to an extending direction of a magnetic flux in the magnetic gaps; and a voice coil, formed into an annular shape, which includes a first parallel part extending in one direction and a second parallel part extending in a direction in parallel with the first parallel part and opposite to the first parallel part with a constant space. Particularly, the first parallel part and the second parallel part are arranged in a direction in parallel with an extending direction of the recessed part, respectively, and the first parallel part and the second parallel part are arranged in the recessed part to be positioned in the two magnetic gaps, respectively. |
| US08135159B2 |
Flat panel display with sliding loudspeaker structure
The present invention discloses a flat panel display with sliding loudspeaker structure. The flat panel display comprises a display body, a sliding rail, and a sliding loudspeaker portion. The loudspeaker portion comprises a loudspeaker body, a sliding member and a connecting portion. By the matching structure of the sliding member and the sliding rail, the effect of allowing a user to freely adjust the loudspeaker body to different positions can be achieved. Besides, by further using the pivot of the loudspeaker body, the present invention allows the user to freely adjust the loudspeaker to different angular positions. Therefore, the problems of an immovably fixed loudspeaker position and angularly non-adjustable loudspeaker sound field on a conventional display are solved. |
| US08135152B2 |
Method and apparatus for envelope detection and enhancement of pitch cue of audio signals
A method and apparatus for detecting an envelope of an audio signal, and a method and apparatus for enhancing the pitch cue of an audio signal perceived by a cochlear implant patient where the audio signal is processed and input to an implant device of the recipient. The methods and apparatuses use techniques such as filtering, rectifying, detecting peak values, sampling, resetting, comparing and multiplying various signals to detect the envelope or enhance the pitch cue of the audio signal. |
| US08135150B2 |
Electret condensor microphone
An electret condenser microphone comprising a metal capsule having a top surface provided with sound receiving holes, a diaphragm, a back electrode plate that faces either one of surfaces of the diaphragm and that is provided separately from the capsule, and an electret layer formed on the back electrode plate or the diaphragm. The diaphragm, the back electrode plate and the electret layer are all mounted inside the capsule. The top surface includes a suctioned portion in its center on which suction force can be applied by a suction-type transporting device, and the sound holes are formed circumferentially around the suctioned portion. |
| US08135149B2 |
Wireless communication device
A wireless communication device includes a speaker grille, a built-in speaker provided behind the speaker grille, and an output amplifier connected to the built-in speaker. A voltage applied to the output amplifier is increased to a level higher than the level of voltage applied to the output amplifier while audio signals are being produced, and instead of the audio signals, low-frequency continuous signals are applied to the output amplifier. By increasing the voltage applied to the output amplifier to a level higher than the level of voltage applied to the output amplifier while audio signals are being produced, the amplitude of the voltage applied to the speaker is increased. Also, instead of the audio signals, low-frequency continuous signals are applied to the output amplifier so that the speaker produces a higher sound pressure than while audio signals are being produced to discharge water in the speaker grille under the sound pressure. |
| US08135148B2 |
Automatic gain control for mobile microphone
An automatic gain control unit controls the gain applied to an input signal produced by a microphone subject to ambient noise. The automatic gain control circuit continually monitors the signal level of said input signal. A first gain control circuit decreases the gain applied to the input signal in increments of a first size when the input signal exceeds a first predetermined level. A second gain control circuit increases the gain applied to said input signal in increments of a smaller size when the input signal falls below a second predetermined level and in response to the presence of a speech present signal. The second predetermined level is less than said first predetermined level. In one embodiment, the first gain control circuit controls the analog gain of a codec and the second gain control circuit controls the digital gain of the codec. |
| US08135147B2 |
Method and device for adjusting audio volume level
A method and device for adjusting an audio volume level, are discussed. In an embodiment of the method, the volume steps of at least one preferred volume range and the volume steps of remaining volume ranges are set to be different from each other. The preferred volume range may be determined based on two boundary volume levels input by a user or may be determined based on collected volume data indicating use by the user. |
| US08135141B2 |
Audio signal transmitting apparatus, audio signal receiving apparatus, audio signal transmission system, audio signal transmission method, and program
There is provided an audio signal transmitting apparatus including: a channel mapping unit which determines the audio signals allocated to each of the channels and generates channel mapping information representing types of the audio signals allocated to each of the channels; an audio signal transmitting unit which transmits the audio signals allocated to each of the channels by the channel mapping unit to the external connection apparatuses by a first transmitting scheme or a second transmitting scheme; and a connection management information providing unit which provides connection management information including the channel mapping information and transmitting scheme information representing the transmitting scheme of the audio signals to the external connection apparatuses. |
| US08135139B2 |
Frequency transposition applications for improving spatial hearing abilities of subjects with high-frequency hearing losses
A method of configuring a frequency transposition scheme for transposing a set of received frequencies of an audio signal received by a hearing aid worn by a subject to a transposed set of frequencies, wherein the method comprises determining at least one subject-dependent parameter indicative of the subject's ability to detect audio frequencies, and at least one subject-dependent parameter indicative of the location in frequency of one or more spectral cues, configuring a subject-dependent frequency transposition scheme based on the determined subject-dependent parameters, the subject-dependent frequency transposition scheme being configured so as to improve the subject's spatial hearing capabilities, and adapting the hearing aid to perform the configured subject-dependent frequency transposition scheme. |
| US08135133B2 |
Digital data file encryption apparatus and method
According to an embodiment, the invention provides a method for decrypting content, the comprising: receiving the content without a source encryption key from a source device connected to the electric reproducing device, the content having been encrypted with the source encryption key in the source device; performing a first addition operation by using a first device internal key and an ID, the first device internal key being associated with the electric reproducing device; generating a device encryption key based on an output of the first addition operation and a second device internal key by using a predetermined encryption algorithm, wherein the second device internal key is associated with the electric reproducing device; decrypting the content using the device encryption key; decoding the decrypted content; and outputting the decoded content. |
| US08135130B2 |
Data encryption apparatus, data converting method, data converting program, recording medium and integrated circuit
The data encryption apparatus with a data converting unit splits 256-bit input data into 32-bit data blocks A1, B1, A2, and B2. A first combining unit performs an exclusive OR operation on A1 and B1, and on A2 and B2. A first scramble unit branches A1, A2, and the results of the exclusive OR operations (C1 and C2) into three data blocks each, and for each set of three data blocks, shift-rotates two of the data blocks and combines the shifted data blocks with the remaining data block. A second combining unit performs an exclusive OR operation on D1 and E2, and on D2 and E1, which are the results of the processing performed by the first scramble unit. A block concatenating unit concatenates the results of the operations performed by the second combining unit. A second scramble unit branches the concatenated data into three data blocks, shift-rotates two of the data blocks and combines the two shifted data blocks with the remaining data block. |
| US08135129B2 |
Protection of a modular exponentiation calculation performed by an integrated circuit
A method and a circuit for protecting a numerical quantity contained in an integrated circuit on a first number of bits, in a modular exponentiation computing of a data by the numerical quantity, including: selecting at least one second number included between the unit and said first number minus two; dividing the numerical quantity into at least two parts, a first part including, from the bit of rank null, a number of bits equal to the second number, a second part including the remaining bits; for each part of the quantity, computing a first modular exponentiation of said data by the part concerned and a second modular exponentiation of the result of the first by the FIG. 2 exponentiated to the power of the rank of the first bit of the part concerned; and computing the product of the results of the first and second modular exponentiations. |
| US08135122B1 |
System and method for modifying communication information (MCI)
A computer for processing a call originated by a call originator to a call target. The computer includes memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code and processor for executing the program code stored in the memory. The program code includes code for processing a telephone number of the call target, code for accessing a database storing a plurality of outgoing telephone numbers, code for identifying one of the plurality of outgoing telephone numbers based on the telephone number of the call target, and code for originating the outbound call to the call target and including the identified outgoing telephone number into a caller ID field of the outbound call. |
| US08135120B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling restriction on call connections
Restriction on call connections is controlled by grouping a plurality of terminals. One or more groups each including one or more terminals are provided. Each of the one or more groups is associated with the maximum number of calling terminals and a group restriction relaxing ratio indicating a relaxing degree of restriction with respect to a predetermined normal restriction ratio. Restriction on a call connection of a terminal belonging to a group is controlled on the basis of a group restriction ratio assigned to the group when the number of terminals being making phone calls is less than the maximum number of calling terminals that is provided for the group. The group restriction ratio is calculated using the predetermined normal restriction ratio and the group restriction relaxing ratio associated with the group. |
| US08135109B2 |
Direct radiation converter
A direct radiation converter is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the direct radiation converter is operated using a direct conversion element having a temperature of at least 38° C. and at most 55° C., and designed for detecting X-ray radiation. |
| US08135108B2 |
Nuclear power station comprising at least one high temperature reactor
The invention relates to a nuclear power station comprising: at least one high temperature reactor; a storage installation (14) for fuel elements (5); means (32) for transferring the fuel elements (5) between the core (4) and the storage installation (14). According to the invention, the transfer means (32) comprise a tunnel (34) for transferring the fuel elements between the reactor core (4) and the storage installation (14). |
| US08135107B2 |
Canister apparatus and basket for transporting, storing and/or supporting spent nuclear fuel
A canister apparatus, basket apparatus and combinations thereof for transporting and/or storing high level radioactive waste, such as spent nuclear fuel. The canister apparatus comprises a cavity for receiving the spent nuclear fuel that is surrounded by two independent gas-tight containment boundaries. The structures that form the two independent gas-tight containment boundaries are in substantially continuous surface contact with one another, thereby facilitating sufficient heat removal from the cavity. In another aspect, the invention is a basket apparatus having a plurality of disk-like grates arranged in a stacked and spaced arrangement so that the cells of the disk-like grates are aligned. In still another aspect, the invention can be a basket apparatus having a disk-like grate having a ring-like structure encompassing a gridwork of beams specially arranged to achieve a unique cell configuration. |
| US08135105B2 |
Circuit for correcting an output clock frequency in a receiving device
An output clock correction circuit (14) for correcting a frequency of an output clock in a receiving device (13) that receives data (16) and a time stamp component (18) includes an output clock feedback loop (20), a FIFO buffer (22) and a time stamp adjuster (24). The output clock feedback loop (20) adjusts a phase and/or a frequency of the output clock based at least partially on the time stamp component (18). The FIFO buffer (22) temporarily stores the data (16). The time stamp adjuster (24) selectively adjusts the time stamp component (18) based on a status of the FIFO buffer (22). In one embodiment, the status is based at least in part on an actual data level in the FIFO buffer (22). In another embodiment, the FIFO buffer (22) has a target data level range, and the time stamp adjuster (24) adjusts the time stamp component (18) when the actual data level in the FIFO buffer (22) is outside this range. The time stamp adjuster (24) can adjust the time stamp component (18) by an amount that is based on a calculation, or an amount that is determined from a lookup table. |
| US08135102B2 |
Method and apparatus for digitally equalizing a signal in a distributed antenna system
Systems and methods for digitally equalizing a signal in a distributed antenna system are provided. In one embodiment, a signal processing device within a distributed antenna system comprises a signal path within a signal processing board, the signal path having an uncompensated distortion function of G(ω) with a system response represented by y(n); and a compensator coupled to the signal path, the compensator having a finite impulse response (FIR) filter with an impulse response function represented by H(ω), the compensator having an FIR filter parameter vector {right arrow over (h)} determined from an estimated system response y(n) of the signal path to an input comb signal x(n), wherein y(n) is estimated from interpolated measured output responses of the signal path to a plurality of frequency sweep signal test inputs. |
| US08135097B2 |
Sequential tracking and offline demodulation in receiver
An apparatus and method for tracking a desired signal by sequentially tracking the desired signal with a variable integration time, performing automatic frequency control of the desired signal, and demodulating the desired signal using offline software. In one aspect, the automatic frequency control is performed using the offline software. In one aspect, the desired signal is from a GPS satellite. |
| US08135094B2 |
Receiver I/Q group delay mismatch correction
A device for minimizing group delay mismatch in a quadrature receiver (402) having an in-phase channel and a quadrature-phase channel. The device includes a microprocessor (465) for determining an I/Q phase imbalance between digital signals on an in-phase channel and digital signals on a quadrature-phase channel, and for calculating a group delay mismatch between the in-phase channel and the quadrature-phase channel, and a group delay equalizer (426). The group delay equalizer includes a delay line (505 and 605) for delaying one of the in-phase channel and the quadrature-phase channel by one of a plurality of delays, based on an amount of group delay mismatch. |
| US08135089B2 |
Digital transmission apparatus
A digital transmission apparatus having a base unit constructed in such a manner that n-bit digital signals transmitted from a plurality of (N) remote units are extended into (n+log2N) bits in corresponding bit extending units, with respect to an addition result in an adding unit, an arithmetic operation of (2n−1−1)/|addition result| is executed in a gain arithmetic operating unit, when an arithmetic operation result is smaller than “1”, the arithmetic operation result is set into a gain coefficient, when the arithmetic operation result is equal to or larger than “1”, “1” is set into the gain coefficient, further, the addition result is multiplied by the gain in a multiplying unit, and a bit contraction for discarding upper log2 N bits excluding a sign bit and returning to n bits is executed in a bit contracting unit. |
| US08135088B2 |
Pilot transmission and channel estimation for a communication system utilizing frequency division multiplexing
A transmitter generates a pilot having a constant time-domain envelope and a flat frequency spectrum based on a polyphase sequence. To generate a pilot IFDMA symbol, a first sequence of pilot symbols is formed based on the polyphase sequence and replicated multiple times to obtain a second sequence of pilot symbols. A phase ramp is applied to the second pilot symbol sequence to obtain a third sequence of output symbols. A cyclic prefix is appended to the third sequence of output symbols to obtain an IFDMA symbol, which is transmitted in the time domain via a communication channel. The pilot symbols may be multiplexed with data symbols using TDM and/or CDM. A pilot LFDMA symbol may also be generated with a polyphase sequence and multiplexed using TDM or CDM. A receiver derives a channel estimate based on received pilot symbols and using minimum mean-square error, least-squares, or some other channel estimation technique. |
| US08135085B2 |
Method of transmitting using phase shift-based precoding and an apparatus for implementing the same in a wireless communication system
According to one embodiment, a method for transmitting signals to a receiver, performed by a transmitter including a plurality of antennas, includes: selecting a precoding matrix based on a multiplexing rate (R) by selecting R column vectors from a single matrix corresponding to a maximum multiplexing rate, wherein each column vector of a first precoding matrix corresponding to a first multiplexing rate is included as a part of column vectors of a second precoding matrix corresponding to a second multiplexing rate when the second multiplexing rate is greater than the first multiplexing rate; precoding the signals using the selected precoding matrix; and transmitting the precoded signals to the receiver. |
| US08135084B2 |
Multiantenna receiving device
A multiantenna receiving device is provided to make it possible to cope with both improvement in error rate characteristic and simplification in structure. The multiantenna receiving device is comprised of soft judgement output units (520_A, 522_A, 524_B, 526_B) for carrying out a soft judgement of a modulation signal in accordance with signal point distances between a plurality of candidate signal points with respect to a plurality of multiplexed modulation signals and a receiving signal, decoding units (528_A, 528_B) for obtaining digital data of the modulation signals by using the judged results obtained by the soft judgement output units (520_A, 522_A, 524_B, 526_B), and signal point decreasing units (512_YA, 512_XA, 514_YA, 514_XA, 516_YB, 516_XB, 518_YB, 518_XB) for decreasing the number of the candidate signal points used in the soft judgement output units (520_A, 522_A, 524_B, 526_B) by recursively using a part of the digital data except self-modulation signals obtained by the decoding units (528_A, 528_B). |
| US08135083B2 |
Codebook method for a multiple input multiple output wireless system
A method for wireless encoding includes encoding wireless multiple input and multiple output signals in accordance with a codebook being one of a discrete codebook restricting elements of codebook entries to be within a predetermined finite set of complex numbers and a constant amplitude codebook including each entry in its codebook having equal column norm and equal row norm. In a preferred embodiment the digital codebook further includes restricting elements of a finite set in the discrete codebook to be in the form of ka+jkb for a base-k computer and the constant amplitude codebook further includes being obtained through a series of successive householder transformations. In a preferred embodiment the codebook is configured as one of a constrained codebook in which the codebook is configured for multiple scenarios and a discrete codebook. |
| US08135079B2 |
Apparatus and method of estimating signal-to-noise ratio
The present invention relates an apparatus and method of estimating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a received signal when the received signal has a timing offset. An apparatus for estimating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a fast Fourier transform (FFT) unit that performs a fast Fourier transform on a received signal to convert the received signal into a frequency domain signal; a preamble selector that extracts a preamble from the frequency domain signal; a correlator that correlates the preamble to a preamble reference signal generated by a receiver to calculate a correlation value; an entire power estimator that calculates entire power; a noise power estimator that applies a differential demodulation method to the correlation value to remove a timing offset and calculate noise power; and an estimating unit that uses the entire power and the noise power to estimate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). |
| US08135073B2 |
Enhancing video images depending on prior image enhancements
A video stream containing encoded frame-based video information includes a first frame and a second frame. The encoding of the second frame depends on the encoding of the first frame. The encoding includes motion vectors indicating differences in positions between regions of the second frame and corresponding regions of the first frame, the motion vectors defining the correspondence between regions of the second frame and regions of the first frame. The first frame is decoded and a re-mapping strategy for video enhancement of the decoded first frame is determined using a region-based analysis. Regions of the decoded first frame are re-mapped according to the determined video enhancement re-mapping strategy for the first frame so as to enhance the first frame. The motion vectors for the second frame are recovered from the video stream and the second frame is decoded. |
| US08135064B2 |
Intra prediction apparatus
An intra prediction apparatus includes: a candidate narrowing-down unit which narrows down, from a plurality of intra prediction directions, an intra prediction direction candidate which is applied to a block of multiple pixels that constitutes a video in accordance with a characteristic of the video; and an intra prediction execution unit which executes intra prediction in the intra prediction direction narrowed down by said candidate narrowing-down unit. Through this, computational load can be lightened while contributing to improvement in picture quality and encoding efficiency. |
| US08135063B2 |
Rate control method with frame-layer bit allocation and video encoder
A video encoder controlling rate of each frame in a current frame set (Group of Picture, GOP), and method thereof. The video encoder comprises a frame grouping device, a GOP initialization device, and a GOP encoding device. The frame grouping device allocates a target bit budget RGOP to the current frame set. The GOP initialization device is coupled to the frame grouping device, and estimates a first quantization parameter QP1 based on the target bit budget RGOP and complexity of the current frame set. The GOP encoding device is coupled to the GOP initialization device, and encoding a frame in the current frame set with the second quantization parameter QP2 to generate output data. |
| US08135057B2 |
Reconfigurable chip level equalizer architecture
A reconfigurable chip level equalizer having circuitry that restores signal orthogonality and eliminates channel interference for a wireless transmitted signal. In at least some embodiments, the reconfigurable chip level equalizer comprises two or more adaptive equalizers, a plurality of operational blocks that interconnect the two or more adaptive equalizers, and a control mechanism that configures the two or more adaptive equalizers and operational blocks according to different signal delay profiles. |
| US08135055B2 |
I/Q calibration of transmit and receive paths in OFDM FDD communication systems
I/Q gain and phase mismatches of both transmit and receive paths of an OFDM FDD transceiver are simultaneously estimated. An up-converted RF signal is generated when the transmit path performs IQ modulation on a reference signal having a single sideband tone. The up-converted RF signal is sent via a loop-back path to the receive path. A down-converted evaluation signal is generated when the receive path performs IQ demodulation on the up-converted RF signal. The single evaluation signal is used to determine the transmit path gain and phase mismatches and the receive path gain and phase mismatches. The four I/Q mismatches are estimated without using significant hardware nut otherwise used in the regular transmission of data signals. The I/Q mismatches in data signals are corrected by pre-processing the up-converted RF signals and post-processing the down-converted RF signals by adding attenuated components of the in-phase and quadrature-phase signals to each other. |
| US08135047B2 |
Systems and methods for including an identifier with a packet associated with a speech signal
A method for including an identifier with a packet associated with a speech signal is described. A signal is received. The signal is partitioned into a plurality of frames. A frame of the signal is encoded into a packet. A determination is made if the packet is encoded as a wideband packet or a narrowband packet. An identifier is packed in the packet based on the determination. The packet is transmitted. At least two illegal values are provided from an N-bit parameter, wherein at least one bit from the N-bit parameter is used to carry information. A number of bits from the N-bit parameter that are used to carry information is equal to log2(X), wherein X is the number of illegal values provided from the N-bit parameter. |
| US08135046B2 |
Method and apparatus for demultiplexing, merging, and duplicating packetized elementary stream/program stream/elementary stream data
Presented herein are system(s) for demultiplexing, merging, and duplicating packetized elementary stream/program stream/elementary stream data. In one embodiment, there is presented a system for processing data. The system comprises a first circuit and a memory. The first circuit receives transport packets carrying the data. The memory stores data and comprises at least one context. The first circuit maps the data associated with at least one channel to the at least one context. |
| US08135044B2 |
Method for formatting digital broadcast transport stream packet for improved receiving performance, digital broadcast transmitter, and signal processing method thereof
A method of formatting a digital broadcast transport stream packet, a digital broadcast transmitter, and a signal processing method thereof, includes constructing a transport stream packet that includes a stuffing region for an insertion of a known supplementary reference signal (SRS) data therein, randomizing the packet that includes the stuffing region is randomized, and the SRS data is inserted into the stuffing region of the randomized packet. Adding a parity for an error correction to the packet into which the SRS data has been inserted, the packet to which the parity has been added is interleaved, and a trellis encoding of the interleaved packet is performed. Inserting a segment sync signal and a field sync signal into the trellis-encoded packet, and a vestigial side band (VSB) modulation and an RF conversion of the packet are performed to transmit the VSB-modulated and RF-converted packet. |
| US08135041B2 |
Multiple closed captioning flows and customer access in digital networks
There are provided a customer premise equipment (CPE) device, a corresponding method, and a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) for connecting to a digital network. The CPE device includes a user input device for receiving a user input specifying one or more channels for which closed caption (CC) information is sought. The CPE device also includes a decoder for receiving the CC information for the one or more channels specified by the user input. |
| US08135040B2 |
Accelerated channel change
Channel changing can be accelerated by multicasting a bouquet of multicast burst streams from a server. In an example implementation, each multicast burst stream is delayed sufficiently so that a past independent frame is available for delivery to and display by a client device without waiting for a future independent frame. A multicast burst segment of a multicast burst stream includes a portion in which the bandwidth exceeds the nominal data rate of the underlying resource being streamed. The temporal delay between adjacent multicast burst streams in a multicast bouquet is set responsive to a maximum client delay time for tuning to a new resource stream. |
| US08135033B2 |
Method of communicating between layers of a protocol stack and apparatus therefor
In a method of communicating between layers of a protocol stack, message data are generated for communicating between a first layer and a second layer of the protocol stack. The message data are incorporated into a data unit by providing an opaque object within the data unit, conforming to a data structure definition supporting extendible schemas, the opaque object including the message data. |
| US08135031B2 |
Method and device for wireless transmissions of internet protocol TV
The invention relates to a method for transmitting a television data stream via a wireless network connection. The method comprises receiving at least one television data stream via the User Datagram Protocol (UDP); converting the at least one UDP television data stream into a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) data stream; and transmitting the TCP data stream via the wireless network connection over a point-to-point link. |
| US08135029B1 |
Method and apparatus for a high-speed frame tagger
A method is described including extracting protocol information from a received packet within a framer, comparing the protocol information in a first pass to predetermined values to produce a first result, and tagging the packet based on the set of results. |
| US08135028B2 |
Neighbor discovery in cable networks
A network device has a communications link to allow the device to communicate with customer devices and a processor. The processor is to receive neighbor discovery messages from requesting customer devices, examine the neighbor discovery messages to determine if the neighbor discovery message should be forwarded to other of the customer devices, and respond to the requesting customer devices. |
| US08135026B2 |
Disjoint and common link operation in a wireless communication system
Techniques for supporting communication with disjoint links and common links are described. A sector may broadcast an overhead message and/or send unicast messages to indicate whether the sector supports disjoint links. A terminal may receive at least one message indicating whether disjoint links are supported by at least one sector. When disjoint links are supported, a forward link (FL) serving sector and a reverse link (RL) serving sector may be independently selected for the terminal. When disjoint links are not supported, a single sector may be selected as both the FL and RL serving sectors for the terminal. Handoff of the terminal may be performed independently for the forward and reverse links if disjoint links are supported and may be performed jointly if disjoint links are not supported. |
| US08135022B2 |
Detection of SPIT on VoIP calls
A method for packet telephony includes receiving over a packet communication network (22) a first message originating from a first end-user (32A) in a first aggregating organization (28) to place a call to a second end-user (32D) in a second aggregating organization (30). Responsively to the first message, respective values are assigned to one or more security attributes that are indicative of a likelihood that the call is a spam call. A second message is transmitted over the packet communication network toward the second end-user, the second message containing at least one of the respective values that was assigned to at least one of the security attributes. |
| US08135021B2 |
Routing in wireless ad-hoc networks
A method of transmitting data in a communication system from a first node to destination node comprising transmitting the data from the first node to an intermediate node; determining if the intermediate node communicated with the destination node more recently than the first node that transmitted the data to the intermediate node communicated with the destination node; forwarding the data from the intermediate node to a further node if the intermediate node communicated with the destination node more recently than the first node that transmitted the data to the intermediate node communicated with the destination node. |
| US08135015B2 |
System and method of transmitting and receiving data frames
A method of transmitting a data frame is disclosed and may include transmitting a preamble, transmitting a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) header, and transmitting a plurality of MAC protocol data units (MPDUs). Each MPDU may be configured to reset a convolutional decoder state after each MPDU. The method may also include transmitting an MPDU aggregation header. The MPDU aggregation header may include a count of packed MPDUs, an array of offsets, an array of lengths, a frame check sequence (FCS) for the MPDU aggregation header, a group of tail bits, or a combination thereof. Further, an end of the MPDU aggregation header may be aligned to an interleaved symbol boundary. |
| US08135014B2 |
UPnP-based network system and control method thereof
A Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP)-based network system and a control method thereof are provided. The UPnP-based network system includes a controlled device which transmits an advertisement message, and a control point which receives the transmitted advertisement message. The control point determines whether an extension header included in the advertisement message is changed, and if the extension header is changed, the control point transmits a message for requesting a description file to the controlled device. Also, the UPnP-based network system includes a controlled device which provides a description change advertisement service, and a control point which performs subscription of the description change advertisement service. The control point receives an event message for the description change advertisement service transmitted by the controlled device, and transmits a message for requesting a description file to the controlled device. |
| US08135013B2 |
Internet protocol switch and use of the switch for switching a frame
Internet Protocol (IP) switch and method for switching an IP frame to an IP destination address. The IP switch includes access ports, interswitch ports, and a switching table. Each access port is connected to a corresponding host in a LAN. The interswitch ports are configured to be statically connected to routers within the Internet in connections that cannot be overwritten by dynamic learning. The switching table includes entries, each entry having an IP address, a port identifier, and a routing protocol internal metric indicative of confidence in the entry. The method for switching the IP frame includes: receiving the IP frame, reading the IP destination address from the IP frame, ascertaining a matching IP address in the switching table that matches the IP destination address, directing the IP frame to a specific port, transmitting the IP frame from the specific port to the IP destination address. |
| US08135009B2 |
Caching remote switch information in a Fibre Channel switch
A network of switches with a distributed name server configuration and caching of remote node device information is disclosed. The network preferably comprises a first switch coupled to a second switch. Each of the switches directly couple to respective node devices. The first switch maintains a name server database about its local node devices, as does the second switch. The second switch further maintains a information cache about remote node devices. The name server preferably notifies other switches of changes to the database, and the cache manager preferably uses the notifications from other switches to maintain the cache. The name server accesses the cache to respond to queries about remote node devices. The cache manager may also aggregate notification messages from other switches when notifying local devices of state changes. Traffic overhead and peak traffic loads may advantageously be reduced. |
| US08135002B2 |
Method and apparatus for horizontally slicing a multi-stage switch fabric
A method and apparatus are provided for horizontally slicing a multi-stage switching fabric having transmission inputs and transmission outputs to and from the switch fabric. The switching fabric includes switch elements arranged in at least first and second stages, each switch element having element inputs and outputs with each switch element being configured to join one of the element inputs with an associated one of the element outputs. The switch fabric includes a first logic device that contains a stage-1 subset of the switch elements that is arranged within, and configured to operate as part of, the first stage. The first logic device also contains a stage-2 subset of the switch elements arranged within, and configured to operate as part of, the second stage. The switch fabric includes a second logic device that contains a stage-1 subset of the switch elements that is arranged within, and configured to operate as part of, the first stage. The second logic device also contains a stage-2 subset of the switch elements that is arranged within, and configured to operate as part of, the second stage. The first and second logic devices are physically discrete from one another. |
| US08135001B1 |
Multi ad hoc interoperable communicating networks
An audio gateway gains access to the network by receipt of network communication parameters from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server via the network interface; and communicates with an audio server to obtain operational attributes for communication with the audio gateway compatible source via the network interface. The audio server receives announcements from the audio gateway to identify the audio gateway as one of a plurality of possible audio gateway types, authenticates the audio gateway, permits user configuration of the audio gateway via an associated configuration screen to permit entry of operational attributes for communication supplied by a user. The audio server sends the operational attributes to the audio gateway type to configure operation of the audio gateway and maintains a database of audio gateways and the audio gateway's respective operational attributes. This abstract is not to be considered limiting. |
| US08134999B2 |
Generic provisioning of voice over internet protocol (VoIP)
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a provisioning method for establishing a telecommunications service including the operations of sending a resynchronization message to a user terminal unit, redirecting the resynchronization message to a customer premises equipment (CPE) unit, acquiring the configuration server network address from the resynchronization message, connecting the CPE unit through the network to a configuration server specified in the configuration server network address, receiving subscriber configuration data from the configuration server; and initializing the CPE unit with the received subscriber configuration data to establish service between the CPE unit and the telecommunications service provider. |
| US08134988B2 |
Coexistence mechanism for WiMAX and IEEE 802.11
A network device includes a first communication module and a second communication module. The first communication module communicates with a first device using a first wireless communication standard. The first communication module receives data from the first device during a first time period and transmits data to the first device during a second time period. The second communication module communicates with a second device using a second wireless communication standard. The second communication module receives a block of packets from the second device during the first time period. The second communication module transmits an acknowledgement to the second device during the second time period when the block of the packets is received. |
| US08134987B2 |
Methods and apparatus for split policy enforcement in wireless networks
A wireless local area network system allows policy enforcement execution to be split between an access port and a centralized wireless controller. The policy may be of various types, including, but not limited to, a firewall policy, a QoS policy, a traffic shaping policy, and a bandwidth-management policy. On the AP, for all the traffic that is to be bridged or forwarded to specified ports, the policy table on the AP is checked. If it matches the policy table entry, then the specified action is taken. For all the traffic that gets forwarded to the controller by the AP, the match is checked with the policy table at the controller. If a match is detected, then the appropriate action specified by the policy is taken. |
| US08134986B2 |
Communication apparatus and method for controlling the same
An apparatus includes a storage unit to store communication parameters and a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters and an acquisition unit to acquire a configuration processing identifier from another apparatus. The apparatus determines whether to use communication parameters stored in the storage unit or acquire communication parameters from other communication apparatus, based on the configuration processing identifier stored in the storage unit and the configuration processing identifier acquired by the acquisition unit. |
| US08134981B2 |
Correlator for primary cell search using memory architecture
An apparatus including a second stage correlator for receiving input data from a first stage correlator, wherein said second stage correlator includes a memory is described. A method for performing a second stage correlation on data including resetting a read pointer and a write pointer, alternatively multiplexing input data into one of a pair of storage registers, concatenating contents of the pair of storage registers, writing the concatenated contents into a memory in accordance with the write pointer, outputting the concatenated contents from the memory into a read register in accordance with the read pointer, updating the read address pointer and updating the write address pointer is also described. |